Avocado and Cucumber Gazpacho

Recipe adapted from this recipe found on BBC Good Food

• 1 large cucumber – peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 1 small or 1/2 large avocado – scooped from skin and roughly chopped
• 1/2 large yellow bell pepper – deseeded and roughly chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 4 green onions – green and white parts (down to the root) – roughly chopped
• juice of one large lemon
• 4-5 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1/3 cup  loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 1/3 cup cold water – you can add more if you’d like a thinner soup
• salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp. fat free plain Greek yogurt and fresh snipped chives – optional – for garnish

- In a high capacity food processor, blender or Vitamix, combine all ingredients except for the garnishes. If you need to thin the gazpacho out or just want a thinner soup, you can add more water at this step. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving – this is a soup that needs to be cold. Before serving, garnish with a dollop of yogurt (optional) and some snipped fresh chives or mint leaves. This soup will hold 2-3 days in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.

Tuna and Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Tuna and Chickpea Salad Sandwich

1 clove garlic

1 398 ml can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 small can of tuna in olive oil

1/3 red pepper, diced

handful of parsley, chopped

1/2 dill pickle, diced

1 tbsp capers, chopped

heaping tsp dijon mustard

heaping tbsp of tahini

red wine vinegar to taste

1/2 tsp kosher salt

pepper to taste

Put garlic clove in a food processor and chop finely.  Add chickpeas, tuna with oil, red pepper, parsley, pickle, capers, dijon, tahini, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper; pulse until finely chopped or the texture you like.

Toast some yummy bread; top with tuna and chickpea mixture and sliced veggies: cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions and radishes. 

Really, Really Yummy Veggie Sandwich

I recently found a clever recipe posted on one of my favourite websites, www.thekitchn.com.  It’s a twist on veggie sub, but so much better.  After one glance at the recipe, I immediately knew I had to try my own version of a veggie sandwich.  Personally, I’m not a huge fan of subs—something about the overly doughy bread and its yeasty smell that permeates the ubiquitous shops.  And not to mention, processed sliced mystery meats and cheeses (who eats that stuff anyway)?  But Subway does have a great selection of fresh veggies….  I remember when I was first lured there in the late 80’s, enticed by their new veggie sub...  The colourful veggies were piled high in the stainless steel bins: lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, olives and hot pickled banana peppers.  I ordered the works and the sandwich was ... delicious, that’s right, DELICIOUS!  I am more partial to Quiznos now, as they offer upgraded toppings like guacamole, but if you want a real treat, experiment with your own version at home.

Really, Really Yummy Veggie Sandwich

adapted from www.thekitchn.com 

• red or yellow pepper, thinly sliced
• cucumber, thinly sliced
• carrot, grated
• tomato, thinly sliced
• lettuce, shredded or whole leaves
• dill pickle, thinly sliced
• hot banana peppers, chopped
• olive oil mayonnaise, to taste (my husband used hummus; avocado or guacamole would also work here)
• dijon mustard, to taste 
• whole grain seed bread, or bread of choice, lightly toasted

(or any combination of veggies you like—the key is the pickles and hot peppers!)

Pile any combination of veggies you like on to toasted grainy bread and enjoy veggie sandwich heaven!

Buttermilk, Bran and Blueberry Muffins

Variety is the spice of life—and definitely a philosophy I follow daily.  I rarely eat the same dish every day, and quickly tire of monotony.  Injecting new ideas, flavours and foods into my repertoire is a necessity for me, along with learning about different cultures and cuisines.  Variety feeds my imagination.  Choosing unfamiliar ingredients from farmers’ markets and gourmet stores is one way I push myself to experiment and diversify.  But sometimes a vintage recipe makes a repeat appearance in my kitchen; like the Buttermilk, Bran and Blueberry Muffins below.  It’s perfect just the way it is (or rather, after some very minor adjustments).

I have mixed feelings about muffins.  The majority of muffins are more similar to cake than the healthy breakfast snack they have commonly been marketed as.  I’m talking about the fluffy gigantic ones you find on display at coffee shops and bakeries.  Yes, they are cleverly disguised by tempting ingredients like bananas, chocolate chips and blueberries, but are more commonly packed with tons of calories, fat and sugar than fiber and nutrients.  I dislike being duped by mass-marketing.  Terms like “contains real fruit”, “low fat” and “low carbs”, are loosely used on packaged foods these days—tempting us to buy them with their false claims.  I recommend substituting honey, stevia or coconut sugar for white sugar in most recipes.  Healthier substitutes for white processed sugar are widely available today and often don’t alter final results.  Note: half the amount of honey should be substituted for sugar because of its sweetness level (coconut / palm sugar works equally well as a substitute here). 

Buttermilk, Bran and Blueberry Muffins

Adapted from The New Light-hearted Cookbook, Anne Lindsay. 

Ingredients:

3 C Wheat Bran
2 C Whole Wheat
1/2 C Granulated Sugar—try substituting 1/4 cup honey or 1/2 cup coconut / palm sugar

1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
2 Eggs, beaten
2 C Buttermilk
1/3 C Safflower oil
1/2 C Blackstrap Molasses
1 C Fresh or frozen blueberries or other berry. If using frozen, do not thaw berries before adding to mixture.

Procedure:

In large bowl, mix together bran, flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. In another bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, and molasses: pour into bran mixture and stir just enough to moisten, being careful not to over mix. Fold in berries.

Spoon into paper-lined large muffin cups (I use an ice-cream scoop for uniformly sized muffins), filling almost to top. Bake in 375F oven for about 25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let stand for two minutes before removing muffins from tin.

Makes about 20 muffins

159 Calories per muffin and only 5 grams of fat!

Zucchini, Buffalo Mozzarella and Cherry Tomato Linguini

My refrigerator overflowed with groceries, like a Christmas window filled with children’s toys a few days before the big event.  Peering at the selection of food, visions of what to make for dinner  flooded my head …

I used to live in Point Grey, Vancouver—a lovely, well established neighbourhood, close to the University of British Columbia.  Quaint boutiques and cafés lined the main street and bustled with activity from local pedestrians poking in and out of shops.  I fondly remember spring-times there, when every May, trees that lined the sidewalks would explode with globes of pink and white petals, turning the street into a carnival with their cotton candy-topped trunks. 

I especially remember one spring, when someone took the liberty of “beautifying” the planters that were home to the blossoming trees.  The anonymous gardener had filled each box with annuals one night, until their lushness spilled out onto the sidewalk by morning. Whether this added beauty to the street or not was subjective, but who was to argue with a covert green-crusader?  It was an obvious amateur job, but added a welcome, homey vibe to the community. 

Walking home from work one day, I noticed one planter with flora that looked vaguely familiar yet somehow out of place.  Tiny, yellow flowers peaked out from large velvet-looking leaves that were deep jade in colour and variegated with soft white lines.  I took a closer look ... a zucchini plant had been planted in one of the boxes, perhaps by mistake?  As spring turned into summer, so did the tiny yellow flowers, turn into zucchinis.  Every day I would check to see how they were growing, until one day, I bravely plucked one off of its vine and took it home for supper.

Please with my new acquisition, I took out my grater and began to grate the emerald vegetable.  Ribbons of creamy flesh, spiked with forest green, began to pile upon my cutting board.  I gently heated some olive oil and sautéed a few garlic cloves and a pinch of chili flakes until fragrant; tipped in the zucchini shards and tossed it all with linguini.  A small handful of parmesan crowned the dish and the pasta was ready to be devoured. 

The recipe below is an evolution of my first attempt at marrying zucchini with pasta.  The same principal for simplicity and freshness, below, confirms that you can never go wrong with a few basic, quality ingredients.

Zucchini, Buffalo Mozzarella and Cherry Tomato Linguini

serves 2

• 2 small zucchinis, sliced thinly on a mandolin
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half and seeds removed
• 1 ball of buffalo mozzarella, torn into chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 1/2 lemon, zest and juice
• pinch of chili flakes
• 12 fresh basil leaves, sliced thinly
• 12 fresh mint leaves, sliced thinly
• olive oil
• 1/2 package of linguini
• salt to taste

Directions

1. bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to directions
2. heat oil in a large sauté pan and gently sauté garlic until soft—be careful not to burn the garlic
3. add zucchini and cherry tomatoes and heat through—I like the vegetables to be just warmed
4. season with chili flakes
5. add the cooked linguini, lemon juice and zest and toss together
6. plate pasta in large bowls
7. top pasta with torn buffalo mozzarella and ribbons of basil and mint

Walnut, Cranberry and Maple Granola

I often jot down recipes while I’m cooking … or eating … or simply thinking about food—which I do a lot.  It works well having countless ideas, ingredient combinations and recipes written down, just in case I want to write about them later.  I keep most of my inspirations in a food & recipe journal but, sadly,  many end up on scraps of paper as a reminder of things to work on in the future.  Having a large catalogue of food-related thoughts is unnerving sometimes, but this way I have endless recipes to work on.

Here’s a quick post about an equally quick and easy granola.  I like the combination of walnuts and cranberries, and the maple syrup adds a sweet touch without making the granola overly saccharine.  I use whatever nuts and dried fruit I have lying around; it’s all about the combination that makes the most sense to me—and what a nice surprise when it tastes good too!

Walnut, Cranberry and Maple Granola

• 4 cups large-flake / old-fashion oatmeal
• 1 cup whole walnuts, lightly broken up by hand
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped or sticks
• 1/4 cup white sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup golden raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 F
2. Melt butter—in the microwave is fine
3. Add maple syrup and salt to the melted butter
4. Measure and place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl (oatmeal and nuts)
5. Pour melted butter and maple syrup with salt over oatmeal mixture
6. Mix until oatmeal and nuts are combined with the butter mixture
7. Bake @ 300 F for 30-40 minutes, or until toasted and golden brown
8. Add cranberries and golden raisins
9. Cool and enjoy with yogurt, milk (almond milk is lovely too) and top with fresh berries

My Favourite Egg Sandwich

After a late night out dancing (naturally, in my younger years), I often came home hungry and in need of a little repast.  I hankered after something quick, easy—and of course delicious.  The contents of my refrigerator usually include eggs, bread and cheese, ingredients that marry well together.  My fondness for egg sandwiches was soon to get underway, but only after encountering many failed attempts first…. 

I’m embarrassed to say that I have eaten dozens of Egg McMuffins in my life.  Countless early morning excursions to Whistler for a day of skiing was usually the  activity culprit … but these McMeals served a need and everyone in the car was always grateful.  They’re tasty enough, but a guilty pleasure is not always good enough, nor nourishing enough—plastic-like cheese, combined with ham and egg on a pallid English muffin, doesn’t always suffice.

One would think that eggs, cheese and ham on an English muffin would be easy—and that combination is. But I am always in search of something that offers a little ‘more’ … something different yet approachable.  I like to experiment with food, and have tried numerous combinations,  of which most were delectable.  The recipe below is my favourite mix at the moment. 

A great egg sandwich begs for something creamy; avocado and mayonnaise add that component in the recipe below.  Spinach imparts an airy green bite, while tomato sparks a note of acidic sweetness.  The potential ingredients are limitless.  Try adding sharp cheddar cheese, provolone, or arugula instead of spinach (lettuce works well too).  Experiment and have fun, and even the most dubious fusions end up tasting yummy.

My Favourite Egg Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 whole wheat english muffin

1/4 avocado

slice or two of tomato

several baby spinach leaves, or arugula

mayonnaise—I am very fond of Hellmann’s with olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Lightly whisk one egg in a ramekin, add a splash of water (a scant tablespoon) and season with salt and pepper.  Cover with paper towel and microwave (yes, you heard me correctly) for approximately 1 minute or until it puffs up like a soufflé (keep your eye on it as you don’t want the egg to overcook and become rubbery).  Toast the english muffin while the egg is cooking.

Spread one side of the toasted english muffin with smashed avocado, and smear mayonnaise—as much as you like—on the other half.  Place the cooked egg on one half of the english muffin; top with tomato, spinach leaves and other half of the english muffin.