Power to the Puffies

A great friend of mine refers to pigeons as puffies and while the entire lexicon he's developed around puffies is best left for another day, I couldn't help but think of those poor little puffies - denied the right to self-determination - while I made these really delicious puffed kamut squares. This is basically a puffed wheat square...remixed.

I need to rewind a bit and tell you that until I moved out west, I'd never tasted a puffed wheat square. Then, one fine day, at my team's bake sale, I happened upon a real beauty of a baked good: subtle sweetness, crisp without crunch, dark but welcoming flavour and absolutely disarming. I brought one home for Manski and that was the end of that. We needed to make ourselves a batch of these.

I've concluded that the wet ingredients, once combined and cooked would make an amazing drizzle for ice cream, rich plain yogurt, cheesecake, etc. My recipe need some improving. I would recommend adhering strictly to the 6c measure for cereal, as I added a little more and it caused mine to be a bit less cohesive than I had hoped. You can see in the photo that there's a bit of a lover's quarrel/crumble going on. Either way, a total flop still produces some delicious output. I'm also adding a pinch of salt to the recipe, because I think it will give the flavour a great edge.
I need to give a shout out to Veggie Prairie Girl for providing the recipe, which I mildy (maybe even wildly) modified.


Puffed Kamut Squares
1/2c butter (I used 1/4c coconut oil and 1/4 butter since I was low on butter)
1 and 1/2 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon vanilla
One pinch of coarse salt
1/3 c agave nectar (stick factor is better with corn syrup I think, but...)
1/3c brown sugar (I used organic muscovado for more "stick")
6c puffed kamut cereal (or puffed grain of choice)

1. Grease 8x8 pan (I used 9x9 and it worked out great) and
2. Dump (or gingerly place) the measured cereal into a bix mixing bowl
3. Combine first 5 ingredients in saucepan and heat until just one brink of boiling
4. Pour wet ingredients into bowl of cereal and mix together until uniformly coated
5. Turn out mix into greased pan and press down until flat, using fingertips
6. Using a spatula/rubber scraper, spank (yes, I said spank) it down until it's well compacted
7. Allow it to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Oh, and pop by Jess' blog The Process of Healing if you're interested in checking out a guest post by yours truly.

Little Globes and Mother Earth

What can you possibly give as a gift to an expecting Mom who is a genius in the kitchen, incredibly well-read, gorgeous on the inside and out, and (did I mention) a genius in the kitchen? I scratched Manski's beard for hours trying to figure it out, when I realized that I should make her my Dani Spies and Elana inspired dark chocolate dried fruit truffles!

The beauty of these little beauties is that they can take on infinite incarnations through any variety of dried fruit or nuts you have on hand. I definitely recommend using the best quality of organic (sulphite-free) fruit you can find, as well as the best cocoa your means will afford you. For this particular batch, here is roughly what I used, but keep in mind that you can use dried cherries, gojis, crystallized ginger, dried currants and even apple rings. I love to roll these in hulled hemp seeds, toasted sesame seeds or even chia seeds, but I wanted to use what I had on hand for this batch.

Without further ado, I present a recipe that, along with a great cup of tea, can challenge any bad-day demon.



Dried Fruit and Dark Chocolate Truffles

Truffles:
-1/2 c organic turkish apricots, roughly chopped
-small handful each of organic prunes, medjool dates, and dried mango
-1T (heaping) of raw almond butter (you could use any nut butter you like)
-1/4c almond milk
-2 TB cocoa powder (I used Green and Blacks)
-1T agave nectar
-1TB vanilla (I used organic Madagascar)
-1/2tsp coarse salt

For rolling:
-small bowls of each:
black sesame seeds
cocoa powder
unsweetened, shredded (dried) coconut

Method:
1. Place all truffle ingredients except for cocoa powder, agave, vanilla and salt in food processor. Process until mostly smooth. A few bigger pieces is great for texture.
2. Mix in, by hand, cocoa, agave, vanilla and salt. Add more cocoa if mixture seems too wet.
3. Wet your hands, and grab about a tablespoon worth of the mixture, rolling into a ball, and then coating each truffle with your coating of choice.
4. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

These truffles make the best gifts! I love packing them in mason jars with a big string of rafia and attaching a recipe card. They are so packed with nourishment and are outlandishly delicious!

Beauty is in the eye of the Believer

The past month has been a whirlwind of amazing. I got married, moved back to Calgary, survived training camp, made the team (!!), started school and somewhere in there, even managed to escape to for a few moons to the mountains for what seems like the first alone time with Manski in months!


All of these happenings have been underscored by the realization that at last, I am rooting down in a single geographical space. After so many years of moving back and forth, investing myself deeply for four month intervals and then moving on, I am finally "nesting" in one place. Thinking on this shift, I realize now how much I have kept these different cities and spaces fragmented in my mind, and how that has only resulted in a more fragmented me. As a result, I thought of Vancouver as the place where I had great skin, Ottawa as the place where I had great hair and Calgary as the place where I had great abs! It's no wonder that I have not been able to remain consistently committed to self care - I credited all of my beauty and health to places instead of to myself!

For the first time in my life, I am finding that - transition notwithstanding - I do have everything I need within me for vibrant health..no matter where I happen to be hanging my hat. A big part of staying healthy (for me) is in finding the beauty around me and soaking it in with deep breaths and gazing fondly on nature's splendor. Ok, so it's not as simple as beauty by osmosis, but it is as simple as spending your moments with people and in places where you can't help but feel like part of the beauty or goodness in a conversation, in a national park, in a gorgeous meal or even a brilliant book is becoming part of you. I am not finding beauty outside of me and trying to absorb it, but rather, meditating on how that beauty resonates with a part of me.


We all know that self-care involves making some conscious choices about the kinds of foods we want in our bodies, how we want to use our (caloric and other) energies and what we need in our lives to feel vibrant, especially when the going gets tough. I used to think that a healthy lifestyle meant policing my macronutrients, training as hard as I could and being a giver in every way possible. Maybe (for a very short time) I found some fulfillment in those things, but now I am just making the effort to tune in for inspiration on what to eat, how to spend my energy (in the moment and in the long term) and to
s l o w d o w n more often to listen and be still. This all feels so new to me.. like some kind of a bit of a mini-revolution, and yet I can feel that the algorhythm powering this change has been in me since before my first breath.

But the coolest thing is that there are times when we don't tune in. When I eat beyond my capacity, or feel a bit puffy, the first thing I do is say something nurturing to myself and the next thing I know, I feel instantly better. It's ok to eat treats (in fact, it's great to eat treats) and to sometimes skip exercise for some extra sleep. What's important isn't that you are constantly trying, it's that you stop constantly trying and just be you. Whether you ate oats or a sticky bun for breakfast, you are beautiful and great just as you are. Whether you can walk a mile or run a marathon, you are valuable and gifted just as you are. It's ok to feel less than stellar about your body some days, I definitely have those days too. For those occasions, try to have a kind word for yourself so that you can focus on something about you that is timeless and special. Heaven knows, being a size X is probably not part of the legacy and impact you will leave behind!

What does all of this mean? For me it means that what I need to be healthy and happy in life isn't formulaic, but something fluid, diffuse and changing. For you, it might mean slowing down (like it does for me) or maybe even speeding up! Whatever it be, trust that your body will tell you. Tuning in is hard at first, especially when we have come to trust media, science and dogmatism above our own personal knowledge, but just 2 or 3 minutes spent quietly with yourself every day can yield incredible empowerment.

I leave you with some small inspiration.. zucchini bread oatmeal, as inspired by Diet, Dessert and Dogs (click the link for the recipe). I made this for breakfast today and it was fantastic! Just cook your steel cut oats as you would regularly, but five minutes before they are done, toss in some very finely grated zucchini, spices/nuts of choice and enjoy! I can't help but think that a cameo appearance by form of cocoa or chocolate would be an excellent progression!

A Calorie by Any Other Name..

I cannot account for my absence with any sensational stories, but I do have something pretty faboo to share. A revolution just occured in my kitchen; a collision of recipes by 2 of my sidebar recipe goddesses (yeah, her and her) yielded something that trips the taste fantastic.

And so, without a word further about the zillion other things that I would normally allow to steer my focus astray, I present to you:

KCal Bars (Since they've already been called "Energy bars" elsewhere)
1 tablespoon oil (or the same amount of butter will do)
1/4 cup chopped raw walnuts
1 cup chopped raw almonds
handful (each) raisins and cranberries (unsulphered)
2/3 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 1/4 cup barley flakes (or rolled oats)
1 1/2 cup crisp brown rice cereal (or your cereal of choice)
1/2 c agave nectar (though you could try using honey, brown rice syrup, etc)
1/2 c almond butter
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla

Toast all nuts and coconut on a baking sheet for about 5-7 minutes, or until coconut is profoundly golden (I did this at 350F).

In the meantime, gather barley flakes, cereal, raisins and cranberries in a large bowl. When nuts and coconut are sufficiently toasted, dump them into the big bowl as well.

In a small saucepan, over scant medium heat, combine the agave nectar, almond butter, vanilla and sea salt, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture begins to boil (this takes under 5 minutes) pour molten heaven over big bowl of dry ingredients and stir until everything appears evenly coated.

Transfer mixture to a lightly greased pan (I just used grapeseed oil) and press in the mixture with wet fingertips. I used a small square pan, I think 8x8 for thicker bars. Allow to cool to room temperature and then cut bars into desired size.

I defer to my modest lexical empowerment to describe the amazingness of these bars, but since a visual is often helpful, please refer to my poorly taken photograph:

Should Feminists Engage with the State and Salmon.

The "F" word.

I could be referring to "feminism" or "fish" (or any other number of words beginning with this red-headed stepchild of the alphabet) but either word seems to provoke a twisted-nose "eww, that stinks" kinds of reaction out of some folks. I didn't realize the type of stigma that the feminist movement has incurred until I began exploring scholarly writing on feminism, the state and society writ-large. This course has been quite interesting and though the lectures could be a bit more engaging (though she does try hard, bless her heart!) it demands attentive discourse to areas that are often neglected by mainstream political theorists. The very notion of the state as a gendered concept has put some really crazy and interesting ideas in my head lately about how to resolve some of the socio-historical conditioning that seems to have laid a bedrock of patriarchy within the system.

There's only one solution. Fish. I believe wholeheartedly in the power of good, whole food for vibrant health. Although I do have a few staple supplements that I believe offer a whole host of benefits, there is really only one with which I could not willingly part: fish oil. Don't even get me started on the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. But even if you do want to get me started, don't. I have a paper to finish and you've never tested your tolerance for my praise of fish oil, so please, let's just stay friends! Having said this, the only thing better than those big, luminous, golden capsules full of magic is the real deal! Come to think of it, we may have stumbled up on a small fragment of the fountain of youth.

But back to feminist theories about state and society-centered approaches to change. The solution (if you'll pardon that innocent foray up there) is that we need to get everyone eating salmon. I really believe that this recipe not only brings out the glow between people, but the glow in people's skin, too! When our quality of life improves, our brains work better, when our blood-lipid profiles are at their best and when our skin, hair "and fingernails shine like justice" (to steal a line from Cake), can't we just put our differences aside and engage the salmon, which so obviously has more to offer us than the state?

I know what you're thinking: fish oils must be the reason why this girl is able to generate such sophisticated, methodological scholastic arguments. And you know what? You're absolutely right!

I'm going to share a recipe that was first made for me by my sister, Simmi. Now that she has deserted me to go be a towering resident alien in the Philipians, I have taken it upon myself to change things ever-so-slightly to challenge even the most severe cases of resistance to salmon.

Goan Fish Curry


Ingredients:
800g fish (I like salmon)
1 T olive or coconut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, roughly chopped
4 green chilies, sliced
1 cup coconut milk
4T water
cilantro, a whole lot, finely chopped.

For Paste:
8 red chilies (dried)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1T chopped ginger
1T chopped garlic
1.5 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
10 tsp water

Combine all ingredients for paste in a food processor until you achieve...liquidation?

Rub the fish with turmeric and salt.

In a large, deep pan, heat the oil and sautee the onions until brown. Add the paste and tomatoes and fry briefly until colour just begins to change.

Pour in the coconut milk and water and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium, add the fish, green chiles and salt to taste. Cook about 6 minutes, or until fishes feel firm, baby.

Garnish salmon with fresh cilantro and serve to your wonderful Mom in a candlelit context, over rice, spinach or just by its lovely lonesome.



On the most unrelated note humanly possible, I am completely obsessed with vintage NBA highlight reels at the moment (much to the chagrin of my studies) but it would be criminal of me not to share what passes for motivation round here...Michael Jordan Top 10 Playoff Plays.

Mind over Muffin, Midterm and Monkey Business

I've been doing some pretty wierd stuff lately. Like wanting to eat crunchy cookies dipped in 2% milk, listening to Tony Bennett live, throwing snowballs at brick walls, sleeping on my stomach and perhaps most shockingly - starting papers well in advance of their due date.

Most recently, I wrote a pretty hefty research paper that was a cultural analysis of Gatorade. It was an amazing experience to write this paper; I felt so intellectually aroused by the whole assignment. I've sort of adopted an "I dare you" theme for this semester. I've dared myself to write a review on a book that I normally would normally have classified as too advanced, I engaged in provocative discussions about social relations in one of my essays, I got up close and personal with the library resources and even ventured to another university's library to find what I was looking for! The result has been that the quality of my thinking and writing has really improved. I'm not an A+ student, but I'm related to some! I actually am just really hoping to crack that Academic All Canadian goal.

Nose is healing up nicely, headaches are much more sporadic and I can almost headbang in the car again! I was pretty focused in the gym last week. Though everything is toned down a bit for a realistic, sustainable re-entry in to normal life, I was just SO glad to be back. This week was a little different; I've had some laaaaate nights working on things and I've been struggling a bit with energy levels. But I got my hair cut like Cleopatra and I feel all-powerful and unstoppable again. Ok, maybe not quite, but I do feel like it did something to remedy the remarkable unsexiness that is a broken nose/concussion. So yes, I'm bring sporty back, and maybe sexy too. But in that order.

I can defintely theorize a causal relationship between my waist circumference and the duration of my concussion symptomolgy, but refer back to paragraph 1, sentence 2 for another possible contributing factor.

So, true to my blunt black bangs, I'm as of now:
1) Overcoming my insomnia
2) Reading Calvin and Hobbes more often
3) Posting a recipe for the most fantastic, healthy, delicious muffins!

I'm also currently trying to decide if I'm going to be pursuing graduate studies in Nutrition, or applying to CCNM (Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine). These muffins didn't bring me one ounce of dietary fibre closer to knowing which one, but they are pretty amazing smeared with almond butter when warm.

Special thanks to FoodieFarmGirl whose Back into Bran Muffins are bringing me back in to brain health, buffness and booyakasha.

Back into Bran Muffins (adapted from FoodieFarmGirl's recipe)
2 cups (3oz/86g) wheat bran
1 cup (5oz/141g) oat bran
1 cup (6oz/170g) whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons (12g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (6g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (4g) salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (5oz by weight/156g) milk
2/3 cup (5-1/2oz/156g) yogurt
1/3 cup (2-1/4oz/65g) canola oil
1/3 cup (3-3/4oz/108g) molasses or cane syrup
1/3 cup (3-3/4oz/108g) honey
1 teaspoon (6g) vanilla extract (optional)


Place oven rack in middle of oven and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a standard size muffin pan or line cups with paper liners (which makes cleaning up a breeze).

Combine wheat bran, oat bran, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Combine eggs, milk, yogurt, canola oil, molasses, and honey in a small bowl and mix well. (Note: you can use all honey or all molasses instead if desired.) Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined.

Generously fill muffin cups with batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool muffins in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and serve warm, or let cool on a wire rack.

My modifications:
-I went with 1/4c each honey and molasses
-I also added a ripe banana to the batter.
-I substituted olive oil for canola
-I also accidentally left out 1/3c milk and 1/3c yogurt the last time I made them, and they still turned out fantastic. Maybe just a little on the dry side, but if you aren't serving them to a total muffin snob, you should be dandy.

Fantastic post-workout or just when you need something freaky and fibrous to get your tunny dancing! And to think, society is hating on muffin tops..

If it Ain't Broke, Don't Break it!

Oh, how I've missed my blog! Believe it or not, the season is done. It's not so much the macro elements of hockey season as it is the minutia that really change. It's things like spending weekends (gasp) in town, not showering at school every day, wearing non-sporty clothes sometimes, being able to actually have a bit of a social life, and..drumroll please... GETTING BACK TO THE IRON...WAHOO!
Don't get me wrong, I love nothing more than hockey (aside from a small circle of loved ones, and sometimes green tea) but lordy, I have missed the weights.

MR and I are gearing up for a pretty rockin off-season. We are heading back to my original goal sheet and picking right back up where we left off in August with mobility, movement efficiency type goals. Might not sound so sexy, but believe me, I can put the FUN and funk back into "functional" training. I also want to get the hells away from running for a little while. I love running, but I can't deny that it is just not flowing with the plan that is going to make me "bulletproof" (Mike's word)! I am moving to 3-4 crosstraining sessions/week and possibly 1 run per week. All I know is that I feel a bit geriatric from the neck down these days and I have no doubt that it could be from 10-15hrs of pounding the pavement/week. I'd like to work in a spin class and definitely some pool running. I would love to start getting back in to the water once a week.

Now, one minor setback, if you please. I managed to seal off my CIS career in this, my first and last season, by breaking my nose with 10 mins left in our final game. Second half, game vs. Queen's at TD Waterhouse Stadium in London, Ontario. Yep, rebound off the keeper's pads (from about 1 metre away), a loud crunch and moments later, there I am lying on the turf with some warm liquid pooling in my hair, hands and face. There really was quite an obscene quantity of my extremely well-nutured hemo-mess on the field. Aw Jaya, for real?
For real. The therapist was on site immediately and managed to get a look, determining that I had definitely taken a major blow to the nose and would need some stitches to clear up a small gash between my eyes.

Please note that I have an extremely lucky bastard of a broken nose with minimal swelling/bruising! Now, if only I felt as minimally marred on the inside...

I felt quite calm and aware of everything that was going on. I seriously just didn't want to walk past a mirror, is all! I was seen fairly fast at the hospital in London and the doctor stitched up my nose lickitysplit, then handed me some T3's that he instructed me NOT to take for my splitting headache (No, thank YOU!) and asked that I remain awake and unmedicated until I got home to Ottawa, saw a doctor, had a CT scan and was cleared for skull fractures. So off I went, imploring my eyes to remain open for the 7 hrs back to Ottawa. Mom picked me up as soon as we got in and so at 1am we went to the Civic, where they assured me a 7hr wait. Nah, not so much. We then moved to the Queensway Carleton, where we were told to expect a
1-2hr wait. At 6a.m. I saw the doctor, had my scan and saw the results; I have one lucky skull! My nose was too swollen to xray, but I had definite concussion symptoms. The doctor finally gave me the go-ahead for pain relief and sleep, mandated 3-5 days bedrest (yikes) and ..tear...
2 to 3 weeks off from sports! I can live with just about anything, but this will truly test my resolve and sense of self-care. Good googly, 2 weeks? I have been suffering from quite severe headaches, nausea at times, and general exhaustion but I will be back on top of my game before you can say endoplasmic reticulum!

So far things haven't been too bad. I have nausea on and off, an axe stuck in my head (or so it seems) and actually.. the whole thing is kind of exciting. I secretly revel in the romanticism of finishing my career on such a dramatic note! I am really proud of how this season has gone. I have to forgive some of my own mistakes and accept that I may not have played as consistantly well as I had hoped, but I did gain much MUCH more from this season than just hockey. Although I won't be coming back next year, I am really looking forward to pursuing the off-season with a heightened sense of desire to synchronize wish and will, mind and body, action and reaction.

On the school front, it has been hard to accept that my congnitive faculties are not 100% at the moment, but my profs have been incredibly accomodating and I think tomorrow I will try to hit the books for a little while after my appt to get les stitches removed.

In the meantime, I realize that some of you may be losing sleep and now becoming completely consumed by my last post and what became of the leftover ganache. Well my little sweetpeas, allow me to ease your minds by sharing what I believe to be one of the best desserts for bringing together those with an affinity for healthy foods with those who value taste and decadence. Manski and I put these little ladies together for a Thanksgiving dinner we attended and they were well-liked by all! Just another example of how holidays can be healthy and delicious!

Sexy Little Fruits in Chocolate Lingerie
Ingredients:
1 quart fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds
(Feel free to add anything else you can think of! I added a few slices of apple, and even some jumbo roasted cashews)
Leftover ganache

Method:
1. Cut fruit and arrange parchment paper on platter.
2. Melt chocolate in double boiler until just warm and melty. Yes, I'm getting tired.
3. Dip fruit in chocolate and place on parchment paper, dipped side up.
4. Store in fridge and serve alongside just about anything. Toss them over ice cream, pies, creme fraiche, you name it.. or even just by their lonesome, they make a lovely apres dinner palate refresher.
(Aerial view!)

Of must-win games, memories made and melty ganache

It has been an amazing few months with so many small battles won and at last I am guided by my own sense of belief in what I can do and the kind of life I want to lead. A big part of this has been as a result of the people around me. Looking at my Mom and sisters, I see women of incredible integrity, intelligence, beauty and kindness. In my better half I find unwaivering calmness and a sense of commitment to self, work, other and life that continually makes me reach higher...and laugh harder at the difficult times in life. I revel in the youthful energy and camraderie of my teammates, all of whom posess a tapestry of qualities that make them all superb people and diligent athletes. My friends have shown me that the best path to walk is one that is laced with love, laughter and comfortable silences and that I am worthy of all 3 of those things; none of which should ever conditional or dependent upon my grades, sports or any other "stuff."

Today we played McGill and were finally able to execute! We won 2-0 and the score does not even reflect the quality of the game we played. Yes, there is much to be worked on, but we were so hungry for the win and it felt amazing to finish on such a high. I was very proud of how everyone played! Myself, I could have done a few things better:
1) Recovered a bit faster when I got beat defensively.
2) Shot the ball from INSIDE the circle (duh!)
3) Taken more shots! I don't know why I always assume that I should leave that to someone else and take the assist :/
4) Transferred the ball laterally to build the width/depth of the game

All in all, not a bad game for me. I hit the post (conk!) on a penalty corner shot and had 2 shots go in but they were both taken from outside the circle. Bahhhhh... oh well. I've done my mental training log and jotted down some stuff to work on this week and I'm ready to look ahead to next weekend when we play York, UofT and Western in Toronto.

One of my teammates (who is basically a long lost sister of mine) was celebrating a birthday today, so I whipped up these rather sassy little peppermint brownies for her and they turned out pretty darn excellent! Im the interest of keeping my post-game nutrition high quality, I opted not to have one, but I had a taste beforehand and definitely think they were enjoyed by all. :) My sister has obviously left her magic touch in the oven :) Yes, smiles squared!

Here we go!

Peppermint Chocolate Brownies with Confused Jaya Minty Ganache (Brownie recipe from Epicurious)
I believe there are brownies under all of that chocolate!

For Brownies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I accidentally used semi-sweet, so I tossed in a bunch of cocoa. Phew!)
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour (I used 1/4c AP and actually tossed in 1/4c of the 6-grain healthy stuff and no one was the wiser!)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For Minty Ganache (sorry, this was very amateur in its conception)
-Lots of table cream (about 1/2c)
-3 oz chocolate
-1/4c carob chips
-1/2 tsp each: pure vanilla and peppermint essence

Make brownies:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan. Stir butter and chocolate in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Set aside. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add chocolate mixture, flour, peppermint and vanilla extracts and salt; stir until just blended. Mix in nuts.
Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly.

Make Ganache:
-Melt chocolate and cream, toss in the carob chips just because you can and should.
-Add extract
-Glaze those brownies good!

I made WAY too much ganache and now have about 1/3c in the fridge.
Pardon my terrible photography in this whole post - the blog entry was almost an afterthought! Also thanks to Cathy for stirring the ganache with attitude and picking the best ever retro high school hockey songs while we were a-glazing.

I want to wish you all a very wonderful weekend and encourage you to think hard about the everyday people who make your life and days just that much better.

Re:Lax

Between travelling every weekend, readings, classes and the various other excitements of everyday life, the days seem to be passing at light speed! This was my first weekend home in a month and I celebrated with starry night sleeps, steak and studying (find the odd one out of those three)! I've realized that my blog is taking a turn in the more, erm, culinary direction and you know, that's ok by me :) The past few years have opened up my kitchen eyes (at a time when most girls in university are apparently working on their bedroom eyes) and I've have a wonderful time learning to unleash some creativity while meeting my body's constant need for high quality nutrition for repair and performance. I have really turned a corner in terms of my personal ideology of self-care (with regard to food habits and choices) and find myself now enjoying the abundance of hue and flavour pyrotechnics that are possible when you combine the best of what the earth has to offer.

This weekend was certainly no exception! I enjoyed some fantastic pralines/cream ice cream (with broken skor bits), hosted a crepe brunch complete with fresh chocolate ganache and creme fraiche. I really enjoyed myself and am quite positive that the supercompensation of glycogen is all going to a worthy cause :)
The magic touch in the kitchen seemed to endure throughout the weekend, peaking on Saturday night with an absolutely beautiful number - sirloin with a tamarind chile paste. I can also confirm that the way to a man's heart is still through his stomach, via his fork.

Tamarind-Chili Marinated Steak

Ingredients:
-2 medium sirloin steaks (tenderloin would be awesome too)
-6 dried red chilies
-1TB chopped ginger root
-1TB chopped garlic
-1TB tamarind paste (I only had 1/2TB left, so I subbed in 1/2tsp tamarind chutney for the rest)
-1 tsp turmeric powder
-4TB water

Method:
1. Throw everything but steaks into a food processor and blend until relatively homogenous in colour and texture.
2. Rub mixture into steaks and leave in fridge for 6-8 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 425.
4. Place steaks on a rack-fitted pan, close the oven door and make eyes at your dinner partner in hopes of passing the time.
5. Bake until desired done-ness (about 25 minutes for medium-rare..but more medium than rare).
6. Serve with total confidence that you are going to get some...help with the dishes.

As she faced the sun, she cast no shadow...

Like a dream, she moves from sweet to savoury, pouring the nectar of her happiness in to every bite of her creation. Usually overcome with some exhaustion turned delirium, her squares most often transform from wish to will just hours before the sun can catch up. But ungodly hours and the secret solitude of the night are the ingredients that only she can bring from lonesome song into symphony with sweet nectars, power yielding grains, skin-illuminating seeds and smile stimulating goodies.

Have I ever talked about squares? I believe I have mentioned them once briefly. If there is a reason you can trust a skinny chef, it is squares. Well, more speicifcally, if there is a reason you can trust MY beloved skinny (aka slender, strong and sassy sister) chef, it is because of her squares. Squares typically are the product of some late-night inspiration. My sister would stay up late, concocting and positing all kinds of political and philisophical academic arguments. Once that was done, or rather, when she was done, she would move quietly down to the kitchen, wave her magic wand and create these colourful, delicious and incredibly nutritious squares for her and I. My sister, being a very distance-happy runner (and former competitive superstar) and myself, being something of a weekday/weekend warrior - we really believe that good food happens when you take the best of what the earth has to offer and stir in some pontification (a la late night studying) and voila - you have these delightful little guys. My sister has made squares of every conceivable grain, and including everything from apples, carrots and zucchini to carob, chocolate, coconut and tahini in her cast of characters. Most remarkably, these squares never involve any refined sugars. In fact, they almost always involve a harmony of low glycemic carbs, omega3 rich fats, and tons of fibre. Designed for perfomance, tuned for taste and splashed with funk.

Well, days and nights have passed since the last square and the last Simmi moments. You see, my sister also happens to be (in addition to a professional chef) a ragingly accomplished academic, athlete and activist! So, I've lent her to the Migrant Forum in Asia to do Human Rights work in the Philipians until the end of February. It was only a matter of siderial days until I would crack and find myself leafing through her baking bible, running my fingers along the stray bits of batter and sugar that had brought the recipes to life on each page. Reading through her book made me feel for a few moments as though I was looking through her eyes and suddenly I found the courage tonight to make my first batch of squares.

Like Sim, I took a bit of inspiration from squares bygone, but decided to freestyle it and subscribe to the flow. So Sim, in retrospect, I could have included a lot more things, but I opted for the basic square: oats, toasted quinoa, bananas, honey, pepitas, Just Peanuts[tm], a few drops of NSA, apple bits, blackstrap mo', zucchini, an egg, the usual spicey suspects, belinda extract, raisins and in one corner of the pan, I tossed in a dark chocolate square for you.

I realized something so important tonight...
I am so not a baker.

But that aside, the smell coming from the oven tells me that hope is only another batch (or 10) of squares away. I'm still scared of baking soda and powder :/
The book, the squares, the grapes. EssentialSimmi!

Sisters don't let sisters be without squares.

Get cruciferous!

How do you say garbage in french? Garbaaaahhge.
How do you say cabbage in french? Cabbaaaahhge.

Well, we aint cookin no french food round here today, but we are making some really delicious cabbage! As a child, I was never a picky eater (or so says me Ma) but I would credit my Mom's magical way with vegetables for this odd phenomenology among her kids. Honestly, it's no wonder to me that getting children to eat bland vegetables is a challenge, because my experience with vegetables has only ever been flavourful and fun. I don't think I could have ever stomached cabbage if it weren't for this recipe - a childhood favourite.

And no, I'm not getting married off. This sudden increase in the Indian food department of my cooking repertoire is really just a reflection of a lonnnngtime desire to take part in the legacy of beautiful, healthy and festive meals that have defined family life for us.

Here we go..

Fragrant Cabbage with Toasted Mustard Seed (more colloquially known as "that cabbage" around here)

Ingredients:
-1/4 head of cabbage, chopped
-1.5 T olive oil (or cooking oil of choice)
-1/2 Jalapeno pepper, quartered (or substitute 1 whole dried red chili)
-1 whole dried red chili
-3/4 tsp mustard seeds
-teeeeny pinch of asophoteida AKA heeng - found at any Indian grocer (kind of like an onomatopoeia, but not at all the same)
-1T salt (or more if you please)

Method:
1. Heat oil in pan and add asophoteida and jalapeno (or red chili) pepper
2. Ensure that oil is hot and then add mustard seeds and additional red chili pepper.
3. When mustard seeds start to "tink tink" and defy gravity by leaping out of pan, throw the cabbage on top (onomatopoeia...again!)
4. Sprinkle with salt, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 mins.
5. When cabbage is slightly transluscent, tender and fragrant, remove from heat and serve.

I ate mine with the last of that awesome tandoori chicken breast and some immigrant salad. If your parents were immigrants, you know what I'm talking about.. cucumber and tomato with salt and pepper. So simple, so good.
I know, not the sassiest dinner on paper...but oh so delicious...
Quick life update: My morning HR is up a bit, my throat is sore and my nose is plugged (but monitoring situation closely). Manski presents (and defends) his thesis tomorrow (so proud of you)! Classes are going great. Tournament in Waterloo this weekend. I really need some sleep, like, 1 hr ago.
Warm thoughts to everyone!

Edit: This is also going to be my contribution to this month's "Think Spice...Think Mustard Seed" event! Check it out:
http://sunitabhuyan.blogspot.com/2007/08/my-monthly-event-think-spice-think.html

When life hands you lemons...

Make Lemon Rice!

This is one of my absolute favourite dishes. It is so versatile! It's wonderful with tandoori chicken, salmon or even sprinkled into a spinach salad! Tonight I made my first official independent kiddy batch (Mom supervised of course) and it turned out fantastically! I highly recommend using leftover rice for this dish, but I've provided the recipe for a start from scratch. If I can make this, anyone can! It is probably my favourite power/comfort food in one. I'm having this in my lunches this week with tandoori chicken breast and bharta (a spicey roasted, mashed eggplant dish). YAM!

Ingredients:
-1 c brown (basmati) rice
-1 and 3/4 c water
-1/4 tsp turmeric
-1/2 tsp salt
-1.5 T lemon juice

-2T oil (I used olive, but peanut would be awesome too)
-2 dried whole red chilies
-8 to 10 curry leaves
-1 tsp mustard seeds
-handful of raw peanuts (unshelled, skin removed)

Method:
1) Place brown rice, water, turmeric and salt in a large pot, uncovered, and bring to a boil.
2) Cover rice, reduce to low heat and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked. (Slightly al dente is favourable to slightly undente)
3) When done, allow rice to cool for 10 minutes, then add lemon juice.
4) In a separate small pot or pan, warm oil on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
5) When oil is hot (but not scalding hot!) add chilies, curry leaves, mustard seeds and peanuts.
6) Once the mustard seeds start jumping and popping, add the rice to the oil fun and toss everything around.
7) Email me and let me know how it turned out!

Mock my words!

Since my first real hit of free time yesterday, I've been taking every chance I can to get back in the kitchen and play! Yesterday I whipped up some hummus (dazzling with a drizzle of honey and a nice, strong greek olive oil), mixed veggies, mashed sweet potatoes and fish...fun fun! I am also packing up a huge quantity of food for this weekend's tournament in Toronto. For tonight's dinner and tomorrow's lunch (provided that it lasts that long..) I made a healthy Sesame Chicken recipe, eaten over toasted, steamed brown rice. This one is adapted from Chef Lisa's recipe and is so good that you'll wish you'd grabbed a fork instead of chop sticks.. all the better to eat it up with, my dear!

(I added in some shredded cabbage and carrot and garnished with sesame seeds and goji berries)

Mock Sesame Chicken (looks long, but is actually quite simple!)

Ingredents
Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ginger ground
1-4 green onions (scallions)

Marinate
2 lbs Chicken breast cut into strips
1-4 hours in fridge

Other Ingredients:
1 Large Green Bell Pepper
3 Stalks Celery
1 Head Boc Choy
1 Bunch Broccoli
1 8oz can water chestnuts (drained)

1 Tbsp fresh garlic (minced)
1 Tbsp ginger (minced)
6-8 Green Onions (scallions)

Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce (black)
1 Tbsp Tahini
1 Tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp Rice wine vinegar

Garnish:
Black and white sesame seeds
sliced green onion
(I added goji berries and also a drizz-dizzle of flaxseed oil for some more fat)

Method
1. Marinate chicken. Get a cast iron pan or wok very hot. Saute chicken a little at a time till brown on both sides. Do not over cook.
2. Chop vegetables into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Saute all vegetables until crisp and do not overcook, toss in the garlic, ginger and scallions and saute lightly, toss in chicken at the last minute just to heat.
3. Mix together ingredients for Sauce in a seperate bowl and toss everything together the sauce will get heated by the chicken and vegetables.
4. Place on plates and garnish with the sesame seeds and green onions.

YAM!

Add to this, copious quantities of water, fruit, various portable protein sources, sprouted grain crackers, almonds, walnuts and unsulphured, unsweetened dried fruit and we've got enough kilojoules of energy to produce at least a few good plays...I hope! Now, if I can just find the courage to pick up the "squares" where Simmi (my middle sister) left off. More on the squares later...


Everyone have a glorious weekend and enjoy the rest.. I sure as lactic acid need a ton, so catch a few winks for me ;)

Silicone?! Well, I never..!

There are two things that inevitably make it into my weekly lunch menu each week: Chili and mini quiches. Chili comes to me in darling little used yogurt containers from Manski on Monday mornings after we work out. He wears the chili hat and adorns his cooking in delectable spices and different beans each week! Sometimes chili involves beef, other times chicken or turkey. Did I mention that he also carries a hand lens with him everywhere?

Mini quiches came into my life through another very special friend. Lisa shared this recipe on F-Heit many many months ago, but the simplicity and versatility of these little guys makes them a whole new experience each time I make them! The title of this post refers to the neat little silicone muffin cups that house the batter as it transitions from raw to ravishing!
This is an old photo and a recipe repeat (from elsewhere) but worth sharing for its simplicity and its ability to launch you to the front of the "cool lunches" club at work. Not that I've been trying...

Crustless Mini Quiche Base Recipe (Lisa's from F-Heit)
Ingredients:
2 whole eggs (Omega or regular)
5 egg whites
3/4 c cottage cheese
Salt
Fresh Black Pepper

Vegetables/variations/spices of choice. Try seafood, sauteed spinach and onion, smoked salmon, sundried tomato with feta and sauteed broccoli, roasted peppers and caramelized shallots/onions, etc.

This particular recipe (for me, at least) yields 1/2 dozen mini quiches + 2 small ramekin quiches. I generally reserve the "muffin" quiches for lunches and share the ramekin quiches with Mom while they're fresh. Her favourite combo so far is the roasted pepper/basil/feta recipe.

Method
1. Blend together eggs, whites and cottage cheese until well combined. Add salt and pepper and stir well.
2. Fill muffin cups with vegetable mixture of your choice.
3. Top with egg mixture.
4. Place in preheated 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until just set. If using a large baking dish cook for about 20-30 minutes or until just set.
5. Let cool then pop out of pan.
Can be stored in fridge for about 4-5 days.
*Can be made in:
Muffin cups lined
Muffin cups sprayed with non stick spray
Silicone Muffin cups no spray no liners
Small ramekins
Large ramekins
Soufle Dish
Large pie plate
Glass baking dish
Individual tin dishes mini
Large tin dish
Cake pan round or square
Large non stick saute pan oven proof
Cast iron pan
Just about anything! Very versatile!

On a completely unrelated note. Well, I guess nutrition and yummy might also make you think of Cassandra Forsythe. Check out Mike Robertson's latest newsletter for an interview with Cass and her views on women and nutrition. She even discusses the most common progress stoppers and nutrition myths that keep women from achieving their aesthetic and athletic goals.

When life hands you frozen bananas...

Make a smoothie that will part the gates of the heavens! Look, mine literally did.
The frozen banana is probably the key ingredient here, as it just creams and sweetens up the whole thing. The flavours of the fruit and yogurt are incredible together and the cottage cheese obviously kicks up the protein factor, too.

Banana Blueberry Word to your Mother Smoothie

Ingredients:
-1/2 frozen banana
-1/2 c fresh blueberries
-1/2 c cottage cheese
-1/2 c plain yogurt

Method:
Dump everything in to magic bullet/blender/food processor and blend until creamy and smooth.

That was yesterday and today I added in some fresh strawberries and a hint of orange zest. So simple, so seductively, subtly sweet. So good.

I wish I could say that it's doing something to relieve the headache I've had for 2 days now, but no such luck. I just haven't been able to run! Every time I get out to run or bend down, I feel as though my brain is knocking against the walls of my skull. I've had a morning off today and intend to train upper body and do bike sprints this evening. Hoping, praying, wishing my head is better by then!
Non-denominational prayers are now being accepted :)

This is the Stuff(ing) Dreams are Made of

Spinach green and spinach fair
I have saught you in recipes everywhere
For your sass in smoothies
And improving my booty
Manski suspects we're having an affair.

I love spinach - and not just because it's iron-rich and faciliates the betterment of my blog's theme [iron/i run/iron (ferric)] - but mostly because I think that it is quite possibly the most versatile green out there. Honourable mention to matcha, mind you.

Last night, I whipped up a modified version of Lisa's Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts. I also need to mention that I find the texture of grated parmesan borders on arousing! It feels like pearl spider silk in my fingers, just gorgeous!

Here she be:

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts


Ingredients:
-4 large chicken breasts
-2lbs frozen chopped spinach, thawed
-1TB olive oil
-1 vidalia onion (chopped)
-3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
-1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
-2 egg whites
-salt and pepper

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Sautee garlic in olive oil until transluscent.
3. Just 2 minutes before onions look done, add garlic to onions and sautee briefly.
4. Squeeeeeeze all the excess water out of the spinach and toss it (along with egg whites, onion/garlic, parmesan cheese and salt/pepper in your food processor.
5. Spin your partner round and round
6. Lay down those chicken breasts on a foil-lined baking sheet and stuff them real good!
7. Spray tops of chicken with a little more olive oil and spinkle with a little more S&P.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until just done.
9. Remove from oven and let them rest for 15 minutes, despite the fact that the afterlife is reputed to be quite restful.

Serve with whatever gets your ticker in a tickle and enjoy!

Upon consuming, task your dinner companion with spraying the wasp nest AKA domain of the stinging fiend that attacked me on Sunday.

Yes, this recipe is good enough that your dinner mate will gladly take on a whole colony of wasps for a chance at the leftovers. Better that he doesn't know that I would have given them to him either way. Little did I know that adventures such as these basically thrill him. Manski, only you could make an LED head lamp look this good.
Viva la Manski!

Float like a butterfly, Stung by a Bee

Here is an awesome summer dip that I made tonight. Although it does rival my black bean hummus, it certainly bears its own brand of fantastic. A lot of people love the lemon zest as garnish, I'm kind of neither here nor there with regard to the lemon. Wonderful served with homemade pita chips or whatever gets your suzie in a tickle.

Creamy White Bean Dip (adapted from Epicurious)

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), drained
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, peeled
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Method:
Puree first 5 ingredients in processor until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer dip to small bowl. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Mix mint, dill, and lemon peel in small dish; sprinkle over dip.

I really do have a lot more to say, but allow me to just dream on it first and then somehow form it in to words tomorrow when the sting has subsided :/
Oh yeah, I got stung by a bee today! How horribly exciting and uncomfortable! I don't think that I'll be able to foam roll my lats tomorrow, since the bee stung me on my ride side but I'll do my darndest.

Sweet dreams kiddies!

Pie in the Sky with Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend.

Just a quickie, since I'm already nearing my (bordering on geriatric) bedtime...

Wednesday night I drove to 4 soccer fields in hopes of some marked space to do my sprint work. Instead I found many little children kicking each others shins and having a generally good time of it (all while missing the soccer ball). Sweet, but not useful on this particular night!

Finally I found my field. The breeze carried over the familiar scent of awkwardness, glasses and training bras, bad haircuts and fresh cut grass. Ok I cheated, those first four things don't really smell. Well, they do. Ok, fine they don't.
That's right, I ran at the soccer field of my childhood elementary schoool; Knoxdale Public School!
Although being there did nothing to enhance my perfomance, it had a particular kind of magic that enhanced my sense of well-being. I should add that this sense of well-being was rapidly attacked by the lactic acid and fatigue accumulating in my legs, but nonetheless it was a pretty rockin session.

I got schooled by this week's sprint work!

3 x (5x100m)
50m walk between 100's
100m walk between sets

According to my heart rate monitor, leisurely jogging and picking my nose seem to elicit a more mighty heart rate reading than fiercely anaerobic work. Hmm. Don't tell my heart, my achy beaky heart rate monitor that it sucks sometimes.

Went home, made forgot-the-feta salad, tandoori chicken and some wheatberry salad with dried fruit and toasted almonds. Mmmmhmmm!

This morning I rocked the casbah with a pumpkin pie smoothie:

Ingredients:
1/2c canned pumpkin (just plain, straight up pumpkin puree)
1/4c plain yogurt
1/2c cottage cheese (I used fat free)
1/2c fresh blueberries (totally optional!)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a whisper of nutmeg
a whisper (imagine you're a bourgeois princess in communist Russia type-whisper) of fresh ground clove
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
modest (note that the standard of "modest" is taking a rapid shift as the norm for low rise jeans falls lower) drizzle of maple syrup. I used a few drops of stevia and just a shiver of no sugar added maple. Try out your sweetheart of choice :)



Method:
Throw ingredients down like an estranged lover in to the magic bullet, food processor, washing machine or your blending mechanism of choice, take 3 sips of your liquid intelligence, turn off noisy companion and let the pumpkin take over...
I also think that the leaves in the garden turned greener with envy as they watched me enjoy my breakfast. Meanwhile, Mom is scratching her head, wondering why it is that I can use the force to enhance the greenery, but not to take out the right recycle bin. But back to pumpkin and flowers; that's my real recipe for excellent mornings.



Tomorrow AM will be Day 2 upper body
PM is long slow run and watching my buddy Antoine the tennis superstar rock his skills!

Everything but the Kitchinstict..uh, kitchen sink

Where, oh where did things start to go so completely wrong for me this weekend?

I would like to present a small photo essay, entitled "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade while loading the otherwise discarded seeds in to a slingshot built from proverbial determination and then shoot them back at the cosmos, proclaiming your refusal to be a chump!"


In case the essay lacks in crucial details, I'll expand a bit..

Having forgotten my training program at work on Friday (and lacking a printer at home, currently) I was reduced to copying out the entire leg day by hand (including coaching cues!) to take with me. I cannot, will not be stopped!

The second photo captures the result of the "snap" which occured just nanomoments following my internal revelling at the profound resilience of the band. Damn you irony! But I persisted...
I simply couldn't justify writing off the workout so I did my best to do the moves requiring the band by just keeping the cues in mind. I made a pretty pronounced effort to force those knees out! Maybe not ideal, but neither was the Shania Twain on the sound system :/

In the end, I had a great workout all the same. I was kind of grateful for the setbacks, they really put my desire in to perspective and reminded me of how good it feels to overcome the sneaky little bugger things that might otherwise make you feel somewhat defeated. Not a huge victory, but one that I certainly did celebrate by making the most rad looking pumpkin smoothie ever, later on!

Ok, so here was Saturday:

Le Workout:

Day 3 - Lower Body

Foam Roll, Activation work and Mobility drills...

Resistance:
3x10 (90s rest)

1) DB Step ups (+ lame attept at "mental" knee cave) - 20lbs
2) Plate loaded f.squat (+ excessively lame attempt at improvised knee cave) - 10lbs
3) Single leg RDLs (10lbs)

4) Font pillar 2x55s (0 rest)
5) Sde pillar 2x45 (60s) - tough to keep hips left hip up, but maintained form. No lower back involvement.. noice!

Stretch and peace out.

PM Sprint Workout
2 x (5x100m) 50m walk between 100's, 100m walk between sets of 5. Aimed for 80% of MHR.
Damn hard!

Cooled down with 10 laps of jog/run, then walk/jog intervals.

I was hungrier than a horse all weekend! Definitely am loading up on the fish oils to protect against the toll on the joints from all of this extra running. Still faithfully taking my glucosamine/chondroitin, but I find that the post workout CHO and Omega3's are what help me keep soreness at bay these days.

Sunday I did my LSR. 37 mins of blissfull running along the canal with Netural Good Boyfriend Barbarian (D&D reference) and finished off the weekend with a mighty meal and feeling great.

Now I'd like to end this on a nice, postive note by ranting the only thing worse than curls in the squat rack: KIDS in the squat rack. I don't know what's worse, parents who think that juice is a substitute for real fruit, or parents who teach their kids to lunge in the squat rack, thereby neglecting their child's development of existing healthy planes of movement.

Ok, end rant. I'll finish off with a picture of some food from this weekend. Yes, it was pretty much the most bombtastic post-run fiesta. Homemade refried beans (seen in picture), sauteed onions and peppers, Mom's salsa, loads of fresh cilantro, lettuces, cheeses and a whole lot of sass..

Ok fine, and a recipe. This is Simmi's recipe for Refried Black Beans and I can't say enough about how scrumptious it is!


"Refried" Black Beans

Ingredients:

-1/2 onion finely sliced (lengthwise)
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/4 tsp coriander
-1/2 tsp cayenne
-1 tsp chili powder (or adjust to desired spice level)
-1/2tsp ground cumin
-1 can (or equivalent dried) black beans
-1/2 tsp kosher salt
-Dash of black pepper
-Generous squeeze of fresh lime juice
-Fresh cilantro to garnish
(Optional: seeded hot peppers of choice. I like habaneros)

Method:
1. In a no stick pot or pan, sautee onions and garlic with spices (except salt and pepper until aromatic. You may add a touch of olive oil to prevent sticking, but it isn't really necessary. Cook on low heat
2. Once onions are soft and have taken on a reddish hue, add black beans, salt, pepper (and seeded pepper, if you wish).
3. Keep beans between low and medium heat and stir occasionally.
4. Once beans are soft (about 5 minutes later) schmoosh them up to the desired consistancy.

Serve with pretty much anything! I enjoy these beans with chicken, sauteed onions+peppers and fresh salsa.

Zing!

Caulipower

For Miss Janet, who I just learned likes to lift heavy stuff. Nice!

Cauliflower Mock Potatoes (Adapted from Chef Lisa Marie's recipe)

Ingredients:
-1 large head cauliflower, rinsed and hacked up
-water to boil
-kosher salt (big pinch)
-4 cloves garlic (roasted)
-1 large onion, thinnly sliced
-fresh ground black pepper
-1TB extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil (optional)

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 375.
2) Toss your garlic in a foil package and bake for 30 minutes, or until soft and lightly browned.
3) Caramelize onion in a saucepan using oil of choice (I like olive)
4)Bring water to a boil, toss in chopped up cauliflower and kosher salt.
Cook about 5 minutes, or until just tender. Remove from heat and drain, but reserve about 1/2 cup of the water.
6) When garlic, onion and cauliflower are ready, toss them in the food processor. If moisture is lacking, pour in a small amount of the reserved cauli-water
7) Blend until just smooth and garnish with black pepper and a TB of olive or flaxseed oil, if desired.

Although it's a little to crazy hot in Ottawa to be standing in front of the stove, this is a really fantastic side-dish served chilled or warm.