Foraging For Wild Berries

This afternoon I went for a magical walk in Watershed Park. It was warm and sunny, and everything looked so lush and green. As I was walking, I suddenly had snacks on the brain (maybe that's the real reason I have Winnie the Pooh tattooed on my back, as like him, I am pretty much always thinking about food). Anyhow, as I rounded a corner, I saw something exciting-free snacks in the woods! A giant patch of wild salmon berries, ripe and ready to be picked, was right in front of me. For those of you who haven't tried salmon berries, they have a texture similar to blackberries, but a flavor that is very light and mellow by comparison. To me, they are to blackberries as white wine is to red wine.  I must have eaten almost a whole pint while I was on my hike. As I rode my bike home, I was also delighted to see all of the blackberry bushes in bloom, and fantasized about how many of those there would be to enjoy in a few short months. This is one of the things I really enjoy about living in the Pacific Northwest- lots of delicious berries to enjoy, and some of them can even be found for free.

Tangy Quinoa Salad

There were some lovely and fragrant pineapples at the Co-op today and I found a great recipe to use one in! I was looking for some tasty quinoa salad recipes to try out, and this one really fit the bill. I used a recipe from the incredible GRuB cookbook as a base and modified it a little to incorporate some other ingredients that looked good to me. This time around I used black quinoa. I've never tried it before as it is a little more expensive than the white kind. It tastes pretty much the same as standard quinoa to me, but the color is definitely a pretty contrast with the green of the edamame and the cilantro. This salad is tangy and fresh tasting, and it makes a lot, which will be nice to have extra for lunch. I think it would be great served with a green salad and a piece of grilled salmon or baked tofu/tempeh.

Tangy Quinoa Salad

For dressing:

2 Tbsp minced shallots or onions

1/2 cup olive oil

few dashes of toasted sesame oil

2 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped

6 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 Tbsp tamari

a generous squirt of Sriracha or other hot sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

juice of 2 fresh limes

2 cups quinoa
3 3/4 cups water

The mix ins:
1 package frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups pineapple chunks
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cup roasted and salted cashew pieces

Make dressing in a very large bowl. Set aside.
Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Allow to cook for 15 minutes. Check to see if it is done. If not, continue cooking for a few more minutes. (When the quinoa is done, the water should be mostly absorbed, and the quinoa should still taste slightly underdone. Quinoa can get overcooked really easily, so keep an eye on it- you don't want it to get mushy).  Remove from heat and immediately mix into the dressing.
Mix in all other ingredients. Cover and chill. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Hats Aren't Just For Looking Stylish

Today when I was getting a haircut, the stylist commented on my sunburned scalp. I am so responsible about wearing sunscreen that I rarely get burned anywhere else, but I have to admit, that my poor scalp often gets burned when I am doing yardwork or having fun out in the sun. So my goal for this week is to remember to wear a hat (or put sunblock on my part) at times when I am going to be spending significant time in the sun. Just because a sunburn is in a place that you can't easily see it (like on top of your head), doesn't mean that you aren't increasing your risk of skin cancer every time you get burned. I would never allow my nose to get a horrible burn on it week after week, and yet I allow this very thing to happen to my scalp. Wearing a hat should be pretty easy to remember, and I usually keep sunblock in my bag for times when I am unexpectedly enjoying some time in the sun; I'll just have to remember to put it on top of my head too! I love this hat because it's light and cool (it's made of straw), and the brim also gives me some protection for my face.

Popcorn!

What we have here is a picture of my beloved airpopper, which has just popped up a lovely batch of popcorn. It's so cool to me that you can have delicious, crunchy popcorn using no oil at all in the popping process. You also don't have to worry about the weird chemicals that often accompany low-fat microwave popcorn. If you don't have an airpopper, look no further than your local Goodwill or Value Village, where you can often find a nice assortment of choices. For a healthier topping than the usual butter and salt, I like to use olive oil mixed with tamari. I drizzle that over the popcorn and then top with nutritional yeast (extra B vitamins, yay!). Air popped popcorn is a pretty healthy snack that is cheap, quick and satisfying.

Overcoming Fear

This afternoon, I went out for an utterly marvelous paddle by myself. It was the perfect weather for paddling; warm and dry, with a nice light breeze. I saw a bunch of seals, a couple of gorgeous blue herons, and tons of beautiful sailboats (especially as I was heading in- it turned out to be pretty breezy as afternoon became evening). At any rate, what enabled me to go on my terrific paddle today was driving my car. Anyone who knows me well knows how much I dislike driving, and that most of the time, I will go to great lengths to avoid driving (Ride my bike home at 1am when there is no bus? Sure, better than driving! Carry a backpack stuffed with groceries and walk 4 miles? Yes, especially if it means not driving!). But at this point, the only way I can get my board and myself to the water by myself is by driving my car. I have a roof rack that is easy to use (especially since my dynamite friend Kim taught me an easy trick for attaching it), and there is a place close to my house that I can drive to get to the water. It's pretty cool having something I love so much (paddling) be an activity that requires me to do something I really dislike (driving) because it provides the motivation I need to overcome my fear of driving a car. So this is goal #22- I will drive my car at least once a week. Hopefully, it will be to do something fun like paddling. For those of you who haven't been paddling and want to try it out but are afraid- trust me, driving the car to the water is the hardest part!

Easy Kale Salad #2

We are going to be working outside today, so I thought it would be nice to make a salad that needs a little time to sit and develop its flavors. That way, it will be perfect to eat when we are ready to eat it. This salad is similar to one I posted earlier, but without the components that make the other salad sweet (balsamic, honey, and dried fruit). Here, the flavors are tart and garlicky.

Easy Kale Salad #2
1 large bunch Italian kale, sliced into ribbons
4 carrots, grated or shredded
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of one lemon
salt
pepper
olive oil
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
handful of grated parmesan cheese

Place chopped garlic in a large bowl. Top with a pinch of salt and some fresh pepper. Add lemon juice and stir. Slowly add oil oil in a stream, whisking as you go.  You want the dressing to be light and tart, so I usually go pretty light on the oil. Taste, add more salt and pepper (and oil) if desired.  Add carrots and kale to bowl. Mix with dressing, using your hand to massage the kale a little. Stir in the walnuts and parmesan. Cover and refrigerate, letting the salad sit for at least twenty minutes before eating.

Spiced Lentils and Poached Eggs

Some friends of ours have chickens that are producing more eggs than they can eat, so they have started selling the extra. We signed up to buy a dozen every other week (more than we usually eat), so I was looking for new recipes that use eggs and I found this one. It's a spicy lentil recipe that has poached eggs on top. It's a little labor intensive (the original calls for using three pans!), but it's really tasty and super healthy. I made a few modifications based on what I had on hand, pared it down to two pans, and doubled the quantity of the lentils portion so I'd have leftovers for lunch. I served it with a salad and warmed pita- a very satisfying supper.

Spiced Lentils and Poached Eggs

adapted from Cooking Light, 
October 2012

2 cups dried lentils

6 cups water

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 chopped onion

1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (or 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or a combination of the two)

1 teaspoon muchi (spicy) curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch ground red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon white vinegar

2 large eggs per person (this dish could serve up to 6)

freshly ground black pepper

feta (optional)

chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain any excess water; discard bay leaf.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and tomato; sauté 8 minutes or until onion is tender. Add curry, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, red pepper flakes, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add mixture to the lentils; stir and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat.

3. Wipe out skillet

4. Add water to skillet, filling two-thirds full; bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly; simmer. Add vinegar to pan. Break eggs into small shallow dishes, such as custard cups. Gently pour eggs into pan; cook 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Carefully remove eggs from pan using a slotted spoon. Place about 1 cup lentil mixture on each plate; top each serving with 2 poached eggs. Garnish with cilantro, feta, and fresh pepper.