Recipe: Simple Tomato Bocconcini & Greens

Just when you thought you’d had enough freshness.

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.

~ Leo Tolstoy

I’ve got to admit, I’m (just a little) salad crazy.

Are you salad crazy too? I know in the summertime it is quite common, when the greens are plentiful & dirt cheap and folks get hot and will do anything to avoid turning on the stove.

The truth is, I’m simply salad crazy all year long.

It doesn’t matter the season, you’ll always find salads in this house. Light fare leaves one still feeling limber after a meal, as nothing makes me lose my spark quicker than an over full (and over-taxed) stomach.

Don’t chase your dreams, catch them.

~ Unknown

Today’s salad is a celebration of a classic. The tomato salad at its core is about as basic a salad as it gets.

Whether you use beefsteak, heirloom, romas, or tomatoes on the vine, take a few tomatoes, slice them up and you’ve got one of the best salads around. Here, I started with whole cherry tomatoes. Easy peasy.

A visit to  the store will quickly tell you what tomatoes to buy. Buy them ripe, as ripe as you can while still being firm to the touch. These beloved healthy gems are one of those things that most people love, though there are a few folks I have met that simply don’t care for them.

Personally, I could eat them everyday, (and sometimes do).

There are the classic red tomatoes. There are so many kinds out there it’s crazy. Buy the ones that look the best to you. That way you know you’ll enjoy them more. It’s that simple.

Words have wings…so speak good things.

~ Anonymous

These orange beauties caught my eye, can you see why? They are so gorgeous, and right then and there I knew it was a tomato salad night.

Our family loves bocconcini, or fresh mozzarella balls, and Caprese salad is always a huge hit. Here is a sweet & simple version made with pearl bocconcini, but you can use what ever size you like (in tomatoes or bocconcini really). I like this as it incorporates greens into the mix – because really, why not?

Vegan? Hint: cube up some firm tofu the same size as the tomatoes and let it soak in the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt before adding to the mixture. Your results will look just as beautiful as this, without the added dairy. More easy peasy. More delicious.

The only thing I know, is that I know nothing.

~ Socrates

The Less:

Fewer ingredients means preparation in seconds. Fewer dressing needs means adding flavor with just a few splashes. Less need for complication means getting in the kitchen is easy, fun, and delicious, so your meal and the day to follow are yours to enjoy.

The More:

More tomato & basil means more summer flavors in your bowl. More simple dressing for salads means more motivation to make them. More easy beautiful food, means impressing friends with very little effort. And any incentive to do that is a win 🙂

Simple Tomato Bocconcini & Greens:

• (3-4) cups cherry tomatoes (mixed colors or all the same)
• (1) cup pearl bocconcini cheese (or equal amounts cubed raw tofu marinated in the juice of half a lemon)
• (4-6) cups clean salad greens of your choice, torn
• (2) tbsp good olive oil
• (2) tbsp balsamic vinegar
• (4-8) fresh basil leaves
• sat and pepper to taste

Simply wash your tomatoes and set them in a strainer to drain. Wash and tear the greens (arugula, lettuce, kale, sprouts) and set aside in a bowl.

Slice the basil leaves in thin ribbons. To ‘ribbon’ fresh basil, simply layer the leaves on top of one another and roll them into a roll. Slice the roll horizontally to get long thin uniform strips. These should be used immediately as they will discolor some once cut.

Drain the bocconcini and toss in a medium bowl with the tomatoes. When ready to serve, layer the greens at the bottom of a serving dish. Toss the tomatoes and cheese (or tofu) with the oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Top the greens with the tomato mixture and garnish with fresh basil ribbons. Top with additional fresh pepper if desired.

Of course a salad so simple as this requires the freshest of ingredients.

Buy the freshest, perkiest lettuce you can find. Pick it from your own back yard, or have a good chat with the guy at the farm stand when you buy it. It might make you smile as you eat it. Then again, it might not. It’s all up to you.

To live at all is miracle enough.

~ Mervyn Peake

Serve this at dinner with anything you desire. It’s great with fresh bread, pasta salad, potato salad, or even a few of these high protein Quinoa Bites.

It’s also great just on its own.

Listen to your heart. Because wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure.

~ Paulo Coelho

What’s your treasure?

We’re in serious countdown mode here at the IPOM world headquarters (teehee), 5 sleeps to go until we leave for Paris and the packing is almost done! We’re tying up details left right and center here.

I’ve had a good break in the past few weeks from anything too intense and am looking forward to a true holiday (I’ve just been warned about the lack of reliable wi-fi anywhere in France), and I’ll hope to be blogging as I feel inspired to share, so stay tuned for IPOM from France!

I’ll be looking forward to September too, when plans and new initiatives for Not So Fast will get in full swing once again. One thing is for sure, it is never boring 🙂

It’s a real journey, and one I’m so happy to share with you readers, as well as the amazing crew that have hopped on the bus to join me. I am amazed at the passion out there and it drives me to keep going everyday. Love & gratitude to you all.

• What’s your favorite version of Tomato Salad?
• Got a cause you’re passionate about sharing with us?

I’d love any links or add-ons to this super classic (and ever my favorite) summer salad, and to hear what really gets your gears going.

I always love to hear from each and every one of you, wishing you all a super swell few days!

Yours in Less,

Recipe: Fennel Apple Juice with Greens & Fresh Lemon – and a Guest Post & Giveaway!

A little rest for the tummy is sometimes nice.

Fresh air impoverishes the doctor.

~ Danish Proverb

Happy Saturday readers!

Today I am excited to share with you a number of things. Firstly, this Saturday, one of my most favorite blogging buds Somer over at Good Clean Food is hosting a super awesome giveaway.

She is also kindly hosting a guest post from yours truly for this very recipe shared here today: a gorgeous, sweet, and truly healthy green juice! Read on to get the goods here, or head straight over there and enter to win a sweet running skirt from Lululemon on Somer’s blog!

Somer and I both share a mutual love of running – and I encourage you to read her story here – her ‘becoming a runner’ story is truly as inspirational as her personality. I’m thrilled to team up with her to share this recipe and celebrate all things healthy – whether it is a healthy diet, or health through physical activity, or just a straight up healthy attitude & mind (the most important thing of all, IMO).

Today’s juice recipe is (true to IPOM form) super simple. Of course, you need to own a juicer for it, but other than that, the ingredients are easy and accessible, and won’t break the bank either.

Sweet fennel and apples team up to offer balance against healthy cancer fighting vegetables like cabbage and kale, and are rounded out with the zing and pop of fresh lemon.

I’ve posted one green juice recipe here on this blog before, but I think I may have just found my new favorite. Now that is a seriously big claim, but if you get a chance to try it, I’ve a feeling it could become yours too!

The Less:

Less chewing and digesting means less work on the system. Less store-bought, packaged juice means less sugar and cooked compounds. Less refined sugar beverages means more low-calorie energy, and less cooking means hopefully more ways to expend it.

The More:

More easily assimilated raw juices means more dynamic raw nutrition. More sweetness and balance means more satisfaction to ward off cravings. More creative ways to juice with more easily found ingredients, means more likelihood you’ll do it over (and over) again.

Fennel Apple Juice with Greens & Fresh Lemon:

• (2) small fennel bulbs, or (1) medium, with stalks removed
  (if the only fennel available is extra-large start with half and adjust to taste)
• (2) medium organic apples
• (1) organic lemon, whole
• (8) leaves kale
• (1/4) medium-sized green cabbage

Clean and process all ingredients into juicer friendly pieces. Make sure to leave the skin on the lemon as this adds to the taste of the final product significantly.

Juice all ingredients and strain if desired (my preferred way to enjoy it), and serve immediately for best nutritional value and taste!

Utilizing kale and cabbage as the veggie base of this juice adds such amazing nutritional benefit, and both are easy to find and easy (and cheap) to grow just about anywhere. Cabbage is one of my most favorite vegetables and keeps all through the winter given proper storage.

Adding sweet fennel offsets any bitterness, and makes this green cocktail absolutely sing!

So whether you are a runner, a walker, a cyclist, or just about any other fantastic version of yourself, this juice is almost guaranteed to make you feel like a million bucks.

It might make you feel almost as good as you’ll look in Somer’s sexy running skirt if you head over there to enter;)

The greatest wealth is health.

~Virgil

Sometimes the body just needs a rest. Just like a good nap on the couch on a lazy Saturday, this juice could provide just the break you need to feel (just a little) more rested and whole. Doesn’t that sound spectacular (I’m thinking of the nap really!)?

• What is your go to physical activity?
• Got a favorite juice to share with us?

We’re on the countdown here to take off (8 sleeps!) and are hard at work packing and tying up details before our big upcoming holiday. I’ll be sipping and slurping this juice this weekend and enjoying (just a little) fresh air.

Wishing you all a wonderful summer weekend!

Yours in Less,

Picking Fruit Seaside and a Chilled Cherry Almond Smoothie

This is one of the best parts of summer.

That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.

~ Emily Dickinson

Oceans are beautiful, aren’t they?

I am lucky to have grown up on the ocean, spending my youth just a few minutes from the peaceful rocky beaches of British Columbia. I still live near the ocean here in Vancouver, and admit I might find it tough to ever live away from it.

I am also lucky enough to live in one of the top cherry producing regions in the world. You know, those dark red fruits that grow up to the size of small plums and stain your hands and clothes as well as your palate, rendering it useless to enjoy any other fruit as much (at this time of the year).

Oceans and cherries. Two wonderful things.

Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright.

~ Bob Marley

You have to be someone.

~ Bob Marley

Well you can imagine the sheer glee on our recent island weekend at the discovery (by me, my daughter, and my visiting younger sister) of cherry trees laden with ripe fruit growing seaside not far from our parents home.

There isn’t a much better way to cap off a leisurely afternoon of sunshine and swimming at the beach than taking a spontaneous detour down a country lane to find bushels of your favorite fruits – just hanging there amongst the shipwrecks and sun-laden stillness.

It was a perfect day if there ever was one.

You can only lose what you cling to.

~ Buddha

My sister and I felt like kids again without a care in the world, except maybe being late to dinner at home as a result of our spontaneous excursion to the seaside orchard. Not far from when we were kids really, now that I think about it. And it felt good.

Today I’m excited to share those photos with you all as well as this simple and truly delicious recipe for a memorable summer drink. Another simple recipe requiring no more than 2 ingredients, this summer chiller really, truly, hits the spot.

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

~ Ghandi

The Less:

Fewer ingredients to play with means each one stands to play its part. Less time to prep once you are ready means having it in hand in minutes. Less packaged, store-bought fruit drinks means less waste and cooked sugars, and more reasons to use what’s seasonally on hand.

The More:

More fresh fruit and whole ingredients means more easy simple nutrition. More fresh fiber and whole fats from soaked nuts means more natural fuel, protein, and roughage. More easy simple recipes means more ways to enjoy your favorites, and these two are a match made in seaside cherry heaven.

*photos of the recipe were not made with the cherries picked that day : – )

Chilled Cherry Almond Smoothie:

• (1) heaping cup pitted ripe cherries
• (1) cup almond milk (homemade how-to is here)
• (6) ice cubes

To pit cherries, use the ripest fruit you can. If you have a cherry pitter, go ahead and use it, but I never have and (like usual) prefer to use my own tools (my hands). If the fruit is ripe, simply tear the cherry open and remove the pits with your hands. If they are more on the firm side, you can open them with knife (like an apple) and remove the pit then.

If you have the almond milk handy, simple combine the milk and cherries in a blender and add the ice cubes. Blend on high until frothy. Serve as desired and enjoy! A simple, easy way to cool down and enjoy two healthful and delicious foods.

Nothing fancy. But somehow it still seems fancy to me – how about you?

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it

~ Henry David Thoreau.

All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Summer is here and it’s a beautiful thing, my weekend at home was such a fabulous one, and much love to my folks and to my sister for the time together!

On another note, we are in the 10 day countdown until we leave for our trip to France for 3 whole weeks! I’ll be blogging from there as there will be just too much to keep up with, especially as we try to work our way through it all in true ‘less is more’ fashion.

As well, we are adding a link to the sidebar, but for those who wish to follow me on Instagram, you can do so by following @shiramcd.

I’ve really been enjoying this new way to keep up with friends, as pictures really can be worth a thousand words. There, you can bet I’ll be adding shots daily while we are away.

• Are you an Instagrammer?
• What is your favorite way to eat cherries?
• Ever picked them from the trees?

Do let us know. Until next time, IPOM readers, and I wish you all a truly wonderful day wherever you may be 🙂

Yours in Less,

Recipe: Chickpea Cauliflower Salad with Basil Dijon Dressing

A summer salad worthy of our attention.

To live is to love. There is no life without love.

~ Anonymous

On any given day our lives can change. They can change for the better, and they can also change in a way that forces growth (aka something not so wonderful happens).

Many of us are here in the blog world because we seek something extra in this life. When I started IPOM I can honestly tell you I didn’t realize the sheer depth of the people & passion I would find here (but I surely did suspect & believe it existed). Friends from all over the world who are sharing tidbits of their lives with others.

Whether it is food, art, adventure, or just a few thoughts here and there, I’ve been so pleased to find such endless inspiration as a result of sharing my own passions. With friends, life is always made easier. And with passion, life becomes rich. When there is love and passion in life, there is nothing that can’t be overcome (IMO, of course).

Where there is love there is life.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

This gorgeous salad is as simple as simple can be. Combine chickpeas with a few chopped fresh veggies and drown them in what is possibly the most delicious dressing on the planet.

This basil dressing is a variation on the dressing I shared at the Healthy Diva here, and features a little more basil this time to honor the bountiful basil plants that are gracing many a patio garden and planter at this time of year.

Basil makes everything it touches taste utterly sophisticated, and once you try this dressing, you’ll want to try it on everything from pasta salad to fresh greens to simple garden tomato salads. I highly encourage this, as we’ve been at it all week.

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

~ Mother Teresa

The Less:

Less heavy grain-based foods in summer means meals are as light as the summer nights. Less canned prepared bean salad means less preservatives and calories. Less bottled and preserved salad dressings means more flavor and real nutrition, without the added bottles, empty calories, and added cost.

The More:

More tasty veggie salads means more tasty easy meals. More homemade dressings means more inspiring reasons to eat salads. More high fiber vegetables and beans more movement in general, so lightness and health are yours all summer long.

Chickpea Cauliflower Salad with Basil Dijon Dressing:

• (2) cups cooked chickpeas (one 398ml can)
• (1) red pepper, diced
• (1) head cauliflower
• (1) bunch green onions, chopped (greens only)
• (1) clove garlic, minced
• (1) 398ml can artichoke hearts, quartered

Basil Vinaigrette:

• (1) entire bunch basil
• (1) cup good olive oil
• (1/2) cup red wine vinegar
• (4) tbsp Dijon mustard
• (3) tbsp sugar (brown or white)
• (1) tbsp salt
• (1) clove garlic
• (1/2) cup water

Start by cleaning and chopping the cauliflower into medium florets. Put up to steam in a little water, and cook 3-4 minutes until just soft. Remove from heat and rinse with cold water or in an ice water bath to cool. Set aside to drain in a colander until ready to use.

Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a blender (or in a large bowl with a hand blender) and blend until very well combined. Transfer to a clean jar.

Combine chickpeas, chopped red pepper, green onions, and minced garlic in a bowl. Add the cauliflower by hand, breaking into small pieces as you go with your hands.*

*When using cauliflower in smaller one inch pieces I prefer to break them organically with my hands versus cutting them with a knife. The presentation is more beautiful and natural, and it gives me a chance to connect with it – corny, yes, but awesome? YES.

Pour (1/3) to (1/2) cup of the vinaigrette into the bowl and mix gently with a large spoon to combine. If you are too vigorous with the mixing you can break the cauliflower pieces. Add more dressing as desired and save the remainder for later – there are so many uses for it – and this recipe makes a generous amount.

Serve in a lovely clean bowl garnished with quartered artichoke hearts. Set aside as many or as few artichoke hearts as you like and add to each serving on top or to the bowl. This fiber and flavor filled salad will keep in the fridge for up to a week and will get better with age. We enjoyed it several days later with some hot whole wheat pasta added. Amazing!

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.

~ Mother Teresa

We love the things we love for what they are.

~ Robert Frost

This salad made us very happy this week. The green onions were given to me by a good friend, picked just for me from his small patio garden which (I think) is making both him and his wife very happy this summer. Thanks Charlie and Becky for the gift of home-grown green onions!

• What salads are you loving right now?
• Got a favorite way with basil or chickpeas?

Feel free to let us know below!

Beautiful things bring happiness. I hope you find happiness in (just a little) beauty today, and with any luck, everyday.

Update: this recipe has been shared on Healthy Vegan Fridays hosted by Gabby at the Veggie Nook and 2 other fabulous bloggers 🙂

Yours in Less,

Taking Cues from Country Folk & Removing My Shoes

Start by removing all pretense, then your shoes.

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

I went, I saw, I ate, I reveled. I went home.

Freshly back from a visit to the country, my senses are still reeling from the sights and sounds of water, birds, soft grass, good clean food, laughter and plenty of pure unadulterated stillness.

A typical weekend visit to the family home means (weather permitting) farmer’s market visits, long runs in the quiet breezy air, and plenty of ocean-side time to the sounds of lapping water and the odd speed boat off in the far salty distance.

There, my phone doesn’t work, and neither do I.

This time of year, there is bounty in the gardens. Meals come from the yard and ingredients are picked not days, and not hours, but just minutes before preparing (and eating of course!).

Back home during the growing season, planning meals is as much about what is ready as it is about what your appetite tells you (actually quite a bit more).

Peas come and go for three weeks only, the strawberries show their bright faces only long enough to remember their soft red cheeks, and (thankfully) the kale grows for many prosperous and green months on end.

It’s a different (and refreshing) way to look at food.

I hope you’ll humor me as we walk through the garden and take (just a few) extra moments of island time.

Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.

~ Chinese Proverb

I always start by removing my shoes. The grass feels better that way, and somehow, everything seems just that much more beautiful. And real. Something about dirt in my toes.

Sometimes there isn’t an entire pints worth of strawberries left to pick and you have to enjoy what there is (these were the last ones saved for my daughter to pick).

This simple example (to me) embodies the ‘less is more’ lifestyle with crystal clarity – enjoying what there is when it is and making it last.

I won’t try to deny these strawberries were most thoroughly enjoyed. Yes, all 5 of them.

Whenever you are sincerely pleased, you are nourished.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

A quick (slightly disappointing) visit to the local grocery store offers a stark contrast to the bounty that is seen on display at the Farmer’s Market.

There at the market you can meet the guys who make your white chocolate scones and work through the night to make your loaf of daily bread.

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

~ Michael Pollan

It brings a new appreciation for where your food comes from – to see the hands that create the food for your nourishment and to lay eyes on the mouths that smile from a life of honest work.

For those of us who are blessed to live where produce grows in abundance, it seems an easy choice to buy (and eat) local.

Here in the city if I miss the Farmer’s Market, I’ve got a great grocery store in just about every neighborhood I can hit up as I need.

In many smaller communities this often isn’t the case. So more and more communities are relying on themselves, and on each other.

There are many communities across the globe who don’t have this…..yet.

After a visit like this, I return feeling more resolved than ever to work towards ways to bring food security to everyday people. Like me, (maybe) you, and (maybe) our neighbors.

There is just too much capability for abundance not to.

It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.

~ Aristotle

It seems so easy.

1. Grow food.

You need soil. You need seeds. Add a little sunshine and diligent watering and watch it grow.

I didn’t get my veggie garden in this year, as I mentioned there is just so much abundance all around me, there is no urgent reason not to support those who are working hard to produce amazing food for the region right now. It’s on the list, but for now I am happy to support those who are already in the game.

2. Cook it.

Prepare your meals with love. Plan around what there is. Use what you have, and what you can reasonably afford.

Maybe even tuck (just a little) away for someone else. Who knows? It’s all up to you, and to us as a whole, if we decide.

3. Eat it.

Eat with mindfulness if you can. Chew with gratitude. Swallow with awareness, and look your meal-mates in the eye. Talk with one another. Fully be. Wherever it is you may be.

4. Be nourished.

Being nourished is about so much more than just good food. Start with a helping of healthy, homemade vegetables & proteins, add a generous sprinkle of gratitude & and a moderate side of humility, and enjoy the fruits of your (or someone else’s) labor. After all, it is surely delicious. Isn’t it?

These are the simple things we can do.

From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.

~ Arthur Ashe

I want to take a moment to thank all of the supporters of this blog. Having such a supportive group of readers has made this whole project take on a completely new life. This isn’t just my project anymore – I really feel that it’s ours.

I have been touched to receive notes from a few of you looking to connect about health topics ranging from the importance of fitness to a holistic lifestyle (so true – link to Susan’s site here) – to the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle for those living with terminal illnesses such as cancer (link to Jillian’s blog here).

All of you have such amazing stories to tell and I am happy to do what I can to bring awareness to wellness initiatives everywhere.

But for now, let’s eat, and take off our shoes.

We all have things we do to escape and break what can seem like difficult patterns or routines we are stuck in – or simply just to get away. I’d love to hear what you do to step away.

• Are you a garden lover?
• Where do you take your shoes off and really relax?

For now, let’s eat well, and enjoy!

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.

~ Muhammad Ali

Next up I’ve got a super delicious chickpea salad in the wings – you’ll want to catch this one it is that delicious! Wishing you all a super fabulous week!

Yours in Less,

Simple Living Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower & Kale Pesto

More simply delicious. More simply easy.

How many things there are which I do not want.

~ Socrates

I definitely suspect know that I have a thing for vegetables. Most kids would travel to the big city (Toronto) to visit relatives and enjoy the spoiling that inevitably unfolds when in the company of doting extended family. Not this girl.

I can only imagine the shock and bewilderment when I arrived at my aunt’s house in Toronto (at the ripe old age of 12) – and upon being asked which of my favorite foods I would like to stock the house with, I promptly jotted down a list of my favorite vegetables. For steaming. It’s true.

Things really haven’t changed much.

Time is what we want the most, but what we use the worst.

~ William Penn

Always start with the freshest greens you can find.

If you’ve been reading IPOM for a while, then you might already be familiar with my favorite pesto of all time – the IPOM Killer Kale Pesto posted here .

It is insanely good either fully vegan or with added cheese, and it makes a wonderful addition to almost anything (including the delicious spelt pasta pictured here).

Case in point this recipe for roasted cauliflower.

Roasting cauliflower produces a taste and texture experience that is (IMO) out of this world, or rather ‘totally out of bounds’ as a few of my besties have been known to say (but not about cauliflower).

It is easy to cook, cauliflower is quite cheap, and guess what: it’s totally good for you too.

The years teach much the days never know.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Less:

Less fried or deep-fried foods means less troubling gas or potential indigestion. Less grain based or overly starchy side dishes mean more vegetables to compliment meals and make easy work of food combining. Less regular ways to prepare old ‘standbys’ means more variety to add to your tables, so even one or two ingredients tastes like a party on your tongue.

The More:

More ways to eat veggies more easy filling meals. More cruciferous greens and plant foods means more anti-cancer and disease fighting properties. More fiber, roughage, and water based foods means ‘using it and losing it’ is effortless. Because digestion needn’t ever be that taxing.

Roasted Cauliflower & Kale Pesto:

• (1) large Cauliflower
• (3-4) tbsp good olive oil (or a few good glugs – I learned that term here and love it)
• a few pinches of salt
• (1 – 2) tsp fried cumin seeds (optional)
• (1) recipe Killer Kale Pesto

Start by heating your oven to an aggressive 400 degrees. This is by far the best roasting temperature and can be used to roast all veggies from sweet potatoes, to tomatoes to zucchini & eggplant.

While the oven heats, trim and wash your cauliflower. Remove any of the leaves that are still on and discard or compost. On a cutting board, turn the whole head of the cauliflower upside down and slice into ‘steaks’ just under an inch thick, starting from the base of the head. Cut them as thinly as you can while still having them hold together is the key here.

You should end up with several ‘steaks’ and a few other smaller pieces that will not hold together with the rest. It’s all good, and the strays will be just as delicious as the larger ones. Sometimes even more so.

Generously oil with the olive oil a flat baking tray and set the cauliflower pieces down on the oiled side. Once they are all on and oiled on one side, turn them over to ensure each side gets coated (just a little).

Sprinkle the pieces lightly with a little salt if desired and put up to roast. Cook for 20 minutes and then flip to the other side and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray before serving.

Before serving, feel free to sprinkle with fried cumin seeds and serve however you wish. This version with Kale Pesto was so amazing that I just had to share it with you all!

This kept also incredibly well and the leftovers made for a wonderful midday meal while I was out and about.

Serve warm or at room temperature alongside a green salad, a protein dish, or (my choice) on its own.

It is quite filling and the nuts & oil in the pesto provide more than adequate sustenance and calories to make a light & satisfying meal for most (just not my overly manly husband – bless his heart).

So whether you are old pals with cauliflower or just getting to know it, this is a most enjoyable (and completely delicious) way to serve it to even the most newbie vegetable eater.

Leftover kale pesto can find it’s way into the rest of your meals long after you devour this cauliflower. Or you can just make it again too!

And it’s so easy, there really is no good reason not to.*

*Unless there is.

Realize deeply that the present moment is all you will ever have.

~ Eckhart Tolle

Who is rich?  He who rejoices in his portion.

~The Talmud

I hope whatever you do that you will do so with joy (as much as we can muster which at times is hard), and with gratitude and also with pleasure.

We don’t have long in this life but we do have right now.

I’ll be taking the weekend to visit some family with my youngest daughter before we run out of time this summer. Now that summer is finally here, it’s time to enjoy it while it lasts, and with that I am off yet again to visit the islands this time.

• Have you always loved veggies?
• What is your favorite way to eat cauliflower?
• Did anyone enjoy the coconut quinoa this week?

Wishing you all a most fabulous weekend (thank you all for reading!) with whomever you choose to spend it with. Be it friends, family, or just yourself. Enjoy!

Yours in Less,

Recipe: Coconut Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Sometimes I feel like I live in a dream.

Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.

~ Goethe

Well it is officially summer here in Vancouver. After a long spring, and many, many cold & wet & rainy days, the temperatures here are now warm again! I thought it would never come, but it did!

And oh, how sweet it is. One can hear many times the words of those who live and love in this dear part of the world. The words that forgive the endless days of rain and cold to be grateful to live in such a stunningly beautiful place.

It’s a good life.

I am one lucky girl.

Today’s recipe comes from an ingenious idea for a salad that captured my attention here at Sprouted Kitchen. I was so intrigued at the idea of cooking quinoa with coconut milk that I knew I had to try it.

But instead of salad, something about the combo said breakfast to me the day I read it (likely thanks to the long run the day before), and so with that, I went to work that very day.

Coconut is a vegan favorite, prized for richness and flavor that fills the gap when other things just won’t. I used full fat coconut milk for this (I use full fat everything or nothing at all) and the result was gloriously rich and satisfying, not to mention loaded with healthy fats to provide long burning fuel all day.

It was dreamy. So whether you are celebrating summer or the start of winter where you are, rest knowing you can be taken away to a delicious dream like state with a mere heavenly recipe. I hope you like this one. I sure did!

The Less:

Less boxed, packaged convenience cereal means more whole grain, whole fibre goodness. Less refined sugar and carbs means less sugar spikes and crashes. Less boredom at breakfast time means more looking forward to morning, because kitchens are delightful at the start of the day too 🙂

The More:

More fuel at the start of your day means less likelihood to crash later. More whole grain and high protein quinoa means more high nutrition for less cost. More creative vegan options means eating lighter can be easy, without worry about calories or content.

Coconut Quinoa Breakfast Bowl:

• (1) cup quinoa
• (1) cup coconut milk
• (1) cup cold water
• (1/8) tsp salt

Add per serving:

• (3) tbsp shredded coconut
• (1) tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup to taste
• (1/4) cup fresh blueberries
• (5-6) fresh cherries, halved and pitted
• (3-4) chopped pitted dates (optional)
• (1/4) cup plain yoghurt (optional)

Combine the coconut milk, quinoa, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat with the lid on, once it boils, turn the heat to low, and cook (covered) for 25 minutes.

Once the quinoa is cooked and all the water is absorbed, remove from the heat and fluff with a fork inside the pan.

To serve, scoop one cup of the coconut quinoa into a bowl, add the brown sugar (or maple syrup), and stir. Top with coconut, fruit, and optional dates and yoghurt. Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!

Local summer fruits are abundant here now and I know there are many of you who (like me) revel in the beauty and taste of fresh stone fruits and ripe sweet berries.

I wish the world over could enjoy them with me this time of year, and I am always grateful for each morsel.

One becomes older in order to become kinder.

~ Goethe

I always imagine the long hours it took for whomever picked my fruit to do it. It is fun to go for an hour or two, but could you do it all day? It’s tough out there in the hot sun. I try not to waste even one if I can help it.

This bowl came courtesy of the ‘leftover’ runt cherries my daughter didn’t eat.

They sure were the stars of this dish. Her loss.

Nothing should be prized more highly than the value of each day.

~ Goethe

To all of you who left me comments on my last post – thank you – I am looking forward to catching up on my blog reading and friendships this week!

You know how much I adore hearing from each and every one of you, and it was wonderful to see that some of started rolling right away!

• What is your favorite way to eat quinoa?
• Have you enjoyed it for breakfast too?
• Are you a fan of coconut like me?

This new way to enjoy one of my favorite nutritious grains will now be added to the permanent rotation of hot hearty breakfasts here at the world IPOM headquarters (just writing that makes me laugh – sorry I can’t help it!). You can also find this recipe submitted as part of Healthy Vegan Fridays.

I felt pretty amazing the day I ate this combo ~ almost as good as I feel knowing summer really has come for good here.

It’s a good thing! A very, very, good thing 🙂

Yours in Less,

Recipe: Easy Rice Paper Veggie Rolls

Ready to roll?

Good is the enemy of great.

~ Jim Collins

Well I think it’s finally here! Something that looks like summer…

Here in Vancouver the weather has finally turned for the better. It looks like the sun may stick around. This is just in time for a weekend away with my work mates as we head out for our annual retreat in a land far far away (the BC interior 3 hours outside of town here). This time we’ll be hidden away, tucked in the mountains, with access to a clean lake and hiking trails.

It will be lovely to get away. We’ll be working, of course, but amongst the fresh country air and the stillness of the mountains.

We’ll also be completely cut off from internet access with no phones either. Just us. That is a rare thing these days, and truthfully, I am a little excited! Time to turn it off, tune it in, and really ‘be here now’.

Creativity dies in an undisciplined environment.

~ Jim Collins

Today I want to share a long time favorite for me. Rolling rice wraps is as familiar to me as almost anything, and it is one of those fall backs I count on when I need to lighten up, and prepare good easy ‘grab and go’ food that I can pack and eat easily.

If you’ve never rolled rice paper before – prepare to have fun, and be surprised at how easy it is to make healthy vegetables disappear quickly right before your eyes!

I usually eat these with a thick tasty nut-based sauce, either a peanut sauce, or an asian inspired tahini sauce – but any sauce works – even plain soy sauce in a pinch.

Today I’ll share with you a recent recipe for Almond Butter ‘Peanut’ Sauce I tried from Natalia Rose’s Raw Food Detox book which was so good I had to share it with you all right away.

So let’s get rolling!

The Less:

Less greasy fried spring rolls means less irritated troubled tummies. Less heavily dressed packaged prepared food means lighter, leaner fill ups. Less cooked, salted veggies means more raw vibrant goodness, and more fun ways to prepare them means you’ll always use them all up.

The More:

More fun ways to eat vegetables means more likelihood it will happen. More easy prep beforehand means easy healthy snacking in mere seconds. More on the road finger food means less greasy messy containers – so eating and clean up are simple.

Easy Rice Paper Veggie Rolls:

• (1) package Rice Paper Wraps for Spring rolls (available at most stores in the Asian food section)
• (3-4) medium to large carrots (unpeeled if organic)
• (4-6) cups washed hardy greens (spinach, lettuce, arugula, pea greens)
• (1) red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise
• (1) bunch green onion tops
• (1) avocado (optional, only include if eating right away)

Sauce:

• (1) cup almond butter, raw (I am sure roasted would be delicious too)
• (2) tbsp freshly chopped ginger
• (1/2) cup water (to thin)
• (4) tbsp fresh lemon juice
• (1/4) cup maple syrup
• (3) tbsp Bragg or soy sauce
• (2) tbsp toasted sesame oil
• (2) cloves garlic
• (1/2) fresh jalapeno chile

Ready to roll?

Start by washing and prepping all of your veggies. Wash your greens, and leave them whole in a bowl and set aside. Grate your carrots and set aside in a separate bowl. Continue with the rest of the veggies, making sure to keep them all separate either in bowls or on a large platter or cutting board.

Next, prepare the sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a blender, and blend on high until smooth. Transfer to a bowl or container and refrigerate (taste it first and you’ll be amazed at how good it is).

To make the wraps, prepare a clean work surface on a counter top or a large cutting board. Get a large mixing bowl and fill it with hot tap water.Take 2 of the rice paper wraps and immerse them in the bowl of hot water (make sure they are separated). Allow to soak for 30 seconds, or until completely soft to the touch (don’t leave them in for too long!). Remove one from the bowl and lay flat on the work space. Remove the second from the bowl and lay on top of the first, overlapping the two by about a 1/3 – 1/2 (see the photo).

Next, spread a line of carrots down the middle, leaving a little space at the ends for tucking in the edges. Next, add the greens – don’t be shy on the amounts as the veggies will condense nicely once rolled. In fact, you will be shocked at how much raw goodness you can cram in each of these bad boys. The veggies always seem to disappear just as I get going 🙂

Follow the greens with a few strips of red pepper, green onion, and avocado if using.

At this point, you can decide whether to add a line of sauce to the inside of the rolls or not. I have tried them both ways and both are great, however, I do like the way they keep without the sauce and I always eat them with plenty of sauce on the side anyways!

Once you are all set on the veggies, start with one end of the roll and roll up, pulling the piled veggies into the roll with your hands to condense. Once you have the veggies tucked in nicely, turn in the side of the rice paper to form the ends of the roll.

Continue the rolling until the end – the wet rice paper will seal it all up inside as it dries. Place finished rolls on a clean plate until all done. You will find as they dry they are sealed little rolls of healthy perfection.

Continue this until all of your rolls are done (when your veggies are all gone). Don’t worry about running out of a vegetable – the more I make these the more I am reminded they taste great with any combination. You can really experiment with these!

Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.

~ Unknown

No mess, no fuss. Just good, healthy deliciousness. Serve with sauce on the side for either dipping, or with a spoon to grace each upcoming bite.

For packing takeaways, roll up with the sauce inside and eat cleanly 🙂

I find these are the perfect answer when I get a little what I call ‘salad fatigue’. They keep quite nicely for a day or two in the fridge and are wonderful to come home to when you need a quick bit to eat that won’t zap you of your energy.

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I hope you’ll get rolling too. I started years ago, and it’s been a favorite in the kitchen ever since. It is cheap (a pack of these wraps cost less than $3) and a great way to use up veggies from the fridge.

Once you get the hang of the rolling, you’ll want to keep doing it again and again!

• Have you ever made your own rice paper rolls?
• If so, what are your favorite ingredients to put in them?

The variations are endless, and I’d love to hear your ideas!

Thanks for reading folks and for all of your comments and suggestions – in the next week I’ll be sharing a few more yummy classics, a little something for breakfast with quinoa and a gorgeous way to enjoy simple cauliflower.

If I am slow to respond it’s because I am off to bond with my work mates. We’ll be breathing the fresh air and having some serious fun too I suspect.

Have a wonderful weekend all!

Yours in Less,

Paris, Provence, Planning, and the Importance of Being Here Now.

Leaving on a jet plane..

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.

~ Seneca

Okay, so it’s true. All true!

We leave for our family trip to France in just over a month! After spending the entire year looking ahead, the time has now come to get serious.

This means list making, packing, planning, renting obscene numbers of subtitled french films, and generally totally freaking out. We have precisely 21 sleeps to prepare for, and our stay will begin and end in Paris, which is so far my favorite place in the entire world.

My first visit was just two years ago, a quick 4 days there alone with my husband on a whirlwind first jaunt across the pond for me (my hubby visits Europe on business often and lived 3 years in France in his early 20’s).

I knew it would change my life, but I didn’t yet know just how much.

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.

  ~ Henry Miller

After a week in Paris, we’ll hit Beaune (in Burgundy wine country where the husband lived in the late 80’s) for a few days, and then cap off the holiday with a week in Provence (pinch me).

We are taking our two daughters, and at 14 and 8, they are not only excited, but also adding to the general feeling around here about, let’s say it again, generally totally freaking out. It’s a once in a lifetime trip for us as a family.

So how do we plan for a ‘less is more’ trip of this scale?

With all the thrill & excitement that comes from planning a huge trip like this, preparing for the sensory overload is key, and being realistic about how to handle it all is also just as key.

Here are a few things we’ll be doing to try to stay, and enjoy, each and every quality moment. I’d love to hear how you’d add to my list!

1. Pack light

Packing is a post in itself, and I may share more as we progress.

For now, we’ll begin the list making. As a family with at least one pro traveler (the husband), our philosophy on packing for air travel is simple. Light. Carry on if you can. For a trip of this length, we’ll be checking bags, but the goal is to bring only what we really need.

I’ll pack the usual leggings, a couple sweaters, a light rain jacket, one pair of jeans. A light summer dress or two, a bathing suit. Tank tops, shorts, lots of easy thin layers. Runners.

Plus, I need to leave room for (just a few) things I might acquire, right?

2. Eat in.

We’ve got apartments rented for both Paris and Provence, each for a week. This means market shopping!

This could be the thing I am most looking forward to, preparing salads and meals from simple market freshness, instead of relying on restaurants for all of our meals.

Dinner is always our highlight while on the road, and we plan to pick up breakfast and lunch snacks here and there as we crave them (honestly I could picnic on baguette and fresh fruit in the Luxembourg gardens everyday if I had my choice).

Simple, beautiful things excite me, and I cannot wait to live like a local in one of the most beautiful food countries in the world.

I just hope the purveyors at the market don’t mind my charming English.

A market shot in the Marais.

3. Take cash.

It’s no secret that I adore nice things, I am sure there are more than a few of you who are with me on that!

On my last trip to Paris, I didn’t shop all that much. Part of it was being overwhelmed. Another part of it was being with my husband (mine has about a 5 minute life span inside a women’s boutique). Another part of it was I waited until Sunday (for anyone who has been you know what I am talking about).

I left with a second-hand top and a trove of gorgeous memories. I’ve got zero complaints.

But this time, I am planning to treat myself to a few special things while I am there (insert justification here). To avoid over spending, I’ve been saving. I’m taking my spending money in cash. No secret credit cards. No regrets. Just fun.

4. The ‘one per day’ rule.

While not a big rule person, it is important when planning to not overwhelm the travelers. When planning, we’ve got a rule that we will focus each day on one major sight see, particularly in Paris. There is nothing worse than over planning and running out of time to see and do all the things you wanted ‘to check off’.

Want to feel like a failure? Over plan. I’m not competing with the clock am I?

After all, I don’t recall seeing the French rushing around trying to catch everything all at once. On my last trip, I noticed quite a few local folk with plenty of time to chill on a terrace, enjoy the company of friends, and enjoy a moment (or two) to relax.

So if we miss a line up at a museum and instead opt for a stroll through the Marais with an ice cream in hand, you won’t hear me complaining. I don’t think the kids will mind too much either 🙂

5. Be here now.

Perhaps the single most important rule of all.

Planning such a big trip means spending a lot of money, and it is tempting to try to cram in too much. After all, you’ve got to get your money’s worth right?

As with anything in life, I try to see the beauty of the moment that is in front of me, and I want to teach my children to do the same. I know that the rooftop view from our apartment in Provence is likely to be one of the most beautiful things I could ever enjoy. I know there is a clean river to swim in nearby. I know there are markets and a whole town to explore.

My first ever meal in Paris. The Salad Nicoise. Veggie of course. And the waiter could not have been nicer!

This is where I’ll be instead of jumping in a hot car to drive to some other (equally spectacular) place. I don’t want to miss out on the moments and what is right in front of me, because I am seeking the ‘next big thing’.

So no matter where we are, that is where we will be.

Whether we are on the road to our next destination, or in the kitchen preparing a feast from our trip to the markets that day, that is where I will be.

With all my heart, my soul, and my mind.

Be Here Now.

~ Ram Dass, Be Here Now

With that, I’ve officially begun the countdown. It’s the start of summer, and the beginning of a truly special one.

I am overjoyed to share this experience with my family, and as I said earlier, a very special treat for all of us, as kids grow up. It’s not for forever these years, and they are both the perfect age.

My first visit to the Luxembourg inspired the digging up of my front lawn upon my return. Yes, I had gravel installed. The only thing missing is the guards.

I’d love to hear your tips on travel from a less is more perspective, and your special place in this world.

Spend the afternoon.  You can’t take it with you.

~Annie Dillard

Mine is here, right now. But when I’m there, that’s where it will be. The memories of those moments will be with me and my loved ones forever. Wherever we may go in this life.

And that my friends, is the most special gift I can imagine. Right now. At this moment.

What’s yours?

Yours in Less,