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)

Summer Feast - cornish hens for janice

Mangoes have been on sale for weeks now at our local grocers. 

When we buy a case of mangoes, a couple usually are left uneaten and are soon too ripe to eat. Now what??

Take out the cornish hens (chicken will do) and curry powder and lets have some fun!

You will need ...

1-2 mangoes washed and cut 

2 cornish hens (or a whole chicken)

1 cup of chicken stock (or water with added chicken soup base)

1 onion chopped

1 head of garlic chopped 

4 slices of ginger (1/2 inch of ginger root)

1/2 cup of orange juice

1 heaping tablespoon of curry powder 

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Salt to taste

Combine the last six ingredients in a bowl and mix to a paste.  Add liquid from the chicken stock to make a thin paste and rub this onto the cornish hens (or chicken).

Place the hens and the rest of the ingredients (mangoes with pit and yes, peel too) in a pot (do you have a clay pot?) cover and bake in oven at 375*.  

To brown the hens, finish baking uncovered for the last 10 minutes.

Serve this with roasted yams, wild rice and salad.

Recipes to follow ... 

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

VIDA GRAINS

What has no calories; prevents constipation; may lower the risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes?

Dietary fibre! It is one of the key ingredients of Vida Grains. A delicious fibre alternative that provides essential vitamins minerals and fatty acids. This distinctive blend of bran, psyllium and a variety of seeds, is mostly organic. Vida Grains is healthy, delicious and easy to use. Simply sprinkle a couple of tablespoons on any meal.

Vida Grains is available for sale on Salt Spring Island.