...Stir Fried E-Fu Noodles

E-fu noodles or yi mien, are traditionally eaten in Cantonese households during birthday celebrations. These "longevity" noodles are made with wheat flour and eggs and have a wonderfully springy -spongy texture due to the soda water that is used to make them.  E-fu noodles are easy to prepare and cooked in a myriad of ways. This recipe is a simple vegetarian base upon which you can add your choice of protein or other favorite ingredients.  Not only is it a quick favourite for us, cut into shorter strands, our 13 month old also loves them.

Ingredients: (Yields 3-4 servings)

-1 package of e-fu noodles

-6 carrots, julienned 

-5 stalks green onion, julienned

-5 tbsp soy sauce

-3 tbsp oyster sauce

-Other ingredients you might wish to add: bean sprouts, shiitake mushrooms, ham, garlic chive, shrimp. 

Method:

1. Follow instructions on the noodle package to rehydrate them. We boil our noodles for 3 minutes until tender and then rinse them under cold water in a colander. 

2. In a large fry pan, stir fry your vegetables and protein in vegetable/canola oil over medium high heat until cooked. 

3. Add the rinsed noodles to the pan.  Once the water has cooked off, you may need to add a few more tablespoons of oil to prevent the noodles from clumping. 

4.  Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce and stir fry for another minute or two until the noodles and vegetables are coated evenly with sauce.

Enjoy!

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...Bistro Suzette (Calgary)

Overall - 9/10
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Food - 9/10
Service - 9/10
Ambiance - 9/10

Until recently, the rising profile of other cuisines from around the world captured the appetites of many, from Spanish tapas to the now ubiquitous presence of Asian flavours everywhere you look.  French food is making a steady comeback since chefs have reimagined traditional French cooking.  A while back we compiled a list of our favourite French Bistros in Calgary for Taste Trekkers and if only Bistro Suzette were open then, it certainly would have a place on that list.

Bistro Suzette opened just over a week in the former location of one of our previous favourites, Bistro 2210.  Suzette serves dishes from the Normandy and Brittany regions of northern France. There is an emphasis on rich and earthy flavours cooked up without pretense. Attention to little details from the French speaking wait staff to the Opinel pocket knives repurposed to steak knives all serve to transport you straight to France.  Darrin had the recommended semi dry apple cider in a latte cup (as its traditionally done according to our friendly server) and I had the Kir Breton which was sparkling wine with cider.

Their specialties are the galettes and crepes. The Breton style galettes are crispy and thin buckwheat pancakes that are stuffed with various savoury ingredients. We chose the Forestière at the recommendations of our waiter which was filled with cremini mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, potatoes and topped with a light salad. Earthy and satisfying are the two words that come to mind when eating this dish.  What we appreciated the most was the delicate balance of flavours; each ingredient was enhanced by the other and perfectly seasoned.

Our mains included the steak frites and the fish of the day, trout en papillote. The pre-sliced steak was tender and perfectly rested while the frites were thin and crispy just the way we like them.

To our surprise the steamed trout stole the show with how fresh and moist it was. Trout doesn't have the same fat content as salmon and has tendency to dry out which is why we typically steer clear; however Suzette utilized the method of steaming the fish in its own parchment pouch rendering it perfectly cooked. The lemon beurre blanc added a wonderful dimension of flavour and richness to this delicate dish.

For dessert, we chose the Suzette and Normand crepe.  The Suzette was topped with orange juice, zest and Grand Marnier which was flambéed table side.  Eating this crepe is almost like eating an orange itself; sweet and refreshing.  The slight bitterness of the zest and the Grand Marnier kept it from being overly sweet.

The Normande is topped with caramelized apples, flambéed Calvados and vanilla ice cream.  This was like eating a delicious apple pie in crepe form.

Bistro Suzette's focus on Northern French cooking is unique in Calgary, and we hope to return in the near future.

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...Banana Oat Granola Bars

These granola bars are naturally sweetened by banana and are the perfect addition to your breakfast or as an easy portable snack.  This nut-free recipe is adapted from Oh She Glows, pared down to what we had in our pantry.  Feel free to substitute whatever nuts or seeds you have available.  If you choose to use nuts, chop them up into small pieces so the bars don't fall apart as easily.  I like this as an alternative to the hot oatmeal breakfast as we head into the warmer months.  The only regret I have is not finding this popular recipe sooner!

Ingredients (Yields ~12-14 bars depending on the size of your baking dish)
-1.5 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium/large bananas)
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 cups quick oats 

-3/4 cup dried cranberries
-1 cup sunflower seeds
-1 cup pepita seeds (shelled pumpkin seeds)
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 teaspoon sea salt

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Line a rectangular baking dish with parchment paper.

2.  Mash the bananas in a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix thoroughly.

3.  Fill the baking dish and use the back of a spoon to level out and gently compact the mixture.

4.  Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly golden.  Remove and let cool for 15 minutes before cutting into bars.  I simply used plastic wrap around each and put them in a ziploc bag in the fridge.

Enjoy! 

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...Mushroom Quinoa Salad

This salad, despite being vegetarian, is a refreshing, satisfying meal in itself with the meaty portobello, nutty quinoa, creamy navy beans and bright tangy lemon juice.  It is easy to make and if you have enough leftover, it makes the perfect work lunch the next day.

Ingredients (Yields ~6 servings)

-3 large portobello mushrooms, sliced thickly

-2 cups sliced white button mushrooms

-1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms

-5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

-2 cups rinsed, canned navy beans (=1 can)

-1 cup quinoa

-2 cups chicken stock (water can be used instead)

-5 cups spinach or arugula

-1 lemon, cut into half

-Extra virgin olive oil

-Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a large pan, drizzle about 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat and place the sliced portobello mushrooms in to cook.  Wait until they are browned before flipping them over, approximately 2 minutes.  Continue to cook until the mushrooms are soft to the touch.  Take them off the pan and set aside.

2.  Cook the quinoa by placing it in a small pot with the chicken stock and 2 cloves of sliced garlic over high heat to boil.  Once the liquid is boiling, turn it down to low.  Cook the quinoa for approximately 15 minutes with the lid on.

3.  Fry the remaining white button and cremini mushrooms with the remaining 3 cloves of sliced garlic over medium heat with 2 tbsp olive oil until cooked.  Set aside into salad mixing bowl.

3. Lightly toast the rinsed navy beans in the pan over low-medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil (about 2 minutes) and place into the mixing bowl with the mushrooms.

4. Once the quinoa is cooked, cool it slightly before adding it to the mixing bowl.  If you don't mind your greens slightly wilted, you can add the greens right away (this is what we did).

5. Dress the salad with a generous amount of olive oil, salt and pepper, depending on your tastes.  Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the salad and toss.  

6.  Serve the salad with a 3-4 slices of portobello mushroom.  Sprinkle them with a pinch of salt and give the salad a final drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy!

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...Haru Sushi Bar (Calgary)

Overall - 8/10
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Food - 8.5/10
Service - 8/10
Ambiance - 8/10

Haru Sushi Bar was a place we tried out of convenience since it was close to home.  The first time we did it was a take out experience and were pleasantly surprised by the quality and consistency of the food.  Our dine-in experience was equally satisfying.  The exterior gives no indication of the surprisingly modern decor inside that comfortably accommodated our infant.  The service was efficient and we were done eating before our baby could protest the fact that she was not the centre of attention.

The rolls on the menu were typical of what we've seen and we weren't wowed by their creativity but were won over by the careful preparation and high quality ingredients.  The fish was fresh and the rice was cooked just right.

Dragon roll

 Rainbow roll

 Spicy Tuna & California Rolls

Tonkatsu roll

The dish we were most impressed with was the assorted tempura.  The batter was perfectly crisp, light and not at all doughy.  This was even the case after being left to steam in the take away box.  When we dined in the tempura was even better right out of the kitchen.  This is the best tempura we've had in Calgary thus far.

Overall, we've enjoyed Haru Sushi and wouldn't hesitate to come back or order take out again.

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...Japchae (Korean stir fried noodles)

Japchae is a Korean classic stir fried noodle dish.  Here we make our version with the vegetables that we had on hand. What we really enjoy about japchae and is unique to this dish are the sweet potato noodles that have a wonderful slippery, chewy texture.  Though the vegetables do take a bit of time to slice up, it does give you an excuse to practice your knife work, which is particularly enjoyable if you have a quality chef's knife.  Also, you may choose to forgo the egg and/or beef if your preference is vegetarian.

Ingredients: (Yields ~ 6 servings)
-1 package of sweet potato noodles
-Half an onion, thinly sliced
-2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
-2 green onions, roughly chopped
-6 leaves of napa cabbage, sliced into thin strips (or use spinach instead)
-3 carrots, sliced into thin strips
-5 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and cut into thin strips
-3 eggs, scrambled
-1/2 pound stir fry beef, cut into thin strips
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-Vegetable oil
-4 tbsp soy sauce
-2 tbsp sugar
-2 tbsp sesame oil
-Ground black pepper to taste
*Optional: sesame seeds for garnish

Feel free to cut your veggies into smaller strips- we don't mind ours on the chunkier side

 Method:
1. Rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for several hours.  Cut the mushrooms and vegetables into thin strips.

2. Cook the scrambled eggs with two pinches of salt and set aside.  Fry the sliced beef, mushrooms and garlic in a tablespoon of oil and set aside.  

3.  To cook the noodles, bring a pot of water to a boil and follow the instructions on the packaging.  Strain and set aside.

4.  Stirfry the vegetables in a large skillet/pan over medium heat.  I like my onions to be very soft so I like to put those into the pan ahead of the others to give it more time over the heat.  Cook until the vegetables are soft.

5. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients with the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and ground pepper.  Adjust the seasonings to taste.  

Enjoy!

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...Sweet Potato Chili

In the winter months nothing beats a nice hearty chili. This recipe uses diced sweet potato which adds a subtle sweetness that balances off the spicy chili powder. If you can get it, the ground chuck from Silver Sage Beef will make this one of the best chills you've ever tasted.  For those of you who prefer no meat, use your favourite beans in place of beef and you've got a delicious vegetarian option.

 Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground chuck
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 2 sweet bell peppers, diced
- 1 large sweet potato, diced
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 can of crushed tomatos
- 1 can of corn niblets
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2-3 tbsp chili powder (depending of how spicy you like your chili)
- 1tsp ground cumin
- Chicken stock
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large heavy bottom and oven proof pot fry the onions and peppers until soft in some olive oil. Add the ground chuck and fry until golden brown

2. Add the diced sweet potato, crushed tomatos, cumin and chili powder. If the mixture looks too dry add some water or chicken stock until the liquid reaches just under the top of the ingredients.

3. Bake the chili in an oven preheated to 300 degrees celsius for 2-3 hours or until the sweetpotato is soft and breaks apart. Add more chicken stock or water if the chili looks too dry.

4. Season with salt and pepper then serve with the sliced green onions

Enjoy!

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...Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

There is nothing more addicting than sweet potato fries- the combination of sweet and salty makes them the perfect accompaniment to any meal.  Our little girl will be starting solids in a month and we are already thinking of ways to make meal time easier by cooking the same ingredients for us and our baby: roasted sweet potato mash for baby and fries for us.  In order to make the sweet potato fries extra crisp, the trick is to coat them in cornstarch before baking.  These fries are great dipped in ketchup or even mayo-sriracha for a little kick.

Ingredients: (Yields ~2 portions)

-1 large peeled sweet potato

-1.5 tbsp cornstarch

-Oil of your choice- vegetable, olive oil, or canola will do

-Coarse salt 

-Ground pepper

-Paprika 

*Optional: you can change up the flavours by adding herbs and other spices

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.  Start by cutting the peeled sweet potato into sticks. You can vary the thickness according to your tastes.  I prefer a thinner cut, approximately 1 cm thickness.

2. Soak the sweet potato sticks in water to get rid of the extra starch for a half hour.

3. Drain the water and pat dry using paper towels.  Try to get rid of as much moisture as possible.

4.  In a plastic bag, put in the cornstarch and the sweet potato sticks.  Shake the bag to evenly coat the sweet potato.  Try not to overdo the cornstarch, but if it does happen, use the edge of a spoon to scrape off the excess.  

5. Spread the sweet potato onto the lined baking tray.  Use another tray if you feel they are overcrowded- you want a single layer and space in between the sticks.

6.  Drizzle a generous amount of oil and sprinkle salt, ground pepper, paprika and any other spices you wish to add.  Adjust the amounts to your tastes.  

7.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  The bake time will vary depending on how thick your fries are.  Halfway through the bake time, turn the fries over so they don't burn on one side.  

8.  Place the fries on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.  Serve with your favourite condiment and enjoy!

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...Banana Pecan Muffins

This is my take on a near perfect banana muffin recipe.  The addition of cinnamon, raisins, a sprinkling of crunchy pecans and reduced sugar make them great for breakfast or a snack during the day.

Ingredients: (Yields ~12 large muffins)

-1 1/2 cups flour

-1 tbsp cinnamon

-1 tsp baking powder

-1 tsp baking soda

-1 tsp salt

-3 mashed large bananas

-1/2 cup sugar

-1 egg

-1/3 cup melted butter

-1 cup raisins

-1/3 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a muffin tray with paper cups.

2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a big mixing bowl, mash the bananas and add the sugar, egg and melted butter.  Loosely mix with a spatula until egg is broken up.

4. Add the dry ingredients a third at a time and stir with the spatula until the flour mixture is incorporated.  When you add the last third, add a bit at a time.  I usually end up not using all the flour mixture so the batter remains more moist.  Use your judgement depending on how you like your muffins.  The key here is not to over work the batter.

5.  Fill the muffin cups and sprinkle over the pecans.

6.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes until muffins are golden brown. 

Enjoy!

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...Red Bean Glutinous Rice Balls (Mochi)

This dessert has many variations in Asian cuisine; the Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese all have their own versions.  The one that you can find in Hong Kong style pastry shops contain either sweetened red bean or peanut, with a sprinkling of shredded coconut.  The flavours of the coconut and red bean are reminiscent of the hot red bean soup dessert served at the end of meals in a Chinese restaurant (if you receive fortune cookies, ask the server for the real Chinese dessert); only at room temperature, making it a perfect treat for the warmer months of summer.

Ingredients: (Yield ~24 balls)

-3/4 cup red beans (or buy the ready to use paste)

-Rock sugar, to taste

-4 tablespoons vegetable oil

-1 bag of glutinous rice flour (400 g)

-1 cup of sugar

-1 can of coconut milk (400 mL)

-1/2 cup of milk 

-1 cup of shredded fine coconut (we used unsweetened)

Method

1. Soak the red beans overnight in water.  Add the drained beans to boiling water and cook until soft on medium-low heat.  This can take up to 1.5 hours depending on how long you pre-soak the beans.  Add more water to the pot as needed as it evaporate.  Halfway through the cooking process, add as much rock sugar to the water as you like to sweeten the beans.

2. Once the beans are soft, drain the water.  Depending on if you like whole beans or a paste, you can use a processor to blend it.  We blended our beans and then added vegetable oil to make the beans into a paste.

3.  Mix together the glutinous rice flour and sugar in a large bowl.  Then gradually add the coconut milk and cows milk while stirring the mixture.  The texture should be stiffer than pancake batter, but we've seen people who like to make their mochi extra soft and add even more milk.

4. Put the mixture onto a shallow greased dish and steam for about 45 minutes to an hour or until you can no longer taste uncooked flour.  You can split the mixture into two batches for steaming if your dish is not big enough.

Uncooked mochi

Cooked mochi

5. Once the mochi is cool enough to be handled you can start making the balls.  Take about a golf ball size of mochi and flatten it into a round disc (not too thin).  Place the red bean paste in the centre and fold the edges to seal it in.  Roll in your hands to make a uniform ball and then place into the coconut to coat.  

*Hint:  If you mochi is not sticky enough use a tiny bit of vegetable oil to help the coconut stick.  Conversely, if your mochi is too sticky to handle, use gloves or make sure your hands are wet when you handle it so it doesn't stick to your hands.

Enjoy!

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…Caramelized Onion Parmesan Crepe

This delicious recipe is easy to make, all you need is some time.  When sautéed over a low heat, the thinly sliced onions caramelize and develop a sweet savoury flavour that only requires simple additions to round out the flavour: sage, garlic and parmesan cheese.

Ingredients: (Yields approximately 4 crepes)

Crepe:

-1/2 cup of whole milk

-1 egg

-1 tbsp olive oil

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 cup flour

Filling:

-2 thinly sliced onions

-3 cloves crushed garlic

-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

-1 tsp dried sage

Method

1. Whisk the egg and milk together.  Add the olive oil and salt.  

2.  Gradually and gently whisk in the flour until combined.  Do not over mix the batter.  Place it in the fridge for at least half an hour to chill.

3.  While the batter is chilling, make the filling.  Use a non-stick pan on medium-low heat and begin sautéing the onions in a tablespoon of whatever oil you have on hand, we used canola.  

4.  When the onions start to look soft and transparent, add the crushed garlic and sage.  Continue to sauté until the onions are a golden brown colour, about half and hour.  Be sure to constantly stir the onions so they colour evenly and don't burn.

5. Put the caramelized onions on a plate to cool.  At this point, the batter should be cooled enough to cook.  We used the same pan.

6. Add a teaspoon of oil into the pan and add a ladle-full (about 4 tablespoons) of batter into the pan and spread out using the back of the ladle or a spoon.  Cook until the underside is a golden colour and then flip over. 

                             

7.  Add as much filling, including the cheese as you like.  When the other side of the crepe is golden in colour, fold over and toast for another minute to melt the cheese.  Cut the crepe into half and serve the while hot.  

Enjoy!

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…Calgary Court Restaurant Pt. II (Calgary)

Overall - 9/10
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Food - 9.5/10
Service - 9/10
Ambiance - 8/10

Calgary Court was recently re-opened a few months ago after renovations due to the June flood.  The restaurant now looks modern, comfortable, bright and clean.  The menu remains largely the same: Hong Kong style cafe, which means Western influences on traditional Cantonese cuisine.  For example, the use of cream and tomato sauces and dishes like spaghetti, steak and sandwiches with fries.    As in our previous post on Calgary Court, the food we've experienced here since the reno's has been deliciously satisfying.

Wonton Noodle Soup

Beef flank and eggplant hotpot

Gai lan stir fried in garlic 

Beef flank lo mein

Fried rice crepe with hoisin and peanut sauce 

Baked pork chop rice

You can't go wrong with any of these dishes and the great thing is that the menu is filled with other great items so that you never have to have the same thing twice.

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