A New Green Veggie Friend

I have fallen in love with Asparagus. I can’t remember myself as a child ever eating it, or even ever seeing it on the table. But recently, I saw a bundle at the market and decided I should try it out. After all, every vegetarian I talk to sings its praises! I can’t even say I’ve tried much experimenting with this new veggie friend of mine, but I have discovered that simply boiling asparagus is simply delicious. Tom thinks I’m nuts, he won’t eat the stuff. But I really like it, and the more I read about it the more I’m thanking my taste-buds for falling in love with it. It’s low in calories and loaded with vitamins and minerals, a good source of vitamins A, B and C, and are also a fair source of calcium and fiber. Can we say delicious?!

Little bit more info to check out. I found them interesting:

http://www.juicing-for-health.com/asparagus.html

http://www.healthmad.com/Alternative/Health-Benefits-of-Asparagus.2252

http://geniuscook.com/health-benefits-asparagus/

I’m looking forward to finding other tasty ways to enjoy Asparagus. If you have any ideas or favourite ways you like to have Asparagus, please fill me in! Your help will be much appreciated.

Sugary Simplicity!

I have a craving for cookies. I haven’t made cookies (except for the pre-packaged kind) in a quite a while. I made a weak attempt at muffins last summer but messed up somehow… But I’ve been reading a number of foodie blogs and everyone makes such lovely cakes and yummy things, and claiming how easy it is, so I’m thinking about giving it a go. I don’t think I’m quite ready for anything complex and I like to keep things simple. So on that note, yesterday I was sitting around the apartment while Tom and his friend Derek were watching cartoons (and yes he’s my boyfriend not my son… ) and I decided to make peanut butter cookies. It was the easiest thing I could think of, and quick too! So I got a cup of sugar, a cup of peanut butter and 1 large egg and 15 minutes later I had my cookies. They weren’t anything special but they were yummy.

I think my next adventure with tasty treats will be cupcakes. Everyone loves a yummy cupcake with sprinkles and I think I am ready for the challenge. If you have any suggestions, whether it be what kind of recipes to try, or tips about baking please do not hesitate to let me know! I’ll take any help I can get.

Back To The Big Smoke

Tom and I went up to Manitoulin Island this weekend to visit my friend Jenn and also to experience our first Pow-Wow. The island itself was beautiful and despite the weather not always cooperating with us, camping was pretty relaxing. The Pow-Wow was wonderful and I am definitely going back next year. Jenn wore her regalia and danced, I was very impressed with all of the dancers and singers, the addicting drum beat is still in my head!!

We are heading back to Etobicoke tomorrow and I`m excited because we are finally getting a new fridge! Our last one was pretty bad; it rained inside and our freezer couldn`t make ice cubes! Hopefully I`ll get to start cooking again when we get back… I wanna bake cookies!!

Health Issues

I had some blood work done today. In three weeks I’ll find out if I really am anaemic or not and if I have a B12 deficiency. Fun stuff. My weight is becoming a bit of a issue for me. It’s kinda pathetic really, but I don’t feel attractive anymore, fit or even healthy. I hope fixing this energy and happiness problem I’ve been having whether it be an iron deficiency or vitamin B12 deficiency or something worse (think positive thoughts) will give me a boost to become more active. Once I get back to Toronto I’m looking up a nutritionist to get me started. I’m just really hoping this isn’t a thyroid problem…

Caprese Sandwich Melt

I tried another new recipe today. I was craving grilled cheese, but decided to look for something slightly more adventurous and nutritious. I found a recipe for a Caprese Melt, and added spinach, cheddar and parsley to it. My taste buds and stomach were very pleased with the result.

Ingredients:
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2 bread (I used homemade)
About 1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh Spinach
2 firm-ripe tomato slices
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
4 slices fresh cheddar cheese
Fresh Parsley (however much you want)
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
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1. Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil.
2. Layer cheese, spinach and basil evenly, adding parsley on top if you wish.
3. Broil until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted to your satisfaction.
4. Sprinkle lightly with salt n’ pepper, combine the two halves to make a yummy sandwich or eat individually.

Bread Attempt #1

I found this really simple recipe for quick bread and I thought I’d give it a shot tonight. I altered it slightly simply because I didn’t have a couple things (sesame seeds, or whole wheat flour) but that will be for next time.
It didn’t turn out the way I think it should have, but for my first attempt at baking bread, I am satisfied. The whole process really made me feel at home and comfortable. It felt so natural to get my hands in the mixture and knead ’til my arms were sore. :P It tasted delicious, better than store-bought breads, and I have to say the fact that it was my hard work that created it, made it even more scrumptious! Plus, warm bread fresh from the oven is just lovely! I don’t think I’ll be buying many more loaves of bread… This is too much fun!

2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/4 cup water
3 cups unbleached flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
oil

Instructions:
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In a large bowl, stir the yeast and the 1/4 cup of warm water together. Add the sugar, and let sit for about 10 minutes. Then, stir in the rest of the water, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Mix, and slowly add the rest the of the flour 1 cup at a time.
Lightly flour a surface and knead the bread until smooth, elastic, and not very sticky. Add more flour if needed. Next, place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Turn and roll the dough until covered. Cover the dough with plastic wrap.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. When it is preheated, shut it off and place the dough in for 30 minutes.
After the dough has risen, punch it down and knead the air bubbles out. Shape the dough into a large loaf or two small baguettes on a lightly floured surface. Make 3 or 5 diagonal slashes across the top. Let sit for about 15 minutes in a warm spot. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the dough on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool on the rack for about 10 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon Applesauce

After arriving back in the city from our 2 weeks back home, there were things in our fridge that made me gag. I won’t gross you out with the details, but a good thing came of it - the bag of Macintosh apples I had left in the back had turned slightly squishy and I decided to put them to good use and make applesauce. Growing up on an apple orchard meant there was always plenty of reasons to make tasty apple treats like Apple Crisp, Apple Pie, Candy Apples, Apple Muffins, Apple Butter, Apple Rings and of course Applesauce! I had made it countless times with my mother and sister, but this was my first attempt without guidance. I know, I know, something this simple shouldn’t need any assistance, but I am a fool in the kitchen.

Some sort of instinct must have kicked in because it turned out quite yummy. Even Tom tested it and gave his approval: four out of five stars. It was a little runny but that can be easily fixed next time. I had a bowl and put the rest in a jar for the next time I’m craving a little taste of home.

6 Ontario Macintosh Apples, cut in eighths

1-1/2 cups water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

In large saucepan, combine apples and water. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from heat. Use blender or food processor to eliminate chunks, stir in sugar and cinnamon!

Hammy The Hamster

I mean honestly… It’s too cute. Not sure how credible, but still!

-> http://www.cooksden.com/hamster/

New Jersey (Food) Adventure

This weekend was a little bit of an adventure. I went to New Jersey with Tom and his family to visit his sister, Krista and her husband Adam, oh and their big puppy Ghost. The trip itself was quite long, about 12 hours driving. I haven’t been in a car for that long in a while and I’m smacking myself now for not stretching more when I had the chance. That long in a car really can mess with your muscles and after the training I’ve had, I really should have known better.

I’ve been to the states before, New York and Maine in my recent memory, but Pennsylvania and Florida when I was much younger. To say the least, New Jersey was much different from New York and I enjoyed my short visit to the Garden State. The beach was beautiful and I filled a bag with polished rocks and shells, and filled my shoes with sand.

The only negative thing I have to say about the area is the lack of vegetarian options at restaurants. We went out for dinner or breakfast a few times and each time I had to scan the menu several times before I found something that I could easily ask the meat to be taken out of. There was nothing without meat. Nothing. Even breakfast menus had bacon, ham or sausage included in everything. And forget ordering a salad - chicken Caesar, chicken garden, chicken greek… It goes on. And when you took the chicken out of the salad, their idea of mixed greens was just romaine! I managed though. It wasn’t that much different from some restaurants I’ve been to in Canada, but most places at the very least have one veggie option. Now I’m going to have to watch what I eat for a few days and work off the fries, cheesy breads and bland pasta I ingested.

I think it’s kinda sad to see how little these food companies are paying attention to the trends in food. I mean, the percentage of people going vegetarian and vegan are increasing quite rapidly, and those who are cutting back or cutting out certain types of meat are even more prominent. I guess people just don’t want to change their menus? I can’t really see why family restaurants wouldn’t provide a healthy alternative. I guess at the very least I did have the choice to ask for the meat to not be included in my meal, but then the food I’m left with is bland and lacking in sustinence. Would it be so hard for a cook to order some tofu for when someone does ask for an alternative instead of feeding them something I wouldn’t cook for myself? Or am I being too hard on restaurants?

Veg* Cookin’

So call me a consumer,  but I bought something else yesterday. Two somethings. To give me a little bit of a boost forward on this healthy eating kick, and trying to teach myself how to cook, I bought two cookbooks. ‘How It All Vegan!’ by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer, and ‘125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes’ by Judith Finlayson.

So far I have to say reading through some of the recipes has already made my mouth water, and I cannot wait to get back to my kitchen and experiment a bit. Vegan cooking will be a big change for me, and I’m not sure how Tom will respond to things like tofu, soy milk and almond butter. But, he usually at least tries the things I put on his plate. I’m not even sure if I’m ready for vegan cooking. I am not going vegan (I love cheese too much) but I think it will help me develop a bit of an awareness regarding healthy vegetarian eating.

And I’m pumped about experiementing with the slow cooker Tom’s dad gave us. So far it’s only been used for chilli (which was damn good fyi), but soon it will make many, many more delicious meals.