Flowfit

We haven’t seen much of the sun lately, but on this particular afternoon a couple of days ago, it popped out to say hello.  And what perfect timing!  It felt so good to sit in the sunshine and eat my mushroom omelette for lunch.  Add in some fresh spinach to naturally wilt under the heat of the omelette, and it’s a lovely luncheon for one!

Mushroom Omelette:

• 2 organic eggs
• butter (I used Earth Balance)
• handful mushrooms of choice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• tamari sauce
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
• spinach (optional)

Crack eggs into bowl, and gently beat with fork.  Set aside.

Heat non stick skillet on medium high heat.  Melt enough butter to coat bottom of pan thoroughly.  Add in mushrooms and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes. Add in Tamari sauce and pepper, cook for another minute.  Remove from pan.  Add in more butter, again to thoroughly coat bottom of pan.  Pour in eggs and swirl around to coat entire surface of pan.  Let sit for two  minutes – do not touch!!  When you can reach spatula under one side, it is ready to fold.  Add half the mushroom mixture on one side of omlette and fold the other side to cover.  Cook one minute, flip and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.

To serve, place omelette atop fresh baby spinach and top with the remainder of the mushrooms.

YUM!

I am often asked where I get my inspiration for cooking.  Well, I read cook books like novels, from cover to cover, rarely being opened again.  I have an inability to follow a recipe, which is why I am such a lousy baker.  However, not following a recipe does allow for some great creativity!

My greatest inspiration, honestly comes from the ingredients themselves.

Do you remember that show called “Doorknock Dinners”?  It was on the food network years ago (in the late 1990′s), and I totally loved watching it.  The host, Gordon Elliott unexpectedly shows up on the doorstep of homes with a highly skilled chef in tow. Once welcomed inside, the chef prepares a gourmet meal for the family, using only ingredients found while rummaging through the home owners cupboards and fridge!  I am sure that is when I started getting creative and inspired by the ingredients I had on hand.  My husband says I am the Queen of doorknock dinners…. a title I wear with pride!  Hey Gordon!!  Wanna get the show started again?  I’ll be your doorknock chef!  Seriously!!  Oh what fun that would be for me!!

This dinner was inspired by a box of Sabarot French lentils du Puy I had in the cupboard, as well as a container of that super yummy cilantro pesto from Sunflower Kitchens.  See??  Not everything has to be completely scratch!  Frozen tilapia, a can of baby corn, half a red pepper and a starting to wilt head of iceburg lettuce.  Put it all together, and dinner is served!

Mix it up!  Just choose WHOLEsome ingredients and you’re golden.

For this dinner, simply broil, grill or pan fry your favorite white fish (I broiled this one with a sprinkling of sea salt, pepper and herbs de Provence).  Top fish with Sunflower Kitchens Cilantro “Zesto-pesto”.  GREAT combination!!

If you’ve never had Lentils du Puy before, you really must give them a try!  They are more expensive than other lentils, but in my opinion, worth it.  They really hold up well for salads and sides – they stay firmer than other lentils and have a rich earthy flavour.  They’d be GREAT paired with beets… hmmmm…. put that on the idea shelf for next time.

To cook lentils, add twice as much cold water as lentils to sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med/low, cover and cook for 35-40 minutes.  Check frequently, sometimes you may need to add a bit more water.  These lentils will have a little more bite to them than others you are used to.  I like mine simply with a squeeze of lemon and some sea salt and pepper.  They are also great added to soups, stews and salads.

YUM!

The salad is just some simple crunchy iceburg lettuce, fresh organic watercress from my Plan B box, canned baby corn and sliced red peppers.  The dressing is a simple olive oil and vinegar with a pinch of cumin for fun.

See?  You CAN make a fab dinner WITHOUT a recipe!!  Go on… get your creative juices flowing….have some fun with it!!  Tell me what YOU come up with on your doorknock dinner adventure!

Do you ever get lucky and stumble upon something wonderful that was completely unexpected?

Well, that’s what happened to my husband and I the other day.  We just happened to be in Toronto shopping, and just happened to know exactly where we wanted to go for lunch. The pizzaria we were headed for just happened to be closed (or more precisely, not opened yet), and across the street from the pizzaria just happened to be Mariachi’s Mexican Restaurant.  Across the street we walk, and into the restaurant on what just happened to be Cinco de Mayo.

I knew we were in for a GREAT meal when we walked by their open kitchen, and every cook was Mexican.  Our hostess, waitress and the owner – you guessed it – Mexican!

I don’t give out recommendations lightly – so trust me when I say, this was the BEST Mexican food I have ever had!!  So clean, fresh, and authentic!

A great restaurant experience for me is made up of three key things:

1.  Service

2.  Food

3.  Atmosphere

CHECK CHECK and CHECK!

Mariachi’s has all three!

Since it was Cinco de Mayo, our server handed us a copy of a brief history of what Cinco de Mayo was.  I honestly, didn’t know anything about it other than it was a Mexican festival. The atmosphere was very casual, relaxed and authentic.  Although a little dark, it took literally minutes for us to feel like we’d been transported to Mexico and were sitting in a little hideaway off some cobblestone street.  I just wish I was wearing flip flops to finish that “on vacation” feeling!

Service was warm, friendly and perfectly attentive.

I had a margarita (OMG – seriously the BEST I’ve EVER had!!) along with made to order guacomole and homemade chips.  The guacomole comes still in it’s mortar and pessel, so you can make it creamier if you wish.  Hot sauce on the side.

Everything on the menu is made mild, unless you ask for it to be spiced up.  A kindness to our (lame ah-hem) North American pallets.

Our lunch came to just under 40.00 with tax and tip.  Excelente!!

If you love or even like Mexican food, Mariachi’s is totally worth the drive into Toronto!!  I can’t wait to go back and take my kids!

Triple YUM!

I love a good deal!

Nothing beats the feeling of getting something for nothing.  Well, for the months of May and June you can do just that!  JC’s Hot Bagels is celebrating their 15th Anniversary and are offering 8 bagels for the price of 6!

That’s right, buy a half dozen bagels and receive two free!

Gotta love that.

Also, you can get a coffee and a bagel for just $1.99.  Breakfast to go anyone?

If you’ve yet to try a JC’s bagel, you are truly missing out!  Take this opportunity to get something for nothing and stop in JC’s for your free bagels!

For those of you with kids at John T. Tuck, these bagels are TOP pick for Healthy Snack.

Okay.  I’ve talked about easy before, but this soup is easy peasy!  Seriously, you can’t go wrong and it is soooo good.  With all this chilly damp, rainy weather we’ve had lately, this hit the spot nicely.

Carrot and Lentil Soup:

• 1 bag organic carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups (I used 4 palmfulls) red lentils
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
• 1 carton vegetable broth (or 4 cups broth of choice)
• 3 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• Sunflower Kitchen “Zest-Oh Pesto” Cilantro Pesto to garnish
• 4 slices stale country style bread for croutons (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In your favorite soup pot, saute onions and carrots with a good sprinkling of sea salt and pepper until onions start to turn colour and get soft – about 5 minutes.  Add in garlic, cumin, bay leaf and lentils and saute for another 2minutes.  Add in broth and water.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook uncovered for about 20-30 minutes.  Basically until carrots are cooked through and lentils are soft enough to squish with a fork against side of pot.

Get out your handy dandy hand held mixer (if using a blender to do this part, make sure you let it cool down a bit first), remove bay leaf and puree entire mixture until smooth.  Thin with water or broth to taste.  I like mine thick, but thin enough to fall off spoon.

Serve topped with garlic croutons and a few dribbles of Cilantro pesto.  Amazingly delicious!

Quick Garlic Croutons:

Simply cut stale bread (italian loaf or french loaf works best) into thick pieces.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite herb mixture (I used provincial herbs), sea salt and garlic.  Rub into bread.  Broil for about 30-45 seconds per side – watch them, they burn QUICKLY!  Remove from oven let cool for a few minutes and cut into bite sized pieces.  Awesome in salads, soups or just to munch on.

YUM!