Spring is in the Air Pasta

Am I crazy or does this dish remind you of the Dr Seuss' Horton Hears a Who?  I guess I've been hanging out with kids way too often...if that's even possible.  I couldn't resist throwing in the chive flower.

Another reason I love to shop at my local farmers' market this time of year....

Herb & Citrus Grilling is Great for South Beach Diets

A fantastic thing about summer...lots of fresh herbs that actually smell and taste awesome! How perfect for adding some zip and zing to a diet. Even on The South Beach Diet Supercharged, Phase One you don't have to skimp on flavor. The photo above is some romaine hearts, arugula, fresh parsley, mint, cilantro, basil and spicy green onions/scallions. I just added some toasted pecan pieces for crunch and a light vinaigrette like this one, but with white wine vinegar instead of rice wine vinegar for Phase One

This morning's breakfast....Herby Egg "Pancakes" ...no recipe, really, just whip some eggs, add a tablespoon or two of chopped fresh herbs (today was chives & cilantro/coriander). I made two - serving one per small non-stick pan for a thin pancake like omelet.

This time around I served them plain with just a sprinkling of salt and pepper, but hiding some shredded cheese in the folds would be delicious too.

Last night's dinner...Herb & Citrus Grilled Chicken, served with steamed lima beans, (I needed room in the freezer for our cute new ice cube trays), tossed with fresh mint and lime juice.

I wonder what I'll do today.....

A Great New Herb Book, Fantastic Peruvian Parsley Salsa and WHB

I just got a fantastic book and immediately thought I had to share this one with all those Weekend Herb Blogging fans out there. It's been a while since I've actually sent in an entry and a lot has changed....Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen and founder of this extraordinary weekly event, handed over the reins to another awesome blogger - Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything and it's still going strong. This week's host for WHB #166 (hard to believe, but true) is Rachel, The Crispy Cook and I just had to join in the fun.

I only wrote about the book today and made my first recipe yesterday.

The Seared Scallops with Peruvian Parsley Salsa served on a bed of Arugula was awesome and the salsa will make the even the most boring dishes dazzle. I can't wait to try some on scrambled eggs or perhaps even a pasta. I really liked the flavor, which didn't overpower the scallops (that would be bad, since scallops have such a delicate but fantastic flavor) but did liven things up.

Tonight I'm pan roasting some tilapia and serving it with Puerto Rican Ajilimojili - a very spicy dish with lots of garlic, lime juice and chili peppers. You'll have to stop by tomorrow to find out more about that one.

Bottom line, though...dieting has never been tastier, especially now that I have even more ways to dazzle a dish.

The Other Saturday Ritual

My Honey and I decided that, especially now that Spring is finally here in Halifax, it's time to get more exercise. So today is our first Saturday in our new world order and it included a long walk in Point Pleasant Park before we did our errands.

Once we got home...we were definitely hungry so I knew I had to whip something up fast before we scarfed down the Goldfish crackers we bought for Boaz's visits. And what's better, quicker, easier or more resourceful than the proverbial...

Kitchen Sink Scramble

Just open the fridge, see which herbs and greens are starting to wilt, pick a cheese that goes with it. Add any other leftovers that appeal to you and within five minutes...you're in heaven. I even served it with some toasted homemade three grain bread, that I made a couple of days ago. It was okay, but not as good as any of these... French Whole Wheat, or Dark Pumpernickel or Norene's Brown Bread.

Since it is the weekend and there's fennel fronds, oregano and baby spinach in the scramble, how remiss would I be if I didn't send this in to Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging Event, hosted this week by Cate of SweetNicks.

Saturdays and Market Omelettes

I love early Saturday mornings here in Halifax. It's my time to head over to the Halifax Market and beat the crowds. In fact, I'm often there as farmers and artisans are just setting up for the day. Time to chat and find out a bit about their products. It's no wonder I always leave feeling very calm - even on a cold and rainy day like today.

Although it is officially Spring, it's not really evident yet at the market. Except, perhaps at the Riverview Herbs stall. They produce delicate fresh herbs and edible flowers, baby greens.....and they're only about an hour from Halifax so guess where I'll be driving once the weather improves. In the meantime I'm glad I bought a few potted plants - basil, rosemary & thyme to sit on my window sill and bring a little sunshine and a lot of flavor to my kitchen.

Time to head home with visions of breakfast (after all it's only 8 AM and I'm already done). Today, I'm thinking it will be an omelette with some things from the fridge - like baby spinach, cremini mushrooms (Brad from Maritime Mushrooms had some gorgeous shitakes, but I passed them by - silly me, now that I'm home, I'm still thinking about them - oh well, there's always next week - he says the best time to visit his operations near Bridgewater, NS is in August - I can't wait), leeks...and some wonderful things from the market - farm fresh eggs from free range & organically fed chickens and some Garlic & Cayenne Goat Cheese from Ran-Cher Acres (another farm I must visit), some fresh thyme.

Recipe for a perfect South Beach Dietbreakfast (add some wonderful toasty, crispy bread if you don't care)....

Market Omelette

Last step in this herby recipe...share with Weekend Herb Blogging. This week Kalyn is doing the hosting herself.