organics...

Ok, so I think I've been slightly ambitious thinking that I'd be able to post more than once per week! However, it's the holidays and I promise I'm doing my darndest!

As any followers would know, I received a new delivery last week - this time with an organic twist!  For the first time, I received something other than what was listed on the content list I get with the box - but as promised, is was replaced with 'something of equal value'.  I got a couple bags of green beans instead of a head of broccoli.  Below is what I received, and again, on visual inspection all the produce looked terrific.  A couple of interesting items...a light green/grey teardtrop shaped squash, which I've determined to be a grey hubbard squash, and some live lettuces! neat! that little package of lettuce standing up on the left side of the photo was shipped along with it's soil!  It's a varitey of 4 young lettuces (pleural of course being - letti ) that stayed fresh and crispy in the fridge - in the soil - (in a hole in the bottom of the sea... there's a HOLE, there's a hole... there's a hole in the bottom of the sea! 'member that one?)..anywho it stayed fresh and crispy for a whole week!

Uninterestingly - I got another bloody bag of potatoes.

 This past week has had me wrapped up in a flurry of social functions with no time to cook, but I've managed to used a few items along the way...sadly, I ended up having to toss the avocado - waited too long to use it...to think, I could've brought burrito night to the next level of deliciousness.

Dish numero uno (speaking of spanish numbers, who's heard about that football player - Cincinatti Bengals I think - who officially changed his last name to "ochocinco" because his number is 85...his jersey says ochocinco with 85 underneath!...yikes man.)

ok ok...sorry, I'm making a lot of weird side notes - on to the good stuff!

I call these...

I-kinda-feel-Italian-making-these Mussels

Mussels are truly one of the easiest proteins to make - and for some reason, they impress people.  Also, they are cheap as chips (as R.Goodall would say).  Regular price is $5 fo 2 lbs at my loblaws - normally, when ordering at a resto, you'd get a pound.

Ingredients

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  2 lbs mussels
  
  
  
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  1/2 box spaghetti - I use my fave PC omega 3 spaghetti - it's a whole wheat/lentil mix dough. yum!
  
  
  
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  1/2 a large can of diced tomatoes (I use PC no added salt), you can use the whole can too - I only had 1/2 left.
  
  
  
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  1 onion (organic GFB) chopped
  
  
  
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  2 cloves garlice (GFB) chopped
  
  
  
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  1 bunch spinach (organic GFB)
  
  
  
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  EVOO
  
  
  
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  s&p
  
  
  

Instructions:

1. To prep your mussels, you'll need to wash them, and de-beard them.  First thing to look for when you transfer your mussels into a colander for rincing is any mussels that are open.  If you find an open one, lightly tap the shell on a hard surface...if the mussel is alive (and it should be), the shell will slowly close.  If the mussel remains open, it's dead - toss 'er.  You'll notice when you're rincing the mussels there are some hair-like fibres protruding from the side of the shell.  These are the beards (they attach the mussels to one another in a colony) - tear these off - you may have to grab them with a dish towel, cause they can get a little slick.  Here's a good link to prepping mussels (http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Cleaning-Mussels/Detail.aspx).  I don't soak my mussels and never find them sandy, I think mine are cultured - maybe they're sand free?  I do give mine a good scrub with the bristly side of my sponge though.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water (use a couple tsp of table salt) to a boil and cook your pasta as directed.  When it's al dente, strain, but reserve a 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water.
3. meanwhile, heat EVOO over med heat in a large pot - sautee onions and garlic until translucent
4. add tomatoes until heated through
5. Add the mussels, cover the pot, and let steam for 3 minutes.  The mussels are ready when they open up!
6. Combine the mussel mixture, the pasta, and the raw spinach into one of the warm pots, add the pasta water, toss everything together, and replace the lid for another minute or two to allow the spinach to wilt.  (if you come across any mussels that haven't opened - toss em! it means they were dead before you cooked them) 

This was deliciously salty, simple and healthy.  Rory loved this dish too.  The whole meal takes about 25 minutes from very start to finish too.  I do make mussels now and again, and it's a great ingredient to be creative with - I've made mine steamed in wine, in coconut milk, in chicken stock, with a variety of veggies...serving them with a rich and spicy tomato sauce is really yummy, with a nice rustic loaf of bread to soak up all the amazing juices.  Give them a try if you haven't before! you'll be so surprised how easy they are!

My next dish is a take on a side that I made for Thansgiving....

Maple roasted sweet pototoes and caramelized onions with a parmesan crust

Ingredients:

• 
  
  a number of sweet potatoes - I'd say 4-5 medium sized ones.  (3 GFB, 1 super huge organic GFB)
  
  
  
• 4 cups of slices onions (organic GFB)
• 4 Tbsp oil - divided (I used canola)
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese (only the real deal please!)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (or veg)
• 1/4 cup light cream (I used 5%, but richer would obviously be deelish too)
• S&P
  

Instructions:

1. preheat oven to 400F
2. peel and roughly chop sweet potatoes
3. drizzle 2 Tbsp oil and maple syrup over potatoes in oven proof dish, sprinkle with s&p - throw 'em in the oven and roast for 40 mins or until easily peirced with a fork.
4. meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp of oil over low heat - add onions, cooking slowly for 20 - 30 minutes, until onions are a deep sweet brown.
5. Combine the potatoes and onions in a dish/pot where they can be blended with a hand blender, or put them in a regular blender. 
6. Add cream and stock slowly, blending in between additions - blend until you reach a consistency that suits you - mine were very smooth and moist. (you may need more or less stock/cream)
7. Transfer mixture into an oven safe dish, sprinkle with parmesan - bake until the top starts to brown into a lovely crisp looking crust.

I brought these potatoes to a pot-luck at work, and they were a hit - when I went to get my dish back, it had practically been licked clean!  I did get a chance to try them, and damn they were good!  Please try these!

 On to the afformentioned burrito night (FYI - afformention is one of Rory's favorite words).

My intention was to use the avocado for burrito night, but when I found out it was past it's prime, I decided to go on with the show!   I'm not going to give these burritos a name, because it's not really a recipe...just a bunch of yummy things in a soft warm (whole wheat!) shell. 

 My burrito contents:

• brown basmati rice - cooked stovetop with salt and a little oil
• my homemade refried bean mash - mince a 1/2 jalepeno, a clove or two of garlic, and sautee them with a can of rinsed black beans for a few minutes.  Then mash em up, add a tbsp of sour cream, the juice of 1/2 a lime and spread  over burritos and other mexican style foodstuffs to your heart's content!
• chicken thighs, sauteed with a 1/2 a chopped tomato, some chili power (1 tsp), lime juice (1/2 lime), and s&p
• chopped tomato
• recently dead live leaf lettuce (GFB organic)
• sour cream
  

yum yum! This was really good and healthy!  Other things that would be yummy in this - peppers, onions, cheese, mashed sweet potato (Kensington market Yam Burritos - to die for!), guacamole of course...the list could really go on...another opportunity for creative cooking :)

I have a couple more things planned for the next couple of days involving beans, zucchini and carrots, so keep following!

I'm leaving you with this beautiful photo of Choereg, an Armenian holiday bread - this photo was taken before I dove in for a piece - it's a slightly sweet, dense, doughy textured bread, that really reminds of a cinnamon bun ...I sliced a piece and ate it warm with a little margarine...and it was devine!  Thanks so much to Christine for this thoughtful and delectable gift :)