Savoury Triscuit Snacks

The chill in the air ultimately leads us to crave cozy comfort food and soothing scents associated with sweet baking and savoury indulgence for quiet nights and holiday gatherings. In our family, we enjoy using Triscuit crackers as a canvas to serve finger food because of their unique texture, taste, and flavour. This recipe for savoury snacks I made are easy to prepare and are perfect to serve during any gathering at home or office, or at holiday parties. 

Quick and Delicious Fish Cakes

Clearing away artificial ingredients and hard-to-pronounce additives from our diet is important for our overall well-being. Clover Leaf Seafoods recognizes the importance of fewer, simpler product ingredients and has launched a reformulation of their extensive line-up of products.

Batter Fried Squid

This flavourful and delicious batter fried squid is wonderful to serve as a savoury snack anytime.

Crispy Baked Fish Sticks and Sustainable Seafood Choices

We enjoy our seafood, but I am always worried where the seafood comes from and if it is sustainable or if there were any negative human interventions while packaging. I am glad that the world’s largest and most respected conservation organizations like WWF-Canada, which is part of WWF (World Wildlife Fund) are actively working to improve the way seafood is captured and cultivated to ensure we have healthy oceans for generations to come. 

Crispy Cod Fritters

The recipe for this delicious cod fritters or Pasteis de bacalhau from Portugal is from the Mediterranean cookbook. 

1 lb 2oz (500g) salt cod

1 lb 2oz (500g) russet potatoes

1 onion grated

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

black pepper or chile flakes

2 eggs

olive oil for frying

A Visual Guide to Sushi-Making at Home

I really enjoyed learning from the Visual Guide to Sushi-Making at Home book that teaches how to make sashimi and sushi style dishes in our own kitchen using a non-traditional approach. There are over 50 recipes from sushi chef Hiro Sone with step-by-step photography and dozens of ingredients and equipment identifications. The books explains everything we need to know from choosing the right fish, the type of rice and how we can prep different types of seafood, and other sushi related ingredients such as dashi, wasabi and more. It also has a section on sushi etiquette.

Grilled Snapper in Banana Leaves

This grilled fish in banana leaves recipe from the Seafood book allows the fish to steam in its own moisture and the leaves give a smoked flavour. 

1 red snapper about 3 lbs scaled and gutted

2 to 3 banana leaves

1 tsp sesame oil for the banana leaves

lime wedges to serve

For the marinade

2 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro

1/2 tbsp grated ginger

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

grated zest of 1 lime

1 red chillie seeded and chopped

salt to taste 

pepper to taste

Make 3 to 4 slashes on each side of the fish nearly to the bone. Put the marinade ingredients into a blender and chop. Press this mixture into the slashes and set aside for about 20 minutes.

Blanch the banana leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds to soften then remove with tongs and rinse in cold running water. Cut the thick vein from the center of the banana leaves. Then arrange them overlapping on a large cutting board, shiny side down. Brush with sesame oil, and put the fish on the leaves and wrap to encase the body, the head and tail can be visible. If needed secure the leaves with cocktail sticks.

Grill or Bake

Preheat the grill to make it really hot and cook the fish turning often to prevent the leaves from burning, it will take about 20 minutes.

It can also be baked at 375F for 20 minutes, I wrapped the banana leaves with foil to prevent it from burning and turned it once during the baking time.   

Insert a metal skewer into the center of the fish through the leaves for 30 seconds. If the fish is cooked, the skewer will emerge piping hot. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with lime wedges. Unwrap at the table and serve with rice.

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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

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Saha Thai marinades and sauces

It is nice to have delicious tasting marinades and sauces on hand for quick meals. I think, it allows us to impress our loved ones and make tasty meals with very less effort. Saha has a variety of sauces and marinades we can use to make Middle Eastern and Thai food. All the ingredients used by Saha are natural so we can use these preservative free sauces guilt free :)

I used the Saha Thai sauces; red curry, green curry and massaman curry to make a variety of curries, which all had a unique delicious taste.  The curries also had authentic flavour, as I used coconut milk to get the intended flavours.

Thai red curry paste is a staple in many classic Thai dishes.  The spices and exotic flavours from lemongrass and galangal is in the sauce, so there is no need to look for these exotic ingredients or prepare the base at home. I used this container of Thai red curry in a variety of dishes such as in this shrimp curry and also to make a mixed vegetable dish.

For the shrimp curry

2 cups cleaned shrimp without peel

1 tbsp oil

2 shallots or green onion chopped keep the green and white part separate

1 green chillie

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup Saha Thai red curry sauce

1/2 tsp salt to taste

1 cup of coconut milk

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup red pepper

2 tbsp coriander leaves

Heat oil and sauté the white part of the shallots then add the garlic, green chillie and shrimp.  When the shrimp is changing colour add the sauce, salt, water, coconut milk and cook covered in low heat till the shrimp is cooked. Add red pepper and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from heat add the green parts of the shallot and coriander leaves.  Serve as a side dish with rice, flatbread or bread.  

All Saha products are flavourful and have a unique taste.  These sauces and marinades help us make traditional Thai or Middle Eastern food within a few minutes.  I wish these sauces are available everywhere as I am addicted to it :)  It is sold in these places and online.

Massaman meat curry

I made this meat curry in the pressure cooker within minutes by mixing this massaman curry sauce.  The delicious aroma of the sauce, blended with coconut milk tasted fabulous.  My family and I enjoyed the flavours. The sauce had the secret ingredients that reminded me of my grandma's meat curry.  The sauce had oil and salt in it so I didn't add either. 

For this Massaman meat curry I added 1/2 tbsp oil to sauté onions, curry leaves, ginger, garlic and then the meat. I let the meat brown a little, before adding about 4 tbsp of sauces and 1 tbsp coconut milk powder with 1 cup of water. Then I cooked the meat in pressure cooker for about 10 minutes in medium heat and served it hot as a side dish.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2012 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Eggplant with dried shrimp curry

This side dish tastes delicious served with rice or flatbread. For this curry the eggplant is cooked slow with dried shrimp. 

Small fish cooked in coconut milk

12 to 15 smelts cleaned *
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 red chillie
3 tbsp onion
1 tbsp curry leaves
1 pandan leaf
1/2 tbsp garlic
1/2 tbsp ginger grated
1 green chillie optional
1/2 cup tomatoes
1/2 tbsp chillie powder
1/4 tbsp coriander or curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
1 gambooge 
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp coconut milk powder mixed in 1/4 cup water


* Remove the bones in the fish if it easy for you or just clean and cook.  


Heat oil then sauté the onion and curry leaves.  Then add garlic, ginger, pandan leaf and green chillie.  Add the tomatoes and spices.  Then add the smelts and water, cook lightly covered till the fish is soft.  
Make sure not to break the fish by stirring too much just shake the pan or carefully coat the fish if needed, the fish becomes soft and cooks fast.  
Add the coconut milk towards the end and cook for a few minutes without the lid.  Serve as a side dish with rice, flatbread or bread.   


All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2012 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Baked Pollock with gravy

roast and grind

1 cardamom

1 clove

1"cinnamon

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp fennel

Roast the spices and grind to a fine powder and leave aside.

1 pkt pollock fillet (about 4 to 6 pieces)

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tbsp chillie powder or fish curry masala powder to preference

roasted spice powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp tomatoes or more

2 tbsp onion

1 tbsp curry leaves optional

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp coconut milk powder

In an ovenproof dish mix the fish with all the spices, salt and lemon juice. Put the tomatoes, onion and curry leaves over the fish and bake at 450F for about 20 minutes, turning once when it is baking.

Add the coconut milk powder and bake for another 5 minutes and serve as a side dish with rice, bread or flatbread.

There is no need to add water the tomatoes and fish as water content that will make a gravy.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2012 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Pan fried fish curry

1 steak of king fish

3/4 tsp chillie powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp tamarind pulped in 1/4 cup water

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp onion

2 tbsp tomatoes

1 green chillie chopped

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp ginger grated

1 tsp curry leaves

1 tbsp coriander leaves to garnish

Marinate the fish with the spices and tamarind for about 1/2 hour.

Heat the oil, fry the fish and turn carefully to fry the other side. Add onions, tomato, curry leaves, ginger, garlic and the remaining marinate.

Cook the fish covered in low medium heat until it is fully cooked, turn it once in between without breaking the fish.

Serve it as a side with rice or bread.

Check out my post go green lunch boxes :) on Createwithmom

This goes to healthy diet food event easy healthy lunch.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2012 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Nut pilau

Recipe to dress up rice, nut pilau

1 cup basmati rice

1/2 tsp saffron strands crushed

1 tbsp rose water or orange flower water

1 tbsp ghee or butter

1" cinnamon stick

2 cardamom pods

2 cloves

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp each pine nuts, blanched almonds, blanched pistachios, cashews

1/2 tsp salt

water 1" higher than the rice

garnish with fried onions optional

Blanch the almonds and pistachios remove the skin. Cut the almonds, pistachios and cashews two half or smaller.

Wash and soak the rice for 1/2 hour. Soak the crushed saffron strands in the rose water and leave a side.

Heat the ghee and fry the nuts till it is aromatic. Keep sautéing to make sure that the nuts don't burn. Add the whole spices, then sauté the rice until it is opaque.

Add salt, saffron rose water, and water 1" higher than the amount of rice. Cook the rice in low heat covered for 20 minutes. Let it stand for 10 minutes covered after removing from heat before serving.

This goes to Serve it stir fried, colourful palette

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2012 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

International Boston Seafood Show, March 11-13, 2012.

International Boston Seafood Show, March 11-13, 2012.

Live life well

I was invited to attend a media event at the Maple Leaf Garden Loblaws, which opened in November 2011. It had lots of choices and unique features worth looking at such as its ACE bakery that makes artisan bread from scratch everyday, the 18 foot wall with 400 varieties of cheese, patisseries, tea emporium, fresh juice that is squeezed on location, tables with pictures of events that happened at the Toronto Maple Leaf Garden and many more...

The tour was very informative. I had fun meeting the organizers, folks that work at Loblaws, the chefs at the PC cooking school and in-store dieticians. I enjoyed a delicious vegetable soup, barley risotto served with scallop and a berry crumble that was made by the chefs.

Here is the adapted recipe for Wild mushroom barley risotto with scallops from PC blue menu recipes.

2 cup shitake mushrooms *

6 cups of water

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 tsp salt to taste

1 cup pear barley

2 tbsp or more fresh parsley and thyme

parmesan cheese to garnish optional

* Can use only shitake or use 1/2 cup dried chanterelle, 1/2 cup dried portobello mushrooms and 1 cup shitake for the mushroom stock. Boil the mushroom with the water and turn off the heat. Let the stock stand covered for 20 minutes. Take the mushrooms out of the stock by squeezing the water, chop and leave aside. Keep the stock in low heat.

Heat oil over medium high heat, then cook onions for 2 minutes, add garlic then add sliced mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes till the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the barley.

Then add mushroom stock 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly allowing the stock to get absorbed before adding the next cup of stock keep doing this till the barley is cooked to desired consistency about 1/2 hour. It is cooked uncovered. Add parsley, thyme, remaining salt and the cheese if you are using. Leave aside.

scallops

2 tbsp oil

1 bag 400g scallops thawed and drained

salt and pepper to taste

2 to 3 tbsp water from the mushroom

Heat oil over medium high heat cook scallops for 2 to 3 minutes until it cooks through turning it once. When touched if it springs back it is ready. Add about 2 to 3 tsp of water from the stock. Serve hot with the risotto.

This is the berry crumble.

Loblaws will be having in-store dieticians that offer many services i.e. teaching and advising the public about healthy eating for healthy living. You can ask any nutritional related questions such as heart health, diabetes, family nutrition, weight loss, etc. Next time you are shopping make sure to get their knowledgeable tour that is free and the information booklets that also have coupons.

There are over 400 Blue menu products to choose from, so we can introduce a variety into our everyday meals. PC has a new attribute on their packages with a + and - sign, which indicates the level of sodium, omega 3 and fibre.

Healthy eating is not expensive it is about moderation and balance.

Some of the tips that the dieticians gave are; to use less saturated foods which is better for us, to entirely avoid trans fat, naturally occurring sugar in fruit and vegetables are good, a range of colourful food has benefits, and sodium helps the body maintain water balance and transmits nerve impulse so it is good in moderation.

You can learn many things from the PC cooking school i.e. making your own baby food, classes for different age groups, baking, gourmet cooking, learning new skills i.e. making sushi, pastries etc.

Glad I got to share what I enjoyed, please do visit and use their services at Loblaws to live life well :)

If you would like a list of the dieticians, email me.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2012 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Fried squid calamari

4 to 6 squid or calamari about 1 1/2 cups cut into rings

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 to 1/2 cup bread crumbs

oil to fry

Marinate the squid with chilli powder and salt, leave aside for 10 minutes, don't throw out the water from the marinate. Toss the squids with cornstarch. Then coat with fine breadcrumbs and leave aside till the oil is hot.

Heat the oil in high heat and fry. It shouldn't get dark brown, if needed lower the heat as it should be golden brown in colour. Drain the squid onto a paper towel and serve warm.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2011 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Learn & master photography plus shrimp noodles

I have the pleasure of introducing this wonderful new product learn and master photography. Photography captures memories of our lives and is certainly one important component of blogging as we all know. I believe pictures teach us to appreciate life and nature.

A quote from the book "The question is not what you look at but what you see" P. 5

The chapters in the book supplement the entertaining sessions in the DVDs that clearly explains every detail we need to know to master this skill. It is a wonderful tool not only for beginners but also for advanced users to refresh their memory and refer to.

There are simple assignments with tips throughout which are encouraging for self learners. Colourful pictures throughout the book make it interesting and teaches very visually.

The DVD sessions are broken up into detailed parts that show everything clearly as though you are right there and all the questions are answered well. On the DVDs in addition to having explanations inside the studio the instructor has sessions on location where he goes out to places to capture images at different types of locations. He explains how to take various types of images in all types of settings. The pictures he has taken are available in RAW files that come on 2 CDs to study and see for ourselves.

There is also an online community with forums to ask questions from the instructor to clear up any other questions we may have. It will help us take all types of photographs in all types of conditions.

Learn and master photography teaches every detail from the history of photography, the basics such as tool you need, cleaning and holding the camera properly. It also teaches hard to understand concepts in clear explanations such as f stops, shutter speed, depth of field, focal length, aperture, ISO, using all types of light, white balance and lots more; using language and images that make it easy to understand.

Mastering photography is a learning process and you don't need an expensive camera for this. This product is in my opinion the only tool you need to learn this universal language.

An image speaks a thousand words so lets learn it today.

Legacy learning has offered $130 off this product for $119 from May 9 to 16 as a special offer and after this date the prices will be $249. It comes beautifully cased with 15 DVDs, 2 sample photo CDs with the raw files of images taken at locations and pdf detailed book, detailed printed lesson book and student support site where it is easy to ask questions from the instructor and to share images.

If you would like to order please click the image and enjoy.

Here is the recipe for the noodles that goes to fast food noodles event

1 pkt frozen noodles

2 cups boiling salted water

2 tbsp oil

2 eggs

2 tbsp onion

1 tsp garlic

1/2 cup carrot

1/2 cup celery

1/2 cup shrimp

1/2 tsp chillie powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1/4 cup green onion

Put the noodles in the boiling salted water and bring to a boil then off the cooker and keep it covered for 2 minutes, and drain the water.

Heat tbsp of oil fry the eggs and keep a side. Add tbsp of oil and saute the onions, garlic and add the shrimp. Add the spices and vegetable then add the eggs, oyster sauce, noodles and toss. Off the heat and add the green onions. Leave it covered for a little and serve the noodles hot.

I am really benefiting from this product hope you will too, do take advantage of this offer and enjoy for yourself or give it as a gift.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2011 unless mentioned. Please Ask First