Garden Vegetable Soup from HelloFresh Canada

It's rare for me to cook during lunchtime (perks of working from home). However, the Carb Smart Garden Vegetable Soup with Cannellini Beans and Parmesan from our HelloFresh box only takes 25 minutes. My husband will do the chopping and slicing of vegetables. It's worth using 10 minutes of my lunch break to cook.

Carb Smart Garden Vegetable Soup with Cannellini Beans and Parmesan from HelloFresh Canada

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Carb Smart Garden Vegetable Soup with Cannellini Beans and Parmesan

HelloFresh description:

"This comforting, wholesome soup is packed with veggies that offer a natural sweetness when cooked, while herbs from the sun-dried tomato pesto and torn basil heighten the flavour impact even more. Carb Smart is based on a per-serving calculation of the recipe's carbohydrate amount."

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The base of the soup is cannellini beans which provide a creamy and velvety texture and a satisfying protein boost. Meanwhile, the vegetable stock powder adds rich and savoury flavours, complemented by the aromatic notes of garlic, carrots, celery, onions, and the umami-packed sun-dried tomato pesto.

Carb Smart Garden Vegetable Soup with Cannellini Beans and Parmesan from HelloFresh Canada

The medley of fresh garden vegetables, including zucchini and Roma tomato, adds a vibrant and refreshing element to the soup. The baby spinach leaves wilt gently into the soup, contributing a tender and delicate texture. The soup is garnished with shredded parmesan cheese, which melts into the hot broth, ensuring each spoonful has a rich and creamy finish. Lastly, I tear fresh basil leaves, adding a subtle hint of herbaceousness to the soup.

What to cook for dinner?

Meatless Monday: Mushroom Ravioli and Creamy Pesto Sauce from HelloFresh Canada

Our HelloFresh box got delivered this Monday morning. We started with oatmeal for breakfast and salad for lunch. For dinner, I prepared the Mushroom Ravioli and Creamy Pesto Sauce with Burst Tomatoes and Toasted Walnut from our HelloFresh box.

Mushroom Ravioli and Creamy Pesto Sauce with Burst Tomatoes and Toasted Walnuts

The creamy pesto provided velvety smoothness to each mushroom-filled al dente ravioli. While the combination of shredded parmesan cheese and cream cheese adds a rich and creamy element to the dish.

I didn't know that the dish required milk, luckily, we still have soy milk from the Riley Park Farmers Market and I used that which provided a subtle nutty flavour. It was also surprisingly creamy making the sauce have the right consistency.

Mushroom Ravioli and Creamy Pesto Sauce with Burst Tomatoes and Toasted Walnuts

There's also a burst of freshness and juicy sweetness from the baby tomatoes which helps balances the savoury and creamy components of the dish. Lastly, the toasted walnuts bring a delightful crunch adding an extra layer of texture to our dinner.

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Mushroom Ravioli and Creamy Pesto Sauce with Burst Tomatoes and Toasted Walnuts

HelloFresh description:

"Make meal time your 'me' time. This big ol' bowl of mushroom ravioli, smothered in a decadent pesto and Parmesan cream sauce with burst tomatoes and crunchy walnuts is a simple luxury worth savouring."

Mushroom Ravioli and Creamy Pesto Sauce with Burst Tomatoes and Toasted Walnuts

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Food Adventure at Italian Day on The Drive

After joining the RBC Run for the Kids in Queen Elizabeth Park, my husband and I joined the fun at Italian Day on The Drive. It's an annual festival celebrating all things from Italy. It's our first time going this year!

One of the many good things about Vancouver and Canada, in general, is we celebrate diversity. Last week, we were at Proudly Philippines: Philippines Travel and Food Fair. Today it's Italian Day, and we're going to Greek Day on Broadway two weeks from now.

We arrived on Commercial Drive before 12:00 NN and started walking the 14-block stretch filled with booths of food, merchandise, performers, and so many other things to see. I also love the Vespa and Italian cars displayed. Of course, I'm there to eat. My husband and I made a "plan" or conditions in deciding which food stalls to try.

1. Italian Food only - Of course, we only want to buy Italian food (even though the Filipino in me wants the BBQ skewer from Kulinarya Filipino Eatery)
2. No restaurants - If there's a booth extension of a restaurant, we skip it since we can always come back to support their physical store in the future.
3. No food trucks - We will most likely see them again in the many events happening around the city.

With these "rules" in mind, it became easier to navigate and not be overwhelmed by the many available options.

Fried Ravioli from Do or Dine Catering

Our first bite of Italy today is deep-fried ravioli. It's ravioli covered in panko bread crumbs, then deep-fried. It has a salty and crispy exterior, while the inside is filled with spinach and ricotta cheese. Perfect first bite for the day.

Fried Ravioli from Do or Dine Catering

A peek inside the Fried Ravioli from Do or Dine Catering

Meatballs and Bomboloni from Pastaggio

I'll start with an apology. I'm sorry to all the Italians who may read this blog, but this is my first meatball made by an Italian. I have only tried frozen meatballs and the Ikea Swedish meatballs. I regret not trying this sooner, but I am so glad to have enjoyed 3 meatballs in classic Pomodoro.

3 Meatballs from Pastaggio
3 meatballs in Pomodoro with reggiano on sourdough focaccia

I didn't know meatballs could be this good! They're tender and seasoned perfectly. The sourness and sweetness from the fresh tomato sauce cuts through the fatiness. Lastly, I love the sourdough focaccia since it absorbs the sauce so nicely. I didn't want to share with my husband.

Brown Butter Custard Bomboloni from Pastaggio

We have to talk about these Italian doughnuts. I took a bite, and it was heavy and dense. I was sort of disappointed.

Bomboloni from Pastaggio
Italian doughnuts (brown butter custard)

Then, my hubby took a bite, and he reached all the custard in the middle, and each section that touched the custard was terrific.

Look at that oozing Brown Butter Custard inside the Bomboloni from Pastaggio.

Schiarc' or Pizzette Fritte (Fried Bread) from Famiglia Bagnolese Society

We ordered the Sauage in a Bun topped with peppers and onions. I love the toppings and the flavours they provide. However, my absolute favourite food item I had today is called the Shiarc'.

Sausage in a Bun from Famiglia Bagnolese Society

I'm a simple person. Give me fried dough (or doughnut) and sprinkle it with sugar, and I'll be happy. This is what we got. It's soft, slightly oily, and sweet (but not overly sweet).

Schiarc' or Pizzette Fritte (Fried Bread) from Famiglia Bagnolese Society

Margherita Focaccia from Focacciaza

A food cart(?) called Focacciaza sells three focaccia variants: cheese, garden, or Margherita. I went with the last one since we didn't see any pizza not part of a restaurant.

Margherita Focaccia from Focacciaza

The outside of the focaccia is crunchy, while the inside is soft. You can see how airy it is when you look at the side. Flavour-wise, you can taste the tomato-based sauce and cheeses like mozzarella and parmesan. After that, I started to feel full. It was surprisingly satisfying.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti from Focacciaza

This is my first time trying biscotti, and I have so much food regret for not trying this sooner. There are so many delicious Italian sweets! The biscotti was crunchy and soft at the same time. It's so unusual in texture. It's also hard to go wrong with chocolate and almond in flavour. I love every bite!

Chocolate Almond Biscotti from Focacciaza

Double Espresso Gelato from Il Mundo Cafe and Gelato

Gelato. That's the only exception to the rule. My husband requested we have a scoop of gelato because it's so sunny and hot. We spotted three stores selling gelato, all with long lines (and I am not counting ice cream vendors too). We settled on Il Mundo Cafe and Gelato. Hubby chose the Double Espresso Gelato and it was creamy, sweet, with the strong hint of caffeine.

Double Espresso from Il Mondo Cafe and Gelato

Hopefully, we can make the annual visit to Italian Day on The Drive. It's such a fun experience.

BurgerHolic from Burger Holic Food Truck

Happy Sunday! I joined 7,000 fun runners at RBC Run for the Kids today. After the run on a beautiful cloudy day, I am famished. I had a banana at 7:30 AM and needed a proper meal.

The festival afterwards had six food trucks, and it was my first time seeing the Burger Holic food truck. We ordered the first item on their menu BurgerHolic. I made it a meal with canned Nestea Iced Tea and medium-sized Crunchy Coated Fries.

Peeking inside the bag of my Burger Holic order

The burger patty is so juicy and perfectly cooked, while the lettuce is crunchy. The tomatoes provided freshness to the burger, and there was a pickle to help with the greasiness. My favourite part is the bun. It's toasted and flattened in butter, providing so much flavour and different crispiness while the middle of the bun is still soft.

#1 BurgerHolic from Burger Holic Food Truck
6 oz Juicy Beef Parry, Signature BH Sauce, ketchup, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles

My husband loves the fries too. It's surprisingly crunchy. We usually expect soggy fries from food trucks, but this is a pleasant exception.

Crunchy Coated Fries from Burger Holic Food Truck

I love this food truck! I can't wait to try their other burger.

Burger Holic Food Truck menu

Below is the Burger Holic Food Truck menu.

Burger Holic Food Truck menu

Grocery bought Tim Hortons Ice Cream

I have been curious about Tim Hortons Ice Cream. However, I have a small fridge, and there are only two people in our household, so buying it doesn't make sense. Until my younger sister organized a BBQ at her place. It's the perfect excuse to buy all available Tim Hortons Ice Cream variants at the local No Frills: Campfire S'mores, Double Double, and Maple Crunch.

Trying the Tim Hortons Ice Cream from the grocery

When you open each lid, what greets you is this adorable cover. Hihi.

Canada Loves Ice Cream

Campfire S'mores Tim Hortons Ice Cream

My least favourite of the three is the Campfire S'mores Tim Hortons Ice Cream. It's like rocky road ice cream, but at least rocky road is usually filled with lots of marshmallows and other things you can bite on. This one is mostly ice cream with little toppings.

Campfire S'mores Tim Hortons Ice Cream

Double Double Tim Hortons Ice Cream

My favourite of the three is the Double Double Tim Hortons Ice Cream. I have a bias for coffee-flavoured desserts, and this is the most bitter one I have tried. It was surprisingly strong and felt like a Single Single instead. If you absolutely love coffee ice cream, give this a try.

Double Double Tim Hortons Ice Cream

Maple Crunch Tim Hortons Ice Cream

This was the most melted when we tried it. It has a strong maple flavour, but I didn't get any crunch in the scoop I got. Maybe I'll try this again next time to give a better assessment of flavour.

Maple Crunch Tim Hortons Ice Cream

I'll keep an eye out for the more elusive Boston Cream Tim Hortons Ice Cream.

Tiramisu Cookie and Nutella Cookie from Plant-Based Bonus Bakery

When we think of vegan or plant-based, we usually think of a vegetable-filled diet of salad, and that could be true for some people. Still, today, I can't believe that my favourite cookie in Vancouver has come from Bonus Bakery, which makes plant-based goodies. I saw their booth at the Riley Park Farmers Market.

Nutella Cookie from Bonus Bakery

The gooey interior of the Nutella Cookie from Bonus Bakery

We got two flavours: Tiramisu and Nutella. They're both worth how many calories they have. 

Tiramisu Cookie from Bonus Bakery

A peek inside the Tiramisu Cookie from Bonus Bakery

Hubby and I agreed that we prefer the tiramisu better. The cookie base is soft and crumbly, while the topping is sweet and sticky. It's such a fun and messy way to eat. I should have gotten a box of six and enjoyed it with tea.

Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint | Riley Park Farmers Market

After warming up with the Chili Tank, we walked around the Riley Park Farmers Market, and I spotted Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint. They also sell soy milk. This combination is a traditional breakfast in Taiwan.

We ordered Brown Sugar Steamed Bun and Green Onions Steamed Bun with a glass bottle of 32oz of soy milk.

Brown Sugar Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint

Brown Sugar Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint

The buns are both heavy and filling. They're less fluffy than I'd hope, but it's definitely a perfect breakfast item and can last you for hours without feeling hungry. I prefer the Green OOnions because I have a bias for savoury flavours.

Green Onion Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint

Green Onion Steamed Buns from Bakers Breakfast Joint

My favourite, though, is their soy milk. If I see them again, I'll try the Special Bao (I'm looking at your Pork Belly Bao). 🤤

Fresh Soy Milk from Bakers Breakfast Joint is made locally.

Chili from Chili Tank | Riley Park Farmers Market

It's our first meal of the day (not counting the Madeleine we ate while walking to Riley Park from our home). It started raining heavier than a drizzle when we arrived at the park, and the first stall we saw was Chili Tank. As you may have guessed, they sell inside a tank, specifically a World War II Field.

A bowl of Beef Chili from Chili Tank

I have a small sample size to compare this chili, but it's so delicious. Perfectly hot, medium in spice, and beefy. This is the best beef chili I have tried in Vancouver. They also serve it with a couple slices of bread, which is perfect for dipping. I didn't want to share with my husband. 🤣 

Beef Chili from Chili Tank

Do you have a recommendation for restaurants that sells excellent chili? Let me know on Instagram or comment below!