When visiting Israel, I noticed that people in coffee shops and restaurants were tucking into big bowls of salad for breakfast. Could that be true? Yes! Israelis love salad for breakfast and they grow fabulous vegetables year ’round. So why not?
We try to do the same at our house too. DH cuts up more than a dozen vegies to create a colorful, flavorful salad that we keep in the fridge and use all week long. We use it as salad, to stuff in pitas, toss into soups and sprinkle into omelettes or frittatas. When it’s fresh, crunchy, already chopped and in a clear container on a shelf at “eye height” it’s much easier to remember to use it.
Photo A. Meshar
Here’s a good tip: if you store the salad in a large mixing bowl, place a tiny bowl or sauce dish upside down at the bottom. It will keep any juices away from the vegetables so they stay fresh longer.
Otherwise look for a plastic container with a grid on the bottom, for the same purpose.
Breakfast salad might be served with an egg (fried or boiled) placed on top. Often the salad is topped with a dollup of yogurt, feta cheese or fresh herbs. Pita or toast can be served on the side.
So tomorrow morning, consider a fresh, Israeli salad for breakfast along with your cup of coffee. Your mouth and body will thank you all day long.
Tonight we dined on a tagine dish delivered to us by our friend J. I believe her recipe had carrots, squash, caramelized onion, chick peas, raisins, clove, turmeric, cinnamon and preserved lemons. I added the rice and slice roasted chicken breast. The flavors are intense, rich, sublime – and delivered! What more can you ask? I am delighted that she made extra and took time to get it to us.
Tagine is an ancient Moroccan way of cooking using a clay pot. Placed in the oven with the food in the dish that forms the base, vegetables and meat come out tender, caramelized and very fragrant.
She also gave us a beautiful jar of preserved lemon (and recipes) during the holidays. I’m looking forward to making a tagine dish myself. Thanks J.!
In this season of fires in the fireplace and candles on the table, more comfort food comes to mind.
When you are the oldest of seven children you learn to cook early in life. This was a good thing. The first time I made this banana bread I was in the fourth grade. It came out picture perfect. It smelled heavenly. It is best right out of the oven, sliced and slathered with melted butter.
In fourth grade, I wrote down the recipe on a card and I have been using this same recipe card ever since. It still has my fourth grade hand writing on it! Of course the recipe card is now faded, yellowed and splattered with batter droplets.
Photo A. Meshar
My own children enjoyed it, as did guests when served topped with berries and whipped cream, yogurt or vanilla ice cream. I have drizzled it with frosting and sprinkled warmed slices with powdered sugar. I have spread cream cheese between two thin slices and serve it as small sandwiches.
You can exchange the bananas for zuchini or cranberries. Or replace half the sugar with orange juice. This is a no-fail recipe. You can be sure of it because even a fourth grader can do it!
Here is the original recipe:
In a bowl beat 2 eggs ’till fluffy, add 1 stick softened butter, 1 (or reduce to 1/2) cup sugar and 2 large or 3 medium ripe bananas. Slowly add blended dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 cup nuts (optional). Turn into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 375F for 45-60 minutes.
That’s it. My fourth grade nose can smell it even now . . .
My grocery store is often Kowalski’s. I shop there because they carry Peace Coffee which is always Fair Trade coffee – meaning workers receive a living wage. They also carry local produce that isn’t shipped great distances and supports local farmers.
But tonight while shopping there I was near the deli and noticed a big display of Fiji Water above the Olive Bar display. Really ???? Fiji Water??? Yikes! Do we really need to ship water from the other side of the world??
I took time to convey my shock and dismay to the manager. I explained why I shop at Kowalski’s in the first place (fair trade, local, organic) and why products like this bottled water make me want to RUN and SHOP SOMEWHERE ELSE.
You can do the same. You can make a difference. Take time to talk to the produce manager or store manager. They know, as I do, that just one person making a comment means at least twenty other customers thought the same but didn’t take the time to tell them. If two or more people have negative comments on a product that product is HISTORY! You can make a difference.
Bottled water is bad enough. It gives the impression that it’s OK to pay a high price for water – something every human person needs by virtue of being human. Just like we need clean air, we need clean water to survive.
Although there are rare times when bottled water may be necessary — there is never a time when it is necessary to import bottled water from the other side of the globe! What a waste of oil, plastic (more oil) and money!
Further, too many people living in Fiji do NOT have access to clean water. The American owners of Fiji water have taken over local water sources there (as if you can own the water supply of others’?) and now export what water they have out of the country. Read more here.
(Update 3-3-11 – Learn more about the problems of bottled water in general.
“Pura vida!” is a Costa Rican phrase which means “pure life” or “good life.” It can be a response to “How are you?” or “How’s it going?” It may also indicate “Bye for now.” It also means whole life or abundant life. I am reminded of Jesus, who tells us why he came: “I came that you might have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Costa Ricans know how to live the good life, the abundant life.
Last week we took a break from our Minnesota winter and traveled to Costa Rica. We were greeted with sunshine and palm trees in San Jose. The weather was warm and humid in the rain forest, but warm and dry on the Pacific coast. In between we saw Poas, an active volcano. We enjoyed the spicy, tropical cuisine of Costa Rica. Meals included papaya, passion fruit, guava, mango, pineapple and plantains. Fish was often on the menu along with fresh vegetables, rice and beans.
Photo A. Meshar
We visited a banana packing plant (not Fair Trade with poor working conditions) but also a pineapple plantation that was Fair Trade. At a coffee plantation we learned that coffee is an important export of Costa Rica and we enjoyed rich, dark coffee the entire time we were there.
Photo Coffee beans - A. Meshar
Costa Ricans are very protective of their environment which includes rainforest, jungle, exotic plants, wildlife and much of the world’s natural pharmacy. Impatiens and begonias grow wild along the roadside in their natural habitat. Hibiscus and bougainvillea were in colorful bloom everywhere.
Photo A. Meshar
In Costa Rica it is possible to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean and then watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. In between there is everything from lush farmland, volcanic mountains and desert to rain forest and jungles.
Costa Rica is a country with NO military by constitutional mandate. This attracted us in the first place. Why not support a country that uses its resources for healthcare and education rather than to maintain a military? In fact, Costa Rica’s literacy rate is over 97%, higher than the U.S.
Costa Rica uses almost no oil. 95% of all Costa Rica’s energy comes from geo-thermal, hydro and wind sources. They are also self-sufficient agriculturally. They produce their own sugar, cocoa, coffee, corn, rice, beans, meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables. Surplus coffee and other agricultural products are exported.
We enjoyed the cuisine, the river tours, hiking in the rainforest and a boat ride, up river on a two-day visit to Tortuguerra. Mostly we enjoyed the people of Costa Rica and their amazing hospitality.
To all the Costa Ricans who made our visit so enjoyable we say “Muchas gracias!” Pura Vida!
When visiting Israel, I noticed that people in coffee shops and restaurants were tucking into big bowls of salad for breakfast. Could that be true? Yes! Israelis love salad for breakfast and they grow fabulous vegetables year ’round. So why not?
