Chicken Stir-Fry Wraps

I found this Martha Stewart recipe while browsing through Yahoo! Foods, and it turned out quite well. This recipe is the kind that is so easy to modify without messing up. Try it with carrots, water chestnuts, chopped celery, asparagus, portabello mushrooms, you name it! Instead of wrapping it with lettuce, try serving the chicken with jasmine rice. For a spicier taste, add hot pepper sauce. Here is the recipe:

CHICKEN STIR-FRY WRAPS

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally and thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 tablespoon red-pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
• 12 Boston lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add half the chicken; cook, stirring constantly, until opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
2. Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan, along with the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender and golden, about 4 minutes (reduce heat if browning too quickly).
3. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic, ginger, and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch mixture; remove from heat. Add chicken and any accumulated juices; toss to coat. Serve in lettuce cups.

Yield: 4 servings

Boston lettuce didn't look so good when I went to the store, so I got some green cabbage instead (sure beats iceberg lettuce, nutrition-wise!).

Links:
http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/martha-stewart/recipe1120044/chicken-stir-fry-wraps

Baked Tilapia with Dill Sauce

I came across this highly rated tilapia recipe and just had to try it! And it was great, especially for a real simple and quick dish! I didn't make any adjustments to the recipe; it was great as is, although some people suggested pan frying the fillets which sounded good too (though I'm sure not as healthy as baking). And the dill sauce really makes the dish!

BAKED TILAPIA WITH DILL SAUCE

Ingredients:

• 4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, or to taste
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Season the tilapia fillets with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning on both sides. Arrange the seasoned fillets in a single layer in the baking dish. Place a layer of lemon slices over the fish fillets. The original submitter of the recipe suggests using about 2 slices on each piece so that it covers most of the surface of the fish.
3. Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
   
4. While the fish is baking, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, lemon juice and dill in a small bowl. Serve with tilapia. (Clara's note: I also squeezed a little lemon juice onto the fillets before serving.)
   

Yields: 4 servings

Links:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hudsons-Baked-Tilapia-with-Dill-Sauce/Detail.aspx

Gluttony in Missouri

So last week's diet was quite effective - at least for the first few days, I truly felt like I was losing weight. But then I got sick and had to skip my work outs. Ah well. Anyway, after a week of healthy food posts, I thought I'd follow up today with a post on all the great stuff I ate in Missouri that made me, um, increase in girth. ;)

One of my favorite places to eat in St. Joseph, about an hour north of Kansas City, is Bandana's BBQ. They offer five different BBQ sauces but my favorite is the Sweet & Smoky. Whenever I go to Bandanas I order the combo platter where I get to pick two meats and two sides. Pictured here are the ribs and turkey, plus a baked potato, their famous roasted corn, and two slices of delicious garlic bread. I have to say that they overcooked the corn this time, which was such a shame, because the corn is usually my favorite part of the meal! But the meat is always done very well, and the portions are huge. I typically eat half the platter and save the rest for lunch the next day.

This time in St. Joseph, R. and I also visited the Tap Room, which is a new bar in town. I had ordered a salad there only because I was really craving veggies, but alas, it was not good. However, the thing that I thought was worth mentioning is their 31 different varieties of chicken wings, which all sound superb. We ordered the Thai Peanut and the Curry wings. Deeelicious! I'd love to go back and try some of their other varieties!

In Kansas City, we hung out one afternoon at Tea Drops in the Westport area. Tea Drops is a really neat tea place where they sell a variety of loose leaf teas. I can attest to the quality of their teas as I had previously gotten "Summer Fruits" and "Strawberry Fields" from them (very fruity and tasty herbal teas) and they are some of the best teas I've ever had. And, of course they serve cool tea drinks in their cafe. I got a frozen taro soy bubble tea (which actually doesn't contain any tea) and OH MY. Tastes similar to purple yam ice cream which, as anyone who knows me knows, is my absolute favorite ice cream flavor that is hard to find in the US.

(Coincidentally, the only restaurant in the US where I have been served purple yam ice cream is right across the street from Tea Drops, at Thai Place. I guess I might as well post a picture of the dessert I had there when I visited in January, which consisted of a coconut tower, purple yam ice cream, and baked coconut custard. YA-UM.)

Anyway, here's a picture of the inside of Tea Drops. Sorry for the crappy phone camera picture.

Well, we got hungry after a while and walked around the block to Jerusalem Cafe. I had been there once before, and thought it was the best Mediterranean food I've tasted. This time around was maybe not quite the best I've had, but still, I was satisfied with my meal and so was R. (He loved his, actually.)

We both ordered pretty much the same thing - a "pastry plate" which was basically food stuffed in phyllo dough. I got the vegetable one while R. got the chicken. It came with veggies and rice. It was a huge plate of food actually - the stuffed phyllo pastry itself took two meals to finish. I didn't care for the rice myself (not a fan of basmati rice) but R. liked it so much he ate all of his - and mine.

We capped off the evening with a trip to the Melting Pot in the Plaza neighborhood. In case you didn't know, Melting Pot is a fondue chain. We went there originally to get a drink 'cause we both loooove their Yin & Yang martini, with "Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur, Stoli Vanil vodka and ice cream topped with chocolate shavings." It doesn't even taste at all like alcohol...super delicious and super dangerous!

Then, against our better judgment, we decided to order a chocolate fondue to share. We got the plain dark chocolate one, and it came with, strawberries, bananas, brownies, marshmallows, Oreo covered marshmallows, rice krispie squares, and a slice of cheesecake.

Our trip to Melting Pot alone probably cost us at least 1500 calories...but well worth it. :)

Zucchini Herb Casserole

Today, I continue to chronicle this week's effort to lose the few pounds I gained while in Missouri. For my dinners this week, I made a Zucchini Herb Casserole, which contains just under 400 calories per dinner-sized serving. I also went light on the cheese, using only about 1.5 cups instead of 2. The other changes I made was using about 1/2 cup of rice and cooking it in a rice cooker instead and using more salt and herbs. I was very happy with the end result, though next time I might add a little mushroom!

ZUCCHINI HERB CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, cubed
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes
• 1.5 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Cook rice in rice cooker.
   
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the zucchini, green onions, and garlic 5 minutes, or until tender. Season with garlic salt, basil, paprika, and oregano. Mix in the cooked rice, tomatoes, and half of the cheese. Continue to cook and stir until heated through. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
4. Bake uncovered 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Yields: 6 side dish servings (4 dinner-size servings)

Links:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Zucchini-Herb-Casserole/Detail.aspx

Tomato Asparagus Salad

So last week I spent five days in the Kansas City, Missouri area, and all the drinking and eating out and lack of consistent exercise really did a number on my waistline. :( It is unbelievable - 10 days in Toronto in August (where weight gain is normally pretty much inevitable) without adding a pound. Five days in Missouri, and BOOM! I feel obese! And unfortunately, what they say is true: When you hit a certain age, it's just so easy to gain weight but so hard to lose it!

So right now I'm in diet mode...at least for the week. :) I'm actually usually pretty good about watching what I eat, and I'm nowhere near overweight, but it would be nice to be able to fit in my clothes. ;) So, I'm stepping up the effort this week to try and swing back to my pre-Missouri weight. For lunch this week, I've prepared this low-fat and easy-to-make salad, which tastes really good, too!

TOMATO ASPARAGUS SALAD

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 plum tomatoes, halved and sliced
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Place asparagus in a steamer basket; place in a saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 5-7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
2. In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, tomatoes and onion. Drizzle with vinaigrette and gently toss to coat. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Yields: 4 servings (for me, 2 lunch portions)

Links:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tomato-Asparagus-Salad/Detail.aspx

Quick and Easy Shrimp Primavera

For a quick and easy meal, I love this Shrimp Primavera recipe from Kraft. The salad dressing and lemon zest gives the pasta a nice tang, and the Parmesan cheese truly completes the dish. I used cooked shrimp, so I added it after I had already let the veggies cook a little. I also added a little salt and pepper to taste. Otherwise, it's a good recipe as is!

QUICK AND EASY SHRIMP PRIMAVERA

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (1/2 lb or 8 oz) rotini pasta, uncooked
• 1/2 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing
• 1 lb uncooked deveined peeled shrimp
• 1 large red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup packaged matchstick carrots
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• salt & pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. Cook pasta as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add shrimp, vegetables and garlic; cook and stir 3 to 4 min. or until shrimp turn pink and vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. Drain pasta. Add to shrimp mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and lemon peel.

Yields: 4 servings

Quick, easy, and delicious!

Links:
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/quick-easy-shrimp-primavera-90603.aspx

Big Daddy's Crabshack and Oyster Bar (Toronto, ON, Canada)

Continuing on with my Toronto restaurant excursions, during my trip there I had also visited the Cajun-inspired Big Daddy's Crab Shack and Oyster Bar in the entertainment district in downtown Toronto. I had been to Big Daddy's on a number of occasions and have always been impressed with their food. When I was in Toronto last December, I had planned on hitting Big Daddy's with a couple of friends before seeing the Messiah at the Roy Thomson Hall right across the street, but those plans fell through. So when a colleague of mine who was in town for a conference suggested getting dinner somewhere near the convention centre, I jumped on the chance to suggest Big Daddy's, even though I didn't know if he likes seafood or not. (turns out he does - phew!) And of course, I was motivated to take him someplace that would represent Toronto well, and I was confident that Big Daddy's would do the job quite well.

The interior part of the restaurant itself is actually located in the basement level, and while it's nothing fancy, it feels quite cozy. We managed to get a patio seat on the street level, which was perfect as the weather was gorgeous. Once again, the food was fantastic. Seeing that we were at an oyster bar, we naturally had to order some for an appetizer. We got two varieties, the Kumamoto and another kind that was a special and not on the menu (forget the name now), and the oysters came with three different dipping sauces. For our entrees, I got the scallops, and my colleague ordered the seafood platter. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection (OK, except the oyster which were just perfect without cooking)! Once again, Big Daddy's didn't disappoint, and I think my colleagues enjoyed his meal as well. Here are some pictures of our meal:

Oysters


Seafood Platter


Sea Scallops

Pertinent info:
Address: 212 King St W, Toronto, ON
Phone: (416)599-5200
Nearest subway station: St. Andrew

Smoke's Poutinerie (Toronto, ON, Canada)

So I spent about 10 days in Toronto in August and had some fantastic meals, and thought I'd blog about them. This one is a fairly new restaurant I discovered recently - Smoke's Poutinerie - which serves a variety of poutine.

If you're not Canadian, at this point you're probably wondering, what the heck is "poutine"? Wait, wait, wait...isn't he a former Prime Minister of Canada? Actually, poutine is a French Canadian comfort food consisting of French fries, gravy, and fresh cheese curds. Sounds gross, but trust me, it is delicious. I find myself craving this artery-clogger once in a while, since you can't get real poutine anywhere in the States (as far as I know).

Anyway, I had been meaning to try Smoke's Poutinerie since my previous trip to Toronto. Tucked right behind the main drag of the entertainment district on Adelaide Street, this seemingly unassuming restaurant glams up a roadside diner dish by inventing some creative varieties of poutine. My brother and I decided to split three different flavors. Of course, we absolutely had to have the traditional, just because that's how poutine should be:

We also tried the Curry Chicken Poutine, with tender roasted chicken breast and curry sauce. This was probably my favorite, which I'm sure has something to do with the fact that I think anything with curry is pure awesomeness:

Brother's choice was the very meaty Hogtown Poutine, with bacon, Italian sausage, mushrooms, and caramelized onions. I personally would have preferred a little less salt, but brother quite enjoyed it:

All in all, Smokes was a really cool place. Being a somewhat health-conscious person, I don't recommend going all the time, but it is worth a try once in a while. I wouldn't mind making a repeat trip next time to try their Montreal Poutine (shaved Montreal smoked meat, Kosher full dill pickle slice, French mustard...mmmm....).

Pertinent info:
Address: 218 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON
Phone: (416) 599-2873
Nearest subway station: St. Andrew