mylk and beans

RAW creativity

2012-03-23T13:49:00.014-04:00

I bought the best book! Its called The Raw Truth (second edition) by Jeremy A. Safron, it is 1/3 pure incredible information about nutrition, life and food and 2/3 recipes. Beautiful recipes, that make my brain flurry with happy hormones and chemicals. I finger the recipes like I am touching something so valuable in my hands. Combinations and flavours I have never seen in recipe form. Many of the recipes are for things I buy, paying upwards of $8/ 100g at health food stores. And right there in front of me on the page are the measurements, the instructions and more importantly, the ingredients, all laid out pretty for me. The possibilities are monumental. So much food, so much vitality written in those recipes... and yet the first thing I make to dehydrate, I just wing-it, that's just like me.

Steve says I can never stick to a recipe, and I am sometimes flustered at how strict he follows recipes. I only need recipes for things I can't feel or create intuitively. The food I know, I know very well. Being a good cook means knowing how food behaves when sliced and mashed or cooked and dried. I have created this recipe because its kinda like fruit leather, and its a nice baby step into the world of dehydrating.

Dehydrating is going to teach me patience and hone my prep skills. A good friend of mine, Barbara, runs an amazing business called B Love. She creates many raw, sprouted and dehydrated foods to sustain and nourish. She recently said to me that working with fresh food can, at times, be stressful. When I first heard this I thought it was a funny idea. Fresh food seemed so simple, i thought, simple because there was no cooking involved. At one point we have all ruined something by cooking it too long or too hot, but never by NOT cooking it. I think I just figured out what she meant while planning out a few recipes I want to dehydrate.

As I started writing out the recipe, then writing out the soaking times for each ingredient, and the sprouting times, and the prep time and then the drying time, I became overwhelmed. How can I fit this into my schedule? As a shift worker I don't have alot of time home, other than day's off, how am I going to work so many different prep steps into my days.... Wow, all of a sudden a little thing like making dehydrated carrot cake balls just turned into a big job. There is alot of planning involved, and I am only preparing enough for Steve and I, Barbara makes hundreds of food items a week.

Soaking? Sprouting?

Seeds and Nuts need to be soaked to release an enzyme inhibitor that makes them hard to digest. Why is that inhibitor there? Well seeds are designed to pass through a mammals stomach intact so that the seed can create a new plant once it is sent back to the earth. Makes sense right? You sprout a seed, nut or grain to increase its nutrition. It is a baby plant, full of life force.

It is little things like this that humble me on a constant basis. Like how in Yoga I will never master a pose, I will never stop learning about food. I will always be seeking, practicing and learning about food. Food teaches me about who I am. What I like, how I like to feel, what makes me feel good. By using what I've learned I can make empowered decisions about what I eat. And feel confident about my choices even if they go against the model of the Standard American Diet. Funny coincidence that the acronym would be SAD.

Nothing is set in stone. You can be whoever you want at any age, in any city, in any room, in any world. You can start this very moment. Change gradually, be nice to your self. You need to support your decisions with love and patience. Eat as well as you can as often as you can, and thank yourself when you make healthy choices. When you feel pressured or weak towards foods you know aren't going to make you feel good, learn from those times. Be strong!

Right now my living room smells like cinnamon and banana. The steady fan sound is just a hum but it is different and exciting. Yes, my dehydrator is in my living room, 1 bedroom apartments break all standard rules. My bathroom is also a second bedroom.

I love our little life here in Hamilton. I love our home together with our cat family members and our sunny tree filled views. I like the sidewalks that take me and my running shoes through neighbourhoods, hills and valleys. I love that there are grains sprouting in my kitchen, that I have friends and family at my fingertips and that I have the means to be who I want to be.

This is all Food. Food nourishes my body, which enables my brain the energy needed to create and practice compassion and patience. Allowing my Chi to flow, my muscles to relax and Life to unfold around me and in front of me every day. I feel good because I am good. How are you today? I'm good. Its simple, but to the point. Do you want a coffee from timmies? No, I'm good. I don't know why I find this funny. But I guess, I'm just good, and I love Good.

These babies wont be done until 4am tomorrow morning. So call me at 8am and I'll let you know what they are like! I didn't follow a recipe because I was too impatient to wait a few days for sprouts to be ready. So these are just fruit leather ball things, I gotta work on my marketing! I am not even sure what tray to put them on so I am using 2 trays together, trial and error is tasty. These are expressions of my creativity, they are filled with Love, Life (literally) and a little bit of cat hair, just kidding, kinda.

Sweet Bites

12 Medjool Dates, pitted, and soaked for 1 hour in purified water (not tap water)
1 Banana
1 cup Coconut, shredded, unsweetened, unsulfured
1/4 cup Ground Flax seed
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger powder
1 tsp Pure Vanilla extract, no alcohol
2 Apples, not peeled, core and grated (cheese grater)

Drain dates fully (* save water to use later for tea or something)
In a food processor puree all the ingredients together except for the apples.
Transfer the date mixture to a bowl and stir in the grated apples.
Using a small ice cream scooper that articulates to release the batter, place balls 12 to a sheet. This gives lots of room between balls.
Place in dehydrator at 108 degrees F for 14 hours.
Makes 30 balls.

(This is like 10 mins worth of snacks if we are hanging out with Brittany and Ivan, I'm going to have to make more)

I love branding my stuff. I have written "Oliver and co." on the back of every greeting card I've ever made. I love the world, because now I can look so much more professional! I have had this design created into a rubber stamp, it is in the mail as we speak. I am not creating a business, this stamp just makes me happy. You gotta love the little things, do what makes you happy. Every time I stamp this onto a little paper bag, of my treats, I will feel empowered, and that is a thing of beauty.

What do you do for yourself just because it feels good?

he asked for Date Squares

2012-03-10T16:24:00.005-05:00

For the last 9 months I have been on a weight-loss mission. And for the last 4 months I have stopped consuming all bread products, rice, pasta, you know that "filling complex-carb" stuff. Have i suffered without them? No, actually I just finished my first half marathon, without a single carb-loading day. With such impressive results I am confident that my health is so much better without them that I am through wasting my energy eating them. WOW, hold the phone! Right? Does this means no brownies, or cookies, or muffins, or cakes or................ With my active lifestyle, I can freely enjoy a brownie or cupcake whenever I want. But making them part of my diet/lifestyle is a joke, and it should be for everyone, except people like Steve, and this is where Date Squares fit in.

I Bake for my sweetheart like I am on a mission. My lovely husband is doing his best to gain weight. Yes, you read it right. He is a very active Yoga teacher who spends alot of time in the Hot room and an equal amount of time explaining to people that he is, in fact, healthy. You wouldn't comment on someones weight when they are overweight, because its incorrect social behaviour. But the same feelings are often felt by those asked about their a lack of weight.

Steve is in the best shape of his life, but struggles keeping muscle in certain areas. He requires more calories in his diet to give him the energy needed to increase his weight. From where I stand it seems like an easy fix, just eat more. Steve doesn't see things so simply, because simple isn't healthy. Digestion is the big key word here. Our whole life, we just have one body, so you want to be nice to your organs, and not flood them with tons of solids to process. There is alot of action that happens in your body once food enters the equation, and Steve monitors every step. He remembers the time at which he eats, and spaces his meals, and even beverages, out according to Ayurvedic principles of diet. Now I'm no expert, but if you know Steve, he would love to sit and chat all about it with you.

He is so talented in the kitchen now, that he practically makes all his own meals. When I cook, he often spoons a bowl full for himself and then puts things in it like asafoetida. No matter how much he cooks for himself, he still Loves my bake goods. A die-hard sweet tooth on this man.

This morning while we waited in line at Starbucks eyeing up the calorie bombs in the display case, I told him to close his eyes and think of anything and I would bake it for him. Without hesitation he said Date Squares, probably because he picked up a tub of honey dates the other day and there was a plate stacked full of them in the case in front of him, but either way, his wish is my command. But not in an archaic chauvinistic way.

I am excited to say that coming up on Mylk and Beans you will see more and more Raw&Fresh recipes, Raw&Dehydrated things and fun life lessons that I learn along my path. I am feeling better than I have my whole life, with energy flowing out in so many directions I am just now channeling it once again into my wrighting and photography. I write this for people who like to feed off others excitement, because that is why i surf food blogs, and design blogs. I like to absorb what I see and hear. I like to get excited about things, and pass on new things I've learned. Nutrition is of the UP MOST importance in my life right now and will be for the rest of my days. You will see that reflected here. I will post things like Date Squares for times when you want to share and indulge, but I will also share the most simple nutritional food.

I hope you check in from time and time and see what we are eating over here, Its always good!

Date Squares, adapted from the lovely Anna Olson

Date Filling
2 cup honey dates, pitted
1 cup Thompson raisins
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup water

Crumble
2 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp each cinnamon, ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp each cardamon, allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 Tbsp granulated maple sugar ( or maple syrup)

Method

For the Date Filling, in a small pot, bring all the ingredients to a boil. Set aside to cool while mashing with a big wooden spoon. Stir often to help it cool faster.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8" square baking pan with parchment using 2 strips so you go up and over both sides.
For the Crumble, mix all the dry ingredients together except the maple sugar. Set aside while you slowly melt the butter, unless you are a go-getter and you've already done this.
Pour the butter into the Crumble mixture and mix forcefully until there is no unadulterated flour left, you know what I mean.
Dump half the Crumble mixture into the pan and press it down firmly, like it owes you money. Then spread the date mixture evenly over top. Then sprinkle the rest of the crumble mixture over the filling, NO firmness required, just sprinkle.
Then if you are so lucky to have a maple sugar product in your pantry (you should if you are Canadian!) then sprinkle that over top now.
Bake in the centre of oven for 40-45 mins, until golden brown. It will make your whole small 1 bedroom apartment smell Incredible, or that just happens to me, you be the judge!
Let cool completely, then cut into 16 pieces.
This makes a decent Date Rectangle let me tell you!

May your pantry always be full.

Food Porn

2012-03-09T17:53:00.000-05:00

If u haven't heard of anything referred to as porn, other than porno, then this heading might seem a little shocking but read on.

Food Porn refers to photos that you love to look at, photos you drool over, ones you make one your desktop background at work. If you have ever stopped to take a photo of a wicked meal you are about to eat, or are half way done eating but don't want to forget, then you might know what I'm talking about.

A McDonald's burger Ad? I wouldn't call that good porn, because it's fake, just like implants and plastic surgery, that burger has had a fleet of folks working before and after the shoot trying to make that burger look hot, thick and delicious, even though it isn't.

I'm talking Real Food Porn, photos taken because the beauty just needed to be captured. The food looking so good you remember the taste so vividly that you salivate at first sight.

Ever tried hand made gnocchi tossed with roasted veggies and fresh pesto? Me neither but if I found a food pic of it you better believe I'm going to oooohhh and ahhh over that pic. I'll post it to my Facebook, others will "like" it, yeah ya do! It's Food Porn baby!

Done right Food Porn can be addictive, you find yourself in the cookbook section of the book store, drawn to the hardcovers because you know they have the most photos. The recipe is inconsequential ( I mean who reads the words next to photos of porn?)
If the food looks like your kinda grub, you flip passionately, fingering the glossy pages.

It's all about presentation. We love being brought a meal where the food has been placed so perfectly angels are singing, the first whiff, is that saffron? If you are slow to indulge and intuitive enough, you will feel your stomach ready it's self for the meal. Once your brain knows about the party, it starts the music sparking the digestive system to get ready to rock!

Food blogs are my porn. They bring me into other people's porn. Their dinner last night makes me excited.

I can't negate lighting though, never post a photo that looks like you lit the shot using the light from your microwave, you are not going to "have me at hello" with that sad plate of, what is it? Cabbage? Take pride with your food pics, anyone of them have the potential for greatness! That delicious bowl of Roasted chive soup with toasted pumpkin seeds may just be lunch in July, but on a cold December night I might end up starring at that photo, longingly, remembering faintly the fleeting delight of eating it's beautiful flavours.

Not everything needs a photo. Some things in life just need to be enjoyed in the moment, with your own eyes. Some things are most enjoyable because they are never to be seen again, embrace this, and know that its ok to eat things that look terrible. It is the flavour, the nutrition and the love that matters most. So take a photo of that $8 cupcake in the window, but enjoy your niece's smashed up gingerbread just the same.

Ontario Peach Cobbler

2011-08-18T18:00:00.001-04:00

This time of year Peaches wait for no one. You must grab them by the bushell and eat them no more than a day after you buy them. Their sweetness doubles by the day as their juices release and the sugars mature.

You can bake any peach, no matter how ripe they are. The heat and added sugar with cook them to a nice soft sweetness. But cooking a perfectly ripe peach means you need less sugar and less time in the oven. Which is better for my waistline and it means I can eat them faster. I know when my peaches are ready just by squeezing them. Have some restraint when you are squeezing your peach, but think about smushing it into baby food with your hand. If you think its soft enough to relinquish its power and turn into a juicy squishy mess in your hand, then your peach is ripe. If it is firm enough that you would struggle to smush it with one hand, then it needs to sit on the counter for another day or so.

I made this cobbler to share with friends. Just a weekday after work visit, sharing time in the backyard and some laughs over "Get him to the Greek". What was meant to be 8 servings quickly disappeared between the 4 of us. We just kept going back for more. The biscuits are fluffy and basic so they merely compliment the star of the show, the beautiful Ontario Peach.

Enjoy the fruits of your area and eat whats in season to experience true freshness

8 fresh Peaches

Base mixture:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cobbler biscuit dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, cold

3/4 cup almond milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and hunt down a baking dish.
Mix the base ingredients together in the bottom of your baking dish. Shake the dish to level out the flour mixture evenly.
Wash and slice peaches, about 8 slices per peach. Layer over the bottom of the dish.
Mix biscuit dough by sifting all the dry ingredients together, then cut in the cold butter until crumbly. Then pour over the almond milk and vanilla. Mix until the dough comes together.
Don't over work the dough. Too much movement with make the cobbler heavy. No body likes to be overworked.
Roll out the dough, to about 2 cm thick. Cut with anything circular, like a drinking glass
Gently re-roll the dough, getting as many cobbler biscuits as you can.
Layer biscuits over the peaches, using leftover scraps to fill in the gaps. This will keep all the juicy goodness in.
Bake for 30 mins, until brown and biscuits are cooked.

Montreal Pizza

2011-07-05T11:31:00.001-04:00

We just got back from a long weekend vacation to Old Montreal. We rented bikes, enjoyed wine on patios and soaked up the European feel.

We ate at several different places, seafood and pizza being the most memorable. Late night gelto and thai soup eaten at the hostel.

Food is good no matter where we go.

Two-bite G/F Brownies

2011-07-04T12:56:00.000-04:00

I found a recipe for brownies on Chow.com. I have a million recipes for brownies, so why did I pause on this one? It called for Glutinous Rice flour, and made sure to explain that this flour was important, that it could not be just swapped out willy nilly. I was intrigued by this new flour I did not currently have in my cupboard. I think I emailed myself the recipe and then put it in my subconscious to find Glutinous Rice flour.

Then I found it, in the bulk section of a local health food store, The Horn of Plenty in Dundas. Their bulk section is like a library of amazingness. I didn't walk out of there for less than $100, I stocked up! I found mung beans, and black beluga lentils and .... I am getting off topic. I found the flour I needed, and then best of all, I found the recipe again.

I made the recipe, and it fell flat. It still tasted good because, lets be serious chocolate and butter CAN"T taste bad no matter what you do to them. But they were not impressive. So I made them again, tweaked the recipe and tried them as mini two-bite brownies. They stuck to the pan, so the next day I made them again, with cupcake liners. All my hard work paid off, the last batch rocked the house!

We ate them on the deck with ice cream, it was a great afternoon.

Recipe to come shortly!

Temph Bacon

2011-06-27T07:33:00.001-04:00

Temph, pronounced( tem - pay) is a better for you kind of tofu. It is made from fermented tofu. While it is fermenting with all that good bacteria the estrogenic parts of the soy bean are changed making it better for us to eat.

I recently found maple smoked temph bacon, it has made breakfast a treat this week.

I found it in the tofu section of Fortinos

Fresh Strawberry Syrup

2011-06-25T19:55:00.000-04:00

“good thing there wasn't anyone behind me because I hit the brakes when I saw your sign" I joked to the man selling strawberries from his farmhouse market stand. My first Ontario berries of the season, I bought 3 pints.

I washed up about 4 cups of strawberries; put them into a blender cup with 1/2 cup maple syrup. Using an immersion blender I whipped them into syrup.

I topped my waffle with peach soy yogurt, strawberry syrup, fresh mint and my chia cereal mix. Steve went a more classic route with strawberry syrup blended with fresh mint and a fried egg. I dripped my almond milk on the table but Steve didn't spill a drop of his homemade green tea soy latte.

Summer breakfast on the deck, I'm glad your back!

Breakfast at work

2011-06-16T08:22:00.001-04:00

My bed is never more comfortable than when I wake up in the morning. The slow awakening to the day is worth all the hurry that comes later. Because of this I eat my breakfast at work. The bus drops me off about 25 mins early so I have a nice enjoyable breakfast. Sometimes I bring a toasted egg sandwich, wrapped in tinfoil, which never disappoints. But my usual is oatmeal with fruit and some chia seed/buckwheat/hemp cereal blend.

I can throw these simple ingredients into my lunch bag and go! I eat Natures Path Flax Plus oatmeal, and Chia Goodness Cranberry Ginger. With this breakfast I manage to eat several kinds of grains, seeds, fruits and a nut milk. All in a little bowl.

These both have a little sweetness and salt so they are perfectly balanced when I add hot water and in-sweetened almond milk. Then the fruit of course. My favorite is frozen pineapple, peach and strawberry.

There is no reason to skip breakfast because it is too early to eat or you just didn't have time.

This is the simplest and best breakfast.

Morning waffles

2011-06-11T09:16:00.000-04:00

Slow mornings are my favorite. We seem to come back to bed a few times before we both actually get up. We open our kitchen door so the breeze from the deck blows through our place. The kitties play like wild, I think they can feel the slowness and know that they have us for at least a few hours. We already talked about waffles last night, which ones we would be making for breakfast this morning. The gluten free mix from the box, or Steves homemade waffles.

Steve was up for mixing his own batch while wandered about tidying up and watching the kitties play. A waffle maker is the best breakfast appliance ever! They are lighter than pancakes and have grooves to hold yogurt, fruit and syrup.

This morning I chopped up some frozen peaches, strawberries and pineapple. Steve fried up some eggs in ghee, over easy for me please!

Steve says he prefers brown sugar in this recipe.

Waffles
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tbsp arrowroot starch
1 tsp apple pie spice ( cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice)

- in a medium sized bowl mix all the dry ingredients together. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Then mix it up. Steve says you can add more almond milk at this point if u want it more runny. He says it pours into the waffle maker better this way.

my own sweet potatos

2011-06-10T15:09:00.001-04:00

There is so much love in my kitchen, that my potato's wanted to give some back.

I keep my spuds in a basket away from the heat of the kitchen, so they sometimes get forgotton. When I came home a few weeks ago, this sweet potato slapped me in the face "Hey look at me!" There was a huge green shoot coming out of the basket. If this was the winter I would have chopped it up, steamed it, and pureed it with garlic for a tasty side dish.

But this time of year........ forget it! I HAVE A GARDEN! (I could shout it from the roof top)

Planting those spuds was better than eating them, why?

LEARNING MOMENT put down the muffin and listen in.
At room temperature a sweet potato is only at its best for about a week. When the potato shoots off a green sprout it us using up the nutritional energy inside the potato to grow. This means less fuel and flavour for you.

These few little potato's might make me a whole potato salad in a few months, but if nothing happens but a few green leaves shooting up from the ground, I will be just as happy.

The journey I take with the garden is just as great as the rewards.

Homemade Deoderant

2011-06-09T14:18:00.000-04:00

Recipes are not always for eating, but if you wanted to eat this... There are a few other weird food blogs I could direct you too!

Kicking antiperspirant was the first really great thing I did for my body. Even though I was in the midst of puberty when that little pit-stick was the difference between raising the roof or not, the rash in my armpits spoke louder. From then till now I have tried every brand of natural deodorant on the market, and I've been satisfied. But I still have to reapply about 4 times a day.

This is the first time I have come across a recipe for homemade deodorant. I mean I wasn't looking, I just stumbled on it, but now I'm hooked, I am going to work on this recipe to see if I can change the consistency to something I can mold into a stick, to make it more portable.

Yesterday it was so hot that it was runny like water in my little jar, but today it has solidified into a cream like texture which is way easier to apply. Just a dip of the finger and rub it into my arm pits.

I can;t even joke about how easy this recipe is. Do you have a tablespoon a pot and a spoon? Then you are cooking deodorant my friend!

In a small sauce pan add:

2 TB shea butter
2 TB coconut oil
2TB baking soda
2 TB corn starch (I used arrowroot starch and it worked great)

Heat this mixture over very low heat, about as low as your stove element or flame will go before being off. You just need to melt them together not "cook" them. As soon as the shea butter is melted turn off the heat. At this point you can add some essential oil if you like. I added 4 drops of orange oil and 4 drops peppermint oil. Weird combo eh? A certified aromatherapist mixed this up for me one day and rubbed it on my temples and neck when I was sick, and it was the most uplifting moment. It is my new favourite mix. I poured my creation into a tiny mason jar, I think it was a 1/4 pint.

Let the product cool down and then dip and destinkify yourself!

Chucks Burger Bar

2011-05-16T11:59:00.000-04:00

This new little gem popped up on Locke Street, this year, as soon as the weather turned warm. It is a trendy little spot with exposed brick walls and chic urban seating, but the FOOD is what is worth talking about.

I honestly didn't even look at their menu beyond Veggie Burger and sweet potato fries. I heard they had a mean burger so I had to try it, and I wasn't disappointed. Biting into the patty, I saw fresh vegetables like zucchini sprinkled throughout the mix. I think they deep fried the patty, to hold it together, because it wasn't like a traditional veggie burger, it had softer texture. I will have to ask them next time!

The Burger was wrapped in butchers paper with a cool little sticker to keep it closed, I love those little touches. I topped my burger off with micro-greens, a lime BBQ sauce, and all the usual toppings. Next time I will try more because they have about 30 different toppings to choose from. The bun was classic with sesame seeds and everything. We got our little to-go bag and happily returned home to enjoy it over an episode of Hero's.

And delicious sweet potato fries, but who can mess that up!

Whole Wheat Bread

2011-05-15T18:40:00.000-04:00

Steve and I attended a Bread Baking coures at a local college today. I thought we would be guided through the proper skills and techniques of kneading and creating beautiful bread. I had dreamed about it. It was actually more like home economics in High school, just a few photocopies and little direction.

The result was rather pleasant... once we escaped from class!

I am not just saying this because its our bread, because i've made quite a bit of bread in my day, but this is the most amazing bread I have ever tasted. It is just perfect. We even improvised by sprinkling oats over the top right before baking. With 3 slices across the tops for good measure.

As soon as I got home, I started making split pea soup with quinoa. We ate the soup with slices of fresh bread we kneaded ourselves. We didn't even toast it, just a thin layer of butter.

We are so proud!

If anyone is looking to do a bread trade, I think that would be fun

The alien : Brussel

2011-05-14T11:27:00.000-04:00

Oh the little cabbage head known as the Brussel Sprout.

Everyone knows this little green alien, kids hate them and some adults even fear them! But there is nothing to fear because they are so tasty. Ok, Ok, I know some of you have been tormented by Brussels boiled for so long that they are more grey than green and turn into baby food in your mouth, so I understand. But the time has come to learn how to make these little cabbage heads yourself!

Step #1: Buy brussel sprouts, Take them home, read this post

Step #2: Wash brussels, trim ends and peel off any sad looking leaves.

Step #3: Roast or Steam until fork tender (which means as soft as you'd like)

Step #4: Eat them and be amazed that they taste as good as they look

I tossed these in some oil, dropped them on the pan, seasoned them with a little sea salt and pepper (not sea pepper). Then I roasted them at 400F for about 15 mins. Roasting them gives them deeper flavour with some crispy leaves on the edges. When they were done I put them in a bowl with some Teriyaki tofu cubes and some Daiya cheese. Mmmmmm

Salad at Dueling Pianos

2011-05-13T23:13:00.000-04:00

This was such a busy day. We brought our little kitty in to be spayed, and me being the nervous Mom who has never brought an animal in for surgery, I was stressed all day. Then upon bringing her home and seeing her big stitched incision, it was hard for me to think about anything else but her. So I ended up being really really hungry by dinner time.

It was also my best friends Birthday, the big 25! So I hit the shower and drove through torrential rain to get to Dueling Pianos in Oakville. We didn't end up eating until about 8:30pm, so that might have had some influence on my taste buds, but this was THE BEST SALAD! Just think of a Lion devouring a Zebra on the African plains, and that was me eating this salad. The presentation was beautiful and the dressing, a simple balsamic, was incredible.

The rest of the night was laughs, clapping and a pomegranate martini.

Fiddle Heads

2011-05-10T10:57:00.000-04:00

These are a very illusive food group. The moment you see them in the market you have to grab them because they are only available for a few days a year. I can't believe it but this past week was the first time I have ever eaten fiddle heads. I filled a big paper bag and excited marched to the cash register.

I already knew how to make them, from all the stories I have heard from friends and family... "sauteed in butter they are the best" . It sounded like a plan. I trimmed the ends just a little, gave them a rinse and then threw them into the cast iron pan with a little butter and vegetable oil. They only take a few minutes. What do they taste like? Smell like? Steve and I both agree, they taste like GREEN. We love Green so they were as impressive as they have always sounded.

If you see Fiddle Heads... BUY THEM AND EAT THEM QUICK!

The B.L.A.T

2011-05-03T09:08:00.000-04:00

This day was perfect. It was a Saturday.

I drove to work which meant I had to car to drive around at lunch + I had a gift certificate for KIND Food + It was a beautiful sunny day

I stopped for lunch at Kind Food which is conveniently right down the road from where I work. This is their B.L.A.T and its vegan. Yep! Vegan bacon bits, with avocado, vegan mayo, tomato, and lettuce on sour dough bread. It is one of the best things I have ever eaten. I paired it with a Cesar salad a kombucha soda and a huge brownie, which I brought home to share with Steve.

I always bring my lunch, but once and in a while it is nice to have a surprise lunch in the middle of the work day.

If you are in Burlington, Ontario. Go to Kind Food on John street, almost at the corner of Lake shore.

Ginger Carrot Rissotto

2011-05-02T10:19:00.000-04:00

Did Easter go by incredibly fast for anyone else? I didn't even eat an Easter egg! I haven't sat down in front of milk and beans for a few days now and its terrible. Where does my time go when I am not watching it, into the sink, I think. I have had so many delicious meals over the last few weeks. Birthdays and dinner parties are the best way to share food and try new things.

Most of the time we eat simply. I am extra happy when I have leftovers from a meal, so I can eat them the next day at work. This risotto is the best day-after meal you can have. I add a little splash of water and toss it in the toaster oven in a Pyrex dish.

I love to cook, but sometimes I look at the dirty dishes in the sink, the clutter in the fridge and the time on the clock, and I just want to get take-out, so I can wait for it while I am laying on the couch. I don't know why some days just take it out of me more than others. Risotto is one of those meals that I can whip up with barely anything in the fridge and it always tastes great.

1 cup arborio rice
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup white wine
1 inch nub fresh ginger
6 carrots, grated
1 small onion, about 1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1 handful fresh baby spinach, chopped roughly
1 tbsp butter
salt & pepper to taste

In a large saute pan heat a few tbsp of vegetable oil
saute ginger garlic and onions on medium until soft.
Add rice and continue stirring for 1 minute
Add wine and stir until liquid is gone
Add grated carrot and 1 cup of stock
Continue stirring until stock has reduced. Add 1 cup of stock every time it looks dry until rice is tender, about 25mins.
When rice is a few minutes away from perfect add spinach, butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Dig IN!

Cupcakes from KIND Food

2011-05-01T20:49:00.000-04:00

Steve turned 32 today! So I picked up a few of these treats from KIND Food in Burlington, for the party.

They are vegan and gluten free!
Coconut macaroon, Chocolate mint, Red Velvet, Mexican hot chocolate, Dulce de leche, Raspberry Lemon, Chocolate cream

They taste exactly as good as they look and sound. We were all so happy to share these, everyone could eat them which is important to me, when food allergies are in play.

Robot Cake Pops

2011-04-29T09:03:00.000-04:00

Have you heard of cake pops? They pack a calorie punch, being made up of cake and icing all mashed together and rolled into a ball, then dipped in icing or chocolate. But damn they are cute. Britt and I snapped this photo from a "Cake Pops" book at a store on Locke street. We felt all sneaky taking this photo. No we didn't want to buy the book, but we did want the idea. We are definitely going to make these, maybe for a wedding or baby related event.

Robots make everyone happy!

Rags to Riches

2011-04-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Every so often we make big updates to our Environmental impact. I think we are doing really well, but there are always ways to improve. I have role models in my life to look up to in this department, Environmental crusaders, so to speak. No Impact man went an entire year without, among other things, electricity. This was while he was living in down town New York City. I also read a blog by a couple who vowed to make NO garbage in one year, they called it The Green Garbage Project. This is inspiration!

The small steps we have taken recently, are to stop buying plastic sandwich bags and plastic cling wrap. It is easy to rely on disposable plastic to carry and store food but at what cost?
The amount of plastic consumed (as a percentage of total waste) has increased from less than 1% in 1960 to around 12% today. I blame this on how much food is sold in plastic these days, and alot of the time it is plastic that isn't recyclable.

We try to do our best and every day our best is getting better, its the least we can do. We get outdoors as often as we can camping and traveling. We'd never leave our garbage at the campsite because we can immediately see its impact. You don't leave garbage on the earth, it makes everything look crappy and the animals don't want it there either. So why are we so disconnected from our own trash in our household?

Another small step we made recently was to stop buying paper towels. Yes they are compostable in our area, but they are still a resource I don't need to consume, made of cotton/wood pulp and wrapped in plastic. So I pulled out some old t-shirts and the sewing machine and made my own light reusable cloths.

Being more environmental doesn't always mean making sacrifices. If you are creative you can always find a way to replace a disposable item with a reusable one. We do laundry regularly, so we throw in a few dirty rags every time and keep our cupboard full of usefull cloths.

What small step can you make in your home to reduce your impact?

cashews and chocolate

2011-04-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

This recipe is one of my all time favourites, you can't make it wrong. It is quick and easy and the cookies taste good no matter how long you bake them. Pull them out early and you can eat them with a spoon with a big glass of mylk. Leave them in longer and they are perfect to dip in hot tea or crumbled over ice cream.

This time, I left them in the oven a little long. I blame the timer, which I set, but didn't start. It's the timers fault. But it wasn't a problem because they were still amazing and they were perfect to store in the cookie jar on the counter.

I love cookies. They are simple, hand held little treats. Not too sweet, not to high in calories. I bring cookies everywhere I go, and these ones, are always well received.

Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/3 cup almond mylk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 TB arrowroot starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup cashews, broken up a bit

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F
Mix wet together in a bowl
Sift dry ingredients together
Add the dry to the wet and mix just until combined
Scoop batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet
Bake for 10-14 mins

The Fridge

2011-04-15T11:54:00.000-04:00

FREEZER

FRIDGE

Everyone has a fridge, it ties the whole kitchen together. It's part of the pivotal triangular balance of the working kitchen. Sink - Stove - Fridge

A persons fridge says alot about them. Their eating habits, organization skills, wealth and even knowledge, can all be obtained from a glance into their fridge.

But can you judge a person by their fridge? Maybe. But only if we all go to the fridge with the same intentions.

What can be said about my fridge? It goes through periods of feast and famine. Times when we can't fit everything in without drawing on old Tetris skills, down on our knees. With a furrowed brow we try to piece together the food puzzle a certain way so that the door can shut. Then there are times when I stand in front of it aimlessly looking at the same bottles and containers, and with a sigh I reach for the grocery list and start writing down all the things I wish I saw inside it.

Today, my fridge has reached a purge point. I know there are too many forgotten items buried in its mist. A quarter of a waffle made on a long ago Sunday. A container with half a lime and half a tomato, leftover from what, I can't remember.

The freezer however, never really gets the same treatment. It always seems to be a mess, nothing stays in there too long, but it never seems to empty. The freezer, to me, is like a cryogenic storage facility where I feel I can stop time for many food groups. Nuts and seeds, containing so much oil, I don't want them going bad or stale. Really ripe bananas are stuck in time, in their little baggies, waiting for the ultimate thaw when they will sweeten and moisten my baked goods. We rely on it, however if a freezer ever fails (we've all seen that happen) it is a mad dash to preserve the contents. With the intensity of someone trying to save the world, you fly around grabbing ice and coolers out of thin air, desperately trying to maintain the freeze.

Why are our fridges so important to us? Well we inherited the habit of using them from our parents, and them from theirs. We feel we need them, because the food we buy is designed to be stored in them. "Refrigerate after opening" is one direction followed to the letter. "Expiry date" is unbending for many people not knowing how to smell if the freshness remains. But how many things in our fridge don't even have to be refrigerated? Have we forgotten how food works? Fresh food ticks like a clock, a short count down to when it will ultimately go back to the earth. This is what it is meant to do. The older a food is or the more it is handled, the less nutrients it contains. Even chocolate has nutrients, but what Hersheys offering has so few of those nutritive properties left, than say, raw cocoa. If its in your fridge, chances are it will be in you.

A freshly laid egg left at room temperature for 1 day, is not as fresh as an egg that has been refrigerated for 1 week. Isn't that incredible? Yeah its all scientific with bacteria forming in warmer climates, yada yada. But it all comes back to that big electric box that takes up so much room in my kitchen.

I wonder if I could live without a fridge? I think I could, but where would I keep the cat food?

Coconut Curry

2011-04-13T10:21:00.000-04:00

I love a good fridge, except ours in NOT a good fridge. Dinner last night needed to be creative, because all of our vegetables were frozen, some of them solid, like the beets. The carrots, however, went soft like a damp rag. We don't ever waste food. We save our leftovers and get creative with ingredients to make the most out of every dollar we spend. So it was pretty sad to see those lifeless icy veggies in there.
In the fridge, next to the eggs, I had frozen rapini and radishes. In the bottom drawer, limp carrots and zucchini. What could I possibly do with these?

Vegetable Coconut Curry

celery
carrot
golden beet
shitake mushrooms
broccoli
rapini
zucchini
jasmine rice
1 can coconut mylk
2 Tbsp red curry paste
2 lime kaffir leaves, dried
Soy sauce and salt to taste.

Start rice in cooker, as per directions
Saute veggies in frying pan
In a small pot, mix together coconut milk, curry paste and lime leaves. Heat the mylk until it is just hot enough to burn your finger, then turn the heat off.
When the veggies have softened add them to the coconut milk. I added some leftover tofu to the mix to get some protein into the mix.
The rice should be ready around the same time.
Put the two together and viola!

A Rice Cooker is cheap and saves a ton of time, i think this was $20.

Lime kaffir leaves smell like lime and add a tasty lime flavour. Find them at asian grocery stores. Add these to your pantry and treat them like a spice.

Who knew that all those lifeless sad veggies could make such a great dinner. I could have thrown them in the compost and ordered take out, but I had all the ingredients in my pantry for curry, and I wanted curry. Its simple to make dinner when you have a stocked pantry and some creativity.