Grazing

I thought I would post about this cookbook before we get into the throws of the Holiday spirit and the blissful overindulgences. Christmas, or any holiday, for that matter bring together family, friends, and food. Snack food during this time is just as important as the main meal. You do not want to border on too little or overwhelm with too much. Balanced choices that can maintain energy levels, blood sugar, and hunger are key. So that the company and conversation keeps them preoccupied rather than the food... the food should keep them satisfied.

Nowadays we all lead busier more complex lives and snack food... fast food is more readily available and that comes at a cost to our health, wallets and waistline. This cookbook has plenty of healthy snacks and finger foods for kids and adults. Whether you plan ahead or in dire need of something quick these recipes will help you through those busy periods  like the Holidays. Like Peanut Butter Power Bars, Breakfast Bean Cookies, Smoked Salmon Devilled Eggs, Fig and Olive Tapenade, Savoury Parmesan Biscotti and Spiced Tomato Apple Cake. Everything from savoury to sweet... crackers, granola, spreads, skewers, samosas, brownies and cupcakes. There is even a section called quickies so if you are really pressed for time you can whip something together quite easily.         

I wanted to share the Green Goddess Dip recipe as this is not a typical dip you would serve. It is different and I thought it would be a lovely accompaniment to the holidays. It is green and therefore very festive looking. 

Green Goddess Dip

-----------------------------------------------------

Makes about 2 cups

1/4 cup white wine or white balsamic vinegar

1/2 - 1 cup chopped fresh parsley (stems removes)

3 green onions, chopped 

small bunch of fresh chives, chopped 

1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (optional)

1 - 2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 freshly ground black pepper 

1 cup low fat mayonnaise

Purée the vinegar, parsley, green onions, chives, anchovy paste (if you like), garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor until smooth; blend in the mayonnaise. Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

* You can add a mashed ripe avocado to the mixture before adding the mayonnaise.  

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Verveine

Verveine was a pleasant surprise given to me. I was not quite familiar with this vibrant bottle green liqueur. At first trying to find information or rather cocktail recipes in regards to it was a bit tedious. I searched through the 3 cocktail books I have with no luck.

So we decided to mix a bit with club soda as an aperitif before dinner one evening. The drink had a slight minty taste with a hint of lemon. Although it was refreshing, I thought there must be a Verveine cocktail out there. We turned to the internet and came across this page... Verveine.com  which if you can sift through the French it has some lovely cocktails like this one...

Royal Verbana

-----------------------------------

5 cl of Verveine

5 cl white wine 

5 cl of soda ( or Champagne for a Royal Spritzer)

Fill the glass with ice cubes.

Stir with a spoon, add ice cubes and 2 slices of cucumber.

Type of glass: broad, round type pool. 

For more Verveine cocktails click *here* 

Hope everyone had a good weekend. - JD 

Kale

I usually eat kale raw mixed in with other salad greens. When we were invite to friends for dinner they served us a lovely side of sautéed kale. It was very delicious. Of course I had to ask what went behind this simple yet lovely dish. It was explained to me and it is very simple. Red/purple kale boiled... sautéed in oil and garlic... dash of balsamic vinegar... serve. Keeping that in mind the next day I decided to give it try with the green kale I had. Because this is one of those times where anything is possible and I wasn't really following a recipe making this was a bit more relaxed and up for a few changes here and there.  

First, I chopped the kale and placed into boiling water for a few minutes. When I was satisfied with the amount of time it had boiled, usually a bright green colour is a good indication, I removed it from the heat and drained it very well. 

Letting the kale rest, I placed some vegetable or in my case Camelina oil in a fry pan over medium heat to warm. Then I added 1 clove of freshly crushed garlic. Stirring, not letting the garlic burn or stick. Now you can thinly slice the garlic or chop the garlic, it is personal preference really and crushed adds a more pronounced garlic flavour. When the garlic was starting to turn slightly golden brown I added the kale.   

After adding the kale, I sautéed it for a few minutes letting everything come together.  

 

Then I added the balsamic vinegar. I do not have an exact measurement. I just added what I thought was a good amount, a dash or two. Sautéing a few minutes longer.

Essential the kale was done however I added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes and sautéed everything for a few minutes longer just to soften the tomatoes and bring out their flavour. Remove from heat and serve. 

It is that simple! 

Enjoy! - JD 

Wasabi Sauce Anyone?

When I saw this I just had to try it. This is more like a mayonnaise with wasabi flavour which is great for sandwiches and for dipping. I added a few squirts to my lentil burger which gave it the right amount of zing! A bit subtle at first however the classic wasabi heat builds over time. A little goes a long way.

Hope everyone is having a good week. Seems like mine has been another busy one. - JD

Watercress Soup

When I swung by my local grocery store and saw a bunch of watercress I could not believe my eyes. Watercress is very hard to come by in E-town and probably Canada. Watercress is packed with vitamins and minerals. I checked through the majority of my cookbooks and watercress recipes are few and far between. Why isn't there a watercress cookbook? Perhaps recipes are not as abundant for this mighty green. Until I searched on internet and found a glorious site dedicated to watercress. I instantly fell in luv. It has loads of recipes and information regarding watercress and that is where I got the inspiration to make a watercress soup. 

Pictured here is the Classic Watercress Soup recipe I made. It was very tasty! The fresh lemon juice made this soup uplifting. I urge you to visit their site by clicking *here* or visit them at watercress.co.uk   - JW 

* All pictures on this website taken by Jacqueline Williams.*  

Need Some Green?

Say hello to our current house plant... parsley! I have been chopping the parsley up into salads, adding it to my cooking, and using it as a garnish. Parsley is a good source of antioxidants, folic acid, Vitamin C and Vitamin A. It certainly has been handy having this at arms length. During the winter a little green can go a long way! - JW