Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

BBQ

Find it at Walmart: Canada Day Edition

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It’s no secret that I shop at Walmart for… well, everything.

Seriously, is there anything you can’t find at Walmart? From beauty products to bananas, toys to t-shirts, pet food to paint, and more… chances are, if you need it, you’ll find it at Walmart. Often, at an unbeatable price. Ka-chow!

And so in anticipation of my first annual Canada Day BBQ (read: an excuse to show off our brand new patio), I booted it to Walmart this morning to grab a few essentials for our little party. Would you believe I was in and out in under 30 minutes? It’s true! I’m not normally one to shop-and-scoot, but since everything was so easy to find, my mission was accomplished in under a half hour. Want to see what I grabbed? Of course you do!

Upon entering the store, I decided that every outdoor party needs water guns, so I let Reid choose his favourite from a massive display of outdoor toys. He originally selected one that was *slightly* on the expensive side, but that’s when a great selection comes in handy, as I was able to steer him in the direction of more affordable toys. (I mean, $29.44 for a super soaker is a tad excessive. Thankfully, there were tons in the $10-15 price range.)

Next, we booted it to the center aisle, where I just knew I’d find a special section devoted to Canada Day goodies. Predicable? Sure. Appreciated? You bet. It’s great to know exactly where Walmart stashes their special occasion merchandise; it makes navigating the store so much easier….

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BBQ This: Grilled Picnic Taco Nachos

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I’ve heard of a lot of non-traditional foods being grilled on an open flame, but nachos? 

Turns out, you can slap them down on the ol’ BBQ too.

I originally posted this recipe, courtesy of Life Made Delicious, last year – and have since made barbecued nachos a handful of times. However, remembering that the long weekend is around the corner, I decided to bump it up for Canada Day enjoyment. It’s a super-easy recipe for vegetarian nachos that go from grill to picnic table in just minutes. Simply assemble the ingredients in a foil pan, cover – and 10 minutes later, you’ve got munching perfection. A great way to keep the party outdoors, especially on those lazy summer evenings.

GRILLED PICNIC TACO NACHOS

5 cups tortilla chips
1 can black beans, drained
1 can Old El Paso Chopped Green Chilies, drained
2 tsp Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix (from 35 g package)
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 cups finely shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

Heat gas or charcoal grill. Spray 12×18-inch foil pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread tortilla chips in pan.

In medium bowl, mix beans, chiles and taco seasoning mix; spoon evenly over tortilla chips. Top with tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover pan with foil. Place foil pan on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Carefully remove foil. Serves 4.

QUICK VARIATIONS

Make it HOT: Replace chopped green chilies with one fresh jalapeno, chopped fine with seeds removed.

Make it a MEAL: Brown ground beef or chicken in a skillet until fully cooked, drain fat, and add to nachos before sprinkling cheese.

Make it POP: Sprinkle sliced green onions on melted cheese just before serving.

Because Every Night is a Special Occasion: Butterball

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It is late in the evening.  The dishes are done; the children are in bed, I’m pleasantly full and quite willing to sit back and relax after cooking a very special turkey dinner for my loving family.

What’s the occasion? Well, there isn’t one. Turkey on a weeknight? You bet. And it isn’t even Thanksgiving or Christmas! Nope, not since I last checked. So what gives? 

Tonight, we dined on delicious Butterball Lean Turkey Burgers that were ready in less than 15 minutes. They were seasoned perfectly, exceptionally lean, the kids gobbled them up and there was virtually no clean up. Now that’s the special occasion.

I know I don’t have to introduce Butterball Canada to you. Chances are, their turkeys have made it to your dining table time and time again. But in addition to their tender, juicy and always delicious whole turkeys, I LOVE that they offer simple, year round meal solutions such as turkey burgers, franks, bacon-style turkey and more. We always make it a point to incorporate lean white meat products into our weekly menus, and with so many delicious options to choose from, Butterball makes it incredibly easy….

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Could it Be? The Homemade “Lena Burger”?

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Alas, nope. I am SO sad right now. Satisfied, but sad.

Here’s the scoop: this past weekend, my husband joyfully announced that he had found a recipe online that claimed to be a dupe of Harvey’s hamburgers. Mmm… Harvey’s. Flavourful, juicy beef… charbroiled to perfection on an open-flame grill… yes, it’s a beautiful thing.

Gleefully, he sent me a link to the site – a Canadian food blog, holla! – Kalofagas.ca.

(In Greek, Kalofagas means “Gourmet”.)

Since the photo posted by Chef Peter Minakis (see right) immediately had us wanting to reach through the computer and take a bite, I happily conceded that this recipe was indeed a must-try. And since the good Lord had bestowed a sunny, beautiful day for my birthday last week, I decided to celebrate by passing the mealtime responsibilities to my resident grillmaster.

Of course, I did help with the prep-work; thanks to a very simple recipe incorporating easy-to-find, staple ingredients, the burgers were ready for the flame in about 5 minutes (though we did rest them for an hour in the fridge, as suggested). Visit Kalofagas.ca for the complete recipe and grilling instructions.

The verdict? While the final product was a tasty, über flavourful and incredibly moist burger, it just was not a homemade “Lena Burger”. Close… but no Harvey’s.

(That being said, the recipe is a keeper for us. It’s a guaranteed trip to flavourtown and the recipe can be followed by anyone. Try it; you’ll like it.)…

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Long Weekend with WONDER+ SimplyFree!

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Bliss. Another hot, lazy long weekend is winding down. Last time, I shared highlights from my family barbecue with y’all – including some juicy hamburgers courtesy of Canadian Living, Summer Fun Comes Naturally and WONDER+ SimplyFree.

This time around, we moved the barbecue indoors. 

I’m sure you’ve seen me mention this before, but I am just fed up with the extreme heat and humidity that Toronto has experienced this summer. My poor toddler has been having regular nosebleeds, my husband’s asthma is acting up, and I can’t take all these frizzy, bad hair days! So while we considered celebrating the long weekend with another barbecue, we opted to bring the festivities indoors instead.

Boy, am I glad that WONDER+ SimplyFree buns are so versatile! I decided to make Tuna Salmon Melts from Canadian Living’s Simply Better BBQ’s, and was pleased that I could use the hamburger buns as a perfect, soft roll for this yummy sandwich.

(WONDER+ SimplyFree is the first Canadian National branded line of hamburger & hotdog buns FREE OF artificial preservatives, artificial flavours and artificial colours. They are also made with NO high fructose corn syrup, and like all products from WONDER, made with unbleached wheat flour. LOVE!)

The original recipe calls for canned tuna, but I substituted canned salmon as I prefer the omega 3’s and added calcium from crushed bones.

INGREDIENTS

2 cans flaked tuna (or salmon), well drained
3 tbsp (45 mL) finely chopped gherkin pickles
2 tbsp (25 mL) finely chopped celery
2 tbsp (25 mL) ketchup
2 tbsp (4 mL) finely diced onions
3 tbsp (45 mL) mayonnaise
4 Wonder+ SimplyFree hamburger buns
1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

In large bowl, combine tuna, pickles, celery, ketchup and onions; stir in mayonnaise until well mixed. Spoon onto bottom of buns. Top each with about 2 tbsp (25 mL) cheese.

For barbecuing, wrap in foil and heat for about 4 minutes, turning once, to heat through and melt cheese. Makes 4 servings.

So I cheated and actually placed the buns open-faced under the broiler to toast the bread and melt the cheese. Bonus: it only took about 3 minutes and we didn’t have to heat the barbecue!

Here’s my sandwich, waiting to be tucked into:

It was quite delish! Way more flavourful than your standard salmon salad sandwich, and the addition of toasted bread and gooey cheese really put this one over the top. My husband had two!

With only one long weekend left in summer, I’m hoping this heat wave subsides soon so we can once again be grilling up a storm. Until then, I’m quite happy to enjoy more delicious sandwiches like the one we tried today.

I am participating in the Wonder+ SimplyFree program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Weston Bakeries. I received a gift card and free product coupons as a thank you. The opinions on this blog are my own.

BBQ’ing with WONDER+ SimplyFree!

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Ah, another long weekend winding down – the sights, sounds and tastes of summer still fresh in my mind. Of course, this Canada Day long weekend was slightly less than perfect since I’m still getting over a summer cold. However, nothing makes a gal feel better than family, food and fun!

We decided to postpone Friday’s Canada Day celebration until earlier this afternoon so that I’d have a chance to recuperate. My parents, brother and sister-in-law came over for a BBQ-licious good time, and we had a blast! I was a little worried about the heat (we have full afternoon sun and the humidex temperature creeped up to 35 degrees Celsius) but we moved lunch inside and saved the outdoor fun for when the 4:00pm shade settled in.

Inspired to create a new burger, I checked out the WONDER+ SimplyFree recipes available through the Canadian Living, Summer Fun Comes Naturally site. I decided that the Juicy Extra-Lean Burgers were good to go; I had all the ingredients on hand, loved that the prep work was quick and easy, and I’m always looking for healthier, lower fat options.

Here’s my resident grill master with the burgers:

MY SUMMER CHEF
EXTRA LEAN BURGERS ON THE GRILL
VEGETARIANS NEED NOT APPLY

We also added a few turkey sausages in the mix, but I can’t take the credit for making those :) We teamed ’em all up with WONDER+ SimplyFree hamburger and hot dog buns, which are the perfect complement to a scrumptious BBQ. WONDER+ SimplyFree is the 1st Canadian National branded line of hamburger & hotdog buns FREE OF artificial preservatives, artificial flavours and artificial colours. They are also made with NO high fructose corn syrup, and like all products from WONDER, made with unbleached wheat flour. Loves it!

LOVE THOSE WONDER+ SIMPLY FREE BUNS
THE SPREAD

(For those of you WONDERing, they taste exactly like the regular WONDER buns you’ve come to know and love. Seriously, there’s no difference at all – they’ve taken all the bad stuff out and left the good stuff in. A win-win!)

Here’s my fam digging into the yummy meal…

MY LOVELY SIL, DAD AND MOM
HUBBY, RYDER AND MY BRO

Want to throw a BBQ of your own? When you purchase WONDER+ SimplyFree buns, enter to win a BBQ party worth $5,000 through a unique PIN found on specially marked packages. The grand prize includes a Weber Genesis Propane BBQ (!), $50.00 CDN worth of WONDER+ SimplyFree product coupons, a $500 CDN grocery gift card, a $1,500 gift card towards a patio set (!) and a $1,450 gift card towards an Outdoor stereo system. Holy Hannah! I just entered two PINS… cross your fingers for me! Party at Lena’s!

How did you spend your long weekend? Was BBQ on the menu? I cannot wait until the next one comes along… food, family and fun… I can get used to this!

I am participating in the WONDER+ SimplyFree program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Weston Bakeries. I received a gift card, BBQ kit and free product coupons as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

LMD: Celebrate Summer Giveaway!

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Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

Mmm… Barbecue Season. I hope y’all enjoyed my recent Life Made Delicious post – those Grilled Chipotle Burgers with Guacamole have quickly become one of my new favourite BBQ recipes!

This is actually the first year that my husband has started to to leave his comfort zone (read: burgers and ‘dogs) with barbecuing. We’ve been trying out the smoker, using cedarwood planks to infuse flavour, choosing new cuts of meat and have even tried grilling fruit. We’re getting creative, peeps!

Life Made Delicious, your source for easy recipes, has just released a list of 10 Creative New Uses for Your Barbecue. At the top of the list? The trendiest way to barbecue… with Grilled Chicken on a Can, of course!

I don’t think we’re at that level yet… seems a teeny bit intimidating to me! Has anyone tried BBQ’ing with a beer can? What were the results?

Rounding out the Top 10 recipes are Grilled Summer Cobbler, Apricot Glazed BBQ Chicken Thighs and more. If you do make a recipe from Life Made Delicious, don’t forget to give it a “Thumbs Up” or “Thumbs Down” – the ratings are very useful to others who are considering the dish for their families. And, don’t you just love the quirky rating scale? The Grilled Summer Cobbler’s Thumbs Down – “0 people would serve it to their ex”. Ha!

Be sure to visit Life Made Delicious for more creative, easy recipes your family will love!


One lucky Listen to Lena! reader will win a “Celebrate Summer Giveaway” pack, valued at approximately $100!

It includes:
Barbecue Utensil Set
Paper Plates & Colourful Napkins
General Mills goodies from:
  Old El Paso
  Cheerios (including Chocolate Cheerios!)
  Fibre 1
  Betty Crocker
  Nature Valley

To enter, simply visit Life Made Delicious and find a favourite summer recipe that you’ve tried, or would like to try. Then, leave a comment here telling us what it is.

You can also qualify for extra entries! Remember, you must leave a separate comment for each. You can:

(1) Follow my blog, Listen to Lena!
(2) “Like” Listen to Lena! on Facebook
(3) NEW Follow Listen to Lena! on Twitter
(4) “Like” Life Made Delicious on Facebook
(5) Follow Life Made Delicious on Twitter
(6) Tweet daily: Please use this Life Made Delicious Giveaway Tweet.

I’ll draw for a winner on July 7th. Good luck everybody!

I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

BBQ’ing with Life Made Delicious!

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Ah, one of my favourite times of year – BBQ season. It’s a time when hubby puts on his “Head Chef” hat, and I’m more than happy to oblige. You can find him flipping, grilling and smoking up a storm – hmm, why am I not as happy while slaving over a hot stove? One of life’s little mysteries, I’m sure.

My new favourite site for easy recipes – Life Made Delicious – recently sent out a list of “Top 10 Vibrant BBQ Recipes“. Eager to try out something colourful and new, I immediately picked out the featured recipe – Grilled Halibut Vera Cruz Packs.

Unfortunately, it’s harder than it seems to find quality halibut steaks in Mississauga, and as a trip to our favourite fish monger in Bloor West Village was not in the cards, I decided to go hunting for another option.

Not featured in their top 10 list, but a colourful option just the same, is their Grilled Chipotle Burgers with Guacamole. I was happy to see I had all the ingredients on hand, including a can of Old El Paso Chopped Green Chillies which had been hanging out in my pantry for some time now. Don’t you just love discovering those hidden gems?

INGREDIENTS

Burgers
2 1/2 lb (1.25 kg) lean ground beef
1/4 tsp (1 mL) red pepper sauce
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt, if desired
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can Old El Paso Chopped Green Chilies
3 tbsp (45 mL) chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, undrained
8 slices Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, if desired
8 burger buns, split
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Guacamole
2 large avocados, pitted, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp (15 mL) lime juice

The recipe posted above serves 8 but I scaled it back to just 4 servings. I opted to pass on the guacamole and just top the burger with avocado slices instead – an option listed in the original recipe. Also, we are a family of burgers sans tomato, so unfortunately that colourful element was missing… but the burgers were delicious, nonetheless.

DIRECTIONS

Heat gas or charcoal grill. In large bowl, mix beef, green chiles and chipotle chiles. Shape into 8 patties, about 3/4 inch thick. In medium bowl, mash guacamole ingredients, using pastry blender or fork.

Place patties on grill over medium heat. cover grill; cook 13 to 15 minutes, turning once, until meat thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160ºF (71ºC). Top each patty with cheese slice; cook just until cheese is melted. To toast buns, place cut sides down on grill during last 1 to 2 minutes of cook time.

Layer buns with tomato slices, burgers and guacamole.

I only used about half the can of green chillies, but I will make this recipe again using close to a whole can. We just loved the spicy, tangy flavour! I also added a dash of salt, as it was an optional ingredient, and do recommend adding it to the burgers. I was a little worried that I didn’t have to add egg and breadcrumbs as a bunding agent, but the patties held together very well. All in all, the combination of flavourful beef, cheese and buttery avocado made this BBQ recipe a hit!

Click here for more easy recipes from Life Made Delicious.

I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

It’s the Official Start of BBQ Season!

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Woo! My “May 2-4” weekend was a blend of sheer craziness and sheer relaxation. I’m currently in a chillin’ mode, which I must admit is my favourite way to be :)

Saturday morning began with Reid’s first birthday party (I know, where has the time flown!).

We had a “small” party; just about 35 friends and family. I was joking with my girlfriend that as we get older and families expand, it only takes about 10 invitations to families of 3-4 to pack the house! I’ll blog about some of the party highlights in a separate post later this week.

After the party, hubby and boys crashed while mommy cleaned up… but that’s okay, because I have a pedicure with my name on it tomorrow. I can’t remember what time I went to sleep that night, but I’m sure it coincided with the sunset.

Sunday we were out and about. I had been holding on to about 6 items that needed to be returned, so I dragged the family to Square One in order to put $$$ back on the Visa. As much as I like purchasing goodies, sometimes it can be just as satisfying to sign a refund slip :)

Today, we decided to keep it low key and have a lunchtime BBQ. With grey skies and heavy clouds overhead, my husband ran out to throw some burgers on the grill. Here’s a quick pic of our BBQ Master in action…

I can’t tell you how excited I am to kick off the official start of BBQ Season!

This year, while burgers and hot dogs are always on the menu, we’ll be complementing our yummy fare with products from Wonder + SimplyFree. It is the first Canadian national brand of bakery products (including NEW white hotdog and hamburger buns) that are made with unbleached wheat flour. SimplyFree buns have absolutely no:

– artificial preservatives
– flavours
– colouring or dye
– high fructose corn syrup

In other words, ENJOY! You can now have your buns, and eat them (guilt-free) too! Seriously folks, you’re gonna LOVE them.

But don’t just take my word for it… head on over to Facebook and “Like” Wonder+. You’ll have the opportunity to grab money saving coupons, participate in fun promotions, and grab scrumptious recipes made especially for the grill.

Speaking of recipes, you can also check out Canadian Living, where they’ve teamed up with Wonder+ SimplyFree to provide some of most drool-worthy burgers of the summer, including these Zesty Chicken Burgers and Juicy Extra Lean Burgers.

As someone who’s still got a few pounds to lose, I’m all for healthier alternatives such as burgers made with lean ground chicken. Will be whipping up these babies soon!

How did you spend your long weekend? And, did you have a chance to fire up your BBQ? Do tell!

I am participating in the Wonder+ SimplyFree program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Weston Bakeries. I received a gift card and free product coupons as a thank you. The opinions on this blog are my own.