Salt Spring Food For Life

Salt Spring Food For Life

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Yogurt and fruit muslei

Here is a great and easy light lunch for kids.

You will need frozen fruit,

yogurt and

granola.

I use a small mason jar with a screw top lid. It is

pressure treated glass, safe and easy to open and close.

Fill the jar 1/3 of the way with frozen berries.

Top off the rest with yogurt. I use plain yogurt and then

I add a touch of maple syrup to the top. It not only tastes

great but looks good too.

You can now add the granola to the top or in another little bag or container.

One will be less crunchy than the other, similar to a muslei.

It is also fun for the kids to assemble the lunch themselves. Mix in the

granola or watch the yogurt blend with the colorful fruit.

A tasty, fun and nutritious lunch!

Chicken and Tomatoes

Here is another yet amazingly easy and tasty chicken recipe.

This requires one small can of tomato paste, spices and minced garlic.

I use a roasting pan for this dinner, it takes about 35 minutes or so to bake and about 15 minutes prep. time.

For this dinner you will need:

Vegetables for roasting -

To make it easy I use potatoes, tomatoes, whole onions and whole heads of garlic.

Chicken pieces - preferably with the skin on (you do not have to eat it but it will keep the chicken moist)

1 small can of tomato paste

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1/4 tsp pepper

3 - 4 cloves minced garlic

2/3 cup of water

Mix the tomato paste with the spices, garlic and water to make a baste.

Place the chicken and vegetables (you can use small whole potatoes) in a roasting pan.

Drizzle all with olive oil just enough to coat the top. Broil all this for 10 min.

Reduce the oven to bake (350-375) and baste chicken and vegetables with sauce.

Do this once or twice more until ready. Usually at 10 minute intervals.

You will love the flavour of the whole onions, garlic and tomatoes!

So easy to prepare.

Add a salad and your dinner is complete!

Best Chicken Ever

I made a chicken that was finger licking good!

The best part of it are the ingredients - there are three.

That's right three ingredients.

In fact the best chicken recipes I know are simple.

I will share them with you so you can rotate the chicken

dinner dishes and they will all taste fantastic and yet different from one

another.

Today's recipe has 3 ingredients: lemon, salt and pepper.

Take a great chicken, preferably a farm raised free roaming chicken.

You can roast this chicken whole or use chicken pieces.

Either way set the chicken in a dish and use a generous amount of salt to shake on the skin.

Yes skin.

Leave the skin on, it will enhance the flavour and seal in the juices.

You don't need to eat the skin but try resisting. Just one bite.

Sprinkle on some black pepper and then squeeze the juice of a lemon on the chicken. Use enough lemons to cover all pieces or the entire chicken (one to two lemons).

When I use a whole chicken or even one cut up in pieces, I will use a shaker to just cover the skin with a thin coat of salt, then shake less pepper and finish with the lemon.

Roast the chicken in the oven until done. If not using convection cover the chicken then uncover the darken for the last 10 minutes. A whole chicken usually takes about 45 minutes to bake. I begin by roasting (450) for 15 minutes then reducing the oven to bake (375) for the last 20 to 30 minutes. If using a roasting pan you can add whole onions and garlic to the pan, they taste so sweet when roasted.

Eat Well

Be Well

Enjoy!

I love Mexican food ...

I could eat Mexican food all day, day in, day out.

In fact, when there is nothing to eat in the house - there are always tacos.

I found a steal of a deal. 100 organic fresh tasting yellow corn tortillas for under $3.00!! So when all else fails, I pull out a couple of tacos from the freezer and begin. I keep the tacos in the freezer (which is how I buy them) in a sealed bag. They do not dry out and can last for a few months. There is a secret to preparing them. I learnt this the first time I heated one up for a friend who just spent the winter in Mexico. I got my wrist slapped.

So he showed me how to make them right!

You take two tortillas - always two and don't ask me "what happens if you only want one"?

because I will reply - "you can never eat just one"!

The only pans I use are cast iron, they hold heat extremely well and evenly.

I also have a little 8" pan that is the perfect size.

Heat up the pan and add a touch of oil. When the pan is hot I add the two frozen tortillas and reduce the heat to medium low. I add a tsp of water to the pan and then I begin to flip. You

turn over both and then flip the top one. Turn both over again and again flip the top tortillas. In this way both sides heat up. The longer you warm it the crispier it gets. More drops of oil will make it slightly toasted. A few more drops of water and the tortilla softens.

The tortillas are usually pulled out in order to finish some leftover chicken. In fact almost always, when there is leftover chicken it goes in a tortilla.

Before I begin the warming up process I neatly lay out the fillers. Anything goes: leftover chicken (i shred mine), scrambled eggs, lettuce, avocado, peppers, onions, cheese and salsa.

We use different combinations, they are made and eaten right on the spot. A softened tortilla goes into the pan, filled, folded and flipped until the centre heats and melts.

Remember the cilantro and hot sauce!

Eat well,

Be well

salmon without garlic

I always make salmon the same way: lemon juice, olive oil,

salt and lots and lots of garlic.

Last night I was too lazy to get the garlic from storage (the garlic harvested from this summer)

so I threw together some spices and the results were great - so let me share them with you.

You will need:

1 piece of salmon fillet

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 cup orange juice

Mix the spices and add the maple syrup to form a paste. Gently spread the paste on the salmon and allow to sit for a minimum of 3 hours in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 375, add the juice to the salmon as a baste and bake until done. Baste the salmon a couple of times while it is baking.

You can also broil the salmon for 5 minutes before reducing the heat to bake. I like it this way as well. The top layer of the salmon sears in the juices.

Lentil soup

Wet and dark days make me think of soup.

In my world everything has an association with food. Weather is a great inspiration for food ideas!

Hot and sunny means light food, easy to prepare and involving very little cooking.

On the other hand, this very wet weather speaks soup to me. Hot fragrant thick soup is a meal in a bowl. Soup is one of the easiest meals to prepare. You basically toss vegetables in a pot add spices, water and boil. Of course there is more to it than just that and the varieties are endless.

So let's start with a basic but totally satisfying lentil soup.

To serve 6 you will need:

1 and 1/4 cup red lentils

1/2 cup of rice

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1/4 cup clarified butter or olive oil

6 cups vegetable or chicken broth or water

1 tbsp vegetable stock seasoning (if using water)

t tbsp ground cumin

salt to taste

lemon wedge (optional)

plain yogurt (for garnish, optional)

Soak the lentils and rice in water and set aside. Heat the oil or butter in a soup pot and sautee onions until soft and opaque. Drain the rice and lentils and add to the pot along with water and seasonings. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with a wedge of lemon or if desired try it with a teaspoon of yogurt in your bowl.

Eat Well

Be Well,

Stay warm, dry and happy!

Fried Rice

What do you do with left over rice?   

I usually make way more rice than my family eats at a meal.   Leftover rice though, is never a problem, it is a dish waiting for inspiration.

The great thing about rice is it's versatility.  You can turn it into breakfast, salad, hearty dinner or dessert.   

For breakfast I like to reheat the rice in a frying pan with a touch of oil.  Once the pan is hot I reduce the heat to medium low add a bit of water (about 1 tablespoon) and cover to fluff up the rice.   

Eggs are a great addition to rice and so are frozen peas and corn.  

Scramble an egg or two in a bowl and add to the hot rice.  Increase the heat to medium high and continue to stir the egg into the rice.  Salt and pepper (maybe a touch of paprika or cumin) are really the only 'necessary' spices - they are the basics.  

If you would like to add something green then the list is limited only by what is in your kitchen.

I have mixed in peas (frozen work well as they thaw out at the same time that the eggs cook), small pieces of broccoli, onions, spinach, rapini, kale ... you get the idea.

This is a quick and tasty way to start your day.  Also makes a nice light meal!

Eat Well

Be Well

Enjoy!

Hot Weather Food

What do you eat in the summer heat?  

Fresh fruit and smoothies go down so well in the hot summer days.  

But what about dinner?

I like to make it easy, simple, fast and delicious.  

Salad!

Greens galore - a big bowl full of fresh leafy greens are the base for dinner.

The recipe is the simplest equation:

vegetables + protein + dressing = dinner

Vegetables

The obvious choice are salad greens, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots and peppers.

Try incorporating other vegetables like zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower and red or green cabbage.  Parsley, cilantro and basil can be chopped and added for more intense flavours.

Your salad will look and taste slightly different if you shred vs. chop your vegetables.  By finely shredding instead of chopping the vegetables you will find that more flavour and water is released.

Protein

Look in the fridge for leftover chicken breast from last night's bbq.  

Canned tuna is a fast and tasty protein idea as are chickpeas or hard boiled eggs.  

Dressing

A simple dressing of lemon juice, olive or flax seed oil and sea salt is a great base.

If time and an abundance of ingredients is what you have, then check out the Salad Dressing recipes below.

Eat Well,

Be Well.

Shakshuka – Poached eggs on vegetables

Shakshuka is an Israeli egg and tomato dish.  

Very simple and easy to make, all you need are eggs and tomatoes.  

You can incorporate other vegetables if you like, onions and peppers are a tasty addition.  

To simplify the recipe below, use only tomatoes.  

Use one small to medium onion and 2 tomatoes for every 2-3 eggs.  The idea here is to cover the bottom of the pan with vegetables so the eggs rest on them while cooking.  Slice onions and tomatoes thinly and you may also add peppers ( red/green ).  Sautee over med high heat adding water to prevent sticking.  Add 1 tsp of cumin and hungarian paprika (the sweet kind).  Use salt, chili peppers and cayenne pepper to taste.  When vegetables have softened crack the eggs on top and cover.  Reduce heat to med-low until eggs are ready (about 5-10 min).  

To shorten the time, add the eggs into the vegetables after they have started to cook, add the seasonings and toss with a fork to scramble the lot.  When done serve with hot sauce and Grains plus sprinkled on top!

Enjoy.

Garlic Tops

What to do with all those garlic tops?

As the garlic grows it forms a long green stalk with a white flower head.  

After it has grown and curled it is usually removed to allow the garlic bulb to continue to grow. By removing the scape the energy goes to growing the bulb not the flower.

Garlic scapes are in abundance.  If you have a food processor or a sharp knife, patience and a freezer, the rewards pay off big time!

Garlic tops have the same garlic flavour with less heat/spice.

Collect the garlic tops, slice off the flower and trim the bottom off a bit (about a 1/4 inch).

Place in food processor and chop until fine (it does take longer but a sharp knife works just as well).   

Now comes the easy part.

You can simply freeze as is and then when needed break off a piece when garlic is called for.

Use the minced garlic tops in your cooking.  Simply add it to the recipe as you would garlic cloves.  

You can also blend the garlic tops with olive oil and basil, parsley or cilantro and sea salt.  Place in a container, cover and refrigerate.  This will keep for months in the fridge and can be used raw to flavour pasta, rice any grain or vegetable.  

Swiss Chard with Yam

This is the season for fresh local swiss chard and garlic.  

The two combined with yams make an exceptionally tasty, colourful and nutrient rich meal.  

A meal in itself if served with pasta.  

Swiss chard is similar to spinach and beet greens, slightly  bitter, with a good fresh flavour. Swiss chard has an exceptionally impressive list of health promoting nutrients, along with kale, mustard greens and collard greens. It is a tall leafy green vegetable with a thick, crunchy stalk that comes in white, red or yellow with wide fan-like green leaves. 

Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible, although the stems vary in texture with the white ones being the most tender. 

Chop or tear the swiss chard into large bite size pieces.  Peel and set aside whole cloves of one head of garlic (the more the merrier, i say - so try 2 or three heads!).  Chop one large yam into big cubes and set aside.

To a hot pan add olive oil, yam and the whole garlic cloves.  Add a touch of water (about 1-2 tablespoon) and reduce heat and cover.  After the garlic and yams have softened (about 5 minutes depending on the garlic) add the chard and increase heat slightly to wilt the chard, if needed add salt to taste now.   Chard with yam and garlic is a great side dish all on it's own. Toss with pasta and you have a delicious and filing meal!

Try omitting the yams and try the chard with the garlic on it's own.  Fantastic!

Eat Well,

Be Well.

Enjoy!

Flavour your water

Yes, you read right.  

Water does not have to be simple and boring.  

Summer is finally here and it is hot.  If you are not naturally thirsty for water it may be difficult to drink enough.  How can you get water to taste great and still retain it's benefits?

You won't have to remind your kids to drink their water, simply try these easy ideas.

Slice equal amount of lime and lemon and add to your water.  The taste is refreshing and delicious. 

Love mint?   Take a generous handful of mint and place whole in a pitcher.  Add enough hot water to release the mint.   Add a whole lemon sliced and ice, cover with cold water, chill and serve.

With a touch of honey this refreshing drink won't last long!

Drink well,

Be well!

Enjoy.

Ice Cream For Breakfast? Yes!

Ice cream is another way of saying thick shake.  

Who does not enjoy a cold thick sweet shake in the morning?  

A powerhouse breakfast, fast and easy to prepare.  All you need is a frozen banana and a blender to start.

Base for ice cream

First freeze your fruit.  Once frozen, blend in blender and add a pinch of cinnamon and just enough milk/water to blend.  You are not making smoothies so keep it thick.

Consider adding these on their own or in combination:

Cinnamon

Cardamom

Shredded unsweetened coconut

Nutmeg

Ginger

Cocoa

Inka (coffee substitute)

Vanilla extract or vanilla bean

Once you have creamed the banana you can throw it back in the freezer to get the ice cream consistency back.

For a smoothie add more liquid (1 cup of milk) and keep the rest the same.

You can freeze blueberries, raspberries, peaces (cut up and pit removed), apples, pears etc.  For a mixed fruit flavour blend fruit together.  

When adding  cinnamon, coconut, nutmeg etc. to your smoothies or ice cream, start with ½ teaspoon, taste and add more if needed.

For a protein punch add yogurt or hemp seeds.

When blended add a tablespoon of Grains Plus to your shake or sprinkle on your ice cream for added nutrition and flavour.

Three Fabulous Salad Dressings

A well dressed salad is a meal in itself and delicious to eat.  

Here are my favourite dressings.  They are simple to mix;  just toss the ingredients in a small mason jar (250 or 500 ml) cover, mix and serve.  The leftovers (if there are any so make a large batch) can be refrigerated for a few weeks, again simply shake well before pouring.

Sweet and Spicy Asian Dressing

1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar and

1/2 cup of garlic chili flax oil (can improvise and use other oils)

4 cloves of garlic minced (or one small clove per serving)

1 cm" of sliced ginger, minced (or one thin slice per serving)

1/4 cup of orange juice (1/2 to 1/3 of the amount of vinegar)

1/2 tsp sesame oil (1/8 tsp per serving)

1/2 tsp chili flakes

1/4 cup maple syrup

sea salt to taste

Basic Garlic Dressing

garlic minced

lemon juice

garlic chili flax oil

sea salt

Easy Greek Dressing

4 small cloves of garlic minced

juice of one medium lemon 

oregano

1/4 cup olive oil

Garnish your salad with crumbled feta cheese (about 1/3 cup)

Spring is for sprouting!

Sprouting is super easy and super nutritious!!

You can sprout any seed and most beans and grains.   Sprouts are bursting with protein, vitamins and nutrients.  A powerhouse food that can be eaten on it's own or added to any meal.   

You can sprout a variety of seeds in one jar.  Be sure to sprout beans or legumes in a separate jar as they are larger and take longer to sprout.  I use a 1 L wide mouth mason jar.  You can purchase plastic lids of three sizes (for different size sprouts) at a health food store.  If not available a cheese cloth fitted with an elastic band over the mouth of the jar or a food grade screen will do just as well.

Select the seeds or beans to sprout and enough to cover the bottom of the jar.  Sprouts grow and take up lots of space so less is more!!  Rinse the seeds well and soak for 24 hours on the counter away from sunlight (you can cover them with a towel).  Rinse and drain the sprouts twice a day - this process only takes 20 seconds a day!  Once they have sprouted, they can be left uncovered and exposed to light, keep rinsing at least 2 times a day.  They are usually ready after a couple of days uncovered, when you see a tail 2-3 times the length of the seed, anywhere from 1 to 4 days.  

Now they are ready to eat.

Store covered in the refrigerator.

Add your sprouts to salads, sandwiches or eat them on their own.

I like to make a wrap with mine ...

I usually have leftovers in the fridge like rice, quinoa, chicken almost anything will do.

Heat it up and dice if necessary.

Take a large lettuce leaf (you can use a traditional tortilla if you want something more filling)

and place some rice (in my case)  and add some sprouts.

I usually add some garlic chili flax oil as a condiment along with some Grains plus.

Now roll, wrap and eat!

Kids like to build their own wraps and even nibble on the sprouts!!

Eat Well

Be Well

MAKE A PESTO TODAY!

If you have something green, seeds,

garlic and a chopper you have pesto.

It goes on almost anything, needs no heating or cooking.

This is the beginning of the season where you will find so many fresh and even local greens for your pesto.  The traditional pesto calls for basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan cheese.  Use this only as your guide, in fact I substitute everything except for garlic - that and olive oil are the only constant ingredients.

Consider a bunch (handful or a 2 cup measure) of parsley, basil, cilantro, kale or spinach. Depending on your taste any one of these will do wonderfully!

My family loves garlic, so when I make a pesto I add at least one to two heads of garlic. 

Instead of pine nuts I add what I have in the cupboard.  I have used sunflower seeds, almonds or pumpkin seeds.  The combinations are delightful and the tastes are surprisingly delicious!!

The basics

one head of garlic

one tablespoon of salt

1/4 - 1/2 cup of olive oil

a bunch of green herb

1/4 - 1/2 cup of seeds or nuts

In a food processor mince garlic and salt to taste, add  1/4 cup of your choice of seeds.  

Chop until just blended.  Now add a the parsley (or basil or kale or ...) and while chopping slowly drizzle the olive oil in.  Depending on how thin you like your pesto you may add more oil.  

As well,  you may chop the seeds less depending on your taste. 

A coarse grind with less oil will make a thicker pesto.

The combination of seeds, green and yes, even oil (as long as you do not heat the pesto you can use flax oil instead) make for over 20 pesto variations.

Pesto is tasty on pasta, rice, baked potatoes, salad greens, chicken, roasted vegetables ... the list is limited only by your imagination.

Pesto is a nutritional power pack of essential fats, iron, zinc, protein, fibre, calcium and other vitamins and minerals.

A complete power house food indeed!

Easy, Fast and Delicious!!

Enjoy

 

One Dish Dinner

Finally, spring is here and the warm weather is upon us.  

In the kitchen this means more fresh vegetables and fruits.  Gone are the crock pots and oven meals that create even more heat in the already warm kitchen.  Warmer weather usually means easy light meals.  This is a perfect time to move away from heavier winter foods to lighter fare like salads with added easy protein like beans, tuna, chicken or egg.  

A fast and excellent way to satisfy your taste buds, time restrictions, waist line and nutritional needs all in one quick easy delicious meal is The Salad.

Think of your salad as your main course.

The salad box is an assortment of washed ready to use mesculin mix ( a variety of salad greens).  Start with a very generous handful of pre washed mesculin mix.  To the salad add shredded or sliced carrots, beets and diced cucumber.

Now you add the protein.  This could be last night's bbq'd chicken cut up in pieces or a boiled and chopped egg or maybe a can of tuna.  My tried and true salad dressing is equal amounts of lemon juice and flax seed oil to which i add crushed garlic and sea salt.

The salad is that simple and hugely satisfying!!

Remember - Greens + protein + dressing = great meal

ENERGY BARS

Tired of processed food and looking for a quick fix?  

Most energy bars are loaded with simple sugars and additives so why not make your own?

The following recipes are quick, easy and fun to make.  All you need is a food processor.

POWER BAR  I

7 prunes

6 medjool dates

1/8 cup goji berries

1/8 cup sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp walnuts

POWER BAR  II

1/4 cup 7 grain cereal

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/8 cup goji berries

1/8 cup slivered almonds

1/8 cup pumpkin seeds

1 tsp cocoa powder

1 tsp agave syrup

To make either power bar:

Combine the  ingredients in a food processor and chop until mixed and the contents clump.

With damp hands mold the paste into balls or press and flatten the mix in a baking dish, then cut into squares.

Wrap the power bars in a sealed container and refrigerate.

Makes 10 bars