morning.metabolism.boost

As I delve deeper into the business plan of the juice bar both excitement and fear come forward.... well if I'm being honest here it's just mostly fear with a sprinkle of excitement. Every day I accomplish something big on the list of things to do 10 more pop up.

In the cleanse mode I returned home from a weekend in the Okanagan sun to juice and refill on water. One of the easiest ways to jump-start your metabolism and improve liver function is to Squeeze half of a lemon or lime into a cup of warm (or room temperature water) in the morning.

Dave's.chicken.skewers

Dave and I had a couple creative days in the kitchen this past weekend as we made multiple spot prawn recipes as well as this special creation from Dave. We were testing out the new grill Dave and Tanya got as a wedding gift from mom and dad.

Something I never would have thought of, grilled raspberries, turned out interestingly delicious!

Chicken Skewers;

Serves 4

12 wooden skewers-soaked in water for at least a half hour

4 breasts cubed chicken

raspberries, market fresh

garlic, diced

2 limes, juiced

a handful of chopped fresh dill

sea salt and pepper

Lemon Aioli;

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup good mayonaise

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

fresh chopped dill

summer.tofu.stirfry.

Fresh pea's from my garden out front inspired this tasty and quick stirfry. I also used the leaves from the pea plant in the sautee and LOVED them!

If you don't like tofu you could use chicken or just more vegetables! It is along the same lines as the noodle dish from the last post. Very simple and delicious. I put measurements in my recipes for those of you who like to follow a recipe however I never make the same dish twice.... I love garlic and chilies and often add more

I cooked up a batch of brown rice with a touch of sea salt and olive oil. Be sure to rinse your rice, and any grain for that matter before cooking so that it doesn't come out mushy.

Serves 4

2 TBSP Evoo

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cm of ginger, diced or grated

3 green onions, finely sliced

1 red chilli, seeded and chopped

1 large handful snap peas, trimmed

2 handfuls snap pea leaves

1 large handful shitake mushrooms, stems removed and chopped

7 oz firm tofu cut into 1cm cubes

1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1/2 cup water

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or sautee pan and fry the tofu over medium heat until golden. I like to throw in a dash of sea salt and fresh ground pepper as the tofu cooks. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Give the pan a quick wipe and add the additional 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions and chilli and sautee for a minute. Add the remaining vegetables and continue to stir.

Add the soy sauce, hoisin, fish sauce and water and stir to combine. Cover the pan and continue to simmer for 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add the tofu to the pan then serve over hot brown or wild rice.

spelt.soba.noodle.salad

For everyone who isn't too sure about soba noodles, the way they taste and possibly look I found an amazing soba noodle with both spelt and buckwheat. The brand is SOBAYA and the color and texture is much more appetizing than a pure buckwheat noodle. I picked up some fresh peas and carrots from the market to throw together this fabulous and easy noodle dish.

2 TBSP Evoo

2 cloves garlic, diced (or more)

1 shallot, diced

1 red thai chilli (if I cannot find these at my local grocer I will use a spoonful of sambal sauce)

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tsp brown sugar

Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a small sautee pan on medium heat. Add two cloves diced garlic and one shallot, sautee for one minute, until fragrant then add your finely sliced chilli (seeds removed if you don't like it too spicy-I love it!)

In a separate bowl combine rice wine vinegar and brown sugar. Add this to the sautee pan and stir. Let the mixture simmer and reduce.

Pour the sauce over the cooled soba noodles and toss in fresh, shelled peas and grated carrot.

july.at.the.farmers.markets.

The farmers markets seem to be a bit behind this year as the weather has emulated early spring more that mid summer;) Here is what we are seeing in Vancouver at the markets.... I am excited to head up to the Okanagan in a couple of weeks for a long weekend.... their markets are always bountiful and inspiring!

beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, fennel, garlic, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, salad greens, spinach, tomatoes, turnips and zucchinis. We have also been blessed with Okanagan cherries, raspberries and local strawberries.