Food

Quick and easy kale carbonara

This entry was posted in Food and Drink and tagged Bacon Carbonara Entree Food healthy Kale Lifestyle Pasta Recipe Superfood Winston Sih on by

Kale—the superfood everyone talks about—is delicious when prepared properly, and is jam-packed with iron, vitamin K, and powerful antioxidants.  Here is a quick and easy carbonara recipe packed with healthy kale, ready in just 30 minutes!

Quick and easy kale carbonara

Quick and easy kale carbonara

Prep time: 10 minutes, cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. linguine or spaghetti
  • 5 strips of bacon, diced
  • 2 bunches of kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon
  • red pepper flakes

Method:

  1. Cook the pasta per the package’s directions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and sauté diced bacon until crisp.
  3. Add washed, coarsely-chopped kale to the bacon renderings and sauté until wilted.
  4. Whisk eggs and cheese together and add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.
  5. Once kale is sautéed, squeeze the juice of the lemon and toss with bacon.
  6. After pasta is al dente, drain and add to kale mixture. Stir in egg and cheese. Serve immediately.

Optional: Add some of the starchy pasta water if the carbonara appears too dry.

Serves 4-6

Guilt-free banana and Nutella ice cream

This entry was posted in Food and Drink and tagged Banana Chatelaine Chocolate Dessert Food Guilt-free healthy Ice cream Nutella Quick Recipe Simple Winston Sih on by

Guilt-free banana and Nutella ice creamI recently came across this recipe for an instant chocolate-chip ice cream in Chatelaine and immediately thought it was a great idea for when I need a guilt-free (and healthy) way to squash my sweet tooth.

This recipe literally takes less than five minutes to prepare, and is a great way to use up ripe bananas sitting on your counter.

Ingredients:

  • 4 ripe bananas
  • 3 tbsp. of Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread
  • 1 tbsp. of skimmed milk

Method:

  1. Peel and slice the ripe bananas in half, and freeze until firm.
  2. Once the bananas are firm, remove them from the freezer and add them to a food processor.
  3. Whirl until you get a smooth, soft serve-like consistency, and add the Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread and skimmed milk.
  4. Incorporate using a spatula, making sure you get the sides of the food processor.
  5. Add desired toppings (Rice Chex cereal pictured above), and serve immediately.

Optional: If you’d prefer harder, frozen texture, you may opt to put the mixture in the freezer until the desired consistency is reached.

Eating through The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair 2

This entry was posted in Food and Drink Lifestyle News and tagged Bob Blumer Cityline Curtis Stone Drinks Feature Food Food Network Frank Caputo Hank Daddy Interviews Kevin Brauch Lifestyle Mixology News Ontario Print The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Toronto Winston Sih on by

From locally-made salt-water taffy to hand-pulled pork shoulder, visitors are getting more than a taste of the lives of Canadian breeders, growers, and agricultural exhibitors.

“Five years ago, one would have never imagined ‘Cowboy Fries’ offered for sale at The Royal,” said Frank Caputo, vendor and owner of Toronto food truck, “Hank Daddy.”

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, taking place at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place until Nov. 11, is quickly becoming a destination for lovers of all things food.

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair - Chefs Competition

Courtesy Scott Vivian, Beast Restaurant – https://twitter.com/BeastRestaurant

Vendors on hand are highlighting out-of-the-ordinary food items – often available only in specialty shops – and you can sample your way through a plethora of vendors serving up everything from succulent barbequed meat, to gourmet confectionary, to fresh-to-order hot apple dumplings.

Caputo’s number-one offering, the “Pulled Pork Parfait,” is made with crispy sweet potato fries, soft-pulled pork, and a crunchy cabbage slaw – a dish he and his daughter created four years ago.

For Caputo, this is only the first step in bringing more gourmet food trucks to the streets of Toronto.

“Demonstrating the passion we put into our food to the thousands who come through The Royal – even if it’s served from a food truck – is crucial in changing the way Torontonians consume street food.”

Jordan McLelland and his seven-year-old daughter have visited The Royal for the past three years.

“I’ve never seen so much focus on the show for ‘foodies,’” McLelland said.  “I knew there was a ‘food truck revolution’ happening all over the U.S. and Canada, but seeing so much food highlighted at The Royal this year is surprising.”

New this year to celebrate the show’s 90th anniversary, Food Network celebrity chef Curtis Stone will be hosting the Chefs Competition taking place Saturday at the Royal Culinary Theatre.

Food Network personalities Bob Blumer (World’s Weirdest Restaurants) and Kevin Brauch (The Thirsty Traveler) hosted the Royal Mixology Competition Monday, pitting local mixologists against one another in a competition for top cocktail made with Ontario ingredients.

“Food is a large part of The Royal’s history, and business is booming,” said Carl Marquardt, a confectioner who has been at The Royal for 30 years.  “The new competitions and wild culinary offerings this year only solidify what is already an exploding ‘foodie’ culture.”