Power Brunch!

Okay no recipe today but an inspiration that will take you minutes to make and hours to burn....this is filling, fulfilling, and GOOD FOR YOU! This week, I had 6 hours of Zumba® Fitness in 3 days....talk about calorie burn!

What is it?

One whole grain breakfast pita. I get these at Costco and put them in the freezer right away. When I want one, I take one out and pop it in the toaster. Spilt it down the middle by gently cutting around the edge and pulling the two halves apart. They are good, good for you, and toast up really well - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Most importantly, they don't fall apart!

2 eggs lightly fried. Buy yourself a REALLY good non-stick pan and USE it! You will save on using all that fat to keep the eggs from sticking. Oh and when the pan gets old, THROW IT OUT! Seriously.

2 slices of bacon. Confession: I cheat when it comes to bacon. I buy the pre-cooked stuff at Costco and pop it in the microwave when I want some. Honestly, it really is less greasy than cooking up fresh bacon and who wants that mess?? Super handy too!!

Piece of avocado, fresh, sliced.

Aged white cheddar. Take it easy, you only need a little bit. There is more flavour in AGED cheese so you can use less of it when preparing your favourite foods. Sneaky hey? Get rid of a few calories without sacrificing flavour.

Throw in some tomato slices if you want but I think it gets mushy...that's just me. It is your sandwich.

Oh and some hot sauce, duh!

Burp.

Take that McD's and Timmies....you ain't got nuthin' on this one.

I LOVE SALSA!

Salsa

Simple. Full of flavour. Homemade.

1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes

1 large onion, diced

1 green pepper, seeded and diced

2-3 (or more) jalapenos, diced

(use fresh, pickled, or canned)

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper, to taste

Put all ingredients in a medium sized pot and stir.

Bring to a boil. Simmer at medium heat for 20 minutes.

DONE!

Take that Paul Newman!

Makes enough to share with your favourite friends. 

Tightly seal it in smaller containers in the fridge and it should last a few weeks.

Edamame Bean Salad with The LONGEST NAME EVER!

Edamame, Black Bean, Corn, & Tomato Salad 

with Avocado, Onion, and Lime-Cilantro Dressing

Serves 6-8 as a side dish, 4-6 as a main dish

1 cup edamame, shelled, boiled until just tender, then rinsed under cold water and drained 
(I used the steam in bag ones from Costco - giant box in the freezer section - one bag, 300g, steam them as per the box and shell them)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 - 2 cups corn kernels, canned or frozen, if frozen boiled until tender and rinsed under cold water and drained 

(I used two fresh ears and cut the kernels off, steamed lightly in the microwave, maybe 2 minutes)

1 cup diced tomatoes, FRESH 

(I used Roma tomatoes 'cuz that's what I had)

Diced jalapenos or roasted green chilis 

(optional, but you KNOW I chose the jalapenos, pickled this time, but you could definitely use fresh...be careful, wash your hands well after chopping)

Dressing:
Toss it all into the bowl...with the veggies...don't dirty more dishes than you need to!

One half avocado, chopped 

(okay....important tip from yours truly: if you are making this to eat later, don't add the avocado until just before you eat)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro -- FRESH IS BEST!

2 TBSP minced red onion
1 tsp ground cumin
3 TBSP fresh lime juice (about 1.5 limes give or take....FRESH...clearly you should know better than to ask by now)
2 TBSP olive oil (buy yourself some good olive oil already...sheesh)
Salt and pepper to taste....TASTE IT before you add more! And get that shaker off the table, you don't need to season again.

Serve at room temperature (best) or chill for later (also delicious).

If you really want, you can have some tortilla chips on the side.

I am back!

I have decided to bring this baby back to life. Alternatively, I could just keep posting my food adventures all over Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter...oh wait, I will probably do that too. Meh, whatever...you are here, therefore you must care...or at the very least want to steal a recipe or two... ;) I may venture off into different topics on occasion but in the end we all come back to what we love...FOOD (and wine). Sigh, I had to get that out. In the end, I hope to inspire you to see that cooking can be easy, affordable, and fun! Stay tuned...who knows what you may find hidden in these pages and my ramblings... Cheers! Disclaimer: I have no idea how consistent I will be with this blog so don't start giving me a hard time.