Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Week 6 of HelloFresh: Spicy Week

We skipped the HelloFresh delivery last week because I didn't like the available options. This week I ordered three meals because only these three have a reasonable amount of calories and do not require an oven.

Spicy Kung Pao Chicken with Peanuts and Ginger Rice
HelloFresh Description: Speedy, spicy stir-fry! Juicy pieces of chicken get a flavour boost from a quick marinade, while crunchy golden peanuts will remind you of the takeout classic!

This is not my favourite HelloFresh dish and that's because I am familiar with Kung Pao Chicken. It's one dish I almost always get at Chinese restaurants. My favourite one is from Gourmet Wok inside Granville Island Public Market.

I reheated the Spicy Kung Pao Chicken for lunch and it's really one of the worst (if not the worst) dishes we've had from HelloFresh.

Tuscan Sausage Linguine with Sweet Bell Pepper, Chili, and Parmesan
HelloFresh Description: Juicy pork sausage, thyme and garlic create the perfect flavour base for this classic pasta sauce. Built up with sweet peppers, chili and Parmesan cheese, this recipe is so simple and delicious, you'll want it to become a part of your weekly repertoire.

The pasta dish is so delicious! Quite the opposite of Kung Pao Chicken. The pork sausage is juicy and I love the heat from the chili. Plus, it feels healthy because of the zucchini and bell pepper.

Sausage and Broccolini Pasta with Fresh Penne

This is another winner recipe. Hubby's only concern was why is the penne in the picture covered in tomato sauce while ours is not. The answer is I have no idea. Thankfully it was delicious.

Skipping HelloFresh next week

I am skipping HelloFresh next week. I was planning to have a rice bowl week where all four dishes includes rice as the base, unfortunately, the traumatizing rice dish this week (I'm looking at you Kung Pao Chicken!) is making me hesitant to order their rice dish. Thus, no HelloFresh next week and time to look for a Chinese restaurant nearby where we can pick up food that we can reheat for most of the week.

Saturday, October 16, 2021

Spicy Chicken McNuggets and Trying Li'l Donuts from McDonald's

Happy Saturday! I have wanted to try the Spicy Chicken McNuggets ever since it was released, but we only eat out once a week, and we usually have plans during the weekends, so for the first time in a while, we have a weekend with zero plans.

The only plan for this weekend is to be cozy at home (since it's raining outside) and order in.

Delivery from McDonald's

Is the Spicy Chicken McNuggets spicy?

A year ago, hubby and I ordered a lot (is way too much possible?) from McDonald's. We tried all three Spicy McChicken®, and only the Ghost Pepper had substantial heat to be a little painful.

The Spicy Chicken McNuggets have the same flavour as the non-spicy version, but when it reaches your throat, that's when you feel some heat. It's not painful spicy by any means, but definitely delicious.

What's up with the Li'l Donuts?

McDonald's Canada introduced the Li'l Donuts a couple months back. My brother said he liked it better than Tim Horton's donuts, so I am keen to try it. According to the website, there are six different Li'l Donuts flavours, but there were only three available when we placed the order in DoorDash.

McDonald's Li'l Donuts: Sprinkle Donuts, Crème Brûlée, and Boston Cream

The dough is a bit better than Tim Horton's donuts, for sure, but nothing will beat the freshly made donuts from your favourite neighbourhood shop.

BLT with Grilled Chicken Meal

As if the 10 pieces nuggets are not enough, I ordered a burger for hubby and me.

BLT with Grilled Chicken and Large French Fries

BLT with Grilled Chicken

Quarter Pounder BLT

This is hubby's order.

Quarter Pounder BLT

Quarter Pounder BLT

Aside from lunch/dinner (I ordered too much for two people), I also got 14 Monopoly stickers. In addition, I won a Li'l Donut and a cheeseburger.

October 21, 2021 Update

I think I "peaked" as an Instagram foodie. 🤣 McDonald's Canada's account sent me a direct message asking if they could use my picture. I don't mind, of course. I showed the screenshot of their message to our only brother who created the Instagram account for Smooch Food and he said you could ask for food next time. LOL My younger sister said I should have asked for free coffee for our dad who enjoys McD's coffee.

McDonald's Canada sharing my picture in their Instagram story.

Happy Thursday!

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Dinner from Delhi6 Restaurant

Happy Tuesday! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving long weekend, Canada. I didn't order HelloFresh this week, which means going to the groceries and cooking OR ordering food we can reheat and enjoy with rice. I chose the latter.

Today, I decided to enjoy food from Delhi6 Restaurant along West Broadway. I was planning to order from a different Indian restaurant, but I picked Delhi6 because they commented on one of my Instagram posts (so it seems like marketing with Instagram works because Delhi6 wasn't even on my radar when searching for where to order this week).

I am unsure what to get from Delhi6, so I looked up all my previous Indian restaurant posts to find what we usually get, and here is a list:
  • 1x Bombay Mixed Platter, which includes Veggie Samosa, Veggie Pakora, Chicken Pakora, and Fish Pakora
  • 1x Mixed (Vegetables, Chicken, Lamb, and Prawn) Biryani
  • 1x Aloo Palak (Cauliflower and Spinach)
  • 2x Palak Paneer (Spinach and Cottage Cheese)
  • 2x Garlic Naan
  • 2x Chicken Vindaloo
  • 2x Tandoori Chicken
  • 2x Veggie Samosa (2 pcs)
  • 2x Gulab Jamun

What we ordered from Delhi6?

Based on the list and their menu, we ordered the following items for pick up today.

Currey Poutine, Samosa with Chickpeas Curry, Garlic Nan, Tandoori Chicken, Spinach Paneer Curry, and Chicken Vindaloo
  • Samosa with Chickpeas Curry
  • Tandoori Chicken
  • Chicken Vindaloo
  • Spinach Paneer Curry
  • Garlic Nan
  • Currey Poutine
The Samosa with Chickpeas Curry, Currey Poutine, and Garlic Nan are our dinner for tonight. I enjoyed both the Samosa and Currey Poutine. I regret not adding chicken to the poutine, but it's so creamy and cheesy even on its own. I wish I didn't have to share.

Currey Poutine from Delhi6 Restaurant
Menu Description: Homemade potato wedge, cumin salt with Delhi 6 curry curd cheese

After trying curry poutine, it's hard to go back to gravy.

Samosa with Chickpeas Curry and Garlic Nan

Huge and delicious samosa

We're going to have the Tandoori Chicken, Spinach Paneer Curry, and Chicken Vindaloo for breakfast and lunch the next three days.

Tandoori Chicken served with lacha onions and mint chutney

Spinach Paneer Curry (other restaurants would call this Palak Paneer)
Menu Description: Baby spinach puree, fresh cottage cheese curry, and fresh cream

Chicken Vindaloo
Menu Description: Chicken & potato cooked in spicy tangy sauce


October 13, 2021 Update:
We had the Spinach Paneer and Tandoori Chicken. I had the paneer as medium spice level and it tasted like mild. It was still delicious.

However, the Tandoori Chicken is the star. I reheated it in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400 Fahrenheit, the inside was juicy and tender while maintaining the tandoor flavour of the exterior. The Tandoori Chicken was on top of lachi onions and peppers. I didn't want to throw it away, so I might use it for omelet tomorrow or the following day. We'll see.

Will update this post again once we had the Chicken Vindaloo.

October 14, 2021 Update:
IT'S SO SPICY! I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo with hot as spice-level and it burns. It's so delicious.

Monday, October 11, 2021

Taking a Break at Waves Coffee House

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is a non-working holiday, which means sleeping in and waking up later, enjoying Thanksgiving leftover for brunch, and exercising to burn off all the turkey and creamy mashed potatoes.

That's precisely what we did today. I woke up later than usual, reheated leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, and exercised (did 45 minutes of aerobics and 15 minutes of standing ab exercises) to feel less guilty about all the mashed potatoes I ate.

After all that, I decided to step outside, walk around the neighbourhood and enjoy a cup of Belgian Dark Chocolate Mocha from nearby Waves Coffee. I sat outside the store and enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine feeling grateful for all the blessings. 

Dark Chocolate Belgian Mocha

Fifteen minutes later, hubby arrived from his weekly run. I ordered a Belgian White Chocolate Mocha for him. I can't decide which one I like better, but they're both so delicious. Though, his cup has a lovely message from the barista.

White Chocolate Belgian Mocha

I just love this coffee shop.

Sunday, October 10, 2021

Perfect for Fall: Pumpkin Cheesecake from Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee

It's one of my favourite times of the month! Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffe changed their seasonal flavour from Peanut Butter to Pumpkin. We had it with Pumpkin Spiced Latte, which doesn't taste like pumpkin spiced at all.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

The Pumpkin Cheesecake taste like pumpkin (not pumpkin spice). I can actually see shredded pumpkin in the Cheesecake.

Lunch at Freshii

After having breakfast and Sunday Mass, we knew we were going to TREES Organics for Pumpkin Cheesecake, so it's a matter of deciding where to have lunch before heading there.

We end up having lunch at a nearby Freshii. It's only our second time at Freshii, and we went for two bowls.

Mediterranean and Buddha's Satay

I had the Mediterranean Bowl with Falafel as protein. The olives are overwhelming as well as the red onions, but I enjoyed the perfectly cooked quinoa.


Mediterranean with Falafel
Ingredients: Quinoa & field greens, feta cheese, kalamata olives, almonds, red onions, cucumber, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, red pepper sauce

Hubby ordered Buddha's Satay, which I prefer to the Mediterranean because I love the peanut sauce.

Buddha's Satay with Steak
Ingredients: Rice noodles, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, crispy wontons, green onions, spicy peanut sauce

I am surprised at how much I enjoyed our lunch. I think I'll be back for more bowls.

Breakfast from Tim Hortons

Happy Sunday! As part of our Sunday routine, we grab the first meal of the day (today at around 10:00 AM) from Tim Hortons before walking to church for Mass.

More wrap and sandwiches served during lunchtime are available because it's a bit later in the day. Hubby suggested we order any wrap with "new," which essentially means a different sauce.
 
Spicy Buffalo Grilled Chicken Wrap

It uses tangy buffalo sauce, and what makes it spicy is the presence of jalapeno.

Southwest Chicken Wrap

I took a bite of hubby's Southwest Chicken Wrap, which I like better than the Spicy Buffalo.

We enjoyed our wrap while walking along West Broadway. 

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Thanksgiving Dinner at Home from HelloFresh

Last year, my younger sister prepared a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner for our family. However, they had to make multiple trips to the grocery to make sure all the ingredients she needed were complete.

This year I told them I was going to order from HelloFresh and avoid the stress of grocery runs. However, it means we have more side dishes to prepare and cook.


What's included in the HelloFresh Thanksgiving Box?

  1. Sage Roasted Rolled Turkey
  2. Homemade Cranberry Sauce
  3. Savoury Turkey Gravy
  4. Slow-Roasted Butternut Squash
  5. Garlic and Thyme Infused Mash
  6. Green Beans
  7. Mushroom and Leek Stuffed Squash (optional)
  8. Dinner Rolls
  9. Graham Cracker Crust Pumpkin Pie

That's more dishes than what we had last year, but I have faith in HelloFresh that they'll guide us through cooking everything with their foolproof recipe book.


Thanksgiving Dinner from HelloFresh

How much does it cost?

I paid $260 for 10 people, but there are only 8 of us enjoying the meal. Before you get upset that we're having a Thanksgiving dinner, it's 8 people and 4 households.

  • Household 1: Me and hubby
  • Household 2: My parents, our only brother, and our youngest sister
  • Household 3: My younger sister
  • Household 4: My younger sister's boyfriend

There's so much leftovers that my younger sister, her boyfriend, and we (hubby and I) have food to bring in our respective homes.


The Result

We plan to have dinner at around 5:00 PM, because the Vancouver Whitecaps FC game is at 6:00 PM and we want to watch it.

We started preparing at 1:00 PM with me and my younger sister as "chef" while my mom helps with cleaning up and with other things.


Graham Cracker Crust Pumpkin Pie

BEFORE we even started, I baked the Graham Cracker Crust Pumpkin Pie in the morning (at around 8:00 AM). We arrived quite early at my parent's place to ensure we have sufficient time for baking and cooling.

The downside is we totally forgot to prepare the whip cream for the pumpkin pie. The upside is it's surprisingly delicious. It's our first time trying Pumpkin Pie and it's perfectly sweet.


Sage Roasted Turkey

My sister worked on the turkey. Adding the pepper and oil while I strip the sage. After 3 hours in the oven and 20 minutes of rest, my dad carved the turkey.


Carved Sage Roasted Turkey from Hello Fresh

The turkey came out perfect. I can't believe how tender and not dry it was. It's perfect with the gravy.


Homemade Cranberry Sauce

My sister started working on the cranberry sauce while I struggle to zest and juice the orange. 🤣 This took maybe 30 minutes and we placed it on the fridge as we continue cooking the rest of the items.


Mushroom and Leek Stuffed Squash

This is the add-on vegetarian dish. This dish took so much team effort. My sister cut the mushroom and everything else that needs chopping. My dad helped us slice the squash and my mom did the removal of seeds and core. I cooked the wild rice. Assembling everything is such a challenge. 


Mushroom and Leek Stuffed Squash

I am uncertain if it's worth all the effort. I will be happy with just the wild rice and vegetable mixture. I am unsure adding it on the squash made a difference. My mom loves it though and that made it all worth it.


Slow-Roasted Butternut Squash

As soon as my sister is done cutting the vegetables for the Mushroom and Leek Stuffed Squash and while I sautee the mixture, she started working on the Slow-Roasted Butternut Squash. It's sweet because of the syrup.

It's surprising how the timing works. After the squash for the Mushroom and Leek dish is done in the oven, we replaced it with the Butternut Squash. 


Garlic and Thyme Infused Mash

Then, my sister started working on the mash. Of course, starting with the time consuming peeling of potatoes. At this point, I am still working on the stuffing for the Stuffed Squash.


Garlic and Thyme Infushed Mash

My younger sister continues with the Mash - boiling the potato and preparing the cream butter mixture. Then, she called our only brother to do the mashing. Team (family) effort!


Green Beans

I asked my mom to wash the green beans while my dad did the trimming. As they do that, I toasted the almonds. Then, proceeded to sautee the green beans in butter.


Green Beans with Almond Butter

We're almost at the end and I think we're all feeling exhaustion at this point. Surprisingly, there's no quarelling or bickering that happens. Everyone is in good mood and teasing each other.


Dinner Rolls

As I finish the green beans and since we couldn't start with the gravy because we're waiting for the turkey juices, sister started working on the chive butter for the dinner rolls. I wish it's more toasted, but that's just me.


Dinner Rolls with Chive Butter

Savoury Turkey Gravy

It's my favourite thing about this dish. Actually, the core of the Thanksgiving Dinner is the turkey, mash, and gravy and they are so well-done with this kit. It's so delicious!


Will I order this again?

Yes! However, I will not add the vegetarian add-on because it's too much effort. Although, for next year, we might just order in to avoid the effort. We'll see!


First Plate from our Thanksgiving Dinner

Today, we're just thankful that our family is complete and healthy. We're grateful for the many blessings we've received it.

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