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Zucchini Hummus (yes you read right…Zucchini)

Zucchini Hummus (yes you read right…Zucchini)

When I was about 7 we moved from the city to the country and like every good back-to-the-land hippie family my parents and their friends planted gardens. In our garden my parents planted 6 hills of zucchini (just in case the first 5 didn’t take). 

Breakfast fuel. Cookies anyone, anyone, Bueller?

Breakfast fuel. Cookies anyone, anyone, Bueller?

Breakfast cookies…sounds like a bad idea right? Not so in this case. Just as every day should start out with a good breakfast I thought I’d start this blog with a breakfast fuel recipe. Sadly, I have never been a big breakfast eater (aside from 

My Kingdom for a Mangosteen

My Kingdom for a Mangosteen

Not only are they bruise proof they are really cool looking. A big thank you to my friends Doris Chin and Wilson Young for bringing some of these funky little fruits to the office for us to try.

The interior is kind of like a white tangerine but sweeter.  For more information check out the wikipedia. I kind of mangled the extraction process but there are easy “how to” instructions here. However, be sure you do this over the sink because the juice from the heavy peel is dark purple and will stain. There is a pit in the centre so watch out for that. Enjoy!

 

Granola

Granola

This is a quick granola recipe that you can doctor up according to your family’s likes and dislikes. I’ve seen lots of recipes that add in ground flax, oat bran, barley flakes and so forth but if you don’t use these regularly they just go 

Everyone Needs a Little Sunshine

Everyone Needs a Little Sunshine

It wouldn’t be Fuel 4 Dancers without some dancers so here are several from Dance Co. The image is from a piece called Sunshine choreographed by Fonda Bloy. The piece originally had 9 dancers but this particular performance is from the Crystal Challenge Grand Championships 

Steak Soup…or what to do with the leftovers

Steak Soup…or what to do with the leftovers

You know how left over BBQ steak is hard as a rock? This fixes that.

You will need*:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion rough chopped
3 medium carrots scrubbed and cut in rounds
1 fennel bulb rough chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
Handful of cherry tomatoes (or other chopped tomato)
Left over BBQ steak cut in chunks (I had about 2 c. worth and the picture above shows about the right size)
5 white pepper balls (whole)
2 cubes McCormack’s “All Vegetable” Beef Bouillon Cubes (Yes I know that sounds like an oxymoron but they don’t have any meat products in them)
4 c. water
1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp each dried thyme and oregano
1 bay leaf

*There really are no soup rules. If you’ve got veggies about to go south in the fridge chop them up and add them to the saute.

  1. In a heavy bottom soup pot heat oil and saute onion on medium for 3 minutes or until the onion starts to turn translucent.
  2. Add carrots and fennel and saute another 3-5 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and left over chopped steak, tomotoes and crumbled up bouillon cubes.
  4. Add the  water (should cover everything – add more water if it doesn’t)
  5. Add the Worchestershire, pepper balls, dried herbs and bay leaf. B
  6. Bring to a bowl then reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 1 hour.
  7. Correct seasonings to your taste.
  8. Serve with warm crusty bread.

This is even better the next day (and even better the day after…if there is any left).

Serves 6.

 

Buttermilk Cornmeal Muffins with Niblets

Buttermilk Cornmeal Muffins with Niblets

These are quick to whip up and a great extra for lunch or dinner. You could probably reduce the sugar to 1/4 c. because of the sweetness from the niblets. You will need: 3/4 c. yellow cornmeal 1 1/4 c. buttermilk 1 c. all purpose