Diet, Dessert and Dogs

[Ah, if only I were truly still enjoying my salad days . . . in reality, I am firmly ensconced smack-dab in the middle of my "main course" days.  But you can enjoy this salad at any age!]

Now that summer is undeniably underway in these parts (nothing spells “summer” quite like a week of temperatures soaring beyond 33C/92F),  heavy duty cooking and baking seem so. . . unnecessary.  I find myself yearning for more raw foods, more fresh foods, and fewer baked goods at the moment (though ice cream cravings do still “scream” rather loudly).  

A heatwave such as we endured last week always takes me back to the first year the HH and I lived together, in a miniscule bungalow in the east end of town bordering Scarborough. Not the best neighborhood (there was a murder around the corner from our place, after which I never walked on that street again), the house was, nevertheless, the best we could afford at the time. 

Our home was a post-war structure, so tiny it effectively impersonated one of those Fischer Price dollhouses (sans a live toddler, of course). The living room was replete with dusty rose Pier One loveseat and 27 year-old console television, with no room for much else; the bathroom was so narrow that you had to turn sideways to brush your teeth; and the master bedroom, located directly above the (uninsulated) front porch, was an icebox in winter and veritable kiln in summer.

Now, if you’ve ever been to Toronto in the summertime, you will likely remember one important characteristic about this city.  No, it’s not the CN tower (no longer the tallest freestanding structure in the world).  No, it’s not Toronto’s reputation as the most multicultural city in the world (even though it is).  Not the fact that, for a couple of wild nights in June, 2010, its denizens blushed as the city lost its unofficial title of ”Most Polite Metropolis in North America.”  And not even that Jim Carrey, Mike Meyers, Alanis Morissette,  Eric McCormack, Howie Mandel and Rachel McAdams all hail from here, either. 

[No air conditioning?  This salad will cool you down on those 30C days!]

Nope, the most prominent feature of summertime in Toronto is the all encompassing, overwhelming, whacks-you-in-the-face-the-instant-you-exit-the-air-conditioning, humidity.  And as it happened during that first summer in our shoebox abode, the city suffered one of its hottest seasons in decades. With no air conditioning in the house, we were forced to rely on that age-old standard, the electric fan. 

Here’s the scene:  it’s 11:30 PM, and the temperature is still hovering around 30C (86F), 40C with the humidex. At the foot of the queen-sized futon (which on its own nearly fills the room) sits a dresser on which is perched two fans, one trained on me, one on the HH. In addition, a ceiling fan spins at high speed through the night, slightly off balance and wobbling like a magician’s spinning plate trick. To complete the fan club*, a free-standing fan is positioned on the floor off to the side so it sweeps across our bed every ten seconds or so.  We settle down for the night.

But we don’t sleep.  Even with our own little self-constructed Jet Stream, we endured a hellish, fitful seven hours, tossing and turning and perspiring so much that by morning our bed was practically transformed into a private indoor wading pool. (Okay, I exaggerate–but just a little.  The upside, I suppose, is that I lost 2 pounds that night).    

Happily, our current rental home came equipped with A/C, and, despite any residual guilt about the environment or the increased costs in summer (further enhanced this year by the lovely HST), we are glad we can use it when the humidex reaches 43C (110F), as it did last week.  And The Girls appreciate it, too.

“Yes, Mum, we do appreciate it. And since we have no sweat glands, it’s especially nice to be able to inhale that cool air from the vents and pant to lower our body temperatures. We like swimming, too–just don’t put us anywhere near that ’pool’ you just mentioned. Gross!” 

This type of heat leads to lethargy; add to that my marking-induced stupor and I just haven’t felt like cooking. 

Enter salads!

Since we’ve been eating salad almost exclusively throughout the past week, I thought I’d highlight a few of my very favorites over the next few days. To begin, today’s installment is a long-time standard from my friend and colleague Caroline Dupont’s cookbook.  Ever since I attended Caroline’s raw cooking classes back in nutrition school, I’ve loved this salad , a staple in our house over the warmer months.  I can’t believe I haven’t posted it before this!

The lively mélange of colorful, fresh and crispy vegetables and fruit marries beautifully with the slightly sweet and tart dressing.  Although I’m not a fan of fresh fennel, the ground fennel in this dressing adds just the perfect whisper of licorice to complement the juicy sweetness of the apples.  Every mouthful offers up a different parade of colors, flavors and textures to treat your palate to some first-class, sparkly raw gustatory entertainment (and a whole rainbow of antioxidants and healthy fats to boot). And it’s ready in around 10 minutes–without heat or any real physical exertion (except for the chewing–of which there will be quite a bit, I wager).  

The original recipe calls for raisins (I included them in the photo, which was the HH’s serving), and feel free to use them if you’re not following an anti-candida diet (which would be, um, the other 99.9% of you out there?). For those of us restricted to candida-busting regimens, there’s an ACD-friendly variation following.

* Sorry. I had to.

Today’s Question: What’s your favorite cooling meal in summer?

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I’m also submitting this recipe to Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays over at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free.  Go check out the other amazing submissions!

Last Year at this Time: Lucky Comestible 5 (1): Fresh and Spicy Cilantro Sauce

Two Years Ago: Zucchini & Pineapple Mini Loaves (with hidden avocado!)–for ACD maintenance only.

© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

In case you haven’t noticed, we Canadians are pretty obsessed with the weather.  It rules our schedules, our wardrobes and our moods.  Wake up to sunny skies and 26C (79 F), as we did a couple of weeks ago, and it’s going to be a good day.  Wake up to glum, sodden skies, and that scowl won’t leave your face for the next 18 hours. 

The weather influences how early you have to leave for work, your choice of foot covering for the day, whether your hair will behave or not, and how long your dog-walk will be.  Good or bad, it can even inspire me to haiku:

Last week was summer.
This week, earmuffs have returned.
Oh, Canada–why?

 (If you’re in the mood for more random haiku–including the HH’s magnum opus from his childhood–see this post).

Despite the unseasonally inclement weather this week, I’ve been hankering after raw foods for some reason.  (I’ve also been dreaming of appearing on The Ellen Show, but that’s pretty much standard every week these days.)

Maybe I’m just classically conditioned to react this way at this time of year, thermostat to the contrary or not. It’s sort of like being hungry at 12:00 noon, even if I’ve eaten breakfast at 11:00 AM; my head says, “Oh, yeah! Time to eat!” and I heed the call, even if my tummy is still churning through my cereal.  (Still trying to work on that “listen-to-your-body-signals” thing).  Whatever; I decided to give in to the impulse, and whip up some broccoli hummus.

“Mum, are you suggesting that there’s something wrong with classical conditioning?  And does this mean all of our work with that nice Mr. Pavlov was for naught? But you will still give us those treats every time you ring a bell, won’t you? “

This is Gena’s fantabulous recipe, so I can’t really take  the cake  this man to be my lawfully wedded husband  the heat  the credit for it. However, I did minimally adapt it since, unlike Gena, I find it’s a rare hummus I can enjoy without a good hit of garlic included.  If you prefer yours without the added allicin, then by all means, leave it out.  I also substituted miso for the nutritional yeast, since I’m still adhering to ACD, of course. 

The recipe is perfect in its simplicity, like a classic string of pearls, or a  Henry Moore sculpture, or Jessica Simpson.  I couldn’t believe how quickly it came together, and how scrumptious it was.  The zucchini confers both smoothness and creaminess, just as it does in Gena’s remarkably delicious zucchini dressing (which I’ve been making almost daily for the past couple of weeks) as well; and the tahini provides a bit more density and heft for spreading.

Even if you’re not a fan of broccoli, you’ll likely enjoy this, as the flavor is tempered by the tahini.  I’ve had the hummus spread on a raw collard wrap and on rice cakes–both work beautifully.  And between the broccoli and tahini, you’re getting a nice hit of calcium in each serving. All in all, a bowl of yum.

And if you squint really hard at that photo up top, you can pretend it’s a poetry-inspiring photo of  the sun, its rays emanating warmth and sunny dispositions across our Canadian skies this morning. 

Gena’s Raw Broccoli Hummus (ACD Phase I and beyond)

adapted from Choosing Raw

This quick and easy spread is a perfect alternative to standard hummus, especially if you’re trying to reduce starchy foods.  And since the main ingredients are broccoli and zucchini, you can even enjoy a little more than you would the regular stuff–without worrying about the calories.

1-1/2 cups (360 ml) raw broccoli, chopped

1-1/2 cups (360 ml) raw zucchini with skin, chopped

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup raw tahini (sesame paste)–use regular, as I did, if you don’t mind that the recipe isn’t entirely raw

1 Tbsp (15 ml) mild miso*

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) cumin

3 Tbsp (45 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

fresh ground pepper, to taste

olive oil, for drizzling

Place the broccoli and zucchini in a food processor and process until almost smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and continue to process until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides of processor bowl as necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings.  Serve immediately or refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups.  Will keep, covered, in refrigerator up to 3 days.

*NOTE: For ACD Phase I, use Bragg’s instead of miso.

Last Year at this Time: Virtual Vacation by the Sea and Appetizers for Two

Two Years Ago: French Toast Soufflé with Summer Berries (pre-ACD recipe)

© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs