Salad – Page 3 – Goboroot.com

Thoughts About Eating

By now, you know I like food. In fact, I enjoy the act of eating as much as the food itself. It takes a wee bit of courage to share my feelings here but lately, I have found it difficult to maintain equilibrium in the act of “eating.” Do I eat to sustain myself or do I eat to please my mind as well as savouring the taste of delicious food? I recently realized that I was in the latter situation. I was drowning in a big bowl of food.

However, I had an opportunity to participate in a Reiki class last weekend where I learned a great deal about myself. When I was told by a Buddhist Reiki master practitioner that “Anything is normal” and “Everything is okay in this world,” I thought whew, what a relief: after all, it is okay to be myself. It is okay to be just me. In this fast-paced society, it is hard to gasp a breath in order to try to catch up with the rest of the crowd. When I started to become overwhelmed by this rhythm is when I started losing balance in the act of eating. The same could be said in photography too. I remember reading Brian Ferry’s post “Honesty” in which he talks about how photographers are trying to be similar in terms of styles in the hopes of succeeding as others did. I totally agreed with what he stated. It is not necessary to make our work look like someone else’s because we have our own voices. This is what I learned at the meditation class. I have so much energy within me and I can redirect this energy for healing my tired soul. I have everything I need in me. I have all the tools I need within “Me.”

This class not only taught me that we have energy within us to heal illness or pain by redirecting the energy where needed with intention but also made me realize the importance of mindfulness in every aspect of our life. Such as: eating mindfully. What a coincidence to learn something I was having trouble with. The eating experience starts from when I harvest food, and then continues as I prepare, cook and serve it. Observe the food, smell the aroma, feel the texture, hear the subtle sound and taste umami. And most of all, appreciate every bite of it. Rest your chopsticks, forks or knives while discerning the flavour of food. Chew it and be mindful of what you are eating. Good nutritious food makes these actions very enjoyable.

With this in mind, I started to practice slow eating, which led to satisfaction with just the right amount my body needed. Indeed, the old adage that less is more was proven in this moment. No more thinking about something else or flipping on the iPad while eating in order to obtain inspiration for the day. There is something more to this act of “eating.” This is what we do everyday whatever you do and wherever you are as long as the human being exists. So far the experience has resulted in building a good relationship between food and myself. This is how I’ve come to find peace and happiness in my food life. The class was an eye-opening experience. We all know about mindfulness but how easy it is to forget if we are not aware of it.

We do eat everyday but the question is how do you eat each meal in your day?

Have a great mindful Thanksgiving to everyone in Canada!!!

Halibut with Genovese Pesto

Serves 2

2 pieces halibut

Salt and Pepper

6 tablespoons or more Genovese pesto (recipe follows)

Lightly sprinkle the halibut with salt and pepper and lay on an oiled baking sheet.

Broil at 400F until flakey, for about 7 minutes or so depending on the thickness of the fish. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and test with a knife. The centre may still look slightly pink but that’s okay.

Smear the pesto on top of the fish and broil until top nicely browned and the centre of the fish is no longer pink but moist, for about 5 minutes. Don’t overcook. Take the fish out of the oven, cover with a piece of aluminum foil and let stand for a few minutes.

Serve immediately.

Genovese Pesto

Thank you to the Heather Hills Farm Society for taking me on a tour and showed me around their beautiful hazelnuts trees and vibrant coloured heathers. It was fun picking the nuts off the branches too. I ate the fresh nuts in a salad on the same day, and they had a texture reminiscent of water chestnuts; however, I used the roasted nuts that I purchased from them in this recipe.

Makes 1 x 350ml jar

2 cups fresh Genovese basil leaves

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated (I mix Padano and Romano half and half)

2/3 cup hazelnuts

5 garlic cloves, peeled

7 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Roast the hazelnuts lightly on a baking sheet in the 350F oven until a nice aroma emerges, for about 5 to 7 minutes.

Place the basil, cheese, hazelnuts and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes coarse paste. In the meantime, add oil in a steady stream. Pulse a few more times until emulsified and stop when your favourite consistency is achieved (I like keeping some hazelnuts in large chunks). Adjust with salt and pepper.

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to a week. Or you can freeze any leftovers right away.

Adapted from Linda Collister’s Sensational Sauces.

Red Cabbage Carrot Salad

Serves 2

2 large carrots, peeled and julienned

½ small red cabbage, thinly sliced

½ red bell pepper, sliced thinly

A few leaves of Thai basil, cut in strips with scissors

Juice of 1 lemon

A pinch of cane sugar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon Tamari soy sauce

Salt and black pepper

Mix all the vegetables in a large bowl.

Make the dressing by combining the lemon juice, sugar, oil and soy sauce in a small jar. With a lid on, shake well until emulsified. Adjust with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the vegetables with the dressing. Toss and let stand for about 10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Celebrating the Last Week of Summer

I can’t think of any other way to celebrate the last week of summer than by making these salad dishes to enjoy every bite of the intense sun ripened ingredients. Today’s post is meant to help compile ideas for what you can do with these amazing summer fruits and vegetables to create simple dishes to enhance your garden party table or even a small kitchen table for two.

Heirloom Tomato & Bocconcini Salad

Serves 4

6 large heirloom tomatoes, quartered

1 clove garlic

4 bocconcini cheeses, sliced into ¼ inch pieces

A bunch of basil

Good quality extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the tomatoes and garlic clove into a large bowl. Using a pestle, smash the garlic clove and then roughly crush the tomatoes in order to let the garlic permeate.

Discard the garlic or save for another use. Transfer the tomatoes and their juices to a large platter. Scatter the cheese and basil leaves, drizzle with the generous amount of oil and adjust with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately with a piece of crusty bread.

Cantaloupe, Prosciutto & Bocconcini Salad

Serves 5 to 6

1 large cantaloupe

20 pieces prosciutto

4 bocconcini cheeses, sliced into ¼ inch pieces

A few leaves of Italian parsley, chopped

Good quality extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Prepare the cantaloupe. My favourite way to cut a cantaloupe is to remove both ends first and place it on a cutting board sliced side down. Then I peel the skin using a fruit knife, slicing downward from the top (the other cut side) all around the fruit till finished. Next, quarter and discard the seeds trying to save as much juice as possible. Slice the quartered wedges into ½ inch slices.

Place the cantaloupe and its juice, prosciutto and bocconcini on a large platter. Scatter with the parsley, drizzle with the generous amount of oil and adjust with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately.

French Pole Bean Salad

The secret to making fabulous French pole bean salad is to only use the very youngest, tenderest beans!

Serves 4

2 ears of corn, cooked and kernels stripped

2 lb young French pole beans, ends trimmed off

6 slices bacon, fried and sliced into ½ inch pieces

½ red onion, chopped finely

½ cup olives, sliced

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the beans in a pot of boiling salted water until soft but firm for about 3 to 5 minutes. Don’t over cook them. Using a colander, discard the hot water, and then plunge the beans in a bowl of cold running water to stop further discolouring. When cool, drain well and pat dry.

Place the onion, olives, vinegars and oil in a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Adjust with salt and pepper.

Toss the beans, corns and bacon in the vinegar mixture and marinate for about 10 minutes.

Transfer to a large platter and serve immediately.

Summer Weekends Meal Ideas

Sunny days are back and so is my watering routine. My plants are growing at an overwhelmingly fast pace, and it is hard to capture everything unfolding in the garden, kitchen and on the table. Literally, we have too many vegetables to cook up, consume (never mind digesting) and store.

Stalks of broad beans were drooping with their swelling weight (need to be harvested), carrots became the perfect size to be eaten as a finger food (need to be eaten), Swiss chard plants are wilting under the persistent sunbeams (need water)… then I got stung by a wasp as I was dead-heading marigolds (needed nothing but to keep moving to overcome the prickly sensation). When I tried to rest in the fragrant area of dahlia and sweet peas, my eyes became fixed on the weeds among the onions. Before I knew it, I was crouching down to pluck them and continue working … this is indeed a gardener’s life. Therefore, we try to take time to slow down a bit on weekends by enjoying hearty meals. Here’s what we’ve been enjoying…

Breakfast with Fried Eggs, Chorizo and Glazed Carrots

In this recipe, young thin carrots work best. If you are skipping chorizo, add salt to balance the flavour of the carrots.

Serves 2

2 tablespoons olive oil

A bunch of carrots, cut in half lengthwise if thick

½ cup water

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons grain mustard

4 eggs, cooked to your preference

1 medium sized spicy chorizo, sliced

Freshly ground pepper

Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat with the olive oil. Sautee the carrots until lightly browned. Add the water, honey, and mustard and turn the heat down. Stir well to cover the carrots evenly and cook until carrots are softened and the liquid bubbles.

Rinse the pan quickly with hot water and heat over medium high heat. Fry the chorizo, then add eggs and cook until eggs are done. Adjust with the pepper and serve immediately with the carrots.

More recipes for carrots here.

Broad Bean and Fresh Lime Juice Quinoa Salad

There is no need to be precise in this recipe. Simply add any amount of vegetables and cheese you like, and adjust the flavour with the lime juice to your taste. This is one of the easiest and quickest meals in my kitchen, full of nutritious goodness.

Serves 3-4

½ cup red quinoa

½ cup white quinoa

2 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

Broad beans, shell removed

Carrot, thinly sliced

Red onion, chopped finely

Feta cheese, cut into ½ inch pieces

A handful of raw cashews

Fennel leaves

Salt and pepper

¼ cup or more extra virgin olive oil

Fresh juice of 2 limes

Salt and pepper

Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer to remove the saponin, and drain well. Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. If you are using water instead of the stock, add some salt to the boiling water. Add the quinoa. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for about 12 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes. Remove the lid and let cool.

In a small pan, boil water and cook the broad beans for about 3 minutes. Discard the cooking water, dunk the beans in cold water and remove the thin skin from each bean.

In a large bowl, combine the oil, lime juice, broad beans, carrot, onion and cheese. Stir in the quinoa and adjust with salt and pepper.

Serve on a platter or in individual bowls, and scatter with the cashews and fennel leaves. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.

More recipes for quinoa here.

Limoncello and Lime Drink

Ice cubes

A little bit of Limoncello

A slice of lime

A dash of fresh lime juice

Carbonated water

Combine all the ingredients in a chilled glass. Sit back, tootsies up and enjoy the moment.

Shiso Udon Noodle Salad

Serves 3-4

Broad beans, shell removed

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 each of yellow and small green zucchini, thinly sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup purslane, washed, pat dried and cut into small pieces

A few shiso leaves, cut into thin strips with cooking scissors

2 bundles dry udon noodles, one bundle size of a dollar

2 tablespoons soba sauce (recipe here)

2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil or flax oil

Place water in a large pot and bring to a boil. In the meantime, in a small pan, boil water and cook the broad beans for about 3 minutes. Discard the cooking water, dunk the beans in cold water and remove the thin skin from each bean.

Cook the udon noodles according to the instructions on the packaging. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables.

Using a colander, drain the noodles well. Rinse with cold water and drain completely. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with the broad beans, scallions, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, purslane, soba sauce and the oil. Transfer the noodles to a large platter and sprinkle with shiso leaves over top. Serve immediately.

Cherry and Chocolate Almond Tart

Makes one 13 1/2” x 4” rectangular tart pan

Tart dough

60g butter, room temperature

60g sugar

½ egg, lightly beaten

110g white flour

20g cocoa powder

Extra butter and flour for the pan

Almond chocolate cream

100g butter

70g sugar

1½ eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

100g ground almond

100g dark chocolate, cut into small pieces

250g cherries, pitted and halved

A handful of sliced almonds

Caster sugar for dusting

Butter the pan and dust with some flour, then remove excess flour. Keep it refrigerated.

Make the tart dough. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder then set aside. Place the butter in a food processor and pulse until creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the sugar and continue to pulse until fluffy. Add the egg and pulse to blend. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, and pulse until the mixture just starts to come together into a ball. Gently press the ball into a disk, wrap with a piece of plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Flour the working surface and roll the dough with a rolling pin to a size large enough to cover the pan. It could be as thin as 1/8 to 1/16 and that is okay. If it is difficult to manage, roll the dough in between two sheets of parchment paper. Transfer the dough by rolling it around the pin and unrolling onto the pan. Gently fit the dough into the bottom and up the sides with your fingers. Run the pin across the top of the pan to remove the excess dough. If there are tears or a part is too thin, just patch with the excess dough. Keep refrigerated.

Melt the chocolate in a medium sized bowl placed over a small pan with simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.

Preheat the oven to 350F (320F with the convection). Make the almond chocolate cream. In a large bowl, cream the butter until fluffy, then add the sugar. Continue until fluffy, then add the eggs and combine well. Add the vanilla, ground almond and chocolate, and stir well.

Pour the almond chocolate cream in the tart evenly. Place the cherries evenly across the tart. Bake for about 40 minutes or until done.

Let cool on a rack. Scatter with the sliced almonds over top and dust with the caster sugar.

More tart recipes here.