Bacon, Kale, Grape Tomato Pasta Carbonara (Inspired by my Fresh City Farms Box!)

I've raved about Fresh City Farms before, but today their produce inspired a delicious lunch.

In this week's box (which was delivered to my door!), I received some beautiful kale, cherry tomatoes and free-run eggs. 

Before I started ordering from Fresh City Farms, I wouldn't have dared to try kale, or collard greens, or Swiss chard. Now, I love them all. They are so hardy and perfect for a quick sautee side-dish. 

I love to cook kale and collard greens with bacon- the smoky, fatty flavors really lend themselves well to the texture of these greens. 

I had planned to make a side-dish when I received the kale, but this afternoon was a perfect day for an easy pasta. The grape tomatoes really rounded out the dish and I put a beautiful free-run egg on top to give my pasta some creaminess. For those who eat dairy, some heavy cream would also be a delicious addition to the dish. 

As with all dishes I post here, please comment with substitutions. I'm guessing that turkey bacon would be a delicious substitution for those who do not eat pork. Perhaps some smoked tempeh would be a substitution for those who don't eat meat? For those who do not eat eggs, some daiya vegan cheese would also be lovely with this dish.

Ingredients:

4 stalks of kale

10 grape tomatoes

1.5 lb of bacon (in slices)

1/2 bag of Riztopia brown rice fusilli

Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1) Wash and chop the kale into thin strips. I like to cut the leaves in half first so it is easier to eat.

2) Wash and slice the tomatoes into rounds.

3) Chop up the bacon into bite-size segments.

4) Cook the bacon in a non-stick wok until it is crispy. You may need to drain the fat a few times.

5) Once the bacon is crispy, add the kale to the wok and cook until it is wilted down.

6) Now, add the tomatoes and cook until they have a little char to them. You may want to add some of the drained bacon fat back in (less than 1 tbsp) to produce this effect.

7) Plate the pasta and crack an egg on top!

Lemongrass Chicken with Rice

I

I'm back!

I am finally finished the research and writing for my Master's degree and all that is left now is my exam. 

Now I will have more time to cook and update this blog more regularly.

I've also joined pinterest. Check out my boards here: http://pinterest.com/jesspang/. The board I am currently spending a lot of time on is my wedding planning board. I got engaged at the end of May and we're getting married next year! 

I made this chicken a while ago and knew that I had to post a picture on the blog.

It was absolutely delicious. If you haven't had lemongrass before, I highly recommend it. It tastes lemony, yet also woody to an extent. Some people brew teas with it and it is known to ease stomach pain. 

Lemongrass chicken is a popular dish in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. The recipe here is made without chilies and garlic (to suit my finicky gut) but the ginger, lemongrass, and sesame oil I used gave plenty of amazing flavor.

I didn't keep track of the recipe as I made the chicken, but here is a good approximation:

Ingredients:

- 1 chicken, or 2.5 pounds of chicken thighs 

(butcher it yourself to save money!)

- 5 stalks of lemongrass, white bottoms only, finely chopped 

(see this video on how to prepare lemongrass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58rSRxb_BMU)

- ginger, finely chopped 

(about 3 tbsp. once chopped)

- 1 tbsp gluten-free tamari

- 5 tbsp sesame oil

- white rice

- 1 lime and some cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1) Mix together lemongrass, ginger, tamari and sesame oil

2) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

3) Marinade the chicken in the lemongrass mixture for 30-60 mins

4) Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil and place the marinated chicken in the pan, make sure any ginger/lemongrass pieces "coat" the chicken so they form crunchy bits once cooked

5) Place the chicken into the oven and start cooking the rice!

6)  Let the chicken cook for 45-60 mins, until its juices run clear

7) Garnish with lime and cilantro and enjoy!

Chimes Ginger Chews

Ginger is great for facilitating digestion. I always make myself a cup of ginger tea of my tummy isn't feeling well and it usually has a lovely calming effect.

I've seen Chimes Ginger Chews on store shelves but they have always been quite expensive. Yesterday, I was at a local Chinese grocery, and the Ginger Chews were selling for $2.99. I purchased immediately and love the yummy ginger taste.

The key to enjoying these Ginger Chews is not to chew! Chewing only gets them stuck to your teeth and they don't last very long that way. Instead, enjoy these candies like you would a Jolly Rancher.

Chimes uses all natural ingredients and is only 16 calories a serving. Each candy comes individually packaged (so it makes it easier for ladies to throw in their purses). I will have to try the peppermint flavour next in lieu of using chewing gum.

Dill: Versatile, Tangy and Suprising

Since I received a fresh bunch of dill weed in my Fresh City Farms delivery about a month ago, this herb has been featured in a lot of my cooking.

Fresh City's website has some great recipes- but these usually have garlic in them. The recipes for dill are here:

http://www.freshcityfarms.com/recipes-more/cooking-with-dill-two-recipes/

I adapted their roasted baby potato salad and came up with a delightful hot sidedish or cold salad.

Dill and Mustard Potato Salad

Ingredients

1 lb baby potatoes (red, white, blue, purple- whatever you wish)

2-3 tbsp olive oil

5 sprigs finely chopped fresh dill weed + 3 springs unchopped

1 tbsp grainy mustard (I use Maille brand- preferred by the French)

Directions

Wash, and halve the baby potatoes.

Coat the baby potatoes in in olive oil and heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Roast the potatoes on an aluminum-lined sheet pan for 45 minutes, flipping at 20 minutes. Place 3 unchopped sprigs of dill weed on top of the potatoes to cook in the dill flavor.

Once potatoes are roasted, remove from the sheet pan and place in your serving bowl. Take care to remove the sprigs of cooked dill weed (but you don't need to get rid of every last bit- only the parts that would be difficult to eat).

Add the fresh chopped dill and mustard to your serving bowl and mix, mix, mix!

Serve immediately while warm or store in your fridge for an outdoor lunch the next day.

I made this recipe on the weekend for a potluck yesterday and have some dill leftover today. I am going to make this coconut-dill sauce (http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/dill-sauce.php) and this vegan tzatziki ( http://www.yummly.com/recipe/The-Best-Tzatziki-Recipezaar) tonight. I'll have the coconut-dill sauce over some leftover cauliflower and rice with some stir-fried seafood and bring the vegan tzatziki to lunch tomorrow with some veggies and corn chips.

Gluten-free, dairy-free bliss!

Namaste Muffin Mix: Cranberry and Cinnamon-Pear Muffins

I've been craving baked goods lately but there is no way I will pay $3 for a tasty treat if I have time to make my own at home.

I found Namaste Foods Muffin Mix at Winners the other day. Winners actually has a wide selection of gluten-free products. Although Winners is known for being where higher end products have their last-ditch chance in the retail world, their food products were nowhere near the "best before date". Also, I am aware that Winners/ Homesense has retail rights to Better Batter gluten-free flour and mixes in Canada.

The Namaste Foods Muffin Mix is free of: gluten, wheat, soy, corn, potato, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy and casein. It is also kosher and free of carageenan.

I followed the package instructions (add 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of oil, 1 cup water to mix) and incorporated some of my own flavours (as recommended on the package).

I made some 5 muffins with dried cranberries and 10 muffins with fresh rosamarie pear chunks and cinnamon with a brown sugar top. 15 muffins for $6.99 in muffin mix + about $2 in other ingredients comes to about 60 cents/ muffin. Not only do I save some cash, I also know exactly what is in my food!

The cinnamon-pear muffins were tasty and approved by my roommate and my boyfriend (neither of whom have dietary restrictions). I have yet to try the cranberry muffins- those seem more portable so they will be for breakfasts/ snacks on the way to school.

Article: "Dilemmas of a gluten-free convert"

I read this article on Salon.com a while back. I think the author really nailed it on how to deal with eating gluten-free when sharing a meal often means much more than satisfying hunger. The article gives a great perspective on how to navigate the social and cultural waters of a gluten-free lifestyle.

http://www.salon.com/2012/03/06/dilemmas_of_a_gluten_free_convert/singleton/

Gluten-free cereals

Lately gluten-free foods have received a lot of media attention. In particular, I'm referring to the TV commercials for Rice Krispies Gluten-Free with Brown Rice and Gluten-free Chex.

I was never a fan of Chex but I ran to the grocery store almost immediately after seeing the Rice Krispies Commercial. Kudos to you Kellogg's! Thank you for bringing back one of my favourite treats- Rice Krispie treats! I've made them 3 times this week- just follow the recipe on the box.

The only other cereal I've bought since going g-free is the President's Choice Organic's Crunchy Corn Cereal. The package says "wheat-free" and according to "Strawberries are Gluten Free" blog, this is a "use at your own risk item". The author at "Strawberries at Gluten Free" actually went through the run-around of calling the manufacturer to ask about facilities and potential contamination. I'm still okay eating products like this because I know I don't have celiac disease, but if you have celiac, you know what's best for you.

I'm glad that Kellogg's and General Mills are recognizing that many consumers are gluten-intolerant. I wish that restaurants were more aware (even though most are). Even though I have a lot of choices out there, they are still expensive and I feel like I'm treated with kid gloves at restaurants. It is worse when I enter a restaurant I would love to eat at (usually an ethnic one) and there is nothing on the menu I can eat! This is tough for someone who loves food as much as I do. Any other allergy sufferers out there who can commiserate with me?

Nevertheless, I'll take what I can get. And for now, that's my Rice Krispie treats!

Tuna Melt and Fresh City Farms Delivery

Ever since I discovered daiya vegan cheese, I've been looking forward to making tuna melts. They are easy to make, nutritious and filling.

A while ago, I got a tuna melt tip from one of my favourite cooking shows: The Chew. Use cooked sweet potato instead of bread! Not only are sweet potatoes naturally gluten-free, they are cheaper than gluten-free bread and more nutritious.

I roasted the sweet potato at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1.5 hours, until the insides were soft but the sweet potato was still intact. Then, I mushed up the inside of the sweet potato a bit before filling with my tuna mix and topping with "cheese".

Tuna mix: 1 can of tuna, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 large pickle, fresh ground black pepper to taste. (makes enough for 2 sweet potatoes, or 4 open-face tuna melt "sandwiches")

You can skip the pickle but I like how it adds crunch, tang and saltiness. No need for the salt shaker.

I was just as excited about my first delivery from Fresh City Farms. I had local, organic produce delivered to my door! I also got some local, free-range eggs.

A small box of fruits and veggies is about $30, half a dozen eggs were $3.25, and delivery is $3. If you prefer to pick up from several locations in the GTA, there is no delivery fee.

I'm estimating that the fruits and veggies are enough produce for me (and the occasional dinner guest) for a couple weeks, as long as I subsidize with frozen peas and a few things here and there from my local market.

Best of all, you can skip weeks of delivery and set up a "do not send" list. I put onions and garlic on my "do not send" but did not remember their close cousin the shallot. It is now on my "do not send" list after a quick email to the Fresh City people.

Before each week's delivery, you get an email with the box's expected contents. If you don't like the "surprise box" idea, you can customize your box online. For those who can enjoy bread and cheese, the online store also sells these locally produced products and some bulk grains, honey, and organic wine.

Just because I'm so excited, I'll list what I had delivered this week:

Half a dozen eggs

1 bag of carrots

Living tatsoi

Living parsley

1.5 lbs of red beets

6 shalltos

4 Valencia oranges

5 Spartan apples

4 Anjou pears

2 orange bell peppers

1 bunch of spinach

That's a pretty good deal for about $35, considering it is organic and locally grown- and I didn't have to spend time going to the grocery store to pick things out.

I also got a $15 discount for my first order! (they really know how to draw you in)

For now, I will stick to getting twice a week deliveries. I feel like this is a great service in terms of my time and health- and it gets me excited about food!

Now... if I can get fresh-baked gluten-free bread delivered to my door... THAT would be heavenly.

First "cheese"burger in 6 months

Today I had my first cheeseburger in 6 months! It was so delicious!

Yesterday night I made chicken burritos, with cheese!

My favourite new gluten-free, dairy-free food is daiya vegan cheese. And unlike many other non-dairy products, it doesn't contain carageenan!

Best of all, it is sold at Loblaws (where I usually get my groceries), for just $4.99! (not much more expensive than conventional shredded cheese).

I got their cheddar-style shreds but I'm looking forward to trying the mozzerella-style shreds on some gluten-free pizza dough!

The daiya website has a recipe search where you can customize by: "cheese" type, food allergies, and meal type. Check it out here: http://www.daiyafoods.com/recipes_new/index.aspx

This is definitely a product I'll continue to buy because it: meets my food-intolerance requirements, melts and stretches like REAL CHEESE, and is budget-friendly! I'm hoping restaurants in the GTA catch on soon!