Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #tropicaldelight

ABC's of YYC (Week 20: T)

Tropical Delight
10089 Hidden Valley Dr NW

After hearing a million raving reviews about the Laksa at Tropical Delight, we finally made the trek over.  Sadly, it's only take out now so we had to take it home to enjoy.  Thankfully the soup was still steaming hot when we got home.  We were all drooling just from looking at that enticing broth.  

Seafood Laksa - Spice Level:3

There was so much flavour in the broth even though the spice crept up on me.  Definitely got teary eyed, but it was so good I could not stop.  There was an abundance of tofu which slowly absorbed the broth.  It only had small pieces of shrimp, imitation crab and fish balls, but it was still enjoyable.  The noodles were addicting along with the broth.

Beef Rendang Laksa - Spice Level:5 

Everything about this laksa is amazing.  The beef is tender and full of flavour.  The soup is creamy and has a perfect level of heat.  It's incredible how all the various flavours in the soup can shine through the heat.  The noodles were thick and had a perfect consistency.  Lots of choi to add a crunchy component to the dish.  The tofu soaks in the broth and provides an explosion of flavour.  The soup made John sweat like a madman but it was just so delicious.  

  

They were even able to accommodate our request to get something less then spicy level 1 for Mama Hui.

We all thoroughly enjoyed our respective laksas and their incredible flavour profiles.  It's definitely worth taking a trip to Tropical Delight if you haven't been yet.  

Enjoy!

 

Eat Well, Feel Well: #blackbeanpeanutbuttertime

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate chunks of goodness with the main ingredient being black beans!  With black beans, it gives you the consistency of a fudgy moist brownie along with other lovely benefits for your body other than gas.

Recipe from Kumquat Blog

1 (15 oz) canned Black Beans (rinsed and drained)

2 tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 tbsp Vanilla

2/3 cup Peanut Butter

1/3 cup Honey

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Combine all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a food processor and mix until very smooth. 

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips. 

Scoop the dough and place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Press lightly.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  

These were an absolute hit!  I hope you gives these fudge like cookies of deliciousness a try!

Enjoy!

Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #spicyhut

ABC's of YYC (Week 19: S)

Spicy Hut
203 4 st NE

We were looking for some delicious curry and boy did S week provide us with a lot of options.  The final choice ended up being Spicy Hut as it's located close to home.  Their menu is ridiculously large and quite overwhelming, but we managed to order a couple of dishes for our spicy adventure! 

Tom Yum Goong- Thai hot and sour soup with prawns, mushrooms, lemon grass and lime leaves

Great balance of acidity and spice.  Strong and delicious flavour from the soup while the large amounts of tomato, mushroom, and prawn toppings added substance. 

Peek Kai Yod Sai- Thai stuffed chicken wings

The wings were massive!  The stuffing was hot, fresh and packed full of flavour.  The satay dipping sauce went very well with the wings.  Despite their size, it was light and easy to eat.  The wing tips were so plump and delicious that John ended up cleaning each of them off. 

Panang Duck Curry- roast boneless duck and eggplant in red curry paste with peanut sauce 

The slices of duck were thick, flavourful and they were topped with peanuts (John loves peanuts)!  The curry was thick, creamy, and sweet with a hint of spice.  The eggplant was cooked really well and added a unique texture to each bite.  

Musamun Beef Curry- beef chunks, sauteed in Thai curry with potatoes, cauliflower and coconut milk

The beef is super tender and flavourful as is the rest of the dish.  Cauliflower seemed weird at first but provided a wonderful crunch for the dish.  The curry was outstanding! It had great flavour and perfect viscosity.  The potatoes were a nice addition but Kim prefers them cooked a little longer.  

Every new dish presented a strong flavour that differed from the rest.  We were taken on a great journey through Thai culture and left craving for more.  Spicy Hut offers bountiful portions while being well priced with a massive menu.  We're definitely coming back to try more dishes soon!

Enjoy!

Eat Well, Feel Well: #kimbits

Almond Butter Cookie Dough Bites

My infamous "Kimbits"!  These are an absolute hit and one of my personal favourites (as I am munching on one as I'm typing this).  I took a chance and decided to do a baking demonstration for a school presentation and I used these!  Everyone LOVED them!  If you are an avid cookie dough lover such as myself, these are definitely for you!

Recipe: Adapted from the Oh She Glows Cookbook

Makes approximately 14

1 1/2 cup Rolled Oats (ground up into a flour)

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil (Melted)

2 Tbsp Almond Butter (Smooth or Crunchy... I used crunchy)

1/4 cup maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 cup Almond Flour (ground up whole almonds)

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp Mini Dark Chocolate Chips (I used dairy free)

In a food processor, blend oats until it is turned into a powder flour like consistency.  Set aside. 

Again, in the food processor grind up your rolled oats into a flour powder like consistency.  Then add everything into the food processor except for the chocolate chips.  

Grind it all together until it is combined.

Put the mixture into a bowl and fold (stir in) the chocolate chips with a spatula.  With a scoop, or just use two spoons.  Scoop it up and put it onto a plate lined with parchment paper.  Then roll them into balls and set them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!  Leave the rest in a freezer bag in the freezer for a quick grab and go snack! 

Or top off a mug cake with one ;).

Enjoy!

Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #rouge

ABC's of YYC (Week 18: R)

Rouge
1240 8 Ave SE

Happy Birthday John!!!!  Rouge is one of our favourite places to dine, and coincidentally R week fell on his Birthday weekend!  We decided to go with the Chef's Tasting menu.  

Chilled Gazpacho

Strong fresh flavour accompanied by crunchy micro greens from their garden.  The gazpacho left a lingering spice on the tongue.  An explosive way to start off the night.

Spot Prawns- Belgium Endive with a house spiced yogurt and garlic vinaigrette

Great balance of flavours from the spot prawns and the yogurt sauce.  The endives provided a nice crisp crunch.  Every component complemented each other and went perfectly with the yogurt sauce.  This was a light and fresh dish filled with great flavours.

Mushroom Dumpling- Duck Consomme and baby bok choy leaf

A strong savoury flavour from the dumpling balanced very well with the consomme.  There was a nice bitterness from the bok choy leaf.  Also, there was a very interesting wave of acidity from the little mushrooms.  The consomme was very enjoyable as we both tried to get as much as we could without slurping off the plate like cavemen.

Panko Smoked Trotter Cakes

An amazing smokey flavour came from the trotter cakes and the aioli went perfectly with the pork.  The crust was wonderful as it was thin and crunchy and did not take away from the flavour.  The multitude of sauces went very well with every component.  Overall, it was an amazing dish.  If only there was more :(.

Palette Cleanser- rhubarb soda

A light sweetness swept through our mouths as the soda was super refreshing. 

Charred Quebec Quail

The quail was cooked and seasoned perfectly with a delicious crunchy skin.  The meat was perfection!  Wonderful rich flavour from the creamy polenta, it was so tasty.  The fiddleheads were delicious and a welcomed change as they seem to be a rare ingredient that you typically don't see at restaurants in the YYC.  The whole dish was amazing, probably one of the best things we have eaten this year.

Chocolate Pistachio Brownie- with mint gelato

Perfect balance of flavours from the brownie and gelato.  The components tasated great individually as well.  There was a nice little crunch provided by the side of nuts.  A wonderful way to end the meal.

Every single dish took us on a wonderful journey of deliciousness.  The food was amazing and the service was wonderful.  Honestly, we were a bit worried about the quality of food due to our experiences abroad, but Rouge is definitely a worthy competitor to restaurants from around the world.  There is nowhere else that we would have rather dined at for John's birthday. 

PS. We always get the wine pairing here because of how amazing of a job they do.  Each wine is carefully chosen and they went perfectly with the food.

Enjoy!