THE GOOD AND THE BAD

I lasted one week on a spring cleanse and am now in a modified version of the cleanse.  I sort of had plans to keep it up for four weeks (if you can believe it!) but for now I am happy with the decision to increase my intake of vegetables and proteins, limit grains, and omit cane sugar and refined grains.  So a little menu update for you:

The pictures below are a little peek into a couple of the dishes I've been eating over the last week.  Trust me, most of the time it was so boring it's not even worth mentioning.  The lovely spring dandelion greens that I told you about the other day can also be served boiled with olive oil and lemon juice, sea salt and pepper.  I grew up eating dandelions and have fond memories of my dad's cousin Anna scouring our property looking for fresh dandelions.

That amazing tahini sauce made it's way onto our table again, this time lavishly drizzled on steamed quinoa, broccoli, and kale with roasted sweet potatoes and tofu, and some fresh raw radish, carrot and nori squares.

Today I was busy getting ready for the market and baked up some fresh vanilla cake for the Lamington's I sell every Saturday.  Even though I am not eating sweets, that is no reason for Scott to not indulge.  So I made him a little something that goes like this...

MAPLE VANILLA CAKE with Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, Dried Apricot, Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Chips

Vanilla Cake: (from Sweet and Natural by Meredith McCarty)

1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups organic unbleached white flour

1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 organic vegetable oil

1/2 cup local maple syrup

1/2 cup organic brown rice syrup

1 1/2 cups organic soy, rice or cow's milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Line bottom or pan with parchment paper, and brush sides with oil.  Mix together the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.  Add wet to dry.  Pour batter into pan.  Bake until middle is cooked when you pierce with a toothpick - 20 mins for muffins, 25-30 for standard cake pans, 30-45 for larger pans.  Transfer to wire rack to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert.

Nativa Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Organic Unsulphured Apricots, chopped

Organic Chocolate Chips

Organic Vanilla Ice Cream

Method:  Warm the cake up, then slice.  Spread each piece with the hazelnut spread.  Top with ice cream and sprinkle with apricots and chocolate chips.

CLEAN

I just want to say how much I am missing posting on here.  I am in the midst of a much needed spring cleanse and so all I've been eating lately is salad with Braggs, lemon juice, and olive oil.  For breakfast!  Imagine what you would eat if you couldn't include grains, fruit, sugars or dairy.  I find breakfast the hardest, so I've resigned myself to just eating what I'd have for lunch or dinner.  The past two days it's beens the above mentioned salad, and today I fried a couple of eggs on top for fun.  Last night was my special birthday out dinner and it was very tricky avoiding everything on the list.  Seeing as it was my birthday after all, I did indulge in some goat cheese in my salad, and some flour in my frito misto.  Believe it or not I even managed to resist a bite of Scott's Peanut Brittle Sundae!  It's all for the best though, and the greatest birthday gift I can give myself is willpower and love to my body.

CLEAN

I just want to say how much I am missing posting on here.  I am in the midst of a much needed spring cleanse and so all I've been eating lately is salad with Braggs, lemon juice, and olive oil.  For breakfast!  Imagine what you would eat if you couldn't include grains, fruit, sugars or dairy.  I find breakfast the hardest, so I've resigned myself to just eating what I'd have for lunch or dinner.  The past two days it's beens the above mentioned salad, and today I fried a couple of eggs on top for fun.  Last night was my special birthday out dinner and it was very tricky avoiding everything on the list.  Seeing as it was my birthday after all, I did indulge in some goat cheese in my salad, and some flour in my frito misto.  Believe it or not I even managed to resist a bite of Scott's Peanut Brittle Sundae!  It's all for the best though, and the greatest birthday gift I can give myself is willpower and love to my body.

STEAMED QUINOA, DANDELION AND HALIBUT with Lemon Tahini Sauce

So I am on a Spring Cleanse that requires I forego most carbs, sugars, fruits, fermented foods, vinegars, yeasts and dairy.  Which led me to the idea for this meal tonight.  You can't really see it because it is hiding underneath this AMAZING tahini sauce.  I used to make this sauce all the time using tamari, but now I have to use Bragg's Liquid Aminos instead, and boy am I glad.  The stuff is amazing.  I love it!  Hope you do too!

LEMON TAHINI SAUCE

1/4 cup freshly squeezed organic lemon juice

1/4 cup e.v olive oil

1/4 cup organic flax seed oil

1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos

1/3 cup organic tahini

3 cloves organic garlic

1 Tbsp maple syrup (or for this cleanse I used one pouch of stevia powder)

1/8 cup water

Method:  Blend all ingredients together and serve over broiled fish, boiled dandelion and steamed quinoa.

DANDELION SALAD and My New Tablecloth

    You know Spring is definitely here (although with all this snow who would have guessed) when you can buy a bag of wild dandelion leaves at the Farmer's Market.  I was so excited I bought two.  I thought for sure we would have eaten them by now, but when I got home I found some greens from last week that needed to be eaten first.  Anyway, so tonight we had them and they were bitter good.  You can only see half of them in the picture though because I wanted to show you the lovely linen tablecloth I found today.  Oh and that Pain au Levain I made yesterday, it makes great garlic cheese bread.

DANDELION SALAD with Lemon and Olive Oil

1 bag of Pasture Hill Farm wild dandelion greens

juice of half an organic lemon

4-6 Tbsp e.v olive oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Gently tear the cleaned leaves in a bowl and toss with lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  Let sit for 10 minutes before eating.

GARLIC BREAD

4 thickish slices of Pain au Levain Sourdough Bread

4 Tbsp organic salted butter

4 cloves organic garlic, smashed and minced

a pinch of Tom's Spice (available from my Etsy shop)

1 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1/2 cup organic cheese

Method:  Combine all ingredients except cheese in a bowl.  Spread on bread, top with cheese and place on a cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 375* oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts.

LEMON GINGER TEA with Honey

I went to bed last night knowing a sore throat was on it's way in.  

SOURDOUGH BREAD

     There is something about baking bread that is very satisfying.  I thought making bread from instant yeast was pretty impressive (these days).  That was until I mastered the art of making bread from my very own sourdough starter.  The anticipation heightened with each day waiting for the juice to ferment, then feeding it, tending to it like it was my second child!  Oh Happy Birthday Bread!   Today was your day to rise to the occasion.  And rise it did.  This ain't no heavy, brick like sourdough bread my friends.  Oh no.  This is delicious Pain au Levain like they make in France, made from an organic apple juice starter.  There is no need to line up at the Boulangerie at the market anymore..

     The recipe and inspiration for this delicious bread came from a novel I read called By Bread Alone by Sarah Kate Lynch.  The book centres around this woman who visits France as a teenager and falls in love with a naughty French baker.  To my delight at the end of the book there was this gem of a recipe.  

SOURDOUGH STARTER

juice from 3 fresh organic apples, strained 

organic unbleached bread flour

Method:  Leave the apple juice in a partly covered jug or jar for 7-10 days.  When the juice is bubbly and fermented, add it, in a glass or ceramic bowl to 1 1/2 cups flour and 3/4 cups water and leave, covered with plastic wrap poked with holes or a loosely tied plastic bag.  

     Then, stir in another 1 1/2 cups flour and 3/4 cups water, recover and leave overnight.  Discard half the mixture and add another 1 1/2 cups flour and 3/4 cup water.  Repeat this, and do so every day until you know your starter is alive and kicking because it will rise up the sides of the bowl or container in between feeds and will be bubbly and smell sharp and cidery.  

     The starter will keep in the fridge unfed for up to 2 weeks.  When you want to use it, bring it out, get it to room temperature and feed it for a couple of days before you use it.  The starter is best used in the bread dough 8-12 hours after its last feed.

PAIN AU LEVAIN

makes 1 round loaf

adapted from Sarah-Kate Lynch

1/3 cup organic rye flour

2 cups organic unbleached white bread flour

1 3/4 organic whole wheat bread flour

3/4 cup starter

1/2 Tbsp sea salt

1 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp water

Method:  Mix all ingredients except the salt in a large ceramic or glass bowl, by hand for 5 minutes.  The mixture will be quite wet but if you are having trouble mixing it, try just using 1 1/2 cups water.  Rest for  5 minutes, then add the salt.  Mix another 5-10 minutes on a countertop, without adding any extra flour, until mixture is smooth and elastic.  Then put it in a lightly oiled bowl and leave for 3-4 hours loosely covered so air can still get in.

     Punch it down with a gentle fold, then leave for another hour.

     Tip the dough out and gently premold the loaf by folding it in on itself and turning it over; let sit for 10 minutes.  Then give it a final mold, dip it in flour and put it in a round basket (10" diameter) lined with a heavily floured linen or cotton dishtowel.  Rub the flour well into the dishtowel and don't wash it between uses.  If it's not floured enough, the dough will stick to the towel.

     At this stage you can leave the dough for half an hour, put it in the fridge overnight, then bring it out and let it sit for an hour before baking.

     Or leave for 3 hours in the basket, then tip out onto a preheated pizza stone.  With a very sharp knife, cut your first initial in the top of the bread so the gases can escape and bake at 500* for 15 minutes, and then 425* for 10 minutes, remembering to steam the oven when you put the loaf in by spraying the sides of the oven with a waterbottle and quickly shutting the door.  This makes the crust crunchy.

GREEK MEATBALLS

I had the whole house to myself today.  Unfortunately, I spent most of the day baking and making food for the Farmer's Market.  I did manage to fit in a much needed yoga practice and some serious spring cleaning though.  It is amazing how much you can get done when you have no distractions! I was alone for dinner tonight and had some ground beef that needed to be made into something delicious, so I decided to make Keftethes, otherwise known as Greek Meatballs. Those crispy delicious potatoes you see are the same ones I made for Easter, so if you're interested in those, take a peek at that earlier posting.

KEFTETHES - GREEK MEATBALLS

1 organic egg

1/2 cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs

1 small organic onion, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

1 tsp sea salt

freshly ground organic black pepper

1 pound organic ground beef or lamb

organic flour for coating

olive oil for frying

Method:  Beat egg lightly in a mixing bowl.  Stir in breadcrumbs, onion, lemon, herbs and seasonings.  Leave for 10 minutes.  Add the meat and blend lightly and thoroughly, mixing with your hands if necessary.  With moistened hands, shape into balls about the size of a small egg. Roll in flour and flatten to a thick patty.  Shallow fry in hot oil in a cast iron skillet until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes each side.  

MAPLE STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING with Vanilla Ice Cream

     My in-laws were coming by to pick up my son for a sleep over and were staying for supper. I had already planned to make a casserole for supper, but now I had an excuse to make a dessert! And what a dessert it was. Maple Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream.  After my third piece of this heavenly concoction I have decided that this is my absolute favorite dessert.  Everyone should try this once before they die.  That's how good it is.

     Rather than bake the maple date cake in a square pan, I thought using a muffin tin would work really nicely, making individual portions that plate nicely once you cut the top off.  The caramel sauce was a bit on the thin side when hot, so I recommend you let it cool to a nice thick consistency before spooning over the cake and ice cream.  In fact, make it the day before, refrigerate and just spoon on top of the warm pudding.

     Next to the dessert, our main course pales in comparison. It's not a pretty dish, but very tasty, and a great way to use millet!

CARROT MILLET CASSEROLE

1 cup organic millet, cooked in 2 cups water until light and fluffy

4 cups organic carrots, shredded

6 Tbsp e.v olive oil

6 Tbsp organic tamari

4 cloves organic garlic, smashed and minced

2 tsp dry marjoram or 1 Tbsp fresh

1 pound organic firm tofu, crumbled

10 Tbsp nutritional yeast

2 organic onions, chopped

1/2 cup fresh organic parsley, chopped

Method: Combine all ingredients in a covered casserole dish. Bake at 350* for 40 mins.

MAPLE STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

1/2 cup organic unsalted butter, softened

8 oz pitted dates

1/2 cup light rum or water

1 cup organic all purpose flour

1 cup organic whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground organic cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup maple sugar

2 organic eggs

Toffee Sauce:

2 Tbsp organic butter

1/4 cup maple sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup brown rice syrup

1/3 cup organic whole milk

Method: Preheat oven to 450*. Butter 12 cupcake spots in a pan, or a square 8" pan. Combine the dates, rum and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and then simmer for a couple of minutes until the dates are soft. Remove from heat and use a hand blender to puree. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the flours, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon and baking soda in a bowl. Whip the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, scrape the bowl and then add flour alternatively with the date mixture in 3 additions. Scoop into the pan and bake for about 2-25 minutes. 

Make the sauce by combining the butter, sugar and syrups together in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook one more minute. Remove from heat and let cool until thick. Serve the sauce over the pudding.

MY MOM'S KITCHEN: GREEK STYLE BBQ RIBS

     Anastasia's in-laws were in Toronto visiting with Scott's sister so it was a perfect opportunity to invite them over for dinner. The weather was exceptionally good so I decided on a greek-style barbeque.  I found some great back ribs from a farm called le Breton, hormone and antiobiotic free, and quail that comes from Northern Ontario. I forgot to take pictures of the quail but managed to find one straggler, needless to say they were very popular.

ROASTED VEGETABLES

5 organic carrots

1 large organic red onion

5 or 6 cloves of organic garlic ( jackets on)

1 small organic turnip

1 small organic butternut squash

balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

fresh organic thyme

Cut vegetables into serving sizes, place in cast iron pot with lid, 

drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and 

pepper, and the whole thyme sprigs which can be removed after cooking. Roast on 

grill with lid closed until tender.

GREEK STYLE GRILLED BACK RIBS AND QUAIL

4 racks of organic and/or pasture raised natural pork back ribs

6 quail, (sliced up the back and flattened)

Tom's spice (available on Anastasia's Etsy store)

Mariande: equal parts of fresh lemon juice and extra virgin 

olive oil

crushed fresh organic garlic

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

GARLIC CHIVE AND CHEESE SCONES

My big pot of pea soup was bubbling away on the stove when I started to make these scones for supper.  

GARLIC CHIVE AND CHEESE SCONES

1/2 cup organic unbleached white bread flour

3/4 - 1 cup organic whole wheat bread flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

1/4 cup organic unsalted butter

5-6 Tbsp organic whole milk

1/4 cup organic cheese

3 Tbsp organic garlic chives, minced

Method: Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Rub in butter until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in mustard powder, cheese and chives. Mix in milk to make a soft but not sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured counter and knead very lightly. Form into a 3" wide log and cut into triangles with a knife. Bake at 425* for about 12-14 minutes.

BIRTHDAY PARTY

Yesterday we celebrated my son's second birthday by inviting a few friends over for some food and fun.  It was such a lovely gathering!  The food was great, the weather was perfect and the company fantastic.  My sister graciously commandeered the face painting station while the children played and we nibbled on delicious snacks.  I had a lot of fun getting creative with fruit carvings and making little animal figures out of vegetables.  I made a conscious decision to allow myself the pleasure of buying all kinds of organic produce that was not in season or local.  It felt very strange buying strawberries in April, but we treat imported goods as occasional luxuries, and it was a treat feasting on bright oranges, juicy kiwis and ruby strawberries.

     I forgot to get a picture of the fish sticks and chicken fingers on their own, but if you look closely in the group shot you might spot one in a little one's sticky fingers or on it's way into someone's mouth.  

SEVEN LAYER DIP

This dish is served cold, but it can be a baked, hot, cheesey melty dish if you omit the lettuce and guacamole.  In which case you would bake it at 350* for about 20 minutes.

1 6 oz pack organic cream cheese

1 can of organic refried beans or homemade boiled, mashed pinto or black beans

1 clove organic garlic, smashed and minced

1 Tbsp organic lime juice or apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp organic chili powder

1/4 tsp organic chipotle powder

1/2 tsp organic cumin powder

pinch of sea salt

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed with some lemon juice or guacamole

1 ripe organic tomato, diced

1/2 cup Herdes Salsa Verde

1 red or yellow organic pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 of an organic red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup sliced red or black olives

1/2 organic iceburg lettuce, shredded

1 cup grated organic cheddar cheese

organic fresh cilantro

Lay's Organic Red and Blue Tortilla Chips

Method:  Mix the beans with the garlic, lime juice, chili powders, cumin and sea salt in a bowl, adding a bit of water if it is really thick. 

     Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of a deep dish pie plate.  Follow with the beans, guacamole, then the salsa, tomato, pepper, onions, olives, lettuce, and top with the cheese and some chopped cilantro.  Serve cold with the tortilla chips.  

DINOSAUR DIP 

1 large organic acorn squash, split and seeded

4 long, narrow, curved organic zucchini

2 whole organic cloves

sturdy toothpicks

1 container organic sour cream

1 packet of organic onion soup mix

mixed organic vegetables, cut into sticks and slices (cucumber, pepper, carrot, celery)

Method:  From two of the zucchini, cut of 2" piecess from the ends giving you 4 legs.  Use toothpicks to attach legs to squash.

     For neck and head, cut a gash in one of the remaining zucchini for a mouth, using a toothpick to secure in place.  Insert cloves for eyes.

     Attach neck to one end of squash with toothpicks and the remaining zucchini to the other end for a tail.

     Serve on a large platter decorated with large leafy greens and sprouts.  Fill center of the squash with your dip of choice.  I used a container of sour cream mixed with the packet of onion soup mix.

ORGANIC CHICKEN FINGERS and FISH STICKS with Honey Mustard and Tartar Dipping Sauces

1 1/2 pounds organic and or pasture raised chicken thighs, bone removed and cut into strips

1 1/2 pounds hook and line haddock, cut into strips

1/2 cup organic all purpose unbleached flour

sea salt and pepper

2 large organic egg

2 Tbsp organic milk

1 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs 

1/4 cup freshly grated romano cheese

1 Tbsp Tom's Spice (on my Etsy Shop)

8 Tbsp organic vegetable oil

1/4 cup organic yellow mustard

1/8 cup local honey

1/4 cup organic mayonaise

4 Tbsp cucumber relish

Method:  In a small bowl, combine the mustard and honey.  In another bowl, combine the mayonaise and relish.  Set these aside.

     In a shallow dish, combine the flour with a couple pinches of sea salt.  In another dish, whisk the eggs with the organic milk and a pinch of salt.  In a third dish, stir the bread crumbs together with the romano and Tom's Spice.  

     Bread the strips of chicken and fish by dredging first in the flour, making sure you shake of excess flour.  Then dip in the egg, letting excess drip off.  Place the strips in the breadcrumbs, coating all sides.  

     In a large non stick skillet, heat some of the oil over medium heat.  Add some of the strips and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.  Remove and keep warm in an oven at 250*.  Repeat with remaining chicken and fish.  Serve the chicken with the honey mustard and the fish with the tartar sauce.

HEDGEHOG CARROT CUPCAKES

This carrot cake recipe is my favorite and we use it for many special occaions.  It was my wedding cake and Faegan's first birthday cake.  We try to avoid feeding him refined white sugar, which makes this cake so great because it is made with local maple syrup.  The inspiration for the hedgehog cupcake came from Martha Stewart.  I was looking for a way to decorate cupcakes that didn't involve sugary icings and artificially coloured icing.  It is very hard to find slivered almonds that still have their outer skins on, but luckily at the last minute I found some at Sobey's.

Cake: 

1 1/2 cup organic all purpose whole wheat flour

1 cups organic all purpose unbleached white flour

1/2 Tbsp baking soda

2 tsp organic ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

3 organic eggs

1/2 cup organic vegetable oil

1 cup organic whole milk

1/2 cup local maple syrup

2 tsp pure vanilla

3/4 cup crushed organic pineapple, drained well

2 cups organic grated carrots

3/4 cup organic coconut

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Line pan with 16 unbleached cupcake liners.  In a bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt.  In the bowl of your mixer, beat the eggs at medium speed, then add the oil, milk, maple syrup and vanilla, beating together until combined, scraping the sides as needed.  Add the flour mixture, beating at low speed until well combined.  Add the pineapple, carrots, and coconut, beat at low speed until just combined.  

     Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter into the cupcake liners, and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely before icing.

CREAM CHEESE MAPLE ICING FOR CARROT CAKE

1 pound organic cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup organic butter, at room temperature

1/8-1/4 cup local maple syrup or honey

2 tsp pure vanilla

Method:  In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Pour in the maple syrup and vanilla, and mix until well combined.

HEDGEHOG CUPCAKE METHOD

1 pack sliced almonds with skin on

16 organic chocolate covered raisins

32 organic chocolate chips

cream cheese icing

Method:  Ice each cupcake lightly with a spatula.  Then with a plain round tip, pipe hair onto the cupcakes.  Rim the cupcakes with the sliced almonds, and then use the raisins for the mouth and chocolate chips for eyes.  Keep cool before serving.

ELEPHANT FRUIT PLATTER

1 organic navel orange

4 orange organic gummi bears

toothpicks

2 organic whole cloves

organic fruit, sliced and cut beatifully

Method:  Hold each orange so that the navel is facing down.  Make a V-shaped cut on one side of the orange for the tail.  On the opposite side, make a Y-shaped cut for the trunk.  Make C-shaped cuts for the ears.  Gently pull away all cut portions from the orange, so that the tail, trunk and ears stand out.  Attach 4 gummi bears with toothpicks to the bottom of the orange for legs/feet.  Serve on a plate with fruit.

STRAWBERRY MICE

6 organic strawberry, husked

6 organic chocolate chips

12 organic cloves

12 sliced almonds

1 piece organic strawberry fruit leather

Method:  Slice off a bit of one side of each strawberry so they sit flat.  Insert the pointy end of the chocolate chips into the tip of each strawberry for the nose.  Insert 2 cloves for the eyes into each mouse, and 2 slices of almond for the ears.  Make a little hole in the back of each mouse and then cut S-shaped thin pieces of fruit leather for the tail and insert.

NORBERT'S NOODLES

My favorite farmer in the whole world is making pasta and it is good.  Norbert from Selwood Green has awakened a latent talent for noodle making and I am glad.  Although this means he isn't spending as much time growing phenomenal organic vegetables.  But at least he is doing good things no matter what he does.  And lucky for us it always involves food.

     We eat Norbert's Kamut Pasta with all kinds of sauces, but tonight we delved into our frozen green curry paste stash and whipped up this little yummy.

KAMUT NOODLES in a Peanut Coconut Sauce

1 pack of Norbert's Organic Kamut Noodles (equal to about 1/2 pound dry pasta I think)

1 pound organic local firm tofu, cut into cubes

1/2 cup arame seaweed, soaked in water for 5 minutes

1 organic onion, chopped

2 cups organic cabbage, cut into small pieces

3 organic carrots, chopped

1/2 cup organic peanut butter

1/2 can organic coconut milk

6 Tbsp organic tamari

4 Tbsp spicy thai chili dipping sauce

big pinch sea salt

2 Tbsp organic raw sesame oil

1 heaping Tbsp green curry paste

1/4 cup water

1/2 bunch organic cilantro, chopped

1/2 organic lemon

Method:  Bring a pot of water to boil and when ready cook noodles for about 5 minutes.  Preheat oven to 450*.  Marinate the tofu in 2 Tbsp of the tamari sauce and 1 Tbsp of the sesame oil.  Broil in the oven in a cast iron skillet for about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.  Set aside.

     Heat a cast iron wok over medium high heat.  Add the rest of the oil and stir fry the onion, carrot, cabbage, arame and a pinch of sea salt for about 8 minutes.  Then stir in the tofu, coconut milk, curry paste, peanut butter, chili sauce, water and remaining tamari.  Cook stirring for about 5 minutes, then add the drained noodles and chopped cilantro.    Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and chopsticks.

BIRTHDAY DINNER

My son is two years old today.  I didn't know I was making a special meal until we sat down and realized just how lovely it was.   It is such a joy preparing food for my family.  Happy Birthday Faegan, here's to many, many more delicious meals together!

BROILED HADDOCK with Mushrooms and Thyme

1 pound hook and line haddock fillets

1 pound organic mushrooms

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 tsp fresh thyme

1 Tbsp Tom's Spice (available from my Etsy Shop)

Method:  Preheat oven to 450*.  In a cast iron skillet, toss the mushrooms with half the olive oil, thyme, and 2 tsp of Tom's Spice.  Roast for about 10 minutes.

     Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the fish, season with the rest of Tom's Spice.  Pile the fish onto the mushrooms and roast for 10 minutes. 

 

HORSERADISH MASHED POTATOES

5 organic potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 pieces

sea salt and pepper

1/2 cup organic whole milk

3 Tbsp organic salted butter

1 heaping Tbsp natural horseradish (I like Bubbies)

sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Bring potatoes to a boil.  Cook until very tender, drain and then add the remaining ingredients.  Mash until creamy.

SPINACH SALAD with Leftover Easter Eggs, Spring Sprouts and Walnuts

3/4 pound organic spinach

1/2 cup organic sprouts

1/2 cup organic raw walnuts

3 organic boiled eggs

3 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp organic Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

2 tsp local honey

sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Whisk the vinegar, mustard, olive oil and honey together in a bowl.  Drizzle over the salad.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

POPCORN with Kelp and Olive Oil

My son loves popcorn.  I'm not sure if it's the act of using the air popper or eating the popcorn, but whatever it is he is smitten.  He calls it popqui.  I like making it with lots of nice salty butter for sure, but when I am in a hurry or just plain lazy I just drizzle some olive oil on it.  One thing I always have time for though is a sprinkle of kelp powder.  It tastes yummy, adds a funky speckle to your kernels, and it's good for you.  Yay!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIZZA

Today was the last day of local butternut squash for us.  To honour this special day I sent the squash out with a bang by creating a very lovely and tasty pizza with it.  It tasted really great for breakfast, but you can make it anytime at all (in season of course).

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIZZA with Gouda, Mushrooms and Fresh Thyme

1 organic whole wheat pizza dough (http://prasada-eatingisdivine.blogspot.com/2009/10/pizza-night.html)

1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and grated

1/2 cup organic gouda, grated

1/2 cup organic mozzarella, grated

1 cup sliced organic mushrooms

a few sprigs of fresh thyme, removed from stems or dried thyme

1/2 cup organic pizza sauce

sea salt and pepper to taste

Method: Preheat oven to 450*.  Spread the pizza dough out into a greased cast iron skillet.  Top with the tomato sauce, some of the cheese, then the squash, mushrooms, the rest of the cheese and then sprinkle with thyme, sea salt and pepper.  Bake in oven for about 10-15 minutes.

PASTA with Chard and Chickpeas

     I made a salad last night that didn't really pair well with the Cornmeal Sloppy Joe Pizza.  What I wanted was a tabouli style chickpea salad, but tomatoes aren't in season, neither are cucumbers and so the salad just kinda sucked.  But tonight, it transformed into a very tasty pasta dish once I sauteed it with lots of garlic and fresh Pasture Hill Farm chard.  We didn't quite have enough of one style of pasta, so I mixed penne, elbows and fusilli.

PASTA with Chard and Chickpeas

1 pound organic kamut pasta

1 bunch organic fresh chard, chopped in large chunks

5 cloves organic garlic, smashed and minced

2 cups organic chickpeas, cooked

3 Tbsp capers

2 Tbsp organic butter

1/4 cup e.v olive oil

fresh romano cheese, grated

sea salt and pepper

Method:  Bring a large pot of water to boil, and cook pasta to al dente.  While you wait, heat a large skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter and half of the olive oil in the pan.  Saute the chard, garlic and chickpeas and some sea salt until the chard wilts, about 4 minutes.  Reduce heat to low, add the capers, cover and keep warm until the pasta is done cooking.  Drain the pasta, stir into the chard, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve with lots of fresh cheese.

CORN BREAD SLOPPY JOE

     Every now and then I feel like I am stuck in a rut when it comes to the ingredients I buy to cook with.  Our freezer is chock full of frozen organic meats which is very nice and very handy, but when it comes to chicken all we have are whole chickens which can be limiting when you're in the mood for something different.  So this weekend I decided to pick up some Holdanca Farms Pastured Perfection Ground Chicken.  I have to say I think this is the first time I've ever bought ground chicken if you can believe it. 

    Flipping through my cookbooks I came across this recipe and man was it ever good.  After making it though there are a few things I'd change in addition to my interpretation of the original.  I didn't have any tomato sauce so I used half tomato salsa and pureed canned tomatoes for the other half.  I also added the spinach and carrot and omitted the green pepper because they're not in season and I didn't have any.  Since I love my own cornbread recipe so much I substituted making it from scratch rather than using a boxed corn muffin mix, while at the same time omitting the fresh corn kernels because I didn't have any of those either.  The original recipe also calls for way more cornbread, as you can see in the photo.  Scott and I both ended up cutting the bottom crust off so we could have thinner pieces and it was way better that way so the recipe I've included uses a smaller batch.  Enjoy!

 BBQ SLOPPY CHICKEN PAN PIZZA

(adapted from Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats)

1 cup organic finely ground cornmeal

1/2 cup organic unbleached flour

1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup organic milk

2 organic eggs, lightly beaten

3 Tbsp melted organic butter

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 pound ground pasture raised and/or organic chicken

3 cloves organic garlic, smashed and chopped

1 organic onion, chopped

4-5 cups organic frozen or cooked and chopped fresh spinach

1 organic carrot, shredded

sea salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp organic chili powder

1 1/2 tsp ground organic cumin powder

2 tsp hot sauce

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 cup tomato sauce or salsa

3 Tbsp local honey

10 oz shredded organic cheddar

3 Tbsp chopped organic cilantro

Method:  Preheat oven to 400*.  In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flours, baking powders, sea salt and sugar.  Mix in the eggs, milk and butter.  Rub some olive oil into a large cast iron skillet, pour in batter and bake until the cornbread becomes light golden in colour 12-15 mins.

     Place a second skillet over medium high heat and the 2 Tbsp of olive oil.  Add the chicken and break it up with a wooden spoon.  Once the chicken begins to brown, add the garlic, onion, spinach, carrot and season with salt and pepper, chili powder, cumin and hot sauce.  Cook for 5 minutes then add the worcestershire, tomato sauce, and honey.  Stir to combine and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer until the cornbread is ready.  Adjust the seasonings to taste.

     Remove the cornbread from the oven and cover it with the chicken, then sprinkle with the cheese.  Put the pan back into the hot oven and cook for 5-10 minutes longer to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and top with cilantro and serve.

EASTER FEASTING

I spent my life celebrating two Easters every year.  Greeks follow a different religious calendar whose main difference as far as I've noticed is the day that Easter falls on.  This year though, they fell on the same day.  The last few days have been all about preparing to celebrate Spring with family and friends.

     I managed to take some photos of the meal preparation but totally forgot to take after shots of the meal before we ate it all!  Sorry....suffice it to say it was beautiful and delicious.  And it included lots of roast lamb, because I am Greek after all, and it isn't Easter unless there's lamb. Growing up my father always roasted a whole lamb outside on the spit, rain or snow or shine. Even though my parents in Ontario were only having my brother and his family over for dinner, my Dad ordered half a lamb and they are cooking it on the BBQ....a head and all!  I didn't go that far and settled for two small legs of lamb.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB

1 leg of organic lamb, 5-6 pounds

sea salt and pepper

6 cloves organic garlic

3 Tbsp fresh oregano

3 Tbsp fresh thyme

3 Tbsp fresh rosemary

juice of 1 organic lemon

1/4 cup e.v olive oil

Method:  Preheat oven to 450*.  Make 4 slits with a knife all over the lamb.  Insert half a clove of garlic into each one. In a suribachi, smash the rest of the garlic with some salt and the herbs.  Rub all over the lamb with some olive oil and salt and pepper.  Then squeeze and rub the lemon all over the lamb.  Roast the lamb in the oven at the high heat for 10-15 minutes, then reduce to 340* for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Take out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes then carve.

GREEK LEMON POTATOES

8 large organic russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 wedges

juice of 1 lemon

1/4-1/2 cup homemade chicken stock

1/4-1/2 cup e.v olive oil

sea salt and pepper

fresh or dry oregano

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Combine all ingredients in a roasting pan, being sure not to crowd the potatoes.  Bake in oven for about 60 minutes or until the edges start to brown.  Serve hot with the lamb.

SPRING SALAD with Lemon and Feta

Organic spinach

Organic baby romaine

Organic feta

Organic spring onions, sliced thin

Fresh dill, minced

Organic lemon juice

sea salt and pepper

olive oil

Method:  Combine the lettuces, feta, onion and dill in a large salad bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze some lemon on top and season generously with salt and pepper.  Toss and serve.

Naturally dyed eggs using turmeric, handmade organic chocolate bunnies and chicks, organic spelt arrowroot butterflies, lambs, bunnies and tulips nestled in a bed of straw and moss.

RYE SOURDOUGH Smeared with Almond Butter, Apple and Honey

Seeing as I didn't make supper tonight I thought I'd share with you what we ate for breakfast the other day.  After the Saturday market, a lovely woman whose name I don't know traded me some yummy sourdough rye bread.  It is a hearty, dense loaf that tasted lovely topped with some nut butter and honey.

RYE BREAD Smothered with Almond Butter, Diced Apple, Honey and a Sprinkle of Cinnamon

1 slice of organic rye sourdough bread, lightly toasted

1 heaping tablespoon of raw almond butter

1 drizzle of local honey

1/4 of an organic apple, chopped

a sprinkle of organic cinnamon

Method:  Toast bread, smear with butter, top with apple, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with cinnamon.