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As I am getting older and the days never seem to slow down, I really value convenience wherever I go. If I can save even as little as 30 minutes, I’m super happy. With Chinese New Year coming up quite soon, entertaining the family with ease can be tricky as lots of symbolic food needs to be made to celebrate the start of a new year.

I am a big fan of Real Canadian Superstore and its selection of authentic brands and products like Rooster brand and T&T items, at a great value. I can find all my dinner ingredients that are fresh and dry like Rooster Brand Dried Flower Mushrooms, bok choy and Chinese rock sugar.  and As well as decor and dish ware all in one place.

My secret indulgence is snacks, so you will always find some sweets at my Chinese New Year celebrations. Each Real Canadian Superstore location varies slightly, but you’ll still be able to find what you’re looking for.

I came to get all the ingredients to create some of my favourite Chinese dishes like Braised Chinese Mushrooms, Sesame Bok Choy, Dumplings and Red-Braised Pork Belly for my dinner.

Over the years, they listened to their customers and expanded their selection of vegetables and fruit like white pomelo.

Chinese New Year Dinner and Symbolism

These are a lot of symbolisms in the food we eat at Chinese New Year that bring us great fortune in the new year. Here are a few of the symbols from the dinner I prepared, and their meaning:

Tangerines/Oranges:

This is one of the most common symbols as tangerines mean wealth and oranges mean luck. Thus, having these around will bring good luck and  fortune in the coming year.

Dumplings:

The shape of a dumpling is similar to ancient gold or silver ingots, thus symbolize wealth.

Pork:

As pig is part of the Chinese Zodiac, it invokes strength, wealth, and abundant blessing.

Rice:

As a staple of any Chinese dinner, this brings fertility and luck.

Bok Choy:

Symbolizes close family ties.

Mushroom:

As mentioned in a lot of Chinese literature, this represents longevity or even immortality.

Box of Harmony

A Candy box aka “Box of Harmony” symbolizes money and sweetness of life. A variety of snacks like nuts, seeds, candy and dried fruits are displayed in the box, but you can arrange it any manner you like.

Braised Chinese Mushrooms and Sesame Bok Choy

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Serves: 8
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (500 mL) Rooster Brand Dried Flower Mushrooms
  • 2 cups (500 mL) boiling water
  • ¾ cup (175 mL) chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp (25 mL) Rooster Brand Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) Chinese rice wine (Shao Hsing) or dry sherry
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) Rooster Brand Superior Soy Sauce
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) Rooster Brand Superior Dark Soy Sauce
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) crushed Chinese rock sugar or granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp (25 mL) Rooster Brand 100% Pure Canola Oil
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) Rooster Brand 100% Pure Corn Starch
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) sesame oil
  • 675 g Shanghai bok choy (about 6 heads), halved lengthwise (TIP: if heads are large, cut into
    quarters for even cooking.)
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally

Instructions:

  1. Place mushrooms in large heatproof bowl; add boiling water. Arrange mushrooms stem side up.
    Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand until softened, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain; squeeze out excess liquid from mushrooms. Remove and discard stems.
  2. Meanwhile, stir together broth, oyster sauce, rice wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar in small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
  3. Heat canola oil in 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook, turning often, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth mixture; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, turning mushrooms occasionally, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. (If necessary, add water, 1/4 cup at a time, while cooking to prevent mushrooms from drying out.)
  4. Stir together cornstarch, 1 tsp sesame oil and 1/4 cup water in small bowl until smooth; stir into mushroom mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is glossy, about 30 seconds.
  5. Meanwhile, bring large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add bok choy and remaining 1 tsp sesame oil; cook until tender-crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain.
  6. Arrange bok choy in circle along edge of plate with leaves pointing inward; spoon mushroom mixture into centre of circle, over top of leaves. Sprinkle with green onions.

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Red Braised Pork Belly

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Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 900 g skin-on pork belly
  • 2 tbsp (25 mL) Rooster Brand 100% Pure Canola Oil
  • 3 tbsp (45 mL) crushed Chinese rock sugar or granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50 mL) Chinese rice wine (Shao Hsing) or dry sherry
  • 3 cups (750 mL) chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp (25 mL) each Rooster Brand Superior Soy Sauce and Rooster Superior Dark Soy Sauce
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick (2 inch/ 5 cm stick)
  • 3 green onions
  • 2-inch (5 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled
  • Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Bring large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pork; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook 5 minutes. Transfer with tongs to cutting board; let cool enough to handle. Cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks. Set aside.
  2. Heat oil in wok or large (4 L) saucepan over low heat. Add sugar; cook, stirring, until melted and light brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; carefully add rice wine.
  3. Stir in pork, broth, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, star anise and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  4. Slice 2 green onions into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths. Add ginger to cutting board; hit sliced green onions and ginger several times with back of knife to lightly bruise and crush. Stir into pork mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until pork is fork-tender, about 1 hour.
  5. Uncover; skim fat from surface of cooking liquid and discard. Increase heat to medium; cook uncovered, stirring often, until sauce is thick and syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard star anise and cinnamon stick. Transfer pork mixture to serving bowls. Thinly slice remaining green onion; sprinkle over top of pork mixture. Garnish with cilantro.

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Curious what’s at your local Real Canadian Superstore? Visit www.realcanadiansuperstore.ca to see all the items to craft your Chinese New Year dinner.

This blog post was sponsored by Real Canadian Superstore but the opinions are all my own.

The first stop in New York when we got into the city was to get a bite of Luke’s Lobster for dinner in the financial district. They serve up sustainable seafood straight from the source and pair seafood with chowders and bisques, Maine-style sides, local desserts, natural sodas, and local microbrews. Luke’s Lobster first opened its doors in the East Village in 2009 and now has multiple locations across the country.

Interior

The decor is reminiscent of a dock or boats which matches with the seafood. Since it was late into the evening, there wasn’t anyone else here, so we had the whole place to ourselves.

Menu

Luke’s Trio

Luke’s Trio give you a sampling of each roll. You get 1/2 lobster roll, 1/2 crab roll, and 1/2 shrimp roll.

The sizes are pretty small, so if you eat them all, you’ll definitely need a few extra items to go along with your meal. The lobster roll was good but it was gobbled up as quickly as it took to prepare the meal.

The crab roll is filled with Jonah Crab and it subtly sweet and delicious.

The shrimp roll uses North Atlantic Shrimp between the toasted bun. Naturally sweet and enjoyable as well.

Lobster Mac & Cheese

This has pasta shells in a creamy, mascarpone-cheddar blend with tender chunks of lobster, topped with garlic herb breadcrumbs. The lobster was buried under all the breadcrumbs and pasta, so there as a bit of digging to be done to ind the pieces of lobster. It was good but the size was also a bit small.

Clam Chowder

This is a New England- style clam chowder. We got a small size to share between the two of us. Warm, hearty and enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food was delicious and fresh, but it was a bit pricey for what we’re used to. It can get expensive if you want to get full. I would recommend coming here for a snack rather than a full meal.

We Rate Luke’s Lobster

Address:
26 S. William St, near Broad, New York

Website:
https://www.lukeslobster.com  

It’s February, so that means Tim Hortons has their annual Roll up the Rim to Win back for 2018 with over 36 million prizes up for grabs.

For the first time ever 500 lucky Canadians will win Tim Hortons Free Coffee for a Year prizes. In addition to new prizing, Tim Hortons also announced its first-ever SCRRRoll Up To Win offer in the Tim Hortons Mobile App. If you don’t have their mobile app yet, it’s a good time to do so.

Some of the big prizes this year are:

  • 50 2018 Honda Civic Sedan EX-T vehicles
  • 100 $5000 CIBC Prepaid cards
  • 50,000 $50 Tim Card gift cards
  • 1 in 6 chance to win millions of free Latte, Coffee and Food Prizes.

There’s even more ways of entering, you can also RRRoll Up at Home by purchasing eligible products like bottled Iced Capp and single-serve, canister or bagged coffee, wherever the product is sold, for a chance to win one of 10,000 prizes online. To enter, you can take a photo of their receipt and upload it to www.rollupathome.com, and then register to enter the RRRoll Up at Home contest.

I wasn’t so lucky rolling up my first rim, but may odds be in your favour. With 1 in 6 chances of winning something, perhaps the next one I’ll be more lucky.

RRRoll Up the Rim to Win runs from February 7 until March 28, 2018 or while cup supplies last, whichever occurs first. Contest rules, odds of winning and prizing information can be found at participating Tim Hortons Restaurants or at www.rolluptherimtowin.com.

Kungfu Fish specializes in a variety of baked fish and seafood dishes served in hot pots with traditional spicy (and mild) flavours from Sichuan, China. They have over 40 locations in China, USA and Canada. Recently, their latest location is in Richmond inside Aberdeen on the 2nd floor.

Their grand opening is on January 7th and they are having a week of specials, so check the out.

Interior

The space inside is very large and is great for groups. There are even 2 private rooms if you want to have more private and intimate dining experience. I love those red doors as they are styled to look like vaults.

Each table has their own service bell, so you can call the servers whenever you need something.

Appetizers

We started with a few different appetizers to begin as we waiting for the main course.

Kungfu Peanuts

Very crunchy and I love the texture with the hint of heat from the peppers.

Bobo Chicken

One of the popular appetizers is Bobo chicken, which has chicken in chili oil. Very delicious and I enjoyed the subtle heat.

Garlic Grilled Scallops

Definitely no shortage of garlic here. Each piece has one scallop and its loaded with garlic. Normally there are 4 pieces per order.

Garlic Grilled Prawns

The prawns are pretty large and cooked well, so it’s still succulent and juicy. Normally, there are 2 pieces per order.

Garlic Grilled Eggplant

This meal definitely had enough garlic to ward off vampires, but it balances well with the items that it sits on top of. The eggplant was cut in a unique was so it lay flat.

Kungfu Sausage

 

The sausage is spicy and it is cut thinly. Not my favourite item, so next time I would pass on it.

Fish Hot Pot

The 3 different dish hot pots arrived and is very customizable.

  1. Choose your fish:
    Professor Swal (3 pieces)
    Madam Halibut (2lbs)
    Top Secret Sea Cod (2lbs)
  2. Choose your soup base:
    Sichuan Peppercorn
    Chopped Chili
    Hot Pot Tofu
    Pattan Pepper
    Pickled Cabbage
    Tomato
  3. Add ons:
    Fungus, glass noodles, bean curd, bean sprouts, brocolli, lotus roots, vermicelli, rice cake, enoki, sliced potatoes, cabbage, konjak,udon, aged tofu, squid rings, lobster ball, tripe, fish tofu, quail egg, crab sticks, luncheon meat or fish balls.

This were the fish and soup combinations we had that paired pretty well:

  • Professor Swai (basa fish) with Pickled Cabbage
  • Madam Halibut with Sichuan Peppercorn
  • Top Secret Sea Cod with Chopped Chili

The halibut and cod are by far my favourite of the three fish options. Each pot can easily feed 4-6 people and if you need more food, you can add other toppings into it.

Dessert

They have glass jelly with syrup and raisins. Simple and good way to end the meal. Compliments the spicy hot pot.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food here is pretty good and we were surprised at how much fish you get per pot. If you have a group of friends, you can easily share one and then add a few items to it to round it out.

Address:
2788-4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC

Website:
http://www.kungfu-fish.com/

One of my favourite containers are the Starfrit Lock & Lock Glass containers. I’ve been using them for many years and I decided to get a few more containers for food storage and portioning out meals for lunch. These types of gas containers have a few pros and cons.

Pros:

  • Heat resistant up to 750 F / 400 C
  • Stain resistant
  • BPA free
  • Spill proof
  • Microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe
  • hygienic, easy to clean, safe and neutral to taste

Cons:

  • Heavy weight
  • Potential breakage
  • Plastic lids not durable in long run

What’s in the box

Inside the box, I purchased comes with:

  • 750 ml square
  • 500 ml square
  • 2x 380 ml rectangular
  • 160 ml rectangular

I got them online at Walmart.ca, but their description of the product was inaccurate, but I didn’t mind the change in sizes. It was supposed to be  2 x 130 ml rectangular, 2 x 360 ml rectangular and 1 x 750 ml rectangular. For $18 CDN, it wasn’t bad at all, but all the sizes aren’t large enough to store large quantities of good. Mostly good for lunch sizes.

Glass Container

The glass is thick and I’ve never dropped a container yet. *knocks on wood* It’s very easy to clean and super durable. I prefer these over plastic containers as the plastic one always warp or loose their shape.

From experience with the lids, they are good for the first little while, but if you always stick them in the dishwasher, the shape changes slightly so later down the road it gets harder to closer.

Websitehttps://www.starfrit.com/

KitKat Caramel Burst and Sea Salt sounds so sophisticated. This is their 140g bars, which are a lot bigger than their regular bars. Inside, you’ll find 10, easy-to-break rows that come in a re-closable wrapper, perfect for sharing or saving for later.

If you snap the 10 segments in half, you’ll have 20 pieces to share with everyone. Awesome to share in the office.

Their crispy wafer is topped with a rich caramel and sea salt filling, covered in milk-chocolatey coating. I enjoyed it. It reminded me of a Twix, but a bit less caramel.

It’s been a while since coming to Liuyishou Hotpot and their interior and menu have been revamped. Founded in 2000 in Chongqing China, Liuyishou Hotpot has grown to over 1000 locations worldwide over the past 17 years. From a single location on a small street in Chongqing, Liuyishou has expanded to a prominent franchise with locations in China, Canada, U.S., Dubai, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Thailand, and France.

Hot Pot

Hotpot is an interactive method of cooking and eating Chinese food as diners simmer their food in a pot of delicious broth, giving the food a blast of true Chinese flavour while cooking food to the perfect temperature.

You start by selecting the types of broth for your hotpot. I can be spicy or more of a mild broth. I love getting my hot pot with both spicy and a mild broth.

Chongqing style hotpot is extremely popular in China and many other regions, is well represented by Liuyishou, and the recipe of traditional hotpot broth. Prepared with special premium butter, red hot chili, Sichuan peppercorn, and many other exotic herbs and spices, it is the secret of how to achieve spicy, stimulating, umami and aromatic pleasures to astonish all your senses.

Then you add an array of veggies, meat, and seafood, or noodles to the meal. You start by cooking the raw food in your part in a particular order – meat, seafood, mushroom, veggies and noodle. All items are good quality and it’s a la carte unlike some of the all you can eat hot pot restaurants.

Sauce Bar

Liusushou hotpot has a huge sauce bar with so many items you can add to your sauce that you can mix for the cooked food items.

There are also diagrams if you don’t know what to mix your sauce with. I always a little bit of my favourite sauces like satay sauce, garlic, chili oil, sesame sauce and green onions.

Drinks

The best drinks to go with hot pot is beer, pop, and plum juice especially if you have the spicy hot pot.

Sweets

Golden Mantou buns with condensed milk is a sweet treat with the meal outside of the hot pot.

Bing Fen is a traditional Sichuanese cold dessert jelly with different toppings.

Liuyishou Hotpot Week

For a week-long celebration, join Liuyishou Hotpot at any Canadian location to celebrate the year of The Dog with a special menu offering. The holiday dinner specials (available 5:30 pm  10:30 pm only) include the dinner set for 2 and the dinner set for 4 from February 26 to March 2, presented by Vancouver Gourmet Tours. More details and tickets are for sale now on Eventbrite.ca:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/vancouver-gourmet-tours-16495752595

Address:
5507 Kingsway St, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://liuyishouna.com/

KitKat Chunky New York Cheesecake has made it’s way to Canada. I saw this in the candy aisle and had to get it so the hubby and I could give it a try. KitKat has released so many new flavours this month like – Tiramisu, Green Tea, Espresso Biscuit & Ganache, Caramel Burst & Sea Salt, Mint Cream & Cookie Smash.

Unlike the new flavours, this is in their Chunky bar format. Long, thick and with 3 breakable segments.

It delivers a big hit of chunk, combined with the decadence of a New York Cheesecake. The rich layer of mouth-watering New York Cheesecake is on top of a big crispy wafer, covered in a thick milk chocolatey layer. You can see it in this cross section.

Surprisingly, we both really enjoyed this. It was the right amount of cheesecake in the centre. If you see this in stores, definitely check it out.

Did you know, it is estimated that Americans watching the Super Bowl typically eat 2,400 calories during game time?

As Sabra Canada is the official dip of the NFL, what better way to enjoy the game with something different. A healthy alternative is to create a fun interactive Mediterranean Nacho Bar for those who want healthier game day snack. With more dietary restrictions among my friends and family, this is great to have for everyone to nibble on.

There are many ways to craft this Mediterranean Nacho Bar for your guests with your favourite veggies and dips.

Hummus is gluten-free and it made of chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. One of my addictions that I add into my meals.

Some common Mediterranean flavours are – basil, cucumbers, dill, fennel, feta cheese, garlic, honey, lemon, mint, olive oil, oregano, and yogurt to recreate that coast flavour profile. Or you can always mix and match ingredients you enjoy.

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Ingredients:

  • Pita Chips
  • Hummus
  • Asparagus
  • Broccoli
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Chopped zucchini
  • Olives
  • Crumbled Feta
  • Pepperoncinis
  • Grilled Chicken

Directions

  1. Assemble items on a platter and serve.
  2. Refill when needed.

Preparing the grilled chicken:

  • Cut chicken into strips.
  • Season with Italian seasoning and olive oil.
  • Grill at around 400F for 4.5 minutes each side. You want to get the grill hot so the chicken doesn’t stick to it.

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If you’re looking for other fun quick easy recipes with Hummus, check out sabradips.ca for more inspiration.

I was introduced to a unique dining experience aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train as a pop-up restaurant for the 2018 Dine Out Vancouver Festival. It was held at their Vancouver station for two nights only. This is the very first time that guests get the opportunity to dine on-board the Rocky Mountaineer, without travelling into the Rockies. The train stays stationary for the duration of the event, so we didn’t have to worry about any turbulence. It brought me back to my childhood when we would take the train to Whistler back in the early 90’s with our relatives to explore the beauty of British Columbia.

Welcome + Tour

We were greeted with a welcome beverage aboard the luxurious GoldLeaf railcar, as is customary on a Rocky Mountaineer train journey. Cheers!

We spent about 10 minutes exploring the bi-level, glass-domed train car and played around with all the seat features like heated seats, adjustable lumbar support, and reclining seats.

We got a glimpse into a Rocky Mountaineer journey on this luxury train with our wonderful hosts on-hand to educate us.

3- Course Dinner + Drink Pairings

We went back downstairs to the dining room to begin the meal. All the seats were in groups of 4 and I had a blast dining with a lovely couple throughout the entire evening. I don’t usually like dining on my own, but this was a great way to make new friends and share a unique experience.

We got to enjoy a delectable three-course meal, featuring fresh, local ingredients, prepared by Rocky Mountaineer’s acclaimed culinary team. Plus, a selection of BC wines. The menu is inspired by the Western Canadian regions the train travels through. Beautiful crisp clean flavours.

Bread and Butter

Before the meal began, we all got some bread and butter to share among the table.

Appetizer

We got a choice of the Butternut Squash Soup or Winter Greens Salad. I chose the Winter Green Salad as I love seasonal veggies. Plus, the addition of caramelized pears and the stilton crostini went well together to add texture. This was paired with the Sumac Ridge Gewurtztraminer.

Main

For the main course, we had a choice between Steelhead Salmon, Beef Short Ribs, or the Farmers Market Risotto. I had a hard time deciding, but I went with the Steelhead Salmon.

At first, I was a bit unsure about getting this dish, but the salmon was very moist and delicate. It is served with garlic herb jasmine rice risotto, local market vegetables and a grainy mustard seed vinaigrette. I was not disappointed at all. I would have like more of it. This was paired with the Sumac Ridge Sauvignon Blanc.

My friends both got the Beef Short Ribs, which are braised in Okanagan Valley Merlot, with mashed horseradish potatoes and local market vegetables. The wine pairing was the Black Sage Vineyard Shiraz. They finished every bite on their plate, so it was a very good sign.

Dessert: Decadent Chocolate Brownie

For dessert, we were treated to their decadent chocolate brownie covered in a warm fudge sauce and then vanilla ice cream with a raspberry coulis. This is paired with the Black Sage Vineyard Pipe is a port with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Pairs well with chocolate desserts like this brownie.

Farewell

At the end of the meal, the lovely staff signed a card for each guest. A great personal touch to remember this experience. The spots for this Rail Car Pop-up sold out very quickly and I really enjoyed it. If they have this again next year, definitely take a look into because it was fun.

If you’re interested in learning more about Rocky Mountaineer, they offer more than 65 uniquely Canadian luxury rail vacation packages and travels only by daylight through the wild beauty of the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. Especially in the Summer, the views are just stunning.

Website:
https://www.rockymountaineer.com/

Address:
 1755 Cottrell St, Vancouver, BC

Experimenting with coffee has never been more fun. Coffee Project NY is a small cafe in the East Village is making customers get out of their morning routine and try coffee in a different way.

When I was in New York, I had to give it a try as we were in the area and needed a good cup of coffee.

Menu

On the menu, they have the classic coffee items like most cafe’s. The two unique items is the deconstructed latte and the Nitro Flight.

Deconstructed Latte

The Deconstructed Latte was amazing. It starts off with a shot of espresso, a shot of creamy raw milk from Salem, NY, then the latte with a small bite of waffle. Then some sparkling water to cleanse the palate.

To drink this, you slowly sip a small amount of the espresso first like you’re drinking wine. Then move on to the raw milk. Last, sip the latte, which features both ingredients combined. It’s more than just coffee, it was a fun experience.

Highly recommended if you’re ever in New York City to check out this cafe.

We Rate Coffee Project NY

Address:
 239 E 5th St, New York

Website:
http://www.coffeeprojectny.com/

Super Bowl LII is on Sunday February 4th, 2018 and that means there is going to be a viewing party at home. Whether you are a planner or decide more last minute, getting together to watch Super Bowl LII revolves around two things – the big game and the food. When I was doing research on the best Super Bowl party snacks, there were 3 ingredients in common – Tostitos tortilla chips, salsa and dips. Simple, easy, and there’s so much you can do with those staple ingredients.

I’ve put together 5 recipes that are quick to prepare and you’ll have ample time to spend with your guests so that your Super Bowl LII party is a touchdown.

Devilled Egg Cups

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Ingredients:

  • 24 pieces of Tostitos Scoops!
  • 12 eggs, boiled
  • 0.5 cups of mayo
  • 4 tablespoon of mustard
  • 4 pieces of bacon, chopped
  • 0.25 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

  1. In a pot, bring water and eggs to a boil. Remove from heat and let eggs cook covered for 8 minutes. Remove eggs from hot water and place in an ice bath.
  2. Cook bacon in a pan over medium heat until crisp. Drain and cool bacon on paper towel. Finely chop and set aside for garnish.
  3. Peel the eggs and cut in half. In a bowl, mash the egg yolks with mayonnaise, mustard, cheddar cheese and paprika.
  4. Place egg white halves diagonally in Tostitos chip, fill in with a tablespoon of devilled egg mixture and top with bacon.
  5. Serve and enjoy.

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Pig in a Blanket with Salsa Con Queso

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Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup of Tostitos Salsa Con Queso
  • 500g of pork sausage
  • 1 pack of puff pastry
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup of mustard

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Unravel thawed puff pastry, spread a thin layer of mustard and Tostitos Salsa Con Queso, and roll up each piece of pork sausage. Cut into bite size pieces.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk up an egg and do an egg wash on top of each pig in a blanket.
  4. Place in oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  5. Remove from the oven and cool.
  6. Serve and enjoy.

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

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Ingredients:

  • 1 bag of Tostitos Rounds
  • 4 cups of rotisserie chicken, shredded
  • 1 pack of cream cheese
  • 1 cup of hot sauce
  • 1 cup of ranch dressing
  • 1 cup of blue cheese bits
  • 1 sprig of green onions, chopped

Directions:

  1. Mix cream cheese, hot sauce, ranch dressing, and blue cheese bits in a glass baking ware.
  2. Microwave for 2.5 minutes and stir. Then put back in microwave for another 2.5 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
  3. Garnish with chopped green onions, serve with Tostitos Rounds, and enjoy.

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Loaded Tater-Tot Nachos

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Ingredients:

  • 0.5 cups Tostitos Salsa
  • 0.5 cups sour cream
  • 0.5 cups of guacamole
  • 1 bag of frozen Tater Tots
  • 4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 lb of ground beef
  • 3 table spoons of taco seasoning
  • 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 1 sprig of green onions, chopped

Ingredients:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Bake tater tots for 25 minutes or until crisp.
  3. In a pan, cook ground beef in taco season until cooked. Drain excess oil with paper towels.
  4. Layer tater tots, ground beef, and cheddar cheese on a baking tray. Bake for 5 minutes until cheese is all melted.
  5. Top with green onions, bacon, guacamole, sour cream and Tostitos salsa.

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Quesadilla

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cup of Tostitos Spinach dip
  • 4 cups of rotisserie chicken, shredded
  • 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 20 corn tortillas

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Spread of layer of Tostitos Spinach dip, chicken and cheddar between 2 corn tortillas. Repeat 10 times and put onto a baking tray.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes until crisp.
  4. Serve and enjoy.

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There you have it, five drool-worthy and easy recipes to enjoy while watching the big game. Minimal time spent preparing dishes while maximizing the time spent with friends and family watching the game. We all know that every touch down needs to be savoured.

If you need additional inspiration, head to Tostitos.ca for any difficulty level, time or even any ingredient you have to work with.

This blog post was sponsored by Tostitos but the opinions are all my own.

McDonalds Canada launched their Big Mac x Bacon collaboration, which is just your regular Big Mac with a sprinkling of bacon. To kick-off the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the iconic Big Mac, McDonald’s Canada is bringing back Big Mac Bacon for a limited time only. Their promotion is a little bit weird, which they make it seem fashionable and artsy. Makes no sense to me and they even revamped the packaging just for this new limited time only sandwich.

When you open the box to see the Bacon Big Mac, it’s the same ingredients they would normally have in stores, but they threw in the bacon to this classic item. The Bacon Big Mac includes two 100 per cent Canadian beef patties along with the legendary special sauce, bacon, crisp lettuce, processed cheddar cheese, pickles and onions on a toasted sesame seed bun.

It’s ok and doesn’t add too much to it since the bacon slices are thin. It’s essentially still a big mac with a little something extra.

We were originally in Richmond wanting to go to Happy Tree BBQ there but the wait was an hour long, so we drove to their Burnaby location as the line as shorter. When we got there, we were seated right away as the space is larger. They specialize in skewered street food especially cumin lamb skewers. I’ve heard lots about this place and it’s always packed.

Make sure you bring cash if you are spending less than $50. I just came with one friend and we spent $49, but they were wanting us to pay in cash. Since there were no signs, they eventually eased up and let us pay by Credit Card.

Cucumber

For $4.95, this is a lot of cucumber in a spicy sauce. So delicious and it was a great item to pair with all the lamb skewers.

Lamb Kebob (Original)

Of all the skewers, this is the most popular and most delicious. Covered in delicious spices like cumin. There is a minimum order of 5 skewers, but for 2 people to devour it, it wasn’t a problem at all. You must order this.

Lamb Kebob (Special)

This lamb kebob is served on a metal skewer and also has a minimum 5 pieces per order. A good sprinkling of spices, but the original still wins out by a hair.

Angus beef Kabob

This also have a 5 piece minimum order with the angus beef. It has similar spices as the lamb but the texture of the beef was a bit tougher.

Chicken Wings

Unlike the other skewers, there is a minimum order of 2 skewers of the chicken wings. Delicious exterior and moist mean on the inside.

Steamed Buns

On each skewer, there are 2 pieces of the steamed buns which are them grilled. This could have used a bit longer on the grill as it cooked a bit unevenly. Not as delicious at the other meaty skewers, but it was go to try out.

Coconut Juice

Beer is a no-brainer with this type of food, but they have juices and non-alcoholic beverages on the menu. When I was looking at other people, I had to get it as its a good coconut drink.

Final Thought

Overall, the skewers were delicious and a great place to go to with a large group. The spices on the skewers were delightful. I would come back again.

We Rate Happy Tree BBQ

Address:
3502 Kingsway St, Vancouver, BC

Mr Moustache has opened their next location right outside Metropolis at Metrotown taking over Cafe Joie. They have quietly opened up here for a soft opening but it was still busy on a Tuesday evening. They are popular for their bubble tea. They also have cakes and some games here too. The space is a decent size for small to medium sized groups.

Bubble Tea

Their bubble teas are pretty large and they come in a pitcher mug. Everyone comes here gets one.

Oolong Milk Tea with Pearls

I got this half sweet, but since it’s normally not too sweet, full sweetness is perfect for my tastes.I should have gotten this with fresh milk instead of powder if I’d known as I don’t like how frothy it gets on top. Either way, it was still good. They do have a section of the menu for fresh milk.

Mango Slushie

The mango slushie has mango bit on top, which is a nice touch. My friend added coconut jelly to this.

Green Tea Macchiato

This looks like a beer but it has the green tea on the bottom and cheesy foam on top.

Sweet Treats

They have a few sweet treats to go with bubble tea.

I got the Praline Chocolate Mousse. This was familiar and turn out it’s from Faubourg, a French bakery and cafe in Vancouver. A nice treat to share with a friend.

Canelé is a small French pastry flavored with rum and vanilla with a soft and tender custard centre and a dark, thick caramelized crust.

Final Thought

The bubble tea drinks here are good and I would come back to hang out with friends. The pastries were ok, but it’s good that there are those options if you want to much on something while having bubble tea.

We Rate Mr Moustache

Address:
110-6125 Sussex Ave, Burnaby

We were in New York for a week and one of places the internet told us to go to is Joe’s Pizza for an authentic New York slice. We went to their original location in Greenwich Village for a snack. For around $3 a slice, it’s not bad at all.

Interior

The shop is small and has limited seating. If you’re lucky enough to grab a seat, you should eat the pizza fresh. We ended up getting it to go and back at the apartment. They put our 2 slices in a take out box and it was easy to take on the subway.

Slice

Pepperoni Pizza and Fresh Mozzarella pizza were our picks. The slices were of good size and the crust was still a bit crisp with slight char.

Final Thoughts

Was it the best pizza we had? Of course not. For the convenience and price, it was decent. There are still lots of places in New York that make a good pizza especially in Brooklyn.

We Rate Joe’s Pizza

Address:
7 Carmine Street, New York

Website:
http://www.joespizzanyc.com/

I love it when Taco Bell comes out with new items in Canada. They released the Naked Chicken Chip and Chickstar this January for a limited time only. My husband told me about it, so we drove to the closes Taco Bell, which was 40 minutes away from Downtown Vancouver. These items were released in the United States last year but now we finally have them in Canada.

We made sure to order a lot of food to make it worth the trip.

Naked Chicken Chips

This is boldly seasoned crispy chicken, served with a zesty nacho cheese sauce. The chicken is marinated white meat and has 6 pieces per order.

It’s decent, but since its thin, you’ll need a lot more food to get full. The nacho cheese sauce was comforting and reminded me of being a kid.

Chickstar

This has the same shape as their crunch wrap, but this has 3 pieces of the Naked Chicken Chips, spicy ranch sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, crisp lettuce and diced ripe tomatoes, all wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla. I much prefer the other crunch wraps as this seemed like a crispy chicken salad inside a tortilla.

Naked Chicken Chips Big Box or Chickstar Big Box

If you’re feeling hungry, you can order the Big box with either naked chicken chips or chickstar. For $9.69, you get a beef burrito, Doritos Locos Taco, fries supreme and a regular drink.

A popular place is Raclette NYC is the East Village for some savoury melted cheese over your meal. How can you deny such a glorious thing? When we visited New York, we couldn’t say no. It’s gotten very popular in the news lately for this classic Swiss dish.

Interior

It was busy for lunch, so reservations are recommended to ensure you have a seat. We made reservations a few days in advanced and they did call us a day before to confirm our attendance.

Menu

They have other items items on the menu – Croque and Tartines, but the raclettes are very popular.

Parsienne

The Parsienne has a 7 oz pan-seared marinated skirt steak, sautéed mushrooms, roasted asparagus and potatoes. The we got the black truffle cheese from France. One of the most popular choices. The best part of this experience is seeing the staff bring the raclette to your table and scrape the oozy cheese onto your plate right before your eyes. The stake was done medium rate and it was delicious.

Savoyarede

This dish has roasted potatoes, cornichons, and pickled white pearl onions. I wanted something simple and not too heavy as I already had a meal prior to this. I chose to have the porchini cheese from Switzerland. Delicious and cheesy with the savouriness of porchini. The overall dish was pretty meh, but then again, I chose a dish that wasn’t as interesting.

Final Thoughts

You pay for the dish and then you pay for the addition of the cheese. So, the menu is a bit deceiving even though these are both raclette dishes. If you’ve never tried this before, it’s still fun to try out and remember to get a reservation.

We Rate Raclette NYC

Address:
511 E 12th St, New York

Website:
http://raclette.nyc/