What's happening in Feb 2016

It has been quite the start to the year. We have held several workshops focused on cooking locally and getting ready to grow for Spring! It has been great to see a great response (and turnout) for our workshops - thank you to everyone for coming out! We hope to bring you more exciting workshops and hope that you also look at other food security/insecurity workshops around town....



Also as we head into February, we wish everyone a Gung Hey Fat Choi (Happy Chinese New Year). Certainly a time where food and culture is celebrated!

Oranges represent good fortune for Chinese New Year!

Plus they are tasty and healthy to eat!

 Korean Typical Meal - Feb 6, 2016



Join Yun Joo Lee as she guides you through a typical and delicious Korean meal of Heyn bap (steamed rice), Jap-chae (stir-fried sweet potato noodle), Kim- chi and Jjang-a-chi.



You will be guided step-by-step, learn about traditional dining customs and be immersed in a whole new culinary tradition! Please bring an apron and containers for leftovers.



Date: Saturday, February 6

Time: 10:00 am � 12:30 pm

Location: Hastings Community Centre (Kitchen), 3096 East Hastings Street, Vancouver

Cost: $18.00 (Hastings Community Association Membership required with registration)



To attend: Register



Heal Your Body! : Indian food made vegan, raw, easy and fun! - Feb 9, 2016



Join Grandview Woodlands Food Connection and holistic chef and nutritionist Abby Sandhar, in an exploration and reinvention of traditional cuisine of Northern India. Yes, Indian food can be prepared in way that is free of excessive oily fats, excess salt and refined carbs- made raw, vegan and working with whole fresh ingredients, this cuisine can be detoxifying, healing and energizing!



You will leave with a belly full of warm goodness, tips for healthier meal planning and some unlocked recipes from the kitchen of The Flying Abneet !! Let�s love our bodies up with good nourishment!



Date: Tuesday February 9, 2016

Time: 6:00 pm � 9:00 pm

Location: Britannia Community Centre, 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver

Cost: $25,00



To attend: Call 604-718-5800



More information >>



How will the World Eat in the Future? - Feb 11, 2016



Join award winning author, activist, and academic Raj Patel, presented by UBC Reads Sustainability, on February 11th, 2016 as Raj shares some of the best and most surprising innovations to address the future of food.



With stories from the world's poorest people - from Peru to Malawi, there's a great deal of innovation to help us imagine how the world can feed itself by 2050.



Date: Thursday February 11, 2016

Time: 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm

Location: UBC AMS Student Nest Great Hall (Live streaming will be available), 6133 University Blvd., Vancouver

Cost: $ 5.00



To attend: Purchase Tickets





Visit UBC Sustainability website for more information.



Valentine's Day Baking for Kids - Feb 14, 2016



Cedar Cottage Food Network presents a workshop where children will use and develop their literacy and teamwork skills to make fun holiday-related recipes. All supplies included.



Great for kids aged 4 to 8 years!



Date:  Sunday February 14, 2016

Time: 10: 00 am to 12:00 noon

Location: Trout Lake Community Centre Kitchen, 3360 Victoria Drive, Vancouver

Cost: $ 15.00



To attend: Purchase Tickets



More information >>



A Taste of Latin American � Pupusas - Feb 21, 2016



Join Grandview Woodlands Food Connection and discover Latin American cuisine - the Papusa!



Made from corn flour and shaped by hand, pupusas can be adapted to delight vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian and meat eaters alike. Participants will learn the basics and techniques on how to build a Pupusa from scratch with various fillings, along with special salsas and pickled veggies. You will have a chance to taste this delightful treat!



Bring your aprons and your palates and join Elizabeth Cruz, former owner and chef of El Cocal restaurant for 14 years who incorporates her El Salvadoran heritage into her cooking. It will be truly a tantalizing experience.



Date: Sunday February 21, 2016

Time: 2:00 pm -5:00 pm

Location: Britannia Community Centre, 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver

Cost: $30.00



To attend: Call 604-718-5800



More information >>



A Taste of Latin American � Chile Rellenos - Feb 28, 2016



Another great Grandview Woodland Food Connection workshop!



Originally from Mexico, the Chile Rellenos is a dish is enjoyed in many variations. Each Latin country has some twist on this delicious dish which is so versatile it can be enjoyed by vegans, vegetarians and meat lovers alike. We will focus on the Salvadoran version which tones down the spice so the sauce is the primary character!



Though most people opt for the canned version we will keep it traditional by making them from scratch! This casual dish is great in any setting.



Date: Sunday February 28, 2016

Time: 2:00 pm -5:00 pm

Location: Britannia Community Centre, 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver

Cost: $30.00



To attend: Call 604-718-5800



More information >>


New Westminster Market Day - Dec. 5 & 19





In New Westminster? Head up to 5th and Belmont to check out the Winter Farmers Market!



There will be up to 40 vendors offering fresh local produce, prepared foods and handmade crafts as well as delicious food trucks.



Saturday Feb 6 & 20, 2016

11:00 am to 3:00 pm

5th and Belmont Street, New Westminster 



More information >>

 

Richmond's Winter Market - Feb 7 & 21, 2016



The Cannery Farmers� Market provides an opportunity for local food producers and artisans to showcase their products inside and outside our historic site. Our vendors have the �Make it, Bake it, Grow it, Catch it� philosophy. Only approved products that are made, baked, grown, raised, caught or harvested by approved B.C. vendors can be sold. Special information vendors and community partners along with entertainment enhance this fun market.



The Cannery Farmer's Market runs from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at 12138 Fourth Avenue, Richmond in the community of Steveston.



Sunday Feb 7 & 21, 2016

10:00 am to 3:00 pm

12139 Fourth Avenue, Richmond



More information >> 



Vancouver Winter Farmer's Market - Feb 6 & 20, 2016



Buy local! Visit the Vancouver Winter Farmer's Market every Saturday in February!

10:00 am to 2:00 pm

4601 Ontario Street, Vancouver



More information: http://markets.bcfarmersmarket.org/market/vancouver-winter-farmers-market



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If you have a farming/gardening/food security event that you would like to share, please email us with the information to: burnabyfoodfirst@gmail.com. We would be happy to share your events on our blog and get the word out!

 

  

Testing the Insulin Model: A Response to Dr. Ludwig

Dr. David Ludwig, MD, recently published a response to my critique of the carbohydrate-insulin-obesity hypothesis. This is good because he defends the idea in more detail than I've encountered in other written works. In fact, his piece is the most scientifically persuasive defense of the idea I can recall.

Before we dig in, I want to emphasize that this is science, not tribal warfare. The goal is to arrive at the best answer, rather than to win an argument. I'm proceeding in good faith, based on my belief that Ludwig and I are both serious people who care about science and human health, and I hope my audience will do the same. That said, let's get to it.

Read more �

Beets for Tandoori Chicken and Fish Tikka Masala! For CBC's Weekend Morning Show

I'll be presenting two recipes tomorrow for CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with guest host, Laurie Hoogstraten.  Tandoori Chicken and Fish Tikka Masala.  

Quite often, Tandoori Chicken has red food colouring added to give it the desired colour.  The Beet Sauce from Dr. Beetroot takes care of that.  It also has all natural ingredients and a great flavour!  I'll be using it for dips as well.  

I used local Arctic Char, available year round, fresh on Fridays at Gimli Fish.  It is a consistently great product.  One can also use other firm fish for the recipe.

Tandoori Chicken (serves 4-6)

10 pieces skinless chicken (I prefer to use chicken thighs as they are very easy to skin and then are lower fat)
Marinade:
2/3 cup Dr. Beetroot Sauce (available at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market, Osborne Village Farmer�s Market and Co-op stores)
1/2 cup rich yoghurt (I used Dairy Fairy�s yoghurt, also available at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market and daily at the Osborne Village Farmer�s Market)
1 tbs lemon juice
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1-2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
pinch salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch cayenne (optional)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix marinade until smooth.  Place skinned chicken in marinade and let chill for several hours.  Remove from refrigerator at least 20 minutes before grilling.  On a medium high grill, place chicken pieces and BBQ until tender and falls from the bone, less time needed if boneless chicken.  Serve with lime slices, fresh coriander (optional) and enjoy!

Fish Tikka Masala (serves 4-6 as an appetizer)

1 filet firm fish (I used local Arctic Char, available at Gimli Fish, fresh each Friday)

Skin and cut fish into medium cubes if you wish to cook fish on skewers.

Marinade:

1/2 cup Dr. Beetroot Sauce
1/2 cup Rich yoghurt, strained, if desired
1 tbs lemon juice
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch cayenne
1 tbs curry spice blend or, cumin, garam masala, chilies
1/4 cup olive oil

Place fish cubes in marinade for a few hours.  Skewer, if desired. Cook on medium hot grill until done.  VERY SHORT TIME FOR FISH!!!

Serve immediately with naan, yoghurt, limes, etc.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato "Tacos"

Doesn't that look good?  It's a baked sweet potato topped with taco-seasoned ground turkey, steamed broccoli and a Mexican-blend shredded cheese.  It looks good, right?  Well I had probably five bites of it before my whining 17 month-old (who is currently on a high chair boycott) took over my lap and took over my dinner.  She's only happy these days when she's eating like a big kid, in a regular chair with a giant fork.  This is difficult, because she is teeny tiny.  Therefore, she takes over my lap, and takes over my dinner (a Real Moms Wear Grey moment for sure).    

However, the parts I did enjoy were very enjoyable... this is a nice alternative to your regular Taco Tuesday cuisine.  Inspired by this Weelicious recipe, you basically ditch the taco shells or tortillas and use a potato as your vessel!  You're supposed to dig out half of the flesh so you can easily eat it like a taco, but I was too lazy last night and frankly just wanted to eat the potato.  Top it with whatever you please!  (Click here for baking instructions, and remember these Sweet Potato Skins?!)

Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

I'm big on textures when it comes to eating, and I aim to strike a balance with each meal.  I want something smooth and creamy alongside something crispy or crunchy (like potato chips in a nice, soft turkey sandwich).  That said, it seems necessary to have something mashed with our protein.  But meat and potatoes can get boring, and heavy.  Mashed cauliflower, however?!  It's light, fluffy, unique and ALERT: your kids might eat it (2 out of 3 in my house, at least).  Of course, I add a teeeeensy bit of cream (and a good amount of cheese), but it's a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes.    

Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

(Serves 4-6)

Printable Recipe

2 heads cauliflower, florets removed

1 cup shredded white cheddar

1/4 -1/3 cup heavy cream or milk

Salt and pepper

Fill a large pot with an inch or so of water.  Place cauliflower florets in and cover, venting lid slightly to let out steam.  Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork.  Turn off heat, drain water and place cauliflower back in pot.  Using a handheld blender, puree cauliflower until smooth (if you don't have a handheld blender, place cauliflower in a blender to puree, and then place back in pot).  Add cream and cheese and stir until cheese has melted (you may need to turn heat back on to low).  Season to taste with salt and pepper.    

More creative ways to eat cauliflower:

Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cauliflower Critters

Cauliflower Meatballs

Cauliflower Quesadilla

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing and a 7-Minute Egg

In the last few years, I�ve fallen more and more in love with Middle Eastern food. I�m obsessed with tahini and za�atar. 

That�s how I started writing this post. Then I stopped, and started over, because I caught myself doing something that makes me cringe when I see others doing it.  


Saying �Middle Eastern food� can be like saying �American food� or �Asian food.� It's not wrong, per se, but it's not really right, either. It�s lumping together so many cuisines under one umbrella, and not taking into account, understanding, or celebrating the differences of each region, or culture, or community. We do it when we go out to eat, or when we (bloggers) post new recipes, or when we talk about "ethnic" cuisine. I have fallen in love with �Middle Eastern food," but what does that even mean? I admittedly, and embarrassingly, know so little about that part of the world, of cultures that shouldn't be defined by one popular ingredient. 

I�m not saying we shouldn�t appreciate and enjoy foods from other cultures, I really do love tahini and za�atar, and plan to continue making new recipes with them. I�m not saying we shouldn�t post about different cuisines on our blogs, or use techniques, ingredients, and ideas to make new dishes. Every time we eat falafel doesn�t need to be a lesson in cultural appropriation. But I do think it�s important to try to understand who the people are who brought these dishes or ingredients to the US (curiosity, by the way, is a good first step to empathy! A lesson that could do one unfortunate presidential candidate a lot of good). It�s important to talk about, to think about, and to be aware of. Especially when we see so much hate being directed at certain populations, by people with a disproportionate amount of power.  

And especially for a food blogger or writer, with a public platform. This little site is a minuscule speck of sand in the grand world of food blogs--I know that I�m not influencing tons and tons of people on a daily basis. But we�re all, no matter how small our reach, contributing to a narrative about food and culture, and it�s important to realize that sometimes the recipes we post or the way we talk about food from cultures other than our own can be misleading, wrong, hurtful, and sometimes damaging. We should all try harder, and be more aware. 

So, let me start over. Today I�m making a salad with za�atar, tahini, chickpeas, sumac, parsley--flavors I just can�t get enough of lately, thanks to an introduction from my Ottolenghi cookbooks, as well as food bloggers like Molly Yeh and Danielle Oron, who both know a lot about Israeli food, and restaurants that I can�t stop dreaming about like Mamnoon. While these ingredients are popular in that broad swath of �Middle Eastern cuisine," this salad is a random mish-mash of things I think taste good. Remember those sweet potato tacos I wrote about? And how I said I always make extra roasted sweet potatoes to eat throughout the week? Well, this quick salad is something that came about thanks to those extra sweet potatoes. We�re adding them to a bowl full of za�atar spiced chickpeas, a lemony, garlicky, sumac-dusted tahini dressing, and lots of parsley. I also added almonds for crunch, and a 7-minute egg, because it has the most perfect custardy yolk ever!


I was inspired to make the 7-minute egg by one of my favorite online food friends (just kidding, we�re not friends, but I pretend we are), Cara Nicoletti. She�s a blogger, author, butcher, badass. And she has the best Instagram captions that I wish I had thought of. My all-time favorite: she posted a food photo with the caption �Mike Will Made it. Just kidding, I did.� I want to steal that line every day. And she posted a pic of a glorious soft cooked egg, with the caption �7 minutes in heaven.� I�m still LOLing over that one. I sound like I�m stalking her don�t I? Maaaaybe let�s not tell Cara about this, ok? 

Anyway, now I�ve been making 6.5-7 minutes eggs like a madwoman, and doing something so godawful I always swore I�d never be one of those people� you know, the ones who microwave a smelly egg at work! Some nerve, right? Orangette taught me that you can reheat a soft boiled egg in the shell, for about 20 seconds, and it works like a charm. Which means this salad is perfect for a workday lunch!

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing and a 7-Minute Egg
Add as much arugula, etc as you desire. 

1 can chickpeas, drained
1 heaping teaspoon za�atar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Arugula 
Roasted Sweet Potatoes (recipe here)
Sliced avocado
Feta
7 minute egg (below) 
Chopped almonds
Tahini dressing (below)

Dry drained chickpeas (and peal them if you want them to be crispier), and toss with za�atar. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add chickpeas. Cook for about five minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly. 

In large bowls, layer in arugula, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and avocado. Drizzle with dressing, and top with halved 7 minute eggs, chopped nuts, and feta. 

7-Minute Egg
Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover eggs. Bring to a boil. Gently lower eggs (using a slotted spoon) into water, and set timer for exactly 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, remove from heat, and drain water immediately. Run cold water into pot, over eggs until they come to room temperature (several minutes), or place immediately into an ice bath. For a runnier yolk, try 6.5 minutes. 

Tahini Dressing
� cup water
� cup tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice from � a large lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon sumac
Pinch aleppo pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients together.

******

Further Reading:
A quick run down about cultural appropriation of food.

One of my favorite articles ever, by the guy with the best bao ever (also, did I tell you about the time I ate at Baohaus and the place was empty other than Eddie Huang and his friends hanging out� I died. But was too shy to say hi.)

This: �Americans are increasingly interested in where food is sourced. Surely, that interest should extend to a meal�s cultural roots as well as its biological origins.�

And this: �When the �experts� of our food are people from outside our communities, that is a form of appropriation.�

And also, this: �The issue at hand isn�t complicated. Simply put, why label a dish as being a cultural element when it�s not?�

Also, my sister has a Masters in Cultural Studies, and recommended the following:
The Tourist Gaze - John Urry
Orientalism - Edward Said
The West and the Rest: Discourse and Power - Stuart Hall

Buttermilk Granola Muffins

Did anyone else experience the longest weekend of their lives??  Blizzard Jonas kept us inside for most of it, and even when I felt ready to bundle up and go play in the fluffy white stuff, I couldn't because our middle child has been fighting a stomach bug that just won't go away.  If I could sum up my weekend in three words it would be: Lysol, Snow and Wine.  That sounds like a song.  Listen, when they practically make it illegal to leave your home, you enjoy an alcoholic beverage or two.  Or 39.  My house is a mess.  There are forts everywhere.  I let everyone walk around in their snowy boots after one, epic tantrum (and then I let go).  I can't stop washing my hands.  I can't stop spraying Lysol.  I've given my girls 18 baths.  Anyway, let's just say I'm happy it's Monday.

Thank god I prepared for the storm and made sure I had every ingredient I would need to bake and cook.  At least for muffins and chili (more on that later).  A week ago we were upstate in Rhinebeck, NY and I bought this incredible granola from the sweet shop Samuel's.  Chunks of dark chocolate, dried fruit, nuts and coconut make it the best granola I've ever had (even if for a split second after purchasing it, the image on the package made me think I had bought dog food).  Carson had the fantastic idea of baking muffins with it, and so I googled "granola muffins" and found this recipe.  

They are delicious!  Just use your favorite granola and you will certainly enjoy these muffins.    

Workshop! Early Spring Container Food Gardening Workshop

Burnaby Food First is pleased to present a repeat of another very popular workshop! Get your garden growing!



Early Spring Container Food Gardening Workshop



Wednesday, February 17

6:30 pm to 8:15 pm

Tommy Douglas Library

(7311 Kingsway / Burnaby - map)

Join Leanne Zmud, gardener and permaculturalist, to plant your own early spring food garden in a pot. Great for people living in small spaces!



*Please be aware that that they you will be taking your planter, a heavy 3-5 gallon pot full of soil, home with you! No children please, but older teenagers welcome.



**WORKSHOP IS FULL**, please contact Meghan at (604) 209-2404 or at burnabyfoodfirst@gmail.com to be added to the waitlist!

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Enjoy Burnaby Food First workshops? Want to get involved as a volunteer?

Check out all the great ways you can get involved. All are welcome, and we'd love to have you on board! For more information, send us an email.

Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad

I have two minutes before the bus comes.  Do you think I can write about this salad in two minutes?  Well, technically it's two minutes, but when it's nice and cold outside the bus tends to run late because I think the universe thinks it's funny that moms and dads are wusses in the cold.

*Update: the bus was 10 minutes late DAMMIT.

Okay, now I'm back and I have ALL the time in the world to write about this salad.  Well, technically I have 30 seconds because after school snack, homework, dinner, tubbies, emails, wine... etc.

THIS SALAD IS DELICIOUS.  Roasted broccoli in garlic, fluffy quinoa, chopped spinach, crunchy pistachios, salty feta and all of that drizzled with olive oil and lemon.  Oh, and I added avocado.  

Truly wonderful, hot or cold.  Recipe here.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie

Holy Moly, people, you will need to try the dish I made on the Today Show this morning.  There may be a few more steps than your average "throw it all in the crockpot" meal, but I'm telling you, it's worth it.  Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie will be a hit this weekend, between the blizzards and the football and the "oh come on, January is almost over and I deserve some comfort food" attitudes.  Click on the link above for the recipe, and please enjoy these photos of when Savannah and I realized we were out of time, and when Carson randomly posed with a vase of flowers...

Photos by the lovely Samantha Okazaki

Crunchy Taco Kale Salad

Day 2 of Salad Week!  I barely made it!  (By the way, you should know that 6pm is practically midnight in my world.)  Also, I'm terribly disappointed in myself, because in my "hangry" haste last night I forgot to take many pictures of Day 2 Salad.  You're just going to have to take my word that it was delicious.  We typically partake in Taco Tuesday cuisine, but rarely do salads.  However, after viewing this recipe for a Crunchy Taco Kale Salad (and in our ongoing effort to eat slightly better, at least during the week) I decided to go for it.  Homemade Chipotle Lime Avocado Dressing??  Yes please.  And it was as creamy and (subtly) spicy as you would imagine.  Drizzled atop a kale salad with chopped cilantro, black beans, shredded white cheddar and a variety of veggies... and I also roasted some shrimp for protein.  Oh, and did I mention the homemade tortilla strips??  

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Welcome to Salad Week!  That's a thing, because I said so!  Five full days (maybe) of different kinds of salads.  Let's start with this delicious orzo pasta salad with mediterranean flavors like crunchy cucumbers, bright lemon, dill and salty kalamata olives.  I loosely followed this recipe here, adding whatever I had on hand (like yellow tomatoes and diced red pepper) and I chopped up everything into very small pieces so it would be toddler friendly.  This is a great salad to make in large batches because you'll eat it all week long... add some shrimp or chicken for protein!  Salad!  

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Things I did over the weekend include: bake a bundt cake, drink champagne, cohost my sister's bridal shower, drink champagne, cry over the Seahawks loss, drink more champagne, make batch number two thousand and sixty of these sweet potato tacos, so that I could photograph them for the blog... even though the sun was going down and the light was terrible and the photos aren't great and I used parsley to look like cilantro because I was out and didn't plan ahead (#reallife), I needed to share this recipe with you! You can now make this one recipe for the rest of your lives and never have to plan dinner again. You�re welcome... I'm gonna go drink some champagne now. 


These tacos are nothing fancy, and maybe you�re like, eh, whatever, there are a zillion sweet potato tacos online, grow up. BUT YOU GUYS, these tacos have made up about 80% of my diet since November. I seriously can�t stop, won�t stop with sweet potato tacos right now. I�ve made these tacos a few times a week for a few months, and when I do, I try to roast extra sweet potatoes, which I then eat for lunch every day. Seriously, I eat them probably 4 days a week. Is that good for you? I have no clue� I�m afraid to look it up. If you are what you eat, I�m definitely turning into a sweet potato. Hopefully one of those long skinny svelte ones, not one of the big round plump ones.

Aside from my daily sweet potato habit, I�m obsessed with these tacos for a few reasons: first, they�re super easy even on a weeknight, even on a weeknight when you go to the gym and don�t start making dinner until 8PM. B: I typically have most of the ingredients on hand, but maybe that�s because I know I�m gonna make them every chance I get. Third: I love the flavor combo of sweet, spiced sweet potatoes with savory black beans, citrusy guac, and salty feta cheese. And finally: this is the one meatless dinner that I�ve been able to get Evan on board with!

If you make these tacos, be sure to roast an extra sweet potato, because I have another recipe coming up soon that uses the leftovers! Hint: It�s January appropriate for all you resolutioners. Hint hint: It�s a salad. But today: tacos!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
Makes approx. 8 tacos

Corn tortillas
Black Beans (see below)
Sweet potatoes (see below)
Guacamole (with lime or lemon juice!!)
Feta
Cilantro
Sour Cream (if desired)

Warm corn tortillas in a hot skillet or in the oven. Fill with ingredients in order listed.

For the roasted sweet potatoes
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed into dice-sized chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread sweet potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, syrup, cumin, chili powder, salt, and a crack of fresh black pepper. Drizzle over sweet potatoes, and toss to coat. Cook for 15-20 minutes, flipping once, until tender. Check on them for the last 5 or so minutes to be sure they�re not burning.

For the black beans
olive oil
half an onion, diced
1 mild pepper (like poblano), diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained
salt and pepper

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium. Add onion and pepper, and cook until onion is just starting to brown. Add garlic, and cook another minute or two longer. Add beans, and cook for a minute, lightly smashing the beans with the back of a spatula. Salt and pepper to taste.

Winter fare from Mexico on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Yesterday I had the pleasure of presenting these two lovely winter dishes on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.    

 They are surprising easy to prepare and with wonderful results.  I used the cheese from the Dairy Fairy for the Queso Fresco. 

Black Bean Soup with Orange Zest: Sopa de Invierno

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cups cooked black beans (if using canned beans rinse them well)
� cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
� cup plain yogurt
 chopped cilantro and scallions for garnish
Salt, to taste

Preparation

In a large saucepan, heat the oil, add the onion and cook, stirring, until wilted and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the beans, orange juice and zest, chicken stock, lime juice and yogurt and cook until heated through.

Using an immersion blender, puree the stock to the desired consistency.

Serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro and scallions. Makes 4 first course servings.

Cheese-filled Sweet Potato Patties: Tortitas de Camote

In most of Mexico, these fried patties are made with white potatoes, whereas in Veracruz they are made with sweet potatoes or yucca. This cheese-filled version is more versatile than most, because it can be served as an hors d'oeuvre as well as a side dish.

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds sweet potatoes
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* salt to taste
* 1 pound queso fresco, farmer cheese or ricotta (not ricotta salata)
* Corn oil or vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

Scrub the sweet potatoes, boil in their jackets until tender, cool and peel. Alternatively, prick them with a fork in several places, cook until tender in the microwave, cool and peel.

In a mixing bowl, mash the sweet potatoes, adding salt to taste, with a potato masher or fork to a smooth consistency. Add the flour and combine well. The dough should have a uniform consistency.

Using moist hands, shape into 8 large balls (for side dish servings) or 12 smaller ones (for appetizers or hors d'oeuvres.) Poke a hole into each and stuff it with about 2 teaspoons cheese for the smaller size or 1 tablespoon for the larger. Re-form the dough around the cheese to cover, and gently flatten each ball into a patty.

Fry the patties in about 1 �" - 2" hot oil, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Makes 12 as an appetizer, hors d'oeuvre or buffet item.

Enjoy!

More Upcoming Workshops!

Burnaby Food First is pleased to announce two more workshops! One new topic and one repeat of a very popular topic :)





Canning and Winter Pickles



Tuesday, February 2

6:30 pm to 8:15pm

Tommy Douglas Library (7311 Kingsway / Burnaby - map)

 

Join Alice MacPherson and learn how to turn regular winter vegetables into delicious pickles. Participants will take home a sample of pickles from the workshop! Due to presence of boiling water, no children please but older teenagers welcome.



FREE but registration is required. To register, please contact Meghan at (604) 209-2404 or at burnabyfoodfirst@gmail.com.

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Healthy Snacks for Kids



Tuesday, February 16, 2016

5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Brentwood Community Resource Centre (2055 Rosser Ave / Burnaby - map)

Join Sondi Bruner and learn some delicious and nutritious suggestions for after school snacks. This is a co-event with the Brentwood YMCA. We will spend the first part of the evening talking about healthy snacks and then all are welcome to stay for a Family style dinner. Children of all ages are welcome to attend this event. 

FREE but registration is required. To register, please contact Meghan at (604) 209-2404 or at burnabyfoodfirst@gmail.com.

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Enjoy Burnaby Food First workshops? Want to get involved as a volunteer?

Check out all the great ways you can get involved. All are welcome, and we'd love to have you on board! For more information, send us an email.

4-Ingredient Banana Blondies

I can't tell you how many times I've glanced at my overly-ripe bananas and gone straight to my computer to google "baked banana recipes."  The number is probably absurd, in fact, I'm pretty sure if it could, my computer would roll its eyes at me.  But guess what you RUDE, SARCASTIC COMPUTER, there are still so many recipes to try!  Like, who knew I would find these simple, four-ingredient HEALTHY blondies that come together in mere MINUTES?!

I followed this recipe with a couple of adaptions based on what I had in my pantry: I used all-purpose flour instead of coconut and regular peanut butter instead of cashew.  Otherwise I used two mashed bananas and maple syrup as the recipe instructed.  Mine seem to be slightly doughier than his but they sure do taste good!  I froze them overnight and plan on keeping them in there for a go-to and guilt-free weekend treat.  Actually, they're totally suitable for breakfast, right?  Good answer!    

Food for New Parents

One of my best friends just had a baby over the weekend, and I�m completely obsessed and in love with her new little guy. I have a handful of friends with babies, and of course Evan and I have a 3 and a half year old nephew that we�re crazy about, but this is first time I�ve been right there with a close close friend, and watched her transition from the girl I met the first day of college, to a hardworking professional business woman, a wife, a pregnant lady, and finally to a mom. It�s insane, and I have so much respect and love for her right now that I want to cry. Are sympathy hormones a thing?


I�ve been thinking of ways I can help her and her husband survive their first few weeks home with the babe, and obviously food is a big one. I think the standard go-to is to bring freezer meals, like casseroles (which I�m not knocking, because hello, cheesy deliciousness), but then I did a little research, and loved this idea and these ideas. 

I�m no expert (and I�m not a mom� and have very little baby experience... this new guy is the youngest baby I've ever held!), so obviously I can�t give the �this worked for me� stamp of approval, but how amazing does it sound to have a fridge full of fresh, healthy salad-y things that you can just grab a bite of with zero effort? I mean� I want to do this for myself! And my new parent friends. But also� for myself! 

Here a few things from the archives that I think would make great drop-off meals for new parents. And New Year�s resolutioners. And� me. 

Chocolate chip pumpkin muffins or golden flapjacks for a sweet breakfast
Baked tortilla huevos rancheros for a savory breakfast 
Sweet potato, pear, & wild rice salad� in a mason jar
Sesame soba noodle salad with tofu 
Tuna and white bean salad with tomatoes and kalamata olives
Wheat berry salad with avocados, strawberries, and caramelized shallots
Southwest quinoa burrito bowl salads
Pumpkin pulled pork burrito bowls
A taco box with homemade pork carnitas 
Roasted vegetables with harissa yogurt sauce 
And of course, new mom�s need dessert as much as the next gal (if not more!) so �cookies! Try these pretzel and M&M ones or these quinoa, chocolate, coconut ones! 

What do you think? Do you have other ideas for what to bring new parents or how to help them adjust to their new lives? I�d love to know! 

Veggie Quesadillas

My 17 month old - LoLo we often call her - is obsessed with Elmo.  And "Ah-skah!"  And Bernie (she sees Bert and Ernie as one person).  So over the holidays, my mom bought her a Sesame Street cookbook.  She walks around the house reading it (and has torn out a page or two for safe keeping/crumbling).  The best part about the book - other than the yummy recipes - is that we found out Elmo's birthday is the day before mine.  I know what cake I'm making for my 35th this year!

As I mentioned, the book is also full of yummy recipes, and for some reason London keeps turning to the Veggie Quesadilla page!  So for Taco Tuesday this week, I made my own version and no, the big kids did not eat them (plain old cheese and ground turkey for them).  I saut�ed sweet onions, shiitake mushrooms, broccoli rabe, yellow squash and sweet baby red peppers...    

...in olive oil with salt and pepper...

...and then in another skillet (that I sprayed with cooking spray), I placed the veggies and a Mexican cheese blend in between two spinach tortillas and cooked them until the cheese was bubbly and delicious.  We served them with greek yogurt, avocado and hot sauce, alongside a salad.  

Meatless Tuesday!  But I totally ate some of my kid's ground turkey, too.  

Job Posting: Food Forum - Event Coordinator

Deadline: Sunday, January 24 at 8:00pm

Term: Part time, contract from Feb. 1 - June 30, 2016

Pay: $25 an hour for 180 hours. Total value of contract is $4,500

Burnaby Food First is hiring an Event Coordinator to plan a Burnaby Food Forum. The Forum is intended to bring together key decision makers from local institutions as well as local agricultural businesses, community organizations and residents to create a cross-sector understanding of food security issues in Burnaby.

Responsibilities

Pre-forum

• Develop a promotional strategy


• Assist in developing written materials including
  programs, posters, invitations, meeting agendas and minutes


• Work with Burnaby Food First (BFF members) to develop
  the forum program


• Contact local media


• Work with BFF members to develop a target list of
  participants and issue invitations


• Set up a registration process and register
  participants


• Organize catering � coffee breaks and lunch with, to
  the extent possible, local, healthy, organic foods


• Secure venue


• Contact and book PechaKucha speakers using BFF forum
  guidelines


• Use BFF guidelines to contact and book organizations
  for displays


• Coordinate printed materials for the forum as needed


• Liaise with community partners


• Coordinate event logistics, including site set-up and
  tear-down


• Recruit, assign and orient event volunteers


• Work within a defined budget and record to ensure
  money is spent appropriately


• Establish and maintain a regular schedule of reporting
  with BFF focus people 

Day
of Forum

• Coordinate A/V equipment and room set-up


• Coordinate any necessary materials for the forum (e.g.
  flip-chart paper, markers, name tags)


• Organize the registration of participants and provide
  name tags


• Handle the logistics of display tables


• Coordinate catering set-up and take-down

Post-forum

• Write a final report that includes

o   
A brief summary
of the forum

o   
Highlights of the
day

o   
Overview of the
displays

o   
Contact
information of participants

o   
Action items

Qualifications

• Experience in
  project coordination, events and community development


• Excellent oral
  and written communication skills


• Ability to travel
  around the community


• Experience in or
  knowledge of social marketing, media and/or communications work


• Skilled in
  building relationships and in working collaboratively to achieve organizational
  goals


• Experience
  working with community volunteers and the not-for-profit sector


• Ability to
  organize, set priorities, meet deadlines and work under pressure of time
  constraints


• Knowledge of the
  Burnaby community preferred

How to apply: To apply, please send a one-page letter
outlining your relevant experiences with references and your contact
information to us at burnabyfoodfirst@gmail.com
by Sunday, January 24, 2016 at 8:00 pm.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Brownies

These are just stupid.  In a good way!  But they're stupid.  I mean, is it really necessary to make brownie batter and then decide to stuff a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough in between the dark chocolate goo?  No, it is not necessary, it is stupid.  And brilliant!  Stupid brilliant.  Do I sound like Ricky Gervais hosting the Golden Globes yet?  Right then.  Bloody hell, what a dumb treat.

Ok, let's push my attempt at dry, British humor aside and discuss how good these really are.  Incredibly rich, difficult to eat more than a few bites, but delicious!  And very simple to make.  Just throw together your favorite brownie (boxed or homemade, mine were Ghiradelli), then your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (I used this one), and layer away.  I went brownie batter, cookie dough, brownie batter, but the creative possibilities are endless!  Bake as directed on the brownie box (although you might need to add 5 more minutes) and enjoy your stupid, dumb treats.  

Always Hungry? It's Probably Not Your Insulin.

David Ludwig, MD, recently published a new book titled Always Hungry? Conquer cravings, retrain your fat cells, and lose weight permanently. The book is getting widespread media coverage. Ludwig is a professor of pediatrics at the Harvard Medical School and a professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. He's a pediatric endocrinologist, but his primary focus is research, particularly the impact of nutrition on hunger, calorie expenditure, and body weight. Although I sometimes disagree with how he interprets evidence, he has made significant and useful contributions to the scientific literature in these areas, and I also support his efforts to find policy solutions to curb the intake of sweetened beverages and other junk foods. In the grand scheme of things, he's an ally in the fight to improve the American diet.

Ludwig has written several high-profile op-ed pieces in recent years, both in the popular press and in scientific journals (1, 2). He argues that our understanding of eating behavior and obesity may be all wrong, and that our focus on calories may be leading us away from the true cause of obesity: hormonal imbalance. And the primary culprit is insulin. You might recognize this idea, because it's similar to the one that science journalist Gary Taubes developed in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories.

According to this view, overeating is irrelevant. We gain fat because our insulin levels are too high, leading our fat tissue to take up too much fat, and other tissues to take up too much glucose, causing our blood energy levels to drop and resulting in fat gain, hunger, and fatigue. The ultimate cause of the problem is the rapidly-digesting carbohydrate and sugar we eat. This idea is encapsulated by Ludwig's quote, "Overeating doesn't make you fat. The process of getting fat makes you overeat" (3).

Here are eleven facts that may make you question this line of reasoning:
Read more �