Playing Catch Up!

I have been pretty busy these past few days... finishing up my thesis (very minor edits left at this point that will be done over the next day or two), job searches and one interview (woo hoo!) and watching the food show Supersizers Go with Ryan... We are going to have a 70s food party FYI, prepare yourself, because it is going to be disgusting. haha

Anyway, I've also had some great food over the past few days! 

First off: Boyfriend Bruchetta Sandwiches!

Bruchetta! Make it however you like. Ryan and I are big fans of garlic, so there is a lot of that. We also enjoy some red onion for extra kick!

Sandwich: bake a chicken breast in oven at 375 with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic.

Split in half for two sandwiches.

Whole Wheat Roll toasted with a slice a mozza. Top Roll with chicken and lots of bruchetta. 

And ENJOY!

I also got a brand new Slow Cooker  Collection Cookbook from my mom the other day. Its made by Canadian Living and actually has a lot of great recipes. I made their Chickpea Ratatouille and was pleasantly surprised.

You probably noticed its not in a slow cooker. The recipe ended up being too big for my slow cooker, so i ended up cooking it on the stove. still turned out great!
In it:
Eggplant
onion
1 can tomatoes
tomato paste
2 peppers, one red and one yellow
2 zucchini
1 can chickpeas
salt
pepper
garlic
oregano
basil

Healthy and delicious!
Paired with a Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon.

Like I said, it made A LOT, so I had this again the next day and froze the rest for when I have a busy day and no time to make dinner!

Finally, inspired by the black bean chili I made the other day:

This was simple and proof you can make dinner in under 10 minutes that isn't fast food or toast!

In a pan with some cooking oil:

Mushrooms, green beans, yellow pepper, black beans, corn (fresh), salsa (about 1/3 cup), salt and pepper, spinach.

Top with cheese and some chips!

IT WAS FANTASTIC!

Hope these meals inspire you to make dinner tonight!

Thanks for reading :)

Thank you!

Thanks to everyone that has voted for my blog to go onto the second challenge of Project Food Blog! I really appreciate it and promise to keep blogging away. More so because after today (?) or tomorrow (?) or SOON (haha oh my goodness) I will be done my thesis! And will have internet again! I'm in my neighbourhood Starbucks once again! woo hoo!
Anyway, if you haven't voted yet and want to, you still have time for this round! 1 more day to vote!
If you didn't get in on this round and I make it to the next, no worries! You will be able to vote then!

Thanks again!
Back to work for me!
Leslie :)

Vote now!

Hi Friends,
I am currently sitting in the Starbucks near my place, using their internet. Mine is broken and will be until at least Thursday. Not exactly perfect timing- for both my thesis and for this Project Food Blog Challenge!
Oh well! Not much I can do but drink lots of coffee! haha
So now I need all your help in order for me to advance to round 2 of the challenge. There are over 1800 bloggers and only 400 can go on. So I need you!!
This is how you vote:
You need to go to foodbuzz.com and sign up to be a member. This is the only way you can vote! Once you have done that, go to the Project Food Blog Challenge Section, and on the right hand side you will see:
CHALLENGES--> 1. Ready, Set, Blog! (Open)
Click on that and then look for Chomp! in the alphabetical list. You will see my lovely face when you scroll through the "C" section of blogs! I think you can only vote once for me, I'm not sure. Might be worth returning the next day to see if you can vote again (though I doubt it)

So friends! Tell your friends and spread the word! This is very exciting. You only have 3 days to vote, so start now!!  The next challenge involves me making a dish from another culture. And if I make it to round three I am hosting a dinner party and you know you want to be invited! haha!
Thanks to everyone, no matter how far I go. This is lots of fun and I'll be voting for my favorite blogs too!

FYI, the fine print:

Public Votes: The public may vote on their favorite Entry by logging in to the Site and voting at the Site. Must be at least 18 years old and of majority age to vote. The number of votes for the public voter per Challenge is equal to the number of Entries Sponsor will advance to the next Challenge. For example, if Sponsor announces that 48 Entries will advance to the next Challenge, the public voter is limited to 48 votes for that Challenge. Public votes are not factored in the judging criteria. The Entry with the most public votes is considered the “Reader’s Choice Winner.” The Reader’s Choice Winner automatically advances to the next Challenge. The Reader’s Choice Winner will be included in the final number of Entrants scheduled to advance to the next Challenge. There will be no Reader’s Choice Winner for Challenge #10. Sponsor recommends (but does not require) that you post an announcement on your Website at the beginning of each voting period to help drive public votes.

Restaurant Reviews- Karma Indian Bistro and Original Joes

Cathy chowing down on Butter Chicken at Karma

Hi Friends!
Today I have two restaurant reviews for you: Karma Indian Bistro and Original Joes (124st location to be specific.)
I realize these are two very different restaurants, but I just wanted to let you know about my eating experiences there since I've been to both relatively recently!

Karma: First, I am embarrassed to say that this was my first visit there, even though I live very close by and have heard good things. We went there for Angela's going away party and the waiter was very accommodating and friendly (you all know how these large group dinners can go!)

Angela and Cathy

Anyway, we all ordered our own dishes and didn't really share. I am aware this isn't typically how you eat Indian food, but we had picky eaters as well as vegetarians, so it was easier just to eat your own thing. We also all started with samosas, which i really liked! I chose to have the chicken curry. It was really tasty. I know Ryan and Cathy had the Butter Chicken and liked it as well. My friend Jeremy was making "yummy eating noises" (I can only assume this meant that he was enjoying his dish!) We were all very content and full by the end. At the end, they also gave Angie a complimentary mango ice cream as a "goodbye."
Pros: Nice atmosphere, decent sized portions, fantastic wine list. Also, the take out menu is probably better than the eating in menu- it offers dinners for one or two (or more!) and are really well priced. I think Ryan and I will do that again soon! I know my friend Kierstin really likes to do that. She is the one that first recommended Karma.
Cons: They only have two whites and two red wines by the glass. Everything else is by the bottle. We all agreed that we wished they would have had some kind of samosa plate instead of individual ones, but perhaps we are being picky!
I want to return again or get take out, but I really think that Karma is a great choice if you are looking for Indian food in the downtown area (or want delivery!)
Karma is located at 10523 99 Avenue

Now onto Original Joes:
I don't really have a lot to say. I mean the place is what I consider a great restaurant/bar to go to if you want large, tasty portions and a lively (but not too loud) atmosphere. When I say you get a lot of food, I mean it. You get two sides of your choice and the burgers/sandwiches are quite large. Ryan and I had bruchetta to start. It was fantastic, especially because the bread came with melted cheese on it. I chose the veggie burger as my main- I wanted it because it had humus, guac and bruchetta on it. So excited! I got sweet potato fries and salad as my sides. I was, however, disappointed. The flavor was great, but the bruchetta made the burger soggy, which really turned me off of it. I loved the fries though... they were GONE! haha. We finished with Ryan's favorite dessert- dirt pie. Just ridiculously delicious. Not going to lie, I ate too much.
That is about all I have to say about Original Joes. I've had really consistent experiences there, and for the most part have enjoyed my meals. If you are looking for somewhere to eat with good bar food and big portions, this is where I would go!
Locations throughout Edmonton (6 in total, check website for the nearest location!)

Grilled Vegetable Chili

Hi Everyone!
Last week (i think it was last week anyway...) Ryan had friends over to his place for dinner. We needed to come up with a dinner that was vegetarian friendly, healthy and YUMMY! I pulled out Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book for potential ideas. Luckily we found a great recipe: Grilled Vegetable Chili. I don't have pictures because I always forget my camera when I actually need it... but here is the recipe!
(we doubled it, which was quite the undertaking because its A LOT OF VEGGIES!) I also liked this recipe because everyone at the dinner seemed to enjoy it, and so did Ryan, which is always a good thing. haha.
The recipe can be found here (or in the book): http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipes/rachael-ray-30-minute-meals/Grilled-Vegetable-Chili
I have made the recipe with substitutions noted within:

2 zucchini, slice 1/2 inch thick
1 large red bell pepper and 1 large yellow bell pepper, halved and seeded
2 large portabella mushrooms
1 red onion, peeled and sliced 3/4 inch thick
1/2 cup EVOO
Salt and Pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 can black beans
2 tbsp chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup of beer
2 cups vegetable stock
Juice of 1 lime
handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Tortilla chips
2 cups shredded cheddar or pepper Jack cheese
2 -3 scallions, chopped

Note: we did not have beer, so we just added another cup of stock. We also did not have cilantro. I suspect these two things would have changed the flavor quite a bit, but i'm sure I would have still enjoyed it anyway!

Heat a grill to medium heat (we didn't have one so we used a pan) Brush all veggies with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes on each side/until tender. Move onto platter.
Heat the rest of the EVOO in a medium pot on medium.  Add garlic and jalapeños and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add beans and chop the grilled veggies into 1/2 inch pieces. Add them to the pot as you go.  Season with chili powder, paprika and salt and pepper.  Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 mins.  Stir in beer and reduce for 30 secs, then stir in stock and simmer for a few mins.  Stir in the lime juice and cilantro.

Serve with crushed chips and cheese on top.  Garnish with scallions.
Serves 4

Enjoy!!

Definition: Food Blogger

Welcome to my first official Project Food Blog Post.  The first post of this challenge is:
What defines you as a food blogger and why should you be the next food blog star?

At one of my favourite restaurants, Blue Plate Diner, eating Ranch Eggs.... DROOL!

If you have been reading my blog since its beginnings late last year or are reading it for the first time today, I think that this first challenge post is an important one regardless of whether or not I participate in the challenge. When I first started this blog, it was really a selfish endeavor-- I wanted to document my food and fitness gorls and attempts and hopefully inspire others along the way. I should probably give some brief personal history at this moment:

I am now a 23 year old Masters of History Student (hopefully for about only a week longer!) My teenage life was spent battling the bulge- some 35 pounds of it.  I lost and gained that same weight around 5 times over the course of around 6 years.  It was only in my 2nd and 3rd year of university that I lost all the weight for good.  This was through dealing with my emotional issues with food, as well as self esteem issues.  I got fit, strong, confident and healthy!  My relationship with food and fitness has evolved over the years, perhaps most notably when I slowly stopped looking at food as only calories and fuel, but also as an experience to be shared and enjoyed.  This past year while working on my Masters, along with developing what I believe to be carpal tunnel, has forced me to relax about food and fitness even more.  Shocking news to me, I ate and drank my way through my thesis these post five months and didn't gain *much* weight. (The weight isn't the point, its the perspective and the way I deal and feel about it that matters.)

Anyway... with that ramble... you now know what pushes me, where my view on food comes from (ideally a mixture of health, quality, responsibility and taste all coming together!) Indulgence is a must (no deprivation here!) but a little moderation and lots of intuition to guide me along.

I don't have much background in cooking/baking, I just know what I like and hope that others like it too! Its as simple as that! I like to post recipes of my own and from those that I find. And of course, I love posting about my favorite meals when out to dinner! Expect a little of everything!

Me and My sister in Mexico being silly.

I think the next food blog star could be anyone! I've looked at lots of different profiles and blogs and there are so many different backgrounds and perspectives from professionals to people that just simply love food, such as myself.  I think my own personal experiences with food and weight loss give me a unique edge.  I'm not here to preach or offer only low-fat recipes.  If nothing else I'm here to blog about my experiences with food and friends, while I figure out how to be a better BLOGGER, EATER and HUMAN BEING!
I hope you join me on this journey, no matter how it turns out!

Thank you all and much love!
Leslie :)

PS Please leave comments! They make me so happy and especially on such a personal post as this, I would really appreciate it from EVERYONE! I will let you all know when voting opens next week!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Okay, fine, this recipe is not all that original... but I'm just here to remind you that zucchini is a super duper awesome veggie that you can use in all sorts of things. A particular favorite of mine are zucchini cookies, but for that very reason I'm not going to be making them! I also like these muffins because its a great way to sneak veggies into people's mouths without them knowing, or resisting anyway...
here ya go! (recipe adapted from allrecipes.com!)

Batter!

Makes 12 Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• (add 1/4 cup walnuts if you have them, i didn't, but it sure would have been yummy!)

1-In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 

2-Combine the egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well. 

3-Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill muffin tins two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.

Muffin goodness!

these little guys were eaten up pretty fast around here!