Summer Eats

It’s been a busy and exhausting summer! I’ve been trying to get back on the weight loss wagon and so far so good. I tend to go on pizza kicks in the summers for some reason, but this year it was the Summer of Chickpea Salad!

Our garden has been flourishing this summer, so I’ve had the pleasure of drinking garden kale filled green monsters, making fresh basil pesto, roasted garden tomatoes with basil, fresh dill with lemon on salmon, and of course,chickpea salad with garden fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and parsley!

This summer also marked a landmark birthday. I hit the big 2-5 and am smack dab in my mid-20’s! It’s been over a month but I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one. I guess I’ll always be young at heart. 🙂

Anyway, I decided to treat myself to a cellphone upgrade and got an iPhone, so most of my pics will be not-so-great iPhone pics. On the other hand, I’ve been trying to take regular pics of my meals to keep track of what I’ve been eating. Hasn’t worked out perfectly, but I do have a bunch of pics to share of my summer eats!

Salmon en papillote with dill and lemon, steamed broccoli and spinach, roasted tomatoes with basil and havarti cheese

House Foods Shirataki Tofu noodles (Fettucine shaped) in fresh pesto (basil, garlic, EVOO) with chicken and mushrooms; side of baked bittermelon

Birthday bbq leftovers - spinach & feta stuffed turkey sausage, mango and my awesome chickpea salad

Bento Nouveau Spicy Salmon rolls

Clockwise: Kale chips, microwaved egg with salsa on top, mini pita with avocado, roasted tomatoes with basil and brie on mini pitas

 

Kale salad with (store bought) parisienne potatoes, massaged with basil lemon dressing

Smoked chicken deli meat with lettuce and avocado on whole wheat

salmon en papillote with dill and lemon and a side of chickpea salad

BBQ chicken, egg white topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions, salsa (store bought) and fresh basil

Chickpea salad on mixed greens

Chickpea salad, grilled chicken breast, Pita Gourmet mini pitas

Lunch at Cafe Via Crescent in Montreal, QC - fresh pasta tossed with roasted tomatoes, basil, bacon and grilled chicken - AMAZING!!

Salty caramel chocolate fondant with a scoop of vanilla icecream at Juliette et Chocolat in Montreal - To die for! Rich and delicious!!

Roasted tomatoes with basil on mini pitas, steamed broccoli (overcooked!), salmon en papillote (with dill and lemon) covered in corn

Recipangles: Ruby’s Easy-Peasy Chickpea Salad

The hardest part is the prep because there’s a lot of ‘dicing’ and ‘finely chopping’ to do.

Ingredients

• 1 can of Chickpeas (or you can soak and boil 1-2 cups of dried chickpeas – depends on how much you want to make)
• 1.5 cups diced Tomato
• 1.5 cups diced Cucumber
• 1/2 cup – 1 cup finely diced Red Onion (or any onion)
• 1/2 cup – 1 cup of finely chopped Parsley (curly or flat leafed) – amount depends on personal taste preference
• Optional: Grab a handful of other herbs (I used Basil and Dill), finely chop and throw in
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 a Lemon
• sprinkle of Garlic powder (about 1/2 tsp)
• *Secret Ingredient* — pinch of Sugar (about 1/2 tsp)
• Optional for some added heat: 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Grab a container or bowl. Pour rinsed and drained chickpeas in.
2. Add the finely diced and chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, parsley, and other herbs.
3. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, garlic powder, pinch of sugar, salt and pepper (and maybe cayenne).
4. Mix everything together well. Serve and enjoy!

Tastes best chilled.

Side note:
-If you add dill, it tends to overpower the other herbs but still gives the salad a nice flavour. I personally love parsley but had to add the dill in because I depleted our garden’s supply!

Disclaimer: I didn’t measure anything so these are all estimates and you should fiddle with the quantities and ingredients to your own personal tastes!

We grew cucumbers and tomatoes (and later onions) in our garden, which is why they are the staple veggies in this dish. Chopped celery and carrots might add a nice crunchy texture to it too, but personally I think cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions are the best combination. I just can’t get enough of this salad! I could eat it at every meal!

Well, after that massive post I’ll probably see you all in another month! 🙂

(Or maybe sooner since I’m unemployed and job hunting now!)