Bison Burritos

This is a great last-minute kind of meal.  A few spices, some protein, a few veggies and a little hot sauce.  Ground Bison is a used in place of ground beef, and I skip the packaged seasoning.

Recipe:  Bison Burritos

Chili powder
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Grated garlic
Cumin
Red chili flakes
Groud Bison
Black beans
Fat free refried beans
Grated cabbage
Diced tomatoes
Queso
Salsa
Lime
Jalapeños
Hot sauce
Cilantro
Flour and/or corn tortillas

Again, I don't really measure, but the spices look something like this:  (Heavy on the chili powder)

Heat the beans over medium heat

Brown the meat, add the spices, throw in a splash of stock and cook over medium heat 

until cooked thoroughly

Assemble - bison, beans, cabbage, tomatoes, salsa, queso, jalapeños, hot sauce, cilantro, lime...

I prefer mine without the shell...

Peanut Sauce

I had a really good Buddha Bowl the other day, with peanut sauce.  I remembered how much I liked it, but it can be really high in fat.

So, this happened in my grocery cart:

It has most of the fat removed and has 45 calories per 2 Tablespoons, compared with 210 calories in regular peanut butter.

Recipe:  Peanut Sauce

4 Tablespoons powdered peanut butter
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon soy sauce
salt

Whisk over medium heat until blended and smooth.  Goes with chicken, tofu, rice, veggies...

Asparagus, simply grilled

These are an easy addition to a barbecued meal.  Spray with a wee bit of olive oil and add some grated garlic, salt & pepper.  These can be prepared ahead of time and hang out in the fridge.  Grill on medium heat.

Serve as is, or add some freshly grated parmesan...

Morels!

'Tis the season for morels.  Simply prepared is best - a little olive oil, a little butter, sautéed with some salt and pepper.  Make sure you soak them in salty water first, and clean thoroughly.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Trying to avoid too many additives and sugars in bottled BBQ sauce, I figured I'd try making one up.  After you make the sauce, reserve 1/3 for basting and 1/3 for dipping after the meat is cooked.  Discard the marinade - don't use it for basting.  You can never be sure that it gets fully cooked after the raw meat has been sitting in it.

Recipe:  BBQ Sauce

1 small tin tomato paste
2 cloves grated garlic
2 tablespoons honey (or 1 teaspoon agave)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
a few shakes of cayenne pepper
salt & pepper

Mix thoroughly.  This recipe was enough for 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Marinate with 1/3 of the sauce for at least 30 minutes.  Barbecue on high heat, basting and turning once until cooked through.

Of course, everyone was so hungry by the time dinner was ready, I didn't get a picture of the final dish :(  But, you get the idea...

Kale/Spinach/Snap Pea Salad w/ Mango Dressing

I didn't cook much last week, but the other night was the perfect chance to pair good food with good friends.  This salad was made on the fly with the ingredients at hand:

Spinach
Kale
Sugar Snap Peas julienned
Green Onions

Mango finely diced
1/2 jalapeño finely diced
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon agave syrup
juice of 1 key lime
salt & pepper

Whisk the dressing well - it won't look like very much, but get it on the salad and toss it really well.  Each bite of salad will have a few little sweet bits of mango.  Yum.

Thai Chili Cod

I'm dying over here.  Good, fresh fish from the Pacific is A-mazing.  Fresh Black Cod - so good, I barely had to do anything to it.  But I did.  First a marinade in a little soy and red curry paste.  Then I sautéed 3 thai chilies, some lemongrass, thai ginger (grated), finely chopped garlic and a bit more of the curry paste and soy for a few minutes.  I then seared the fish skin side up, flipped it over and added a splash of white wine and a little water.  Threw it under the broiler for a few minutes and a miracle was born.  The buttery texture of this fish went so well with a simple butter lettuce salad.  I could eat this 3 meals a day.  No lie.

 Marinate for 30 - 60 minutes

 Leave chilies whole for a milder taste, or slice one side for some heat.  I would not recommend dicing these peppers - they are HOT!

The Exotics

My son is all about food.  He is drawn to anything different or unusual and has quite a varied palate.  Our trips to the fresh food market leave us trying to figure out how to transport all of our goodies home on our bicycles.  Yesterday was the day for exotic fruit.  If you see some of these in the grocery store and tend to pass them up because you are unsure - try them!  Maybe not all at once, because they tend to be a little spendy, but venture out once in a while and give them a try.

Dragonfruit is a very mild tasting fruit.  It has Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in the seeds and has a considerable amount of Vitamin C and fibre.  Dragonfruit also has calcium, phosphorus and iron.  It is part of the cactus family.  Once you cut into it, scoop out the middle with a spoon.

Starfruit, or Carambola, is another favourite.  It has tons of antioxidants, and is rich in the B-complex vitamins.  I normally cut the edges off if they are discoloured, but the entire fruit, including the skin, is edible.  It is very mild and not overly sweet.  It is very low in calories for a tropical fruit.

Goldenberries, or Gooseberries are also delicious and not too sugary.  They do tend to be expensive, coming from Colombia.  They also have polyphenols and anti-oxidants and have anti-inflammatory benefits.

These are all good raw, cold or room temperature, but also great in smoothies or other fruit dishes.

Fiddleheads!

Spring has officially sprung when Fiddleheads begin to appear in the fresh food markets.  While on the Canadian West Coast, I cannot pass on these delicacies.  Fiddleheads are the curled frond ends of the ostrich fern and have Omega-3 fatty acids and more than twice the antioxidants of blueberries.  Like other greens, they are also rich in iron and essential vitamins.  They need to be cooked well to avoid food-bourne illness, but blanching or sautéing are both good options.

Veg, yet again

Could not be simpler - when you are in a serious hurry...  I don't use it often, but the microwave will steam your veggies super quick and keep all the nutrition.  But them in a heat safe bowl with a wee bit of water and after a minute or two, they're ready to serve.  Boom.

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

When life gives you mangos...make salsa!  Recently I picked up a box of mangos that looked *nearly* ripe.  After a few smoothies and snacks, they were *nearly* overripe.  I ended up dicing them together with the usual suspects in a chunky salsa and added them to some tasty fish tacos.  Here is how it went down:

Recipe:  Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

For the salsa:

4 champagne mangos, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 english cucumber, diced
1-2 jalapeños, finely diced
1/4 red onion or 1 shallot, finely diced
1 small handful basil, sliced in ribbons
5-6 chives, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons apple cider or rice vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt & pepper

For the tacos:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 - 2 lb white fish (I used halibut, but you could you tilapia, cod or any other mild fish)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 cup stock or water
salt

corn or flour tortillas
hot peppers
shredded cabbage
black beans, drained and heated
queso

Combine all ingredients for salsa and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Place oil in pan and cook fish over medium-high heat, breaking the fish up as it cooks.  Add spices and stock or water.  Depending on the fish, this will only take a few minutes.  Simmer until liquid is absorbed.  Adjust seasoning once fish is thoroughly cooked.

Heat tortillas on a dry frying pan and assemble with the fish, salsa and other toppings.  Olé!

(Not the best photo - I was hungry!)

Croutons

In my humble opinion, everything is better when it's homemade.  These croutons are easy and when made from homemade bread, you know every ingredient in them.  My friend showed me this preferred wok method a few years ago.  Make lots because they tend to disappear from the pan before they make it to the salad...

Recipe:  Croutons

3 cups cubed stale bread
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt
cayenne pepper (optional)

Heat a wok until it's screaming hot and add the oil and the bread.  Flip the croutons frequently to prevent burning.  Reduce heat and add the salt and cayenne pepper.  Continually flip and turn until all sides are evenly toasted.

Another variation is to substitute garlic powder for the cayenne and add some fresh grated parmesan after cooking.