Blogmas Day 7

BLOGMAS DAY 7

What did I do at work today? One manager is away today, another is in Ontario training, another was in the office (I think!) and the last was in for the afternoon before heading out on Christmas break tomorrow.

At lunch, a co-worker and I went to the Vancouver Christmas Market to browse and have lunch. We settled on the Crepe vendor – I got one with spinach, cherry tomatoes, black olives and feta, while she picked the ham and pineapple. We each tried both and both were great!

If you attend the Market during the week, between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm, you get in for half price ($4) cash, and when we went to pay, we were given the option to obtain a season’s pass (it runs through December) for only $1 more … sure! It’s just down the block from work and has a bunch of food vendors, so offers some different options for lunch!

After work I stopped by Safeway as I needed to grab just a couple of items for the next series of Recipe Taste Off … and by a couple of items, I mean 2 … I needed green onions and tamari. (Click here, here and here for the first series of Recipe Taste Off!)

But I spent $25 …

Ended up picking up some more pre-made tart shells and some extra ingredients for mini quiches, along with the 2 items I needed!

Recipe Taste Off: Soba Noodle Salad from the Oh She Glows Every Day cookbook

This dish was very easy to make, although I subbed stir-fry beef for the tofu, and seasoned it with just salt and pepper. This was tasty, but felt like it could use more sauce or perhaps just split the sauce per dish rather than tossing the full dish in the sauce. I am excited to try it tomorrow for leftovers!

Advent Calendar Day 7: Nutty and Spice

“If there’s one thing that never fails to remind us of the holidays, it’s a freshly baked spice cake. And this warm, buttery oolong is as festive as it gets. First, we start with a jolly jumble of walnuts and pistachios. Then, we add a bright burst of sweet cranberries and pineapple. And finally, we sprinkle in a merry dash of cinnamon to keep you nice and cozy. Whether you have it straight up or with a splash of milk, this is one tea that’ll have you singing “Deck the Halls” in no time. Warning: may induce feelings of holiday cheer.”

I smell and taste more “spice” than “nutty”. It reminds me of the smell of holidays at my Mom’s house. It carries a very potent aroma, but the flavor is much more subtle … something I’ve noticed with many teas.

I’ve just watched last night’s episode of This Is Us and I’m so excited that this show has been picked up for a full 1st season! Shortly from now, I’ll watch Survivor; and tomorrow a new season of Alone starts!

Recipe Taste Off – Sweet Potato Dishes

A quick look back on contestant number 2 (“Loaded Sweet Potatoes” from the Oh She Glows Every Day cookbook) … after the “Avocado Cilantro Crema” married all its flavours together overnight, it was much more flavourful. Again, as with contestant number 1 (“Dressed to the Nines Sweet Potatoes” from The UnDiet Cookbook), the leftover serving was quite a bit better.

Tonight I tested out a recipe from Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking cookbook …

Contestant Number 2: Thai Baked Sweet Potatoes (picture as shown in the cookbook)

I’ve done my best to make these recipes exactly as detailed. One difference I had to make between this recipe and my version is the chickpeas … I substituted in black beans instead as chickpeas don’t agree well with my digestive tract.

Again, this recipe was easy to follow. It called to rub the sweet potatoes with grape seed oil before baking, but given how the other sweeties turned out without oil, I opted to omit this oil.

The book lists a sub-recipe for “Ginger Tahini Sauce” inside the main recipe and it was also very easy to follow. It called for 1 – 4 TBSP hot water to “thin” the sauce and I used 2 TBSP, but honestly, it didn’t really need any water. The tahini & ginger created quite a bit of sediment, so I ended up using a sieve to make it smoother. An after-thought would be to throw these ingredients into the Vitamix to get it mixed up well, and next time I think I’ll use the suggested tahini alternative of peanut butter.

There was the perfect amount of beans to cover each of the servings, and just the right amount of sauce, too.

As I posted this picture, I realized I opened my bag of sesame seeds but totally forgot to put them on the dish!!! #BlondeMoment #IWasStarving

This was a very nice dish. I prefer this one over “Loaded Sweet Potatoes” (contestant number 2), but I think I still prefer “Dressed to the Nines Sweet Potatoes” (contestant number 1) overall!

I had a couple of observers that seemed pretty interested in all 3 recipes!

This first batch of Recipe Taste Off has been VERY successful and I am looking forward to the next batch which will consist of Soba Noodle recipes!

Recipe Taste Off – Sweet Potato Dishes

The other night I made the 1st of 3 sweet potato dishes (“Dressed to the Nines Sweet Potatoes” from The UnDiet Cookbook). I had the second serving for lunch the next day and it was almost better than fresh the night before!

Tonight I’m on to the next recipe by Angela Liddon and her Oh She Glows Every Day cookbook …

Contestant Number 2: Loaded Sweet Potatoes (picture as shown in the cookbook)

This one looks great … let’s see how the recipe turns out!

This recipe was easy to follow. It called for EVOO to saute the garlic & onions, but I was low on it, so I used coconut oil (as I have a huge “tub” of it from Costco!).

Inside the recipe is a sub-recipe for “Avocado Cilantro Crema“. This was easy as well, but I had to use 3 TBSP more water than the 1 TBSP it called for as it was just a little thick, but light, for my Vitamix and wouldn’t stay down with the blades to become creamy.

I cooked the sweet potatoes for a full hour and they were perfect this time. Now to assemble this dish!

The amount of crema that was made seemed like a lot, but the recipe didn’t indicate that you only use a portion of it, so I used half per serving. Same went for the black bean mixture … the recipe called for a whole can, whereas the other recipes call for 1/2 can.

Ok … so there was a LOT of toppings on this spud, and it was a bit over-powered by the crema. But it was tasty.

It’s got a different taste than “Dressed to the Nines Sweet Potatoes” (Contestant Number 1) but it’s also got a completely different dressing being avocado instead of tahini/tamari.

I would recommend this recipe, but suggest making or only using half the crema and beans. Also – the cookbook picture has the sweet potato topped with a white substance, but it was not mentioned in the recipe.

At this point, I’m a bigger fan of “Dressed to the Nines Sweet Potatoes“.

Friday I’ll likely make up the last of the 3 recipes in this Recipe Taste Off and provide my comments and suggestions!