While I enjoy the culinary challenges that come with a new diet, some things I miss dearly. Specifically, baking. It is not a craving for baked goods but rather I miss the actually baking itself. Few things compare to the satisfaction of pulling out a fresh loaf of bread and mingling in the sweet fragrance of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs.
Last week, I needed the oven to roast some squash and sweet potatoes. It just seemed like such a waste of energy if I don’t take advantage of having a hot oven for an hour. Naturally, I quickly whipped up a loaf cake. That was just the right thing to do.
It is hard enough to maintain healthy eating habit while traveling, let alone following restrictive diet rules. This weekend I head out to Middle Of Nowhere with an hour flight followed by six hours road trip. It isn’t so long ago when planning my travel provisions is all about portability and taste. Now, I need to consider food that I should eat more of and those I should avoid. It is a juggling act.
Complimentary hotel breakfast is awesome if I don’t mind loading up on bread, instant oatmeal, banana, sweetened yogurt, make-your-own waffle, overcooked scrambled eggs and bacon. I can potentially pick up a few avocados from the grocery store but I decide to go with something different. One good thing about staying in budget hotel is that the room is usually equipped with mini fridge and microwave. Although chia seeds are not particularly anti-inflammatory, they are certainly packed with nutrition. Chocolate Raspberry Chia Pudding is a great breakfast option.
I never really understand the appeal of creamed spinach. My very limited exposure involves dark steakhouses, sizzling slabs of juicy steak, and garlicky mushrooms. No wonder the creamed spinach doesn’t stand a chance among such stiff competition. If I want to eat spinach, I can think of so many different ways that don’t mute the mineral tang with copious amount of butter and cream. Why oh why?
But of course, not everyone’s a fan of leafy greens. I understand that. When I came across Marcus Samuelsson’s recipe for Gingery Creamed Kale & Cabbage, my curiosity was piqued. He took the creamed spinach idea and used hearty lucinato kale and green cabbage. Instead of one dimensional richness of cream, he boosted flavour with turmeric and ginger. I wanted to taste the result so badly…until I saw 2 cups of cream and 1 cup of buttermilk at the bottom of the ingredient list. I decided to give this recipe a vegan makeover.
Every summer I bemoan the lack of grilling at my home kitchen. The month of May, food media drum up the excitement of summer with special features on grilling and I can only sigh in envy. That continues until the frenzy of Thanksgiving takes our attention from grilling to roasting. Luckily, with my current emphasis on eating fish, I discover that some grilling recipes adapt beautifully to a quick broil in the oven. This was exactly what I enjoyed last night for dinner.
I love it when my Sunday supper comes together like jigsaw pieces falling into place. First, there was a basket of sweet bell peppers I picked up at the farmers market. A lone eggplant and half of a red onion begged to be used too. This led me to the Marinated Pepper and Eggplant recipe in Suzanne Goin’s Sunday Suppers At Lucques. This cookbook organizes recipes by seasonal menus and the recipe is paired with California Sea Bass Kabobs with Charmoula. Coincidentally, swordfish was on sale at my favourite fishmonger. Both fish are firm flesh and meaty so taking advantage of the sale made a lot of sense. The only caveat? The recipe was written for the grill. I would need to adapt accordingly.
I wish I have intelligent things to say about this plate of Goat Cheese & Strawberry Tartine. The timestamp on the photos told me I made the open-faced sandwiches exactly a year ago when I happened to have all the ingredients at home. That very weekend, a three-year relationship came to an end. The ingredients came from the famed Marche Jean Talon in Montreal and I drove home heartbroken. Only a year? More like a lifetime ago. Thankfully it is all behind me now and I have my hands full with other concerns.
I am also thankful that I made notes way back when. I used green olive baguette from Première Moisson, unripen goat cheese from Qui Lait Cru Fromagerie, local Quebec strawberries from Ile d'Orleans, home-grown basil, and balsamic vinegar. Looking at these photos reminds me of spring 2012.
