Simply Snacking: Neal Brother's Tortilla Chips

Posted on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 by
Neal Brothers Extremely Tasty Tortillas

Before a BBQ, it’s great to have something on hand to satisfy hungry guests before the food’s ready. A quick and easy dish, which can easily be prepared ahead of time, is an avocado and corn bean dip. There’s no real recipe, I just throw a bunch of things together in a bowl and mix!
  • 1 can of black beans, rinsed thoroughly and drained
  • 1 can of corn kernels, drained
  • 1 large or 2 small avocados, diced
  • Splash of lemon or lime juice
  • Salt to taste
  • Optional: diced bell peppers or jalepenos


After experimenting with various supermarket tortilla chips, my favourite to use with the dip is Neal Brother’s Extremely Tasty Tortilla Chips – particularly, the organic blue with flax version.

It’s not oily or too salty, so you can taste the dip. The chip is thin enough to have a brittle crunch, but can still scoop up the ingredients. Plus, the flax seeds mixed into it adds a great sesame element.

chips and dip

Brothers, Peter and Chris, started Neal Brothers Foods in 1988 making croutons out of their parents’ kitchen in Aurora, Ontario. They have come a long way since then expanding into various snacking products and sauces, which are distributed in major grocery chains (I purchase them at Loblaws or Whole Foods).

So, stock some beans, corn and chips in your pantry. With the addition of a semi-ripe avocado, you’ll be amazed with the delicious snack you can create.

NEXT: Brussel Bytes
MORE: Back to Simply Snacking


How To Find Them 
 Website: http://www.nealbrothersfoods.com/
 Approx. Price:  $3.99


Simply Snacking: Marvellous Creations Jelly Popping Candy

Posted on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 by

Marvellous creations: jelly popping candy

Generally, super sweet items turn me off. So, imagine my surprise when I really enjoyed the jelly popping candy from Cadbury Marvellous Creations that my friend introduced. Indeed, it’s loaded with sugar from the candy coated chocolate, popping candy and chewy gummy pieces packed into each piece of the Dairy Milk chocolate.

And perhaps due to its sweetness, I can have a small piece each time. That one little oddly shaped triangle (they aren’t squared like other chocolate bars) lasts quite a while as I nibble through the candy and am greeted by a new texture. My favourite are the popping candy (think Pop Rocks) mixed into the chocolate, which sparkles against the tongue as the chocolate melts. Meanwhile, the gummies could be switched out for cookies – I hate the sensation of having sticky candies on my teeth.

The Dairy Milk bar was first introduced in the UK in 1905 as a new high milk content chocolate. After over a century they are still well loved and have spun off various flavours. Although I haven’t tried the entire Marvellous Creations line, I think the Jelly Popping Candy one is a hit. The fact that one bar lasts me months is just a bonus.  


How To Find Them 
 Website: http://www.snackworks.ca/
 Approx. Price:  $1 for 47g bar

CLOSED: A La Carte Bistro (Toronto)

Posted on Monday, July 13, 2015 by


Gardiner Museum Doors at 6PM

You may have heard about Friday Nights at the ROM and Thursday Nights at the AGO; popular evening events in Toronto that allow us to have drinks and absorb culture. Over July 2015, add the Gardiner Museum to the list as they have launched ‘Doors at 6PM’: a series of Friday events … that is FREE with half-priced admission. 

 Events differ by week, so check their website for details. However, each evening features special craft beer and wine on their patio and a clay station so guests can get their creative juices rolling. And if you’re feeling hungry, it’s a great opportunity to visit A La Carte Bistro upstairs. 

 Recently, the restaurant invited me to try their new summer menu and I got a peak of what Doors at 6PM had to offer. It’s a low-key evening compared to the ROM, with a crowd of varied ages. That Friday, the Writers’ Trust of Canada presented recipients who did a reading from award winning short stories and there was a live jazz band that serenaded us during dinner. 

 Given the size of the tuna nicoise ($18), my friend and I split the salad. At first I was a bit apprehensive when the flaked tuna came into view; the essence of the smelly canned variety came to mind. Luckily, the fish used at A La Carte was fresh and light that it quickly dispelled my fears. The tuna, along with the spring mix, baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, green beans, egg and olives were all well flavoured – the salad was easily hearty enough to be a main. 
A La Carte Bistro tuna nicoise

Pan-seared chicken breast ($24) is generally not something I get excited over, but something about the sweet corn risotto was beckoning me. I’m glad I gave it chance as the chicken was delicious – moist and topped with salty crispy skin. The risotto had a decadent cheesy element to it with the addition of whipped goat cheese and Grana Padano parmesan, while a sweet corn puree pooled around it. 
A La Carte Bistro chicken breast

The petit pain ciabatta ($20) contained three fair sized sandwiches (each about the size of 1.5 sliders) that were filled with different meats: a braised brisket with Belgian ale, roasted pork with caramelized onion and roasted lamb with fig and walnut pesto. They all had sufficient flavour from all the sauces, which were tailored to the individual protein. My friend and I both agreed these were tasty, but if they were hot, would have been even better. 
A La Carte Bistro petit pain ciabatta

 Despite being stuffed, we tucked into the beautiful mignardises plate for two ($10). It contained a selection of rich chocolate truffles, pistachio biscotti, chocolate dipped cookies, vanilla powder sugar dusted madeleine and berries with cream. The cookies were the highlight - soft and satisfying without being too sweet or oily. 
A La Carte Bistro dessert

The transition of the menu into lighter salads and fare is ideal for the warmer weather. Gone are the chicken pot pie, paella and baked lobster mac ‘n’ cheese of the winter menu, you can certainly see the transformation and taste the lightness. It shows the Chef puts thought into what’s best for the summer. 

 As my friend and I exited the building after an evening of great food, interesting entertainment and a bottle of bubbly, we couldn’t help but laugh at the ROM’s line snaking down University. So, if you’re in the neighbourhood and don’t fancy waiting, just remember there is another delicious option. And it’s just across the street.

 Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
* Disclaimer: the above meal was complimentary. But, rest assured as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.



How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 111 Queens Park


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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

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Simply Snacking: Prana's Machu Pichu Mix

Posted on Sunday, July 12, 2015 by

Prana Machu Pichu exotic fruit and nut mix

Fruit and nut mixes are ideal for satisfying salty and sweet cravings while providing protein and vitamins. Prana’s Machu Pichu mix, part of the June Yummy Goody Box, introduced me to a whole new fruit - the white mulberry.  

White mulberries, according to Wikipedia, is generally found in traditional Chinese medicine and believed to treat constipation, diabetes and prematurely greying hair. Luckily, I’m not suffering from any of these ailments and instead enjoyed the mulberry for its chewy light sweetness. Its shrunken yellow brain appearance doesn’t look appealing but tastes delicious.

Aside from mulberry, the Machu Pichu mix also contained almonds, pumpkin seed, Brazil nuts, plump raisins, goji berries and goldenberries. All in all, a diverse blend of sweet, tangy, crunchy and chewy elements. I like that they don’t add sugar and salt to the mix, rather retaining the ingredient’s natural flavours. My qualm with dried fruit is they often have a weird sugary crust on it.


Prana, a Quebec based company, was co-founded by Marie-Josee Richer. After travelling across Asia and living three years in Goa, India she became a practicing vegan. When returning to Quebec, she and two other travelers wanted to bring the healthy eating lifestyle they developed to North America. Hence, they started Prana, a company dedicated to vegan and organic snacks.

The word Prana means “breath” and in yoga refers to the life force connecting the universe’s elements. Thank you Prana and Yummy Goody Box for connecting me to the white mulberry.

Nutritional information is available on Prana's website.


How To Find Them 
 Website: http://pranana.com/en/
 Approx. Price:  $4.99
                             

Market Street Catch (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, July 12, 2015 by


Market Street Catch

When scouting a quick and cheap seafood spot in downtown Toronto, Buster’s Sea Cove (in the St. Lawrence Market) often comes to mind. However, it tends to have long queues and closes fairly early for dinner. Their sister restaurant, Market Street Catch, fills this void with a retail location beside the Market.

Prices are slightly higher but the 26-seat sitting area (40 including the patio) and order-than-sit service is worth the extra dollar. Prices are still reasonable, with three large tacos costing $15 and no extra charges for mixing choices. With four options, I settled on the octopus, shrimp and seared tuna.

The chopped octopus was tender and packed with heat from the spicy salsa. More of the cooling sour cream would be nice to counteract the spiciness.


Plump pieces of shrimp adorned the second taco and had a nice rub on it in conjunction with the salsa and pico de gallo. In all the tacos, the pico de gallo contained too much onion; luckily, it wasn’t hard to pick out.


The tuna was beautifully seared leaving a vibrant red centre. It went nicely with the neutral coleslaw and unlike the octopus and shrimp, wasn’t as spicy so the fish’s flavour held up.


Most of their seafood is available fried or grilled and accompanied with fries or salad. The grilled swordfish with salad ($14.95) was bland, although the side of thousand island tarter sauce (?) helped. Indeed, the dull flavour could be due to me trying the swordfish after the sauce filled tacos.


Overall, the seafood at Market Street is fresh and there are plenty of menu options. If you’re looking for a relatively quick and inexpensive restaurant, they may just have the catch for you.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 14 Market Street

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

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