Ramps, ramps, ramps....

I love all seasons. Each one of them has something fabulous to offer, but spring just has something special about it. I'm not sure if it's the freshness it brings, the birth of brand new little things (vertebrates, invertebrates or otherwise) or the warmth that starts to come with the change of air. Actually, it's probably all of those things.

So, to indulge in all of those things I took a stroll through the woods the other day when the weather was particularly nice and came across.......ramps! I had no intention of picking ramps that day and forgot they were in season. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

In case you don't know, ramps are similar to leeks or spring onions that grow in the wild (in eastern North America and are native here). They seem to grow near creeks or river beds that have slight tree canopies to allow light through. Or at least that's where they tend to grow in our area. They tend to take over once present. Nonetheless, they only last a few weeks during mid to late spring. They look much like a green onion, but the stalk is leafier. All you need to pick them is a garden fork and some hands. Once you get them out of the ground, just pull off the little protective layer of skin around the bulb, rinse them off and they're ready to go.

Culinary-wise, they don't have a strong onion taste and in fact I think they have a taste all of their own. I like them on top of burgers and sandwiches, paired with eggs or in a salad. I'm also told that they are considered a delicacy in Canada and some people pay a pretty penny for them in restaurants in the U.S., which all seems a little silly to me. I suppose I am blessed.

This time I just decided to drizzle them with a little extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and grill them until tender. They're good just like that people! I promise.  We were also having hamburgers that day, so I set some atop a heap of ground beef, provolone, and tomatoes. Absolutely perfect spring meal.

So, next time you're strolling through the woods keep your eyes out and spend a little time inspecting what you're stepping on...it might just be ramps.

Tuna Salad

There was a point in my life when I was very poor. It was when I first moved away to grad school. New city. No family, no friends within reasonable distance. It was also the most exciting time in my life. It taught me that financially poor is bearable as long as you're not passionate or spiritually poor. Life lessons, if only you knew them while you were actually experiencing them.

At any rate, I lived off 2 things. Ramen and tuna. And not the whole tuna fillets. I'm talking the tuna in a can tuna. I ate ramen or tuna every day for well over a year.

I now hate ramen. And I just now started choosing to eat tuna over other things again.

I would always try to find ways to 'spice' them up. I was limited of course, so making ramen or tuna exciting was pretty difficult. There are ways though for tuna, i.e. mayo, mustard, lemon/lime juice, creole seasoning. And for ramen, I generally added things like celery or corn.

In particular, this recipe is one of the reasons I decided to delve into making tuna more often again. Tuna after all, is great for you. I think I first saw a version of this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine years ago, but don't quote me on it. It definitely 'spices' up tuna and is beyond easy.

What you'll need: tuna chunks, jalapeno pepper, green or banana pepper, onion, tomato, celery, garlic, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lime, salt/pepper.

Dice jalapeno pepper, green pepper, onion, tomato and celery. Mince garlic. Add them all to a medium sized bowl. Add tuna, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lime zest and juice. Mix and then season with salt/pepper to taste.  Put it between two slices of whole grain ciabatta bread and you got yourself a great sandwich, with ~330 calories. Enjoy!

Tuna Salad

2-11 oz packages of tuna

1/2 green pepper, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 md onion, diced

1 md tomato, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 lime (zested and juiced (1 1/2 tbsp zest, 2 tbsp juice))

salt/pepper

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

One of my favorite past-times during the summer is grilling. I love grilled food, especially grilled vegetables. It takes so little to make food taste so good when it's coming off the grill. Olive oil and salt and pepper is all you really need to perfectly season your food of choice. Which is why I love this recipe.

It's everything great about summertime wrapped up into a little sandwich and I promise you wont even miss the meat!

What you need: zucchini, yellow summer squash, red onion, tomato, cheddar cheese, dijon mustard, mayo, basil and garlic.

Look at all that lovely basil just waiting to be picked. I tend to use basil a lot in all sorts of things. So, it saves so much money just for me to grow my own.

Chop basil and garlic and add it to mayo. Refrigerate until ready to prepare your sandwiches. This mayo gets better with time and goes great on about anything, including hamburgers. chicken, and tomato sandwiches!

You'll need these veggies. We tend to have an over abundance of squash during certain times of the growing season. Sometimes, it's hard to keep up with eating it all. So, this recipe helps you use up all those veggies, and with a twist.

Slice your onion and squash as shown. I like the onion slices thicker so that they hold up to grilling. Drizzle with olive oil and add some salt and pepper. 

I wrap my veggies in foil and grill until they start to get that great grilled color and the onions carmelize, about 1/2 hour on medium heat. I throw my buns on the warming rack in my grill for ~5 mins so that the get nice and toasty. To assemble, put a layer of your prepared mayo on the bottom bun and a layer of dijon mustard on the top bun. Layer on your vegetables and add the cheese immediately on top of the grilled veggies so that it has time to melt. Add tomato and voila, you have this incredible sandwich packed full of flavor, without the meat. I promise one will fill you up and only take up ~513 calories of your daily caloric intake.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

1 medium zucchini

1 medium yellow summer squash

1 large red onion

1 large tomato

3 slices cheddar cheese

3 tbsp dijon mustard

3 tbsp Garlic Basil Mayo

3 submarine/steak rolls

yields 3 sandwiches

Garlic Basil Mayo

1/2 c mayo

~15 basil leaves (4 tbsp chopped)

4 cloves garlic (3 tbsp chopped)

Roasted Red Beet Grilled Cheese

The minute I saw this recipe over at BS' in the Kitchen I knew I had to try it. There are a number of reasons why. For one, I love roasted red beets. Seriously, next time you're out grab some beets (and some feta) bring them home and drizzle them with a little olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap them in some foil and throw them in an oven for 45 mins at 450 degrees. When they're finished cut up and top with some feta and a little finishing oil and you've got yourself one delicious snack. For two, they're healthy for you! Beets get their color from a little phytonutrients called betalains, which is a unique antioxidant not found in many other foods. Betanin (which is a common form found in beets) was even found to decrease tumor multiplicity and load. Pretty crazy, huh? They're also packed full of folate! And who doesn't want that extra dose of B vitamins? Just look at all those nutrients waiting to be gobbled up.

Regardless, I think beets get a bad rap for not being too tasty. So, I've decided to make it my goal to bring beets up from under the table, get rid of their nasty stigma and make them more commonly used. This recipe is just the way to do it.  It's creamy. It's quick. It's delicious.

To make one sandwich you'll need (adapted from BS' in the Kitchen):

2 slices of bread (I use Nichols Light Whole Wheat)

1-2 beets (depending on size)

2-4 tbsp cream cheese

1 tbsp butter

a handful of baby arugula

salt/pepper

extra virgin olive oil

The recipe is pretty simple, just like making a grilled cheese with a few twists. Cut the greens off the beets (I generally save these for later use) leaving a few of the stems at the top so that the beets do not bleed. Drizzle your beets with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover in foil. Stab some holes in them with a fork so the steam has somewhere to go. Roast for 45 mins to an hour at 450 degrees. You can remove the the skin just by rubbing them with a dry paper towel. The skin will come right off. Then slice.

Butter two pieces of bread and throw the rest of the ingredients (beet slices, cheese, arugula)  in between the two slices of bread. I generally soften the cream cheese and spread it on the opposite side of the bread the butter is on. Throw them on the griddle for a few mins and give it a little press here and there. The hardest part is waiting for all the cheese to melt to gooey perfection.

Fitness pal tells me that this little sandwich only racks up 201 calories, which isn't half bad, wouldn't ya say? And hopefully it helps you get one step closer to falling head over heels for beets!