Recipe: Creamy quinoa and squash risotto

Quinoa is one of my favourite food finds. Quicker, and packed with more protein and fewer carbs than rice (because it's not actually a grain), quinoa is usually a good substitute for the fluffy stuff in any dish. Here, it gets a rich and creamy treatment to make a faster and healthier version of risotto. The dish is also vegetarian, and easy to turn vegan (sans milk and cheese). 

Recipe: Beet&beet salad

Like many of my recipes, this one was inspired by the offerings in my weekly local produce box. As you can probably imagine, it has looked very very similar for the past few wintry weeks -- cabbage, apples, beets, turnips etc. I've been getting my beets with the leafy greens and have wanted to use them.

Walking through a Winterlicious wonderland...

Hooray! It's Winterlicious, the time of year to try out some of  Toronto's best restaurants at a fraction of their usual prices. Prix fixe menus run either $25, $35 or $45 per dinner, and $15, $20 or $25 for lunch. That gets you at least three choices for three courses. Designed to draw in diners during the SARS crisis of 2003, Winterlicious, and younger sister Summerlicious, have become Toronto foodie staples that help boost restaurant sales during down times in this lacklustre economy.

Recipe: Looneyspoons less on ya lasagna

This super cheesy-tasting and flavourful lasagna is surprisingly low calorie, thanks to the use of some well-placed low-fat cheeses and roasted veggies. It's from the amazing new Looneyspoons Collection cookbook. The recipes are not only delicious and easy to make, but offer calorie, fat, carb and protein counts for every dish. This one has 353 calories and 9 g of fat for 1/8 of the pan-- a good size portion that leaves you satisfied.
Hint: We used fresh pasta sheets, and trust me, it makes a difference (one cheat, we didn't use whole wheat because it was Saturday and we wanted to splurge).

Recipe: Warming curried sweet potato and apple soup

A light and sweet but surprisingly filling soup with an Indian twist for a winter's night. With only 167 calories and 4 grams of fat, you can feel good --even if you need seconds.

Recipe: Cora's buttery holiday cookies

This easy recipe from brunch master Cora's is an mmmmm buttery rich indulgence for a mid-winter comfort food hit. The logs can also be frozen for many weeks so you don't feel forced to indulge all at once. I highly recommend investing in a stand mixer to make these, and all cookies and baked goods, at optimal deliciousness.

Recipe: Steamed lobster and Champagne risotto with scallops

Okay, yes it's truthfully an extremely belated New Year's Eve meal, but it's equally romantic for an upcoming Valentine's Day dinner in. We decided to cook something elaborate, rather than pay what would have been a $75 prix fixe for a dinner that would regularly cost us half that. 

Restaurant review: The Westerly

The Westerly (413 Roncesvalles Ave.)

In search of a new West End brunch locale, we actually stumbled accidentally across this month-old addition to what is quickly becoming one of my favourite neighbourhoods for both restaurants and shopping. And the discovery was serendipitous indeed. Little did I know, the restaurant that  has been getting rave reviews for its dinner offerings, had just opened for brunch a week before! Inventive food, stimulating atmosphere and friendly service, The Westerly has it all.

Restaurant review: Hush

Hush (303 King St. W.)

Hush, which recently opened in a space that has been turned over a lot, is a refreshing addition to the Entertainment District's restaurant row. For a girl's night out, we were on our way to Second City and wanted to dine somewhere different in the area.

Restaurant Review: Aravind

Aravind (596 Danforth Ave.)

I had heard about Aravind through some other Toronto food blogs, which said it was a refreshing change to Toronto's many Indian restaurants. Aravind, smack in the middle of Greektown, may not look like it based on the rather rustic decor -- aside from turquoise sponge painted walls not much stands out -- but it's higher end than those staple butter chicken and naan type places. If you're looking for share plates or either of those classics, Aravind is not the place. Instead, the restaurant specializes in lighter Southern Indian fare from the Kerala state --which means, basically, fish and vegetables are the crux of pescetarian menu that focuses on local ingredients.

Where would Sunny eat in 2011? My top restaurant picks

Canadiana and comfort food, like at Bannock, dominate my favourite restaurant picks

Happy (belated) 2012 everyone! I resolve to post more recipes and reviews this year, to keep on top of my blog with posts twice weekly, to start a twitter feed, to eat healthier and exercise more, to stop biting my nails, to drink less wine, to spend less money on dining out. Oiy, this sounds ambitious (and some seem to clash), I need a glass of wine.
Seeing as how it's trendy for all the Toronto foodie websites to make best of 2011 lists, I thought I'd indulge you all with the same! Seriously, you have to try all of these places --- if you're looking for somewhere to eat and can't decide come visit and let me know if you tried these and how you liked them.
Here are my top 11 restaurant picks of 2011, in no particular order (only some have my own pictures, and some of them are crappy 3G iPhone pics because I hadn't dreamed up the blog idea at the point I had visited some). Enjoy!