Head to Nigeria with FOODalogue and Sample Some Chicken Suya with Cracked Wheat Salad

Suya with Cracked Wheat Salad

Nigeria is a large country located in West Africa whose name is taken from its namesake the Niger River, which plays an important part in the daily lives of those who live there. Not only is the river an important transportation highway, it is also an excellent source of fish, including carp, Nile perch, and catfish. It also provides much needed irrigation for cultivating crops. A large part of Nigeria lies in the tropics, where fruits are abundant. Some of the popular fruits we are familiar with are oranges, melons, grapefruits, limes, mangoes, bananas, and pineapples.  It seems that food would be be abundant but to put it into context, my Lonely Planet travel guide states that food in West Africa “is more a question of survival rather than enjoyment”. The "hungry season" is before the rains arrive in March, and the "season of surplus" follows the harvest in October and November. It would be a difficult place for a self-professed “foodie”.

Longing for Spinach Artichoke Potato Lasagna

Spinach Artichoke Potato Lasagna

I have had this dish in my bucket list of recipes for so long that I don't even recall where the idea came from. All I know is that it would satisfy my obsession for potatoes, for experimenting with more vegetarian meals for Meatless Mondays and I could even use the new little crocks that came with the caccavelli I discovered at my local Italian grocers. Another added bonus is that I could use fresh ricotta for it's firmer texture and superior quality.

Every Tuesday I would take a side trip to my "foodie mecca" and wistfully ask if they had any fresh ricotta in today. For the past month or so someone has been eating up all of the ricotta...lasagna must be at the dinner table of every home in the valley...so it has not been available. Then we had a snow storm and there was no delivery!!! My search for fresh ricotta seemed doomed to fail.

FOODalogue Travels to Egypt.... Dukkah-Crusted Chicken Scaloppine with Warm Carrot-Raisin Salad

Dukkah-Crusted Chicken Scaloppine

with Warm Carrot-Raisin Salad

 and Shallot Cream

Egypt has been in the headlines every moment of every day for these past few weeks. It would be tragic if we didn't have the opportunity to explore even the tiniest glimpse into the cuisine of Egypt as planned with Joan of FOODalogue and her Culinary Tour 2011. Thousands of years ago, ancient Egyptians left evidence of their love for food. Well-preserved wall paintings and carvings have been discovered on tombs and temples, depicting large feasts and an everchanging variety of foods. Egyptian cuisine echoes many flavours of the East. Their food has roots in Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria and has been adapted over centuries to become the cuisine we know and love today.

I so enjoyed exploring the cuisine of Egypt... unfamiliar and yet familiar at the same time. Joan has been travelling virtually wherever her imagination takes us. Who wouldn't enjoy taking a journey around the world even if it is from the comfort of your favourite armchair?? We have already met up in Panama where we feasted on traditional dishes  and visited the markets, caught our own salmon and King Crab in Alaska, traversed the spice markets of Turkey, discovered over 2,000 years of "harmony" in Japan and explored hot,sour,salty sweet flavours in Thailand. Next stop in Joan's itinerary, if you haven't guessed it already, is Egypt. Thank you for taking us there!!!!

Leave me Weak in the Knees with "Caccavelli alla valli"

Caccavelli alla Valli

Just before Christmas I made my weekly journey to my hometown version of "foodie mecca," our local Italian grocers. Over the better part of the past year Valaroso has been expanding and upgrading and along with that they are introducing whole new lines of pastas, sauces, and ingredients that leave me weak in the knees. When I am searching for fresh ricotta, morel mushrooms or figs this is my "go to" place to find those longed for ingredients to add excitement to my diningroom table. Italians are known for taking ‘simple’ dishes and basic ingredients to the height of perfection.

Best Thing I Ever Ate (Recently) Roundup

If you have been following More Than Burnt Toast you will know that in recent years I have been creating personal challenges based on a theme to infuse new life into my cooking adventures. I am a firm believer that even every day food should be an adventure either with new ideas, or experimenting with a new cuisine. This is part of what blogging means to me to discover and rediscover new ingredients, new techniques and to rejuvenate my culinary skills when I am feeling uninspired. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating don't you think!!!! In the heart of a Canadian winter this can be a challenging since "fresh" and sometimes even "local" are only visions.

Hot-Sour-Salty-Sweet Thai Herb Sliders for FOODalogue

Hot-Sour-Salty Thai Herb Sliders

We have been travelling on a virtual culinary journey with Joan of FOODalogue for her Culinary Tour 2011. Joan has been travelling virtually wherever her imagination takes us. How about meeting her in any one of her itinerary stops and presenting your interpretation of the cuisine from that destination? Who wouldn't enjoy taking a journey around the world even if it is from the comfort of your favourite armchair?? We have already met up in Panama where we feasted on traditional dishes  and visited the markets, caught our own salmon and King Crab in Alaska, traversed the spice markets of Turkey, and discovered over 2,000 years of "harmony" in Japan. Our next stop on Joan's culinary tour is...

It Takes Longer To Wash The Dishes than to Make Red Velvet Pasta Sauce

I love blogging for many reasons, but one reason is for the many "light bulb" moments. I will be in the middle of my on-line search, watching television or reading when I come across a recipe or an idea that I just have to stop everything for and head to the kitchen. I had one such "aha" moment when I received a newsletter from the ladies at Food 52. Roxanne dubbed this pasta sauce "Cold Sauce "which truthfully sounds pretty unappealing. Who wants to eat cold sauce, now I ask you!!!!

 What I did love about this sauce is that I have everything I need to prepare it right in my pantry. No need to head to the store on a cold, blistery day and no need to spend hours in the kitchen!  I have redubbed this winter sauce "Red Velvet Pasta Sauce" in honour of Valentine's Day. This dish takes less time to make than it will to do the dishes!!!!What better way to spend more quality time with the ones you love.

Coeur a la Creme with Caramelized Strawberries for Invite a Blogger to Your Table

Coeur a la Creme with Caramelized Strawberries

In January I invited Valerie of A Canadian Foodie to my table and even though she lives in Alberta and I in British Columbia we shared our table by creating a dish together. Nothing creates friendships better than sharing a kitchen even it is virtually. For our initial creation we both made Pasteis de Belém (Portuguese Custard Tarts) a traditional Portuguese treat.  We so enjoyed the experience that according to the rules of the event as listed below Valerie invited Hana from My Life as a Housewife  from the UK to create a different dish, their very first Coeur a la Creme, and I was invited to tag along.

Easy Smoky Potato Pancakes...and the Winner of My 4 Year Blogiversary Giveaway

Smoky Potato Pancakes

Yesterday we had such high hopes that Spring had arrived. People were walking the pathway behind my condo, winter jackets were shed...and now back to reality this morning with a blanket of snow covering the ground. Sigh....all the more reason to take comfort in the kitchen.

Although I consume a majority of vegetarian meals it has been a while since I posted a recipe for Meatless Mondays. From Canada to Croatia, nations across the globe are taking the pledge and joining the Meatless Monday movement. Going meat free one day each week is a powerful way for each of us to reduce our ecological footprint and reconnect with foods that are both nutritious and delicious.

Year of The Rabbit Wonton Soup

Year of the Rabbit Won Ton Soup

Where is my World Nutella Day creation you ask? Well my pantry has all of the ingredients ready and waiting to make the Nutella Lava Cakes with Creme Anglaise and Strawberries I had planned, but truth be told I simply just ran out of time. You will not be disappointed, or maybe you will, but MTBT is really trying to eliminate sweets altogether so maybe that wasn't the best plan for me afterall. Instead I will share what I made the very first day of Chinese New Year which is often referred to as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. The celebrations began on February 3rd marking the beginning of two weeks of food, firecrackers, parades and traditional events.  Communities all over the world swept away the old year and welcomed in a new one filled with good fortune. These celebrations have been observed annually in China for more than 5,000 years and are not only the most important holiday in China but also widely celebrated in other countries as well.  Here in the Okanagan we can only hope to hit the nearest buffet or Chinese restaurant but we can celebrate in our own way when we share our table with our friends.

Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club Goes Red for "Have a Heart" (and my 4 Year Blogiversary Giveaway)

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Flank Steak with Garlic-Chive Mashed Potatoes

As Valentine's Day approaches, our minds turn to our loved ones...plus perhaps a little bit of panic about what to give and what to eat. To make things easier on you, we have collected our Valentine's Day menu ,with a twist, from the pages of Cooking Light with recipe suggestions on how best to say "I love you" with Red Food. We are also honouring Heart and Stroke Month since these recipes are on the "light" side and good for not only your own heart health but for the ones you love. What better way to show them you love them by creating light dishes that are good for them from the pages of Cooking Light magazine. Stay tuned for my 4th Anniversary Giveaway...so keep reading!

As we continue into a new year we are so glad you have decided to join us once again for our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. This is a monthly event where 5 ladies and now one gent in two neighbouring countries get together to create a delicious meal with a theme in mind. We are now in our second year and continue to share a love for Cooking Light magazine which has an emphasis on healthy eating and living. This is a team effort where we combine what Cooking Light readers like best...good food with great company!!! Every month millions of readers turn to Cooking Light for recipes, advice on nutrition and fitness. If you have a "heart - healthy" red dish that would fit into this months theme please feel free to add your link at the bottom of this post.

From strawberries to beets, red fruits and vegetables pack a vibrant nutritional punch. We've all heard the cliche that an apple a day can keep the doctor away, but the same runs true for a virtual cornucopia of red foods, including strawberries, cherries, raspberries, watermelon, tomatoes, and beets? Many red fruits and veggies are loaded with powerful, healthy antioxidants...such as lycopene and anthocyanins...that may do everything from fight heart disease and prostate cancer to decrease the risk for stroke and macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in people aged 60 and older). Antioxidants soak up damaging free radicals as well.

To amp up our Red Menu Jamie of Mom's Cooking Club started us off with Bruschetta with Warm Tomatoes. Briefly heating the tomatoes intensifies their sweetness while preserving their bright, fresh flavours. This is a timely reminder of summer! In the area of food and phytonutrient research, nothing has been hotter in the last several years than studies on the lycopene factor , another antioxidant, in the prevention of heart disease and cancer. Good thing I eat tomatoes like apples!

For our menu I chose a recipe from the pages of Cooking Light that used both red meat and red potatoes... Bourbon and Brown Sugar Flank Steak with Garlic-Chive Mashed Potatoes. I've made this recipe several times, always to rave reviews!!! It's perfect to make when you want something that tastes special, but takes no time at all. Marinate the steak before you head off for work in the morning and supper will be ready in however long it takes to cook the potatoes.

Potatoes' reputation as a high-carb, white starch has removed them from the meals of many a weight-conscious eater, but this stereotype is due for a significant overhaul. Analysis of Red potatoes revealed that these spuds' phenolic content rivals that of broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts, and includes flavonoids with protective activity against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers.

Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen rounded out the theme by bringing a refreshing Granny Smith, Radish, and Radicchio Salad with Orange-Walnut Vinaigrette. This tasty salads include radishes and radicchio and is eye candy when the vegetables are julienned.

In the vegetable neighborhood of salad greens Radicchio is the rowdy redhead when it comes to nutritional power. Radicchio has many healthful properties, it provides an antioxidant content rivaling that of blueberries and spinach.

Next Sandi of The Whistlestop Cafe wowed us with a salad that uses red onions....Spanish Salad of Oranges, Fennel, Red Onion, and Mint with Dressing.This is a typical Spanish-style salad that goes so well with our menu.

Onions contain a number of sulfides similar to those found in garlic which may lower blood lipids and blood pressure. Onions are also a rich source of flavonoids, substances known to provide protection against cardiovascular disease.

Now let's introduce you to one of our latest members of the Virtual Supper Club Jerry of  Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants from my old stomping grounds of  Ontario, Canada. He rocks red with beets in a Roasted Sweet-and-Sour Beets, Carrots and Parsnips dish. The cider vinegar provides fruity, acidic zip and enough liquid to prevent the sugary maple syrup from burning.

Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support.

And for the "piece de resistance" I would also like to introduce Roz of La Bella Vita who is living "the beautiful life" in South Carolina and loves Cooking Light also. She uses fragrantly sweet and subtly tart raspberries in a sensuous Almond Jelly Roll with Raspberry Filling. This cake can be made a day in advance; just wrap it in plastic wrap, and store your treat in the fridge. This leaves more time to spend with the ones you love.

 Raspberries are high in antioxidants and flavanoids. Now for the giveaway....