Strawberry, Feta and Bacon Salad...

Strawberry, Feta and Bacon Salad

The other day my Aunt Ellen sent me photos of some beautiful strawberry tarts she had made. Just seeing pictures of them was enough to get my taste buds going. Sadly the distance between Kent and Toronto is too great and I was denied a taste. She mentioned having an abundance of leftover strawberries and was unsure as to what to do with them. Immediate thoughts turned to smoothies, ice cream and jam – but surely there are other ways to use strawberries? A quick search uncovered this recipe for Strawberry and Arugala Salad.

I happened to have some spare strawberries so thought I’d give this salad a try myself. I wasn’t able to get a hold of prosciutto so used smoked, back bacon from the local butchers. For the salad leaves I opted for baby spinach, lamb’s lettuce and red chard with slivers of beetroot. It was amazing and definitely my kind of salad. The combination of sweet, juicy strawberries with salty bacon and creamy feta is to die for. This is the perfect summertime dish.

Here is the original recipe with my changes in paranthesis.

Strawberry And Arugula Salad With Crispy Prosciutto

Ingredients

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons honey (I used Canadian maple syrup)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered

1/3 cup sliced red onion (I used shallots)

Olive oil cooking spray (I don’t use cooking spray)

4 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces) (I used 4 slices of smoked back bacon)

6 cups baby arugula (about 5 ounces) (I used about half this amount of salad)

2 ounces goat cheese or feta, crumbled (I used feta)

Directions

Whisk together first 5 ingredients (through to the black pepper) in a large serving bowl.

Add berries and red onion; let stand 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly coat a seasoned cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan with cooking spray, and heat over moderately high heat.

Add prosciutto in one layer, and cook, turning, about 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate to cool; crumble and reserve.

(What I did for the above step was to cook the back bacon, removing it from the heat once it was cooked through. I then trimmed the rind off the side in one long strip, putting it back into the pan, on a high heat, to help crisp it up – it curls up nicely too! I sliced the back bacon into bite-sized pieces and returned in to the pan for a further 5 minutes once the rind had crisped up slightly.)

Place the baby arugula in a large serving bowl with the cheese; add the strawberries, red onion, and balsamic dressing, and toss gently until just coated. (I added the bacon pieces at this stage and tossed everything together. I reserved the curly rind for a garnish at the end.)

Divide the salad among 4 serving plates, and top evenly with the cooked prosciutto.

(This made enough salad for my husband and I to have a lovely dinner with NO leftovers!)

Enjoy!

Brewing With Love And Nose Rubs: Cat Cuddle Tea....

When I was younger I pestered my parents on a daily basis for a pet. At that time it didn’t matter to me what kind of pet, I just wanted an animal companion to cuddle up to and share my secrets with. Then one summer day when I came back from a solo visit to see my grandparents, I was greeted at the door by my mom, who told me there was a special surprise waiting for me. I will never forget the first time I saw Cinders. She was a tiny ball of gray and white fluff and to be honest I was terrified of her! She was so tiny that I was frightened I would hurt her if I went near her. I soon got over my worry and would often scoop her up for a cuddle. She was a remarkable cat who gave our family lots of love, joy and laughter for over 22 years.

As a teenager I did my share of babysitting but I was actually more popular as a cat sitter. I would look after people’s cats while they went on holiday and would shower them with as much love and affection as I could – so they didn’t miss their families too much while they were away. It was the best job I ever had! I looked after cats in Canada and the UK and made many wonderful friends (human and feline) along the way.

Now I do love all animals BUT there is something completely wonderful about cats. They hold a very special place in my heart and I know the world would be a miserable (and far less interesting place) without them. I am purrfectly happy in admitting that I am a total slave to my cat Nutmeg!

When I say I would do anything for her– I mean it! When she squawks I come running. Of course this has now resulted in me bringing her large glasses of water throughout the day (and night! – can we say ‘sleep deprivation’ everyone). In fact all she has to do is look at me in a certain way and I drop everything. Nutmeg does love a good cuddle and she often calls me over to have a wee snuggle and a mad cleaning session (I don’t do any cleaning – I am just expected to watch and admire).

Working from home means my day is wonderfully broken up with bouts of cat cuddling. This has created something which I call ‘Cat Cuddle Tea’.

Luna Raye’s Recipe For Cat Cuddle Tea.

Ingredients

1 tea bag (I love Clipper Organic Everyday Tea)

Water, just off the boil.

Milk and Sugar (or Honey) if desired.

Directions

Boil some water (being mindful not to overfill your kettle).

Add tea bag to your favourite mug.(My favourite is my Star Trek mug)

Fill the mug with the boiled water and gently poke at tea bag with a tea spoon.

While the tea continues to steep go and cuddle your cat.

Give ample nose rubs, chin scritches and haunch pats.

If your feline friend asks for a drink, pour them some water and bring it to them in a crystal glass. Make sure to hold the glass steady.

After they have had their water, bury your face in their fur and make smooch-y noises and praise them.

More nose rubs may be needed at this point.

Ignore cramp in your left side because you aren’t sitting correctly on the sofa (most likely because kitty is stretched out).

When 30 minutes has passed gently remove yourself from the sofa to check on your tea.

It should now be cold and unpleasant to drink.

Place unused milk back in the fridge and unused sugar or honey back on the shelf.

Get back to the sofa immediately to resume cat cuddles.

Enjoy!

Luna’s Cat Cuddle Tea Tips:

• As long as you haven’t added milk or sugar you can reserve the cold tea to give your house plants a nice boost. My great grandmother always used the cold tea left over in her tea pot for her African Violets – and they were always stunning and in full bloom.

• Place tea bags in a small dish and put in the fridge. They are wonderfully refreshing to use on tired, puffy eyes.

Some of Luna’s Favourite Cat Websites:

The Cats Protection League

Feline Cat Rescue

I Can Has Cheezburger

Catio Showcase

WhollyCat

Way of Cats

Come on and give me a cuddle - you know you want to!

Luna Raye's Cat Cuddle Tea

Nutmeg Unamused At Dragon's Inability To Give Nose Rubs

Chinese Style Chicken Thighs With Egg Fried Rice....

In these tough economic times many of us our counting our pennies and looking for bargains when we do our food shop. Using leftovers creatively is a great way to save money, as is using less expensive cuts of meat. I have become very fond of using chicken thighs which are much cheaper and more flavoursome then chicken breasts.

Tonight I tried a completely new recipe with some chicken thighs and served it alongside some egg fried rice. It was a hit and I will be making this again for sure!

Luna Raye’s Chinese Style Chicken Thighs.

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs with skin and on the bone (I use organic free range chicken).

For the Marinade:

5 Tablespoons of Superior Dark Soy Sauce.
Juice of half a lemon.
2 Tablespoons of runny honey.
2 cloves of minced garlic.
1 Tablespoon of freshly grated ginger.
Drizzle of olive oil.

Directions

Mix all marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.

Add chicken thighs to the bowl and mix thoroughly into the marinade so the thighs are completely covered.

Cover the bowl and allow the thighs to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Add to an ovenproof dish and cook at 200C turning the thighs at least twice during cooking. I like the skin on top to crisp up.

Cooking times may vary but I kept mine in the oven for an hour. Do make sure the chicken is cooked through before serving.

Egg Fried Rice

For the egg fried rice recipe I used Ken Hom’s recipe as a base but made a few changes. This is a great recipe top play around with. Follow the basic directions and try adding different things like bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and prawns. For my version I used:

• 1 cup of cold cooked white basmati rice.
• 2 salad onions (spring onions) chopped finely.
• ½ cup frozen peas (thawed).
• ½ cup frozen sweet corn (thawed).
• 2 eggs beaten with 1 Tablespoon of light soy sauce (I had run out of sesame oil).

Chinese Style Chicken Thighs With Egg Fried Rice

Fruit Smoothies: A great way to start the day...

One the best ways to start the day is with a healthy fruit smoothie. My husband has a very early start to his day and he struggles with his appetite so early in the morning. For awhile he was going to work without eating anything at all for breakfast. Skipping such an important meal is not good for your health or wellbeing – and he was beginning to suffer. Headaches, unhealthy weight loss, mood swings and tiredness were all results of him not having a good start to his day.

Fortunately we discovered the one thing he can stomach early in the morning: a smoothie.

We use plain organic yoghurt and also add about ½ a cup of semi skimmed organic milk. Then we add some fruit. You can really have fun and experiment with different fruit combinations. The great news is that you can easily get at least 1 portion of your 5 a day. Some fruits that work really well in smoothies are:

• Bananas
• Mangoes
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Apricots
• Melon
• Kiwi Fruit

If you really want to add an extra special dimension to your smoothie you can also try adding one or more of the following:

• Peanut Butter
• Runny Honey
• Cinnamon
• Porridge Oats

Here is one of our favourite recipes.

Combine the following in a blender.

¾ cup Organic Plain Yoghurt.

2 Bananas.

1 cup of Strawberries.

3 Tablespoons of Crunchy or Smooth Peanut Butter (depending on your preference)

½ cup of Semi Skimmed Milk

Sprinkling of Cinnamon

Have a go and see what amazing combinations you can up with. I would love to hear what you create so please feel free to share your recipes!