Farmer's Market Finds

The small town I have called my home for the past 4 years is home to a year round farmer's market. Every Saturday morning downtown Guelph can be found crawling with university students and families walking about with fresh local farmed goods and the taste of cold pressed juices on their tongue. Not to mention some fresh salsa from the local mexican restaurant Salsateria. Here are a few of my finds.

Kale It What You Want

I'm sure you've all heard of kale, it's one of those new trendy vegetables. Some people are unsure of its benefits, and don't find big leafy greens very tasty. Kale is so nutritious and you can have it in many different ways without having that bitter taste. Before we get into recipes let's talk about its benefits:

Antioxidant Properties
Kale has high concentrations of Vitamin A,K and C, all of which are excellent antioxidants and have a variety of uses.
          Vitamin A- growth and development, maintenance of the immune system, and good vision
          Vitamin K- reduce risk of cancer, modifies proteins required for blood coagulation, and in the bone and other tissue
          Vitamin C- essential nutrient in all humans, required for many metabolic processes in the human body

Other Benefits
-Kale is rich in many minerals such as copper, potassium, manganese, phosphorus and iron.
-Lowers blood cholesterol levels which reduces risks of heart disease
       
 Don't forget though, too much of something isn't good for you either! People taking anticoagulants (blood thinners) like Warfarin should avoid eating kale because of the high levels of Vitamin K. It also contains naturally occurring substances that can cause an interference in calcium absorption, so avoid eating high amounts of dairy at the same time as Kale.

Despite the potential and rare toxicities of Kale, overall it is an extremely healthy vegetable that everyone should try and include in their diet! My favourite way to eat Kale is as Kale chips. It's very simple and takes about 15-20 mins. Here's my sister's recipe that I use!

recipe for one bundle of kale
Step 1: Chop up Kale (you can even use the ends)
Step 2: Coat kale in olive oil
Step 3: Add 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice
Step 4: Add salt and pepper
Step 5 (optional): add cayenne pepper, crushed chillie flakes or any other seasoning's you wish to add
Step 6: Bake in oven for 15-20 mins at 350 F

Voila!

They may not look the greatest but I promise they are delicious!

Other great ways to include kale into your diet:
-add them into fruit smoothies (you can't even taste the kale, because the fruits overpower it!)
-add into soup along with some swiss chard
-mix chopped pieces into ground meat when making home made meatballs or burgers (recipe soon to come)

We hope after reading this that you give kale a try and enjoy it! Let us know how you incorporated kale into your diet!

Home-made Pizza

Pizza is one of my favourite things to make. It's easy, quick and a lot tastier than frozen, and take out pizza! I buy ready made pizza dough from the grocery store, in order to reduce time.

Step 1: Roll out dough to desired size
Step 2: Drizzle olive oil (or marinara sauce)
Step 3: Load on toppings! On this pizza I put prosciutto, brie, mushrooms, arugula, marble cheese and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on top.
Step 4: Put in oven for 400 F and bake for about 15mins
Step 5: Set to cool
Step 6: Enjoy!

Food for thought...

Chicken & Peppers with Roasted Potatoes

Step 1:  Wash and cut potatoes into cubes. 

Step 2:  Pre-heat oven to bake at 385°F. 

Step 3:  In baking pan, toss potatoes with cooking oil (enough to coat), parsely flakes, salt, and pepper.

Step 4:  Cover pan in foil and place in oven.

Step 5:  Cut chicken breasts into thin strips and cook in skillet w/ a small amount of cooking oil or spray.

Step 6:  Wash and cut green and red bell peppers into thin strips.

Step 7:  Once all chicken has browned, toss peppers in and stir.

Step 8:  Season chicken and peppers to taste. Remove from fire once peppers are tender.

Step 9:  Remove foil from potatoes and cook uncovered another 10 mins. Stop baking once tender.

Step 10:  Enjoy! 

Music of the Moment:

Zedd, (real name Anton Zaslavski) is a 24 year old DJ and electronic music producer gaining recognition on the airwaves; With a remix of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" and a single, "Spectrum", with Matthew Koma, Zedd has made a name for himself. More recently, Zedd has paired with strong female vocalists Foxes (known for her track "Youth") on "Clarity", and Haley Williams, of Paramore, on "Stay the Night".

"Stay the Night" showcases Haley's signature pipes, Zedd's knack for catchy dance ballads, and beautiful videography. One listen and you'll be hooked; Who knows, maybe you'll even be inspired to ask the pivotal question: "Are you gonna stay the night?"

Food for thought...

Baked Egg & Avocado

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350°F.

Step 2:  Rinse and cut an avocado in half. Remove pit.

Step 3:  Crack an egg, discarding half of shell, and carefully pour yoke into each half of the avocado.

Step 4:  Add shredded cheese and any other toppings your heart desires. 

Step 5:  Bake in a glass or non-stick pan for 10-12 mins.

Step 6:   Enjoy!

Music of the Moment:

Drake, (full name Aubrey Drake Graham) is a 26 year old rapper, singer, songwriter, artist, and actor. He first gained recognition as Jimmy Brooks on Canada's teen drama series, Degrassi: Next Generation. Years later he broke into hip-hop, releasing mixtapes and signing with Lil Wayne's record label Young Money Entertainment. 

After nearly 4 years of his signature style's hit singles, such as Take Care, Over, and The Motto, his current release Hold On We're Going Home does not disappoint. This track evokes a chill, "the night may have ended, but the fun isn't over" feel and appeals to guys and girls of all musical tastes.

If you don't already love it, give this jam a chance. After all, as Drake would say... YOLO.

Music of the Moment:

Lorde, (real name Ella Yelich-O'Connor) is a 16 year old singer-songwriter from New Zealand that's burst onto the music scene. Chances are you've heard her debut album's single, Royals, on the radio and fallen in love. This track has gotten a lot of attention and is from her highly anticipated LP, Pure Heroine, due out on September 30th.

If you've been a fan from her first EP The Love Club, like J has, then you're already up on her unique and youthful yet mature songstyle. Check out both the EP and upcoming LP to experience the sounds of Lorde; You'll be glad you did.