One Last Hurrah

I start school in like, three days, or something insane. It's September, and I'm kind of feeling like "Where the heck did August go, because I don't quite remember it even being here." I am desperately clinging to these last days of summer, these last hours and minutes, trying to make them last somehow.

I should know better by now, that no matter how hard I wish against it, September brings about a fairly major shift in what I've come to regard as normal, everyday life. Old routines, be kind to me. I've never been a big fan of change.

I am feeling pretty stubborn about letting summer go also because this summer was pretty wonderful- as in total best ever status. I swam in the sea, drank Sangria in Napa, ate fresh berry pies at the kitchen table, said hello to new friends, said goodbye to old friends, walked for miles along the Oregon coast with my favorite person in the world, got lost, got found, made raspberry yogurt popsicles, and picked up my polaroid camera for the first time in ages. Oh Summer, you did really good this year. Please don't go away, not yet, not ever.

And yet,

I know there is no use trying so hard to make a season last. Autumn is eager and waiting, ready to strike at any moment. I can feel it happening already. But maybe, today the sun will stay out for just a bit longer, long enough for one last barbecue, one last glass of wine, one last hurrah before the sky fades to dusk and Autumn creeps in.

Quinoa with Grilled Zucchini, Garbonzo Beans, and Cumin

Adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2008

This Quinoa salad is definitely last-bbq-of-summer worthy. It's super savory and hearty, so you could eat it on its own as a vegetarian main course or this would be great along side some barbecued chicken. It is wonderful left over and taken for lunch in the days to come, and it makes a great (and healthy!) midnight snack.

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon tumeric, divided

1 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa (about 6 ounces), rinsed well, drained

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 ½ pounds medium zucchini (about 5), trimmed, quartered lengthwise

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Combine garbanzo beans and lemon juice in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil; press in garlic and stir to combine. Let marinate at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon tumeric and ½ teaspoon paprika; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups water, quinoa, and coarse salt; bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 16 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare barbecue (medium high heat). Place zucchini on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with ground cumin, ½ teaspoon tumeric, and ½ teaspoon paprika. Toss to coat evenly.

Place zucchini on grill; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill until tender and browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to work surface. Cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces. Add zucchini, green onions, and parsley, then garbanzo bean mixture to quinoa. Toss to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good

Spring is officially here, and although I used to hardly bat an eyelash at its coming, this year I am pretty excited.

I'm not sure how it is possible for someone not to like springtime, but I do have some plausible theories, the first of which is due to the fact that I live on the west coast. The line between winter and spring has always been kind of fuzzy. It is mild and rainy in winter, and mild and rainy in spring. Another theory for my past non-excitement: although spring brings soft, gentle cherry blossoms, it also brings final exams and job searching simultaneously. I mean seriously, that is reason enough to make anyone in their right mind lose interest in the coming of another season. My final reason for my dislike of spring: no good holidays (which for me, is often indicative of how I feel about a season). Yes, there is Easter, but Good Friday has always seemed kind of depressing and I kind of loathe chocolate (no big deal...). Anyway, all this goes to say that I used to not like spring all that much, but my-oh-my how times have changed.

I can't exactly pin point when I allowed my love of the season to finally blossom, but I imagine it was somewhere between kicking my worrying habit in the butt and my discovery of Cadbury Mini Eggs. Not to mention, I'm about ready to start planting seeds in the vegetable garden, which has me daydreaming of fresh vegetables all day long. And speaking of vegetables, I am beyond excited about the arrival of springtime food. The way I see things, we have officially transitioned out of the heavy/hearty/complex autumn and winter foods and are now entering into edibles that are are lighter, fresher, and simpler. This is the time of year where an array of simple salads present themselves as possibilities for light lunches and dinners.

I'm taking it upon myself share one such a salad with you today.

So how about an avocado and grapefruit salad to jump start your spring?

Uh-huh, that's what I thought.

Last week we found ourselves in mother nature's good graces when a handful of 17 degree, sunshiny days presented themselves to us folk in the Fraser Valley. When my dad set to work in the kitchen on his practically famous thin-crust pizza one evening, I felt that a special salad was in order- one that would show spring the fine welcome it deserves. We had some grapefruit and ripe avocados kicking around on the counter and I found the perfect recipe within the pages of Bon Appetit. And so I set to work, slicing, segmenting, and arranging bits of avocado, slices of grapefruit, and crisp leaves of butter lettuce. The finished product was a thing of beauty, and I am proud to report that every little bit was eaten, despite the allure of another slice of homemade pizza. It looked and tasted exactly as I imagine spring would: bright, fresh, light, and awfully pretty.

I plan on enjoying spring from now on, no matter what it brings with it. The world is waking up again, and after a long, cold winter, that most definitely is worth celebrating.

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2009

This salad is super beautiful and deceptively fancy, considering how simple it really is.

I used the white grape juice/apple cider vinegar method, opposed to tracking down and using the verjus.

2 tablespoons verjus* or 3 1/2 teaspoons white grape juice and 2 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1/4 cup walnut oil

1/4 cup olive oil

Fine sea salt

8 large butter lettuce leaves

3 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, thinly sliced, rinsed under cold water

3 large Ruby Red grapefruits all peel and white pith cut away, segments cut from between membranes

*Milder than vinegar, verjus is a tart juice made from unripe grapes, available at specialty food stores.

To Prepare

Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in both oils. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange lettuce on platter. Top with avocado and grapefruit, then dressing.

Yield: Serves 8, as a side.

Beginning, Again

Oh January. You are the month I loathe the most. To me, January is about over-crowded gym's, healthy eating, ugly weather, and too-short days. It is also the most anticlimactic time of year, seeing as just under two weeks ago we were caught up in the magic of Christmas. Now the holidays have come and gone, and now we are sitting a month that doesn't offer much, although depending on how you look at things, a new start is a definite possibility. There is something quite wonderful about a new year, something utterly refreshing. You've got twelve brand new months to make anything happen. Twelve untouched months in which you can do, go, see, and create just about anything.

My new years resolution was to take all the essential vitamins every morning, and it isn't panning out so well. I'm two for five right now. I keep forgetting. Pathetic, I know. And certainly not a legitimate excuse. I heard Ginkgo Biloba helps with memory, so if I can somehow manage to remember to take it, all will be well. In other news, I've become a living, breathing cookie monster AGAIN. Being a cookie fiend during the holidays is completely acceptable, but I was really quite naive about quitting cookies for good. There is no switch to turn it off after the holidays are over. People keep baking and I keep eating, and THANK GOD for good genes. I feel guilty. I'm estimating that at least 95% of the population is trying to eat healthy and I'm sitting here stuffing my face full of sweets. To rectify this sad situation, five days into a new year, I decide that an incredibly healthy and delicious salad was in order.

Nothing like a bulgar and lentil salad to kick a new year off right. For some reason I feel like anyone who is reading this is going to roll their eyes and/or look at me like a complete idiot (*wink, wink, family..). Bulgar? Lentils? Who eats that crap anyways? I eat that stuff, and I LOVE it, wholeheartedly. And anyway, if you were one of those people who made a promise to yourself to treat your body a little better this year, this is a noble place to start.

Normally, this salad makes it's appearance in spring or summer where it makes a lovely side dish at a BBQ, but who's keeping track? All of the ingredients are easy to get your hands on, all year round, making it a perfect salad for making whenever you feel like it. Besides from being quite simple and basic, the salad has the most amazing texture/flavour combination: a nutty crunch from the walnuts, slightly chewy from the bulgar and lentils, a bit of sweetness from the carrots, and a zing from the shallot vinaigrette. I find this dish to be very satisfying, and slightly addicting. Really, I keep a bowl in the fridge and munch on it all day.

So I say put down the cookies, take some vitamins, and make a healthy salad. It's a new year!

Bulgar and Lentil Salad with Tarragon and Walnuts

Adapted from Gourmet, July 2004

I'm still in holiday (lazy) mode, and did not really make a valiant effort to find either tarragon and tarragon wine-vinegar. In all honesty, all that tarragon was not missed.

1/3 cup finely chopped shallot

3 tablespoons tarragon wine-vinegar

1/2 cup brown or green lentils

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup bulgur, preferably fine

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup shredded carrot

3 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped fine

In a small bowl combine shallot and 1 tablespoon vinegar. In a small saucepan simmer lentils in water to cover by 2 inches until just tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes, and drain well. Add hot lentils to shallot mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cool mixture, stiffing occasionally.

In a small heavy saucepan combine 1 1/2 cups water, bulgur, and salt and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer bulgur to a large bowl and cool completely, stirring occasionally.

Add lentils to bulgur with celery, carrot, tarragon, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, oil, walnuts, and salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

Yield: Serves 4 as an entree or 6 as a side dish

Some Peace and Quiet

One of my favorite luxuries as of lately is that sweet spot in the week where everyone is out and about and I am left alone with an empty house. As much as I love family, there is something magical about having peace and quiet in a big empty house. I tend to wander around from room to room, thinking out loud and talking to the cats. I run myself a bath and leave the bathroom doors open. I play MY music. There is no one here to distract or annoy and everything evolves entirely around me. Really, it's a treat! What really gets me though, is when I am home alone for dinner. I'm a simple girl really, and it doesn't take a lot to make me happy in terms of a satisfying meal. Hence why I often opt for something light and fresh. Something quick and easy with loads of flavour. Something like a chickpea salad...

I've had a lot of good chickpea salads, but this one is something else. This one is great. And not only that, it is incredibly versatile. You could put it on top of some fresh spinach and serve as a main course, with pita chips on the side. Or, you could stuff the salda into a wrap with some lettuce, and some sprouts. That would be good too! Or you could simply eat it plain, just as is. See, I could eat this twice a day! No one in my family would ever tolerate my borderline obsessive eating habits, which is exactly why home-alone days are so important; I get to eat whatever my little heart desires, how ever often I want.

Curried Chickpea Salad

Adapted from Whole Foods Market

When I first became a vegetarian I immediately gravitated towards legumes. Chickpeas in particular. I was making bean salads like crazy. That was 2 years ago and I'm still eating this salad on a bi-weekly basis. I suppose that it is generally my go-to home-alone dinner. Or lunch. Either! Or both!

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

¼ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons maple syrup

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup dried cranberries

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted (optional)

2 15-19 oz. cans cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper

½ cup cilantro or parsley, chopped (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, curry powder, maple syrup and salt. Add cranberries and cumin seeds and toss gently, Add chickpeas, bell pepper, and cilantro and toss again to coat.

You can eat this salad right away but I prefer to let it sit over night. The cranberries plump up and the chickpeas and peppers get a chance to soak up the delicious dressing.