Tomato Chickpea Soup

It was a cold wet day today and I thought I would try making a new soup recipe for dinner. The bonus for me was it could be made in the slow cooker which meant I could throw it all together and just walk away. Then if someone catches me reading a book on my window seat I can tell them I’m busy cooking!



Start by dicing up some carrots and celery and put them in the crock pot.

Add the chick peas.  You can use dried beans and soak them overnight but I prefer to use canned beans. You just have to rinse them really well.

Add 4 cups of vegetable broth.

In a separate saucepan, heat some olive oil and add some minced garlic.



Stir in the cumin and paprika and heat for five minutes. Then add some raw sugar (we only have raw sugar in cubes so I tossed a couple in), bay leaves, tahini, salt, tomato paste and water. Stir it up to make a paste.

Pour the mixture over the beans and vegetable mix. Turn the heat to high and cook for two hours.

Turns out two hours isn’t long enough so use the crock pot only if you have all day. I didn’t ‘cuz I had to feed Mr bus driver man before he went to work so I finished cooking the soup in a big pot on the stove.

Once all the veggies were cooked, puree small amounts at a time in your blender until the soup is smooth and creamy. This is actually trickier than it sounds. Or at least a lot messier than I thought it would be.

It’s not a bad idea to start the blender off slowly and give it a little bit of air so some of the heat can escape.  Although the clean-up was enough to give someone a small heart attack, the finished product was actually pretty tasty. Mr bus driver man added some hot sauce to his bowl (of course).

The recipe

Ingredients

1 cup dried garbanzo bean sor 2 16 oz cans, drained and rinsed

6 ripe plum tomatoes (or 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes if you can't find fresh)

2-3 large carrots, sliced in rounds

2 celery stalks, diced

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp spicy paprika

2 large bay leaves

1 Tbsp raw cane sugar

1 Tbsp tahini

1 tsp salt

1 can tomato paste

4 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp dried basil or 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2 Tbsp Braggs liquid aminos

Directions

Dice tomatoes, carrots and celery. Put in pot and add rinsed and drained beans, 4 cups water and 2 veggie cubes along with bay leaves, basil, salt, tomato paste, tahini and sugar. In a separate pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add diced garlic and brown in the oil. Stir in cumin and paprika and heat for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot water to the spice mix and stir to make smooth paste. Add to vegetables and beans. If using pot, bring to boil, simmer covered for an hour. If using crock pot, turn heat to high and cook for approximately 3 hours. Blend soup with blender stick or in batches in blender. Add Braggs and salt and pepper to taste.

You're awesome!

It's a cold morning here on the wet coast, and Mr Bus Driver man has just fired up his motorbike and headed off to work.

He woke up to find a little something special in the kitchen.

Yes, its a bottle of hot Awesome Sauce made right here at home (well, not my home, but the town of my home!) with a single chocolate heart (also not made here in my home). If ever there was a way to my man's heart, it's with hot sauce, and something delicious to pour it on.  He refrained from adding it to his toast this morning, but I fully expect to see him drizzling it over tonight's dinner. As you might have guessed, in our home Valentine's Day is not a serious holiday but a time for a little fun and an extra little gesture.


Except, the little gesture from him was quite a bit bigger than I expected. Mr Bus Driver man, you're awesome!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Turkey Chili

Despite the sunny days we had last week, winter has not yet loosened her clutches on us and continues to give us cold nights and rainy days. Which is a long way of saying it's still chili weather.


This recipe is courtesy of David Kirsch, The Ultimate New York Body Plan. It uses ground turkey which you can get from pretty much any butcher counter these days. Make sure to thaw the turkey if you’ve got some in the freezer. Cooking it from frozen makes it kind of tough and not so pleasant.

Mr bus driver man gave it a 6/5 score the first time I made this so we have it quite often in our house.

Start with melting some butter in a large saucepan. We cook with Paderno pots on a gas stove. Good quality pans with steady heat really helps turn out good food.
 

Add the turkey and season well with salt and pepper.

Cook the turkey for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Okay, turkey doesn’t really brown, it goes more gray but you get the idea.



Put it in a bowl and set aside. Now chop up your veggies.

Throw them in the pan you just took the turkey out of, and add the garlic. You’ll want to add a bit more butter as well so the veggies can sauté on low heat.

Add your spices. I didn’t have any cayenne pepper so I used chili flakes instead.

(Did someone go a little wacko with the label maker? Trust me, when you have kids in the house, it helps to label EVERYTHING!)

Turn up the heat to medium and add in the tomatoes, stock and bay leaf. We had some kale in the fridge as well so I chopped some of that and threw it in.

Very pretty!


Bring the whole mess to a boil over high heat and then turn it down and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the turkey and let it cook for another 5 minutes so the meat gets hot again. Don’t forget to take out the bay leaf before you serve it up.

 
Turkey Chili (the recipe says serves 4 but we only get 3 helpings in our house)


2 tsp butter, divided
1 lb lean ground turkey
Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste
1 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about ¾ cup)
2/3 cup coarsely chopped celery (about 1 stock)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
14 ½ oz canned plum tomatoes
½ cup chicken stock
1 bay leaf

Heat 1 tsp butter in 3 quart saucepan over high heat. Add the turkey and season to taste with salt and pepper. Break up the turkey and cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Remove to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Reduce heat to low, heat the other tsp of butter and cook the red pepper, onion, celery and garlic for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin and cayenne and cooking, stirring for one minute. Increase the heat to medium, add the tomatoes, stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Add the turkey and simmer 5 minutes more. Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving.

Calling a do-over

Remember when we were little kids and we could call a do-over, say if the ball fell out of our hand instead of throwing it hard like we intended? Or you tripped on your shoelace when you were in a skipping competition with your friends? Well, I'm calling a do-over on my blog.

My friend Jodi has been asking me when I'm going to update my blog (it's been oh, a few months since my last post) and I didn't have an answer. I knew I wanted to blog about something but really didn't know what I wanted to blog about. Well, now I do. After some thought about my dreams and passions, I saw what I really love is art, making a difference and cooking. Oh, and coaching people to reach their optimal health. Put all that together and I'm creating a blog on food. But not what we have come to call food in the 21st century, but REAL food, you know, the kind of stuff your grandma would recognize.

There are lots of really great food blogs already, I know. And I subscribe to a few of them and get really inspired by some of the recipes they post. So what's different about mine? Well, first I'm going to try and stick to few basic rules. Use real ingredients, keep the recipes simple, make sure they taste good and well, that's about it. Simple real yummy food. No calories to count, no nutritional breakdown, nothing more than something easy to make that will fuel your body in the way your body wants to be fuelled. I'll include some photos of the recipes as well (an added bonus for me - playing with my camera AND my food).

So, I'm collecting recipes, charging the batteries in my camera and getting out the pots and pans. Stay tuned...I've already got the first recipe picked out!

Motorcycle Mama!

Earlier this summer, and under some influence from my boyfriend, I decided to learn to ride a motorbike. This was not something I had ever seriously considered but Marc had recently purchased a dual sport bike (read: street and logging roads) and was looking for another riding partner. We started dreaming about what was possible if I got my license – new adventures for camping, possibilities of touring the country by bike, saving money on gas, etc. We had a month of vacation coming up and the idea of buying me a motorbike instead of buying plane tickets really made sense. We would simply do some touring within the province, maybe head north to the Alaska if time permitted.

It seemed the time had come for me to learn to drive on two wheels. I dutifully went down to Motor Vehicles and got my “Learn to Ride” manual. Two weeks later I was the proud recipient of my learner’s permit, and two weeks after that, I was standing in front of a Honda Nighthawk 250 with 4 other people, ready to take on learning to ride these machines. We had already completed 2 evenings of classroom learning, where I not only reviewed the rules of the road, I began to deal with a lot of noise in my head that sounded a lot like “OMG, what am I doing here? This is WAY TOO DANGEROUS for me!” Because this was a safety course, there was a lot of emphasis on risk management, and how to avoid potential dangerous situations. This meant there was a lot of discussion of dangerous situations! No wonder I was beginning to have a minor freak-out. Each night after class I would drive home, keenly aware of signs, lines and potential hazards. I was beginning to drive like a biker. 

On the actual riding days, we began in an enclosed parking lot. Nothing but some painted lines, some chalk drawings and a few pylons. Seemed safe enough. We began with learning how to get on a bike. Strange though it seemed at the time, there is a way, and then there is a safe way. I was beginning to see the pattern here. From mounting the bikes, we learned how to work the clutch and throttle together, slowly moving the bikes around the lot. From there it was figure 8’s and u-turns, all in first gear, all going very, very slowly. Meanwhile the noise in my head was getting louder and louder, and the pressure to get it right became so unbearable at one point, I stopped the bike, took off my helmet and burst into tears in front of my instructor. A short break, a coaching conversation by email with a good friend, some food and water, and I went back to the bike with a new attitude. This was supposed to be fun, and I wasn’t giving myself any room to experience the thrill of learning to ride. I had been too focused on getting it all perfect because of our impending trip. Inside of the coaching I received, I saw that I was afraid of disappointing Marc - if I didn’t learn enough in the course, we wouldn’t be doing a bike tour. I also saw how ridiculous that was, because really, if I wasn’t confident enough to take on a ride like we planned, I needed to be able to say that without fear of repercussion. Ultimately I knew Marc wanted me safe and alive, not lying in a ditch somewhere because I hadn’t successfully navigated a corner or something else. What I also saw was that we could still have our holiday, it would just be on 4 wheels instead of 2 and it would still be great. With a deep breath, I got back on the bike, and spent the remainder of the day focused on the instruction and putting it all together. By the end of the afternoon I was successfully making tight u-turns, gearing up and down and practicing emergency stops

Midway through Day 2, we had our ICBC Skills Assessment test. This involved riding through a course of pylons set up for slow riding, u-turns, zigzagging (so much fun!), 90 degree corners and emergency stops in 2nd gear. Although I didn’t score a perfect mark (what is that about perfection??), I did pass the first time through. My second test was now complete; all that remained was the road test.

That afternoon we went out riding on the road. Along the coastline and through the city we navigated tourists, pedestrians, buses and construction. We went around blind corners and up and down big hills. We merged onto the highway and used the off ramps. We took turns leading the group, and riding in other positions of staggered formation. Just when I was feeling super confident, I was involved in one very short moment of terror. Thank goodness for me I was the only one involved, but it was enough to have my confidence shaken, and again, have to deal with that dreaded voice (which was beginning to sound more and more like my mom every time!). A short moment to breathe, my riding buddy and I assessed the situation and got back out on the road, riding to catch up with our group. I finished the ride, but when we got back to the parking lot where we had started, I was done for the day. And when I got home, I burst into tears, allowing the shock of the incident to hit me. Talking it out with Marc, letting the tears flow, I figured I was over it. Not quite. Two days later, after a couple of sleepless nights, I was overcome with tightness in my chest and a strong urge to cry off and on throughout my workday.

Now I know that in the past, that would have been it. I would have called it quits and shut down any possibility of even riding a motorbike again. I would have blamed Marc, there would have been a fight, and I would have effectively put a wedge in my relationship, driving us apart. This time, however, I called another coach, one who drives a motorbike. He gave me an exercise to do, a meditation that would allow me to dissipate the charge of the situation. When I was finished with the exercise, I tested it by talking to Marc about it – no tightness, no tears, no charge. Later in the evening a conversation with another rider (and coach) got me to see that stuff like that happens on bikes, and it wasn’t about me or my riding skills. I woke up this morning filled with a sense of freedom and joy, and astonishment that I had actually really truly learned how to ride. What there was for me to do now was practice! Reframing my incident from “scary” to “a story to share with other riders over beer” has not only taken 95% of the charge from the incident, it has given me a new and healthy respect for motorcycles, as well as a reminder to never take my safety for granted.

So here I am - a hot, wild and powerful motorcycle mama and I have the scarf to prove it! Ride on!

Creating a Life Dreamline

I had a realization earlier this week that my sense of adventure had gone to sleep, I had become an “armchair dreamer” and I was living life in the safe lane again. This actually really distressed me as I thought I had really taken big steps forward in being powerful in life and no longer letting fear dictate what I do and don’t do. And when I reflect on what I have accomplished in the past 2 or 3 years, I can see that I really HAVE taken some pretty big steps forward. I recently completed a Masters Degree in a program I have been wanting to take for almost 15 years, I have created an amazing and wonderful relationship with the man of my dreams (and that was NOT going that way), we bought our dream home over a year ago, and I’ve taken trips to New York, the Bahamas, and Mexico. I’m also currently working on getting my motorcycle license, buying a motorbike and planning a road trip (on our bikes) throughout BC in September.


But, (there’s that word again!), it kind of occurs like those accomplishments are just business as usual for me, and I know there are things that are important to me that I have NOT done. A few days ago I had a conversation with my friend Rita about my sleepy sense of adventure and she asked if I had a written list of what I wanted out of life. You know, a bucket list. I remember starting one a couple of years ago, but after diligently writing out a short list, it got shelved and forgotten about. That’s not to say I haven’t been thinking about those things that I want out of life, I had, but I just hadn’t written them down. Funny thing is, I always think I will remember what it is I want so I don’t need to write it down (just like I thought I would remember all those sweet moments I had with my children!). Yet, when it comes time to putting pen to paper, I am hard-pressed to recall my dreams.

Rita, being someone who is a dream supporter (and someone who is always working on her own list), requested that I immediately begin writing out a list. Her instructions were just write everything down on a piece of paper, and then later, get a journal just for the list. So I did, I started writing out the list. And, true to form, I couldn’t remember all those things I knew I had said I wanted to do in my life. However, knowing I had shared some of it with Rita, I asked her to remind me of those things. (PS. this is another reason for writing your own list ongoingly. One shouldn’t rely on others to remember your own dreams!) The goal is to hit 100 items, and then while you are crossing things off, keep adding to the bottom.

So now I have my journal, and I am calling this my “Life Dreamline.” I found the original list I started a while back and transferred those dreams into the new book. I’m up to 40 items, and without realizing, I had already accomplished 4 of those things and can cross them off. I climbed the Empire State Building and attended a play on Broadway in October 2008. I got my MA in Leadership earlier this year. I started a blog. And there are 36 more items (and counting) to take on.


This is actually really fun and I’m excited to keep adding to my list. The journal travels everywhere with me, ready to be added to at a moment’s notice. Just this morning I wrote down “See the Northern Lights in Alaska.” And now that I’ve been bitten by the dreamline bug, I’d love to know, what is on your dreamline? Go ahead, write it down. Write it down and then make it happen.


PS. If you want to read about some of Rita’s list, have a look at her blog here: http://cinderitaadventures.blogspot.com/

Return to the heat

The alarm goes off at 5:00 this morning. A 6 a.m. hot yoga class was in my plans for the day. I haven’t practiced in over two years but since my wipe-out at the gym last week, I needed something a little less strenuous on my ankle and still get the benefits of a good work-out. Bikram yoga was what I wanted.

The first thing that hit me as I climb the stairs to the studio was the heat. Of course I knew I’d be working out in a heated studio, but somehow that fact had failed to register in my consciousness until that moment. I enter the quiet space, many people already there ahead of me, lying quietly on their mats, preparing their minds and bodies for the next 90 minutes. I choose my space on the floor and lay out my mat and towel. One last sip of water and the class begins.

Bikram yoga begins with a pranayama breathing exercise designed to oxygenate your body and prepare you for your practice. Counting to 6, we breathe in, locking our hands together under our chin and stretch our elbows to the ceiling. We hold for a second and then expel, also on a count of 6. As I breathe in and out, I feel my lungs expanding, taking in more air with each breath. I wonder why I don’t breathe like this everyday. I mean, I breathe of course, but for the most part, my breath is short and shallow. Nothing like the deep, life-giving breaths I was taking in during the first 90 seconds of my 90 minute class. From breathing, we move to stretching, beginning with our spines. The first few stretches are painful, my body is stiff from sleep and the blood is not really moving very much. However, with each pose, I feel strong, my heart beats faster, and how I breathe throughout the class determines how my practice goes.

The studio is heated to 105ºF with a humidity of 40%. My body is dripping with sweat before the first breathing posture is complete. The whole class consists of only 26 poses, everything done twice. There is a standing series followed a series of poses on our mat. Each pose is designed to stretch or contract different parts of your body. The teacher talks you through each pose and I hear her say the same thing over and over – lock out your knee, suck in your stomach, breathe through your nose. Of course there is a lot more being said, but this is what I mainly hear today. I find the floor series more challenging than the standing poses. As we stretch backward, and then forward, I feel my heart beating a little faster and I must concentrate hard on my breath or risk getting dizzy and nauseous.

My least favourite pose today is Camel. As I lean backwards on my knees to grab my ankles, my rib cage expands and it feels like I am going to pass out. This doesn’t surprise me. Camel pose exposes your heart; it is the most vulnerable pose of all. This morning I talk myself through the stretch – there is no risk, nothing is wrong. After the second time, I lie down for savasana and my heart beat slows slightly. This is my favourite pose – savasana, or dead body pose. It’s a 20 second rest period between each floor posture, allowing the blood to rush back into the area we have just been working on. I am really good at this one. In fact, the reason I practice hot yoga is for the final savasana of the session. 

The session is over. As I lie on the floor, in a slightly darkened studio (they turn off the lights at the end), I close my eyes and release all tension from my body, revelling in the fact that my body has completed another session of what can sometimes only be described as pure torture. You might ask why I participate in something like this. I could list off many of the health benefits but a sign at the entrance of the yoga studio says it all.

I never promised it would be easy.

I only said it would be worth it.

                                -Bikram Choudhury

Namaste.