Simply, Cool Cucumber with Sweet Tomatoes and Rice

Fresh Golden Mini Tomatoes from my garden

Just over a week in our new apartment and Mike and I have managed to enjoy home-made barbecued meals just about every night!  I was just happy to have him do most of the cooking while I sat back and enjoyed our lovely new deck. Two nights ago however, not feeling my best (actually feeling sick as as a dog) I couldn't bare to face the BBQ or the outdoors for that matter.

So, I took it easy and made something simple and just as delicious with fresh ingredients our my container garden and my father's garden. What I made, I share with you now:

Tomatoes from my garden and cucumbers from my Father's garden with Rice

Brown Rice, Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Makes about 8 regular servings.

Ingredients
* 1-1.5 cups of cooked brown basmati and wild rice
* 1 large cucumber, chopped into cubes
* 1 cup of golden mini tomatoes, sliced in half
* 2-3 tbsp of Asian Sesame dressing (or any dressing of your choice)
* Salt and pepper to taste (I went very easy on both)

Mix all ingredients together well, and enjoy!

What More Could a Girl Can Ask For

But a wonderful, amazing and loving boyfriend who surprises you with a nice dinner!  Full-time work plus part-time school has been keeping me super busy these days so it's always lovely to come home to a nice home cooked meal not made by me.

On the menu...

Mixed greens with strawberries and toasted sunflower seeds (and yes, he actually toasted them himself) with dressing.

Brown rice with broccoli and stuffed mushrooms (all vegan) and delicious!

A close up of the stuffed mushroom, can't quite explain what was in it, tasted good, it did have some TVP (textured vegetable protein) and bread crumbs, a bunch of stuff that even he didn't know lol ...

It was a fantastic dinner surprise, which included some nice white wine.  It was especially nice of him because he hates mushrooms, so to work with and cook them for me was a big deal.

 

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥  ♥

Good Morning Granola

 I really love breakfast! It is probably my favourite meal of the day and it's the best meal to truly carb-load, guilt free.  Last night I made granola from The Kind Diet book to try this morning for breakfast.


 I had a bowl of organic rice puffs topped off with one sliced banana and a 1/3 cup of the granola and rice milk.

This organic cereal is fantastic, its not sweet at all but it fills me up and is light and healthy, much better for you then traditional cereals.  Just add fruit or a spoonful of agave for sweetness.  I also find if I use less of this cereal then I normally would with traditional out-of-the-box cereals and just add other things like fruit and granola and I still feel satisfied and the cereal last longer (buying organic can be costly!)






Mom’s Granola
Recipe from The Kind Diet, p. 201


Makes 2 Quarts

6 cups quick-cooking oats
½ cup maple sugar (I used Demerara Sugar, it's what I had on hand)
¾ cup wheat germ
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup sesame or sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped nuts or raisins
½ cup salflower oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1.5 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F

Spread the oats on a rimmed baking pan and bake for about 10 minutes. Transfer the oats to a large mixing bowl, and add the sugar, wheat germ, coconut, seeds, and nuts or raisins. Stir to mix well, then add the oil, syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix until everything is moistened.

Spread half of the mixture on each of 2 rimmed baking sheets (or bake in 2 batches), and bake for 10 minutes. Stir after 5 minutes to brown evenly.

Let the baked granola cool on the pans, then transfer to a bowl and still until crumbly. Store in an airtight container.

A Vegan Weekend

So far my first couple of days eating vegan have been pretty good and I do feel great ... a few slips here and there, that dairy I tell ya, it just sneaks up on you - but overall it's been good and pretty easy!

This morning I made Pumpkin Bread (p. 202) from Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet.  I made a few adjustments and actually made half of what the recipe called for and I still had enough for two loaves.
I think I used WAY too much pumpkin puree though, it came out a lot moisture then expected but it was still delicious and not too sweet which I liked.  I substituted the maple sugar and syrup for agave nectar and used rice milk instead of nut milk.

You can see how the bottom is a little soggier then the rest, probably from the pumpkin puree or water/flax seed combo.  Lesson here: Measure everything carefully!

This afternoon I also made a fantastic rice dish from her book (p.151).  It's a perfect quick dish to make if you have a busy week.  I made a big batch of it which should last me a few days for my weekday lunches.

Hot Rice with Cold Lemon, Basil, and Tomato

This recipe is slightly altered but the original recipe if from The Kind Diet, p. 151

1 cup I used brown rice

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 pinches of sea salt

2 pinches or more of fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup or more of grape tomatoes cut in half

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Cook Rice as directed (I used a rice cooker).  Once cooked transfer the rice to a mixing bowl.

Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Mix everything well, add the tomatoes and sprinkle with basil.

Toss to combine, and serve.

For dinner, I had one serving of this rice dish with a cup of cooked red beans with hummus (for the protein protein of my meal).  It was quick, simple, clean, vegan and more importantly satisfyingly delicious! :)

Freshii Inspired Meal Time Plan

This week I had been enjoying salads from Freshii, a great little food shop which I now LOVE! It is definitely on my top 10 list of best healthy places to eat in Toronto (in my opinion).

However, because I will be traveling to Mozambique for Habitat for Humanity this summer, I have had to buckle down and start sticking to a serious budget, so going to Freshii 3-4 times a week, not going to cut it anymore!

Then I thought of a brilliant idea - at least I think so - I am going to bring Freshii to me! How you ask?

To first understand what I mean you have to visit their site, it's awesome, check out the menu section: http://www.freshii.com/ (can I have my money now please!)

THE IDEA

Stock up items listed on their menu (or at least the ones you like most) store them in the fridge, cupboard or freezer to have them ready to go when you want to make a quick and easy, yummy meal for lunch or dinner!

THE USUAL SUSPECTS

The Base of your meal

(bulk of your meal, at least 1/2 to 1 cup per person)

- Brown or Wild Rice (I mix them)
- Spring salad mix
- Spinach
- Soup broth
- Cooked Quinoa
- Whole wheat or Gluten-free wraps (your preference)

Vegetables

(fresh or frozen, about 1 cup total)

 

- Bean sprouts
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Celery
- Chick peas
- Corn
- Cucumbers
- Edamame
- Green onion
- Mushrooms
- Peppers
- Red onion
- Salad Mix (if using non-salad base)
- Spinach (if using non-salad base)
- Tomato
- Zucchini

Fruit

(fresh or frozen, about 1/3 cup)

- Blueberries
- Cranberries
- Green apple
- Green grapes
- Mandarin orange
- Mango
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Sweet apple

Dried Fruit (1 tbsp total)

- Apricot
- Cranberries
- Dates
- Mango
- Prunes
- Raisins
- Sun dried tomato

Seeds and Nuts

(aka your healthy fat, 1 tbsp total)

- Almonds
- Avocado
- Crispy Wontons
- Hemp seeds
- Dry roasted Peanuts
- Pecans
- Pumpkin seeds
- Soy nuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Walnuts

Protein & Dairy (depending, 1/4 - 1/2 or more if it's meat)

- Egg whites, scrambled
- Hard boiled eggs, sliced
- Roasted turkey breast
- Roasted Chicken breast
- Tofu, cubbed or crumbled
- Low-fat Turkey lunch meat
- Low-fat Chicken lunch meat
- White Tuna
- Turkey or chicken bacon

Dress it Up!
(any dressing you like, these are mine)

- Light: Balsamic Vinaigrette, Cucumber Dill
- Creamy: French dressing
- Sweet: Honey Mustard, Raspberry Vinaigrette
- Salty: Japanese Ginger. Soy Sauce


THE STEPS

Prepping

After I bought everything I spent about 1-2 hours, chopping, slicing and dicing, putting everything in Tupperware containers.  This step takes the longest but is the most important in making your weekly meal times quick and easy.

Storing

I personally like to eat fresh but I also have more time then most people to do the prep work when necessary.  Frozen or dried fruit and veggie options are a great alternative or addition to your meal because I think they will last longer and save you money in the long run.  I like to store everything in plastic or glass, reusable containers and jars - preferably clear ones so that I can quickly see what it is (I'm a visual learner).  You can also label your jars and containers for easy reference.

Let's Eat! Lunch and Dinner Ideas

Putting together this Salads are super easy:

1. Choose the base you want to start with and add it to a large bowl.
2. Add the toppings you want from the other categories.
3. Add the dressing of choice.
4. Toss all together and there you have it - your one-person or family size meal depending on who you're feeding.  If making a family-size meal, start with a larger base and add more toppings.

Here are a few example meals I ate this week:

1. Lettuce (base), tomato, cucumber, mushrooms, green apple, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, fat-free turkey deli meat; dressed up with  balsamic vinaigrette dressing (served cold).

2. Brown + Wild Rice (base), spinach, carrots, broccoli, tomato, yellow peppers, strawberries, walnuts, fat-free turkey deli meat; dressed up with balsamic vinaigrette dressing (served warm).

3. Rice noodle (base), Vegetable broth, spinach, carrots, broccoli, green onion, mushrooms, zucchini, almonds, tofu; added soy sauce for flavour (served hot).

Other Ideas

* If you like hot meals - turn any of the salad combos into a yummy stirfry

* If you want more carbs - add healthy rye bread or crackers to your salad.

* Top off any of your dishes with fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice or chopped fresh herbs of your choice.

If you have any dish ideas you'd like to see on my blog or suggestions you'd like to make, please email me: sarahlyn44@hotmail.com

Cheers!