The Adventures of Bob & Shan

an unfolding story of food & adventure.

Crunchy Cabbage Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

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If I’ve learned anything lately, it’s that cabbage salads are delicious, cabbages are huge, and they last forever. Ever since making this salad, Shannon and I have been trying to figure out how we can possibly use up all of our leftover cabbage. In what developed into a never-ending journey of Pinteresting “Cabbage”, we came across this delicious looking Asian inspired cabbage salad. I think my favourite thing about cabbage, is just how hearty of a vegetable it is. After adding some roast chicken and making a few other modifications, we were left with a very satisfying dinner.

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Berry Scones

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When your girlfriend is in the mood to bake scones, you must fully support her! Especially when it comes to these amazing Berry Scones. If you know me, you probably know I love coffee. While I’m not a huge dessert guy, I do love dessert when combined with coffee, and scones fit right into that. I’ve always been partial to them, but so often they come out dry and unappetizing. Thanks to sour cream and berries, these were perfectly moist and had just the right amount of sweetness, due to the delectable glaze….

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Roast Chicken, Fennel & Cabbage Chopped Salad

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Bob and I weren’t able to be together for our one year anniversary this year. Bob was traveling for work, and I was wrapping up exams for University. It was a busy time! So, being thoughtful, Bob sent me a series of presents, one of which was a beautiful cookbook – Salad for Dinner. I remembering thinking how wonderful it was and how I couldn’t wait to make something from it. I hadn’t done that just yet, but this past week I invited my best friend Olya for lunch, creating a perfect opportunity to try something new!

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Blueberry Clafoutis

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Is it breakfast? Is it dessert? Nobody knows, and frankly, we don’t care! Shannon had been lusting over the idea of a Clafoutis for quite some time, and thanks to an excess of blueberries in our fridge, we finally made one.  During the week, our breakfast usually consists of toast, cereal, yogurt, or oatmeal, but on the weekends, Shan and I often find ourselves in the mood for something a little more exciting. Whether it’s french toast, pancakes, or something hearty like bacon and eggs, we spend a little more time relaxing around the kitchen, and cook something fun! On this particular Saturday, it was finally time to try out a Clafoutis!…

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Pork Carnitas

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Birthdays = Succulents + Succulent Pork.

At least that’s what Shannon’s birthday was all about this year! A prospective taco night had been on our minds for quite some time, along with succulent walls. With Shannon’s birthday fast approaching, I had to figure out a fun surprise for her, and something that could feed 15-20 people, and those two things fit the bill!

We spent the morning picking up groceries and getting the pork in the oven, before I blindfolded Shannon (as per her mother’s suggestion) and whisked her away for a surprise! After winding down country roads for about 20 minutes (or an eternity for blindfolded Shan), we arrived at Shannon’s happy place, Solar Gardens, where I surprised her with a “Living Wall” class! We made two wall mounted planters filled with tons of neat succulents, and got some much needed info on caring for our little succulent babies, something we definitely needed after giving some previous succulents a little too much love (*cough* water *cough*).

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Pickled Onions

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Well guys…I think I’ve gone and got Shannon addicted to pickled onions. There’s rehab for that right?

While I’ve made these quite a few times in the past, it was the first time making them with Shannon, and I think I can say she was pretty surprised. Not just with how easy they are to make, but how addicting these little pink slices of heaven are! You may, like Shannon, find yourself hovering back and forth from your food prep, to this jar of pickled onions, snacking on a few slices (or more than a few…) while your main dish is getting ready. Embrace it, it’s okay! We are both guilty of it….

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Taqueria Guacamole

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I’m used to making chunky guacamole, with lightly mashed cubes of avocado, red tomatoes, onion, and a few other things. This on the other hand, is a wonderfully smooth blend of all those ingredients, swapping out the red tomatoes for green tomatillos (or in my case, some yellow tomatoes, since that’s all I had). The resulting guacamole is a smooth puree, with a delicious amount of acidity to it, lending to a very appetizing bowl of guac! With everything pureed together, you’ll find the guacamole stays nice and green while your guests are snacking on it through the evening. Of course, it may disappear before it has a chance to oxidize and turn brown!

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Mexican Salsa Verde

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When I think of Salsa Verde, it’s usually the herb-forward version, featuring parsley and olive oil, that appears in many variations during summers at our house. Mexican Salsa Verde, on the other hand, features Tomatillos, making it much more of a “salsa”, compared to the herb based Salsa Verde. This particular version gets an extra boost of flavour, thanks to drippings from the Pork Carnitas, which lends flavours of orange, cinnamon, and bay leaf. If you don’t have Carnita drippings, you can just use water in its place.

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Flour Tortillas

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A taco is only as good as its tortilla, so if you’re gonna make Pork Carnitas, you best be making some homemade tortillas! Not to mention, once you toss that first tortilla in the pan, watch as it browns and bubbles, you’ll be hooked. Oh yeah, and they taste amazing!

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