Awesomesauce

Smokey Garlic Shrimp with White Beans in Tomato Sauce

2012-10-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

I have no words to explain this dish. I actually moaned "Mmmmmmm's" the entire time I ate. Actually, I have no shame... I inhaled. You too will adore this lovely smokey, tomato-y shrimp and bean dish. It's a perfect Sunday dinner.

We served it alongside roasted Parmesan fennel. It was just.... well, perfect :)

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 dried chiles de árbol
1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
1 1/4 cups chopped tomato (about 8 ounces)
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 15-ounce cans white beans (such as cannellini), rinsed, drained
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch of chili flakes2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grilled bread (optional)

Preparation

Preheat broiler. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add 1 garlic clove, chiles, and bay leaf and cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, 1–2 minutes (do not allow garlic to burn). Add tomato; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and smashing tomato with the back of a wooden spoon, until tomato is completely broken down, about 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste is deep red and caramelized, 3–4 minutes. Stir in beans and broth. Bring to a brisk simmer and cook until juices are slightly reduced and thickened, 3–4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and chili flakes.
Combine remaining 2 garlic cloves, 2 Tbsp. oil, shrimp, and paprika in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat shrimp. Scatter shrimp over beans in an even layer. (You can do this step ahead and let them marinate for a bit while you're cooking the ingredients in step 1).
Broil until shrimp are golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Drizzle remaining 2 Tbsp. oil over shrimp and beans; garnish with parsley.

Serve with bread, if desired because you'll want SOMETHING to sop up that delicious sauce.

Enjoyyyyy!

Nutritional information
5 servings, 1 serving contains:
Calories (kcal) 530
Fat (g) 25
Saturated Fat (g) 3.5
Cholesterol (mg) 175
Carbohydrates (g) 40
Dietary Fiber (g) 10
Total Sugars (g) 4
Protein (g) 36
Sodium (mg) 540

Lentil Patties!

2012-10-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Looking for ways to amp up your veggies and legumes? I've got the perfect recipe for you!

Since moving toward a more plant-based diet, I have been concerned with my protein intake. I have increased eating eggs, quinoa and a bunch of other goodies, but I wanted to make something creative today. Voila! Lentil patties to the rescue.

I had a small bag of brown lentils in the pantry and figured I could try making them into something fun. I rounded up a bunch of things like brown rice, nutritional yeast, veggies, spices and came up with this little treat. I even made a special spice blend just for this experiment. You certainly don't need the spice blend to make this great, but if you're feeling overwhelmingly creative and have some time, why not.

I would think you could add whatever greens or any type of lentils you have on hand and throw it into this mixture. I think it's a great base to play around with. Enjoy and I hope to hear about how you made out with this recipe!

Ingredients

1 cup cooked brown lentils
1 cup cooked brown rice
3 green onions
1 large garlic clove
small handful of kale, washed
small handful of spinach, washed
1/2 jalapeno, not seeded
4 dashes of Worcestershire
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp Steph's special seasoning
squeeze of lemon juice
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tbsp bread crumbs
ground black pepper to taste
cornstarch for dusting
1-2 tbsp olive oil for cooking
1 tsp salt or to taste

Directions

Throw all ingredients into a food processor. That's it! Blend until combined. Easy-peasy, right?

The mixture should come together nicely, and not be too sticky. If it is, add a bit more flour or breadcrumbs. You should be able form a patty without it sticking to your hands. I used a 1/3 measuring cup to portion the patties out to ensure they were the same size. Once you have your patties formed, dust them with a little cornstarch. It will help form a crust when cooking.

Heat a large frying pan, and add 1 tbsp of olive oil or oil of your choice. You don't need a lot, it's just to brown them up, so feel free to use cooking spray instead. You will need to add more as you cook as the patties will soak up a bit of the oil.

Cook on each side for about 3-5 minutes. You want to see a light to medium brown color before flipping. Everything is already cooked in these patties, so you're really just browning them up for texture. The crust is sooo good and you can actually pick these up and eat them instead of using a fork.

Below are the recipes for the masala yogurt sauce, and my special spice blend.

Masala yogurt sauce

1/4c plain fat free yogurt
1-2 tbsp masala spice mix
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 chili (you can omit if you're not into spice)
squeeze of lemon juice

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Let it chill if you can, or enjoy it right away.

Steph's special spice blend

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds

Toast all the seeds together in a shallow pan. Just as they become fragrant, turn off the heat. Be sure to constantly stir because the sesame seeds will start to brown quickly and you'll burn them if you don't constantly shake/stir.

Take the toasted seeds to your mortar and pestle and grind 'em up. You may need to do this in batches. Once the entire mixture is ground up, store in an air tight container for uses with other dishes.

Enjoy friends!

Carrot-Banana-Zucchini Loaf

2012-10-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of banana bread. I almost never make it though because of all the sugar that the recipes usually call for. This past weekend, I was searching for ways to use the 10lb bag of carrots I bought and came across a Carrot-Banana loaf recipe. It got me thinking... I've made 'Morning Glory' muffins before and figured why couldn't I make a loaf, but without all the sugar?

This recipe is vegan, and can be gluten-free if you want. I didn't have any gluten-free flour on hand, so I used whole wheat instead.

I absolutely LOVED how this turned out. Beware that it is a pretty dense loaf, with all the banana, carrot and zucchini in it. It's also pretty moist, so don't be afraid to pull it out at the 25 min mark. I just kept inserting a knife in the middle to check done-ness. You may need to cook a little less or a few minutes more, depending on your oven.

Two slices of this keep me full for a couple of hours. I did not add the apricots because I don't like fruit in my bread, but I added it in for those who do.

Ingredients:

½ cup organic raw honey
3 tablespoons organic olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed organic ripe bananas (I used two bananas)
1 finely shredded zucchini
1 cup grated organic carrots (I used 1.5 cups)
¼ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (I juiced half a lemon)
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cups Organic gluten free all purpose flour (or whole wheat if you aren’t doing gluten-free)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup chopped organic dried apricots (I didn’t add these)
½ cup organic chopped raw almonds (I added chopped walnuts instead and added a full cup.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3, 3” X 6” loaf pans (I only had to use two disposable tin ones, the NoName ones from NoFrills)
Using a fork beat the honey, oil, vanilla, and salt. Add the bananas, carrot, zucchini, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into the banana mixture. Then fold in the nuts and apricots.
Spoon into the loaf pans and bake for about 20-25 min, or until tooth pick comes out clean. Let it cool for about 5 min before removing from pan.

General Tso's Tofu

2012-10-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

I've been on a really good vegetarian kick for the last few weeks and have also amped up my workouts at the gym. I was getting concerned that I wasn't eating enough protein and in turn have been researching more tofu recipes to balance me out.

I love tofu. I love Chinese food also, so when I found this recipe for General Tso's Tofu, I had to try it. I promise you'll want to make this as soon as you can!

I served it with blanched broccoli, tossed in a bit of sesame oil and mirin and let it all cool. I also finished it off with a tiny bit of sea salt. The result is a cool sweet accompaniment to the spicy tofu. Oh I almost forgot, I also boiled one bar of Chinese Egg noodles which were nice to gather the left over sauce. I was a champ and thought 12 seeded dry chili's was the way to go for this. If you ultra love spicy, follow suit. Otherwise, stick to 3 or 4 so you don't burn your face off.

Note that you don't need to marinate this tofu for hours and hours. This can be a quick meal if you need it to be.

Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal

1 pound extra-firm tofu
2 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon peanut of vegetable oil
8 dried whole red chilis, or substitute 1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger,
1 scallion, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds, for garnish

Sauce:

3 tablespoons tomato paste (or substitute ketchup for a slightly sweeter sauce)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons chili sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar

Rinse and drain the tofu, then cut into 1-inch cubes. Blot the tofu all around with paper towels (drying the tofu helps it pan-fry better.)
Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli and cook for about 2 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Set aside.
Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, and sugar.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat the bottom. Add the tofu in one layer (you may have to do this in batches) and allow it to sear on the first side undisturbed for about 1 minute. Then use a spatula to move the tofu cubes around until they are golden on half or most of the sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add the dried chilis, garlic, ginger, and scallions and stir-fry until just fragrant, about 30 or 40 seconds. Pour in the sauce and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and carefully toss to coat with the sauce. You can either toss the broccoli in with the sauce or serve it on the side. Transfer everything to a large serving dish. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and scallions greens on top and serve with rice on the side.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

2012-10-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

Who likes carrot cake? I DO! Minus the cream cheese frosting, this recipe is a pretty great replication of carrot cake, but in a breakfast or snack oatmeal.

I doubled the recipe as it’s a very small portion originally, and I wanted some for breakfast for a couple of days. (It’s great cold or reheated in the microwave also.)

Enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

· 1 heaping cup finely grated carrot (about 1 large)

· 1 cup almond milk

· 2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk cream (or use more almond milk)

· 1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste

· 1/4 tsp ground ginger

· 1/8th tsp ground nutmeg

· pinch of salt

· 1/2 cup regular oats

· 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

· 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)

· 2 tbsp chopped walnuts, divided

· 2 tbsp raisins, divided (I didn’t add raisins)

· 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

· 1 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut, for garnish (forgot to add this and it was great without)

· 1 tbsp coconut milk cream + 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup, to garnish (optional) Try it, it’s great with the garnish.

Directions:

Finely grate 1 heaping (and I mean HEAPING) cup of grated carrots. You want to use the fine grate and not the large one so the carrot shreds are very small. This helps the carrot blend in more.
In a medium sized pot over medium heat, whisk together the almond milk, optional coconut milk cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a pinch of salt.
Stir in the grated carrots and oats. Adjust heat if necessary or bring heat to low if it starts to boil. Cook for about 8-9 minutes, stirring frequently. When the mixture has thickened up, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, 1 tbsp walnuts, 1 tbsp raisins, and 2 tbsp of maple syrup. Remove from heat and portion into bowls.
Top the oatmeal with the remaining walnuts, raisins, and shredded coconut. If you are using coconut cream, you can mix a bit of the cream with maple syrup and drizzle on top of the oatmeal, as shown in the photo. Sprinkle with cinnamon for garnish.

Panko-Crusted Pork with Wasabi Gingered Soy Sauce

2012-06-25T12:34:00.002-07:00

This was a FANTASTIC pork chop dish, and we enjoyed it with steamed veggies on the side. A nice twist to what can be a boring dish.

Panko crusted pork with wasabi gingered soy sauce

Ingredients

2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 teaspoon peanut oil or sunflower oil
Cooking spray
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger
1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry or vermouth
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar (or honey)
1 teaspoon wasabi paste (I like to add 1tbsp of it, cause I love the kick)
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Preparation

Place panko in a shallow dish. Place egg white in another shallow dish. Dip pork in egg white; dredge in panko.
Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add pork. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan; sprinkle with salt.
Reduce heat to medium. Add ginger to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Combine broth and the next 4 ingredients (through wasabi) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in green onions. Spoon sauce over pork.

Spicy Garlic Hummus

2012-06-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

I was driving down the road when I ran over some hummus.

A little further on, I hit taramasalata.

Then I saw a road sign:

'Caution - dips in road'

I am a huge lover of hummus and I usually make it two or three times a month. I like to switch it up and make different varieties; such as black bean, or white bean and feta. I love throwing in fresh jalapenos, raw cashews or cilantro. Lately though, I've been craving just the good 'ole traditional hummus.

I played with this recipe a bit and have decided that I'll keep this one around. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

P.S. This recipe has a kick so if you're shy about spice, I'd cut the cayenne down to 1/4 tsp and add more to taste. If you like a bit of heat, try adding in a dried chili or some chili flakes.

Spicy Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

- 1 can chickpeas, drained (reserve some liquid from the can as you will add this while pulsing in the food processor to smooth it out)
- 2 cloves garlic (add more to taste, of course. If you're using roasted, you will want to add about 4 cloves)
- 2 tbsp tahini
- juice of one lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a food processor, blend the chickpeas until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse, you are trying to get it to a smooth and creamy texture.
3. Start to add the reserved chickpea liquid in small bits, as you continue to pulse until you get it to the desired consistency. Taste test.
4. Adjust seasonings and lemon to taste.

Serve with fresh cut veggies, pita or nacho chips. Enjoy!

Grilled calamari that will keep you coming back

2012-05-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

After prepping the seafood for the paella we were about to make, we realized we had WAY too much seafood. Instead of overwhelming the dish we decided to put the extra squid aside and use it for an appetizer the next day. I figured a great way to use it would be a delicious grilled calamari appie. I am the queen of appies and had never actually grilled calamari before so I thought this would be fun.

I didn't marinate it very long because I actually couldn't wait to try it. Don't worry, you don't need to let it sit for 2 hours, if you only have 30 mins to let it rest in the marinade, do it. It's still good to go. ;)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds cleaned squid (about 3 pounds whole) tentacles separated from the bodies, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Chopped parsley, garnish
Lemon wedges, garnish

Directions:

Cut the squid bodies along the sides to open flat. With a thin sharp knife, lightly score the insides, being careful not to cut through all the way.

In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Add the squid bodies and tentacles, toss to coat, and marinate for 2 hours, refrigerated, turning twice.
Preheat the grill to high heat.
Grill the squid, turning until opaque, slightly golden, and just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the squid to a cutting board and slice into strips. Slice the tentacles if desired. Give a squeeze of lemon and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

You can thank me later.

Granola is good for the soul!

2012-04-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

I love granola bars. I don't usually buy them because I find them full of crap, to be honest. I do have a soft spot for Country Harvest though, and Kashi because I like the ingredients, and calories (let's be honest).

I am known for making everything from scratch. I adore breaking a recipe down and figuring out how to do everything from the beginning. For example, I could buy pierogis but I ADORE making the dough and filling from scratch and then boiling the final product, smothering it in butter (I decided not to count calories for that recipe) and sitting down and devouring it. There is something so satisfying about doing it from scratch and knowing that nothing was bought pre-made.

I have tried many a recipe for granola bars, and none had turned out the way I really wanted. I wanted a crunch, maybe some chocolate, but in the end, I wanted to know where all the ingredients came from, and I am okay if the 'shelf' life of them is only a week or two because there are no preservatives.

A dear childhood friend Karen, posted on Facebook that she had just made granola bars and that she couldn't stop eating them. You see, Karen and I share a love of cheese, and let's face it, anyone who loves cheese as much as I do - well you can trust anything they bake or cook :)

So here is Karen's recipe, with a few modifications (it wouldn't be me if I didn't throw my own twist into it :))

Ingredients

2 cups quick oats
½ cup packed brown sugar (or 1/3 cup, depending on desired sweetness)
¼ cup wheat germ or wheat bran
¼ cup coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat)
¾ tsp salt
½ cup honey
1 egg, beaten
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
½ tsp maple extract (optional)
1 cup raisins or dried fruit (optional)
Chocolate chips (optional)
Slivered almonds or nuts of your choice (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with PAM or grease with butter.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, leaving about an inch and a half of empty space at one end.

And here are my tweaks:

- I toasted the oats and nuts
- I used 1/2c Quinoa and 1/2c whole wheat flour
- Grapeseed oil instead of vegetable oil
- added sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, cashews, pecans, almonds, walnuts AND chocolate chips (a few tbsp of each)

- Added 3 tbsp of pure Ontario maple syrup
- added 1 tsp of almond extract

- omitted the maple extract because I didn't have it

- used 1 tsp of Moroccan pink sea salt

- added 2 tbsp of uncooked white quinoa

- added 2 tbsp of black chia seeds
- added 2 tbsp of flax seeds

I also made a second batch without the chocolate, and instead added chopped organic crystallized ginger and organic goji berries.

I put the entire batch in a tightly sealed container and put 'em in the freezer. I pull out what I want, when I want them.

Enjoy and thanks so much Karen for this wonderful recipe!

Coconut Quinoa Pancakes, Gluten-Free Option

2012-02-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

Pleasure to meet you Quinoa flour. I bought you for the first time today, after I experienced you at brunch earlier. I have to say, I'm quite impressed by your strength. Your flavour is light and dense and I very much enjoyed you in the coconut-quinoa pancake I devoured. You were topped with a smear of cream cheese and warm saucy (not too saucy) blueberries. I even enjoyed your friend, maple syrup. Oh how delicious you all were together!

I liked you so much that I decided to re-create you for breakfast this morning.

I decided to dress you up with a little warm baked apples and cinnamon.... and then grace you with some lovely crushed pecans. Oh don't worry, I didn't forget the cream cheese.

I have a soft spot for double smoked bacon, so a slice of that made it to the plate to join in the edible fun. Everyone played so nicely together!

I didn't have a gluten-free alternative flour, so I used all-purpose. I plan on buying buckwheat or another alternative this weekend and giving it another go.

Here's the recipe, Enjoy!

Coconut Quinoa Pancakes (Gluten-free option)

1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
1 cup quinoa flour or quinoa flakes (see note above)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I prefer unsweetened)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for cooking
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

1. Combine flour, quinoa flour, coconut, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk to work out all of the clumps.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, vanilla and eggs until well combined.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, whisking all the while until well combined. The batter will have texture because of the coconut (and quinoa flakes, if using), but should not have lumps.

4. Heat a well oiled pan or griddle over medium heat. Add batter in 1/4 cup scoops and cook until bubbles just begin to form around the edges. (Unlike most pancake batters, this will not bubble vigorously—you’re looking for just a couple of bubbles.) Flip and cook for another two minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Serve immediately, with a drizzle of honey or warmed maple syrup.

Stuff you squash!

2012-01-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

Over the years I've grown fond of squash. It started with acorn squash years ago. I had never cooked it before, and one day saw a recipe for a PC Apple Maple sauce baked on acorn squash. Intrigued, I went to the store bought the sauce and immediately recreated the very simple recipe.

I've come a long way from relying on store bought sauces as the show stopper secret ingredient, but for some reason when it came to acorn squash I just couldn't seem to come up with any other way to cook it... until recently.

Thanks to my Twitter and Facebook friend Mike Lieberman (Urban Organic Gardener), I have discovered an amazing way to nom-nom this really yummy squash.

Courtesy of Mike, I made this delish dish. After my first bite, I was hooked. I made it twice that week. I went on and on to friends about this sweet recipe I just discovered. Best of all, when you dig deep down in the veggie goodness, you hit warm gooey goat cheese. CHEESE people!

For the recipe, click here.

I usually don't follow recipes, and staying true to that, I of course made some edits.
Here is what I did differently:
1. I used kale, it's what I had on hand. I removed the leaves from the stem and chopped finely.
2. I didn't add tomatoes
3. Added chopped mushrooms and zucchini. I love their flavour and thought this would be a great addition to 'beef it up'.
4. Used A LOT of goat cheese. I put some on the bottom, then the kale and veggie medley and topped it with more goat cheese Like Mike.
5. Right out of the oven, I topped it off with some smoked sea salt, courtesy of my fellow foodie Ian Raine. He makes some wicked home-smoked foodie treats.

...and voila!

Those are organic pea shoots on the side. They had a light cool flavour and added a pleasing texture and raw freshness to the dish. You know, keeping it real.

I hope you give this one a try. This simple dish left me satisfied, full and really enjoying the finishing flavour on my palate. It captured the sweet, the salty and a warm soft texture that is going in my good books fo sho.

Cheers!

Round 2

2012-01-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

So I'm back at blogging, but have decided to change gears a bit. Round two is going to focus more on recipes. Why?
I'm starting to feel like my Facebook page is food porn, and I really love having a central place to post recipes, share thoughts, and get inspired by others.

I hope you'll join me on this food journey that I'm about to take!

Heading to Stonegate Farmers' Market in Etobicoke today!

2011-08-09T07:38:00.001-07:00

The Stonegate Farmers’ Market is a great place to shop for fresh,locally-grown food and meet your neighbours! The Market is a joint effort overseen by the Stonegate Food Access Committee and managed by Stonegate CHC, in an attempt to bring fresh, local produce into the community. For a closer look at the Market click here.

Save Toronto's Farmers Markets!

2011-08-09T07:13:00.003-07:00

Proposed increases to user fees threaten to have a devastating impact on Toronto’s vibrant, community-based farmers’ markets. It’s hard enough for farmers and small-scale food producers to earn a living already, and the benefits markets bring to our city are numerous, for health, community and the environment. Please show your support of Toronto farmers’ markets by signing this petition, and asking your friends and neighbours to do the same. Here’s the link:
www.ipetitions.com/petition/torontofarmersmarkets/

Save Toronto's Farmers Markets!

2011-08-09T07:13:00.001-07:00

Local food: Design for Change

2011-06-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

"If we do not permit the earth to produce beauty and joy, it will in the end not produce food, either. Joseph Wood Krutch"

I saw that quote online today and once I read it, I had a moment. Those who know me, know that I have a larger than life passion for food. I adore it, I grow it, I savor it, I love sharing it with friends, and I just have a plain 'ole crush on it. It's a win-win relationship really. I take care of it, it takes care of me.

So when I took that moment to reflect, I suddenly felt really good about the packed lunch I had brought. I've been reading a lot of articles lately about the world's food production; higher temperatures and changing rainfall patterns, results that will threaten food production in many parts of the world; especially regions already struggling with food security, according to one I read today. They are all in agreement. Higher temperatures are stunting growth and contributing to the higher than normal food prices. Everywhere.

So for the 4th time this week, I got the warm fuzzies about buying and eating local. The way I see it is, support the local producers, and they will support you. If we try to eat local as much as possible, even adopt "Meatless Monday" weekly, we can have a huge impact on our community, regional, provincial and country-wide food production.

I got so worked up in the grocery store the other day, when I wanted shrimp but then I looked at the label of the frozen shrimp in the store (because I look at the label of everything these days), I gasped.

From India? From Thailand? From China?

Why in the world am I paying for wasted energy and resources and force polution into the sweet air of Mother Nature to transport this luscious shellfish to my plate, just so I can have shrimp for dinner? This type of shellfish is not available to me at home, we don't farm it in Canada. Alas! Here is, in a frozen chunk in a plastic bag, in my local grocery store. Yummmm.

I guess I just feel guilty and I can't buy it, I won't buy it.. and I've walked past it each time I go into the store because I won't support it.

So what am I saying? What does weakening food production, the environment and shrimp have to do with each other? It requires change.

It's simple. We spend too much time, energy and precious money on importing foods just because they are a 'nice' to have.

``For many people, adjusting purchasing and consumption behaviour to be more socially and environmentally responsible is a difficult transition to make. While the issue for Canadians, surpassed only by healthcare,environment ranks as the second most important Canada’s track record on environmental responsibility paints an entirely different image. Canada consumes the largest amount of energy on a per capita basis worldwide and is the second largest producer of greenhouse gases after the United States. For many social scientists, this incongruity is familiar—it is common for what people say to be at odds with how they actually behave.`` (http://www.coolersolutionsinc.com/images/foodsustainability2011_may13.pdf)

I too, believe you have a choice. A choice to learn about what your region produces, how it produces it, when it's available for harvesting etc... A very little research goes a very long way. Let the 'fruits of your labour", literally pay off. Eat locally, embrace the different fruits and veggies produced that you probably would never pick up in the grocery store because you don't know how to cook it, or have no idea what it is.

I know that by buying locally, I haven't forced any unwanted pollution into the air, and my carbon-footprint is reduced. That I have contributed. I have helped put money into the farmers pockets, so they can continue to produce this amazing spread before me. I feel good, I know they appreciate it, I know that I'm giving back to the earth by supporting what it grows. Simple... organic... goodness. Ever made your favourite pasta, but with locally grown, organic produce and herbs? It's unlike anything else. Unbelievable. Ohhh, the freshness.

Ever looked into what grows locally?

Do a little research, find out what's growing around you. Inquire how to get it, how to grow it, and best of all, how to eat it. Isn't that the best part? If we don't let the earth do it's thing, when it's supposed to, and how it's supposed to, it may not be "Till death do us part". I'm fairly certain it's not us that will go first. There are several sites that will guide you to whats currently growing, and what's coming up. If you're in the Golden Horseshoe, I've listed a few here for your viewing pleasure.

http://www.thecuttingveg.com/

http://www.peelregion.ca/scripts/gip/grown-farms.pl
http://www.chickabiddyacres.com/

http://www.farmersmarketsontario.com/

"Local food initiatives can reduce the carbon footprint of our meals,create employment and strengthen local economies, provide tasty, nutritious produce, and help build community. It is a movement that is ‘growing’ across Canada." (Sustain Ontario)

So back to my packed lunch. I really feel like I'm making a difference. On the way home from camping this weekend, I stopped at a couple of local farm stores. They had various veggies, fruits, either some or all of their produce/baked/preserved goods were organic. I felt good about supporting them, about learning about the food they grow, and best of all,

...incorporating it into my next meal.