Pork Tenderloin with Berry Wine Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried thyme 
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper 
1 pork tenderloin (12 oz/375 g)
1 tsp (5 mL) vegetable or olive oil

Berry Wine Sauce:
3/4 cup (175 mL) dry red wine
1 cup (250 mL) fresh or frozen berries (substitute with a large tbsp of jam) 
1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar (optional)
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon rind (or a splash of lemon juice)
1-1/2 (7 mL) tsp cornstarch or flour

Directions

Rub thyme, salt and pepper over pork. In large ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown pork all over for about 4 minutes.

Transfer to 350°F (180°C) oven; roast for about 30 minutes or until just a hint of pink remains and meat thermometer registers 160°F (70°C). Transfer to cutting board; tent with foil and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Berry Wine Sauce:
Meanwhile, drain any fat from skillet. Pour in wine; bring to boil over high heat, stirring to scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan. Boil over medium-high heat until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

Stir in berries, sugar and lemon rind; return to boil. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons (25 mL) cold water; stir into sauce and simmer just until clear. Pool on 3 warmed dinner plates. Top with slices of pork.

Sake World - Sake FAQ Menu

Some of you may already know this, but I'm a HUGE Japanese Sake fan...I'm always wanting to learn more about it and I loved this FAQ I stumbled across...give it a read if you're into booze :)

Sake World - Sake FAQ Menu

Super Fast Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package egg noodles
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Prepare the egg noodles according to package directions and set aside.
2. In a separate large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until browned. Drain the fat and add the soup and garlic powder. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and combine the meat mixture with the egg noodles. Add the sour cream, stirring well, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source

*Mina's Note/Suggestions*

- Add a beef boulion cube or 1 cup of broth

- 1 whole onion and fresh garlic instead of garlic powder

- Worcestershire sauce to taste

- I like to add some frozen green peas for color and some added veggie

- if you don't have sour cream, substitute with cream cheese or even cream 

Happy Eating <3

THIS is a poutine

Mina
xoxo

Tell me that isn't a beautiful sight

Fresh peaches, cottage cheese, granola topped with low fat whipped topping <3


Mina
xoxo

In case you weren't aware

Porcelaine isn't burner safe...it explodes. 

Afternoon snack

Strange I know, a big bowl of roasted cauliflower. But its delicious and so much better than a bag of chips

Mina
xoxo

Todays lunch

A big kale salad and oven baked talapia

Ingredients :

- fish of your choice (salmon, talapia, sole, haddock, etc)
- salt and pepper to taste
- dill weed (fresh of dried)
- lemon juice
- and chili powder (optional)
- olive oil

Directions:

1. Start preheating your oven to 375F while you get a piece of aluminum foil to create a little tent.

2. Place your fish in the center of the foil and lightly drizzle with olive oil and lemon. Season your fish to your taste with mentioned spices

3. wrap the foil around the fish creating a "tent" and seal all the edges as to not let the steam that will be created out.

4. Put it in the oven for 25 mins or so. Once you start smelling it then wait an additional 10 mins.

5. Open carefully!! The steam will all come out and its hot as hell...

6. Enjoy! :)


Happy Eating! <3


Mina
xoxo

No Bake Skinny Cheesecake

Skinny Cheesecake? And no-bake?

Yes my friends, such a think exists, and its marvellous. It's light, tangy, and simply guilt free :)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz whipped topping 
• 1 Block 1/3 less fat Cream Cheese
• 9 inch reduced fat Graham Cracker Crust
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

In a large bowl, whip cream cheese, lemon and sugar for a few minutes until fluffy.Add whipped topping and whip until smooth. Spoon mixture into pie crust and chill for a few hours, until firm.

Servings: 8 • Size: 1 piece • Calories: 239

Source

Happy Eating <3

How to spiral cut a hotdog

Kale Salad

Ingredients:

- Kale (Washed, dried and cut into strips)
- Raisins
- Pine Nuts
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Lemon
- Chili Flakes
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt & Pepper


Directions:

1. Toast pine nuts and raisins in a bit of olive oil over medium heat.
2. Combine all ingredients to taste. If you like more lemon, add more lemon. If you like it spicier, add more chili flakes..
3. Toss until well coated
4. Allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes so that the lemon and oil can penetrate the leaves. This step really helps to eliminate the bitterness that kale can have.
5. Plate, and top with shaved Parmesan


*Mina's Notes/Suggestions*
- Don't include the stems as they're gross and bitter!


Happy Eating! <3

A Transformer wine rack?! Don't mind if I do!!

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see more My Food Looks Funny

Awesome Oven Ribs

So before I get into this recipe I should tell you that the idea of cooking ribs at home has always intimidated me. The thought of grilling for long hours, crazy home made million spice dry rubs, etc all sounds like way too much work for a meal that will be eaten in 10 minutes time from sitting at the table. But when I discovered this extremely simple and versatile recipe, and saw that ribs were on sale for a ridiculously low price, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give it a shot.

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

2. Season your ribs with Dale's marinade, your favorite rib rub, grill seasoning, or simply salt and pepper.

3. Place ribs, meat side down, in baking dishes.

4. Cover the baking dishes with aluminum foil and place in the oven.

5. If you are using small baby back ribs, take out after 3.5 hours. If you are using regular baby back or St. Louis style ribs, then take out after 4 hours.

6. Drain off the drippings. Flip the ribs over using two spatulas (and an extra set of hands if you have them) so the meat side is up. Be careful, as they may be so tender they fall apart.

7. Put a layer of BBQ sauce on the ribs and return to the oven uncovered for an additional 20-30 minutes.

8. Remove from oven and serve them up

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/low-slow-oven-baked-ribs-super-simple-303245#ixzz1wmpfb5bI

*Mina's Notes/Suggestions*

- I marinated mine in a bottled marinate over night (16 hrs) just to get it extra tender 

- I made sure to wash and dry my ribs before seasoning (optional)

- I was also worried that 225 would be too low to cook it till the meat was falling off the bone so I upped it to 250 and it worked perfectly

Happy Eating! <3

I realize its been a while since I've updated. Its just that I've been cooking the same things, or going out to eat!

Ill update with more tips, cute gifs, etc :)

Happy Eating! <3


Mina
xoxo

Fresh Raspberries

They're a beautiful thing..

*Mina's Suggestions/Notes*

Wash in a large bowl of water with a big splash of white vinegar to extend their freshness :)

Happy Eating! <3

Healthy Snack! (Apples, australian cheddar cheese and celery w/ peanut butter)

Dinner is a boston lettuce salad w/ cubed italian sheeps milk cheese and a glass of red wine

Paese Restaurant Review

Paese restaurant is located on King St, in the heart of the theatre district in Toronto... 

As I walked in, there were only 2 other tables seated and it appeared to be very quiet. 

They sat my friend and I in the back we waited a few minutes before anyone brought us a menu. When the menu arrived an older gentleman asked us if we'd had our coffee (which we replied yes) but I did ask if there was a non alcoholic beverage menu. I had asked this because I'm used to seeing the coffee/juice options directly on the brunch menu but this wasn't the case this time. When I asked the waiter looked confused and asked "What do you mean?" And I replied "you know, juices, water...whatever you have". His response was (and I'm not exaggerating) "you want a water menu? I don't buy it..." 

I calmly said, ok, just tap water will be fine, and thanked him. When he returned with my water he said just to let you know, we have [listed juices] and I just said "oh don't worry, ill stick with water, thank you" and he responded "I'm not worried" in such a condescending tone that it was uncomfortable. 

So far I'm not impressed. In fact I'm a little taken aback by the way I've been spoken to. But, I'm still going to wait and see if the food is worth it. 

My order: beet salad, frittata, house made granola, potato hash with short rib. 

My company tried to order eggs just whites, and the kitchen said absolutely not. In fact, the waiters response was "If I do it for you, then ill have to do it for everybody". As I look around, were the ONLY table in the back...ok, there was no arguing. I totally understand that substitutions can't be made when a kitchen is busy but this wasn't the case. 

The waiter tried to make up for the fact that the order couldn't be fulfilled by showing sympathy by saying "I eat the same as you, egg whites only...The Drake [hotel] will do egg whites only if you ask. I go there with my daughter..." To which I replied "great...we'll be going there next time".  He seemed shocked that I would agree to go to a different restaurant that he recommended. 

While waiting for the beet salad the waiter brought a little plate filled with warm toasts and a home made strawberry and rhubarb jam. Very yummy :) 

A short wait later the beet salad came and I was deeply disappointed. there was zero seasoning..no salt, no pepper...nothing. The plate consisted of beets cooked at different doneness. Some cooked, some raw. Some buffala cheese, pomegranate seeds and topped with a pistachio pesto. Sad face.  

I hear a table in ear shot saying they really enjoy their food so I still have high hopes for my frittata and short rib potato hash! 

When all the food came there was some eggs under a small pile of arugala. I moved aside the lettuce to reveal 3 fried eggs with some goat cheese and roasted tomatoes sprinkled with parm cheese. I waited a few moments for the waiter to come back to the table and I told him "I'm sorry, I had ordered the firttata" and he responds "that IS the frittata"...ok, there's no sense in arguing with this man because every interaction I've had with him is an unpleasant one. 

The eggs were fried all together, cooked as if I had ordered 3 sunny side up medium cooked eggs. They still had the clear membrane that flipping them would have diminished.  In my experience, a frittata is a beaten egg dish similar in consistency to a quiche or even omelet in which they incorporate a variety of ingredients including meats, cheeses and vegetables.    

But the potato hash with short ribs was really good. Well cooked potatoes, fried together in a melody of pulled meat, herbs...yum. 

The granola was SO sweet, like painfully sweet..inedible. 

Needless to say, there was a lot of left over food. 

Oh, and for the record, the waiter didn't come by once to ask how the food was. I had to call him over to inform him of my "frittata" misunderstanding, to which he responded AGAIN, for the 3rd time in his condescending manner "I'm not worried" under his breath.

My total bill for everything was $60, until I took another look and noticed there was a glass of unordered wine added to the bill. After the adjustments, it was $46..

Considering the waiter was rude, condescending, the kitchen was unaccommodating for dietary requests when there were only 3 other tables, and the waiter suggested we go to another restaurant to meet our dietary needs, the decor was welcoming and friendly. Since this is an italian restaurant, I would think that for dinner their italian specials are executed better.

Decent prices, not the greatest food, and terrible service. 

Final Verdict:  2/5 (they get 1 each for the jam + hash)

The "Frittata"

Poutine

I'm sure a few of you have seen me tweet about my all time favorite dish, Canadian Poutine. Many of you often tweet back "What's poutine?" "Sounds disgusting"...To the people who say it sounds gross. SHAME ON YOU! It's one of the greatest creations Canada has and I will cherish it until my last breath.

Now...As a poutine aficionado, there are certain criteria that must be met before you can call your "poutine" (pronounced "poo-teen" OR "poo-tin") a true poutine.

1. You MUST use salted Quebec cheddar cheese curds....Now, should the problem arise that you don't have access to our snobby french friends great cheese, you could always use other cheddar cheese curds, or even mozzarella (as a last resort)...If you don't have access to cheese curds, don't even bother. Anyone who uses shredded cheese deserves to be slapped in the face...with a leather glove

2. You must also yukon gold potatoes for the french fries. This kind of magic cannot be created with store bought frozen fries or fast food french fries. These must be fried in hot ass oil until a deep golden brown with ultimate crunch.

3. You can't just use any gravy. You must use Poutine Sauce. There's actual gravy made especially for poutines. If you live in Canada (outside of Quebec) you should be able to find it in your grocery store...I've even seen it in the powdered packets at my dollarstore. Should you live anywhere else but Canada like most of you reading this...then...I suppose you could use a high quality beef gravy.

What you are creating will be one of the greatest, most delicious things you will EVER put in your body. You don't want to skimp out on something like the quality of even 1 ingredient. You only have 3 ingredients here, you have to make them count for the ultimate poutine experience.

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Ingredients

• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 1 (10.25 ounce) can beef gravy
• 5 medium potatoes, cut into fries
• 2 cups cheese curds

Directions

1. Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy skillet to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). While the oil is heating, you can begin to warm your gravy.
2. Place the fries into the hot oil, and cook until light brown, about 5 minutes. Make the fries in batches if necessary to allow them room to move a little in the oil. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
3. Place the fries on a serving platter, and sprinkle the cheese over them. Ladle gravy over the fries and cheese, and serve immediately.

Mina's Notes/Suggestions :

THIS IS NOT A POUTINE! 

Easy Duck Confit (really!)

This recipe is beyond easy, and it's not the first time I've made it so I know its really good :)

SOURCE

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Ingredients :

- 1 duck leg per person
- Salt


Directions :

 Pat the duck legs dry with paper towels. Find a needle or a very pointy knife and prick the skin of the duck all over. Focus on the skin that covers fat. Do your best to avoid piercing the meat itself by pricking the skin at an angle over the drumstick and the center of the thigh. You are doing this to give the fat that lies under the skin a place to seep out – if you don’t do this, it will be far more difficult to get crispy skin. 

Salt your duck legs well, more than you think you ought to, actually. Let them rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes and up to an hour. Don’t worry, they’ll be fine.

 Put the duck legs in a small casserole, skin side up. How small? You want it just big enough to hold the legs. Put a thin sheen of oil or melted duck fat on the bottom of the casserole, then place the duck legs in close together but not overlapping.

Put the casserole in the oven and turn it to 300 degrees; if you have a digital oven, you could even go down to 285 degrees. Do not preheat the oven. You want to cook the duck as gently as possible.

Walk away and watch football, go shopping, read a book or something. How long? Every duck has a different level of fat, so I can’t tell you exactly. But it will be at least 90 minutes, and two hours is better. After 90 minutes, check the duck: It should be partly submerged in melted fat and the skin should be getting crispy.

When the skin is starting to look crispy, turn up the heat to 375 degrees. Check after 15 minutes. You’re looking for a light golden brown. If you missed some spots with the needle and there are places where the skin won’t crisp that’s OK – better that than burnt skin elsewhere.

 Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before eating. Save the accumulated fat for cooking vegetables, other meats or for keeping your skin shiny. I strain the fat through cheesecloth, but you really only need to do this if you are saving the fat for several weeks or months; strained, it will keep for 6 months tightly covered in the fridge. Well wrapped, the duck meat itself will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Mina's Notes/Suggestions

- The only suggestion I have is, if you like REALLY crispy skin (why wouldn't you?), then before serving, give it a quick little sear in the frying pan as a final crisper...I find it really helps.

- Also, make sure you save that duck fat in a tupperware! LOADS of recipes would taste WAY better with duck fat added! (Chili, pasta sauces, any savoury dish that uses butter or olive oil at the beginning to sautee something..just substitute for duck fat!)

- I also suggest clicking the source link and reading through some of the comments of other people :)


Happy Eating! <3

Tuna Pasta Salad

If you're culinarily challenged like a lot of people but would love a great place to start, THIS IS IT!
This dish is SO easy and I love making it both hot and cold...in fact, it actually tastes better cold but sometimes I can't wait for it to cool, lol.

Ingredients :

- some sort of pasta (not a noodle)
- 1 can of tuna
- olive oil
- mixed seasoning of your choice
- salt (for the pasta water)


Directions:

Cook your pasta by the directions on the box in salted water...strain.

Put back in the pot and strain your tuna and add to the pasta

Add about 6-8 sprinkles of your seasoning of choice...I happen to have Greek

I also added some fresh parsley because I had it in the house..but its really not necessary.

drizzle some olive oil on top to lube everything up nicely and mix around.

Put it in a bowl (optional) and top with parmesan cheese (optional)

Happy Eating! <3

Simple Roasted Tomatoes

This is actually the first time I tried not only making, but eating roasted tomatoes. Never again will I eat a regular tomato. Something magical happens in the oven where a basic little tomato transforms into a super tomato, with his little flavours amplified and sweetness enhanced... If you have the patience, or want to impress someone, bust out these little bad boys and you'll be beating the ladies off with a stick.. That's a promise ;)

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Ingredients 

- Any tomatoes of your choice, I chose Grape Tomatoes because I wanted them as sweet as possible
- 3-5 cloves of garlic (depending on your taste)
- dried oregano
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste


Directions

 Preheat oven to 325F

 Wash and cut your tomatoes in half (if you're using larger tomatoes, quarter them)

 Place on a lined baking sheet 

 Mince your garlic and sprinkle over tomatoes

 Drizzle just enough olive oil over the tomatoes to make them glisten

 Sprinkle with Oregano, Salt and Pepper 

Bake for an hour or until they are darker in color and the edges start to get wrinkly 

Sorry for the blurry pics!

Mina's Notes/Suggestions :

- This recipe is fairly flexible in regards to temperature, so if you need to use the oven for something else at a higher temperature (up 375F) then you're fine...you can even do it at 400, but keep an eye on them to ensure the garlic, or tomatoes don't burn!

- If you don't have fresh garlic on hand, you can substitute for garlic power..won't be AS tasty, but will still add to the yumminess

Happy Eating! <3

Potato Peeling 2.0

I personally prefer skins on my potatoes for the nutrients, but should you prefer to have them naked, heres the fastest way to peel a potato!

Beef Stroganoff (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients

• 1 pound cubed beef stew meat
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 beef bullion cube
• 1/2 pack of onion soup mix
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 ounces cream cheese

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water.
2. Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours. 
3. Stir in cream cheese just before serving

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 376 | Total Fat: 27.3g | Cholesterol: 97mg

Source

Mina's Notes/Suggestions : 

- I found this recipe a touch salty, I plan to skip the bullion cube next time I make it. 

- I also used less cream cheese and also added sour cream for extra tang

- I decided to add some sauteed mushrooms about 1/2 hour before serving. They really help soak up any extra liquid

- Of course, serve over buttered egg noodles

Happy Eating! <3

Easy Indian Butter Chicken

I can't begin to explain how easy this is...honestly, a child (9-10 yrs) could do this..
So if you like indian food, or perhaps you're looking to experiment with something new, butter chicken is always the least intimidating thing in indian cuisine. It's a light flavour, doesn't taste aggressively of curry, its a tomato based sauce...it's great! I love it :)

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Ingredients

- 2-3 medium sized chicken breasts
- 1 bottle of butter chicken sauce of your choice
- frozen peas (if desired)

Directions

Cut up your chicken into small pieces (I used boneless thighs this time because it's what I had in the house)

brown with a bit of oil and season lightly with salt and pepper

Chicken should look like this in about 5 -7 minutes. Were browning, not cooking through

Add the entire jar of sauce and feel free to put a little water or milk in the jar and shake it up to get the rest off the sides :)

simmer for about 15-20 minutes and in the last 5 mins add frozen peas or any other frozen veggie of your choice (I also added some fresh parsley)

Serve over rice :)

Happy Eating! <3

Wine Yoga

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