A Pomegranate a day…

…keeps the smile on my face

It's winter. It's cold and a lot of us are miserable.

Oh really Captain Obvious?  Pure genius that is. Water is wet and fire is hot, I suppose? Sheesh.

Okay, that's a fair enough point. A bit mean though…

Oh please. I mean really, what do people expect? It's winter. In the Northern Hemisphere. Where cold stuff happens. Did they expect sunburns and balmy breezes?

Well, no…

BBQ's and Mai-tai's?

I doubt it.

Bikinis and hokey surfer songs?

Something tells me no.

Well… there you go then.

I think that some people just have a hard time dealing with the cold..

Oh don't I know it. Like last week - beautiful blue skies, bright ball of sun up there and that guy said "it would be a nice day if it wasn't cold" 

It's wiiiiin-terrr.

Jumpin' Juniper Balls !!

And the early dark doesn't…um…Excuse me?

Why can't they just accept that it's cold and stop talking about it?? Constantly going on about it doesn't make it any easier to get through!!

Jumpin' Juniper Balls?

Let it go. 

It's not like winter lasts forever. It's really only a few months of actual cold and the rest is up and down and all over the place.

Seriously. Jumpin' Juniper Balls?

I said let it go. Sheesh. I'm making a point here.

Sorry. Carry on.

Well… you kind of derailed my thoughts there… I guess I'm done.

Okay. Sorry again… 

But you do realize you were a bit unfair just now…yes? 

Bah

How eloquent…

…Hey so the holidays went well right? …and let's not forget Valentine's day…

hmmmph

You got to eat some great food ! …speaking of great food, there's some of that cheesecake tart in the fridge…

I'm on a diet.

Oh come on… 

No.

The one with the Mango Pineapple topping…

Why don't you go have a piece and I'll finish this up - it's my fault, I shouldn't have started this on an empty stomach. Go on.

All right. I guess… just a small piece though

Oh go on, make it a big one. And maybe some coffee?

Oh all right, I'm gone. 

…ahem. So…. Anywhoo…

Where was I?

Oh, yes!  Winter is making us miserable…and maybe just a wee bit bonkers as well. 

All joking aside, I do get it. 

The cold days and frostier nights, that damp wind that cuts through every cloth known to man and chills you to the bone; the long, dark hours spent getting your coat, hat, boots, gloves, three sweaters and two pairs of wool socks on just to go take the dog out for a 30 second pee…the irony of practically giving yourself a heart attack shovelling the walkway and drive just so the mailman can safely deliver to you another heart attack in the form of your heating bill… it all adds up to extreme moments of deep and abiding loathing for the winter season.

Sunny side up

There are a few things we can do to help combat the winter blues and while not many of us can manage to embrace it wholeheartedly, many of us are able to at least enjoy it, for the most part. When we were kids, winter weather didn't stop us from doing anything we wanted to do - indeed, we looked forward to the winter for the unique things to do like building snow forts with our friends/soon-to-be enemies and then enthusiastically and usually violently defending those fortresses of snow, as well as tobogganing, skating and snowmobiling.

Winter tends to mean a slow down to us adults. We move slower as our spirits drag our feet; we drive slower - and if you are like me you are not driving that slow out of choice. It is rather due to the fact that we're stuck behind some desiccated old fart who believes he is the leader in the Bingo Parade and drives accordingly. However, there are times when slower driving is necessary which of course adds to our schedules and stress levels leading to long, dark and trying days.

Winter 2014

Pushing through

Since most of us are not about to don toque and parka to take on the suicide slope at Toboggan Hill, we can attempt to get a similar rush while enjoying winter by taking brisk walks, exercising at the gym more often, dancing like a mad fool in your living room - preferably without the spouse and children around. Trust me, therapy bills are no laughing matter. They're damned expensive and you have better things to spend your dollars on.

Some find joining a group or taking a class helpful, either in the real world or online. There are many interesting courses to be found on the web and I recommend checking them out. Follow an interest or further a hobby, as far as it will take you.

Most of all, the key to enduring something unpleasant is to look for what you can enjoy, tolerate or change our thinking about - sometimes it's all a matter of perspective. If you have shelter from the cold, you are better off than a lot of people. If you can fill your belly with warm, homemade food, you are better off than a lot of people. If you can come online to divert your attention from your misery, even for a short time, you are better off than a lot of people. 

I can't do much more than suggest some solutions to help you get through the winter. I can simply hope of better days ahead for you and to try to help you nourish your body at the very least. Nourishing the body with warm, comforting and hearty food usually will end up nourishing the soul as well.

Warm up those buds

I'm a firm believer in keeping the hands busy when the mind is delving the depths of despair. We tend not to be our own friends when we are down, indeed we often make matters worse for ourselves. Keeping occupied does help to corral those wayward thoughts and feelings, for a time at least. I'm sure you know by now that one way is for me to get me arse into the kitchen and have some fun. The recipe for a crockpot stew that follows actually came about last winter but I never got around to writing a post about it. 


Keeping it spicy

One delicious way to get some heat into your life during these cold times is to embrace spice and the foods that tingle the taste buds, like chilies and horseradish. Horseradish is a very underrated vegetable that should be passing over your tastebuds at least a few times per year. Its pungent fumes will clear out your sinuses, brighten up those eyes and put some roses into your cheeks!

Homemade horseradish sauce is incredibly easy to prepare. You can control the magnitude of the fume or 'heat' by adjusting the length of time the veg is left to sit before adding the vinegar. Vinegar stabilizes the 'heat' so if you like it mild, add it right away! Some purists do not advocate adding sugar to the recipe but you do what you like and it will be delicious.

8 to 10 inch piece of horseradish, peeled and rough chopped small or shredded
1/4 tsp salt
about 1 tbsp of water
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar

Add horseradish to food processor with water. Whiz up. Add salt, sugar and then the vinegar when you deem it hot enough. You won't need to wait long - 30 to 40 seconds for medium heat and about a minute for hot. Whiz up briefly to incorporate and transfer to a jar. You can vary the type of vinegar you use - try cider vinegar for an interesting change! Keep in fridge for 3 to 4 weeks. For a lovely sandwich, try adding some horseradish to your mayonnaise :)


Stirring the Pot

Stew:

2 - 3 lb eye of round beef roast or another inexpensive cut, cut into chunks
2 cups pure pomegranate juice, one cup reduced to a thick syrup
2 cups beef broth
1 pie pumpkin, flesh removed from rind and cubed
1 large sweet potato, washed and cubed
1lb of mini white or yellow potatoes
8oz mushrooms, quartered
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped 
1 apple, chopped small
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
oil and butter for browning
2 tbsp or more flour for dredging

Marinade:

1/2 cup beef broth
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 dried chilli, crushed (optional - I used chilli de arbol which is medium hot, like cayenne)
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp sriracha sauce

Mash:

1 rutabaga, waxed outside removed, cubed
2 or 3 tbsp prepared horseradish sauce, jarred or homemade, to taste
butter
salt and pepper, good pinch of each


Place marinade ingredients in glass or metal bowl, add meat and marinate overnight or at least for 3 hours.

After marinating, remove meat and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge in flour and fry in an oil/butter mixture until browned.

As the meat is browned, put in crockpot with the prepped vegetables and the herbs. Put more butter into pan the meat was browned in and add the dredging flour + more to equal approximately 3 tbsp. Cook for two minutes. Pour in about 1 tbsp of the pomegranate syrup, making sure to scrape up bits off the bottom of the pan.

Add beef broth and pomegranate juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let thicken about 3 minutes. If too thick, add some broth to thin. Pour into the crockpot. Cook until vegetables are tender.

For the mash, place cut up rutabaga in pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to med-low, cooking until vegetable is tender. Drain, add butter, salt and pepper and mash until smooth. Add the horseradish sauce and blend.

To serve: place both items side by side on plate with a drizzle of pomegranate syrup on top of the stew or in an elegant swirl on the plate.


all text and photographs ©michelle levasseur  The Groaning Board 2015

Read More

Quick and Easy: Cider, Onion and Parsnip Soup

Ahem… well now. It's Valentine's Day and I, as a blogger and a female, am supposed to be swamped with romantic notions and the mad desire to blog about chocolate, strawberries and more chocolate. I did give it some thought actually but as I am a 44 year old woman who is daily tallying the marks of time on her skin and is trying to teach others how to eat healthy on the cheap, Valentine's indulgences should be avoided. As well, I just don't do Valentine's Day. Never have and more than likely never will. I look around at all the oozing romantic cuteness spreading like a bad rumour and wonder why we do this? I can understand wanting to recognize the importance of a romantic side to our lives, really I can. But I would much rather have a mad, grand passion and be made to feel sexy and interesting 365 days a year than be told rather clumsily that golly, gosh and gee what a swell gal I am, once a year. I'm just sayin'.

I know both genders are conditioned to believe that all women are standing there with their hands out for some goodie today but you would be surprised how many don't actually care about this day at all. The giggling young ones and the unsatisfied middle aged married ones may be the easiest to convince that a gift on a day in February guarantees true love and appreciation, forever. The rest of us however, realize that it is a commercial day designed solely to play on the ever-present feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty we all feel at some point in our relationships and on the guilt we feel that we may have spent the previous year taking our partner for granted or worse, on the premise that you are buying the continued love and support for another year with a trinket. Since these feelings are part of the human condition, we are all going to fall victim to purchasing proof of our feelings, or fall victim to expecting to be gifted as proof of others feelings towards ourselves. There is nothing wrong with being extravagant on Valentine's Day, if you can afford it figuratively and literally, just look to your motivations for giving or receiving. If what you are considering buying/doing or what you are about to get has a price tag that makes your heart skip a beat, maybe reconsidering the relationship you are in is in order. Again, I'm just sayin'.

Now that I have said it, I will offer up a few tips for this day. I do believe that a simple demonstration of appreciation is all that is required, if you wish to be a part of this day. A simple meal, a single flower, a REAL connecting gaze that shows that you are really seeing your partner in all their facets and you love what you see, time spent doing what they like to do, or if what they would really love and cherish from you on this day is your absence, well, then, bugger off for a while. 

It's a little late for breakfast in bed - and a healthy, non-indulgent one is the way to go - but if you are the type to leave mid-week celebrations for the weekend, keep it in mind. One important detail to remember when gifting your loved one with a meal, whether cooked by you or catered in some way, is to try to avoid foods that are strong smelling like garlic and onions or heaven forbid, are gas producing! That is hardly the atmosphere you wish to create. The cliché is candles and roses, not candles and explosions…

Another important point about cooking for someone on this day, is to have everything prepared ahead of time. Choose a meal that is quick, easy, non-messy and able to sit without spoiling in case plans get derailed for a bit (wink wink, nudge nudge).

If you are going out, choose an activity you both will enjoy that is relaxed and stress-free. Surprising her with a night out is a lovely idea but to be practical, a woman has to know how to dress for the evening. It is very stressful to get ready for an evening out without knowing the destination. A few hints about formality or the meal being served can help her decide without giving it all away. I was once surprised with a charity dinner with Chef Michael Smith and knowing it was semi-formal with a sit-down meal was very helpful.

However you choose to celebrate this day, if you do at all, remember the principle of KISS… Keep It Simple Sunshine…

Well, for those of us not into this day, we still have to eat. The soup I have for you today is light-tasting, filling and definitely has a flavour not discovered everyday. The onion flavour is a wee bit strong so I wouldn't recommend serving it on Valentine's Day unless you've been together for a while. Certain smells seem to dissipate and not have the same impact after a few years together.

The soup is meat-free, gluten-free, and vegan so it is a soup to pull out on those occasions that you have a number of guests who dispositions you are unfamiliar with.

Putting it all together

butter

olive oil

4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced or chopped small

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 medium parsnips, washed, peeled and chopped

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

4 cups chicken broth or flavourful vegetable broth

2 1/4 cups apple cider - not mulled!

salt and pepper

1 tbsp fresh thyme

2 rounded tsp curry powder

Sauté the onions in the butter and oil until browned and aromatic. You are not caramelizing but frying the onions for this recipe so a higher heat and no sugar is used. When they are almost done, add the parsnips, garlic and celery. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the apple and seasoning and cook for 3 minutes more. Add the broth and cider. Cook for fifteen minutes at simmer until parsnips are soft. Process with an immersion blender. Adjust seasonings. Serve with pumpernickel bread.

To fancy this up to serve for a special occasion, make croutons out of the pumpernickel and very finely slice some apple and finely chop some more fresh thyme for garnish. Choose a white dish to serve in as the colour of the soup can look garish and unappetizing if you choose the wrong coloured dish. A simple arugula salad tossed in some balsamic vinegar is all that is necessary to accompany this soup.

all text and photos ©michelle levasseur The Groaning Board 2014

Read More