Wrapped Up Falafel and Pita Style

 

Last nights dinner, warm home made kale falafels on top of fresh greens and slices of tomatoes from the farm, with a bed of piping hot pita breads straight from the oven, was the perfect end to a hot day that suddenly turned when the fog set in the bay, and a breeze swept up any leaves that tittered around the front deck. Dancing feet outside our open doors were fluttered away in one strong gust, and just the squeals of an open door caught up in the wind could be heard. I set to baking early in the afternoon, and with my chin resting on my hands, staring at this bunch of fresh kale, there was a separate whirlwind of thoughts, recipes, and ideas for the luscious green vegetable. The fresh kale from a nearby farm was how falafels became something else, a whole new flavour was added, as well as intrigue, and falafels were taken up a notch.

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Bakin' Eggs All Right, Uh-huh!

I didn't think it would happen, however today as I gathered ingredients to bake Chocolate Snowball Cookies for dad's Christmas party tonight, I was actually nervous to use a substitution of wheat flour in place of my usual gluten-free flour mix. I was careful not to get any flour into the bags of sugar and in my mouth, which I imagined would be hard, however, as I mixed and brought ingredients together, I was not pleased by the look of the concoction forming in the bowl.

A sticky, gooey, stretchy, elastic...

That's not how those little cutie cookies were meant to look!

They didn't even hold their form as well as the cookies baked with coconut and sorghum flours, a surprise to me, and instead, as soon as I placed the little ball forms on the baking sheet, they melted down, oozing outward and flattening out. I had to add more flour a couple of times just to bring them back to a kind-of-desirable shape.

It's interesting to look back on this cooking "adventure" today, because as I mixed with a big wooden spoon, my arm slowly aching from the sticky dough pulling and grasping at each tug from my end, I had to add more and more flour just to get it back to the perfect moisture - it was eating away at the dough.

And yes, I do mean to personify it like it were a beast, but it shouldn't be really, it can be overcome like anything, it's not scary, just look at all the recipes I've been so lucky to try!

So each day, I take enjoyment with every meal, cooked or eaten, and love when I find something new, as if it were buried beneath the layers of an onion's skin, or inside the shell of a recently cracked egg. Perhaps even buried so deep, it remains locked up in the seed of a mango. It's an exciting and endless search, one that I hope to continue, and with a thirst for knowledge in the same manner that my hunger for irresistibly delicious and healthy food grows.

I trust the simple flavours in my food, those rich delicacies of home baking, as well as the subtle taste of raw ingredients carefully paired to complement each other.

Just like friendships, the best pairs are born from a base of truth, and only then can you really know the person. I'd like to know what really is in my vegetables as well, why can't we have that truth as well? I'd like to be aware of other products that may be in my eggs, and the past of the fish, even if its history consists of only a statement of its diet. Although even that's hard now.

However in our best effort, and in our best interest, mum and I opt for the freshest vegetables and eggs from chickens that are free-range and organically fed. At least that way we have a small indication of how the chicken lived, but I still hope that some day I'll raise my own little coop of chickens, with the benefit of farm fresh eggs each morning. A perfect start; protein; nutrients; truth; knowledge.

Baked Eggs with Tuscan Roasted Vegetables
Print recipe here.

The flavours of this oven baked dish are warm and fresh, a beautiful and colourful array of tastes and vegetables in the serving platter. No spices or herbs are needed with the fresh, organic vegetables used in this recipe, as their flavours are strong enough to be enjoyed as they are. It can be served on its own, a perfect dose of protein, or accompanying a few roasted potatoes or spiced couscous at dinner. However, enjoy this to start the morning, to keep you going at lunch time, or as a healthy and satisfying dinner.

The vegetables can also be roasted beforehand, sealed and then stored in the fridge until you're nearly ready to eat. Baking the eggs only takes a few minutes, so this can be prepared very quickly this way.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tbsp grape seed oil, or other oil suitable for frying
1/2 white onion, sliced

2 tomatoes, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced

2.5 oz (70 g) fresh baby spinach leaves, whole

4 fresh, organic eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, fry the onions until they soften, then add the peppers until they too begin to soften and the onions to brown.

Transfer to a wide baking dish, and add the sliced tomatoes and baby spinach. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes.

Crack the whole eggs over top the vegetables and return the dish to the oven. At this point you may wish to increase the heat to 400°F for a faster cooking time. At 375°F the eggs should bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 2 - 3 minutes, this will also allow the eggs to harden slightly.

Serve and enjoy!

Smooth(ie) Mornings: An Obsession With Oats

Okay, I'm obsessed with oats now.

I mean, they've got so much going for them, and they make me feel so good - I think of them as the popular super food that everyone's just got to have, got to know. I recently found that oats are okay for those with gluten-sensitivity, someone like me, and this truth about oats, has made me go crazy for them - I'm experimenting with smoothies, muffins, everything! They really help with baking, as they hold together the ingredients, making the outcome firm and moist, they also hold lots of moisture, instead of crumbly and flaky like many gluten-free baked goods.

And I just love that after having them for breakfast, whether in porridge or smoothies, I can start my day feeling nourished and full of energy. No need for caffeine!

Last year, I would make myself smoothies for the morning, blending fresh ingredients such as bananas and blueberries, yogourt and cinnamon together the night before, refrigerating it in a large container until I awoke, when I would pour some into a travel mug and leave the house in a rush - often forgetting an important project for school or even my mittens that protected my hands from the brisk wind, as well as keeping them warm as they wrapped around a cold mug, in my wake.

That was before I woke up early enough to allow myself the time to enjoy those dreaded hours, still dark before the sun rose, and just wanted to sleep as much as possible, without wasting a second on making and eating breakfast at home. However, as the days became shorter and jackets became heavier last winter, as they have begun to now, I replaced my mug full of smoothie with a hot drink to warm my hands, and left breakfast behind me, where I began learning to appreciate it at the kitchen counter before I left - keeping warm all the while.

This morning my parents and I awoke to a late start, and incidentally, a late breakfast, which then causes morning coffee time and then lunch to be pushed back farther into the day. I write this before lunch today, at three in the afternoon just as dad comes in the door with lunch in his hands - soup.

But today, I took coffee time on a healthier route, and announced it to mum and dad,

"I'm making something for you!"

I planned a detour from the unnatural high to low caused by the caffeine. Instead of grinding beans and putting them at the bottom of the pot, I heated apple juice on the stove, and as it simmered softly a comforting aroma of spices and cooked apples filled the kitchen, and then laid out delicate cups on matching saucers along the counter top.

Autumn smells filled the rooms.

Then, all the ingredients went into the blender, and maybe in excitement, I pressed the button to blend, without checking the speed or fit of the lid.

It splattered.

Across the counter, little droplets of smoothie were scattered, and oats congregated on the inside of the blender's lid, although luckily they were too large to escape from inside. It even got on me, and I had to run my arm under the cold water from the tap to relieve the burning sensation from the hot liquid. Fortunately, there was no evidence of a burn a short while later. Although evidence of my carelessness was left along the back splash, and on the jars that line the counter.

"You've left quite the mess here,"

Mum informed me as she wiped it clean.

I served the drinks, and we sat at the counter cherishing the warmth and taste, the rain heavily falling outside the house, where we were nestled in comfortably.

Apple-Oat Smoothie
Print Recipe.

Don't let cold weather and a bad nights sleep get the best of you, and don't opt for an unsatisfying cup of too-strong coffee to wake you up for only a few hours either, instead, try this perfect fall drink, which warms you right up, and will get you going with all it's vitamins and nutrients, and the energy that's packed in!

Apple and oats go perfectly with the blend of spices, and the almond add a perfect punch to your energy drive. This smooth and comforting smoothie is the perfect replacement for summer's popsicles and drinks, too cold to imagine having at this time. 

When blending the ingredients, make sure it is on the lowest setting to begin with, and hold down the lid as you press the button. For a smoother drink, grind the almonds beforehand, or try replacing them with other nuts such as pecans, or even dried fruit such as dried dates. 

Everything - before apple juice - in the blender

Serves 3

Ingredients

1 1/2 c apple juice
1 c water

1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 c unsalted almonds
1/2 c quick oats (wheat-free)
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

Directions

In a saucepan, bring the apple juice and water to a simmer.

Add spices and simmer for another 5 minutes.

In a blender, combine almonds, oats and maple syrup, and pour in apple juice mixture.

Blend on low until smooth.

Pour into mugs and serve.

Egg-specting Today

The morning was cold but awash with sun from the cloudless sky. Down in the Cove I would expect to see swarms of tourists embarking the ferry dock, expectant of markets, shopping, restaurants and many different hikes to await them on the island.

However, to their surprise, it's an even more low-key island than the guide books suggest.

Especially in the fall, when crimson and bronze coloured leaves fall from the towering maple trees, who's trunks take more than five people, arms stretched wide and finger just touching, to wrap around the base. The tourists march their way up to the nearest local, upon being greeted by the few shops at the entrance of the dock, and express their need for another attraction which is generally met with,

"Well you could walk up that hill there..."

Or,

"There happens to be a bus in an hour and half..."

And so, turned away by the thought of walking up, wander around and snap pictures of the picturesque marina, filled with boats that bob like rubber ducks in the bath tub. The prickly wind rustles the leaves of the trees above, and hats fly across the green as surprised victims turn around in wonder.

In time, they'll venture up, rested by the tranquillity and serene atmosphere of this place. No one shouts at one another. People stop their cars in the middle of the street, forcing others behind to carefully manoeuvre around, to have chats with friends and neighbours. Kids and dogs run in the grass, chasing the thrown ball, laughing and barking with excitement.

The walk up to more shops is not long, nor is it strenuous, however it is not what visitors expect to be faced with when they arrive. The core of the island should be located along the beautiful ocean front, where waves lap lazily against the shore, and where most people want to spend their time, looking out from a spot on a bench.

Fall is the season tourists also yearn for a hot drink, coffee and hot chocolate sales rise while the ice cream shops slowly shorten their hours. They ask around, in hope of a place where they can warm up after exploring the well-known and well-worn trails.

Walking into the kitchen this morning, with my hair pulled back into a pony-tail and a sweater snuggling me in, I had stepped into a typical fall day, alight in a warm glow characteristic to this season alone.

Like pumpkins and squash that dot the valley fields in preparation for harvest, warm colours were cast out around the scene from our large windows out front, and leaves rippled on the alders.

Breakfast Eggs
Print recipe. 

Full of vegetables and protein, Breakfast Eggs are a great way to the start the morning right, giving you the energy and nutrients needed for a full day.
I added some chili spice to my eggs for added flavour, which revive the taste buds after sleep, and awaken the senses as well. And since this recipe does not take too long, it can be made before any big day quickly!

I served these with hash browns (recipe soon!), and I bet they would also be yummy on gluten-free toast.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp cooking oil, such as grape seed
1 red bell pepper
1/2 white onion, diced
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

5 free-range eggs
1/4 c rice milk
1 tbsp butter, or alternative such as Earth Balance
1/4 - 1/2 tsp of chili powder (depending on how spicy you prefer it)
Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and add the onions and red pepper. Cook until softened, and slightly browned.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the rice milk, butter and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper.

Lower the stove temperature to medium-low, and pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle the cilantro.

Stirring constantly, cook until the eggs come together. This may take longer than you expect, but do not raise the temperature. The eggs will turn out better without such strong heat, resulting in a softer, smoother texture without the rubbery consistency that results from eggs being cooked over high heat.