I mackled my ankle on the first day of vacation

You might have noticed that I didn't  post much in June/beginning of July. June I can blame on work, as that's the busy season but the first two weeks of July I lived mainly on frozen pizza and greek yogurt.   The reason for my less than exciting food habits was that I managed to sprain my ankle at a friend's wedding on literally the first day of summer vacation, thus finding myself on crutches and in an aircast. The following is a list of things I learned from my most recent accident.

1. My dance moves are killer. Especially when you throw Macklemore on the speakers. I have since "verbed" his name to describe what happened when I sprained two ligaments. He has not responded to this addition to the English language via twitter but my hopes are high.

2. You can cab to the hospital when your friends are still out partying at the wedding.  At 6 am there will be nobody else in the emergency room in a small town and you get excellent service. Choosing an emergency contact was tricky as nobody had cell service in the aforementioned small town so I went with Mom.

3. Crutches are the new trendy accessory at the Calgary Stampede. Just tell everyone you were in the Rodeo and it was too muddy so your horse slipped. Man, it sucks to be out of the competition for the rest of the week.

4. I saved a lot on gas money while I couldn't drive. A big thank you goes out to everyone who made me supper and drove me around while I was injured.

5. Physio is really boring and expensive. But worth it so go.

I'm now back to 100% and catching up with some recipes I wanted to try. Hope everyone else is having a wonderful and safe summer!

Lentil Salad

This is an oldie but a goodie! I got this recipe courtesy of my Dad. I love having it for lunch in the summer along with some leftover grilled meat.

Serves 4.

2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
1 clove garlic minced
1 can lentils, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup feta cheese
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley (I often leave out as I forget to buy it almost all the time)

Whisk the lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper and garlic together. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir. Garnish with parsley.

Asparagus and Smoked Salmon Quiche

This has been a family favourite for years but until recently, I hadn't made a gluten-free version. I found a gf pie crust courtesy of the Lakeview Bakery. It definitely wasn't the same as homemade or my old standby, Tenderflake but it reminded me that quiches aren't out of my reach even while I'm Celiac.

I always found this meal quick and easy, provided I cheated and used a pre-made crust. If you have your own pastry recipe, go ahead and if you have a good gf one, forward it please!

Recipe came from my Dad but I think he must have got the original from Canadian Living. He never puts green onions in.

1 9-inch cooked pie crust (instructions on Tenderflake box for lazy people like me)
6-8 spears of asparagus
1 Tbsp of vegetable oil
3 oz of smoked salmon, chopped (uh I think that's about a cup)
2 green onions, chopped
3 Tbsp goat cheese
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper

While you cook your pie crust, snap off the woody ends of the asparagus. Trim them to about 4 inches in length. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat and fry the asparagus for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the cooked pie crust with salmon and green onions. Crumble the goat cheese over top. Whisk the eggs together with milk, salt and pepper; pour over the salmon mixture in pie shell. Arrange the asparagus stalks over the quiche like the spokes of a wheel, or whatever floats your boat.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes at 375 F. Check with a knife by inserting into middle and it should come out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!

Serves 4 and goes great with a spring green salad! I have also made a variation by leaving the asparagus out and adding some dill to the egg mixture.

Any Fruit Crisp (but I like Peach Cherry)

This recipe comes courtesy of my friend Carmen and her dear Grandma. It's versatile and easily converts to a gluten-free friendly version.

Serves 4-6 depending on how greedy you are.

5 cups sliced peeled fruit (the original recipe calls for apples but I like to experiment. My favourite version is 4 cups peeled peaches and 1 cup quartered, pitted cherries.)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour (I use Bob's Mill GF blend for this)
3/4 cup rolled oats (gluten free)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter. I tend to work this through my hands to really blend it. Place the fruit in a 9x9 pan. Pat the dry ingredients into flat shapes and press over the fruit to make a topping. Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes.

Other successful variations include a peach/blackberry and apple/raspberry.

Kale chips

I thought the hippies were lying to us or crazy. But it turns out that the deliciousness of kale chips is not a lie or a drug-induced hallucination. They are just as good as everyone says they are if not better.

Recipe is courtesy of Canadian Living.

6 cups, torn stemmed kale
2 tsp olive oil
1 pinch of salt (ok my pinch was about 5)
1 pinch of paprika

Toss together kale, olive oil, salt and paprika. Arrange in a single layer on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I had to use two sheets to fit it all.

Bake at 350 F in oven until crisp and green. 10-15 minutes.

Asparagus Soup

Tonight I had my first accident in a while. My blender is no longer in working order. The sacrifice might have been worth it as this soup is surprisingly delicious. Asparagus is a great spring vegetable and this is a way to give it new life after you've steamed it to hell. The lemon juice gives it a really nice cut. Recipe is courtesy of my dad, Steve, from somewhere he can't remember as he approaches old age.

Serves probably 4. I lost some in the blender accident. Takes about 40 minutes to cook.

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 leek, sliced thinly
1 1/2 lb of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 4 cm pieces
1/4 tsp pepper
1 litre vegetable or chicken broth
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook shallots and garlic until shallots are tender, about 3 minutes.  Add leek; stirring until soft, about 6 minutes.

Stir in asparagus, cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until asparagus is tender.

Puree in blender; return to saucepan and add cream and lemon juice. Heat and serve.

Homemade mouth-watering salsa

Oh man oh man oh man. It's summer. There are lots of barbecues and social gatherings where food is key. I dug this out of the archives of my email from my good friend, Kathleen. It takes about 5 minutes to make and will impress.

4 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup green onion, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp pickled jalapeno peppers, minced
1 lime, zested and juiced (makes about 1/4 cup of juice if you don't have a fresh one)
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp olive oil (recipe suggests 2 but the juices from the tomatoes more than make up for it)

Combine the vegetables and liquids. Stir. Serve with tostitos scoops as it is quite juicy.

Amazeballs.