Spring is in the air...be happy

Little green possibilities...

Just a few more days until spring is officially here; I, for one, can hardly wait. This year marks my first actual growing season, having previously been bankrupt in the sunlit patio department. Drought, no more. You are looking at my first Portuguese kale seedlings. The seeds are from my grandfather, who hauled them with him from Portugal. A colleague at work gave me the tip that you didn't need fancy seedling trays; this is just an egg carton I have repurposed for the job. The setup is lounging in a southwest facing window under a tent of saran wrap and a lamp, to create a bit of a greenhouse effect. I posted a bit of background on these special seeds and their intended fate here. This kale is the first of my patio produce crops; I also bought heirloom carrots, lemon balm, fennel, basil and rosemary. If I can keep this all alive, I may just go crazy next year and try my hand at tomatoes.


If you, like I, have never tried to grow your own food - never fear. I honestly didn't believe these seeds would sprout. I have killed almost every house plant I have ever owned. I have once-beautiful topiaries on my deck, strung out and yellowed from the stress of life with the Nielsens.  I was pretty sure I would somehow mess this up. Miraculously, just a week after I sowed them, these gorgeous little pre-veggies popped up. And equally unbelievable, my little apple tree survived the winter and has little buds. To help my little apple twig along, I bought Mason bees last week and a little Mason bee cottage. Mason bees don't sting; they have a short life cycle where they pollinate everything in sight and then they lay eggs for the following year. Talk about low maintenance beekeeping.


If you are looking for some resources on how to grow your own food, in any kind of space, look no further. Choices Markets is selling West Coast Seeds and I also like Salt Spring Seeds. Both have plenty of heirloom and organic varieties and since they are in our local region, they've got seeds suited to life on the wet coast. For pots, Ikea has plenty of options but if you can make it down to Marine Drive in Burnaby, Garden Works is like gardening wonderland. Life on the Balcony is a blog filled with tips on getting green in a small space; FarmTina has her own little plot, aka backyard, in the midst of bustling NYC while Marie Viljoen has just a shoebox apartment. Amy Pennington's Apartment Gardening book has been my how-to manual...so if you try and get it  out from the VPL, you will need to wait! She is from Seattle so it is great to get tips from someone in the same sort of climate. 


Do yourself a favour and grow something this spring. Anything. I promise it will make you smile.

UnDiet...Week 47

Hello UnDieters!


Week 47....New Year's Day is just around the corner. Hopefully, with a year of UnDieting under your belt the one thing you won't be worried about come January 1st is how you are eating. This week I want to get you eating some more food to save your nutritional soul...greens.


"Kale!" is a routinely heard battle cry at the office. We shout "kale!" when things really rock. Don't laugh. Yes, I am a food geek. That is besides the point (or it is the point entirely.) Why should kale represent the height of my exuberance? Because kale and other greens are serious foodie medicine. So nutritious is it almost ridiculous to start naming names...all you really need to know is that you should eat greens every day. Even Canada's Food Guide, which is not always heralded as the most progressive of texts, recommends you get some daily greens. Who am I to argue?


Does a daily green food seem like an impossible task? Perhaps it is because you simply need more ideas on how to use them. First, let me start by counting the greens...


Black kale, purple kale, curly kale, red chard, rainbow chard, collard greens, mizuna, broccoli, bok choy, gai lan, beet greens, spinach, baby kale, arugula, broccolini, rapini, cilantro, parsley, basil, dandelion greens...you get the picture!


Next, here are 10 ideas on how you can use all of those delicious greens in your daily diet:


Steam collard leaves and use instead of tortillas.


Stew chard with onions and garlic as the base for a hearty winter soup.


Add de-stemmed black kale to a blueberry smoothie.


Saute your favourite green with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and chili flakes for a simply delicious side.


Make a salad with mizuna, baby spinach, cilantro and add Mexican flavours like chipotle simmered black beans, corn and queso fresco.


Stir fry gai lan with lots of garlic and add sriracha marinated tofu. Serve over rice noodles.


Layer steamed, sliced beet greens in a vegetarian lasagna.


Simmer broccolini with white beans, garlic and finish with lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice.


Make kale chips with your favourite kale by tossing pieces with olive oil, salt and pepper and baking at 325 for 15-20 minutes...watch carefully!


Wrap dandelion greens with feta, pickled beets, hummus and grated carrot in a sprouted grain wrap.


See? It's easy being green...

Eat...Mediterranean Kale with Halloumi

I mentioned on Monday that I would be cleaning up my act this week but of course that doesn't mean eating only plain, boring "health" food. It means eating wholesome, veggie fueled meals made at home. So today I stopped by Yek-o-Yek on Main St and picked up some halloumi cheese thinking it might make a nice "steak" to serve with the gorgeous organic greens in my fridge. If you haven't had halloumi before, it is a wonderfully salty firm cheese from the Mediterranean region that is unique because it actually holds up to frying. 


I like using lacinato kale because I prefer its softer texture and milder flavour. And even if you don't like greens, give this a try. My husband, who merely tolerates greens, actually took a second helping. I then picked my jaw up off the floor and continued eating my delicious dinner.


Recipe


Mediterranean Kale with Halloumi Steaks


This recipe is so quick, it is absolutely weeknight dinner material. By the time the quinoa finishes cooking, dinner is done. And you think you don't have time to cook.


1 cup    quinoa
2 cups  water
Pinch    thyme
1 piece lemon rind


1 tbsp    extra virgin olive oil
1 large  sweet onion (I used a Walla Walla...love saying that!), thinly sliced
1 clove  garlic, minced
1/4         serrano pepper, minced 
1 bunch lacinato kale, shredded, stalks chopped and reserved
Pinch    salt, to taste
Remaining lemon rind, zested


1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
250 grams halloumi cheese, sliced in 3 or 4 pieces...for 3 or 4 people


Juice of lemon


First, prepare the quinoa: place quinoa and water in pot (rinse quinoa first if not pre-rinsed) with thyme and lemon rind. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes.


While the quinoa cooks, saute the onion and the kale stalks in olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add serrano pepper, garlic and stir. Add remaining kale and saute over medium heat until glossy and wilted while searing the halloumi. Stir occasionally as halloumi cooks.


After you add the kale, heat the remaining olive oil in another pan to medium high heat. Place halloumi in pan and allow to caramelize, about 3 minutes a side.


When quinoa is finished, serve by scooping quinoa onto plate; top with kale and place halloumi on top of kale. Finish with a drizzle of lemon juice.


Serves 3-4


Enjoy!
Desiree


PS...where is the luscious food shot? Given my terrible photog skills, the photo didn't look half as delicious as the food tasted. Thought I would spare you :)

Eat...Kale!

Lovely Photo by Melissa Quantz!

To give you a little inspiration for your kale fest this week, enjoy this recipe by my friend Melissa, The Bounty Hunter....Be sure to check out her blog for more great recipes and beautiful photos!

Recipe: Wholegrain Spaghetti with Kale and Turkey Sausage

Chicken or Italian pork sausage work well too, be sure to get the best quality you can.  I like to use the kale stems as well as the leaves, but feel free to remove them and save for soup. 

Note from Desiree...our sausages at Choices Markets are all made in house and feature no added preservatives, MSG or other nasties...give them a try!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb turkey sausage, casings removed 

1 large bunch kale, washed and cut into bit sized pieces (any variety)

3 cloves garlic, minced

Couple pinches dried chili flakes

¾ lb whole grain spaghetti or your preferred shape

2/3 cup chicken stock

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.  Blanch the kale in the hot water for 2-3 minutes, until bright green and tender.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.  Use this water to cook your pasta.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausages and cook, breaking them up into small pieces with a spatula, until browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and chili flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, when the reserved cooking water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, see package for cooking time.  Somewhere between 8-12 minutes for wholegrain pasta.  Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking water.

While the pasta cooks, add the kale to the sausage in the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Add the broth, stirring and scrapping the brown bits from the pan. 

Add the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese and toss until combined.  If a bit dry, add a little of the reserved cooking liquid from the pasta.

Serve with a fresh grinding of pepper and another sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

UnDiet...Week 14

Lovely photo courtesy of my friend Melissa, The Bounty Hunter

Hello UnDieters!


It is time to introduce you to one of my favourite things...kale! Don't turn your nose up at me. Kale is good for you. 


Uh oh, did I just sound like my mother?


But kale IS good for you. And it is incredibly tasty too. Greens are really the mother of all vegetables. If I had to exist on only one vegetable (which isn't really a good idea but if I was forced to pick just one) I would choose kale. Incredibly high in vitamins A, K and C, kale also boasts folate, omega 3 fatty acids and iron. Not too shabby for a leaf normally relegated to lining the deli case. A true superfood, kale is chock full of antioxidants to help combative oxidative damage and calm inflammation. From flavonoids to lutein to I3C, antioxidants in kale help to support detoxification pathways in the body and combat chronic disease.


The key to kale is finding a way to cook it that you love. Some like to juice it (not for the novice juicer!) or shred it into salads; others to bake it into chips, saute it or toss it into soups. 


This week, get to know kale and eat it at least once. I hope you will like it so much that kale makes it into your weekly grocery list. There are a variety of different kales out there and the farmer's market is the perfect place to select your favourite. If the kale on your grocery store shelves looks moth eaten and tough, move on. You won't like it and you will blame the kale, not poor quality product. 


To help get you inspired, I will be featuring a post from my first guest blogger (drum roll please!!), Melissa Quantz, at www.thebountyhunter.ca . Melissa has created a delicious pasta dish for you which I will post this Sunday. 


Eat your greens,
Desiree