Quick Pickles: Try Something New and Delicious With Your Veggies

We’ve had a record-breaking long, hot summer. Are you getting bored with your full-meal salads? Looking for something new to do with your veggies?

Lately I’ve been loving quick pickles. So I wanted to share the technique with you so that you can make your own.

Note that these are quick pickles, not your standard pickles. They’re for storing in the fridge and eating within a few days. These are not recipes for canning and room-temperature storage. When canning, you want to use and follow canning-specific recipes to make sure that you don’t cause any dangerous food-poisoning.

Quick pickles are simple and quick (hence the name). If you love the crunch and vinegary bite of classic pickles, I encourage you to give these a try. One of the best things about quick pickles is that once you get the hang of it, there’s no end to the flavor combinations that you can dream up.

Consider the basic brine recipe your blank canvas. Make your brine and pour over a clean jar packed with whatever vegetable and herb/spice combination that you like. Let it cool to room temperature (leaving it out for less than 2 hours), and then refrigerate overnight.

Veggies that Pickle Well:

(Lots of other veggies pickle well too, these ideas are just to get you started):

·      Carrots

·      Green beans

·      Cucumbers

·      Kohlrabi

·      Zucchini

·      Fennel

·      Cauliflower

·      Beets

·      Asparagus

·      Broccoli stems

Herb and Spice Ideas:

·      Garlic

·      Dill

·      Mustard seeds

·      Coriander seeds

·      Cumin seeds

·      Peppercorns

·      Celery seeds

·      Like things spicy? Add sliced hot peppers such as jalapenos

·      Oregano

·      Rosemary

·      Bay leaf

·      Thyme

Basic Brine

Ingredients

·      1.5 cups distilled white vinegar

·      2 cups water

·      1 TBSP sugar

·      ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

1.     Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan.

2.     Over medium heat, bring to a simmer and stir, just until the sugar and salt dissolve.

3.     While still hot, pour over your jars filled with veggies and herbs/spices.  

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com

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4 Tips for Simple Summer Entertaining

Entertaining. Some people love it. Some hate it.

I’m firmly in the “love it” camp. So much so that some may say that I have a pathological need to feed people. I know that not everyone feels the same way.

Often, people are in the “hate it” camp because they think that it’s a lot of work. It certainly can be. But you can host a fantastic, fun event without a lot of work. In fact, what I’ve learned over the years is that people have the best time at a party when the food is simple. And, summertime is the easiest time to create simple, delicious food.

Here are some tips to make feeding your friends easy:

1. Start with good ingredients. I’m often told that I’m a good cook. But in reality I keep things really simple. The secret isn’t my skill. It’s good ingredients. When your ingredients are delicious you don’t need to do much to them. This time of year so many veggies and fruit are at their peak. Mother Nature’s done the work for you, all you need to do is highlight the abundance. Green Earth Organics only sends you good ingredients all year long. Start with the ingredients in your box and you’ve got the makings for a delicious menu!

2. Serve healthy food. Often we feel that because it’s a party, we need to be serving rich, indulgent foods. But I find that people appreciate that I serve healthy food. They get to come and enjoy fantastic food and friends, without feeling guilty afterwards. All the pleasure without the guilt – sounds good to me.

3. Offer a variety. In this world of food sensitivities and special diets, serving a variety of foods makes everyone happy. People can pick and choose what works for them. For example, attending the evening gathering in the photo that I snapped, I had a vegetarian, two pescatarians (they eat seafood but no meat or poultry), an allergy to stone fruits, a hazelnut allergy, a blueberry allergy, and someone who eats gluten-free. The event was at 7pm so I knew that some people would have eaten dinner at home before coming out and some people would be arriving hungry for dinner. It was also during one of our summer’s heat waves so I didn’t want to spend all day in a hot kitchen, nor did people want to eat hot, heavy food. What did I serve?

• Cucumber topped with smoked salmon pate
• Quinoa salad in endive boats
• Sweet & spiced nuts (no hazelnuts)
• Cherry tomatoes
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Local melon
• Cherries, apricots, and peaches.
• Apricot-almond tarts
• Meringues  

4. Know when to outsource. Stick to what you’re good at, otherwise you’ll stress yourself out. For example, I don’t have the gift of baking. So I either plan a dessert without baked goods (e.g. a mixture of fresh fruit and some good-quality chocolate), or I ask a guest to bake dessert (many people love to help out), or I buy dessert at a bakery. At the event in the picture, I bought the tarts and meringues at an amazing local gluten-free bakery.

Don’t let the perception that it’s a lot of work get in the way of enjoying getting together with your loved ones. Keep it simple and enjoy their company.

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com


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The Goods on Peaches

Pick up a peach! This juicy low-calorie snack helps keep your skin and scalp healthy. Peaches also help relieve anxiety, stress and sore tummies. Try using them in fruit salads, cobblers, pies and smoothies. 




Dr. Ashely Gordon is a Squamish-based Naturopathic Physician and owner of Garibaldi Health Clinic, an integrative health care facility offering safe and effective care including Naturopathic Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Massage, Midwifery and Physical Therapy. Dr. Gordon’s treatments focus on the whole person, from the physical and mental to the emotional and spiritual realms. To learn more about what Naturopathic Medicine can do for you, or to make an appointment, visit www.garibaldihealthclinic.com or call 604 898 1999.

Beans and Green Pesto Pasta

When you asked me for more recipes for leafy greens,  I knew that I had to share this recipe. This is my go-to meal when I need dinner FAST. I probably eat it once a week. What’s even better is that it involves, not just one, but two super-foods: leafy greens and beans. You likely already know that leafy greens are chock-full of vitamin and minerals. Beans are a fantastic source of vegetarian protein and fibre. Note: this dish also makes a delicious cold pasta salad. Make extra and enjoy the leftovers for lunch or a picnic the following day.  

Ingredients

Noodles (Short noodles work well for pasta salad, e.g. penne)

Olive oil

1/2 onion

1 bunch leafy greens (e.g. kale, Swiss chard, spinach)

1 can cannellini beans (other beans or beans cooked from dry are fantastic substitutes)

Optional veggies: e.g. mushrooms, bell peppers

2 tablespoons pesto

Parmesan cheese (for sprinkling on top)

Directions

1.     Heat  water in a pot over high heat. When water comes to a boil, add the noodles. Cook until al-dente.

2.     In the meantime, finely chop the onion.

3.     In a large frypan on medium-low heat, add the oil and the onion. Cook slowly until the onions are soft – more than 5 minutes.

4.     In the meantime, wash and coarsely chop the greens. Discard any heavy, thick stalks. Chop any optional veggies. Drain and rinse the beans.  

5.     Add the optional veggies to the frypan and sauté until almost tender. Add the leafy greens, beans, and pesto. Cook, stirring often, just until the greens wilt. Do not over-cook the greens.  If the greens are a dull, olive-green they are overcooked and will taste bitter.

6.     Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the pan with your pesto veggies. Thoroughly mix the noodles in with the sauce.

7.     Serve, topping with parmesan cheese. 

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com