Mehr in Winnipeg

Haleem: Threads of beef, a bite of lentils and oats and melody of spices with delicious garnishes. Haleem is a true representation of the subcontinent/Mughal heritage. It is a very well known dish in Lahore, Karachi (Pakistan) and Hyderabad (India).  It has a beautiful golden, dull yellow color, its consistency is very similar to creamy dish of risotto. It’s made with aromatic and hot spices. It is served with crispy fried onions for texture, ginger, lemon juice to cut through the spiced creaminess. An original recipe of haleem requires 16-20 hours of cook time and if you have had that haleem you are one of the lucky ones. My mum used to start cooking it at night so we can have for lunch for the next day. She would brown the meats with garlic ginger and haleem spices like cloves, cardamom, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper. Then she would add soaked lentils and wheat and lots of water in the big pot. She would put the heat on very low temperature, cover the pot and would stick wet

2 tbsp cumin 2 tbsp corriander 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 black cardemom 1 tsp green cardomem 1/2 tsp cinammon 1 tsp cloves Heat all the whole spices on a pan on medium heat until you start smelling it. Grind everything in a coffee grinder. I have one for just spices. You could increase the amounts mentioned above and store it in an air tight jar.

          I have had an amazing childhood. My dad was in the air force of Pakistan and because of that we moved to different cities and different countries a lot. My worldly experiences were amazing and always revolved around good food and beautiful people. This story is very dear to my heart. We moved to Damascus, Syria in 97’ from Pakistan. As a child growing up, I always heard stories from cousins who lived abroad, about how different Pakistan was from where they lived. The visuals in my head were grandeur and full of Magic. This probably also has to do with all the children movies we used to see i.e. Matilda, Aladdin, Baby Genius etc.        My first thought when we landed at the Airport in Syria, my first thought was “that’s it”. Where are all the malls that people talk about in movies? Where are all the toy stores? I remember reading signs in Arabic, few in English. It was sunny and everything looked very desert like. It had the same street stores like Pakistan, same farmer’s

Celiacs means no wheat, no wheat means nothing containing wheat. This means no food at a regular Chinese restaurant. No spicy vermicelli with crunchy vegetables and salty broth and no ramen noodles with that dark secret sauce. It is so hard especially if you love Asian cuisine, or are an Asian who loves Asian cuisine. I am a chow mien enthusiast. Its a complete meal for me as a pizza would be for some ;) Here is a recipe that will make you forget the best of the best chow mien that you had. I never used to marinate protein for the stir-fry but it makes a lot of difference. I pounded the beef strips to help them get tender. I also cooked them for total 2 minutes. Green onions, garlic and soya sauce are three ingredients that would make any dish Asian inspired. Ingredients: (Marinate) 300 grams Beef strips 4 tbsp soya sauce 1/2 tsp garlic 1/2 tsp grated ginger 1/4 black pepper 2 tbsp vinegar 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper 1/2 tsp sugar (caramelises the beef quicker) Noodles

This is my second restaurant/cafe review for the gluten free eating. I know I should do more of these but i don't eat out that much. Kay's Deli is one my favourite places to eat because i can have gluten free deli sandwhiches. It is on William St. in the midst of a lot of Asian/Vietnamese/Chinease restaurants. It's known for its healthy food, fresh juices and smoothies. I LIKE them for gluten free options like soup of the day with gf bread, Quiche, salads, deli sandwiches with gluten free bread. The atmosphere is very comfortable and and warm. The sun shines in during lunch hour whenever its sunny out :). They have wifi for people who want to work, while they eat. They aslo take orders on the phone and get it ready for you to pick up. Portobello Mushroom Sandwhich is one delicious sandwhich. It is vegetarian with a slice of provolone, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, grilled portobello, and sundried tomato relish. The sandwhich comes toasted with a pickle and carrots. It

1 chicken breast 1 tsp chopped garlic 1 tsp chopped ginger 1 tbsp Bragg's All purpose seasoning (GF soya sauce) 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp vinegar 1 tsp five spice 1/2 tsp black spice 1 tbsp scallions A pinch of chile flakes Cut the chicken in three long pieces. Marinade the chicken in everything except chile flakes for at least an hour in the fridge, in a covered container. Put 1 tbsp in a frying pan and slide all the chicken pieces through oil on the surface of the pan on medium high heat. Once the the sides start to get cooked, flip the pieces of chicken. Throw in chile flakes on top of the chicken, cover it and low the heat medium so the chicken cooks through. It should take 10 mins. Brown it more if you like. Now add it to your spring rolls, salad or eat it with white rice and siracha!!