Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Egg & Caramelized Onion Sandwich

Today I decided to get a little creative and create my own signature sandwich. To be honest, I kind of threw what I had in the fridge into a sandwich. The good news is it turned out tasting pretty amazing! Here is my own unexpected creation: the egg & caramelized onion sandwich.


I didn't actually expect for this to become a recipe, so I didn't take a step by step picture tutorial, but it is pretty simple to explain.

Here are the ingredients:
- 2 slices of bread
- 1 or 2 eggs (to taste)
- 1/4 of an onion
- White cheddar cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Sriracha
- Canola oil
- Salt & pepper

The only cooking truly required for this sandwich is the onions. For them to be perfectly caramelized you want to slowly cook them on low heat in oil. When you notice they are getting brown, that's when you know the onions are ready!

Boil your eggs to your liking. I personally like the yolk to be a little under cooked, so I boil them for about 10 minutes and insert them into ice cold water immediately to stop them from cooking further. Once they have cooled, slide them up and salt & pepper them to taste.

I made my own spicy mayo, in which I simply mix equal parts of mayonnaise and sriracha.

You are now ready to put the sandwich together! Pile up those ingredients! I love toasted bread, so I cooked my slices "grilled cheese style". Its all up to you how you like your sandwich, but just imagine that yummy melted cheddar!

Next time I might even try adding a couple slices of bacon. Bacon makes everything better right?

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Burger Bar - Downtown Montreal

I haven't been to a restaurant in a while, but last night I celebrated a friends birthday at Burger Bar on Crescent Street.

I'm not a huge beef eater so naturally I am not a fan of burgers, but I was happy to see that the restaurant has a big non-beef sandwich selection. The options were all very creative, for example the "Hangover" burger that contains poutine, fried egg, caramelized onion and bacon. Can't say you've ever seen that anywhere before right? The burger selection was huge, with 16 options. I don't know how a burger fan could ever make a decision.


I decided to get the "Griffon" sandwich, containing a spicy tuna patty, melted cheese, sauteed shrimp, lettuce and tomato for $16. Unfortunately, the restaurant had run out of shrimp, so mine didn't come with it. I didn't know what to expect from the spicy tuna patty; would it be raw or cooked? It ended up being a canned tuna consistency mixed with spices in a cooked patty. Overall, the sandwich was very good, though I know the sautéed shrimp would have definitely added something special to the mixture.

I did something I never do and switched the fries to onion rings. I don't know what got to me, but I hadn't had onion rings in years and had the sudden urge to try them out. I definitely didn't regret them because they were great. One of my friends switched to sweet potato fries, and I can say they were definitely some of the best I'd ever had!


After a long week, I decided to treat myself and have a cocktail. I got a "Mango Madness", which is not on their online menu but contained Malibu Rum and Mango juice and some type of soda. The mix sounded enticing, but it ended up tasting like it contained 3/4 of rum. In my opinion it wasn't a very enjoyable cocktail to sip from. But something that bothered me was the fact that the glass was so small it contained about 100ml of the mixture. Notice the size difference between my little glass and the beer glass to the right. It was definitely not worth $9 to me. My friends got a similar drink that contained strawberries and they felt very similarly to me.

Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Burger Bar. The menu has a lot to offer, and if I return I would be interested in trying something new from their limitless options! There is something for everyone, so it is a great place to go as a group. Next time I probably wouldn't adventure myself into their drink menu, but maybe discover their delicious dessert menu instead!

Where?
1465 rue Crescent
Montreal (Quebec)
H3G 2B2

Menu

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

La Sandwicherie Zoe's


It's unfortunate I'm posting this now, because food truck season is almost over in Montreal.

Since last summer, we have been blessed with some seriously delicious food trucks roaming our city. During the Just for Laughs festival many of them were conveniently located a few blocks from my work, so I made it a point to try a few of them out.

I visited La Sandwicherie Zoe's and tried out the "Kokkino" Sandwich. It contained pulled chicken, harrisa mayo and a cabbage mixture on a fresh and somewhat sweet bun. It cost $9, taxes included, which is a pretty typical price for food trucks.

I use to be a huge fan of pulled pork sandwiches, but then I got a little tired of them. The pulled chicken was definitely a change I enjoyed and I had never tried before.

The quality of the sandwich was pretty good, which I would expect when I pay $9 for a sandwich. It was ready in less than 5 minutes, but I was also lucky enough to only have one person in line before me.

What especially attracted me to this truck, while it is pretty superficial, was the amazing colourful design on the actual truck. I felt myself automatically gravitating to it, but in my defence the menu also pleased me.

If you are in Montreal and love food, be sure to try out our amazing trucks before they go into hibernation for the winter. They food they serve is unique compared to food trucks around the world, so it is a culinary experience worth trying!

Friday, August 29, 2014

Red Pepper Baked Brie


I blame my lack of food blogging during the last couple of weeks on my slightly upset stomach, but don't you worry because I am back and better than ever!

This time I have a delicious appetizer that is way too simple to make to be that delightful! The reason why I love it so much might be because Brie is my favourite cheese after Le Fromage St-Fidele (if your are ever in the Charlevoix region, PLEASE hunt some down).

There's a little back story to this recipe. One of my good friends is on the verge of giving birth and I won this Rootham Tangy Red Pepper Jelly at her baby shower. Apparently I was the only person who never tried it before, and as soon as someone recommended that I try it with brie I couldn't have been happier about winning it.


Here are the ingredients:
- Brie
- Rootham Tangy Red Pepper Jelly
- Baguette


I cut off the top crust of the brie. The rest of the crust will serve as a bowl for the cheese so that it doesn't melt away into a puddle


Slice up that baguette!


Spread that jelly on top of that Brie. You don't need to use this particular brand or flavour. Brie is delicious with practically any jelly or jam. One of my favourites is the mixture of apricot jam with Brie!


Be sure to put your Brie in a pan with a tall border in case things get messy and cheesy. Put the oven at 350 ° F and let the magic happen for 15 minutes. Halfway through, add your baguette to the oven if you want it crispy.


And there you have it! A succulent baked brie, all done in less than 20 minutes with such minimal effort! Don't deny that you are dying to try this at your next event ;)

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Chicken Pesto Pasta


I am a huge fan of daily Vlogger on YouTube itsJudysLife. I've followed the family's daily lives for years now, and I've always admired her husband Benji's initiative when it came to cooking. He takes it very seriously, and everything always looks delicious!

He has his own YouTube channel he dedicates to cooking called BenjiManTV, which is where this recipe comes from. I always like to guesstimate when I'm cooking, so I may not have followed the recipe to the letter!


What I used (portion for 2):
- Boneless chicken tights (3)
- Spaghetti (or any pasta of your choice)
- Pesto (already made)
- Diced onions
- Grated parmesan
- Olive Oil
- Salt & pepper


While the spaghetti was cooking to package directions, I cooked the chicken and the onions on an oiled pan. I wanted the chicken to be brown and crispy the onions to be somewhat caramelized for this recipe. 

I definitely recommend you make use of chicken tights if you can. Another quick tip for the spaghetti is to salt it when it hits a boil to flavor those noodles!


Before everything was finished cooking, I combined the pesto, a little bit of oil, the grated parmesan and pepper in a bowl. This step kind of comes with taste. The trick with the perfection of this recipe is to taste test during the process and see how you specifically like it!


Immediately after the chicken and pasta was done cooking, I threw everything in a mixing bowl so that the heat of the noodles could melt that parmesan and heat up that pesto a little bit. Once you mix everything, I recommend that you taste it to determine if you want to add a little bit more pesto or not. On my side of things, I decided I need a bit more to satisfy my taste buds!


Last but not least, throw it in a plate and sprinkle a little parmesan atop your delicious meal!

If you love yourself some pesto pasta dishes, this is definitely a very simple yet delightful recipe you should try out!

Enjoy! :)

Monday, August 11, 2014

Marché 27 Express - Downtown Montreal


You can win my heart with two foods: sushi and tartare. When I found out I worked foot steps from the Marché 27 Express in Phillips Square I was the happiest girl in town. Being able to get a quick to-go tartare during lunch? Best thing that could ever happen to me!

The first time I went, I tried out the "Asian" Salmon Tartare. It contained black sesame, chives, hoisin and sesame vinegrette and shallots.

The second time I tried the "Japonese" Salmon Tartare (in the picture above). It contained wasabi, soy sauce, tempura, ginger, shallot and chives.

Alongside the tartare you get to pick a side of either: croutons, chips, celery sticks or roasted nori. Between the two tartares I tried, I definitely enjoyed the taste of the "Asian" tartare better. I personally felt the "Japonese" tartare was a bit too gingery for me.

I was especially impressed that Marché 27 Express prices are pretty fair, at $9 for a 100g salmon tartare. The presentation is not as classy as a tartare would typically be at a restaurant. The tartare is basically thrown into a plastic container with your choice of side. Honestly, presentation is the least of my worries during a workday lunch!

If you're an avid tartare lover like me and crave a quick to-go tartare, I recommend you visit Marché 27 Express at one of their TWO locations in downtown Montreal!

Where?
Marche 27 Express Phillips Square
1241 Phillips Square
Montreal, Quebec, H3B 3G1
(514) 419-8834

Marche 27 Express De Maisonneuve Ouest
1102 de Maisonneuve Ouest
Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1M7
(514) 439-7707

Menu
http://www.marche27express.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94&Itemid=156&lang=en


Friday, August 8, 2014

Nacho Libre's ICE ICE BABY - Beaubien



One thing I love to do in the summer is going out for a drink with friends. When I do I always want to try something new and original, and this is a perfect example of "new and original"!

A friend of mine had sent me a picture of Nacho Libre's ICE ICE BABY, a drink that revolved around a Mr. Freeze. I guess he knows me well, because I ADORE Mr. Freezes.

The drink comes in five different Mr. Freeze flavors: blue, purple, red, orange and white! Blue Mr. Freezes have always been my number one, so guess which drink was mine!

My impression of the drink? At first, I wasn't a huge fan of the blue concoction at hand. Once the Mr. Freeze started melting into the drink, that is when it got delicious.

The glasses were huge, I'd say about 10 inches high, and it was hard for me to drink half of it as it was a very sweet drink. Future reference to myself: share the drink next time!

Now lets talk about the restaurant atmosphere! Nacho Libre was definitely unique when it came to its decoration, with swinging chairs hanging off the ceiling and aerobics videos playing on the TV the entire time. They had a video game station, where I'm pretty sure you could play on an old school Nintendo 64 console.

This is the type of place where you come in a big group of friends and have a great time and let loose. If you want to try something new and different, go ahead and try Nacho Libre. Parking is relatively easy to find in the area and the Beaubien metro station is footsteps away!

Where?
NACHO LIBRE
913 Rue Beaubien Est,
Montréal, QC H2S 1T2 ‎
(514) 273-6222 ‎


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