szechuan green beans with ground pork

This summer has been so packed with playing and wedding and camping and weeding that I can hardly believe it is time to harvest some of the fruits of that weeding but it is! I planted two varieties of green beans this year thinking that I would see which variety performed better. Of course, I can't remember which plants were what variety (although I did make a planting map and if I took the time to check all the info is there) so the experiment would fail any scientific effort but it doesn't matter really, both varieties have excelled. In fact, I would have to say that the competition has done them both good - I have already picked a good harvest of beans and as the plants are still blossoming it is safe to say that I will pick a good deal more. That makes me happy because I love green beans!!!

It may not be terribly fashionable and is certainly old-school but my very favourite way to eat green beans is fresh from the garden, lightly steamed (crispy but not squeaky), tossed with a spoonful of superior butter and a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. I could eat them twice a day. True story. But that is not a recipe or even a story so I'll share this:

When we went to Shanghai a few years ago a friend took me to her favourite restaurant to have her favourite dish. I loved the dish so much that we literally went back two more times that week for.... more of the same. The dish was szechuan green beans with pork - a much better pork and beans if you will. This recipe is not quite that dish but it comes close enough to make me happy. Given my devotion to green beans you may not think that much of an endorsement but you would be wrong - if this wasn't wonderful I would much rather eat my beans buttered, with salt and pepper. 

Adjust the heat to suit your preference and go nuts eating green beans fresh from the garden (or the farmer's market) while you can. I do!

szechuan green beans with ground pork

1 lb green beans, trimmed

10 oz. ground pork

2 Tbsp black bean sauce

1 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp honey

1 tsp crushed red pepper

2 Tbsp grapeseed oil

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 clove garlic, sliced thinly

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the beans in the boiling water for two minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Whisk together the black bean sauce, hoisin sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, honey, and crushed red pepper. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the grapeseed oil and ground pork, stir-frying the pork until it begins to brown. Add sliced onion and garlic; stir-fry until onion is softened. (about 3 minutes) Add green beans and sauce mixture, stir to combine with the pork and onions. Cook for a further 3 minutes or until the beans are tender-crisp. I usually add a few tablespoons of water at this point to keep things from sticking and burning.

We eat this with a bit of brown rice and go away very happy. If you like (David does) you can kill it with a healthy sprinkle of sriracha sauce. Whatever makes you happy. It is summer after all.

the evacuation sleepover and a kale salad

This has been a full, crazy week. It started with a quick trip to Victoria with a couple of friends (totally frivolous and fun and let's be honest... a tiny bit shallow) and ended with a  100 year flood as the Bow and Elbow Rivers over-ran their banks causing massive flooding and a state of emergency here in Calgary. I have no wish to make light of the devastation countless people face as they return to their homes. Many will return from the mandatory evacuation, as we did, to find that all is well. Others are finding relatively minor damage, while still others are returning to almost total loss of their personal possessions. Some of what is lost is replaceable but much is not. 

I say I have no wish to make light of this event - and I don't - but part of it was just plain fun for us. When the evacuation order came we had the luxury of an immediate invitation to camp at Eden's. Deacon and Aubrie gave up their beds with alacrity, anticipating the fun of sleeping bags on the floor (you've got to be very young to look forward to that!) I don't know how anybody else felt about our sudden and indefinite evacuation sleepover party but I was pretty happy to be with some of my favourite people. 

The order came mid-afternoon. It was a simple matter to gather the little bit that David and I would need for a few days, clear the fridge of perishables and head out but it was still getting close to dinner time when we arrived on Eden's doorstep. Dinner time and no dinner planned by either dinner planner - Eden and I had been sewing all day and not thinking about practical necessities like food. Certainly not thinking about hunkering down and battening the hatches against the flood of the century. That reality against the practical necessity of a meal meant we had to be a little bit creative with the combined contents of our fridges. Fortunately while neither of us had enough on our own, together it was just right - an apt metaphor for life.

The basis of this salad is a recipe a good friend of mine passed along at the quilting group I am part of. We needed it be dinner not just a part of it so we embellished. The result was a very happy one; even the kids loved it (although in complete honesty I have to admit that Ysa had to be persuaded and cajoled but as that is a current trend for her regardless of the items on the menu I am discounting her reaction. She did eat it. Eventually. ... which is not the current trend.) I had the red pepper and kale. Eden suppled some grilled chicken thighs, leftover rice and a couple of carrots. Tossed with a simple asian dressing it was fast, easy, healthy and yummy. Perfect, right?

For us this flood and the evacuation was not a difficult event. We had the luxury of a comfortable and familiar place to be sheltered, an easy and warm welcome and no real concern about the flood waters reaching our home. We were included in the order simply because the flood was anticipated to cut off access to our area. Nevertheless the damage that is all too evident in areas along the river just a short walk down the hill is witness to the awesome power of nature - a reminder that in the face of that power we are, in the end, quite powerless. We do have emergency supplies but they are scattered throughout the house, some in one spot others in another. I know where they are but David does not. Putting together a 72 hour kit that will meet our needs is high on my priority list now. This time we were lucky. Next time maybe not.

Asian dressed kale salad with rice and chicken
(adapted from Sheila Penner's recipe)

salad:
1 large bunch kale, stems removed and leaves finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 1/2 red bell peppers, diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked rice*, cooled
2 cups diced grilled chicken thigh

dressing:
2/3 cup almond butter
4 Tbsp grapeseed oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
3 Tbsp warm water
1 tsp sea salt
hot sauce to taste

Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad ingredients and toss to combine.

*Next time I might use brown rice instead of the white. There are arguments for the health advantages of each though, so I guess go ahead and use what you have and like.

avocado chicken salad

There is a story with this recipe - of course there is! - but this is story with a moral. The whole story is very long and a bit ridiculous (as is the case with most stories involving morals) but the long and the short goes like this....

Once upon a time there was a beautiful young woman named Eden. She fell in love with a handsome man and they decided to marry. Plans were made and Eden's mother was very happy and busy making every little thing - a wedding dress, food and decorations for the reception, invitations, dresses for flower girls and bridesmaids. Being an independent sort of person she didn't ask for help (but she should have!) On the day of the wedding all was going well until Cheri realized that the chicken for the chicken salad was still in the freezer at home and not in the fridge at the reception venue. The distance between where the chicken was and where it was supposed to be was too great to be overcome in time. Panic ensued. Some people spoke a little too loudly and not very kindly. The mother of the bride lost all composure and cried enough to ruin her makeup. Fortunately there was an easy solution - buy more chicken. Easy. Happy. Problem solved. The moral? Everybody needs some help and most people don't mind being asked. In fact I have learned that many people truly want to help. Supermoms are only a myth. ... well, except for their ability to love. That part is true.

Although a small part of the day was ridiculously traumatic at the time, I have wonderful memories of of Eden's wedding. This chicken salad is inseparably connected with those memories. Jonathon was working for the Capilano Group at the time and got the concept for the recipe from the chef at The Bridge House at Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park. I say concept because the recipe I got was for such a huge quantity that I couldn't wrap my head around it. Whatever the case we love this chicken salad - and when I say 'we' I mean men, women, and children. Eden likes it so well that she suggested a sidebar on the blog with favourite recipes listed; this one topping the list. It is easy enough for a quick lunch or picnic and fancy enough for a ladies-that-lunch kind of affair. 

Some of us eat our chicken salad in a croissant, others on a bed of greens - it is a big hit either way.

I usually buy a rotisserie chicken for this, it is about perfect. I also prefer to use red grapes for taste and appearance but today the red grapes were less than perfect so I bought green. Still good, still pretty. Add a little or a lot of cayenne according to your taste.

avocado chicken salad

3 cups cooked, diced chicken

2 green onions, white and green parts sliced thin

1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup red grapes, halved

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 avocado, peeled and diced

Combine all the ingredients except the avocado. Fold it in gently just before serving.

tomato pie

With field tomatoes and garden fresh basil so plentiful - and more importantly - so wonderful right now you need to make this pie. Today. Or at least tomorrow. The recipe was shared by my friend Toni after she served it to our quilting group months ago. I was immediately obsessed (and made it several times within a week) but I figured if it was that good with supermarket tomatoes what would it be like with end-of-summer straight-off-the-vine perfection? I can't compare with absolute authority (since I am not eating the comparisons bite side-by bite) but I am confident that I figured right. Of course, this is not low-fat or gluten-free but it is fresh and wholesome. A rich, melty, cheesy tomato pie is totally worth jumping off the wagon for. As long as you don't make it several times in a week. Ha!

I made my own pie shell but if you don't have time or simply don't want to, you could use a frozen pie shell. Aside from not peeling the tomatoes and using only a very good sharp cheddar instead of a cheddar/mozzarella mix, I made this following Toni's recipe faithfully. I did try once to cut down on the mayonnaise - and won't go that route again. 'nuff said.

Serve it with a green salad and consider dinner done.

tomato pie

(recipe from Toni Young)

4 tomatoes, sliced about 1/4" thick

10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green onion

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 9" precooked deep dish pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the tomato slices in a single layer in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and allow them to drain for 10 minutes, then place the tomato slices on a double layer of paper towel, top with another double layer of towel and press lightly to absorb any excess moisture.

In the baked pie shell, layer the tomato slices. Top with basil and green onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the cheese and mayonnaise, spread over the vegetables. Bake until cheese is melted and top is slightly browned - about 30 minutes.

Serve warm.

dilly corn salad

We had this salad a couple of days ago. The recipe I started from suggested that it would feed 6 as a side salad but David and I each ate what must have been meant for 2! lol.  I'd say that as it is full of vegetables that can't be a bad thing :) and I can't think of anything more to say to entice you.

Hit the closest farm stand and get your corn as freshly picked as possible. Then make a bowl of summer for lunch!

I took a couple of liberties with the salad ingredients but totally changed the dressing.

dilly corn salad

(inspired by a recipe from Food52) 

2 ears of fresh, uncooked corn - kernels scraped from the cob (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 English cucumber, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 sweet red pepper, diced

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

2 green onions, white and green parts sliced thinly

1/8 cup (lightly packed) fresh dill, minced

1 avocado, diced

dressing:

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 1/2 Tbsp milk (I used coconut milk - choose what you like best)

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1/2 tsp agave nectar

1/2 tsp sea salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.

In a separate bowl combine the dressing ingredients and whisk together. Pour over the salad ingredients. That's it. Simple. Yummy.

curried quinoa chicken salad

Simple. Fast. And sort of addictive. This is the perfect lunch or light supper. Easy to make a batch and keep in the fridge, then pack to take for lunches at work (Jonathon?) Eden had some and figured she needed to eat it daily. I pretty much agree.

The 2 Tbsp of curry powder is not a typo and is in no way a mistake - go for it. Use walnuts if you prefer them to the pecans (I'm allergic so I always use pecans). If you don't like cilantro use parsley. I have given up peeling ginger (unless all I can find at the market is kind of old and tough looking) - nobody complains or even notices. I figure there has to be good stuff in the skin so why peel it off?

When we had this salad for supper one night I served it on a bed of mixed greens. When I took it for a lunch a couple of days later I skipped the greens and it was absolutely as good - just different. Either way. Choice is good, right?

curried quinoa chicken salad

(from 20 minute supper club, tweaked)

2 cups quinoa, cooked

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces

3/4 cup thinly sliced dried apricots

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp curry powder

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

Combine the quinoa, chicken, apricots, green onions, pecans, and cilantro in a bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk together the curry powder, vinegar, sea salt, olive oil, and freshly grated ginger. Drizzle over the quinoa mixture and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: if you aren't sure how to cook the quinoa you have two choices. You can cook it in a large pot of boiling water - a la pasta - and drain when it is just tender. Or you can bring 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa (in this case 4 cups water, 2 cups quinoa) to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off but leave the pot on the burner - still covered - for another 4 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork. Done.

black bean hummus

When I had a houseful of little kids I thought I was pretty busy but I was content with 24 hours in a day. Recently I find myself wishing for a few more hours per day. There simply isn't time for all the sewing, gardening, helping, playing, sharing, reading, walking, cooking, consulting, decorating, designing, and travelling on my want-to-do. And that list doesn't even touch the cleaning and laundry that are necessary on the to-do list. I have been flat out busy for the last few weeks. Actually for the last month. Good busy, fun busy - hello a week in Vancouver among other great stuff - but not a minute not full. I have a (long) list of things planned to share but no time to sit down and share. It was causing me a tiny bit of anxiety but really, the important part of life is the doing not the telling about it. I reminded myself of that and presto! the little anxiety wrinkle smoothed out. I may be sharing the full-week's worth of rhubarb delights that I had planned (in my ever ambitious mind planner) for the middle of June in mid-summer when all the rhubarb is over and done, or the iced tea when hot chocolate would be more welcome, but this is only a forum for sharing stuff  not a formula for world peace. I just wish I could figure out exactly what it is that I do!


Anywho... having a minute I want to introduce my latest obsession. I know it is homely but, my word! this stuff is super-fantastic-good. I Love this - with a capital 'L'. The pepper and lime add a nice zip of heat that is nicely balanced by the warmth of the cumin and the freshness of the cilantro. Good with veggies, some yummy sprouted mixed grain chips, or baked pita wedges. Healthy and whole. Pretty perfect, I'd say. 


If you don't like cilantro (hard for me to understand but I believe it's true that some don't) you can either entirely forego the herb or better, replace it with parsley. The jalapeno pepper can be nicely replaced with 1/2 tsp of dried chipotle pepper.


black bean hummus
(from Cooking Light)


1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp grey sea salt*
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 small jalapeno pepper, seeded


Put all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth. 


*Grey (or red) sea salt has important trace minerals - I believe it is worth using.

crunchy sprouts & seeds with chive vinaigrette

A while ago - several months probably - I bought something called 'Sprouted Bean Trio' with the tag "a colorful, quick-cooking, and nutritious blend of lentils, adzuki, and mung beans". Who could blame me?! And then the bag of colorful nutrition sat on the pantry shelf, lonely and forgotten, until I tried a recipe from Bon Appetit a couple of weeks ago. That recipe was not nearly as delicious as I wanted it to be but there was potential for greatness. I mulled it over for a week or so and gave it another try early this week. Fresh chives from the garden, a bed of arugula and spinach, tart blueberries. This salad I love. Love! I really think I could eat it every day. It's... interesting. Try it.


crunchy sprouts & seeds with chive vinaigrette
(inspired by Bon Appetit)


1 cup mixed dried sprouted legumes*
1 cup cooked sprouted brown rice
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup hemp seed hearts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup finely chopped curly parsley
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups fresh blueberries
fresh greens - arugula and spinach


Combine the mixed dried legumes and a pinch of sea salt with 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.


In a large bowl combine the cooked legumes, rice, green onions, the seeds, raisins, and chopped parsley. Toss with about half the vinaigrette. Arrange on a generous bed of greens, with a handful of blueberries on top. Pass the vinaigrette at the table in case someone wants a bit more :)


chive vinaigrette 


1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grey sea salt
2 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup chives (not chopped but just kind of squished into the cup)


Put all the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. 


* The brand I used is truRoots. Costco carries it.


What I arrived at after the mulling over is something that ticks all the boxes I like ticked - maybe another person would prefer the first recipe. But this is my blog so I get to share according to my taste. I just don't want to come across as thinking I'm all that - 'cause I don't :)

wasabi-edamame dip

Ever since making the choice to leave peanut butter sandwiches off my personal lunch menu that meal has been a bit problematic. For most of my life, lunch = sandwiches  (peanut butter or other). Sandwiches are portable, fast, easy, brainless. The default choice. I don't believe that gluten is the enemy for most people. It isn't for me. The problem with a  daily sandwich is not so much what it is but more what it is not. When one eats a lot of one thing there isn't as much desire for another. In other words, when I fill up on a peanut butter and honey sandwich I really don't much care to eat three servings of vegetables and another one or two of fruit. And the fruit and vegetables should be the foundation not the flourish of any meal. So I am always looking for simple, interesting options to make and have on hand to help me make better lunch-time choices - since simply skipping the meal because I have decided not to go for the pb&j is an even unhealthier choice but one I used to make too often.


This dip falls into the 'interesting and easy' category very nicely and has the added benefits of healthy and yummy. We loved the dip with raw asparagus or celery sticks; rated it good with the carrots. Unless you plan on eating the whole recipe solo, you might want to add a smoothie or - for a fun tagalong to the Japanese tastes - some simple onigiri (rice balls) would be perfect.


Of course it would make an awesome appetizer .... but that's just obvious :)


wasabi-edamame dip
(from Chatelaine)


1 1/4 cups shelled edamame
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tsp Japanese soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp wasabi paste (or to taste)


Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add edamame and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Rinse the edamame with cold water to cool.


Puree the edamame, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and wasabi in a blender or food processor. Add reserved liquid while processing until mixture is smooth and creamy.

black bean brown rice bowl

A couple of years ago I was looking to move away from my default easy (but less nutritious) lunch of peanut butter and honey on whole wheat bread. It was amazingly difficult to think outside of that well-ingrained box. I grew up on sandwiches for lunch, fed them to my kids, and handed them in a brown bag to my husband when I kissed him goodbye in the mornings. Didn't sandwich = lunch? But I wanted to eat less wheat and needed to step it up nutrition-wise, so I was motivated to find some options. Those options needed to be quick and if they weren't also really yummy, I knew the changes wouldn't last and I would just have a cookie or two instead. One day I had a bunch of random stuff in the fridge, was hungry, picked what I thought would work, and found my new pb&j. I love it! This bowl is easy enough that it takes honestly about 5 minutes or less to throw together. It packs well and since it is meant to be eaten 'cold', is easy to take along. I usually have everything on hand so we eat it fairly regularly - except for when I am on a hummus binge.


I usually make individual bowls that are semi-custom (according to the preferences of whoever is eating it) but  it  would also work  to  make  a  large batch for several lunches. Really quick and easy then.

black bean brown rice bowl

(for 1 serving)

2/3 cup cooked brown rice

1/4-1/3 cup salsa (fresh is better than a jar but either is good)

1/4 cup drained and rinsed canned black beans

1/3 cup corn kernels

2 Tbsp grated cheese ( cheddar or  crumbled feta)

3 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 avocado, sliced

a healthy amount of chopped cilantro

salt and pepper

Mix it up and there you go! Super simple.