One of the healthiest foods on Earth. Preserved.

I’m guessing these would go great with these Scallion Pancakes and just about anything grilled. Give it a try.

ASIAN PEA & CARROT SALAD

1/2 Lb Snow Peas, thinly sliced lengthwise, julienne
1 Lb Baby Carrots, thinly sliced lengthwise, matchsticks
1 teaspoon Freshly Grated Ginger, peeled
4 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seed Oil
2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
Pinch Sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Sesame seeds, black if you can find them

In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.
If using regular white sesame seeds, lightly toast them in a dry pan until they just become golden over a medium-high heat. If using the black sesame seeds, you may skip this step.
Wash and thinly slice the vegetables. Toss them together in your serving bowl with your fingers to mix.
Drizzle and toss the dressing over the peas and carrots.
Sprinkle over the sesame seeds to serve.

I wouldn’t go so far as to label myself a hippie or anything. Although I do enjoy a good amount of Canned Heat, I’m just not old enough. What I could call myself is frugal. I grew up with granola in the house but it was “Dad’s Cereal”. Which is, of course, why it was so elusive. We were told it was too expensive for us to burn through on a Saturday morning and we were much better off with the Fruit Loops within reach. However, little did my Mother know that as one of the few occasions my brother and I would get along, we would tag team to the top shelf for a sneaky handful from the protected bag of goodness.

Being the rebel that I am, I’ve continued to prefer granola over mass produced O’s, but the one tidbit of price tag always stuck with me. The giant yellow box is half the price of the tiny one I covet. Seeing you can’t stuff air into oatmeal must be one reason for the price difference and of course, that age old saying of getting what you pay for.

As frugal as I am, I tend to never order in a restaurant or buy anything food wise that I could easily make for myself at home. Granola, naturally fits into this category quite well. After recently receiving a bag each of dried papaya and almonds I hit my pantry to complete the list of ingredients.

Although filled with a little more of the good stuff than most store brands, I would call it pretty close to that shoveled childhood handful. All I need to go with it is the bravery of Lolo to commit to making my own soy milk to go with it.

LOW FAT TROPICAL GRANOLA

2 Cups Whole Oats, Old Fashioned
1/3 Cup Dried Papaya, 2 spears halved and diced
1/3 Cup Almonds, coarsely chopped
1/3 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Safflower Oil
3 Tablespoons Blue Agave Nectar
2 Tablespoons Brown Rice Syrup

Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
Toss the oats, papaya, almonds, coconut and salt together in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan combine the oil, agave and syrup.
Mix well to combine and heat until it just begins to bubble.
Remove from the heat and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir well to coat.
Spread evenly over a parchment lined, edged cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Stir to mix and rotate pan.
Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 – 10 minutes.
Shake granola lightly to break apart any large piece and leave to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.

My ever problem solving daughter is always creating new suggestions for dinner and desserts; favourites like Mialita, Chuchetta and the like. Her recipes, with the addition of marshmallows, ketchup and eggs kind of remind me of that show that aired around here in the 80′s I always wanted to go on, “Just Like Mom” But this morning, when I rolled out of bed complaining of still feeling under the weather from the night before, she suggested Magic Soup.

Magic soup is something that we’ve made before and she will eat it. All of it, as if it were well, like, magic.

First she’ll tell me onion, then a carrot, some tomatoes maybe a little celery if she’s daring and somehow this soup is normal… soothing and delicious, kind of like Minestrone.

Although my barren stomach felt it couldn’t handle much more than the thought of dry toast, her idea of this to make me better was just what I needed.

Like the kiss on the forehead you’d get from your mom when you were sick, I got one from my five year old and her bowl of soup.

KITCHEN SINK MINESTRONE

Really, the soup should be named clean out the fridge soup, but I thought everything and the kitchen sink sounded a little, dare I say, tastier. Beyond an onion, carrot, stalk of celery and a few tomatoes this soup is great with just about any vegetables you have kicking around in the crisper.

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 Carrot, finely diced
1 Stalk Celery
1/2 Sweet Potato, diced (optional)
1 White Turnip, peeled and finely diced (optional)
1 Bunch Baby Spinach, well rinsed and roughly chopped
1 Zucchini, peeled and diced (optional)
1/2 Cup Frozen Green Peas (optional)
1 – 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Pearl Barley
1 Potato, peeled and diced (optional)
12 Cups Water
1 teaspoon Rosemary, ground
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1/4 teaspoon Coriander, ground
1 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
4 Black Peppecorns, or to taste
2 Bay Leaves

Peel and dice the onion, carrot, turnip, sweet potato, zucchini and potato.
Heat the oil in a large stockpot.
Sauté the onion, carrot and minced garlic.
Chop the celery into thirds, keeping it easy to remove later.
Once the onion has softened, about 3 minutes, add the harder vegetables; sweet potato, turnip and potato along with the barley.
Cover with water and bring to a rolling simmer.
Using a mortar pestle, grind the coriander, rosemary and peppercorns.
Add the ground spices, bay leaves, thyme and salt to the soup.
Once the carrots are fork tender, add the softer vegetables; green beans.
Add the tomatoes and continue to simmer for about another 5 minutes, then add the softest vegetables; zucchini, peas.
Adjust seasoning, remove the celery and roughly chop the spinach and add to the soup.

Serve with fresh bread and freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, if desired.

I went outside to try to find any scratch of this great Holiday going on. Any cars gathering for visits, the scent of roasting goodness traveling through a window screen, a football cheer, or the screech of a fork on a plate, but nothing. Nothing but cyclists, lawn mowers buzzing, the summer smell of the backyard grill, fans blowing and kids giggling with their dad on his day off.

I made soup last night, with feast leftovers, two kinds! This time of year, mind floods to comforting, feel good, stick to your ribs meals. But today, as I’m about down to my skivvies, I just can’t imagine any more hot and sticky.

Together with a little roasted pumpkin and grilled tofu, left over from yesterday, I whipped up a creamy spinach pesto to go over some quick, brown rice fettuccine. It was perfectly satisfying and didn’t add heat to the house.

Oh well, shouldn’t complain, it could have been snowing.

CREAMY SPINACH PESTO FETTUCINI

2 Cloves Garlic
8 Large Basil Leaves, fresh
3 Cups Baby Spinach Leaves, packed
1/2 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Package Firm Silken Tofu
1 Package Firm Tofu, grilled or roasted – optional
700g Brown Rice Fettucini, 3/4 standard package
Zest of 1/2 Lemon
1/2 Cup Roasted Pumpkin, cubed

Place the brown rice noodles in a large bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to cover. Let the noodles sit to soften, changing the cooling water if necessary.

If using, grill tofu with a light spray of oil, salt and pepper until golden.

In a food processor, add 1/2 of the basil with the peeled garlic cloves, pulsing to chop.
Add the 2 cups of the spinach, salt, pine nuts and silken tofu. Combine well, stopping to scrape the sides, if necessary.
With the motor running, drizzle the oil through the feed tube, continuing to mix until an even, thin, paste-like sauce is created.

Once the noodles are al dente, drain and add them to a large bowl.
Pour over the tofu and toss the noodles well.
Chop the remaining basil and toss it and the remaining spinach to the hot rice noodles.
Serve topped with the cubed pumpkin, sliced, grilled tofu and a sprinkling of lemon zest.

Serves 4.

For this and more great pasta recipes, check out Ruth’s great weekly Presto Pasta round up.

Wanting more than a traditional burnt raisin and bran muffin, I first began eating these to get the obvious fiber addition in a grab and go breakfast. When I realized I could eat the whole lot straight from the oven I knew I had my winner.
I’ve tried them with different fruit combinations but one thing always remained, the wonderfully moist centre and crisp outer edges – perfect. This is why could I not resist sharing these for the Muffin Monday 04 round up.

Mostly hands off they’re almost faster to make that your morning coffee (or juice as this day would have it).
Toss the moist ingredients together, take a shower, return to mix in the dry and bake it while you get dressed and blend your juice. Nothing says breakfast more than orange juice, however these are my favourite muffins so the to make the juice a little bit more add a handful of seasonal strawberries and a banana, frozen if you have one on hand. Blend until smooth and check the muffins. Depending on your muffin size it’s, ten to fifteen minutes in the oven, one minute to cool and no time to enjoy!

12 GRAIN BREAKFAST MUFFINS

3/4 Cup 12 Grain Cereal Mix
1/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1/4 Cup Broken Pecans
1/3 Cup Canola Oil
1 Cup Soy Milk
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
3 Tablespoons Orange Juice or 1 teaspoon of orange zest

Prep muffin tins with a light spritz of spray oil.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the cereal, oatmeal and stir in the milk and oil.
Allow everything to absorb and soften for 15 – 20 minutes. If you are hard pressed for time, you may skip this step.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Add the baking powder and soda, then stir in the juice (or zest, if using).
Add the flour, combining only enough to moisten everything – try not to over work.
Spoon into prepared tins and bake 10 minutes for mini-muffins and 15 minutes for regular sized muffins or until golden and slightly crisp around the edges.

GOOD MORNIN’ SUNSHINE JUICE

2 Cups Orange Juice, freshly squeezed is of course the best
2/3 Cup Fresh, Hulled Strawberries
1 Banana, Frozen

Blend everything on high, until the fruit is puréed and everything is smooth.
If you’re not usually a pulp lover, you might want to strain the strawberry seeds.

*Note: If you don’t have a frozen banana on hand, just crush an ice cube or two to get the chilled slush goodness.