October.local.grub

artichokes, dried beans, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, swiss chard, corn, cucumbers, fennel, garlic, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, red and yellow onions, parsnips, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, winter squash, tomatoes, turnips, zucchini, apples, crab apples, cranberries, pears and quince.

I LOVE Sundays, after a late Sunday morning walk at Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver we stopped in at the West Van farmers market. My absolute favorite time at the local markets as we really are in the most abundant season. We picked up a variety of winter squash and sugar pie pumpkins as well as some decorative gourds, cabbage and brussels (since some strange tick like bug attacked ALL my brussel plants in my garden this fall), peaches and apples, brought in from the Okanagan, colorful swiss chard, peppers and beautiful heads of garlic.

carrot.cake.cupcakes.with.chai.icing

My sister, Tanya and my brother came for dinner the other night for Tanya's birthday. We feasted on crab legs with garlic butter, soy and maple marinated sablefish, herbed rice and spicy baby bok choy. For dessert Jeremy and I whipped up a batch of carrot cake cupcakes (I based the recipe off his Gramma's recipe- an absolute fav of his) and adapted it to make just 12 cupcakes with less sugar than the recipe called for as well as a number of small adjustments. The outcome was delicious! Jer prefers the regular cream cheese frosting as I really enjoyed the addition of the masala chai spice!

Yield: 12 cupcakes

• 1/2 C sugar (I use an organic)
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t ground cardamom
• 1 C finely chopped carrot
• 1 C (200 g) crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 C coconut, large flake if you can find it
• 1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 C flour

1. In a large bowl, combine everything but flour, eggs, oil, and butter.
2. Add oil and butter and stir vigorously to combine.
3. Add eggs in one at a time, combining well after each addition.
4. Add flour in 2 batches, mixing until just combined.
5. Divide evenly among cupcake liners.
6. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

Masala Chai Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

• 6 oz cream cheese, room temperature (3/4 pack of cream cheese)
• 1/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 C powdered sugar
• 3 t masala chai tea spice (ground black pepper, ground ginger, cadamom, nutmeg, clove and black cardamom)
• 1 t vanilla extract

1. Mix cream cheese and butter until creamy and light.
2. Mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time. You can add more or less to get your desired consistency.
3. Mix in chai tea spice and vanilla until fully integrated.
4. Pipe or slather onto your cupcakes.

split.pea.for.the.soul

An autumn storm came in strong on Saturday night. As the rain and wind continued on through Sunday the day presented itself as a perfect simple soup dinner inspiration. Split pea with smoked ham was on the menu. I picked up a multigrain baguette to pop into the oven from a local bakery and enjoyed the quick preparation and smells of the simmering soup as I cuddled up on the couch with my latest read watching the rain come down in sheets.

I recently reposted a link on facebook about nitrates in processed meats, please read. (http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/2007/12/processed-meats-declared-too-dangerous-for-human-consumption/)

Ingredients;

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 leek, white part only, washed and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1- 1/2 pound nitrate free ham hock (smoked)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• Pinch dried chile flakes (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups green split peas
• 10 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper

How to:

Heat the oil in a heavy stock pot at medium high heat. Add your onion, carrot, celery, leak and garlic sauteing for 5-7 minutes. Add the ham hock, thyme, bay leaves, chilli flakes and split peas and saute for another few minutes. Increase the heat and add the stock bringing to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours or until the split peas are soft.

Remove the ham hock, take the meat off the bone and set aside. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stalks. Using a hand blender or regular blender (be sure to leave the vent off the top and cover with a cloth as you are blending a HOT soup) blend some or all of the soup depending on your desired texture.

Top with ham pieces and season with salt and pepper.

enJOY!

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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.