Game Changers -changing our view of meat

At first glance I didn't think that Game Changers a film about a UFC fighter James Wilks, would be a film that I would be interested in but after hearing a bit more about the subject matter of the film I became a lot more interested and was finally able to catch the last screening at the Hot Docs Film Festival on a Saturday afternoon.

The film had an amazing team that included Oscar winner Louis Psihoyos (The Cove),  Executive Producer James Cameron and James Wilks was also the Producer and main subject. 

Game Changers focuses on an elite, mostly male athletes to explode the myth that animal protein is required for maximum physical strength, performance and sexual prowess. Scientists and experts join Olympians, UFC fighters, weightlifters and marathoners whose switch to vegetarian and vegan diets has achieved dramatically positive results.  

The subject of the film Wilks has a training injury that puts both of his legs out of commission for 6 weeks and that begins his researching journey on how to recover the fastest way possible.  He finds a study about Roman Gladiators that blows his mind and changed the way he looked at the whole myth of athletes needing protein from meat to develop large muscles.  Nothing could be further from the truth as he finds out from a host of studies by health professionals.

This film is not only informative, it's entertaining, mind blowing and hilarious.   With it's focus on Plant Based foods you wonder why this hasn't been public knowledge before and why we are still pushed the health benefits of meat and dairy.  My body has been telling me that dairy isn't so great for me and I have been thinking about Plant Based diets for a while because of the fact that it's better for the environment and it's also better in fighting some of the top diseases.  I have been eating a lot less meat because it's expensive but I have to increase my plant based sources of food and see what happens, but I think I will start after my Birthday next week and see what happens by my birthday next year.  My friend already has a 3 week headstart on me so I will at least have someone to share a meal with me.  If the Terminator thinks this is a smart idea then "You Gotta Do it".



James Wilks, Producer 
Louis Psihoyos, Director
James Cameron, Executive Producer

http://gamechangersmovie.com/

The Gluten Free Pop-up market kicks of Celiac Awareness Month on May 1st

The Gluten Free Garage is a pop-up farmer’s market event with a gluten-free twist that kicks off Celiac Awareness Month on May 1st at Artscape Wychwood Barns.  

It offers one-stop shopping for local and artisanal gluten-free food, creates awareness about this pain-in-the-gut disease, and proves that gluten-free food can be super tasty. This foodie event is built for people with celiac and gluten intolerance but everyone on the gluten-free spectrum will want to indulge.

The event was founded by Toronto mom RonniLyn Pustil - mom of a 10-year-old daughter who was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009. RonniLyn’s  family life forever changed when her daughter Lily was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 3. To ensure that her daughter (and the rest of her family, since they made their entire house gluten free to ensure no mistakes or cross-contamination would happen at home) would have delicious food to eat, she combed the city in search of fresh gluten-free food that was made locally. Eventually, she came up with the idea for the Gluten Free Garage to share her finds with others who are gluten free and to create awareness about the disease.

This year’s 5^th pop-up features more than 60 local and artisanal vendors handpicked to showcase the city’s tastiest gluten-free eats and drinks—from pastries to pasta to pirogies. Highlights include fresh food prepared onsite, food trucks, beer and cider sampling, free tote bags (for the first 1,000 guests), and five awesome guest speakers speaking to different aspects of living gluten free.

I went to this event last year and even though I don't have celiac disease I found it interesting and went with a friend who is diabetic who found some of the items interesting for him

To get you started they have provided a recipe for Mac & Cheese and Chocolate Chip Cookies, which I know is something that people miss when they have to switch to gluten free foods.

Mac & Cheese

Serves 2 to 4 people.

 It’s ideal for a weeknight meal: the sauce is a snap to make, and if you’re in a real rush, you don’t even need to bake it. 

Throw in some chopped greens like kale or broccoli, or add a smoky kick with a little bit of chopped chipotle. 

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces brown rice elbow pasta

2 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Sticks 

1¼ cups coconut milk beverage

6 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1½ teaspoons onion powder

1½ teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

Ground black pepper

1 tablespoon arrowroot starch

1 cup Daiya mozzarella-style shreds

1 15-oz can puréed butternut squash (or 1½ cups roasted and puréed squash)

½ cup gluten-free bread crumbs

½ to 1 teaspoon paprika

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add the milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk briskly to combine. Slowly whisk in the arrowroot starch. 

Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Add the mozzarella shreds and slowly whisk until melted, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and whisk until everything is combined and heated through. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, stirring gently to combine. Season to taste.

Pour the mixture into an ovenproof baking dish—either a 9-inch (round) glass pie plate or a 9- × 9-inch square dish works well.

In a saucepan, melt the remaining butter. Add the bread crumbs and toss to coat well, then sprinkle evenly over the pasta. Top with a sprinkling of paprika. Bake for 15 minutes or until the sauce begins to bubble. Serve hot with a side salad and ketchup or hot sauce.

and: 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 18 cookies

INGREDIENTS

2½ cups brown rice flour

½ cup potato starch

2 tablespoons arrowroot starch

1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon sea salt

¾ cup + 1 tablespoon organic sugar

¾ cup agave nectar

1⁄3 cup melted coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon organic blackstrap molasses

2⁄3 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, both starches, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Whisk to combine. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, agave nectar, oil, vanilla, and molasses. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well using a spatula. Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. 

Using your hands, roll the dough into golf-ball-size pieces and place on the prepared baking sheets. Press down to flatten each ball to about ¼ inch thick and 2½ inches in diameter, being mindful to keep them spaced about 1 inch apart. 

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden. Let sit on the baking sheets for at least 20 minutes, to firm up. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely, or eat them all right away.

There are lot's of products to sample and also talks by experts in the field.

I am hoping to go and try lots of stuff again this year.  see ya there.

Fall into Soup

Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup

It's Fall in Ontario and the weather has shifted to cold and grey days where all you want to do is curl up with a hot bowl of soup and watch all the new shows on TV.  Grab those sweaters, throws and curl up on the couch with this bowl of Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup. 

I added a boost of flavour using new Herbamare Bouillon Cubes provided by A. Vogel Canada.  

I created this quick recipe for the Herbamare Broth Challenge and you can follow along fellow food bloggers recipes on social media using the hashtag #howdoyouherbamare

RECIPE

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

2 roma tomatoes

1 clove garlic

1 tsp dried basil

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 Herbamare® Bouillon Cube

4 cups of water

salt and pepper

smoked salt (optional)

Flat leaf parsley sprigs for garnish

Packaged Garlic croutons or make your own

DIRECTIONS

Using a cookie sheet spread the washed cherry tomatoes on a parchment lined sheet.  Cut the roma tomatoes into quarters and add to the pan.  Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes and crush the garlic and add it to the tomatoes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add a pinch of smoked salt if you have some or you can also add smoked paprika.   Mix the tomatoes to coat everything and then roast in the oven at 400ºF until they are soft and just starting to char about 20 minutes or so depending on your oven.  When done remove and blend with a stick blender or you can add it to a blender.  I used a stick blender.  

In a separate saucepan/pot add the 4 cups of water and the Herbamare bouillon cube, tomato paste and bring to a boil.  Add the pureed tomato mixture and dried basil and/or fresh parsley and continue to simmer on medium for about 15 minutes.

Pour into a serving bowl and top with croutons and parsley sprig.  You can also grate parmesan cheese on top or add sour cream if you like.  Serves 2-4

Grab a spoon and hit the couch and turn on your favourite TV show and enjoy!

Don't forget to share the recipe with your friends and family if you like it.  And take a selfie with your soup and hashtag #howdoyouherbamare if you like it.

For more info about other A. Vogel Canada products go to their website: http://www.avogel.ca

*Disclaimer:  Herbamare samples were provided for this recipe but the recipe is my own and all other ingredients were purchased by me and the opinions are my own.  Photos are also taken by me.

Aroma espresso bar adds Freekeh superfood to Toronto's menu

Aroma Espresso Bar is constantly trying to do what most other cafe's or coffee shops in the city don't do.  They listen to their customers and are trying to constantly add fresh new foods to their ever expanding franchises.  Most of the other coffee chains in Toronto have prepared food trucked into their stores to put on their shelves but what sets Aroma Espresso Bar apart is the fact that there is a kitchen in every store where most items are prepared fresh.  Fresh breads, fresh salads, fresh real iced drinks.  You can really taste the difference between a salad that is freshly  made versus one that has been sitting in a package for hours and that's only one of the differences that makes Aroma stand apart.

This June Aroma is adding a Superfood grain that isn't very well known in Canada but is more known to European palates.  It's an Ancient Grain called Freekeh it comes from the Middle East and is made from fire-roasted wheatberries.

They are adding the Freekeh Salad to their new SAVOUR SUMMER seasonal menu.

The Freekeh salad contains a blend of freekeh, black quinoa, sprouted brown rice, baby kale, tomato, cucumber, carrot, pickle, red onion, parsley, and topped with za'atar seasoning, and labneh cheese and a light dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.

It's a cross between their chopped salad and their quinoa salad in style and texture.

There are so many benefits to this superfood Freekeh including:

• Low in carbohydrates
• High in Fibre ( 4 times the fibre of brown rice)
• Low glycemic index
• Good probiotic properties
• Rich in amino acids
• Vegetarian and vegan
• Kosher

only downside is that it isn't gluten free.

Chef Geoff Scott and Nutritionist Jaime Slavin developed this salad for the menus at Aroma cafe's.   Chef Scott was on hand at the lunch I attended to explain what went into the salad and the benefits of the Freekeh grain and the freshness of the salads.

There are 28 Aroma Espresso Bar locations across Toronto and the GTA and they will be the first stores in the global chain's 165 locations to carry the signature salad.  If Aroma's customers respond well to it then it may be rolled out to other global locations.

The salad sells for roughly the same cost as a fast food lunch at $7.95 which is really a great thing when you consider that it is all fresh and healthy and there are many different ingredients in it but it is still considered to be available in a quick service chain outlet.  The only thing missing is the drive through.

My friends think I am pretty fussy when it comes to choosing places to eat but I have to say that Aroma constantly impresses me with the direction they keep moving toward.  I had the idea to have fresh food brought into a fast food concept for a long time so it's nice to see the choices that Aroma are making to move the brand forward into the future.

My only wish is that they had late night hours because it seems like all you can get after a movie in this city is a drink, a pizza, street meat or if you are lucky a sub sandwich.

If you are wondering what the Freekeh grain tastes like,  it's very nutty tasting and similar to a quinoa, or rice blend.  The lebneh in the salad adds a nice creaminess that really makes it a satisfying and filling meal.

Aroma would also like to showcase their Ice Mint and Ice Aroma drinks along with their Coconut Orange cake and other fresh made pastries.

If you are looking for a light summer meal for lunch or dinner but still want to eat healthy then this is a great option for you.

I also had their grilled chicken sandwich with red peppers, arugula and mozzarella cheese.

The Aroma espresso bar's are clean, bright and comfortable and the staff are great too.

I may be a bit partial to Aroma as they have been good to me in sponsoring my Food Revolution Day event but I wouldn't have approached them if I didn't believe they were a company with Integrity and a had a great social conscience.

This is the way of the future.  Good food, good for you and good for the world.

If you would like to see what else is on their menu visit their website at www.aroma.ca

Farm to Fork Toronto NO GMO"S

This flyer popped up on social media and was also sitting on the seats in the subway while I was on my way downtown for another event.   I know there was March against Monsanto last year but I wasn't able to make it.  I couldn't do the long March on Bloor Street so I headed to Christie Pits Park for the Farm to Fork GMO Free Festival instead.

It really was the perfect day for this festival.  The weather really was in their favour, not to hot, not too windy, cool enough to keep the food and people fresh.

Julie Daniluk the nutritionist and TV personality was leading the charge while dressed in her Tomato fish costume.  Julie is very passionate about health and does everything she can to get people to make the right choices with their food.





Do you know if your food has been genetically modified?  Well if it has nobody is going to tell you that is.  That's what the March and festival were for, to spread the word and get petitions signed to get governments to make producers label GMO foods.  While it might be a long way away from banning GMO's because the big companies will tell you it's better for sustainability and for the future of food.  But do we really know what the long term effects to our health or the planet will be?  Would you choose a GMO labelled product?  Companies that export some products overseas already have to use mandatory labelling so why don't they just do it for everywhere?  Therein lies the problem.  The big secret that all the Monsanto's of the world hide from the public.  What we don't know won't hurt us... well actually it may be the opposite case in fact.

Anyway..  you can research more about this issue and see if you can get involved in letter writing, petitions or Marches but I just want to tell you about this event for now.

It was a lovely event with speakers like Julie and other people involved in different areas of expertise and there was also music too.

Then my favourite part, the food vendors.  Chef Brad Long left his Brickworks Cafe Belong to be there to serve up some cookies, brownies and butter tarts.  There was a nutritionist that decided to set up a booth to serve really fresh assorted vegetable and grain salad.  I had this salad for $6 it was packed with flavours, colors and a health boost.

They were also handing out Tilda rice to everyone so I walked away with a bag of free rice.  I also picked up a juice box of lemonade from Kiju.


I sampled some interesting flavoured Ghee,  some Neal brothers samples, Raw food dips and I bought some great looking tomatoes and garlic chives and one of my favourite Honey's Dutchman's Gold.

I wasn't planning on buying anything and was just there to check it out and maybe get something to eat but it's hard not to support all these great vendors who are trying to do the right thing.

You gotta support local, GMO free, and as free of anything but what real food is.

It's a GOOD THING as Martha Stewart might say.

For more info visit www.toorntoNonGMOCoalition.org  #farm2forkTO

Masterchef's Graham Elliot's fresh tastes

Masterchef US judge Chef GRAHAM ELLIOT was in Toronto for a special media event at Nella Cucina on Bathurst St. to promote Walmart's new changes to promote Fresh Tastes and some new changes that will be happening in Walmart stores.   The media were invited to cook up recipes from Chef Elliot's new cookbook "Cook like a Master Chef".
In teams of 4-5 people we cooked up some creamed spinach and grilled 100% Canadian Beef.   Chef Elliot's team also cooked up some grilled Salmon with a mustard vinaigrette and a fresh coleslaw.

Walmart's representative spoke about the changes Walmart are making in their produce sections and their meat departments to better suppliers and in the case of Walmart Canada that means a lot of Canadian product as a response to what consumers were requesting.   Chef Elliot and Walmart Canada want to provide fresh grocery food at an affordable price that more families can choose for their daily meals.  The chicken and pork will be supplied by Maple Leaf and the beef will be from Alberta farmers and the produce from some of the top producers.

Chef Elliot has gone through a major transformation in his life by losing 150 pounds over the course of a year after having gastric sleeve surgery to reduce the size of his stomach.  As a chef he still needed the ability to taste foods all day but a way to get his health in line for himself and mostly for the benefit of his family.  He didn't want to have his weight be an issue for his sons lives so he made the change which included changing his diet to more protein based meals and fresh vegetables and he also ran a marathon a year after his surgery.

With his new cookbook COOK LIKE A MASTERCHEF he wants to inspire people to eat better foods everyday.  He has partnered with Walmart to inspire people in this mission.

It was a pleasure attending the media event where not all the media were comfortable in the kitchen.  I didn't have that problem and enjoyed making his recipes.  I have made the creamed spinach recipe myself a few times so it was simple for me but for people without experience in the kitchen it's an easy recipe to learn and a good way to get kids and adults to eat spinach.

Graham Elliot is considered the nice Chef on Masterchef US in between Gordon Ramsey and previously Joe Bastianich who has now been replaced with Dessert queen Christina Tosi.   The new season aired on Wednesday night and I can say that Christina is a tough judge but I would say critical but precise.

I love watching Masterchef to see all the different recipes the contestants come up with and how they try to push the boundaries of what is expected.

I would suggest watching Masterchef on Wednesday nights at 8pm and you will pick up a few cooking tips and then get a copy of Graham Elliot's cookbook or even one of Chef Gordon Ramsey's many cookbooks and try your hand at a recipe you didn't think you could make.   Impress yourself and the people you dine with with your new found skills and don't forget that Walmart is now trying to provide more fresh foods that you can afford.

*disclaimer: the media event was complimentary but the opinions in this post are my own.

Food Revolution Day at Hendrix Toronto

TODAY is the DAY for My Food Revolution!  Although the official FOOD REVOLUTION DAY  was yesterday I am doing my part by having a huge public event at Hendrix Restaurant Equipment and Supplies today.  

Yesterday was a very busy day.  It started off with going to my old high school for fellow Ambassador Susan's massive Squash it sandwich making with about 1200 kids at Northview Heights Secondary School and linked with neighbouring schools.  Then off to pick up vegetables from Fresh City Farms and over to Hendrix Equipment to get organized and then a long wait in traffic to pop over to Sobeys to pick up all of the rest of the items for my cooking demo and back home to organize and prep everything.

Today Susan and I are back in the Kitchen at Hendrix Toronto to make my own recipes.  Sorry Jamie Oliver but I didn't think bashing vegetables in a high end cooking supply shop would go down very well so I tried to adapt my veggie recipes for this event.

I will be making Flatbread or Pita, whatever you want to call it but you can call it delicious and fresh. I will also be making quick pickled onions and grilling up some vegetables and adding a herb and spice mixture for flavour.  The grilled vegetables will be packed into the fresh flatbread sandwiches for an awesome grilled sandwich.  Add a bit of feta or parmesan to kick it up and you have a vegetarian sandwich that won't have you missing the meat.  I will also make a spicy carrot soup using Good Food For Good's new Chilitomate sauce which has some Mexican inspired flavours.

Have a taste along with some fresh lemon and mint infused water or some Hot Tea from Pluck Teas.

At 3pm there will be a draw for some great prizes like a Jamie Oliver cookbook, Aroma Espresso Gift Cards, Sobeys gift cards and aprons , Fresh City Farms gift certificate  and a few other great things.

None of this would be possible without the help of my great sponsor partners.  It has been a pleasure working with all of them over the past few months.  

Sobeys, Fresh City Farms, Hendrix Equipment who I spoke with on almost a daily basis, Aroma Espresso Bar, A Vogel Canada and Pluck Teas.

I was planning on a Wonky Veg Cooking Demo but all of the vegetables I picked up look perfect but you can make these recipes with perfect looking vegetables or ugly vegetables that will turn out beautiful.

If you attended my cooking demo thank you for coming and I hope you enjoyed it and get into your own kitchen and share these recipes with your friends and family.

The goal of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day is to get people back into the kitchen and to get food education into the schools so that kids and their families take control of what they eat and eat real food to tackle the growing obesity and health related diseases that are making kids of this generation live shorter lives than their parents did.

You have the power and it's in your kitchen.   Get Cooking and Sign Jamie Oliver's petition on change.org/JamieOliver so that Jamie can take it to G20 leaders and show them we need food education in our schools and that it is a very important global issue.

Food Revolution Day RECIPES-LindaMatarasso 2015

Bareburger- Good for your soul and the planet

Who:        Food Writers
What:       Menu Tasting
Where:     BAREBURGER  - 111 Dundas St. W. Toronto
When:      Earth Day - April 22
Why:        To launch the new International Franchise for New York's Bareburger Restaurant

Twitter/Instagram:  @bareburger  #bareburgerTO





I spent my Earth Day Dinner in the best possible way.  I spent it with some of my favourite Food Writers at a brand new restaurant called Bareburger. The first International franchise extension from their New York location.  It just opened in the last couple of months in a really great location on Dundas just west of Bay Street.  It will cater to the Ryerson students, the City Hall, Hospital and other government offices and since it's not far from the Eaton Centre it's also convenient for tourists looking for healthy burgers and sides. We were introduced to owners Ragu and Euripedes (EP) and Chef Andrew who were all very excited to share their food with us.

It was fitting that we had our dinner on Earth Day because they have set their food standards very high.  They are kind of like the Chipotle of Burgers where their priority is to serve the best quality local food.  All of their meats are Free-Range, Pasture Raised, Humanely Raised, Antiobiotic, Gluten & Hormone FREE.  Their fried items are cooked in NON GMO  Canola oil. Their food is not only better for the planet it's better for your health and the health of the community where the restaurant lives.

Ok I know you want to know how the food tastes.  I am happy to say the menu isn't just regular burgers and fries.  Their young Executive Chef Andrew has created a great menu with the classic burger and fries fare and then added stepped up additions to the menu.

Their menu has a lot of choice so as Chef Andrew stated he never gets bored of eating food on the menu.  For their burgers there are 3 different kinds of buns, select a patty from choices of beef, bison, elk, wild boar, duck, turkey sweet potato & wild rice, black bean & quinoa.  Nine different kinds of cheeses, 4 different kinds of bacon, 11 different kinds of sauces, 5 different spreads and 13 different vegetables.

We sampled 3 different kinds of burgers:

1. The Standard had beef, colby, stout onions, dill pickles, special sauce on a brioche bun.
2. The Blue Elk was Elk, Amish Blue cheese, back bacon, stout onions, pineapple relish on a sprout bun.
3. The El Matador was Bison, cheese curds, pickled jalapenos, guacamole, green leaf, pico de gallo on a brioche bun.

They were all amazing,  I think my preference was the El Matador because I loved the toppings.

The Sides:

Onion Rings were the first thing we tried and were served with about 8 different sauces and sweet potato fries.  We all shared plates so I only got one onion ring and one sweet potato fry but wow were they delicious.  Incredible crunch on the onion rings and the dipping sauces were all influenced by big bbq locations in the U.S. where the chef and the owners had lived or spent time.  A really great blend of flavours and they use agave instead of sugar to sweeten some of them.

We also had Poutine with smoked brisket and Montreal cheese curds.

We tried a couple different salads:

1. Guapo Chop - little gems romaine lettuce, cheese curds, pickled jalapenos, red onions, pico de gallo, guacamole, tortilla chips and avocado basil dressing. Ours was served with the most amazing buttermilk battered fried chicken breast pieces.
2. Cali Fresh - Baby spinach, cauliflower hummus, red quinoa, grape tomatoes, watermelon radish, red onions, sprouts, lemon tahini dressing.

We also tried a Vegan addition of their Farmstead Collard Slider with sweet potato and wild rice patty, cauliflower hummus, tomato and baby kale wrapped in Collard Greens.  Probably not something I am likely to order because there were other things I preferred more but a great choice for restricted diets.

And finally after we were all completely stuffed out came some amazing Ice Cream cookies and a Black & white milkshake.  The ice cream cookies served were 3 different flavours, an apple pie ice cream and oatmeal raisin cookie, a peanut butter ice cream in a chocolate cookie and my personal favourite a roasted marshmallow ice cream in a snickerdoodle cookie.  They use Greg's Ice Cream and the Marshmallow flavour is my favourite flavour of all of their flavours.   The black and white milkshake was vanilla and chocolate ice cream with coffee beans and chocolate syrup on top.

It was a delicious meal and the owners are all passionate people with a lot of integrity. They love Canada and were told about opening here by one of their suppliers.  What I thought was really interesting was the fact that they had a lot of their vendors at the media night.  There is an obvious genuine connection and mutual respect between them which is always a sign of a successful operation.  There was so much attention to detail from the marketing materials to the design of the space to the combinations of ingredients. All carefully thought out.

As a Food Revolution Day Ambassador I can honestly say that I whole heartedly recommend going to this place.  
It's a lovely space, the people are very accommodating and the food is just amazing and it's all a win win situation for everyone.  I hope they like Canada so much that they open another location in North York so I can become a regular or maybe I need to get another job in the area.  I worked in that area a few years ago and wish they were open then because I know I would have been there a couple of times a week for sure.

New Year's Day Fresh Start

It's New Year's Day today and every show on TV is now telling you how to lose weight, save money, have better relationships and do more.  If you are hungover you may be sleeping today off and you aren't reading this right now.  But if you didn't get drunk last night you could be either a non -drinker, you stayed in like I did or you have house guests staying over and you had to wake up to take care of them.  A lot of people think they need to start their Food and diet resolutions on January 1st.  I say start on the day you go back to a routine or better yet just eat real food and forget deprivation.  Deprivation only lasts so long and a few days later you give up.  If you just resolve to eat better quality food you will be better off in the long run.  Michael Pollan says in his book "Cooked" that you should just cook your own food at home and skip the diets because you are less likely to eat burgers and fries if you make them at home.  Nobody deep fry's everyday and if they do they got a whole other problem.

Last night I  stayed in and was prepared in case anyone wanted to come over and watch the ball drop on TV with me.  Sadly everyone had other plans so I stayed home alone and watched all the shows while munching on things I didn't plan on eating.   So today I decided to make a couple of things I was going to make for snacks in case anyone dropped by.  These are things you can make for a New Year's Eve cocktail snack or for a New Year's Day Brunch.   For me it was my lunch.

I had a package of already rolled puff pastry that just needed to be defrosted in the fridge and unrolled onto a cookie sheet.  So far easy.  I used to buy the packages you have to roll but this stuff is so easy and a lot less messy.   It even comes rolled in parchment paper that I used to cook the whole thing on in the oven.   I made it really simply two different ways.   A savoury Leek Tart and a Sweet  Fig and Goat Cheese Tart.

The Leek Tart

Cut leeks into 1/4 inch rings and wash in a bowl of water separating the rings and letting the dirt float to the bottom.

I cooked bacon in a pan just before and had the bacon fat to cook the leek in.  Butter or oil works fine if you don't have bacon fat.  

Saute the leeks on medium heat until they have softened and become translucent.  

Add Thyme, Parsley, salt and pepper to the leek mixture.   Set aside to cool.

Grate about 1/3 of a cup of gruyere cheese or you could use Fontina, feta or goat cheese even.

Roll out your puff pastry and place it on a cookie sheet and if it comes with parchment paper use that between the cookie sheet and dough to make it easy to take out and clean up.

I added a bit of the gruyere on top of the dough and then just spread the leek mixture lightly all over the puff pastry and left a tiny edge without leek around the tart.   Sprinkle the rest of the gruyere on top or whatever cheese you decide to use.

Bake in a hot oven as per Puff pastry directions but probably about 450F.   Bake for 10-15 minutes making sure the dough puffs up and is golden brown underneath.  Cut into slices with a pizza cutter to make it easier to serve.

Sweet Fig and Goat Cheese Tart

This is the easiest recipe ever.  All you need is a jar of Fig Jam and a package of soft goat cheese.

Roll out the puff pastry dough and then spread the fig jam over it and crumble the goat cheese on top.

Bake the same directions as above or per package directions for 10-15 min.  This one is great to assembly for a quick sweet dessert even.   You don't have to prep anything ahead.. Just assemble and bake.  It looks like you are fancy when you make this.  

I have also made these as turnovers or in muffin cups if you want them individual but if you are tired and you have to feed a lot of guests then this is the easiest way possible.   I was just lazy because it was just for me so I did it this way.



I also had a package of cheese fondue that I was going to heat up and eat with some crusty baguette and I also had some grapes and grape tomatoes to go with it.   You could still have this for brunch and just set it out and let people plunk what they want into the gooey cheese or you can melt up some good chocolate and have some fruits like grapes, apples, pineapple, bananas or clementines for a quick pick me up fruity dip.

Have things in your fridge and pantry that you can just take out and place on a platter and they are ready to eat.   Like cheese, charcuterie, olives, pickles etc.   Cut up veggies like celery, carrots and celery the day before even so you have them ready to go with a hummus dip or something for a healthy and quick and easy snack.   If you have some great breads and spreads you can set up a sandwich station where people can just make their own sandwiches.  

Sandwich options:

Sliced cheeses
Sliced tomatoes
Washed lettuce
Smoked Salmon
Cream Cheese
Egg or Tuna Salad
Hummus
Deli meats
Even the leftover sauteed leeks and bacon can be added to a sandwich.

Set yourself up for an effortless or little effort and lazy New Year's Day while still fuelling up on some tasty food.

Having a bowl of fruit with Clementines, Apples and Bananas will allow guests to just grab a fruit if it's first thing in the morning.   Just try and keep the bananas separate from the apples because they release gases that will over ripen other fruits.

If you need to DETOX after the wild New Year's Eve that you had you might want to set up a jug of water with lemons in your fridge.

You can add things like fresh mint or sliced cucumbers or pomegranate seeds if you want to jazz it up.    Even just citrus slices of lemon and lime or orange and clementine.   Pick things that will flavour your water and add some anti oxidants and vitamins and help flush out some of the toxins from the night before.

You can always make a Mimosa cocktail if you like with leftover champagne and orange juice if you have any left.

A great Green Tea is also a great idea to detox and boost your metabolism.

The most important thing is to forget the pressure to start your resolution or diet and think about refuelling for a fresh start to the New Year and rest and recharge for a big year ahead.

Kombucha Coffee.. What's that?

 

I have a friend that is obsessed with Kombucha drinks while the rest of my friends have no idea what it is.  I went to a new product launch cocktail party last night for the launch of Tonica Kombucha's Coffee Kombucha Beverage.  I have tried a few different Kombucha drinks because I know that the health properties of Kombucha drinks are really good for you.   This Kombucha is a digestive drink.  This particular brand is 100% Canadian, Organic and Naturally Raw.  It is brewed in small batches and it's filled with living enzymes, healthy bacteria and liver cleansing acids that are fermented.   That might not sound great but what it does is fight the bad stuff in your gut by putting in the good bacteria.

I attended a little cocktail event to launch their new Coffee Kombucha in their North York Warehouse which was set up very nicely with standee tables with candles and tented tables lit with white Christmas lights.   They had a small band playing live music and a bartender set up where they were mixing a Mocktail and a Cocktail using the Coffee Kombucha.   I tried the Mocktail and it was delicious.  It tasted like a pumpkin pie spice cappuccino a bit.  It was very spicy and warming even though it was an iced drink.  It looked like an Iced Cappuccino.  The cocktail had Rum and a few different ingredients added.   I could really see people that are coffee drinkers that want to kick the coffee habit start switching to this drink to get a bit of what they get from coffee.  It's not the same but it is a 100% better for you.  

I recently purchased some Kombucha that was on special.  I took one sip and was not a fan of that particular flavour.   Not true in this case.  I really enjoyed the kicked up drink.  I will have to taste one with out the additions but it didn't have a strong fermented taste that others do.

The food at the event was provided by NUD Fud and Raw Foodz.   NUD fud produce organic, raw, vegan, gluten-free snack foods they had some Apple Crisp treats and some Cocoa flavoured treats as well as Chia Coconut pudding.

Raw Foodz produces Organic, Raw Vegan Cream Cheese Spread and Dip and dressings and their food was served in little cups with crudite, in a Kale Caesar Salad and also a mixed vegetable dish served in a Chinese Take Out Container.

It was a nice event created by a group of women who were obviously set out to change the health of the products we buy in our grocery and convenience stores.  Women on a mission to change the way we eat and drink for our health.