Fries, Juice, and Maki!

I should be out painting, as Mavric is sleeping, but instead I am going to dodge the sun and blog for a bit! Yesterday was a fail as far as food was concerned, chicken nuggets and fries oh my! (In my defense though, the fries were homemade!) 

Homemade Fries
Fresh Potatoes (scrubbed with skin on sliced thick so they don't get all mushy and stick to the pan!)
Canola Oil (enough to coat)
Aunt Jemimah Pancake Mix (Just enough to coat)
And "Pomme Fritz Gewirtz" (It this lovely combo of curry and spices that German's love to put on their fries...not sure where you find it in Canada though! Frank and I brought some back last time we went over!) 
Toss and Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are soft and browning up a bit! (I like my fries a bit crispy so I leave them in for a bit longer than some people might!)

But enough about fries!! On Wednesday night we met with a friend of ours who is getting into Juice! I think it should be a reality TV show or something called Extreme Juicing...but I am totally hooked and looking for a Juicer of my own!!! He made Frank and I a lovely juice with spinach, carrots, apples, and lemon...it was green, it was thick, and oh so delish!! I am not doing it justice by this little blurb, but seriously juicing has got to be one of the most amazing things that I have never had before! In a single glass you can pack in a lovely combo of flavours that have all your daily intake of fruit and veggies for the day! It is easy prep too, within about 5-10 minutes our friend had set up, juiced, and cleaned up a tasty liquid meal! It would have been enough on its own, but we took things a step further and made a batch of brown rice maki rolls to go with it! A twist on a summer dish, but soo yummy! And for those of you who think that maki rolls are intimidating they really aren't too scary! A little time consuming but once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take long at all to whip up a batch!

Brown Rice Maki
What you need:
Short Grain Brown Rice
Sushi Rice Vinegar (gently mix this into the rice when its finished cooking and set it in the fridge to cool completely) 
Cool Crispy veggies sliced in long thin strips (my favorites are carrot, cucumber, and avacado)
Dried Seaweed sheets (cut in half)
Soy Sauce
Wasabi (I used the powered form this time and found that the paste is a little too potent for my liking, I prefer the pre-mixed paste)
Sliced Ginger in a Jar (Its pink!)
Now to put a roll together lay a sheet of seaweed shiny side down. Put 2-3 teaspoons of cooled rice on it and flatten the rice out to the edges with the back of a wet spoon, careful to leave a 1cm wide strip of seaweed without rice on it. Lay a few veggie in a thin line down the center of the rice and then with a bamboo sushie roller (or a piece of wax paper works in a pinch!) roll your maki roll up! (to help make the seam stick well, moisten the strip of seaweed that doesn't have rice on it) Set rolls seam side down on a plate and let rest as you roll, this will make it easier when you cut them! (I usually get eight pieces out of one roll!)

Well, on that note I hope you enjoy your long weekend! If you have time, make some maki! It's a great dish to bring to a pot luck, serve it up with wasabi, soy sauce, and ginger! I am keeping my fingers crossed that I may get a juicer this weekend and then will hopefully get to delight you all with many combos of fruit and veggie juices!!! I am soooo excited! Mav is awake now! 


Guten Appetit!

Supper Struggles!

So the crazy cycle started again with supper last night! It felt like a scene out of The Jungle Book, two vultures staring at our kitchen: "What do you wanna eat?" "I dunno, what do you wanna eat?" "I dunno, what do you wanna eat?" I was sorely tempted to buy a boxed pizza from Extra or Co-op, but remained firm in my convictions and started rummaging through the freezer and cupboards.

One thing that I have been trying to do lately is focus not so much on the quantity of food that we eat (though portion control is very important), but on the QUALITY of the food that we eat.  Making simple changes to our diet like switching brown rice for white rice and finding other sources of protein other than red meats like chicken, eggs, lentils, Greek yogurt, chick peas ect. I am also becoming quite intrigued with the idea of raw food diets, vegetarianism, and even exploring vegan trends. What these ideas or trends teach us is something that we have known all along: whole foods, dishes with very few ingredients, fish, rice, fresh veggies ect are what our bodies thrive on. If you look at the few indigenous people groups in the world right now you will notice that they have low to non-existent cancer rates and heart disease, they are lean and toned, strong and healthy. Flip through your Bible too and take a peek at Daniel and his buddies and their veggie strike...again, strong, healthy, smart.

I guess that I am just ranting a little, and voicing my concern about all the things in our society that taste sooooo good (or so we think) that we have forgotten how to like the truly good food in life. Food that you can pronounce all the ingredients on the label, or food that isn't even packaged at all! Our taste buds are so deceived that what we really should be craving to have a full and healthy and satisfying life, we no longer have a taste for! I guess for me this blog is my attempt to reclaim that taste and desire for what is good and pure and wholesome in our food!

So in all my rummaging I ended up putting on a pot of brown rice and steaming some spinach to go with it. I also found a bag of frozen mango pieces which I threw in the blender with a large cup of steeped organic green tea and honey. It wasn't a huge meal, but I could pronounce all of the ingredients. I felt satisfied and energized after eating. I didn't have to deal with eater's remorse, like I do when I cave and chuck a boxed pizza in the oven! 

Mango Green Tea
Frozen Mango Pieces
Large Cup of Steeped Green Tea (Organic is Best!)
Honey to Taste
Throw it all in a blender and then chill before enjoying!

Guten Appetit!

Summer on a Plate!

This is just a short note, an introduction, so to speak! I love food!!! My influences in the kitchen come from  varied sources, including learning to cook on a wood-stove at an early age, a two year stint in Germany, a job as an assistant head cook at a little German Delicacy Cafe in Canada, and couple of Head Cook Jobs at Camps and Retreat Centers! I also love to write and while I have been mulling over the idea of starting a blog I reached an epiphany the other day as I realized why not blog about food! I have been in such a rut of Kraft Dinner, Frozen Pizza, and Canned Soup that I have been going crazy and every night is a constant battle between me and my husband as we wrestle with the never ending question of,  "What to eat?". Hopefully, this will soon come to an end! 

The first meal I would like to share with you is "simply scrumptious"! Note that there are no quantities heehee some things are meant to be sacred!  Plus, if you are brave, just cook by feel and you will have no problem replicating most of the recipes that I share!

Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella in Milk, and Basil

What you need:

Firm Roma Tomatoes

Fresh Mozzarella in Milk

Fresh Basil

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Sour Dough Baguette for dipping

I've had this now two days in row for lunch...it really makes you feel wonderful to eat such a simple healthy meal...plus its really pretty! A friend of mine commented that for someone who lived in Germany, I do Italy really well ;) I had to giggle because it was in Germany where I was first introduced to this taste sensation! Guten Appetit!