Spring Asparagus Ribbon Salad

6 Comments

20140417-DSC_6196It’s asparagus season! And it’s a four-day weekend! Life is good. I am really looking forward to this Easter weekend. First, I can sleep in for four days in a row. That’s always worth celebrating! And after 2 months of no chocolate or sugar (see – elimination diet), I’ll finally be able to partake in dessert. Om nom nom.

This weekend, we will also be attending two family dinners. I have been asked to bring the vegetarian entrées to both Easter dinners, as well as a salad to my grandma’s house on Sunday. Over the past week, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what to make. I’m still trying to narrow down what I will bring entrée-wise, but I have decided on bringing this salad Sunday. I think asparagus is just oh-so pretty. I love the colours – such a vibrant green with lovely shades of purple. And it tastes pretty darn good too.

Asparagus ribbons are the perfect way to enjoy raw asparagus. The dressing is made of bright flavours that remind me of spring- lemon, fresh dill, and tangy dijon mustard. This salad is really simple, light and refreshing. A wonderful way to balance out the heavier foods commonly consumed at Easter. Feel free to change this salad up to reflect your own personal tastes with different herbs (basil, mint), cheeses (parmesan, goat cheese) and nuts (pistachios, pine nuts).

Wishing you all a lovely Easter weekend.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of asparagus, well-rinsed
  • juice of a medium lemon
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon of honey or agave
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped dill
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup of sliced almonds
  • 1/3 cup of crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Method

1. Cut the woody ends of the asparagus off and discard.

2. With a vegetale peeler, peel each asparagus spear into thin, long strips (or ribbons). Blot the asparagus ribbons with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture. Place ribbons in a large salad bowl.

3. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper and fresh dill. Pour the dressing over the asparagus ribbons and toss well to coat evenly. Note: In order to prevent overdressing the salad, I add half of the dressing to start and add more as required.

4. Crumble feta cheese overtop of the salad if using followed by the sliced almonds. Allow the salad to sit for 5 minutes for flavours to develop.

Yield: 4 servings

Source: The Fig Tree

Sweet & Sour Vegetable Stir-fry

9 Comments

20140410-DSC_6072Ever since I started my elimination diet in early February, I’ve had to make almost every single meal at home. I’m not complaining. I’m a food blogger – so, of course I love to cook. But after a long day at work, it can be a bit tiring (read: daunting) to cook a meal that’s well-balanced, filling and loaded with natural, wholesome ingredients.  This is where a recipe like Sweet and Sour Vegetable Stir-fry comes in handy! It takes about 25 minutes to throw together and is filled with protein, fibre and a healthy dose of veggies. Plus, it’s vibrant and full of flavour.

A time saving tip – make the brown rice on the weekend, so that you have it in the fridge to use throughout the work week. I pre-cook brown rice on the weekend and use it on a weekly basis for stir-frys, curries, soups, burritos and even salads.

In other news, we decided to resume our organic fruits and veggie delivery this week. Fresh Option Organic Delivery is a fantastic option for your organic fruits and veggies in the Winnipeg area. I highly recommend it. Yesterday, we received our first delivery. The allotment included the most delicious, fresh strawberries! I cannot wait to make something with them this weekend. Muffins? Shortcakes? Smoothies?

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! I’m looking forward to a relaxing weekend of reading, baking and maybe some cleaning. Hmmmm…probably not cleaning. *haha* If it decides not to snow after all, I may even go for a nice long walk outside. *fingers crossed for nice weather*

Print
Vegetarian Sweet & Sour Stir-fry

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of canola oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 red pepper; diced
  • 1 orange pepper; diced
  • 1 cup of frozen shelled edamame
  • 1 cup of baby corn, cut into bit-size pieces
  • 2 tablespoons of tamari or sodium-reduced soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon of chile-garlic sauce (or more for added heat)
  • 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon of honey or agave (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot power
  • 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
  • 1-14 oz can of pineapple tidbits with juice
  • 3/4 cup of unsalted cashews (toasted if you like)
  • 2-4 cups of brown rice, cooked
  • fresh green onion; chopped
  • black sesame seeds for garnish

Method

  1. Prepare brown rice according to package and chop all of the veggies.
  2. Heat canola oil in in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and sauté until tender and translucent (about 5 minutes).
  3. Add the diced red and yellow pepper. Sauté another 5 minutes. Add the shelled edamame and baby corn. Reduced heat to medium.
  4. While the vegetables are cooking, make the stir-fry sauce. In a small bowl, combine the tamari, unseasoned rice vinegar, fresh ginger, chile-garlic sauce, sesame oil, honey (or agave) and vegetable broth. Whisk in the cornstarch or arrowroot power until well combined.
  5. Pour the stir-fry sauce over the sautéed veggies. Stir until the sauce starts to thicken (about 2 minutes).
  6. Add the pineapple tidbits with the pineapple juice followed by the unsalted cashews. Heat through.

Serve the sweet and sour stir-fry over a bed of brown rice. Garnish with fresh chopped green onion and sesame seeds.

Note: I normally don’t add any sweetener to the stir-fry sauce, as I find the pineapple juice does the trick! But feel free to add some honey or agave if you need an extra touch of sweetness.

Source: The Fig Tree

Roasted Cauliflower & Red Onion Pasta

6 Comments

20140403-DSC_6048Today, I spent the entire day reading a book that I just could not put down. I started it this morning and finished it this evening. It was the perfect way to spend yet another chilly, snowy day. The book I read is called Reconstructing Amelia and is written by Kimberly McCreight. It is a mystery that very much reminded me of a TV show I really enjoy called The Killing. Or Broadchurch. Has anyone seen Broadchurch? Awesome TV show from the UK! Anyway, in the novel, a young high school student is found dead. It appears that she has jumped to her death from the top of her high school building. However, as you move through the book, you learn more and more about the characters surrounding the death and the circumstances that lead up to it. I could not help but push through to find out what happened in the end. I wanted to know if my guesses as to “whodunnit” were right. Addictive!

And what does any of this have to do with a roasted cauliflower and onion pasta? Well, I didn’t even want to cook dinner tonight! I just wanted to keep reading. So, I literally popped the veggies to roast in the oven, put a pot of water to boil on the stove and then stood in the kitchen with my nose in a book while dinner cooked. So, needless to say, this meal is easy enough that you can finish a novel while cooking it! *hehe* It’s also a delicious meal. Definitely a favourite in our household. I love the combination of the roasted cauliflower and red onion. The red onion caramelizes perfectly in the oven and lends so much flavour to the dish. The roasted garlic gets whisked right into the dressing that consists of lemon, olive oil, dijon mustard and honey. So flavourful. Finish off the pasta with some goat cheese feta and some toasty pine nuts. Some fresh parsley also adds some freshness. The pasta may just be as addictive as the book I powered through today. And almost as satisfying! :)

Have you read any good books lately?

Print
Roasted Cauliflower & Red Onion Pasta

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of penne (whole wheat or gluten-free)
  • 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
  • juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice)
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon of honey
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup of feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup of pine nuts
  • fresh chopped Italian parsley

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400'F.
  2. Place cauliflower florets and red onion slices in a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Pour the cauliflower/onions onto a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes (or until the cauliflower has browned nicely). Note: toss the roasted veggies halfway during cooking time to ensure even roasting.
  3. Place 4 cloves of garlic on a piece of tin foil. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap the garlic in the tin foil and place in the oven with the cauliflower and onions. Roast garlic alongside the cauliflower/red onion for 25 minutes (or until soft).
  4. Meanwhile, cook penne according to package to al dente.
  5. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, 1/4 cup of olive oil, honey, dijon, salt and pepper.
  6. Once the garlic has finished roasting, remove from the oven and allow the cloves to cool slightly. Squeeze each clove to release the carmelized garlic. Mash the cloves with a fork. Whisk garlic into the dressing.
  7. In the same large bowl used earlier, combine the cooked penne, the roasted cauliflower & onion, and the dressing. Sprinkle with pine nuts and feta. Toss to combine.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature as a pasta salad.

Source: The Fig Tree (inspired by Two Peas & Their Pod)