Hello Fresh Canada Review - Cook with Me!

I was super excited to try out Hello Fresh Canada, meal kits are totally fascinating to me so I'll be trying out several in the coming months.  The claim, they plan, prep and shop for you and deliver: delicious, ready to cook meal kits to your door.

I grew up watching Star Trek so the closer you can get to pushing a button and a gourmet meal manifesting itself in front of you, the more awesome you clearly are. 

So here's to the future of cooking and my un-sponsored review:

How to cut an avocado

Here's a funny and useful clip from yesterday's cooking video. 

Get your heart healthy fats in people!

Carne Asada Fries

My girl Uzma went off to Cali and came back with a kick ass recipe for Carne Asada fries.

A combination of my favorite steak taco filling, guacamole, picco de gallo, cheese and spicy french fries. It's like the ultimate tex-mex poutine!

Can you say to die for? Check out this video for the details:

Grand Oasis Cancun Review Vlog

The snow was coming yet I wasn't ready so off to the internet in search of discounted sun-filled vacation packages leaving at a moments notice I went.

Ok so if not obvious by the name of this blog, my main credential for resort selection is food.  Too many times, I have been stuck at all-inclusive resorts which say they have 7 restaurants but then when you get there it's limited reservations or specific timed reservations aka a bunch of nonsense.

The Oasis Grand on the other hand, features like 18 restaurants because it's a mega 3-hotel, giant resort.  Only a handful of which require purchasing the upgraded package to access.

It's a lovely place with just about everything you could ask for. I would say this resort is recommended for like teens, college students and young adults because it's lively and lots of guests are there to party.  Although, I didn't bring my kids so had zero interest in checking out any kids activities so it's possible they have awesome stuff.

Anywho, here is the review video I made sometimes full of tequila :)

Cancun to Chichen Itza Excursion Experience / Review

Tour guide sales people are all over resorts pushing tour packages to awesome destination's like Chichen Itza.

For $50 US you get four stops in various Mexican historical destinations including lunch in a Mayan Village with a real Shaman.

Negatives: Tons of crying babies, 7 a.m. departure time and 9 p.m. return time, tons of rain and no where to hide.

Positives: You get to see an ancient pyramid so the negative's are soon forgotten!

 Check out my vlog for more details:

Cooking with Halloween Candy - Smarties Pancakes

Stuck with a bowl of goodies that aren't anyone's favorite? Or maybe you just want to make that candy disappear responsibly! 

Enter pancakes, the quick and filling go-to breakfast that pretty much all kids love.

Check out this video for details:

The Ultimate BBQ turkey burgers + spicy oven fries recipe

So there was a sale on ground turkey that I couldn't resist.  Literally.... 99 cents a pound... So even though it's not my favorite protein, I grabbed a whole bunch.

I was feeling for a burger and reminded myself that Turkey burgers have like 10% the fat of beef burgers and that I am hoping to hit the beach soon so voila! A delcious and flavorful burger recipe for you to enjoy :)

The ingredients are as follows:

Ground Turkey
Oats (1/4 cup per pound of meat)
To taste:
Onions
Garlic
Bbq sauce
Bbq seasoning

For preparation instructions and bonus recipe check out the video!

4

Save your veggies with homemade green juice!

Saturday comes around and it's time to re-stock. But what about last week's leftovers?

Clean out all of your leftover produce with this easy, flexible and kid friendly green juice recipe! 

I was hit hard with the stomach flu and didn't do much cooking this week, so end of week I was stuck with a mountain of soon to be compost. Instead, I broke out the juicer and made this vitamin rich veggie juice.

The recipe is flexible, feel free to use whatever you have on hand :)

Salumi - A lesson in Italian Deli Meats

Today, I had the pleasure of attending a class on Italian Deli meats something I buy every week for school lunches but have always taken for granted.  The extensively detailed manufacturing process and mouthwatering results explain why Italians are so passionate about their meats.

Salumi not to be confused with salami, is a regulated process of preparing European preserved meats. 

In Italy, there are 41 recognized varieties of salumi and the ingredients used are strictly governed and all producers must follow strict rules.  

Generally made of pork seasoned with salt, pepper and spices; hand crafted and artisanlly made, these products are easy to recognize.

From the northern to southern regions the flavor profile changes dramatically, as the climate differs the salt content and drying process must be adjusted.

Chef Cristian Broglia firstly presents his prosciutto di Parma crudo, a personal favorite, as he hails from Parma in Northern Italy. Italy has a total of 8 recognized varieties of prosciutto from various regions. Parma is a very small village where the authentic prosciutto di Parma crudo is prepared.

Authentic prosciutto de Parma is treated in a strict method and is stamped with a crown. The pigs are grown in one specific area, being fed a special diet of whey left over from local cheese production and cereal.  Each leg is also stamped with the date when first dried, the one he served was almost two years old.  His prosciutto has a most delicate flavor, it's soft and lightly salted and would pair beautifully with olives.

Bresaola from closer to Switzerland at the northern Italian border is made with beef and cured in a micro-climate. Bresaola should be served sliced thin so as to achieve the best flavor from the marbling process. Bresaola could possibly be the perfect companion to hard cheeses, like parmesan and wine.  Suited for a more mature palate, Bresaola is salty, savoury and dry.

 

Coppa a delicious meat from a village close to Parma.  Coppa is made from the neck of the pork and has to be cured for a minimum of 6 months in the preservation cellar.  This meat features a soft, silky texture and pleasant mild spices.  Coppa would be the perfect introduction to Salumi and an excellent family friendly meat for even the pickiest eaters. 

Pancetta di Argentina also comes from Parma but is made from pork belly cured with salt, pepper, herbs and sometimes wine. This pancetta can be found in round or flat rolls, it's very well cured and so it's quite oily with heavy marbling.  The salty, mild flavor would balance well with crusty bread and ripe tomatoes.

Salame production is also a heavily regulated process, made from ground meat following ancient recipes. 

This salame comes from a tiny village close to Labia and Lombardi, made from a mixture of shoulder, leg and back meat sliced into large chunks which gives this salami a firm and hearty texture with a mild flavor.

Mortadella di Brazil, a play on the original 17th century mortadella di Bologna, is made from carefully selected cuts of meat and fat that doesn't melt when cooking.  This mortadella can be served sliced thin or cubed, it's well seasoned with a firm texture and would be amazing fried up with some peas in butter and then tossed with pasta and parmesan cheese. Or it's definitely lunch box friendly for your little ones.

Store your salumi in your fridge on a tray in a single layer, covered with cloth or wax paper before serving allow to come to rest and warm up for at least 10 minutes. 

When slicing Salumi a sharp blade is your best friend, good salumi should melt in your mouth and is best served sliced very thin. 

Chef Cristian recommends eating salumi with your hands to help activate your senses. Roll the Salumi into a mouth sized roll and pop it to your mouth to fully appreciate the experience.

Italians generally serve a plate featuring a variety of Salumi along with fresh bread and antipasto as an appetizer with meals, followed by pastas and salads. 

Salumi is also considered a complete meal and is used a palate cleanser for ending off dinners and of course for sandwiches at lunch. But I mean why not throw some in your omelet? Swap the bacon and sausage for an amazing Italian experience, and you will be walking into the office singing Buongiorno!

Fall Vegetable Soup

Fall Vegetable Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 squash, peeled and diced (Acorn or similar)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and diced
1 small tomato, chopped
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. thyme
1 liter chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Once heated, add the olive oil, squash, sweet potato and onion to the pan

Cook for 5 - 7 minutes or until beginning to brown and then add the garlic and tomato

Stir well and then add the all of the spices, continue to cook an additional 2 minutes

Pour the chicken broth over the vegetables and bring to a boil

Continue to cook until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has reduced by half (approx. 20 minutes)

Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes

Add the heavy cream and blend until smooth

Serve immediately garnished with fresh herbs.

Recipe yields 4 generous servings. Total prep/cook time should not exceed 1 hour.