Muesli

I think the most important part of a successful cleanse is variety. Having the same thing for breakfast everyday makes it more difficult to stay on track. Eating enough for breakfast is also important.

This morning, I went to Whole Foods looking for food ideas. I came across quinoa flakes and brown rice flakes AND brown rice couscous!! I bought a huge bunch of basil from a veggie store nearby and am keen to make cleanse-friendly pesto later today.

But this post is about my breakfast. Quinoa “oatmeal” is too bland on it’s own. I topped it with some of the rhubarb strawberry sauce I made yesterday, some sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax meal, fresh blueberries, kamut puffs and a splash of unsweetened soy. It feels like eating warm muesli. It’s full of textures and flavours that leave a smile on my face.

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Collard Greens

After perusing multiple collard green recipes, this, our second attempt at collard greens turned out tasty!

The quandary was whether to saute lightly (brazilian style) or to ‘cook the hell out of them’ (soulful). Most soul foodesque varieties of collard greens involve bacon, bacon grease and loads of butter; but we’re doing this vegetarian and Wild Rose friendly. After attempt #1, there was just too much bitterness in the greens for our palates, even though we sauteed the leaves for about 20 minutes. Tonight, we cooked the hell out of em. Don’t be shy!

Cut the ribs off of the greens, then cut into slices that are about 1/3 of an inch thick. Add the greens to boiling salted water and boil for 15 minutes; then strain.

Mince 3 cloves of garlic and thinly slice a small onion. Melt 1tsp butter with 1 tsp of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions and strained collard greens to the pan and cook till everything starts to brown and caramelize (about another 15 mins). If you’d like, add a small amount of chilli pepper flakes to the pan too.

Right before serving, squeeze half of a lemon into the pan. The photo below is muted due to the steamy goodness of the greens. We will be making these again.

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Wild Rose culinary adventures

“Blogs are graffiti with punctuation.” I actually wouldn’t mind posting my thoughts on the side of a building or a Cambie tabletop; but those locations are taboo…especially since “the tables” received an artistic facelift.

This summer, I have found myself resorting to my comfortable habits of posting a thick spray of things on Facebook, while neglecting this venue…that I’m paying for! With this freshly downloaded iPhone app, I shall give this another go.

I love to write. I also love to cook. Having recently returned from a five week trip to Montreal, during which I ate my way through the city, I decided to start a detox/cleanse. A 12 day cleanse with a smartphone is much more fun than without. I must note that I’m already on Day 3. Feeling good, and a little loose. (mmm, my first over share). I’ve just attached photos from my first few days of the Wild Rose Cleanse. I’ll describe them from top to bottom:

1. Veggie Stir-fry — noodles made from shaved daikon radish (an idea stolen from Martha Stewart). peel the long radish to make “noodles” and soak in cold water for 15 mins. The radishy flavour lessens in potency dramatically. I flavoured with a homemade veggie broth, Braggs, ginger, and garlic.

2.Roasted Squash, Potato, Onion and garlic on Quinoa. We let the natural sweetness from the veggies flavour this dish and only seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika.

3.Oatmeal and berry sauce. There’s something so comforting about making oatmeal in a pot, instead of a microwave (we don’t have one and love it). Fresh blueberries and strawberries are so naturally sweet, they require no sugar when cooking them down with a bit of water and a splash of lime juice at the end. Topped with flax meal (which we learned has a natural anti-inflammatory element)

4. Mexican “Dragon Bowl” – the idea was a burrito in a bowl. blackbeans, soy protein, freshly ground coriander and cumin with tomato juice cooked down to make a great tasting base that was topped with freshly made guacamole, pico de gallo, and green onions. My partner topped his with some greek yogurt.

5. Leftovers for breakfast. turned roasted veggies and quinoa into a quick hash. good stuff.

 

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