Monthly Archives: November 2011

Jethro’s Fine Grub- A Resturant Review

Posted on by
Reply

Jethro’s Fine Grub is a 22 seater local gem in the heart of Dunbar, Vancouver. It is a fairly new restaurant ( less than one year )and has already been filmed by Guy Feri on his well known Food Network Show Diners, Drive Ins and Dives.

I had only heard about people literally praising this place- so I was beyond excited to go try it out a few weekends ago.  Plus It was located on 16th and Dunbar- convenient location for all you UBC students!

As soon as I stepped into the resturant the first thing I noticed was the warm and comforting home-like ambiance this place had. The next thing I noticed was the one hour line up- yes, one hour. No complaints though, this demand should only be expected from a resturant which has only seven tables and offers massive portions at cheap prices.

 

The wait was well worth it. I was still thinking about the breakfast that same night..and even the next two nights after that. It was a happy moment and this happy moment was surpassed by even a happier moment when I woke up the next morning with massive amounts of leftovers in my fridge. It was beautiful.

Here are all the incredible little  big things I had tried

1. Crab Eggs Benedict
House made crab cakes with poached eggs and hollandaise. $11

Whoever Einstein was in the back kitchen thought it was a good idea to replace an eggs benedict’s typical english muffin with a crab cake;simply, genius! It was the best eggs  benendict I have ever had and huge credit is given for originality. The crab cake had a ton of filler in it- but heck, what can you expect at $11. I can’t even order two crab cakes at a restaurant for this price- nevertheless one which is topped with eggs, hollandaise, breakfast potatoes and toast.

The hollandaise was extremely rich and creamy. The only bad part of this dish was the seasoning for the potatoes. They were extremely bland and in great need of a dash of cayenne, paprika and maybe some oregeno. I was also hoping that the potoatoes would have a crispy skin- but as my friend Sanaz says ” beggers can’t be choosers“. Regardless-whoever invented this dish is in need of a noble prize.

 2. South of Denver Omelet

Smokey pulled pork, sauteed onions, peppers, smoked gouda, and jalapenos. Served with hasbrowns and toast. add avocado ($1.50)  $10

Wow. Ok. Where do I even begin? This was one amazing omelet- who would have thought that pulled pork, avocado & smoked gouda would have been so successful! I was in love with the flavor combination. I highly recommend to give in and pay the extra for the avocado it made a big difference and just melted in your mouth along with the pulled pork.

This was eggselent. 

3.  Two Eggs & Meat

Eggs any style with double smoked bacon, sausage, grilled chorizo or ham steak. Served with hasbrowns and toast. $10

If you are in the mood for a classic breakfast then go for this. My friend stated that it was her first breakfast of this sort that she had ever eaten without feeling sick after. I took a bite of her sausage and it was perfectly cooked and not loaded with grease like Denny’s or IHop. Success!

4. Chocolate- Chip Banana Bread French Toast

Topped with caramelized bananas and whipped butter $9

Nope you did not read it wrong. It was banana bread french toast and it was love at first bite.I highly recommend getting a half order of this if you are ordering it just for yourself- It is an extremely heavy dish and my sister and I had troubles finishing it all.

One little food wish I had while I was eating this was for the whipped butter to be replaced with whipped cream. Light and fluffy whipped cream would have been much more satisfying as this dish was already so heavy. I found the thick whipped butter to only make it worse and ate my meal without it.

p.s did I mention is was only 9 dollars?

5. The Gold Rush
Banana pancakes stuffed with caramel, pecans and streusel.
Topped with more caramel, pecans and streusel and whipped butter $10

This is the biggest pancake I have ever seen in my life- and let me tell you it was a beautiful site. This pancake had amazing flavor combinations ! However, I would suggest to ask your server to add extra toppings because the ratio to the amount of pancake was off.

P.S this 10 dollar meal will also feed you breakfast for the next few days.

6. The Rooster

A shot of espresso and dark chocolate chips folded into our buttermilk recipe. Topped with whipped cream  $10

This pancake was good but should have and could have been much better. You need to be careful about the shot of espresso that was poured in the batter- it gave a hint of a burnt taste . I actually at first thought it was burnt and tried flipping the bottom of the pancake over to confirm.  I highly recommend paying the extra $1.50 and getting the chocolate gravy with this- it made all the difference. I give credit for getting the whipped cream right in this dish ! It was decadent with the chocolate gravy on top.

Sadly though- I will probably not order this dish again.

 

Finally, the end result. Jethros Resturant: 1 point..Sanaz & Katie :0 points

Defeated!

xo romina

 

Homemade Herbed Chicken Burgers

Posted on by
Reply

Last night we decided to go support the UBC men volleyball team for their big game against Calgary. In light of this- I wanted to make some comforting Friday night game food. When thinking game food the first thing that came to my mind was a burger; a thick juicy beef patty (or two) with oozing sharp cheddar cheese & overwhelming amounts of bacon.

Yet, despite how good those would be- I decided I would do myself and all of you a favour and not be the subject of anyone’s waist lines! I needed to come up with something that would taste equally as good but would be much much healthier. I thought homemade chicken burgers would do the trick- and let me tell you they were just as satisfying! By using extra lean ground chicken in place of ground beef I was able to cut back on a ton of calories and saturated fats (this is a good option for those of you who struggle with high cholesterol).

What you will need (serves 4)
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
Handful of crushed Almonds
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 egg
1/4 cup of bread crumbs ( I was out so I used 2tbsp of white flour instead)
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
2 tbsp each of chopped parsley, mint, dill & basil
2 large cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp Sirracha
1 lb extra lean ground chicken
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
4 leaves of romaine lettuce ( or mixed greens)

 

For Yogurt Dill Sauce:
1/2 cup yogurt (I stick with 1 %)
3 tbsp chopped till
1 tsp honey
1 small clove garlic

 

I first started by making the chicken patty mixture. In a large bowl I combined the extra lean ground Chicken with Tomatoes, Ginger, Onions, Almonds, Mint, Dill, Parsley, Basil, Egg, Flour & Garlic

This is where you can get creative- work with what you got! Baked yams or cranberries would also be excellent in this!

Using your hands gently combine the mixture together and form into four 1/2 inch (1cm) thick patties

Next, in a skillet heat oil over medium high heat; fry burger , turning once, until golden (or when thermometer reads 165 F) this usually takes about 10-13 minutes.

Meanwhile toast the buns and make your dill yogurt dressing; combine yogurt, dill, honey, garlic & blend until smooth. Once done-top your burger with the dill yogurt sauce.

Dress your burger to your preference!

P.S This dill yogurt sauce is not only light & refreshing but it is also a much healthier alternative to regular burger condiments such as mayo!

P.P.S Good game to the UBC men volleyball team! I was very impressed! Here is some shots from the game

Mads& I

Congrats on the win!

xo romina!

 

For Mika; Curried Quinoa Salad

Posted on by
Reply

This Curried Quinoa Salad is perfect for those of you who are busy and on the go. The recipe takes less than 20 minutes and stores very well in the fridge. It is a great to-go lunch & extremely healthy. It is very similar to Middle Eastern Tabouleh, however, I substituted quinoa for bulgar and played with some Indian flavors to give this salad a warmer feel.

What You Will Need

Tomatoes, Cucumbers, White Beans, Dill, Mint

Don’t be afraid to play around with your spice rack. I used Indian flavors to give this salad a warm feel.

:Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Ground Tumeric, Medium Curry Powder

Recipe

1 cup Quinoa

1/2 cup Tomatoes, Cucumbers, White Beans

1/4 Mint & Dill

Dash of: Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Ground Tumeric, Medium Curry Powder

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Love

Directions

Cook your Quinoa according to the packaging; the rule of thumb is usually double the water.

One your Quinoa is cooked (usually 15 minutes) transfer to a frying pan and on low heat add a dash of cayenne, cumin, turmeric & curry powder. Give it a gentle mix. 

Turn off heat. Transfer to to a bowl and add your herbs & vegetables

Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice

Serves 3-4

 

The great thing about this salad is its versatility. You don’t need to make a trip to the grocery store if you don’t have one of the ingredients; play with what you got in your fridge!

You can use almost any vegetable, grain or bean in this salad. I used white beans solely for the color! Couscous or Bulgar can also be substituted for the Quinoa- however, keep in mind that Quinoa is an extremely healthy super grain (..and not considered a carb!). It is high in fiber and is a complete protein (9 essential amino acids) -so it is not only much better for you but it will also keep you full for a longer period of time!

And…Voilla! Curried Quinoa Salad

Tip: If you are not planning on finishing this salad in one day- then avoid drizzling the olive oil & lemon juice on the entire dish. The salad will keep much longer in the fridge without the dressing. If you are planning to take this as a to-go lunch- add the dressing to the bottom of the tupperware and then add the salad over top. Give it a quick shake right before you devour =).

 

enjoy xo!

-romina

Fall Inspiration

Posted on by
Reply

I go to a school in East Vancouver weekly where I spend time cooking with the students and teaching them about nutrition & healthy food choices. It’s something that I am very passionate about and look forward to doing weekly. This week however, I have been so busy that I have had no time or inspiration to think of a recipe that I could cook & teach to a class of 25.  I was stressed but as soon as I stepped out of my apartment I saw these beautiful fall trees.

I was shocked- I have seen these exact trees everyday for the last month or so but have never taken the time to notice or appreciate them. They are absolutely beautiful and they gave me some much needed fall inspiration .

There is something warm, colorful & comforting about these trees. I wanted to in-cooperate this into my cooking.

A little inspiration can go a long way

Fresh Salsa with all the colors of fall.

Slowly caramelized onions & red peppers. Minted Yogurt sauce.

Can you see where I’m going with this?

Chicken Fajitas with Fresh Salsa and Minted Yogurt Sauce
 Adapted from Jamie Oliver

 

 For the Fajitas

1 red bell pepper- sliced into thin strips
1 medium red onion -thinly sliced
1 chicken breast sliced into medium size strips
½ tsp of cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper
2 tsp of Fajitas Seasoning (this is usually found beside the refried beans)
2 garlic cloves minced
1 lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 x 8-inch whole wheat or multi grain tortillas

Heat pan with olive oil. When hot add red onion, red bell pepers and minced garlic.

Turn heat to medium low and allow for this mixture to cook slowly for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime marinate chicken with the juice of ½ a lime, a little drizzle of olive oil and the spices; cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, fajita seasoning.

Add chicken to the vegetable mixture after the 20 minutes is up- or until the onions are soft and translucent. Cook chicken for about 5-7 minutes depending on how thick you cut the strips.

Once chicken is cooked go ahead and squeeze the remaining lime juice.

Fresh Salsa

½–1 fresh jalapeno pepper
2 large and firm tomatoes
¼ cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1/16 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lime

Finely chop the jalapeño pepper- you can adjust the heat of the salsa by how much you put in.  Give the tomatoes and cilantro a rough chop. Add lime juice and mix together. Top with sea salt.

Recipe for the minted yogurt can be found under Fall& Homechilli post. http://smallgirlbigplate.com/2011/11/fall-homemade-chilli/

Nutritional Tip: The Minted Yogurt sauce is not only light & refreshing but it is also a much healthier option than using sour cream; less fat and sodium content!

 Enjoy!
-romina xo