Recipe: Spaghetti Squash vs. Pasta

I do love a good pasta, but what about all that white flour? Whole wheat is always an option, but I'd rather have the real stuff.


From there, I've moved onto spaghetti squash - is this a legitimate substitute for pasta? I'm not totally convinced. Here's what happened:


Ingredients
1 medium spaghetti squash
Tomatoes
Tomato paste
Onion
Garlic
Basil
Parsley
White wine
Black pepper
Chili powder
Mushrooms + other veggies + chicken etc.


General Method (Squash) 

• Pierce the squash a few times to release steam during baking
• Bake at 375F for approximately 1 hour or until tender
• Once slightly cool to touch, slice and remove seeds
• Scrape out flesh with a fork!

General Method (Marinara)

• Chop and puree tomatoes, paste and spices 
• Saute onion and garlic 
• Add puree and simmer with white wine 
• Season with extra black pepper and chili 
• Add vegetables and cooked chicken (optional!)

Adapted from some Clean Eating recipe

Comments:

• One hour is pretty long to wait for "pasta" - I recommend baking the squash in advance to save time
• I think one cup of squash is considered a serving - not very much! Consider adding some chicken or other protein (as a side or to the sauce)
• This is a pretty basic marinara that I make quite often - it's simple and pretty fool proof. I'm always interested in new recipes, if anyone has a suggestion, please let me know!
• I threw in random vegetables that I had, including zucchini - I probably won't do that again. It's difficult to add veggies without overcooking them. I added these last, so they were still firm by the time the sauce was done, but didn't contribute to overall flavour
• A note about dried mushrooms: the rehydration process is weird and takes 0.5 to 1 hour, but you get an interesting variety in the box. Hint - Hydrate mushrooms with some chicken stock, or alternatively, use fresh mushrooms!

Overall Recommendation:

• Try the squash if you're afraid of pasta 
• It's a nice light alternative, but isn't as comforting or tasty. I'd have it again with a more interesting (spicy!) sauce.

Mini-Rant: Loblaws is hiding beans.

Galen Weston Jr

Problem: Loblaws @ Yonge & Empress.

I walked up and down almost every aisle in search of canned kidney beans today. Sorry Galen - I love Loblaws, but this was a huge pain in the ass.

I'd like to know why all the canned goods are divided into so many categories among various aisles! Also, the hanging signage doesn't tell you what's in the aisle. Shouldn't the canned beans be with the canned lentils and / or canned vegetables?? Loblaws must be making up their own categories, because no one else merchandises this way.

My attempts: 

Canned Vegetables? No - diced tomatoes, carrots, peas, beets, string beans...

Mexican Products? No - refried beans, taco fixings...

Pasta and Rice? No - sidekicks, dry lentils, rice, pasta, pasta sauces, pizza sauces...

Soups? No - vertical soup dispensers, Chunky, Campbells...

Canned Meat? No - Zoodles, Beefaroni, canned lentils (??)...

I has a ton of groceries on my shoulder, and I was so angry by the time I walked up and down the aisles for the 3rd time that I just gave up.

Where the hell do they put the beans? Did I completely miss them? I decided to head to the check out minus any kidney beans and picked them up at Rabba on the way home. Anger. Back to Grocery Gateway.

Hair Products: Going Curly

I have been testing a few hair products this season, because I'm having static problems and can't be bothered straightening my hair all the time. I should note that my hair isn't really that curly, but kind of fine and has a bunch of waves if I don't straighten it with a round brush and hairdryer. My objective has been to find a product that I can apply to damp hair and scrunch to enhance the waves. By the time my hair is dry, I would like the waves to be somewhat defined and shiny.

Here are my thoughts on a few products that were recommended to me recently...

Brand: Bumble and Bumble
Product: Grooming Creme
Price: $30 at Sephora

• sticky, thick and difficult to apply to dry hair
• pleasant scent
• weighed straightened hair down, and didn't do anything useful for a wavy look 
• more of a finishing cream than a styling product
• final word: skip it - I returned it!

Brand: Bumble and Bumble
Product: Texture Hair (Un) Dressing Creme
Price: $30 at Sephora

• sticky, thick and difficult to apply to damp hair
• pleasant scent
• resulted in a wavy, dry, tousled look
• the look improved over time, without much effort 
• more of a finishing cream than a curling cream 
• final word: try it - I'm keeping it!

Brand: Bumble and Bumble
Product: Curl Conscious Defining Creme For Fine Curls
Price: $33 at Sephora

• lightweight and easy to apply to damp hair
• resulted in soft and somewhat defined curls without any effort
• did not result in a glossy finish
• final word: I tried a sample and will consider buying it
• note: for this price, I'm going to try a John Freida Frizz Ease gel first for $13 - apparently this stuff provides a glossy finish!

Brand: Living Proof
Product: No Frizz Wave, Curl Styling Cream
Price: $30 at Sephora

• lightweight and easy to apply to damp hair
• pleasant scent
• resulted in a dry, messy finish
• this product didn't do anything for me
• final word: skip it - I'm returning it!

Recipe: Baked Eggs

In the spirit of trying to find lean protein that isn't meat, I've gone back to egg whites. I've made these baked eggs almost every day this week, and they're definitely going to be one of my top breakfast recipes for 2012. The prep and bake time is a bit longer than I would like, but I'm not sure if there's a way to do the prep and/or baking in advance without sacrificing texture and freshness.

1 serving = 170 calories depending on how much turkey bacon you use...

20g protein, 4g fat, 14g carbohydrate 

Adapted from the Eat Clean Cookbook 2

Topping

Spelt bread crumbs

Ingredients
8 egg whites

Tomato

Chives

Turkey Bacon (nitrite free!)

Salt + Pepper

Basic Method

• Layer egg whites and other ingredients in 2 ramekins
• Season with salt and pepper
• Top with bread crumbs
• Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes

Comments:

• Consider adding other ingredients like mushrooms and cheese!
• I realized that the turkey bacon I bought is "mechanically separated" (not ideal) and also contains nitrites... I'm on a mission to find better quality turkey bacon
• The first time I made this, I scooped into the dish and the egg whites were still a bit runny in the middle so they went back into the oven - note that the eggs are cooked once they puff up pretty high in the ramekin
• I'm going to try making a bunch in advance and microwaving them in the morning - probably not as good, but I don't usually have half an hour to bake breakfast...

Overall Recommendation: Bake these for breakfast..snacks... whatever.

Recipe: French Breakfast Puffs

It's not exactly a great start to the new year, but I couldn't resist! I had all the ingredients, and who knew donuts could be baked in the oven? These fluffy treats taste like the Old Fashioned Sugar donuts at Tim Horton's - my personal favourite!

Adapted from a Betty Crocker recipe

Topping

Browned butter
Cinnamon + Sugar

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

Basic Method

• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg
• Cream butter and sugar
• Add egg and vanilla
• Add flour mixture and milk until combined
• Spoon into muffin tins 
• Bake @ 350F for approximately 25 min or until the knife comes out clean
• Once cooled, dip in browned butter and roll in cinnamon sugar
• Serve warm!

Comments:

• I only had salted butter on hand, but I could definitely taste it, even though I omitted the 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the recipe - I'll try unsalted next time
• I might also consider adding an extra 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg in the dough
• The granulated sugar in the topping added a bit too much texture to the muffin top - I'll try icing sugar next time for a more delicate touch
• A mini muffin pan is a must - the standard 12 muffin tray produced muffins that were 2-3 bites instead of 1-2

Overall Recommendation: Bake these!

Food: Spacco Restaurant and Bar

We were actually hoping to get into Grazie, but as usual, there was a one hour wait. It usually doesn't take that long, and even it it does it's always worth the wait.

Nonetheless, it seemed like a good time to try out another place - preferably something Italian, or at least with some sort of pasta offering. My UrbanSpoon iPhone app told me that Spacco was in the area, and I remembered a daily Groupon offer that kept coming up this year. Note: There was no Groupon offer at the time, probably because it was Christmas week! 

Date visited: December 29th, 2011

The location is sort of hidden away behind Alleycatz on Yonge Street, so it's easy to miss. Despite the fact that it was 6-something in the evening, there didn't seem to be a line of any kind, and only one other set of people already dining. Red flag? The host that seated us was full of energy (but not too much energy!), and gave us a few seating options. We had some time to review the menu, and he quickly came by with wine recommendations. I wasn't planning to have a glass, but felt compelled to order one based on his suggestions. So far, so good!

After further review of the entrees, he came by again and provided further recommendations on the best pasta and risotto options. This helped narrow things down, and I was confident that I has chosen something I would like - Mushroom Pappardelle. No protein? So what? - it had truffle oil. Amazing. Sometimes pasta's suffer because the sauces are flavourless, or there isn't enough "stuff" in them. I was nervous about the olive oil, because that usually sucks. I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle flavours of the various mushrooms, which were complemented with just the right amount of truffle oil... no lack of flavour here.  

I was also glad that our server came by soon after a large party came in to ensure that our orders made it to the kitchen first. This kind of service warrants a good tip, in a city where pleasant dining experiences are few and far between. I would certainly recommend Spacco to a friend.

Based on the excellent service and quality food, I would definitely return to this place. I can't believe I've never been there before - it's worth a try!

Final thought: Eat there!