{Dining in: Duo of salads and C&G’s bamboo coconut rice pudding}
The warm weather has got me craving salads. Colourful ones with a variety of flavours and textures. And of course you gotta have some bacon there. Bacon makes everything taste better.
I made these recipes up with what I bought at the market and had in the fridge, here’s what was in the mix:
- Broccoli florets (cooked in the steamer till it turns a vibrant green but still had crunch)
- Corn niblets (cut off the cob)
- Raw Sunflower seeds
- Spiced pecans
- Dried cranberries
- Red onion
- Sultana raisins
- Bacon bits (cooked by me of course, please don’t buy that premade stuff)
- Chopped fresh dill
Oh yea, and this salad tastes even BETTER then next day. Yum.
I was on a roll, so I whipped up this other one. Really simple. Just steam some peeled beets over a pot of boiling water till its fork tender. Chop up and toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a bit of maple syrup, salt and pepper. Throw in a handful of fresh dill and top with tangy crumbled feta right before serving to avoid the pink cheese look. Top with more ground pepper.
I tell ya, these ingredients are a match made in salad heaven.
Fact: Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betanin and vulgaxanthin are the two best-studied betalains from beets, and both have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support. Beets are high in iron, calcium and folic acid, which is recommended for pregnant women because it may lower the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects in newborn infants. They are also high in fibre and stimulate the functions in the liver.
Making it the perfect thing to eat after a night of too much wine with the girlies…Not that I would know anything about that 
Why have one salad, when you can have TWO. A powerhouse of nutrients on a plate.
Oh yea, and those spiced pecans. I picked these ones up at the Farmers Market. A small bag for $6?!
Note to self: Buy them bulk and make your own like these. They’re so easy to make, but I was tempted by the samples (they get me everytime).
A recipe I’ve been meaning to share with you for a while is my coconut bamboo rice pudding. Prepare like you would a regular pudding. I used this recipe here (minus the chai spices, ginger and raisins) and topped with fresh cut mango chunks, shredded coconut and caramelized pine nuts (toast in a pan with brown sugar and honey till golden).
The bamboo extract makes creates a beautiful pistachio green coloured pudding.
I’ll end my post with a cute art installment I saw in Kensington awhile back.
All you need is love.
