Farmer's Markets ~ Treats & Sweets

While many farmer's market close for the winter months, indoor markets have blossomed in the last few years.  I am fortunate to have 2 nearby Saturday markets, the Wayland Winter Indoor Farmer's Market held at Russell's Garden Canter and the Natick's Indoor Farmers Market. 

While the availability of fresh vegetables is often limited to root vegetables, they do offer a nice array of artisan foods. In particular, I enjoy delicate Auntie Elsies delicate oatmeal crisps with a fruity herbal fruity tea. 

Another wonderful find is Nussli118.com crackers and sweets. The cracker are a nice addition to warm soups. They are thin but packed with flavor. Don't kid yourself, buy two packages of the brownie bars.  

Looking for dairy-free ice-cream? Try my favorite, Scoop Sights creamy lavender ice-cream. 

If you like marshmallows, you've got to check out Sweet Lydia's creations. I especially enjoyed the spiced chai and mocha, made with Taza chocolate.

Flavors include: Salty Caramel, Lavender, Chocolate Happiness, Mint Choco Chip, and Salty Toasted Coconut.

The crackers are small but mighty with flavor.

Enough said.

Lunch ~ Grilled Veggies & Hummus

Buying prepared foods is costly on a couple of fronts compared to the alternative of preparing the food yourself. The most obvious cost is the elevated price for what you are eating. When you make it at home, the price is only a fraction of the cost. You can then redirect those dollars into something that may have a more meaningful impact in your life. The second less obvious cost, and often more detrimental cost, is the health cost. "Natural Flavors" (which are not-so-natural) and preservatives are often found in the store bought variety, as they enhance the flavor and extend its shelf-life.  There is no amount of convincing me that additives are good for our health or well-being.

If you own a food processor, hummus takes only minutes to make. Hummus is of Middle Eastern origin and primary consists of chick peas and tahini (ground sesame seeds) ~ both high in protein, Omega 3 fatty acids, iron, and vitamin B6. Hummus is delicious when used as a side dip to vegetables or chips. I also use hummus in vegetable wraps and in salad dressings.

So, the take-away today is to make it yourself for financial and physical health!

Hummus
2 c chick peas
4 tbsp tahini
2 cloves garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
few pinches of sea salt

Put all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. You can play around with the taste by adding herbs (i.e. fresh dill) or vegetables (i.e. steamed red pepper) to the hummus when in the food processor.

Lunch: Grilled broccoli, yellow and zucchini squash, oven-baked sea salted pea pods, hummus with basil garnish, raw cashews, strawberries and blueberries. 

Lunch ~ Simple Salad with Homemade Croutons & Avocados

Homemade croutons from poppy seed bread enhances any salad. The nice thing about using homemade anything is that you are in control of all the ingredients in what you make. No not-so-natural "natural flavors", no colors, no additives, and no preservatives. Keeping it wholesome. Keeping it healthy. 

If you haven't purchased a food spiralizer yet, you've got consider getting this item. Just look how much fun it makes the carrots. It's a great kitchen toy!

I can't say this enough ~ include a variety of bright colors onto your plate, with leafy greens as a base. This is true for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When you start becoming conscious of colors in your meal, you'll start to realize the difficulty of getting this balance when dining out. Many take-out and restaurant foods are sparse in the amount and variety of vegetables. Choose wisely.

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Lunch: Fresh salad with ginger dressing, beans, homemade croutons, curled carrots, avocado slices, and olives. 

Dinner ~ Baby Kale Salad & Acorn Squash

Are you ravenous when you walk in the door at the end of the day? Fantastic. Just make sure you have a pantry full of wonderful food so that you make nutritious choices. Open up the refrigerator, take the pans out of the cabinets, and start creating. For the next 30 minutes, enjoy the process, inhale the aromas, and taste as you go along. Then portion-plate the meal. 

The order by which I prepared this meal:
1- Filled 2 pots each with 3 c water.
2- Added 1 c wild rice to one pot. Cook 25 minutes. 
3- Cut into quarters and deseed acorn squash. Add to second pot. Cook 15 minutes. 
4- Husk and cut the corn. Add to second pot for last 5 minutes of cook time.
5- Slice apples and steam for 5 minutes. 
6- Slice french bread, spread homemade pesto on each, and grill for 2 minutes on stove top.
7- Prepare salad of baby kale, cherry tomatoes, summer squash, chia seeds, and fresh oil and vinegar.

Dinner: Baby kale salad with summer squash, cherry tomatoes, chia seeds with garlic oil vinaigrette, acorn squash, rice with mung beans, corn, french bread with pesto, and steamed apples.

Breakfast ~ Banana Bran Muffins

Whether for breakfast or afternoon tea, banana bran muffins are easy to make and delicious to eat. Special holidays deserve special treats.

Banana bran muffin dusted with and warm cider.

Banana Bran Muffins

2 1/2 c flour
1/4 c wheat bran
1 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c mashed bananas
1 c applesauce
1 c rice milk
1 tbsp confectionary sugar

Mix dry ingredients in bowl. Mix bananas, applesauce, and rice milk in separate bowl. Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Stir until well combined. Pour until greased 12 muffin tins. Cook 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Dust with confectionary sugar.

Breakfast: Banana bran muffins dusted with confectionary sugar. 

Dinner ~ Tempeh & Sauerkraut

When slow cooked over a low flame, tempeh and sauerkraut flavors merge in a wonderful combination.

Tempeh & Sauerkraut

1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c apple cider
1 green cabbage
1/2 c red onion
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp caraway, mustard, or rye seed
8 oz tempeh
sesame oil

In a large pot, add apple cider vinegar, apple cider, finely chopped cabbage, chopped red onion, sea salt, and caraway seeds. You can also use either mustard or rye seeds as well. Heat over a low flame or in crock pot. Lightly saute tempeh, which can been cut into heart-shapes for Valentine's Day, in sesame oil prior to slow cooking. Add tempeh to chopped cabbage and continue to cook 1-2 hours. When serving, I like to pair a crisp raw vegetable with the long-cooked cabbage. Berries and pomegranate seeds add a touch of sweetness to the meal.

Dinner: Heart-shaped tempeh, sauerkraut with caraway seeds, salted mini-cucumbers, berries and pomegranate seeds. 

Lunch ~ Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing & Rice

What do raspberries, radishes and cranberries have in common?

They help me celebrate Valentine's Day. I love the bright red color and flavor combination of tart cranberries paired with sweet raspberries. Make a fresh poppy seed dressing with mandarin orange vinaigrette for a radish arugula salad. Add a grain and vegetable then serve with a generous dollop of orange cranberry dressing. 

Lunch: Arugula salad with radishes and poppy seeds with sweet mandarin orange vinaigrette, rice pilaf and green onions, steamed corn, cranberry sauce, and raspberries. 

Dinner ~ Baby Kale Salad with Spicy Radish Micro-Greens

The beginning of a new year often brings resolution to lose weight. It is not unusual for many people to incorporate salads into their diets. I just love adding a color theme to my menu and on this particular day it was purple. Gorgeous radish micro-greens compliment the sliced radishes and baby kale. Pour a nice glass of wine and the dinner is low calorie and relaxing. 

Dinner: Baby kale salad with radishes and micro-radish greens. 

Lunch ~ Miso Soup with Tofu

After recently returning home from a trip to South Africa, I craved the most basic of meals - miso soup. While the food on safari was excellent, I felt the need to just settle my stomach with all the benefits of 3 year fermented brown rice miso soup. Adding firm tofu cut into cubes provided additional protein. Homemade flax seed bread added a nice crunch to the meal. 

Lunch: Miso soup with tofu, pea pods, kale, and celery, with flax seed bread.