Posted on

Clay Oven – Calgary, Alberta

Recently, as the weather has been starting to warm up (well, it’s been a nice and milk winter), I’ve been wanting spicy food – as we normally eat spicy on the coldest days – which we didn’t have too many of. So, we went to and ventured to the northeast, and found ourselves at Clay Oven located in a small strip plaza.

Once we got to the table, some Papadum was given to us (and every table), but it also appeared on the menu for $2.00 which made it confusing… is it a gift or if we eat it, would we have to pay? I must admit, I never did pay attention to the bill when it came, so I still can’t answer my own question. The papadum that was on the table is two thinly sliced wafers toasted on an open flame. This one didn’t taste burnt either, but had a subtle smoke background to it! The sauce that came with the papadum was really tangy with a nice kick to it! It was good!

I’ve really started loving Mango Lassi drinks, and now every time I go to an East Indian restaurant, I would order one. This one is one of the best, as it didn’t separate through the night, and it wasn’t so fibrous making it hard to drink. The mango lassi was full of mango flavour and this location has just made me one of my favourites in the city!

Of course, when you eat curries, you eat it with some sort of Roti! We ordered the Garlic Nan which is leavened bread of fine light flour baked to perfection. The Naan here is huge, and it was baked to perfection. But, the simple fact that their garlic nan was made with a huge taste of “garlic powder” kind of disappointed me a little. The garlic flavour was definitely there, but I was hoping for some fresh garlic infused in oil or something like that. I think next time I’ll just get a plain nan!

We also ordered some Plain Rice which their plain is great, it’s basmati rice richly flavored with spices and saffron. I like using rice for my vehicle to eat curries.

For the curries, we ordered a medium heat level of Butter Chicken which is made of chicken fillets blended in a creamy butter and tomato sauce.

The other curry that we ordered was a Beef Curry, also in medium heat level. This curry is made of fillets of beef cooked in curry sauce and spices

The food and flavours from Clay Oven are phenomenal! The heat level is actually quite spicy, and I believe there were 4 levels of heat, and we’re only at the 2nd heat level! The flavours are bold and strong, and to be honest, the heat actually numbed me by the end – I just continued eating and I didn’t think it was spicy at all! I really enjoyed the food from here, and I am glad I was introduced to it from my friends wedding – as she used Clay Oven as their caterer!

Clay Oven

3132 26 St NE
Calgary, AB
(403) 250-2161

Posted on

The Grizzly Paw

I love all the food in Canmore, Alberta, and when we stopped by this time, we went to try lunch at The Grizzly Paw which I had known they brewed their own beers and made their own sodas. I’ve tried their soda for the first time from a food truck in Calgary – the Perogy Boyz, and I’ve loved it since then!

It was a busy Saturday afternoon when we went (during a long weekend), and waited about 30 minutes for a table – which I thought was very reasonable, since it was the tail end of the lunch rush! Of course, I sat down to order a bottle of their Cream Soda which is a delicious naturally brewed made with the finest vanilla beans.

I was looking for a lighter lunch option and settled for the Down South Salad Wrap, which was a fresh “salad wrap” made with lots of lettuce, cheese and mango salsa. Inside the wrap had spiced chicken breast with avocado spread on the wrap. When all these ingredients are rolled into a tortilla wrap, it was a delightful lunch!

We also ordered a Mushroom Swiss Burger with Bison Patty with mushrooms, topped with Swiss cheese. This burger became very special after we substituted a “normal” beef patty to a bison patty. You definitely get the gameness of the bison meat which added a lot of extra flavour to the burger.

Overall, this was a fantastic place, and now it really makes sense why the restaurant/brewery is always packed – at any time of day! This is a location I have no problem returning to, as the food is really delicious! I really love that they make their own beverages as that is a special touch of uniqueness they’re able to offer to the community! With plans for them to expand, I’m sure they’ll still be packed!

The Grizzly Paw on Urbanspoon

The Grizzly Paw – Canmore, Alberta

622 Main Street
Canmore, AB
(403) 678-9983

Posted on

Homemade Steamed Egg Tofu

Home Made Steamed Egg with Soy Milk

This is a neat one, but delicious steamed dish that goes perfectly with rice! It’s really quick and easy, and I think it’s light and healthy too! so, why not put together a quick dish on the dinner table tonight? Well, this recipe takes a spin off scramble eggs – as you normally put a splash of milk in the scrambled eggs, except you’re putting soy milk in your steamed eggs! Also, you can dress up this dish if you like, or enjoy it as it!

Ingredients:
125mL Soy Milk (unsweetened)
3 Eggs (beaten)
pinch of salt and white pepper

Some people opt out of the white pepper if they’re just looking for the smooth custard look and feel of the steamed egg.

First off, set up your steamer for steaming. This recipe is quick, so you can start preparing this right away! Beat your 3 eggs and season it. Make sure it’s beaten well.

When it’s mixed thoroughly, pour the soy milk into the mixture and beat well again.

Strain the egg mixture through a strainer into a heat proof steam plate, cover it tightly with aluminum foil and set into the steamer. Steam for about 12 to 15 minutes on low.

After you remove it from the steamer, unwrap the tin foil to see the beautiful creation you’ve made! My eggs were over-cooked so it’s not the custard texture that I was looking for on the top as I left it in the steamer so it would stay warm. However, it was smooth and creamy on the inside. I like to add some soy sauce to my eggs, because that is how my dad did it. My mom would actually put a bunch of stuff on top to make the eggs more flavourful. I like the XO Sauce Steamed Egg Tofu for me!

If you like steamed eggs for dinner, try ending with steamed egg for dessert with Dun Daan (Sweet Egg Custard Dessert)

Posted on

Homemade Bor Lor Bao – 菠蘿包

Home Made Chinese Pineapple Bun Recipe

Ingredients (makes 4-6 mini buns):
Dough:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tbsp yeast
1/2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk
1 egg beaten
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
oil

Topping:
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp milk
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder

First, you make the yeast solution for the yeast to activate by mixing the yeast with a pinch of sugar, 1/2 cup of flour and 1/4 cup warm water

Once the solution has become frothy and has doubled in size, you’re ready to start making the dough. Melt butter, then add milk to the butter.

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs to the flour and then incorporate the milk mixture and yeast mixture. Knead for a few minutes until a ball of dough forms. You may need to add more water or flour depending on the consistancy.

Once the ball of dough is formed, take another mixing bowl and grease the sides. Put some plastic wrap on the top – or a wet tea towel and wait for 2 hours for the dough to rise. In the mean time, you can make the topping as it needs some time to set in the fridge. To make the topping, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Then, add in the egg yolk with milk and mix again. Next comes the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Once this comes in, be sure to mix to combine only. Do not over work this mixture. Form into disks and refrigerate.

After you proof the dough, cut it up into the portion size you’d like your pineapple buns to be. Keep in mind they will rise again, so they’ll be bigger than you make them!

Once you got them portioned out, place the topping and place it on the bun with egg wash. Then, let them rise for a second time. You can score diamond markings on the top of the topping or just leave it – as the diamond texture simulates the look of a pineapple.

When you’re ready, bake in a 375F oven for 10-12 minutes when a toothpick can come out clean – then you’re ready to enjoy!

To get the shiny topping which I didn’t do, you can brush the top with some egg wash (beaten egg with some water mixture).

Posted on

Homemade Wheat Bread Roll

Home Made Bread Bun

I was on a soup and sandwich for a little while, and all I needed was 2 fresh rolls for lunch! So, I’ve made a little recipe to make either 2 “longer” rolls, or 4 buns.

Ingredients (Serving size 2-4 rolls):
1 package of yeast
1 cup Wheat flour
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

First, I activate the yeast by mixing the yeast into the warm water with some sugar. After about 10 minutes, it should become frothy – if it doesn’t, start this step again as the yeast didn’t activate.

I then prepare all the other ingredients for the bread in another large mixing bowl. If you’d like it all white bread, swap it out for whatever flour you would like! Add a pinch of salt into the flour when all the flour is mixed together.

Afterwards, incorporate the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and roll make it into a ball. If it’s too stiff, add some more warm water, and if it’s too sticky, add some more flour (of whichever kind you like). Knead the dough for a few minutes and shape into a ball and let it rise!

Once the dough has doubled in size, proof the dough (deflate the dough) and knead again for a little bit.

Then, form into rolls the shape and approximate serving size you’d like, and leave alone to rise a second time. Once it’s doubled in size again, just pop them into a pre-heated oven at 450F for 20 minutes

I cut a few slits on the top of my rolls before popping them into the oven for decoration. You can choose to do this step or not, or sprinkle poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or whatever you like!

>

Now, I got my roll to make a delicious sandwich for lunch! Was it worth it? I think so! 🙂 I got some delicious cheese and deli meat to complete this fantastic lunch. Making plain bread opens the doors for many ideas for sandwich making!