It’s already February. It’s already February, and I haven’t written one post about the cooking I did over the Christmas holidays. If January went by this fast, it’s sure to be Easter in no time. And then summer. And then Thanksgiving. And then Christmas again. If this is aging, I don’t mind so much because the yuckiest month is over. It’s already February!

Having done a lot of cooking for Christmas celebrations, I took it easy when it came to cooking during my quiet Christmas staycation. I didn’t stretch as far as last year and roast some flesh. Instead, I roasted some squash. Slice in half (I had a butternut), place face down on parchment in a 400-degree oven, and about 45 minutes later, you have a lot of roasted gourd to play with. Then, remove the peel and mash by hand or puree it with the help of a blender. Portion it out, refrigerate it or freeze it. You’re good to go. A healthier side dish than potatoes, a suitable mash to add some moisture to your baked goods, and a vitamin-packed, high fibre, low calorie orange veg that will help you balance any overeating damage you did in honour of baby Jesus.

Taking a cue from the many sandwiches I see featured on Serious Eats, I concocted a grilled cheese with some of the mash. The squash’s sweetness added a nice contrast to the saltiness of the cheese, and its texture added great mouth feel. No, this isn’t exactly diet food but it IS delicious.

Grilled Cheese and Squash Sandwich

Everybody usually has their own tricks and preferences for making a tasty grilled cheese. I tend to like mine only with Gruyere, but I had some leftover Fleur d’Aunis from the Christmas cheese plate, so I added it for some extra goo.

I have no measurements, but the basic idea is:

- Preheat your heavy duty frying pan to medium low.
- Butter the outside of two slices of bread.
- Smear some dijon mustard on the inside of one slice of bread, butter the inside of other.
- Spread a few tablespoons of squash on the mustard’d slice, sprinkle some fresh parsley, then load on your cheese. Top with the other slice of bread.
- Place in your pan and be patient. A good grilled cheese is made like a braise: low and slow. Don’t turn up the heat. You’re looking at about five minutes per side to get perfect golden brown bread and cheese that oozes.

Though Edmonton is not often thought of as a dining destination, amidst the clutter of chain restaurants and fast food, Edmonton has some great culinary talents who consistently turn out top notch food, bevvies, and treats. With my computer nerd hubby getting ready to welcome a whole bunch of fellow internet marketing peeps to our fair city for a spring conference, I couldn’t resist obliging his request to share the best of Edmonton eating according to moi. In no particular order. Enjoy.

For  eating…

Handmade ravioli at Corso 32

Corso 32
Ridiculous talent and a most sincere love for food, real Italian food, collide at Corso 32 in the inspired hands of chef Daniel Costa. Don’t plan on “showing up” at the door of this popular downtown restaurant hoping for a table. Book well ahead and have your planning rewarded with some of the most perfect food you’ll eat in any city. Some favourites on the ever changing menu include the arancini, house made goat ricotta crostini, whatever today’s ravioli is, and the braised polpette aka meatballs. The cocktail and wine list is notable, too.

Culina Family of Restaurants
Be it lunch at Culina Muttart, or a dinner or weekend brunch at Culina Mill Creek, the Culina family of restaurants never disappoints. With a menu loaded with ethnic inspired comfort food, a focus on local fresh ingredients, and the best cocktail list in the city, there is something for everyone. The bacon and eggs at brunch cannot be beat, and the dinner menu has me ordering goodies like the pork and cheese tortillas, the local chorizo sausage hotpot, and the phyllo wrapped goat cheese, over and over again. And happily so. Um, did I mention the cocktails?

Red Ox Inn
I am ashamed that this is the first time that I have mentioned my love for Red Ox on Cream and Sugar. I think I’ve just been so busy gobbling up their food that taking pictures and writing went astray. Not only is their self proclaimed “serious food in a casual room” outstanding, but both the owners and the front of house staff are about the most gracious people you’ll ever meet. I must confess that I’ve yet to sample the newly revamped menu, but should some old favourites resurface on the ever changing menu, the warm goat cheese salad with bacon and cranberry vinagrette, and the rack of lamb with polenta and cassoulet are not to be missed. Reservations are recommended at this casual fine dining gem nestled just above the river valley.

Carnitas at Tres Carnales

Tres Carnales
These three guys have brought authentic Mexican tacos to the prairies, and plenty of charm to keep the vibe of their casual downtown taqueria humming. Make hard decisions from the mouthwatering menu, order at the counter, and watch your food appear in no time flat. Lunch or dinner, grab a seat at the big communal table and get ready to wolf down a plate (or two!) of Tres Carnales tacos. And don’t forget to order some guacamole y totpos. Salty chips, perfectly seasoned, citrus-ed, fresh guacamole to devour as you wait for the main attraction. The rajas con crema quesidilla and the carnitas tacos are my go-to menu items.

Viphalay
For proper Thai curry and spicy basil chicken, look no further than Viphalay. Hands down the best authentic Thai and Laos food in the city. Now with two downtown locations you can head to the dodgy edge of little Italy, or the quieter tree lined street just south of Jasper Avenue to get your fix. The red curry with bamboo, papaya salad, and penang are my favourites. And for dessert the roti rolls, fresh warm roti smothered in condensed milk and sugar, are my favourite dessert in the whole city.

Acajutla
I love pupusas. If you’ve had one before, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, now’s the time to change that. Acajutla is a little family run El Salvadorean and Mexican restaurant serving up the best little masa enveloped meat, bean, and cheese bundles in town. The decor is less than fancy and the restaurant is located in an “edge of downtown” neighbourhood that has what we’ll call “flavour”, but it’s worth the journey. The mixed pupusas, chicken enchiladas, and lime margaritas on the rocks are stars. Don’t be put off by the ridiculous website that spews latin beats to entice you. What they lack in design savvy and computer know how, they make up for in deliciousness, AND it’s cheap and cheerful!

Tony’s Pizza Palace
Quite simply the best thin crust pizza in the city. Mario’s Special adorned with capicollo, proscuitto, capers, and artichokes is THE one.

Sushi Wasbi
Located in an unassuming little strip mall in South Edmonton’s Lendrum neighbourhood, this small Japanese owned and run sushi house is tops. Rice is always perfectly flavoured, the right amount of sticky, and topped with the freshest of fish. Reservations are recommended, as is the negitoro maki, the agedashi tofu, and the gomae.

The Golden Rice Bowl
This efficient and busy Chinese restaurant is the place that much of the local Asian community chooses for celebrations, special occasions, and family meals, and for good reason. The food is top notch, the room is bustling, the menu is extensive, and the service is quick. Of course many of the most delicious things are not on the menu. I use the “point at other people’s food” method of ordering when something yummy looking comes out. My favourites include the Peking duck (which must be pre-ordered), prawn and scallop nest, house special beef tenderloin with cashew nuts (not on the menu), crispy garlic chicken, garlic pea greens, and Cantonese chow mein.

And now for some treats and bevvies…

Lemon tart at Dauphine Bakery and Bistro

Dauphine Bakery and Bistro
Located on the lovely and revitalized 104th Street downtown, in a bright vaulted basement space in the Armstrong heritage building, Dauphine Bakery and Bistro (formerly known as The Queen of Tarts) turns out some of the best artisan breads, jams, and of course tarts, in the city. The lemon curd tart is worth the trip alone. Perfectly balanced, tart and sweet, it’s citrus perfection. Go for treats, or enjoy a simple French inspired bistro lunch in their charmingly simple, yet sophisticated space.

Da Cappo Caffe
Serving the best freshly made artisan gelato in the city, Da Cappo Caffe is the place to go for creamy pistachio, dulce di latte, and chile chocolate frozen goodness. The coffee is good, too.

Transcend Coffee
This is the cult coffee house in town. Bean heads flock from all over the city to sample Transcend’s serious in house roasts from around the globe. If you end up hooked, a coffee subscription that will deliver the best beans of the month to your door is an easy at home fix.

Eva Sweet Waffles
If you can find one of the happy vans, Eva Sweet waffles are worth seeking out. These perfectly sweet Liege waffles are a thing of beauty, and luckily are also served at a number of cafes around town.

Treats from Duchess Bake Shoppe

Duchess Bake Shoppe
Drawing the masses to 124th Street for perfectly executed Parisian macarons, in flavours like rose, pistachio, and salted caramel, Duchess is a sweet treat for proper French pastries and treats. Perfect butter croissants, gorgeous tarts and cakes, sour cherry pie, lovely house blended teas, fresh marshmallows, and simply delicious sandwiches, you will find plenty of ways to satisfy any craving here. Get in line and prepare to make hard decisions with so many gorgeous things peering back at you through the pretty glass case.

Sugar Bowl
With the best beer list in the city, from Belgian to Quebecois selections, this is the place to go for a frosty mug. Nestled in a casual bustling space just over the High Level bridge on the edge of the University of Alberta campus, this popular spot is packed from morning to night drawing crowds not only for its lagers and witbiers, but for its great food and famously perfect cinnamon buns.

La Poutine
Because lord knows after you drink all that beer, you’ll need some top notch poutine. Fries, squeaky curds, gravy. Need I say more?

BiBO
From the Culina family of restaurants, my favourite tiny little spot to sit on a bench and drink a great glass of wine is BiBO. Nestled two doors down from Culina Mill Creek, this petite candle lit space is always pumping out an eclectic mix of moody music and filling glasses with beautiful wines and perfect recommendations.

The Confederation Lounge at the Hotel MacDonald
And lastly, in honour of great Edmonton institutions, there is something so lovely about walking through the doors of the hotel MacDonald and strolling into the grand but den like Confederation lounge for something on the rocks, or in a big wine glass, or perhaps in the form of a steaming boozy blueberry tea. And when warm weather cooperates, it has quite simply the best patio for a “drink with a view” in the city.

Here’s a map!

View Best of Edmonton Dining, Snacking, and Drinking in a larger map

Stop reading now if you’re on some crazy New Year cleanse or avoiding carbs, sugar, fat and all things fun. Just stop reading because the next sentence is going to tempt you. I’ve come across one of the best cookies I’ve ever made or eaten in all my 32 years. Please meet the Gooey Butter Cookie.

I am a cookie dough girl. I love tracing my tongue along the beaters, scraping my finger across the spoon and pinching off little morsels from oddly shaped unbaked cookies. I remember eating more refrigerated English Bay cookie dough than English Bay cookies as a teenager. The next person to open the tub would come upon finger tracks that revealed many a chocolate chip, but not enough dough to surround it. Pure, unadorned dough of sugar, fat, flour and eggs is all I wanted. No nuts or chips or raisins or whatever. I love the dough. And that is what these cookies taste like. Dough dough dough.

But they’re fully cooked, of course, and the high amount of butter and sugar means they are reminiscent of shortbread. But then the cream cheese gives a toothsomeness that shortbread never has. Oh, and then there’s the vanilla seeds and the vanilla extract that add both a heavenly perfume and flavour. And how could I forget that you’re to eat them cold? Yes, cold. Just like cookie dough from the fridge. As I’ve suggested before, cold cookies are a thrill worth seeking out.

I am sorry that I had to share these with you post-holidays. As I made them only two days before Christmas, there would have been little time for you to shop for and make them—because you really must shop for and make them—and then whoooooosh, January. It’s the time to work off other people’s cookies so that you can now try these.

Gooey Butter Cookies
adapted from Lottie + Doof

I got about two dozen of the size shown and another dozen and a half wee ones.

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
250 g cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 vanilla bean, scraped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing sugar for rolling and dusting

Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  With your hands, with a hand-held mixer or in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, butter, vanilla bean seeds, and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla extract.

Incorporate the flour mixture.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.  Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Half fill a small bowl with icing sugar. When the dough is chilled enough to be formed, scoop balls that are about 1-2 tablespoons (I used a cookie scoop over an inch in diameter) and toss in the icing sugar.  Place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment, a couple of inches apart.  Bake until they spread and puff slightly, about 12-16 minutes.  (In my oven they were ready at 12 minutes.) They will be really soft in the center.  If they start to brown, they’ve gone too far.  Cool to room temperature.

It is suggested that at this point you can refrigerate them on the tray because as the cream cheese and butter get cold, they’re easier to pick up. It is a good tip.  These cookies are best served straight out of the fridge.

These will keep for up to a week in the fridge or can be frozen for longer (and then thawed in fridge).

It took five years and four trips to New York City for me to finally find the time to make it up to the Upper West Side to visit the famous Levain Bakery. There are few “best of” type shows on the Food Network or “best of” NYC lists that don’t mention how amazing and how unique these seemingly ordinary cookies are. The recipe is a secret, of course, and so the frenzy only grows for these softball-sized treasures.

The famous Levain Bakery chocolate chip walnut cookie.

Why do people flock to this shoebox of a bakery opened by two friends who aren’t even trained pastry chefs? No cookie I’ve ever tasted has been able to achieve the holy grail of cookie texture the way Levain does: a perfect crisp crust that protects a gooey, chewy middle. When I broke apart my cookie to see if it was true, it was a moment of shock and awe. How did they do this? How can I be eating this entire giant cookie? What will I do without access to the best cookie I’ve ever eaten, hands down?!?!

I do the next best thing. I scour the Internet for a copycat recipe and make do. As you can see, my copycats look nothing like the original. So…yeah, not much of a copycat in the looks department. The taste? Also not the same. BUT, they were pretty darn alright for a chocolate chip cookie. They did have a little of the crisp outside, gooey inside thing going on but nowhere near the perfect crust that Levain achieves. I must also say that I think I preferred Nigella’s cookies. And now I’m really wanting to try to make the also famous New York Times ultimate chocolate chip cookie. In time, in time.

Within the same few days, I had the pleasure of trying the excellent chocolate chip cookies of both Balthazar and Chikalicious, and Levain was definitely the best. (Have I told you yet that it was the best cookie I’ve ever eaten?) So, if you ever find yourself in New York City, don’t be silly and wait like I did. GO. Yes, there’s nothing really around to see except the Museum of Natural History and The Dakota, but it’s worth the trip.  You could also spend a fortune ordering them online, but that wouldn’t be as much fun, now, would it?

Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Parsley, Sage, Dessert and Line Drives

I halved the recipe below and got four large (roughly a half cup each) and three medium-sized cookies. I also used half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate, which I got by chopping up chocolate bars, not chocolate chips. You might notice that there is no vanilla in this recipe. Strange, but true. I also have learned from cookie-powers-that-be that you should let your dough rest so that the ingredients fully integrate. So, I did that.

1 cups cold and cubed unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1  1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 to 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon table or fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups good quality semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, cream together butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until well incorporated. (I did this in a food processor, you could also do by hand.)
Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cornstarch, and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate. Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients. Divide into 10-12 equal portions on a parchment-lined plate or cutting board. Cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place each on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and flatten slightly (a step I forgot). Bake in the preheated oven 15-20 minutes depending on how gooey and raw-ish you like the interior, until very lightly browned, taking care not to overbake. Let cool on rack and store what you don’t immediately eat in an airtight container.

These are best eaten on the day they are made. To freshen them at a later time, give them a quick nuke in the microwave for 5-10 seconds or a few minutes in a warm oven.

Although I pretty much eat an apple every day of the year, sometimes two, I do know how much apples represent fall. (Let’s not talk about how it feels instead like winter.) Biting into a crisp apple reminds me of the freshness fall air seems to carry; an apple’s hue signalling my rosy fall cheeks.

To celebrate the birth of a friend’s new baby, I went looking for a portable, hand-held apple dessert. Not wanting to make a cookie or a cupcake, I tried to find a suitable bar. Having become a fan of blondies, I was drawn to Joanne’s apple ones. How surprised was I to find out that they originated on the Robin Hood site! I feel like every Canadian kid grew up with a bag of Robin Hood flour in their cupboard.

Anyway, these blondies were definitely more of a cake-like blondie than a chewy cookie-like one. The chunks of apple served as happy surprises, and the icing was just sweet enough to lend a bit of decadence. They stored like a dream when I made them ahead of time, icing and all.

Yes, so they were made in honour of a birthday and are now being shared on our birthday—Cream & Sugar turns three today!

Thank you for  reading our culinary adventures and for your ongoing support.
xoxo

Apple Blondies with Caramel Icing
Adapted from robinhood.ca

1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup apple, peeled, cored, chopped

Icing:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp milk
1 cup icing sugar, sifted

To make blondies, cream butter and brown sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, apples and nuts. Stir until thoroughly combined. Spread batter in a greased 8″ x 8″ baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until set and golden. Let cool slightly before icing.

To make icing, melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the brown sugar and milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat; let cool and stir in the icing sugar. Spread onto cooled blondies. Cut into squares and serve. Store in an airtight container.

Seeing as how I’ve been strongly suggesting pumpkin recipes in my Clippings posts of late, I thought I should finally get around to doing something with pumpkin. Hopefully this won’t be the last foray because I believe you can safely get away with cooking with pumpkin between September and December. Unsafely, I see no problem in pushing it all the way until Spring. I mean, pumpkin usually connotes warm and spicy. Why do those feelings have to end with Thanksgiving? In Canada, we need those feelings to keep us going through months and months of winter.

When I came across this easy easy easy chocolate chip pumpkin loaf, I knew I had the perfect Sunday afternoon task to make my coworkers love me on Monday morning. As I learned last year, pumpkin and chocolate are well-suited for each other. Chocolate gives your cold-weather pumpkin treat a little more engine power. It appears that magic happens when you add something sweet and rich like chocolate to baked goods of the vegetable variety. Think about cream cheese icing and carrot cake or zucchini bread and chocolate. They’re tricks to get us to eat our vegetables, sure, but are you complaining?

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf
Adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 can pureed pumpkin (~14-15 oz)
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks or chopped chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, vanilla, and vegetable oil until thick. Fold the dry ingredients into the beaten mixture until well blended. Stir in the pumpkin, then add the chocolate. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake 1 hour, until it tests done with a toothpick or cake tester. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack.

Chocolate cake is tough to pull off. Too dry is never a good thing and is too easily achieved when delving into the homemade cocoa gateau realm. When it’s good though, it’s oh so good. So with my Libra husband’s birthday upon us, I figured no cake could be more man pleasing than one that is moist, chocolatey, and loaded with Guinness.

Sugar. Check. Chocolate. Check. Stout. Check. And did I mention the incredibly soft and frothy cream cheese frosting? This recipe for chocolate Guinness cake from the buxom and lovely Nigella Lawson is one that I have transferred to the “handwritten family recipe book”. This is serious business reserved for the best of the best. Nigella cleverly tops her dark and damp cake with soft white frosting to imitate the froth on top of a good pint. So pretty. So moist. So delicious.

The original recipe can be viewed here, but because I like you I have saved you the grief of converting each ingredient from British weight measurements to volume measurements. You’re welcome. Now just make sure to drink the left over half can of Guinness while it’s still frothy and gorgeous as you bake that pretty cake.

Chocolate Guinness Cake
(recipe from nigella.com)

I think Halloween candy shows up in stores so early because we all end up eating it well before the end of the month. I mean, for the consideration of lunch boxes, candy dishes and movie nights at home, the fun sizes should be sold all year. But then the candy frenzy of October wouldn’t occur, and that wouldn’t be any fun.

So, here’s a quick little number to whip out when you crave all the base flavours of the ultimate mass-produced chocolate bar (chocolate, caramel, peanuts and peanut butter) but can’t bring yourself to buy one of those un-fun-sized bars—I mean, when WAS the last time you saw someone buy a chocolate bar? As it receives the “no-bake” label,  it’s as easy as can be and perfect for kids to help out with if you have some about. If you don’t, wrangle some. The wrappers on those caramels are a b-tch to get off!

Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Bars
Adapted from Bites Out of Life

The caramel was my addition. I added the cream so that when you pulled the bars out from the cold, you wouldn’t have to contend with a hard, sticky layer. What you have to watch out for is that once the bars start to warm a bit, the caramel gets oozy. This makes the chocolate layer shift, causing a napkin-worthy sweet indulgence. Enjoy.

2 cups graham crackers crumbs
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup + 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1-1/2 cups icing sugar
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
20 caramel candies
1 tablespoon cream
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
1/3 cup roughly crushed and chopped roasted peanuts

Mix the crushed grahams, butter, 1 cup of peanut butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl or in a food processor until smooth and well combined. Pour into an ungreased 9 in x 9 in baking dish and spread evenly. Freeze for 15 minutes.

In a large microwaveable bowl, melt the caramels and cream. It will take about 90 seconds, but stir and check every 30. Spread over the peanut butter layer and sprinkle salt on top. Freeze again for at least 15 minutes.

In a large microwaveable bowl again or over a double boiler, melt the chocolate and remaining peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth again if melting in the microwave. Spread in an even layer over top the hardened caramel and peanut butter layers. Sprinkle roasted peanuts on top. Freeze for an additional 15-20 minutes. Cut into squares. Refrigerate leftovers.

Foodie culture has pushed aside convenience. When I was growing up, it was perfectly acceptable for Aunt Jemima to make your pancakes or for you to buy your parmesan freshly grated in a tub. Not only must we now do everything ourselves, we must also have the shiny equipment to execute it on. Making cookies and cakes by hand seems no longer possible as contemporary recipe writers automatically direct you to add things to your stand mixer. I could bemoan this for ages, but my real point is about convenience. Is it really so bad all of the time? Don’t we sometimes really want things that can be made in 30 minutes if it’s a Wednesday night and we forgot to menu plan on Sunday?

OF COURSE scratch pancakes are much better than Aunt Jemima’s, but I think there are some perfectly acceptable shortcuts you can take advantage of, thai curry paste being one of them. I have made my own paste by hand with a mortar and pestle. And believe me, as delicious and rewarding as it was, it’s not a Wednesday night kind of activity. Jarred pastes aren’t perfect—they can be a little muted and mild—but I think using them as the base of a homemade sauce makes you feel a lot better than buying a frozen curry or calling for takeout. All it takes is a few extra ingredients, and you’ve got yourself a damn good Thai curry. Perfect? Hardly, but who cares. It’s Wednesday night, and you’ve only got so much time until ANTM starts.

Thai Red Curry with Halibut
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves two generously.

3 large limes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup chopped shallots
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced
1.5 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon of sugar, cane sugar if possible
10 to 12 ounces halibut fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, or fresh Thai basil

**You could also add other chopped vegetables such as bamboo shoots, eggplant or green beans, as well as some minced Thai chillies if you wanted more heat.

Finely grate enough peel from 2 limes to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons. Squeeze enough juice from 2 limes to measure 2 tablespoons. Cut third lime into wedges.

Heat vegetable oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallots, diced red bell pepper, minced ginger and minced garlic; sautè until shallots are tender and peppers soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons lime peel, and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Simmer gently, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Add fish to curry sauce. Return to very gentle simmer and cook just until fish is opaque in centre, 5 to 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently stir in cilantro and basil; serve over jasmine rice with lime wedges.

I think I have excellent willpower. I can pass the candy dishes at work without a second look, turn my nose up at cupcake shops and let the fuss over macarons be just that, a fuss. I’m even fairly (read: a little) successful at rationing any baking I do to a daily treat by putting my freezer to good use. My Achilles’ heel? Ice cream. I always have room. So much so, that I can’t keep it in the house. A dish for dessert turns into a midnight spoonful turns into a 2 a.m. half pint frenzy. The remaining vanilla bought for a pie or a cake gets gobbled while I go through my mail when I get home from work—my hollow legs argument is increasingly proving false as I age.

My inner addict was gobsmacked when she came upon a recipe that promised the creaminess of ice cream without any of the guilt. My inner foodie felt the same when she saw that it was made with only one ingredient: bananas. This is another one of those recipes that’s been circulating because no one can believe that it’s possible. But it is. Frozen bananas turn into a creamy, sweet treat with the help of a blender or food processor. Add a few extra flavourings, and you’ll do a pretty good job of fooling your brain into thinking your doing some major indulging. Ice cream, it’s not… BUT the flavour did remind me of a banana milkshake, and that’s made with ice cream, right?

Please try to outdo me in the artistic peanut butter drizzle department.

Banana “Ice Cream”
Adapted from thekitchn.com

Makes one serving.

2 large bananas
2 teaspoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel and slice bananas into coins. Place in freezer for 90 minutes to two hours, until frozen solid.
Put frozen coins in food processor or blender and process for a few minutes, scraping down sides often. Over the course of a few minutes, the coins will go from chopped to pasty to creamy. Add peanut butter, honey and cinnamon, and process until incorporated. The heat of the motor will make it a bit too soft now. Scrape into a bowl and freeze for about 15 minutes for a soft-serve/gelato-like texture or longer for a firmer “ice cream.” Top with more peanut butter, chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, etc.