Flowfit

As I sit here eating my lunch, I am in awe of how beautiful all that green looks.  Something about green makes me think spring, life, energy and health.  All that would explain why spring is one of my favorite seasons.

This salad will take you less than 2 minutes to throw together – perfect healthful lunch!  Grab a plate and add a good handful of washed baby spinach, a whole avocado (TIP – cut avocado in half lenghtwise, remove pit and make cuts into flesh going both directions – so you’ve made little diamond shapes – now squeeze the avocado in the palm of your hand facing down.  All those little diamonds will spill out and you’ll be left holding nothing but the rind – COOL!).  Squeeze a quarter lemon onto entire thing, add a table spoon of hummus on the side, sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper and you’re done!  I added some left over roasted organic chicken breast as well.  A can of tuna or some garbanzo or cannelli beans would also be great.

Try it!  Time yourself… betcha it’s 2 minutes!

The Hummus on this plate is from Sunflower Kitchens.  As I’ve mentioned before, I have a bit of a love affair with their products.  This Wednesday April 20th, Marilou’s Market in Burlington will be carrying a new selection of all of their wonderful products.  They will have pestos, hummus, soups and dips.  I highly recommend the Oregano and Kale Pesto, the Cilantro pesto and of course all of the hummus!  Hurry in, they won’t last long!

To read about Sunflower Kitchens, go here:

http://www.sunflowerkitchen.com/about.html

Yesterday was snack day at John T. Tuck school.  We served (surprise!) – Hummus with french green beans, organic baby carrots and Mary’s Rice Crackers.  A hit overall, especially with the younger students.  What was interesting to me is that a couple of the moms commented that they considered raw green beans to be an “odd” choice for a snack.  Surprising?  No, but it still a little discouraging to see such old fashioned thinking.  In all honesty, the green beans were a bigger hit than the all too familiar baby carrots.

I so didn’t see that rant coming….but I feel a little more on it’s way….

For me, there really isn’t anything “odd” about eating a raw vegetable – even one that is typically eaten cooked.  But that’s me.  From where I’m standing (on my apparent high horse at the moment), this is the proverbial miss in why there are so many picky eaters out there.  Well intended parents feeding their children only a handful of choices (albeit healthy ones) because “it’s what they like”.  Sadly, what they are creating is a limited pallet reluctant to trying new things.  What they are missing is introducing their children to so many more wonderful flavours, textures and nutrients.  A shame really.

Rant complete.

I guess that’s one of the GREAT things about the healthy snack program.  Not only does it offer nutrition, healthful education and sustenance but it also gives some students the opportunity to try something they may have never been introduced to before – like raw green beans.  I can’t tell you the high I get when one of the students approaches me and says, “what were those green things called?  I love them and want my mom to buy them“.  BIG SMILES. Or when a parent writes to me asking what I served at snack because their son or daughter is raving about the new vegetable or fruit they’ve tried.  Awesome, isn’t it?!  I think so.

Lastly, something so important to remember, especially when introducing new foods… everyone EATS WITH THEIR EYES FIRST.  I put it in caps and bold because I think it is so important.  A little more effort, yes, but I really do believe that if it looks good, kids especially, are more apt to try new things.

Go ahead, make it pretty…. have fun with it!

Peace.

The perfect dinner.

Well in my opinion anyway.  Imagine this outside, by the sea in France…..ahhhh.

Yep, it’s perfect.

This meal actually comes from a friends house!  So being that I didn’t have to make the mess or clean up the mess, it tasted EVEN better!!  Thank you, thank you!!

We have been very lucky through this renovation to have so many great friends have us for dinner… multiple times!  I have to admit, as “zen” as I have been through the last six (onto seven) weeks of chaos, dust and destruction, the last two weeks have me a little weary.  I am truly ready to be cooking, eating and functioning in a wide open, clean, dust free kitchen!  Enough with banging my head on the ducts, chewing on dust, drying my dishes on top of my washing machine and cooking on a hot plate.  It’s been an adventure, but I’m done.

I suppose I will be repaying all those lovely nights in the company of friends by cooking up a storm in my brand new (dust free)  kitchen!  You know who you are… and you know I’ll be repaying you all in food!!

Speaking of the renovation, we now have our beautiful (huge) new doors where our bow window used to be… take a peek:

New doors - they fill the wall!

window hole - it goes wall to wall

The end is truly insight…. this week we should see the counters and sinks installed, the week following the backsplash.  After that we can move in!

This means, more cooking, and more blogging!!  Stay tuned…

Provincial Moulles:

• 4 lbs mussels
• 1 red onion
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 bulb fennel
• 1/3 bottle dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• large bunch fresh parsley, stems chopped separate from leaves
• 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
• extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/2 stick butter or 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• juice of lemon

Wash and remove beards from mussels.  Set aside.  In large heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil.  Add onions, garlic and fennel and saute on medium for 2-3 minutes.  Add tomatoes, herbs, butter and parsley stems.  Saute for another minute and wine and broth.  Bring to boil and add mussels.  Cover and cook, (stirring every 2 minutes) on medium high for 4-7 minutes depending on your stove – mussels are cooked when they are all open.  Remove from heat immediately.

This salad doesn’t need a separate dressing.  It’s super simple and dee-lish!  The dressing is made right in the same bowl.  It couldn’t be easier or tastier!!

Provincial Salad:

• mixed greens
• 2 oranges, peel and pith removed and cut into segments (reserve peels for juice)
• 2 green onions
• 2 avocados
• balsamic vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• juice of orange
• 1 tsp herbs de Provence

Place greens in bowl, add oranges cut into segments and squeeze remaining juice from peels.  Add avacados, green onions and sprinkle of herbs, salt and pepper.  Drizzle olive oil followed by balsamic vinegar.  Toss and serve.  Could it be any easier?!

Serve entire meal with crusty French stick to sop up all the awesome sauce and don’t forget your favorite wine.

YUM!

Try this simple tasty treat for breakfast, lunch or dinner… or for an afternoon snack!

Crostini has always been one of my favorite appetizers….or snacks….or, well, anytime!  I’ve had a love for crostini for as long as I can remember and can turn any main favorite into a topping for crusty bread.

Since I had plenty of tomatoes from the garden and an avocado ready to eat, this became my breakfast this morning… and YUM!  I think I just found a new favorite.

No recipe required here….

Slice and toast a thick, good quality piece of bread (I used a piece of french baguette).  Top each with good quality extra virgin olive oil.  Add sliced tomato to one, and avacado to the other.  Top with fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt.  Enjoy!

YUM!

As requested from one of our subscribers… here is an updated version of an old pot luck favorite.  Tonight I made a tortilla pie (post to follow tomorrow) for dinner and wanted something to serve on the side.  I had just recieved fresh cilantro and spring onions in my Plan B Box – instant inspiration!  Get out the cumin and lime!  We’re off to Mexico!!

Ali-O Bean Salad:

serves 4-6

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tomato, cut up into bite sized chunks
• 1/2 can sliced black olives
• 1 cup edamame (cooked, drained and cooled)
• 1/2 medium sized cucumber, sliced and quartered
• 1 red pepper, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 avocado, chopped into bite sized pieces
• handful chopped fresh cilantro
• handful fresh pea shoots
• 4 handfuls fresh spinach (optional)

For dressing:

• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tbsp agave syrup
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Combine dressing ingredients in container with lid – I like to use jam jars.  Shake well to combine.

In bowl, combine all other ingredients except pea shoots and baby spinach if using).  Pour dressing over salad mixture, gently combine.  Let sit for 20 minutes to an hour before serving.  Can be stored in airtight container for up to 4 days.

To serve – place on bed of spinach and top with fresh pea shoots.

YUM!!

NOTES – Add fresh shucked corn for a sweet crunch.  Pea shoots can be found in a living pot (I keep mine on my counter) at Goodness Me!