Wishes & Goals 2010 Check-Up - May

Can't believe that yet another month has passed us by - 2010 is running along quite quickly. I would say April was a good month, though May so far has gotten off on a pretty rocky start. Let's review the calendar and goals, shall we?

My Goals for 2010
Lights out between 10:30-10:45 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and between 11:30-11:45 on Sundays and Tuesdays for at least three of those nights per week by the end of the month.
I wasn't able to achieve this goal in the first week, probably because I was adjusting from being back on vacation. However, toward the end of the month I was able to get to bed on time most nights - even Thursdays! Unfortunately that all fell apart over the first two weeks in May, so I guess I'll still be working on the same goal for the next little while.

Each snack must contain a vegetable or a fruit.
I've been pretty good at this goal, but now the part I'm struggling with (especially in the beginning of May) seems to be making sure I have some source of protein at work! And there have been a few times that I've let "snack time" roll by without eating. Time to tighten those reins again!

Be able to do 100 full, proper pushups without stopping by December 2010.
I was finally able to do 100 pushups from my knees! I didn't end up buying myself any jewellery though, due to the fact that I'd recently spent a lot of money to celebrate a hefty tax return, so I took the weekend off of doing pushups instead. More importantly, it means I'm finally moving on to my end goal of working on full pushups. (Notice the red dot in my graph!) The fact that I'm going from doing sets of 30+ to sets of less than 10 is very motivating (haha)

I will save at least ⅓ of my paycheque every month in hopes of buying a house/condo within walking distance from my work by 2011-2012.
As I mentioned previously, I got a big fat tax return, thanks to not having worked full-time for a year and leftover education credits. Despite going on a spending spree afterwards, buying shoes, pants, tops and jewellery, I still managed to stash the equivalent of four paycheques into an RRSP! (As opposed to my usual savings account).

Drink at least 48 oz of water at least three days a week.
My success has been pretty up-and-down with this throughout April. Part of it could be because I started a new "experiment" - in order to boost my calcium intake I now bring a new plant-based milk (unsweetened, if possible) to work every week and I drink a glass at lunch instead of my usual water. So far I've tried Hemp Bliss (tastes like grass), Oat Dream (only comes sweetened, doesn't have any distinguishing taste) and Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (nice vanilla taste, doesn't leave as much of a chalky film compared to other brands). This week I bought EdenBlend, a rice and soy beverage, only to realize later that it's not fortified (boo). Anyway, B. thinks I should include the beverages into my water count, but I don't, nor do I include the tea I have most mornings. I'm feeling a little sick though, so maybe that'll help boost my water intake for the coming weeks (haha) and I need to be better about having water around to drink at home, in the car, when I work out...

My Wishes for 2010
Do a thorough room purge
As usual, I didn't work on this this month...

Recipes/techniques I wanted to try this year:
...nor this.

Blog Stuff
Continue upward trajectory of posts this year
I posted 8 entries in April 2010, vs. 7 entries in 2009.

Include nutrition information for my recipes whenever possible
I did some backtracking but still haven't made a lot of progress in finishing the job.

Rewards
Like I said, I went on a big shopping spree to just reward myself on all the efforts I've made so far and I rewarded myself for completing 100 pushups from my knees by taking the weekend off! May has gotten off to a rocky start so I don't expect to be doing anything special goal-wise this month.

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Southern Spice

Cross-posted from Calgary is Awesome.

Most of the Indian dishes that we are familiar with today, like butter chicken, tandoori chicken and naan, are actually from the northern (Punjabi) part of India. For a taste of southern Indian cuisine (and their signature dosas), you can travel north to the industrial area between Castleridge and Prairie Winds Park to find Southern Spice.

Despite being a little hole-in-the-wall in a strip mall, a lot of care has been put into the decor - a giant mural covers one of the walls in the restaurant, and the bar is topped with an intricately carved wood dome. If you're unfamiliar with the cuisine, they offer a lunch buffet every day from 12 PM - 2 PM, as well as an all-day weekend buffet. B. and I went late on a Friday evening, so we were glad that the server was very helpful in pointing out the most popular and most delicious dishes (though he often picked the more expensive options! Hmm...)


With his help, we ordered the non-vegetarian thali ($12.95), which allowed us to sample a variety of dishes, including (going down each column) Indian pickles, Payasam (a dessert made with vermicelli cooked in coconut milk and flavoured with cardamom), tomato chutney, coconut chutney, basmati rice, chicken curry, tomato rice with pieces of goat, rasam, potato dosa (idly - a "cake" made from rice and lentil flour was hidden below), vada (fried potatoes), sambar and yogurt.

All the dishes were very distinctive and well done - stand-outs for me were the crispy fried potato, the tender chicken curry, the sweet and licorice-y Payasam and the yogurt, which had a very strong milky flavour. The dosa, which is like a thin crepe with crispy edges, was perfect for picking up all the different dishes (we saw a few Indian families there eating without utensils). The idly was a spongy, slightly mushy cake, perfect for picking up the soupy rasam and sambar. I couldn't handle the pickles though - super-salty with a flavour that was reminiscent of Chinese medicine. Blech!

Even though it's advertised as a meal for one (?) It was definitely more than enough food for B. and myself, and with all the creamy curries it was actually quite heavy. Next time I would probably just get the vegetarian thali (I assume that it'd be less heavy) and some extra sides of dosa or other bread to help scoop everything up.


We didn't realize that the thali would have so much food, so we'd also ordered the Kadai Goat Curry ($10.95) - it's listed as a "Goat Fry" on the menu, but the waiter gave us a choice of fried or curry - with a side of Paratha ($4.95). At first B. and I were a little unimpressed that the waiter pushed the most expensive bread, but when we tasted how puffy, flaky and soft it was, we forgave him. The goat curry was also very flavourful - there were lots of different spices mingling together and complementing each other; the goat itself was tender and fell right off the bone, and it didn't have any gamey or goaty taste at all. Watch out for those vegetables on the side though - there was an innocent little coleslaw on the side, but the white strips on the top of the curry were raw onion!

The only major quibble I have is that the food took a long time for the food to arrive. It might be because everything is made fresh and/or there were lots of little dishes, but if you are really hungry it can be easy to grow impatient. However, the friendly service more than made up for it - B. and I stayed almost till the restaurant closed at 10, and the waiter was still trying to get us to order dessert instead of rushing to go home!

Southern Spice
102-4655 54 Ave NE
Calgary AB T3J 3Z4
(403) 285-2255
Open daily 11:30 AM-10 PM. Madras Masala Dosa $5 every Wednesday. Amma Special $11.95 and live Tamil music every Thursday. All-day brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

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Turkey-Spinach Burgers with Sweet Soy-Ginger Sauce

B.'s house is slowly emerging from DIY Hardwood Land, which means we are hopefully going to start spending more time in the kitchen. On Saturday, he took on a sous-vide beer cooler project by himself as inspired by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt over at Serious Eats and three hours later came out with the moistest chicken breast ever. I might coax him to write a guest post about it, but for now, here's a cooking project we took on a few weeks ago - turkey-spinach burgers with sweet soy-ginger sauce.

B. found this recipe on A Doctor's Kitchen, which is a blog that focuses on healthy recipes and strategies to make your home cooking a little healthier. Turkey burgers are obviously leaner than regular burgers; this recipe also gets a bit of a vitamin boost from the spinach and an Asian twist from ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and mirin. You can serve these like regular burgers, but B. and I went the Asian route and ate it with some multigrain "rice" (a blend of different types of rice as well as other grains like barley and rye) and "choi sum" (菜心), which B. mistakenly bought instead of Chinese broccoli/"gai lan" (芥蘭).

    
To be honest, I didn't particularly like this recipe as I found the sauce – which is reminiscent of teriyaki sauce – way too strong and overpowering (look at that sodium!), though I'm a little suspicious as to whether the bottle of "mirin" in B.'s fridge is actually rice vinegar. Also, since the turkey is so lean it is easy to overcook and leave the burger dry.


Still, it is an interesting twist on the traditional burger, and as long as you watch that the burger's not overcooked and don't spoon too much sauce over top, it can be part of a satisfying meal, and it is certainly a recipe worth tweaking.

Turkey-Spinach Burgers with Sweet Soy-Ginger Sauce
Adapted from A Doctor's Kitchen
Makes 4 patties

• 2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce
  
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) mirin
  
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) brown sugar, packed
  
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh ginger, minced
  
• 5 oz/142 g bag of baby spinach
  
• 1 lb (454 g) ground turkey
  
• ¾ cup (175 mL) scallions, chopped
  
• 1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil
  
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
  
• Chopped scallions and sesame seeds, optional, for garnish

1. In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Reduce until slightly syrupy, about 3 minutes, though sometimes it will not become syrupy until cooled. Adjust heat if it threatens to boil over. Remove from heat and set aside. (Sauce may be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in a covered container.)
   
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the spinach for 1 minute. Drain and transfer to a cold water bath to stop the cooking. Drain again. Spread out a dish towel on your work surface. Cover it with a layer of paper towels. Spread the spinach in a thin layer over the towels. Cover with another layer of paper towels and another dish towel. Starting at one end, roll up the towel layers into a giant roll. Holding the roll at each end, twist to wring the water out of the spinach. Unroll, remove the top layers, and set the spinach aside. (Coarsely chop the spinach if you wish, but baby spinach does not require it. Also, the spinach may be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in a covered container.)
   
3. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, scallions, sesame oil, reserved spinach, and 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the reserved sauce. Season with pepper if desired and blend well.
   
4. Form the turkey-spinach mixture into 4 patties, about 3½” (18 cm) across and 1″ (2½ cm) thick.
   
5. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the patties and cook, covered, about 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned and cooked through. Lower the heat if necessary to keep them from burning. Serve with some of the sauce spooned over. Garnish with sliced scallions and/or sesame seeds, if desired.

Nutrition Info (per pattie): 271 calories, 13 g fat (3 g saturated), 89 mg cholesterol, 15 g carbohydrate (2 g fibre, 10 g sugar), 22 g protein, 655 mg sodium. An excellent source of riboflavin (vitamin B₂), folate (vitamin B₄), vitamin B₆, potassium, zinc, manganese and selenium. A good source of vitamin A, niacin (vitamin B₃), vitamin B₁₂, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.

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A Recipe for Celiac Awareness Month: Gluten-Free Almond-Flax Bread

Happy Celiac Awareness Month!

Celiac disease has become more "mainstream" in the past few years as food companies are viewing it as an area for market expansion and releasing lots of different gluten-free products on the market. Blogs are giving people with celiac disease a voice, allowing them to share their experience with celiac, gluten-free recipes and reviews of gluten-free products. Naturopaths and other alternative health practitioners are also pointing their fingers at gluten, saying that it's difficult to digest and advising people – celiac or not – to eliminate it from their diets. But what's celiac disease all about anyway? Why do people with celiac disease have to avoid gluten? What makes gluten-free cooking and baking so difficult?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that causes an intolerance to gluten, one of the types of proteins found in grains like wheat, rye and barley. Gluten is what gives stretchiness to dough and springiness to breads and cakes. When a person with celiac consumes gluten, it flattens the villi extending from the walls of the small intestine, which decreases its ability to absorb nutrients. This can lead to symptoms like indigestion, nausea, bloating, cramping, gas, diarrhea and constipation. Others develop a rash called dermatitis herpetiformis. Because symptoms vary greatly from person to person, celiac disease can be very difficult to diagnose! A survey conducted by the Canadian Celiac Association among its members found that on average it took them 11 years before they reached a diagnosis!

There is no cure for celiac disease – the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life. Navigating through all the different gluten-free grains – quinoa, cornmeal/polenta, buckwheat and millet are just a few of the examples – is an adventure within itself, but gluten-free baking is a whole other can of worms! Instead of keeping a giant bag of whole wheat or all-purpose flour in their pantry, many gluten-free cooks have to resort to little bags of flours and starches, each with their own taste, texture and nutrition profile. Gluten-free baked goods are often denser, have a softer, mushier texture and contain less fibre than their gluten-containing counterparts. However, as more cooks and bakers experiment with these different flours, gluten-free baked goods are getting closer to the “real thing”, and some gluten-free foods have their own unique flavours and textures that stand out on their own.

For my first foray into gluten-free baking, I chose a simple quick bread recipe from Elana's Pantry that only uses two "flours" - almond flour and flaxseed meal. I made so many changes to it that I'm sure Elana wouldn't want her name on it because she is someone who is very particular about her ingredients and equipment!


While she recommends using a loaf pan of such rare dimensions that it's hard to find even on the Internet, I chose to multiply out the amounts of the recipe to fit in a regular 8½ × 4½" loaf pan. While she recommends not using Bob's Red Mill almond flour, that was the kind I bought. While she uses agave nectar for its low glycemic index, the store was out of stock (and it's pretty pricey anyway) so I just replaced it with honey.


I took some cues from Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl and separated the eggs to beat up the egg whites to give the bread a little more lift (while avoiding using four eggs!) though in the end I think I was a little too zealous. They're still pretty, no?

    
The recipe calls for caraway, which I've left as "optional" if you like your bread a little more neutral, but it's highly recommended as it gives the bread a unique, licorice-y flavour.


Not only is this recipe simple, but it still gives a top-notch gluten-free loaf. The almond and flax give the loaf a "gritty" texture that gets rid of the usual mushy texture of gluten-free breads, yet they're both high in fat to help keep the bread moist. Nutritionally, they are also higher in fibre than most gluten-free flours. The loaf is still small compared to the breads you'd find at the store, and higher in calories than most of its gluten-containing counterparts but since this experiment was so easy I hope I'll be able to find more time to keep experimenting!

Gluten-Free Flax Seed Loaf
Adapted from Elana's Pantry
Makes 1 loaf

• 1½ cups (375 mL) blanched almond flour
  
• 1 cup (250 mL) flaxseed meal
  
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
  
• ¾ tsp (4 mL) baking soda
  
• 1 tsp (5 mL) cream of tartar
  
• 3 eggs, separated
  
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
  
• ½ cup (125 mL) water
  
• 1½ tsp (7 mL) honey
  
• 1-2 tbsp (15-30 mL) caraway seeds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 8.5 x 4.5” loaf pan.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, flax, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar.
   
3. In a small bowl, combine egg yolks, oil, water and honey.
   
4. In another bowl, beat egg whites until they stiffen, but before they form small peaks.
   
5. Mix dry ingredients with egg yolk mixture, then fold in egg whites and mix in caraway seeds. Allow batter to sit for 1-2 minutes to thicken.
   
6. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.
   
7. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

Nutrition Info (per ½" slice): 139 calories, 11 g fat (1 g saturated), 37 mg cholesterol, 6 g carbohydrate (4 g fibre, 1 g sugar), 5 g protein, 139 mg sodium. An excellent source of magnesium. A good source of manganese.

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Catch vs. The Embarcadero

Cross-posted from Calgary is Awesome.

My friend Vlad is really into side-by-side comparisons. So his first thought when he found out that Catch was offering a new promotion called the "High Tide Special" - 6 oysters, plus two glasses of Prosecco or Steam Whistle, all for $20 - his first thought was to see how they stacked up against Embarcadero's oysters, and his second thought was to invite me!

Unfortunately, it wasn't until we got to Catch that we found out that the special only lasts till 6 PM. Plus, we didn't have reservations and the restaurant was fully booked for the night. Fortunately, Vlad noticed two seats at the bar, and special or no special, we were at least able to squeeze in to try some of their oysters.


Without the special, the oysters were $3 apiece and were served with freshly grated horseradish, housemade chipotle sauce and saskatoon berry mignonette and wedges of lemon and lime. Vlad ordered six - half west coast and half east coast - whereas I tried to save my stomach for the next stop and ordered two - Shiny Sea (east coast) and Mattaki (west coast).


The Mattaki was my favourite of the two - it was more meaty and had a more distinctive taste. All the condiments were light and gave the oyster a bit of a kick without being too overpowering.

I also got an order of BBQ Octopus Tacos ($13).

I *really* liked these - alongside the octopus, which were marinated in a BBQ sauce, the lightly toasted tortillas were filled with smoky hummus, salsa and paprika sour cream. The only downside was that they were quite messy! There was way too much filling for the tiny taco shells.

After we finished our Steam Whistles, it was off to our next stop, The Embarcadero. The price of the oysters here vary by type, but overall they were cheaper than at Catch. In fact, the entire atmosphere at The Embarcadero is more casual and laid back. They also have a "daily special oyster" that is priced at $1.25 each for the day, and you can get an Oyster Platter (one of each type) for $23.

We decided we wanted to be able to try the same types of oysters, so we got four pairs - Little Wing (that day's special, from BC), Royal Miyagi (from BC), Fanny Bay (from BC) and Caraquet (from NB)


These were served with the requisite Tabasco and wedges of lemon, as well as a housemade sauce that tasted like a blend of tomato, garlic, soy sauce and other ingredients which I didn't care for because I felt that it overpowered the tiny oysters. My favourite was the Caraquet - it was plumper and had a deeper, more distinctive flavour compared to the other oysters.

By this time, Vlad was feeling a little more peckish so we decided to order a few appies - the Seared Scallops with Pancetta and Butternut Squash Carrot Purée ($12) only came with one small piece of pancetta, but the butternut squash carrot purée was sweet and mellow, and we tried to scoop it up with every last piece of scallop.


We also had the Asiago and Herb Roasted Mushroom Risotto Balls ($10). The risotto balls were crisp on the outside and warm and soft on the inside, with the mushrooms adding a touch of richness.


We capped off the night with cheesecake with berry compote and chocolate sauce. ($6.25) It was decadently rich and not too sweet and paired well with the two sauces, though the crust was a little bit soggy. Between the two of us, it was the perfect way to end the night.

So who's the winner? While Vlad gives it to Embarcadero, I thought the atmosphere was a little too casual and pub-like for a wine and oyster bar, though I concede the prices are lower and it's easier to get a table. If I worked downtown, I might invite a friend out to Catch to try their happy hour special; otherwise I'd probably save it for special occasions only.

Catch Seafood Restaurant and Bar
100 8 Ave SE
Calgary AB T2G 0K6
(403) 206-0000
Oyster Bar open Mon-Fri 11:30 AM-10 PM. Sat 4 PM-10 PM. Dining Room open Mon-Fri 11:30 AM-1 PM. Sat 5:30 PM-9 PM. Closed Sundays. Reservations recommended and available on OpenTable.


The Embarcadero
208 17 Ave SE
Calgary AB T2G 1H4
(403) 263-0848
Open Mon-Thu 11 AM-11 PM. Fri 11 AM-Midnight. Sat 4 PM-Midnight. Closed Sundays. Online reservations available.

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Delicious Thai

Cross-Posted from Calgary is Awesome.

CIA's own Angela had sent me an email urging me to try Delicious Thai months ago, but I never got around to stopping by until after a recent trip to Thailand.

Delicious Thai is a tiny, clean, family-run place that serves up an extensive list of soups, curries, noodles and stir-fries, including lots of vegetarian-friendly options. To help take a bit of the guesswork out of ordering Thai, they also have a few table d'hôte options - great for trying a few different dishes and saving a bit of money! You are also given the option of having your dishes mild, medium, spicy or extra spicy. B. and I had the Vegetarian Dinner for Two ($35.50), but the portions are so big that it could've easily fed one more.

We started with the vegetarian spring rolls, which were filled with a crisp mix of cabbage, carrot, taro, water chestnut and other vegetables and served with a sweet-and-sour dipping sauce.


For mains we had Pad Thai, as well as Thai red curry with tofu served with rice. The Pad Thai was good, though a little on the sweet side, and I really enjoyed all the different flavours coming into play in the red curry (Mmmm Thai basil...)



    
Although we were stuffed by the time we managed to finish the noodles and curry, my favourite dish of the night was definitely dessert - sweetened sticky rice shaped into hearts, dotted with a few grains of toasted rice for a contrast in texture, served with sliced mango and coconut milk.


While I enjoyed all the dishes individually, I don't think I would order the set menu again as altogether the menu was very carb-heavy. Not that I have anything against carbs, but to eat so much in one sitting was a little too filling and heavy. Otherwise, the service at Delicious Thai was very friendly and it was nice to have a little reminder of my recent trip. Thanks for telling me about it, Angela!

Delicious Thai
C2-314 10 St SW
Calgary AB T2N 1V8
(403) 450-1996 / (403) 889-7990
Take out available.

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