Eat Well, Feel Well: #doyouknowthemuffinman

Baked Oatmeal Muffins

Simple, delicious and healthy muffins!  At approximately 100 calories per muffin, you can't go wrong with these!

Recipe by MindBodyGreen

Yields: 12 large muffins and 10 minis (15 regulars or 34ish minis)

1 egg

1 1/2 cup almond milk (I used 1 cup of soy and 1/2 cup of coconut milk)

2 1/2 cup rolled oats

2 mashed bananas

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup raspberries 

1 tbsp coconut oil melted

Method

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until combined.  Grease your muffin trays with a spray.  Divide evenly (can pretty much fill it to the top of the lining).  Bake for 30 minutes (I did approximately 20 minutes for the large ones and 15 minutes for the minis) or do the toothpick test.

I find this is the easiest way to mash a banana because when in the bowl, it's a tad annoying trying to mash it in there.

 

Them raspberries.

Enjoy!

Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #ilsogno

ABC's of YYC (Week 9: I)

Il Sogno
24 4 St NE

Italian for I week!  A beautifully decorated restaurant with a delicious sounding menu.  We typically don't eat Italian so we were very excited for dinner.

Lamb Meatballs- creamy barley risotto small (3).  Large (5)

Everything on the plate was just an explosion of flavour, what a way to start off the night.  The lamb and risotto both brought distinct flavour profiles that meshed together very well.  The risotto had a texture similar to puffed rice which was interesting.  The crostini added a great crunch to each bite. 

Orecchiette- pork and beef bolognese in tomato sauce

The dish produced a powerful flavour profile.  Thankfully, the tomatoes brought a refreshing burst of acidity to help soothe the intensity.  Overall, the pasta was cooked very well and although the dish was over seasoned, it was good. 

Braised Pork Belly Ravioli- sage and arugula pesto, walnuts

Mmm... pork belly ravioli, John loves his pork belly.  Continuing with the trend of the previous dishes, a strong wonderful flavour was provided in this dish.  The ravioli was very enjoyable because the flavour wasn't overwhelming like in the other pasta.  The side of walnuts also helped to balance out the intense flavours and added a wonderful crunch.  We planned to take some home since we ordered so much food but it was just too tasty to resist. 

"Porchetta"- belly wrapped pork loin, seare polenta, roasted parsnips, brussel sprouts, broccolini

Oh man, this was delicious.  The flavour of the pork loin was light but accentuated by the delicious belly.  The fat melted in your mouth and filled it with wondrous flavours.  The caramelized parsnips with a touch of lemon provided a unique flavour that complemented the pork.  The seared polenta was a welcomed variation to a typical side of potatoes. 

Duck Breast- white navy beans, guanciale, roasted winter squash, cippolini, sour cherry jus

The duck was so juicy.  It was cooked a little more than we would have liked, but it was delicious.  The flavour was quite light which is a welcomed change from the previous dishes.  The navy beans had a good consistency and flavour that complements the duck. 

Carrot Cake- white chocolate caramel, ginger gelato

The aroma this dessert brought to our table was amazing.  The cake was soft and moist and the ginger gelato just made the dish.  Finishing with this dessert really hit the spot. 

The food was very delicious and came out quite quickly, which was awesome.  The first few dishes punched you in the face with flavour, whereas the mains provided more delicate flavour profiles.  The variance in intensity was great since it would have been way too overwhelming if every dish was super intense (hehe John learned this from the Michelin Star manhwa).  

Sadly, the night ended in disappointment when John eagerly ordered a Macallan 21.  The aged statement Macallan's have been phased out so it is difficult to find in Calgary.  The rich, intense aroma was absent which was the first sign of trouble.  After a sip, the taste was quite lacking and we struggled to find the finish.  At this point, John requested to see the bottle and his suspicions were confirmed.  The server told us she was mistaken and they only serve Macallan Sienna now which is far from being comparable to the 21 year old Macallan.  As proud as John is of being able to differentiate between the different Macallan's, we hope Il Sogno corrects their liquor menu so others are not deceived.  

Enjoy! 

Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #thehimalayan

ABC's of YYC (Week 8: H)

The Himalayan
3218 17th Ave SW

This time we were prepared and made reservations beforehand so that we were able to get a table at The Himalayan!  Ryan was kind enough to join us again!

The place was quite lovely with wonderful decor.  The delightful aroma in the restaurant really stimulated our appetites.   

Fish Tareko- basa fish cutlets marinated with spices, chick pea batter- fried.  Served with hot sauce

The crisp was sensational and the fish inside was perfect.  The sauce is actually spicy and adds a ton of flavour.  We each got two pieces, which was a total bonus.  This was a great start to the night.

Lamb Choyla- grilled lamb seasoned with fresh garlic, ginger and tempered with herbs and mustard oil.  Served with side salad and crispy beaten rice flakes with soy beans 

The lamb was coated with strong flavourful sauce.  It was on the verge of being dry, but thankfully it was still tender.  The little crispy beaten rice flakes reminded us of shrimp chips and provided great texture.  The strong flavour really stood out and made the dish enjoyable.

Garlic (Chicken or Shrimp)- roasted chicken in a creamy tomato, red wine and cashew nut based sauce

The curry was superb and had a nice level of heat.  The tender chicken was drowned in curry and it exploded with flavour.  The curry was so good that John wiped it clean with the naan bread provided.  The cold potato salad on the side was delicious!  It had great flavour coming from the mix of peas, beans, potato and other components.  A side dish that held it's own, if only there was more.

Mango Fruity (Chicken or Shrimp)- went with shrimp!  Creamy mango, tomato and cashew nut sauce

The shrimp was cooked perfectly even though it was in the sauce.  The sweet mango added a delightful fruitiness.  I loved dipping the naan bread in this.  The sauce brought out a sweetness to the naan and I loved the chunks of mango in the sauce as well.

Chau-Chau- flour noodle stir-fry; cabbage, carrots, black chickpeas, onions, ginger, garlic, spices and soy sauce.  Mild, medium or hot

Wow the noodles were delicious!  It had great flavour but it was quite oily and yet it was still delicious.  The chicken was tender and yummy.  We weren't able to get any more out of Ryan but we'll get him to comment more in the future ;).

We came with high expectations and left very impressed, dinner was superb.  The food was packed full of flavour from the wonderful variety of spices and sauces.  Every single dish was delicious including the complimentary flat bread.  The Himalayan really lived up to its wonderful reputation.

Enjoy!

Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #hys

ABC's of YYC (Week 8: H)

Hy's Steakhouse
751 3 St SW

H week featuring Ryan!  Initially we were going to go to Himalayan, but it was full.  We decided on Hy's Steakhouse and we are very glad that we did!  John really likes the decor because of it's classiness.

Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio- with baby arugula salad and shaved grana padano

The beef was amazing and just melts in the mouth.  The cheese added a light sharpness that complemented the dish.  The arugula was so fresh and it was nice to have some veggies.  Also, there was a slight crunchiness from the rock salt that added texture and flavour.  This is one of Ryan's favourite appetizers to get, so if you ever eat with him get carpaccio!

Dungeness Crab Cake- with dill mayonnaise, housemade coleslaw

There was an abundance of crab which made it so delicious!  The sauce provided great flavour without overpowering the crab.  The coleslaw was a nice addition, but perhaps there was a bit too much dressing.  I wish there had been more crabcakes :(.

Baked Sea Bass- with white beans and tomato concasse, ancho-chili aioli

The fish was cooked perfectly and flavoured well with the slightest crisp exterior. There was a lot of aioli as you can see, but luckily it was easy to scrape off and dip accordingly.  Nevertheless, John did really enjoy the sauce as it complemented the fish very well.  The white bean concasse was a great pairing and did not overpower the star of the dish.  The cherry tomatoes added an aesthetic flare and it also provided a good burst of flavour (literally).

Roast Rack of Lamb- dijon rosemary crust

The lamb was cooked to a true rare, which was exactly what John wanted!  10 points to Gryffindor!  Great flavour and very tender. John wished he was at home so he could polish off the bones; it was just so delicious.  The potatoes and vegetables were also very good.  Overall, the dish was quite impressive and John enjoyed every component of it, vegetables and all!

Steak Neptune- New York strip topped with fresh asparagus and Dungeness crabmeat, finished with hollandaise sauce

It was cooked to a medium rare, exactly how Ryan wanted it.  Notes from Ryan:  "it was good." :).  Anywho, even though it was a medium rare, John still enjoyed it (he only orders blue rare steaks).  The sauce was great and they did not skimp on the crab, which went well with the beef.  Ryan really enjoyed his meal and that's what matters!

Look at that little cute piece of meat!  Overall, we were all quite impressed with everything we had ordered, which rarely happens.  Although Hy's is a bit pricey, we felt that it was definitely worth it.  They serve high quality ingredients and they cook their food very well.  Great Sunday night dinner to end the weekend with our awesome friend Ryan!

Enjoy!

Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #hapaizakaya

ABC's of YYC (Week 8: H)

Hapa Izakaya
816 11th Ave SW

Featuring our friend Louie!!  Decided on Hapa Izakaya and it was Hapa Hour (aka Happy Hour)!

47 Ronin-  Bombay Sapphire gin (replaced with Hendricks <3), campari, disaronno amaretto, orange juice

After a long day of work in the morning and working on assignments, had to sip on this beauty.  I replaced the Bombay with Hendricks because that is my preferred gin and it went oh so very well.  This was great!  I definitely recommend Hapa's cocktails; strong and delicious.  They have Hello Kitty cocktails as well!

Beef Tataki- lightly seared AAA beef, sesame-chili sauce

Great cuts of meat that melted in your mouth, but we found the sauce a tad sweet.  The garlic pieces added a nice crunch to the dish.

Salmon Sashimi- 4 slices

The sashimi was decent, but didn't really stand out compared to the other dishes. 

Wagyu Steak Bites- sauteed cubes of Alberta Brant Lake wagyu beef chuck steak, maple, polenta, fermented seranno sauce, parmigiano reggiano

The beef had great flavour, but it was dryer this time around.  The dish was still enjoyable as the sauce was delicious and the polenta was oh so very yummy.

Hanabi Roll- spicy tuna, cucumber, wasabi tobiko, spicy sauce

FIRE!  This roll had a smoky flavour which complemented the fillings.  There was a great filling to rice ratio compared to what we've had lately.  I was quite happy about this.

Temari- sake salmon, yellowtail and ahi tuna sushi ball; topped with miso truffle sauce, shiso powder

These rice balls looked adorable!  However as a result of that, the amount of rice was overwhelming.  The sashimi itself again was decent.  The sauce provided great flavour to these sushi balls.

 

Kin Roll- asparagus tempura, onion, topped with torched yellow tail, miso mayo yuzu rind (torched half the roll)

MORE FIRE!  We thought it was nice that they gave us the option to have it torched or raw so we decided on half and half.  We did in fact think that the torched side tasted better because of the smoky flavour as well as the texture of the torched yellow tail.  The miso truffle paste was also delicious, different and complemented the roll.  

Coconut Red Curry- shrimp, squid legs, bean sprouts, chives, mushrooms, cilantro, shungiku (chrysanthemum greens), and ramen noodles in a laksa soup broth

We were craving just a little bit more, so we decided on this lovely hot pot!  This was a pleasant surprise due to it's flavourful broth that had a lot of components.  Everything went so well together and tasted fantastic.

Overall, we all were quite pleased with this meal.  Sadly, some of our usual favourites weren't as good this time around.  Nevertheless, we found some new favourites and had a blast catching up with an old friend.

P.S. The drinks are awesome and the servers were awesome as well!

Enjoy!