Sunday, July 30, 2006

Fast, Easy, Colourful, Delicious Summertime Meal


Yep, yep, nothing to it. Pick a really hot day, picture yourself not expending too much energy and ending up with a nutritious meal certain to satisfy your energy requirements for yet another summer day. And here's the ingredients line-up: Serves two, one male, one female.

Salad
  • Half head of small-to-medium size cauliflower, divided into florets and steamed, then cooled
  • Quarter English cucumber, peeled and cut into quarter-size pieces
  • Two stalks of green onion, roughly chopped
  • Half-cup of grape tomatoes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Red wine vinegar, sparingly sprinkled over
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, about one tablespoon
  • Garden oregano, fresh, about two tablespoons
  • Garden thyme, fresh, about one tablespoon
Gently blend with a soft spatula, place into a glass bowl, cover with Saran wrap, refrigerate until mealtime for flavours to meld.

Main Course (poached eggs in fresh tomato sauce)
  • Two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • One large cooking onion, roughly chopped
  • Two cloves garlic, chopped
  • Two very large or three medium-sized fresh, ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • Quarter-cup of fresh Basil, snipped into large pieces
  • Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
  • Three eggs, yolks unbroken
  • Shredded old cheddar cheese, about one-third cup
In large skillet, heat olive oil, stir in chopped garlic and onions; keep stirring from time to time until soft and transparent, then add the chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle over with salt and pepper, and stir, then cook gently until tomatoes become soft and tomato liquid appears. Add sweet basil, and stir gently. With the back of a wooden spoon, push the soft tomatoes to make three cavities and in each one gently deposit an egg. Cover with a lid, heat turned down and cook until the eggs become firm. Uncover and sprinkle cheddar cheese over, allow to melt. With a large serving spoon (slotted, if you prefer) lift out the poached eggs and their nest of tomatoes onto serving plates, and serve. This is a serving for two. If serving for additional people, simply increase ingredients accordingly.

For dessert: Fresh raspberries in season served over plain yogurt. Treat yourself to a honey, whole-wheat cookie topped with home-made raspberry jam.

Do I look overweight? It's the angle of the shot.

posted by Pieface @ Sunday, July 30, 2006

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