Canyon Creek - More Than a Steakhouse [VLOG]

Canyon Creek (Twitter: @CanyonCreekEats, Facebook: Canyon Creek Restaurant) may not be the first place you think of when you eat out. Heck, it's not a restaurant that I would normally write about (or one you would expect me to write about anyway) but trust me, there are some radical changes happening there...ones that you should definitely know about.

So what do I mean by "radical changes"? Not sure about you but for the longest time, I thought Canyon Creek only offered steak. Okay, let me rephrase - I know they had other options but none that were too exciting. That all changed once I took a look at their updated menu; what I saw were enticing offerings such as Pakora Chicken, Fish Tacos, Thai Lettuce Wraps, Steak and Kimchi Quesadillas, and Asian Nachos... and these are just a few of their shared plates options. Nope, not boring anymore.

Another noticeable change is the number of non-steak selections. Grouped into Salads, Burgers and Sandwiches, Pastas, and Mains, these four categories combined together offers more than 20 different plates. If you're craving steak, by all means order it, but if you don't feel like having steak you can still walk into any Canyon Creek and be confident that there'll be something delicious waiting for you. 

So again you may ask, just how delicious? Just watch this video! My lovely friend Nicki (@ViewTheVibe) and I were invited to dine at Canyon Creek on Front Street several weeks ago for the launch of their new summer menu. We even had the pleasure of having Canyon Creek's Executive Chef Dorian King make us his Avocado & Bacon Salad at our table.

If, for whatever reason you can't or don't want to watch the video, or you have watched it but still want to look at pictures (yay!) here are some shots I took that evening along with my thoughts on each dish.

Executive Chef Dorian King plating the Avocado & Bacon Salad.

AVOCADO & BACON SALAD ($7.95)

Avocado, Campari tomatoes, bacon, shaved red onion, crumbled blue cheese, with creamy bacon vinaigrette

Pair avocado, an extremely healthy and fleshy fruit, with tasty and fatty bacon and you have the best of both worlds on one plate. Then add sweet Campari tomatoes, blue cheese, red onions and bacon vinaigrette, and you got yourself one very delectable starter salad.

JAIL ISLAND SALMON SALAD ($18.95)

Fresh Jail Island salmon, poached prawns, Japanese furikake, fresh greens, radishes, goat cheese, with lemon caper vinaigrette and dried cranberries

Salmon that's not dry? Can this be true? Yes. Resting on a bed of luscious greens, shrimp, goat cheese and dried cranberries, this piece of moist salmon was cooked to perfection. I also like the light dusting of Japanese furikake on top (furikake is a seasoning usually sprinkled on top of rice in Japan). 

Milestones' Homestyle Chefs' Tasting Menu

It is always a pleasure attending a Milestones media dinner (this is my third one). Not only do I get the opportunity to taste a bit of everything from Milestones' newest menu, I also get to order as many bellinis as I want (I know it sounds stupid but I've been a sucker for their bellinis since the beginning of time...I'm obsessed with those fruity slushies!) In all seriousness I'm always eager to try Executive Chef Jason Rosso's new creations. Ever since chef Rosso joined Milestones as corporate chef I've noticed a significant change - a very positive one - in the restaurant specifically when it comes to embracing global cuisine. Being Asian, I particularly enjoy the Asian influences in Rosso's plates. His Spicy Thai Basil Stir-fry and Grilled Japanese Tuna Tataki from last year's Summer Chefs' menu, and his Vietnamese Bun Cha and Galbi Style Rib Steak from the most recent Inspired Chefs' menu are all examples of fusion dishes done well (these dishes also demonstrate Rosso's creativity and genuine passion for exotic ingredients and flavours). In this particular Milestones' Homestyle Chefs' Menu tasting, chef Rosso took us on a culinary journey, treating our taste buds to the bold flavours of South Asia all the way to the Mediterranean.

It is somewhat embarrassing to admit this but I had two bellinis before dinner last week at the Milestones located at Dundas Square. Yeah TWO bellinis. This is what I get for arriving way too early, I mean what else is there to do besides downing cocktails? Speaking of cocktails there's word on the street that Milestones (Twitter: @MilestonesCa, Facebook: Milestones) is in the process of revamping their cocktail menu to include classic cocktails such as the Old Fashioned and the Moscow Mule. I'm so excited about this! *GASP* I foresee myself cheating on the bellini...

MILESTONES' ORIGINAL BELLINI

A frozen blend of premium white rum, peach liqueur, sparkling white wine, topped with Boone's Sangria

Along with our cocktails we were served these beautiful canapes:

APPETIZERS

CHEFS CHOICE CANAPES

Prime rib adobo poutine with smoked gouda*

Gouger of cheddar and poached egg mousseline in puff pastry

Atlantic smoked salmon rosette with tarragon goats cheese and fried capers

Wild mushroom and truffle bruschetta on parmesan cracker

Chorizo and mozzarella fritters with smoked paprika aioli*

*Available on Milestones' Homestyle Chefs’ Menu

After cocktails and apps we were ready for dinner! Below is chef Jason Rosso (@jasonrosso) giving us a brief intro about the new Milestones' Homestyle Chefs' Menu (he also came out in between courses to explain each dish).

Dessert Tasting at Richmond Station

This was pretty incredible. Five courses of plated dessert from Pastry Chef Farzam Fallah (@Farzam_Fallah) of Richmond Station (Twitter: @richmondstn, Facebook: Richmond Station). Although their dessert offerings have changed since this visit in November (sorry for the late post!) I still want to share the parade of intricate and beautifully prepared desserts from that evening with you. Feast your eyes, my friends.

MILK CHOCOLATE CHEESE CAKE

Cranberry, salted chestnut, mint 

(Chocolate delice, chocolate pebbles, chocolate soil) 

BUTTERSCOTCH POACHED APPLE CRUMBLE

Ginger bread, walnuts, wormwood ice cream

HONEY AND MILK KULFI

Preserved peaches, almond cake, Tonka panna cotta, milk paper, rosemary cure

Candied Walnut Gorgonzola Salad

On the same day that I made my Cranberry Granola Nut Bars, I also made this Candied Walnut Gorgonzola Salad. No I'm not turning into a health nut, faaaar from it (although I am obsessed with nuts lately...can you tell?). All in all, I'm just trying to eat healthier on the days when I'm not out stuffing my face at restaurants. Simple as that.


I bought a huge bag of cranberries for my Cranberry Granola Nut Bars so I knew I wanted to incorporate that in my salad. I also love having cheese (of any kind) in it so I was pretty happy when I found this recipe; it had everything that I was looking for...and more! It was my first time making candied walnuts and I can seriously just munch on them non stop (had to stop myself or else there wouldn't be any left for the salad). The crunchiness and sweetness from the walnuts, combined with the strong Gorgonzola and the sourness from the dried cranberries, makes this Candied Walnut Gorgonzola Salad my fav salad right now.  


Really. Consider doubling the walnuts for snacking =D


Candied Walnut Gorgonzola Salad - adapted from allrecipes
(4 servings)


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 cups mixed greens
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1 tablespoon raspberry vinaigrette
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Note: I used spinach instead of mixed greens (I ♥ spinach)

Instructions

1. Place walnuts and sugar in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves into a light brown liquid and coats the walnuts.

2. Remove the walnuts from skillet, and spread them out on a sheet of aluminum foil to cool. 

3. Place in a large salad bowl the mixed greens, cranberries, cheese, vinaigrette, vinegar, and olive oil. Too gently.

4. Add candied walnuts, and toss again. DONE!

Cranberry Nut Granola Bars

I had no plans whatsoever last Sunday and I was pretty happy about that because it means two things: 1) I will be staying in and doing everything in my PJs, and 2) I will have a chance to bake! And cook! Two things I extremely enjoy doing but haven't had time to do so in a long time.


I wanted to bake something healthy, something that I can snack on without feeling too guilty (I was really tempted to make my favourite chocolate chip cookies but I stopped myself). Skipping pass the muffins, cookies, and cake recipes on allrecipes.com, I found this Cranberry Nut Granola Bars recipe which was perfect! 


A great thing about these granola bars is that besides the oats, you can basically substitute any of the nuts in the recipe with nuts you like or just whatever you can find in your house. Unfortunately, as there was none of these ingredients in my boyfriend's house, I did eventually have to change out of my PJs and go grocery shopping O_o


Anyway I'm seriously loving these Cranberry Nut Granola Bars right now and am totally addicted! They are such good snacks because they are so filling; all I need is to eat one and it fills me up right away, making it a great snack for that long stretch between lunch and dinner~

Cranberry Nut Granola Bars - Adapted from allrecipes

(Yields 24 bars)

Ingredients

• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup mixed nuts
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Note: I couldn't find hulled pumpkin seeds at the grocery store so I substituted it with 1/2 cup of walnut pieces.

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 13x9-inch pan with lightly-greased parchment paper; an inch or so of parchment paper should stick up on 2 sides to form lifting handles.

2. Mix the quick-cooking oats, old-fashioned oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds, mixed nuts, or cranberries, and sweetened condensed milk together in a bowl

3. Make sure everything is evenly coated.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I was itching to bake one day. Itching. But I knew I was also too lazy to go out and get ingredients at the store - I basically wanted to bake in my pajamas without having to change. Solution? Rummage around the house to see what's available. 


I wanted to use up the white chocolate that I bought extra the last time I made the Earl Grey White Chocolate Chunk Muffins, so I went to allrecipes.com, typed in "white chocolate" in the ingredient search field, and found this Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Perfect! My mom has a huge bag of Craisins that she uses for her biscotti, and my house always has oats because my parents sometimes make oatmeal for breakfast.