Torviewtoronto

Berry Muffins

We can use any of the Dorset cereals mueslis for this Berry Muffins recipe that I adapted from the Hellmann's website. We are very impressed how tasty the muffins turned out.

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup Dorset cereals

3/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon optional

1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries**

1 cup milk

1/2 cup Hellmann's® mayonnaise dressing

1 egg

*I used frozen mixed berries

In a large bowl combine flour, Dorset cereals, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in berries.

In another bowl beat together milk, Hellmann's® mayonnaise dressing and egg. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Spoon mixture into 12 paper lined or greased muffin cups. Bake in 375F preheated oven for 20 minutes or until muffin top springs back when lightly touched and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Hellmann's mayonnaise founded on the principle of real, simple ingredients such as egg, oil and vinegar is celebrating their 100th anniversary. More than 80% of the ingredients in Hellmannʼs are sourced from within Canada and the brand is committed to using 100% Canadian Free Run Eggs in all their products by 2020. Everyone in our home enjoys mayonnaise, but we didn't know about the nutritional benefits associated with it. Mayonnaise is a wonderful substitute for traditional cooking oils since it locks in flavour and moisture, giving added benefit of omega-3 and a polyunsaturated fat.

Good fats like omega-3 fats help our bodies to absorb vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E and K. Vegetable omega-3 fats are an essential part of a healthy balanced diet because our bodies do not produce them. We can get omega-3 fats through foods like canola and flaxseed oil, walnuts, or mayonnaise.
Nutrition guidelines suggest that we should choose more mono and polyunsaturated fats, like those found in vegetable oils, soft, non-hydrogenated margarine and mayonnaise, instead of saturated fats found in butter and cream. Trans fat, found in hydrogenated oils and shortening should be avoided as much as possible.
Canadaʼs Food Guide recommends eating a small amount (30-45 mL or 2-3 tbsp) of unsaturated fat each day. This includes oil used for cooking, salad dressings, margarine and mayonnaise.

I used the delicious Dorset Cereals in these muffins that gave it a fabulous taste and texture. The mueslis mixture recipes are made with a blend of oats, flakes, fruit, nuts and seeds. Their muesli and honey granola are not only delicious to eat for breakfast with yogurt, but also to include in all types of desserts.

The different blends of Dorset cereals have unique combinations of nuts, fruits and grain to suit everyone's preference.

simply delicious muesli (raisins, sultanas, sunflower seeds, dates, brazil nuts, roasted hazelnuts, multi-grain flakes)
simply nutty muesli (multi-grain flakes, almonds, dates, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds)
fruit, nuts & seeds muesli (raisins, flame raisins, dates, sultanas, banana, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, flaked almonds, whole hazelnuts, multi grain flakes)
super high fibre muesli (toasted cereals, raisins, flame raisins, dates, sunflower seeds, toasted coconut, chopped roasted hazelnuts)
really nutty muesli (cashews, brazils, hazelnuts, almonds, sultanas, dates, flame raisins, multi-grain flakes)
super cranberry, cherry & almond muesli (cranberries, cherries, almonds, raisins, sultanas, sunflower seeds, flame raisins, toasted cereals)
honey granola (oats, sunflower seeds, flaked almonds, rye flakes, pecans, pumpkin seeds baked in honey with a hint of vanilla extract* alcohol based)

Their mueslis do not have added preservatives or sugar. It is high in fibre and has whole grains. Dorset Cereals can be bought in many countries.

The Great Food Truck Race

The Great Food Truck Race kicks off season four with a brand-new cast of food truck hopefuls, who hit the road for the longest route in series history (4,181 miles). The exciting culinary challenges that celebrate the country’s national landmarks starts from the Hollywood sign to South Dakota’s Crazy Horse Memorial, to Chicago’s iconic Buckingham Fountain, then to the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C. These competitors are not current food truck operators. They are eight teams of talented cooks with unique concepts and dreams to one day operate their own food truck business.

The competitors have to demonstrate top-notch cooking abilities and an entrepreneur’s creativity and business skills. Each three-person team is provided a vehicle for the race, but only the grand-prize winner gets to keep their food truck and a $50,000 cash prize to start their business.

I think Food trucks are fun concept of eating out and trying new food, this is a low cost entryway for aspiring culinary talent to succeed without a traditional restaurant. Watch the show hosted by Tyler Florence, when the seven-episode series premieres on Sunday, August 18th at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network.

In the season premiere, host Tyler Florence greets the eight teams in Los Angeles under the iconic Hollywood sign, and each team sees their custom-made truck for the first time. For their first challenge, he sends them to Beverly Hills for a contest in upscale sales. Each team can only sell one signature dish on their menu, and the dish must be sold for at least $20 each. Tyler and the teams then head 380 miles north to San Francisco, where the trucks must pick a different signature dish to sell exclusively. The team that earns the least amount with their two signature dishes is sent home. The route then sends the trucks to Portland, Pocatello, Idaho; Rapid City, S.D.; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Chicago, featuring guest stars Mayor Rahm Emanuel and legendary football coach Mike Ditka; and Washington D.C., where the life-changing grand prize is awarded in the season finale.

Corn Soup

Have a blessed Ramadan everyone :)

This chicken corn soup would be wonderful to serve when we are breaking fast.

1 1/2 cups chicken without bones

3 to 4 cups water

1/2 tsp chilie powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cumin ground

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

1/2 cup white part of leeks or onions

1/2 cup celery chopped

1 can cream style corn

1/2 cup carrots

pepper to taste

Boil the chicken with the water, chilie powder, salt, turmeric, cumin and leave it aside.

Heat oil and saute the onions or the white part of leeks and celery . Then add the boiled chicken with the water and corn and let it cook until all the flavours blend. Add the carrots towards the end and simmer the soup till the carrots are cooked to taste. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

I served this flavourful filling soup in this oval casserole dish that can be bought online from Trudeau. I like that the dish comes with a lid. I like the strong, but lightweight feel of this casserole dish that can hold up to 3.1QT of content. This dish can be placed in the oven, freezer and be washed by hand or dishwasher.

Tips on Grilling and Grilled Steak

I made this flavourful steak by following the recipe of the Indian spice rub mix from the Grill It DK book. This book is perfect to learn about techniques and tips of grilling a variety of meat, seafood, vegetables and desserts. It has information on how we can check the doneness of the meat, and also recipes on using different spices and herbs to enhance flavour. The spice rubs and spice pastes in the book are inspired from different countries. All purpose Indian Masala Rub makes 1 cup 1/4 cup coriander seeds 2 tbsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds 2 tbsp fennel seeds 2 tbsp peppercorn 2 tbsp salt 2 small dried chillies or 1/2 tbsp chillie flakes 1 tbsp ground ginger 1 tbsp ground turmeric
Lightly dry roast all the ingredients except for the salt, ginger and turmeric then grind it to a coarse powder. 6 t-bone steaks 1 tbsp olive oil per steak
Heat up the grill to 400F, when the fire is hot. To check if it is hot count how many seconds by keeping the hand 5" above the grill if it is hot you will feel it in 1 to 2 seconds. Rub the steaks with oil then the spices on both sides. Put the steaks in the hottest part of the grill and cook each side until it is well seared about 6 to 8 minutes, turn only once. Move the steaks to the cooler side of the grill, cover with a metal pan or disposable foil pan and cook slowly till it is done a little less than to your liking for about 8 to 10 minutes per side. If the meat is overcooked when it cools it will become hard. Remove from the grill, cut strips and serve with a dip or salad. I served with a tomato and onion salad. Happy Canada Day to all my friends in Canada and Happy 4th of July to all my friends in US. With lots of grilling and entertaining happening lets make sure to follow these four food safety steps.

Clean: Make sure to clean all utensils, hands, and surfaces with soapy water. If you’re going to be outside, using a moist towelette is a good idea.
Separate: Don’t put meat items back on the same plate you used for the raw meat. Make sure to bring separate plates for grilling raw meat from fruits and veggies.
Cook: Hamburgers should be cooked to 160F before serving. Remember, just because it’s brown doesn’t mean its safe use a food thermometer every time.
Chill: The general rule is to never let food sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

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Sticky toffee Pudding

the cake

9 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup pitted dates

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup water

2 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp salt

3 eggs

In a pan simmer the dates with the baking soda and water for 5 minutes until it is soft. Puree with the cooking liquid in a blender.
In a bowl add the butter, sugar, salt, eggs and sifted flour. Using a mixer, blend everything until it is combined. Mix the date puree into the mixture.

Prepare the 9 x 13 baking dish with butter, then add a few of the simmered dates coarsely chopped and pour the mixture. Bake in a 375F preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake is firm to the touch. Turn out onto a plate and drizzle with toffee sauce before serving.

toffee sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

5 tbsp unsalted butter cubed

2/3 cup heavy cream

pinch of salt

Prepare the sauce while the cake is baking. Melt the sugar, butter and cream together in a pan until it is smooth and combined. Stir in the salt and allow to boil for a few minutes. Serve the warm pudding with the hot toffee sauce.

The pudding and sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and reheated before serving. We can also make in 8 individual 7 oz ramekins and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
This sticky toffee pudding is adapted from the DK baking book.

Goan Red Snapper Fish Curry

I chose to make this Goan fish curry recipe from the Seafood book, using the red snapper as the book suggests. I knew the ingredients in the recipe would give a flavour that we enjoy because it is similar to my king fish curry. I adjusted the recipe to make half the amount.

500g 1 full red snapper cut into pieces
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 to 6 dried red chillies to taste
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
7 oz coconut milk to taste
1 tbsp oil
1 onion thinly sliced
1 tomato chopped
1 green chille
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
1/2 cup water
handful of cilantro

Put the tamarind pulp in about 1/2 cup water and discard the tamarind.

Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds in a saucepan, stir over medium heat until they begin to pop. Remove and cool then put the seeds, dried chillies, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and salt into a food processor. Process until it is finely chopped then add 2 to 3 tbsp of coconut milk and pulse to blend.
Heat the oil and sauté the onion and cook over low heat. Then add the tomatoes, green chilles and spice paste and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 until aromatic. Add the coconut milk then bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the tamarind water then place the snapper into the sauce. Cook the fish for a few minutes until the fish is cooked.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

This beautifully illustrated Seafood cookbook shows us how to prepare different types of seafood with over 300 wonderful recipes inspired by different cuisines. The book explains about different types of fish.

Red Snapper or Pargo

Ranchified Avocado Dip

I am excited to announce that I was selected, as one of Canada's top online influencers to participate in the Hidden Valley Ranch Ranchify Recipe Challenge. We usually like having the Original and Spicy Ranch dressing with our vegetables and salads. I was thinking how I could ranchify the Original Ranch Hidden Valley dressing in a different way by incorporating seasonal ingredients, and experimented it to make this delicious, flavourful dip that my family and I enjoyed.

To make this dip, I used

1/2 ripe avocado

3 to 4 tbsp ranch dressing

1/4 tsp salt to taste

1/4 tsp pepper to taste

paprika and celery leaves to garnish

I pureed about 3-4 tbsp of ranch dressing with 1/2 ripe avocado, salt and pepper. I piped the dip mixture into individual plates and sprinkled paprika and garnished with celery leaves. This dip tastes fabulous with baked breaded fish, steamed vegetable and bread.

I think it is easy to incorporate the Ranch dressing into our recipes because they are flavourful and don't have an overwhelming sharp taste. Anyone who likes Ranch dressings will definitely enjoy it with vegetables and fruits such as avocado, tomatoes and more.

The launch of avocado and spinach toppings in Subway sandwiches and salads

Subway restaurants are the world's largest submarine sandwich franchise, with more than 39,000 locations in over 100 countries. Subway Canada introduces seasonal ingredients, avocado and spinach to their line up of sandwich and salad topping for a limited time in over 3000 Subway locations in Canada.
I was able to attend a Subway Canada location to taste the healthy, delicious addition of avocado and spinach in my favourite Subway tuna sandwich. At the event, I was able to become a sandwich artist and make my own sandwich :)

I like having fresh, healthy options, as meal times become more exciting and satisfying. Subway has added spinach to their regular topping and avocado is available for an additional charge at participating locations.

Many of us know the nutritional benefits of avocado and spinach. Here is a little reminder, so we can include these seasonal ingredients more in our diet.

Avocado has soluble fibre that aids in digestion, the monounsaturated fat that raises good HDL-cholesterol and lowers harmful triglycerides, and reduces the risk of heart disease. The Lutein found in avocado helps with eye health. Avocado also has magnesium, potassium, B vitamins and folic acids. Spinach is low in calories and high in magnesium, folate, iron, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Don't forget to add avocado and spinach to your favourite Subway sandwich next time you go to one of the participating locations, as it is seasonal and only available for a limited time.

Apple Nut Mesquite Muffins

1/4 cup mesquite meal *

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped apple

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup yogurt (or milk)

1/3 cup agave nectar (or maple syrup)

1 tsp vanilla optional

1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts)

Combine the flours, baking powder, salt, and sieve it. Add the chopped apples and nuts to the flour mixture.

Beat eggs, yogurt, vanilla if using, agave nectar and oil together. Then combine the liquid mixture with the flour mixture, until it is combined.

Use a tbsp and fill the lined muffin tin with the mixture. Bake the muffins in a preheated 350F oven for 20 to 25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

This recipe from here makes 12 muffins. *We can buy this mesquite flour from Kokoplell's kitchen online.

Potato Stuffed Flatbread and a chance for you to win a set of CUTCO knives

2 cups whole wheat or atta flour
1/2 tsp salt
water to knead
extra flour for dusting

Mix the 2 cups flour with the salt and add enough water, a little bit at a time to make a dough. Divide the dough into 5 to 6 portions.

Filling

1 1/2 cups potato boiled

water to boil the potatoes

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp red chillie flakes or 1 tsp green chille chopped

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp coriander leaves

more oil for the pan

Boil about 2 to 3 potatoes with the skin until it is soft. Once it is cool peel the skin and mash the potatoes.

Heat oil and add the cumin, turmeric, red chillie flakes and salt. Quickly add the mashed potatoes and remove it from the heat. Add the chopped coriander leaves.

Make sure to dust the area you are working on with flour, so the dough doesn't get sticky. Flatten one of the portions and place about tbsp of filling inside and fold it to seal the filling.

Carefully flatten the portions with the filling, it should be about 1/4" thick. We can flatten it between the palm of our hands or gently use the rolling pin. Cook the flattened dough on an oiled hot griddle until the flatbread is cooked, this will take about 2 to 3 minutes each side. Reduce the heat to prevent the flatbread from burning. Serve the flatbread warm.

Giveaway:

As you know I am a big fan of Cooking with CUTCO, so I am glad to bring this giveaway. If you would like to win this CUTCO Studio + 4 set with block (value of $570) please enter the rafflecopter below. This giveaway is open to everyone in Canada until June 21.

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Pages

Berry Muffins

The Great Food Truck Race

Corn Soup

Tips on Grilling and Grilled Steak

Sticky toffee Pudding

Goan Red Snapper Fish Curry

Ranchified Avocado Dip

The launch of avocado and spinach toppings in Subway sandwiches and salads

Apple Nut Mesquite Muffins

Potato Stuffed Flatbread and a chance for you to win a set of CUTCO knives

Giveaway and My other site