Flowfit

I woke up this morning to the sound of birds.  I love the sound of birds, especially in the morning.  Their happy little songs make me smile. I wonder what they are saying to each other?  ”Hello, good morning, hi there, oh hello….”?  I always peek out to see what they are doing.  I think the same three little birds hang out in the tree just below my bedroom window.

I wonder if they are related?  When I peeked out this morning, however, not only did I see my familiar trio, I saw SNOW!!

Wha-a-a-a-at?!

Even the super soakers left on my covered front porch are nearly burried in snow! That’s March for ya… a tease of spring, kids playing outside without coats – even using squirt guns and carrying out buckets of water to make their mud pies.  The bikes and scooters, footballs and bubble blowers were littered on our front lawn…. SPRING!!

We love the sound of the birds being back in town, the feel of the warm sun on our bodies and even the damp smell of compost that permiates the air.  And then – BAM!  Another snow fall.  Life is like that sometimes, isn’t it?  You’ve gotta laugh!

We all have our favorite comfort foods, ones we turn to on days like today.  For most (myself included), cold weather food is coated in gravy or spices or oooey gooey cheese!  Today, for me, I was craving colour… something green that reminded me of spring!!  My lunch was green indeed!  I made sauteed bok choy and mushrooms.  So totally yummy I had to share!!

Bok Choy with Mushrooms:

No amounts needed here, it’s all just to taste.  You really can’t go wrong…. get out a bowl and some chop sticks and enjoy!

• Baby Bok choy, ends cut off and washed
• Shiitake mushrooms (thank you Plan B – my new favorite!)
• fresh garlic
• fresh ginger
• Peanut oil
• Sesame oil
• Tamari Sauce
• sprinkling of Tom Yum seasoning
• Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp water

Heat oils in skillet.  Add garlic and ginger and mushrooms and saute for 1 minute.  Add tamari and bok choy followed by water mixed with Tom Yum seasoning.  Saute until bok choy starts to wilt.  Done!  Add sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

YUM!

I know the snow will once again melt away, and the newness of spring will shine through.  As I write this, lunch eaten and my belly full, I keep peering out at the falling snow. I am listening to Bob Marley – the man, the poet, the musical prophet.  I adore him, wish I was fortunate enough to see him live.  He is a legend that believed in peace, equality, living without judgement, spirituality and most of all love.

Sit back, take a moment and enjoy the feeling this song creates.  I hope it makes you smile ….

Three Little Birds – Bob Marley

Everyone knows chicken soup soothes the soul, but it also soothes what ails you.  Well, thanks to Alicia Silverstone, I’ve discovered that you don’t need chicken fat to create an equally delicious, nutritious and literally healing soup.  This soup was inspired by Alicia’s “Magical Healing Soup” from her book, The Kind Diet.  For me, this soup is never the same thing twice – if I have broccoli I add that, bok choy – awesome!  Just take a look and add whatever veggies you have on hand, keeping some colours in mind as you go.  Remember, each wonderful colour of vegetable has a different variety of minerals and nutrients!

Healing Soup:

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 potatoes, chopped (I like to leave the peels on for extra texture)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 cup chopped cabbage
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 2 cartons vegetable broth (or 6-8 cups broth of choice)
• 1 good sized piece of ginger (about 1 inch by 2 inches, cut into 3 pieces)
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Heat oils in heavy bottomed soup pot.  Add onions, celery and carrots and saute on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Add remainder of vegetables (except spinach) and enough broth to completely cover vegetables.  Stir and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, add parsley, cilantro and ginger.  Simmer uncovered for 30 – 45 minutes.  I like my vegetables to still have a good firmness to them, but if you prefer them softer, cook a little longer.

Remove from heat, toss in spinach and lemon juice, stir, cover and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Time to go fishing!!

Remove parsley and cilantro with tongs.  Fish out ginger – biting into that wouldn’t be too nice.

Serve up steaming hot.  It’ll do ya good.

And it’ll also cure a hangover ;o)  Honest…

YUM!

I found this idea in a Thanksgiving issue of Canadian Living magazine. I thought the carrots looked so pretty as ribbons, but it was the cardamom and cashews that got me to try it. Here is my version:

Carrot Ribbons:
serves 6

• 6-8 large carrots
• 1/2 cup whole unsalted cashews
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 whole cardamom pod
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp water

Cut the carrots into ribbons using a peeler down the entire length of the carrot.  Toast the cashews in olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat until golden brown (approximately 2 minutes).  Remove from pan and set aside.

To the same pan, add the butter, onion, ginger, salt and pepper.  Saute on medium heat, stirring frequently until the onions are translucent and not browned – about 10 minutes.  Add carrots, remaining spices and water.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove lid – if there is any liquid left, turn up heat and cook off while stirring.

Remove whole spices, toss in cashews.

YUM!

One of our family favourites is bok choy.  I use it in soups, stews, and frequently serve it as a side.  It barely needs to be cooked and is loaded with nutrient rich vitamins and minerals.  It’s a great choice for getting a good dose of vitamin C, vitamin A and calcium.  Bok choy also contains glucosinolates, which studies have shown may help prevent cancer.

Super Simple Bok Choy

Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side

• 4 bunches bok choy
• 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 clove grated garlic
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• Handful chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp mirin, or to taste
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp peanut oil
• Black sesame seeds to garnish

Wash the bok choy and drain. Cut bottom part of stem off bok choy and slice in half lengthwise. – cut in half again if very large.

Heat wok (or large fry pan) and add oils. When oil is heated, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry briefly, for about 30 seconds – just until you can smell the garlic and ginger. Add the bok choy (still wet). Stir in the soy sauce, mirin, and cilantro, and cook stirring continually on high heat for 2 minutes (I like to use two wooden spoons and toss like a salad).  Turn off heat, cover and let sit for 1 minute.  Should still be crisp tender.

YUM!

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

TIPS – Serve with noodles or rice and tofu as a main. Use baby bok choy for a sweeter taste, but double the quantities.

If you like spice, Li Ju An Dipping Sauce is awesome served on the side!

GINGER ASIAN GREENS:
Serves 4-6

No real recipe here – get a bunch of greens of your choice – I like a mixture of whole spinach (stems intact), snow peas or sugar snap peas and bok choy. You can use any greens you like – green beans, asparagus, brussel sprouts, broccoli, etc. Just a couple good handfuls of each. Add some red pepper for colour.

Mixed asian greens in a wok

Wash veggies well under cold running water. Rough chop into bite sized pieces. Set veggies aside in bowl of cold water.

Heat wok or large fry pan and add:

• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 cloves of garlic – grated
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Strain water from veggies and add to wok. Stir fry on med/high heat for approx 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately. Veggies will be crisp tender and BRIGHT green.

YUM!

This is one of those quintessential summer recipes. Can be served casually as a main over salad or as an awesome starter!

Lemony Ginger Shrimp

GRILLED LEMONY GINGER SHRIMP
Serves 8

• 3 lb (1.5 kg) raw jumbo shrimp, skin removed, tails on
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• Juice and grated zest of lemon (should have at least ¼ cup of juice)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves crushed or finely chopped
• 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 4 tbsp fresh corriander (cilantro) leaves

Shell shrimp, leaving tails intact, and remove vein.

Mix all ingredients (except shrimp) in a bowl. Swish around with your fingers to blend. Pour out ¼ of the marinade to use for basting. Now add shrimp to marinade (use either zip lock bag or cover your mixing bowl). Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Thread the skewer through the shrimp from tail to head, so the shrimp are poked (technical word) twice (about 4 on each). Grill shrimp for about 5 minutes, turning and basting frequently with reserved marinade. Just before serving, brush shrimp with any remaining marinade and sprinkle with more cilantro and cracked black pepper.

YUM!

Serve with salad of your choice.

TIPS –
• if using bamboo skewers, soak them for about an hour before – this helps prevent them burning.
• I use the smallest side of a cheese grater to grate my ginger. Wash it, but no bother peeling it.
• if you want to get really fancy-schmancy, use rosemary sprigs as your skewers ;o)