Lunches, Snacks, and Bites

Some days I like "grazing", where I eat bits of food throughout the day, other days I have meals.  In the end they're all meals varying in size.  I thought I'd share what I eat for lunch when I'm home, some ingredients will repeat, and there is a "formula", usually some grain, mainly rye bread in various forms, meat, veg, and cheese, sometimes with soup, sometimes with tea, or a smoothie, a milk shake, or freshly squeezed lemonade.  At times, it's not only dinner ideas that people get in a rut with, it's boring to eat the same stuff for lunch all the time too.  Here are some examples of what I like to eat, very easy, nutritious and filling lunches or snacks:

Fresh carrots, savoy sauerkraut (home made), pickled beets (home made), and Smoked Sirloin Tip (Ogonowka in Polish) on a piece of pumpernickel.

Very crusty walnut cranberry bread with a slice of salted butter.  

Brussel sprouts, with butter and maple smoked unrefined sea salt.

Leek and horseradish sauerkraut (home made, one of my very favourite flavours), rye grilled cheese (Irish old cheddar), and carrots, made with butter.

Goose liver pate with cumin sauerkraut (made by me; I love sauerkraut).

Pumpernickel with lard, lardons, and raw maple smoked rock salt.

Rye with butter and a slice of pig skin sausage - amazing!  I get this sausage at Sausage Partners in Toronto; they make it on site.

Zucchini, smoked Polish sausage, parmigiano reggiano, lachsschinken, kale, sautéed in butter.

I'm not sure what this is called in English, but it's a type of blood sausage, with fat chunks, and tongue; it's delicious.  I find congealed blood tastes a bit like chocolate, the two go well together in recipes.

Here is the blood sausage from above, on rye, with fresh cucumbers, and tomato soup.

Avocado, my caraway bay sauerkraut, Calabrese salami, fresh greens and parsley, grown in my kitchen.

Pumpernickel, Calabrese salami, sauerkraut, creamy tomato soup.

Pumpernickel with lard, lardons, and my delicious home made sauerkraut.

Scrambled eggs with sausage, onion, and rye.

Pumpernickel with lard and lardons and dill pickles, which my dad made.  When I say dill pickles I mean real pickles in brine, not vinegar.

I hope some of my lunch and snack ideas will help you try new things, and keep lunch exciting.  When I work, I always make and bring my own lunch.  It always gets comments and people start making excuses why they don't make their own lunch.  In reality, tasty, healthy, and filling food doesn't have to take  a long time to plan or make.

Figs, tasty on their own, or with a variety of meats and cheeses, also great in tarts with caramelized onions and cheese.

Kalon Digor!  (Breton)

Meatloaf

This is my third week of no carbs for two consecutive days.  I should say it would have been my third week, if I didn't eat 2 slices of my cherry pie today.  That's all that was left over, and it sitting on the counter didn't bother me one bit yesterday, but today was one of those days.  I'm not surprised that I couldn't stick with this "diet", and this just proves that diets are stupid, even if only for two days per week.  Besides I wasn't really following the rules of leaner fats and watery vegetables, so instead of losing nine pounds, I lost one or two, but then on any given day I'm one or two pounds lighter or heavier.

Anyway, yesterday I made a meatloaf with corn.  Sometimes I use peas, carrots, mushrooms, fresh herbs, or a mix of vegetables.  I do this to make the meatloaf more interesting and colourful, but also for the extra serving of vegetables.

Making a meatloaf is easy.  I didn't get home until 16:30, and I had dinner made within the hour, including prep.  I used ground pork, with marjoram, because to me it's the ultimate meat herb, thyme, oregano, sea salt and ground black pepper, 10% cream, a real egg, and a bit of my home made jalapeño ciabatta bread crumbs.  I know those are carbs, but the diet actually allows up to 50g of carbs per day, besides it's over.

Mix it all together with your hand, place in a baking dish, or make mini loaves, or one log shaped loaf, have the oven set for 375 F and depending on how thick your meatloaf is, check after about 40 minutes.  I don't cover it with foil, because then it comes out looking anemic.

Yesterday I served it with broccoli and parmesan cheese.

 

As well as an Asian mix of vegetables, which I sautéed in sesame oil, with some pepper, very basic, but tasty.  I only used sesame oil, because I like the flavour it gives these veg.  The meat loaf has a Cajun spice sprinkled over top, so I kept the veg mild, with just a hint of sesame.  Sometimes I use spices to sprinkle on top in place of bacon strips.

Today I reheated the meatloaf in a frying pan with a bit of water and covered it with a lid.  The water creates a steam and prevents the loaf from burning.  It's very quick.  I don't own a microwave, one came with this house and we gave it away.  Reheating things on the stove or in the oven, or a toaster oven doesn't take as much time as people think it might.  Food always tastes better not microwaved.  I'm totally disgusted when I see people microwaving their coffee, especially when it's in a waxy take away cup.

The other day when I made stock, I had cooked celery, leeks, and parsley, which I remove before making the soup, I keep the carrots in, and make whatever soup.  I put the cooked celery, leeks, and parsley in the food processor, and pureed them all.  I hate wasting food, so I try to think of ways to use as much as I can, and waste as little as possible.

I made these green jalapeño breadcrumb covered balls, and fried them in coconut oil.  

The remaining green puree I just sautéed in coconut oil, with a bit of spices, to add a little kick, and to heat it up.

En Guete!  (Swiss German)

School Lunches in 20 Countries

Have a look and see what you notice:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/what-school-lunches-look-like-in-20-countries-arou

From the nutritional quality of the food served to the dishes it's served in, to the portion sizes and ratios of simple carbs to complex carbs to protein.

The American school lunch is the only one using styrofoam plates and plastic cutlery.

Countries like Kenya, Honduras, and Ghana are serving avocado, porridge, and rice, respectively.  It may not be much, but at least they aren't eating processed foods, no access to hot dogs, chips, candy bars, chicken nuggets, or a frozen fish stick.  I often hear the argument that some people cannot afford to eat organic, free range, etc, and I agree completely, but the money they spend on McD's or Kraft Dinner and a case of soda, could be spent more wisely on a bag of dry beans, an apple, and a can of tuna.  It's all about making smart choices and making the best of what we have.

Pickled Wild Leeks

I went foraging a few days ago, with a group and a pro forager.  One of the edibles I collected were wild leeks.  I pickled the bulbs.

Ingredients:

1kg whole wild leeks
250 ml apple cider vinegar
150 ml maple syrup
100 ml filtered water
20 black peppercorns

5 ml sea salt

1 bay leaf

We got recipes at the foraging event, but I didn't have nearly a kilogram worth of leeks, so I didn't bother measuring the rest of the ingredients either.  I just poured stuff into a pot, more or less trying to keep a similar ratio of ingredients, meaning, by volume, as my eyes measured, I used apple cider vinegar first, then somewhat less of the maple syrup, then even less filtered water, etc.

Directions:

Bring to a boil all the above ingredients, minus the less bulbs, then simmer fro about 5 minutes.

The leek bulbs need to be cut off about 1cm above bulb, trim off the roots, without damaging the bulbs, peel off outer layer.  Wash, add to simmering liquid, and either boil for 1 minute if you're canning, or 10 minutes if you're "fridge pickling".  If fridge pickling, put the liquid and leek bulbs in a jar, close, let cool, then refrigerate for up to 4 months.  This is similar to my pickled carrots from last year.

I fridge pickled this batch of leeks, since I only had enough to fill a 250 ml jar.

Since I didn't bother to measure the ingredients, I had some liquid left over, which I let cool and used as a salad dressing.  Totally delicious, sour, sweet, with a hint of allium.

Dobru chut! (Slovak)

Cherry Pie

I love (good) pies.  My fave pies are cherry, key lime, raspberry-custard, peach cream, pecan, carrot, apple-bourbon, and strawberry-rhubarb, or rhubarb custard.  I've made banana cream and it was good, but doesn't make my list, because it's not one I've ever craved.  Last night I made a cherry pie from cherries I froze last year.  I've never done that before, usually I make pies based on what's in season, because the best pies are made from fresh fruit, and butter not shortening or half and half.  Shortening ruins the flavour, and you can achieve ultra flakiness with cold butter, ice water, and not over blending.

Sweet black cherries are best for pie, and it's what I use when I use fresh cherries.  This time I defrosted sweet black and tart light coloured cherries (I'm not sure what type, because my mom gave me a container of them already frozen).  I learned a few things:  

• Fresh cherries make for a better pie.  

• Sweet dark cherries are better than the light tart ones, or even 50/50.

• If using frozen, separate the juice; I removed most of the juice once they defrosted, but I should've removed all of it.  I drank the juice, it was yummy.

• Because I kept some of the juice, I added extra tapioca to prevent sogginess, and I like it better with less of the stickiness.

When I make fruit or pecan pies, I stuff the pie with the fruit or pecans, I don't like much of the stuff that holds it together, I want all chunks of fruit or nuts.  This is one of the problems with most commercial pies, and also why they are so cheap, because they are half and more of filler.  I hate it when I order a pecan slice and it's only pecans on the top, and then corn syrup or molasses all the way down to the crust. My pecan pie is all pecans - and some rum - with just enough filler to make it stick together.

People think that paying $24-30 for a pie is a lot, but if I was to make these to sell - and I've thought about it - I would need to charge that much, to make any profit.  It costs me $15+ for ingredients per pie, pumpkin is an exception, because it's not expensive, though time consuming if using fresh, and pricier if using Rouge vif D'Etampes, or Cinderella pumpkin, which is my all time favourite, and not easy to come by.  I've never seen it in stores, I get mine in the fall at farmer's markets and then peel, cube it, and freeze it, so it's ready to use.

Back to this cherry pie.  You can see the two tones of cherries.  I mix in some sugar, less than with fresh cherries, because the juice tastes so sweet, I don't want to make the pie too sugary.  I add a bit of vanilla, but don't over do it, or you'll end up with a very fake tasting cherry pie, like the sort you'd get at your local grocery store.  I also add a pinch of salt and a bit of almond extract, it compliments the cherries without leaving an almond taste.

Always dab some butter on top before placing the top crust.

Make your crust from scratch and only use butter.  Store bought crusts can pass for savoury pies, like quiches, but they ruin a sweet pie.  Even a quiche tastes much better with a home made crust.  Be sure to cut vents in your top crust, unless you're making a lattice, then there's no need.  I used my fingers to crimp and wave the edges.  Pies aren't meant to be fussy; they are meant to taste amazing.

It's hard to tell, but this is a slice from last year, with all fresh, sweet, black cherries.

This is a slice from yesterday, with frozen 50/50 black to tart cherries.

Even though this frozen cherry pie wasn't as amazing as a fresh cherry pie, I've managed to eat half of it already  :)  Either fresh or frozen it's still better than that stuff in a can, labeled cherry pie filling.  Why would anyone waste calories on that?  Seriously.

Foraging

Yesterday I went forging with a group of people and a man who forages professionally.  It was loads of fun.  I used to forage often when I was a kid, mainly with my dad, and mainly for mushrooms and blueberries.  Fresh wild mushrooms and blueberries are incredible.  When I close my eyes I can smell both.

Yesterday we gathered wild leeks or ramps, wild ginger - which is unrelated to commercial ginger, but has a similar scent, which may be why they share a name, as well as stinging nettle.  Where I grew up nettle was everywhere, but I don't recall eating it.  In the past I've had nettle tea, and I've boiled it in water and used the liquid as a hair rinse; it made my hair super shiny and voluminous.  I googled prickly nettle benefits and came across this site, which lists many uses:

http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/stinging-nettle-herb.html

One of the people in the group yesterday said he makes pesto out of it with sunflower and pumpkin seeds; someone else said he makes it with pine nuts and olive oil, like you would standard pesto, but uses the nettle in place of basil.  Whatever you do, don't eat it raw and don't touch it with bare skin.  We sampled trout lily leaves, and when we came to an area with nettle, someone decided to sample a leaf of that as well, poor fellow.

I only cut the tops off, which promotes growth of the remaining plant.  A lot of my nettle has slug bites, but it's ok, cause it's still edible, besides I plan to use it as a hair rinse.  I miss that shine, that no hair product ever gave me.

Here is the wild ginger, which doesn't look like and isn't related to ginger root, but has that similar scent and is more fragrant, without the heat.

I made tea out of it.  It had a lovely fragrance, but wasn't overwhelming and I didn't get tired of it; I had 2 cups in a row.  As much as I like lavender, I can only have so much of it at a time.

Wild ginger is a neat looking plant, with small tube flowers:

You can use wild ginger as a spice for pretty much anything.  I love the tea.

The ramps, or wild leeks, at first glance look similar to lily of the valley, except it's too early for those flowers.  When harvesting, it's best to use a spade straight down about 5", go around the bunch to loosen the soil, and dig them out.  Also, choose a bunch in the middle of a ramp bed, this way, they have a chance to fill in that gap.

Ramps can be used in anything you would use onions or garlic, they can also be pickled, sautéed, and probably fermented; I don't see why not, I have fermented conventional leeks.  I want to pickle the bulbs, sauté some of the leaves, cause I love sautéed leeks, and possibly try fermenting the rest.  I don't have too many, so they will be small portions.  I need to figure out how to get back to that forest, to forage more - morels should be up in a couple of weeks, but also just to hike and have a picnic when it warms up.

Once the roots are cut off, they can be replanted; probably best if they are replanted in the same area they were picked from, but I will try to plant them in my yard and see what happens.

After the foraging, I went to a nearby hobby farm and got real eggs.  Unless you know about this place selling eggs, you wouldn't guess just driving by, cause they don't advertise, it's just small amounts for those who know.  You walk into the atrium, which unless you knew this, it seems like a break in, and there is a fridge with eggs and a freezer with pork, a table with a money box and a notebook to write down your name and how many dozens of eggs you've purchased, no one was there to oversee the exchange.  The forager told us about this farm, but only a few people went, just as well, cause there were only 2 dozen left, and I got one.  If there were more, I would've gotten more.  I want to make custard ice cream from these yummies.  There was a fenced off part of the yard with lots of chickens running around.  I love chickens, they're so cute, and always make me think of bloomers  :)

Foraging for fun is fun, and you can load up on O2.

Ricotta Pasta

This is one of my favourite pasta dishes, and it's so easy.  I've been making it for quite sometime, and I've noticed that little things make a difference.

Here are the things that make this dish yummy:
fresh basil
roasted tomatoes
good quality ricotta cheese
freshly grated parmesan cheese (I always use Parmigiano Reggiano; it seems expensive, but a $5 piece lasts me a long time)
egg noodles (which I tend to use any time I need pasta, noodles, or macaroni)

I use small tomatoes, cherry, campari, or grape; the smaller ones work better than full sized tomatoes.
First take out the ricotta from the fridge, so it's not as cold.
Then, half or quarter your tomatoes, place in a baking dish or on aluminum foil on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with dry basil and oregano.  No need for grease.

Boil your noodles or pasta.  Try the egg noodles, you won't regret it.  You can even make your own egg noodles, I'll write about that another time.

Take a bowl or dish large enough to fit everything, including a container or package of ricotta and all the tomatoes.  In that dish, mash up the ricotta with a fork, add some sea salt and ground pepper, chop up some fresh basil and add it to the rest, grate some parmesan and add it in, mix it all.

Next drain your noodles. Rinse lightly.  Add the roasted tomatoes to the ricotta mixture.

Then add the noodles.

This pasta dish tastes incredible, and it's so easy.  It's even better if you have access to fresh non refrigerated tomatoes, because all grocery store tomatoes have been refrigerated, and this is why store bought tomatoes have very little to no flavour.

This makes me think of summer.

Bonum appetitionem! (Latin)