The lunch box

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Where have you been?

Wow!
Hello! I'm back and I apologize to the folks who've been waiting for The Lunch Box to be back online. And to say a big thank you to everyone who stuck around.
I could use the excuse that Blogger's new face (in August) put me off (and it did!) but that would be whining!
In reality, life got stressful and kind of took over. Instead of just getting on with things and "gettin' 'er done" (my ten year old's new favourite expression), I let it all happen, without taking the time to remind myself how organized I feel when I actually do sit down to get things done. I did not, however, let inspiration pass me by! I have an incredible amount of "entries" written down on scraps of paper, in my notebook and (yes) on the back of grocery lists I happened upon in my purse, while sitting at the arena or waiting in the school parking lot. Now, if I could just find them all!
Just before back-to-school season hit (so what would that be..June?), I came upon a cookbook that had me both excited and slightly depressed. I bought it and tested some recipes from it, and promise to share it with you in my next entry!
Thanks for staying!
See you soon!
Kim


My new favourite muffin recipe...

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Greek Salad (made with mostly local ingredients)

Island Hot House Sweet Bell Peppers

This time of the year, Greek salad is a staple on our supper table. The veggies are fresh and local. The garlic is from this year (especially if we have been to Salt Spring Island! The best garlic! I usually buy two braids and that gets us from September until about April). The local cheese places all do their own version of Feta cheese. And sometimes we even get some local goat feta (but it costs twice the price for half as much!). And the oregano is from our own patch. Both dried and fresh.
Unfortunately, we don't have local lemons...we don't have local Olive oil and we don't have local olives...And greek salad just wouldn't be the same without it. Oh well, another reason I have a really hard time with that 100 Mile Diet!
I have read a number of recipes for Greek Salad and some use lemons and some don't. For me, it just doesn't taste right without the acid added to the dressing.

Long English Cukes, from Port Alberni

Paradise Island Feta Cheese

Fresh tomatoes

Chopped veggies ready for dressing

The recipe for Greek Salad is very simple:
3 tomatoes coarsely chopped
1 large sweet pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 long english cucumber, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup pitted kalamata olives (from the deli counter, not from a can!)
125 grams of feta cheese, coarsely chopped.


Veggies tossed, ready for dressing

Then you are ready to make your dressing:
Juice of 2 lemons (juice lemons at room temperature, you will get more juice)
4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I grate mine)
1 heaping tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste (go easy, you will get salt from the olives and the feta)
Good extra virgin olive oil...1/4-1/3 cup depending on how juicy your lemons were.
Combine all ingredients except for oil. Mix or whisk until well combined. While still whisking, add olive oil, in a steady stream. Whisking while adding, helps to bring the dressing together.
Pour over veggies. Toss. Add olives and feta. Serve immediately. Usually serves 6-8 people. Unless one of them is my husband, in which case, it serves 5.

Maybe just a bit more garlic...


local garlic!

Best way to get all the juice out...Citrus Remer

Ready for the feta

Save some for the salad

Ready to serve!

They don't grow them here yet...

Use this salad with chicken breast and homemade tzatziki in wrap. So yummy! (if you have any leftovers!)
Head over to What's cookin Wednesday and check out some more delicious eats!

Happy Packing!

Kim

What we ate Wednesday...

Wow! I found a new website/blog today...oh my goodness! (I am not sure my waistline is going to stay where it is if I make too many of her recipes!)...So I am sharing "What we ate Wednesday" over at Peas and Crayons with you...
We ate well this Wednesday, that is for sure. And we finished with some awesome treats from The Picky Palate (Heck, who is gonna be picky when those are on the menu!) I finished the day by making Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Swirl Fudgy Cookies ...Thank goodness I have four kids around to eat them!

But first, we had some supper...
Greek Salad...New potatoes...and Chicken breast seasoned with smoked paprika on the bbq...
And that is what crazy skater girls who are on the ice 15 hours a week, need to be eating! (and I was including the chocolate peanut butter crazy yummy cookies in that!)