Farmer’s Market 2010

21 Monday Jun 2010

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Wow what a difference a week makes, these photo’s are from June 12 the opening of the Farmer’s Market. The weather was cold and rainy but that didn’t stop any of us from getting there early to show our support. I came home with fresh spinach and chard, as well as strawberries and asparagus. We were in and out pretty quick because of the weather, but is was so great to be back at the park and great to see all those great faces again.
First picture: In the center of the park where you can get food, coffee and treats there is also live music. I don’t know the name of this band but there a couple of young folksy guys, they sound great.
Second picture: At this booth in the center of the park you can get smoothies, the cool this is that this guy peddling is actually powering the blender to make the smoothies!
Third picture: Do I need to explain? How stinkin cute is this dog in a raincoat?!

The Soup

02 Wednesday Jun 2010

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So know one wants to talk about the stomach flu or food poisoning but I’m suffering from one of them. I think last night was the first time I had eatin since Monday morning and I went for my cure all soup. I make this soup at least once a week, I make it when it’s cold outside, I make it when I have had way to much fun the night before and I most certainly make it when I’m not feeling well. I also call this soup Ramen Soup for Adults, which I made on Channel 2’s cooking segment “Monday Mom’s”. It just makes me feel good on the inside, it’s easy and you can add whatever you have in the kitchen. It’s a grown up version of Top Ramen and it’s good for the whole family. Enjoy!

P.S. I’m going to give you the broth recipe which always stays the same and can be doubled over and over to feed everyone, and then I’ll share some things you can add to it to fit your needs and desires.
-Ramen Soup- makes 1 generous serving or 2 moderate servings
2 c. veggie broth
1-2 c. water
2 large garlic cloves, cut in half
1 inch ginger, peeled and cut in half
2 T. liquid amino’s
2 T. mirin
1- 2 tsp. sesame oil
2, 1 inch pieces kombu (sea vegetable, so good for you)
2 tsp. miso paste (dissolved with some warm broth and added to the soup at the very end)
fresh lemon or fresh lime juice
-optional-
sesame seeds
hot rooster sauce
edamame
quinoa (pre-cooked according to directions)
sauted crimini or baby shitake mushrooms
carrots, broccoli, bell peppers
diced avocado
noodles of course (I like somen noodles) you could also use tofu noodles or soba noodles
1. Start with a medium soup pot over medium heat add the vegetable broth, water, garlic, ginger, and kombu (if using carrots, mushrooms and bell peppers, saute them in the pot first to soften them then remove and reserve to add later). Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. When the twenty minutes is up fish out the garlic, smash the garlic and add it back to the soup. Add the cooked veggies if using them, also this is a good time to add the edamame. Also add the liquid amino’s and mirin and simmer another 10 minutes. Before serving remove the ginger and kombu. This is where you would add the dissolve miso paste into the soup, make sure the heat on the oven is turned off. The heat kills all the good stuff in miso.
3. Garnish the soup with sesame oil and fresh lemon or lime juice. Oh and of course some hot sauce, I like this soup spicy. (if your having stomach issues, omit the hot sauce)
Tip: If using noodles I cook them separate and put to the side. When I’m ready to serve I divide the noodles between the serving bowls and top with warm broth filled with veggies. Lately I’ve been using quinoa instead of noodles and I’ve been adding diced avocado. Make it your own, have fun.
Kombu benefits: Increases digestibility, reduces blood cholesterol and hypertension. Kombu is high in iodine, calcium and potassium as well as vitamin A and C. (Next time you make a pot of beans, chili or lentil soup add a piece of kombu for these added benefits.)
Miso: Is high in B12 and protein and rich in vitamins and minerals. Some experts suggest miso is a good source of Lactobacillus acidophilus (good for healthy gut).

Sincerest Apology

24 Monday May 2010

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Hello to my friends, my sincerest apology for not updating my blog. I have been working my regular job as well as helping my friend Melanie with another job and attending school. Not to mention taking care of my sweet husband with whom I just celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary, YEAH! After this week things will get a little back to normal, I hope you’ll hang in there with me. Only three weeks until Farmer’s Market gets going again then I’ll have lots to talk about.

There’s a new market in town you should check out, Cali’s Natural Market it’s located at 389 W. 1700 So. it’s locally owned and there philosophy is providing the freshest and healthiest cuisine, without compromising. The owners of Cali’s also own Sage’s Cafe, and Vertical Diner (which is a vegan diner). Check them out.
http://calisnaturalfoods.com

To Eat Meat or Not to Eat Meat?

03 Monday May 2010

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So after watching Food Inc. I wanted to blog about it but I try really hard on my blog to have the food be fun, light, healthy, creative and responsible. I make my food choices on what feels good for me and my family. I have mentioned before that I went vegan to combat some serious heath issues that I had been dealing with, in a million years wouldn’t have guessed that my journey would go in that direction. But I have to say that even though that was such an emotional time it was one of the best things I had ever been through, and even though I’m not a strict vegan today it still have alot of vegan recipes that I make and seek out. People ask me all the time what we eat. The answer: We primarily eat a plant based diet, this also includes eggs (which are local), cheese (again, local) and wild fish on occasion. This is what feels responsible to us and the environment around us. And yes on occasion we may eat meat, but we are very particular about where we get that meat. The cool thing is that local ranchers sell there humanly raised meat at our farmers market as well as some of the speciality markets around town, also local restaurants are getting on board with this movement. My food philosophy is simple, I’m a foodie first (this means it must be good) but it must also be the best, healthiest ingredients possible.

Recently my husband read this great article in the news paper about eating meat, it was written by a local girl who went to the U of U, is a Mormon (Latter Day Saint, in case you don’t know what a Mormon is) an environmentalist and a vegetarian. I too thought it was an interesting article, you be the judge.
http://sltrib.com and search Leslie Conder, ‘Law of Health’ says eat meat sparingly or not at all

Spring Pasta

25 Sunday Apr 2010

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Hola, my friends I am sorry that it has been a minute since my last post :(. Anyways I wanted to share this great recipe that I’ve made twice since I last posted. I was trying to get Billy to play hokey with me from work on Earth Day (April 22) , which didn’t work so well considering my sweet husband has a hard time saying no. So I got him a little here and there through out the day, while we were eating our raw oatmeal, and drinking our fair trade coffee we happened to catch the Rachael Ray Show. I had a hunch that she would probably make a vegetarian dish considering it was Earth Day, and I was right. She made this awesome Spring Pasta dish, Billy liked it so much he asked me to write it on the ‘list’ (this would be the new list we started so I could keep track of his favorite recipes since he can never remember). This dish is full of fresh bright flavors, it’s like a spring party in your mouth.
So here’s the deal I’m going to leave the link instead of typing the whole recipe out, it may be easier to print it from her website, trust me you’ll want to keep this one. Enjoy! Lemon Chive Spaghetti w/Farmers Market Veggies

FOOD INC.

20 Tuesday Apr 2010

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If you have not heard about this documentary you have probably been living under a rock! It was even nominated for an Oscar this year, it will be showing on KUED (channel 7) April 21 @ 9pm. This is an amazing film about our food and the effects on us and the environment, we all deserve to know where our food comes from and how it is treated. PLEASE if you can WATCH this Wednesday night just in time for Earth Day on Thursday. Much love, (thanx for the email Gwen).

DIY Recipe- Almond Milk

20 Tuesday Apr 2010

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Almond Milk

I love this almond milk, this recipe was shared with me by my friend Gwen. This is another one of those items I was happy to remove from my grocery list because I can Do It Myself! I buy the almond and dates for this recipe in bulk section of my store, so it saves me money and I have better quality control when it comes to the ingredients. I probably make two jars a week but here’s the only disclaimer, this milk goes bad in about 4 days. If you can commit to using this homemade almond milk you won’t be sorry, it’s delicious and fun. I say fun because it will be a totally new experience for your taste buds and your insides will rejoice to have some thing so fresh and natural. I use this milk in our breakfast shakes and in my raw cereal. I hope you’ll try it,Enjoy.

-Almond Milk-

1/2 c. raw organic almonds (soaked overnight in water, enough to cover an inch above the almonds)
2 tsp. raw agave nectar, pure vanilla extract
4 c. water
1/2 c. pitted dates
pinch of salt

1. After the almonds have soaked overnight, drain and rinse them under fresh water. Place in the blender with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Blend until all the almonds and dates are blended well. Pour the milk into a bowl and let sit 30 min to an 1 hour. (This let’s the milk absorb all the goodness before you strain it.)
3. Strain the milk through a fine mesh strainer into a new bowl, take a spatula and press as much of the liquids from the solids through the strainer. Discard the solids, stir the milk and pour into a mason jar with a lid. Place in the refrigerator until chilled through. Enjoy!

DIY Recipes- Kale Chips

19 Monday Apr 2010

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Kale Chips
This picture doesn’t do these kale chips justice. This is one of those items I was was happy to remove from my grocery list because I can make them myself. When money gets tight we all look for ways to cut back, well for me the groceries aren’t an option. I feel that when times get stressful taking great care of yourself by eating well is the best insurance policy you can have. So make healthy food fun, that’s what I have done here with the kale chips. In return it saved me money on my food budget, but I didn’t have to budget my health and well being in the process. My good friend Kimmy made them for her family and even her one year old Martine loved them. Good luck and ENJOY!
-Kale Chips-
1 big bunch of kale, stems removed , washed and cut into 1-1/2 pieces
1 T. olive oil, or coconut oil
1/4 t. real salt (local salt) or celtic salt
1. Toss the kale with the olive oil and salt. Making sure all the kale is coated.
2. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook for 10-15 minutes at 375. (They are better on the crispier side)
3. Remove from oven and Enjoy.