Hey there friends!

How are ya today? Have any of you gone out and purchased fiddleheads yet after reading yesterday’s post? I know, the temptation is probably killing you. Some of you asked if they are available in regular grocery stores, and the answer is yes. If you’re in Canada, I’ve seen them at Food Basics, Sobeys, and Zehrs. As far as US grocery stores I’m not entirely sure but I imagine it would be a similar situation. Quick though – their season is super short!

I’ve got lots of exciting new things to tell you about today. Here you go!

1. Recipe of the Week: Quinoa and Chicken with Almonds and Raspberry Vinaigrette. I know I like to give you guys a lot of salad recipes, but I couldn’t resist this one! The citrusy taste from the orange juice, as well as the fruity raspberry vinegar tastes absolutely delicious – and it’s quite pretty too, don’t you think?

You could eat this salad immediately after mixing all the ingredients together, but I chose to let it chill in the fridge for a few hours and let the flavours blend and intensify a bit. I’ve been taking this in my lunch every day this week and I look forward to it every time!

2. A forelle pear. I’ve always been more into apples than pears, but lately I’ve been feeling a need to mix up my fruit selection a bit. While watermelons are still about $6 (well, except for this week because they’re $3.99 at Sobeys – and yes, I have stocked up as much as one can stock up on watermelons), I’ve opted for some cheaper options. One such find was the forelle pear, which according to this source is a specialty pear whose “greenish skin turns a brilliant yellow and is characteristically marked with contrasting reddish freckles called lenticels”. Judging by the looks of my pear, this is certainly the breed I’d purchased!

Forelle pears are smaller than your usual ones and are believed to have originated in Germany. In German, forelle means trout. Rainbow trout also tend to have a big red patch on them, so this is probably where the name came from.

Can't you see the resemblance?

For breakfast I felt like doing something a little more adventurous than just chopping them up and throwing the bits on top of Nature’s Path Kamut Puffs and yogurt (an excellent, delicious option, but I do eat that most mornings and Tuesdays are supposed to be different). Instead, I poached the diced pear in some berry herbal tea and cinnamon…

…then served it over a nice creamy base of vanilla Greek yogurt and topped it with some raw oats. I noticed while doing a little “quality control” in the pan that the pear wasn’t overly sweet, so I drizzled in a bit of agave nectar before removing the bits from the heat.

Yum yum! It reminded me a bit of pear crisp… for breakfast. The pear wasn’t quite as juicy as ones I’ve eaten in the past, but that was quite alright by me because there was plenty of yogurt in the bowl to compensate. Delish!

3. A new lunch spot: Seven Shores. This is a local little cafe and store that sells fair trade, organic, and local goodies. They also have breakfast and lunch menus, and a cafe-style seating area.

Although small, Seven Shores does have a lot of character!

I met up with two of my local blogger buddies, Cathy and Odette on my lunch break and we had a great time catching up. Based on Odette’s recommendation, we all ordered the Famous Spring Rolls, which were vegan and gluten-free.

The rice paper rolls were stuffed with carrots, coloured bell peppers, a little spring onion, and cashew butter. On the side, we had plenty of sweet chili sauce for dippage.

Although this was a quick visit, it was so great to see these lovely ladies again! We’ve already started plotting out some future lunching destinations so I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again in the near future.

4. Graffiti Eggplant. I had to buy this, simply because I thought it looked cool and had a really gangster name.

I had every intention of slicing this baby up and sticking it on the barbeque, but unfortunately it has been raining for an eternity 2 weeks here and going outside was the last thing I felt like doing. On to plan B: Instead, I made up a little mixed roasted veggie salad on Monday night which I ate as a mid-afternoon snack at work yesterday. The contents:

• 1 small graffiti eggplant
• 1/4 small red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 roasted red bell pepper
• 1/4 small green bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tsp freshly chopped basil
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 can flaked light tuna in water, drained

First, I chopped up the eggplant, red onion, and green pepper, then coated them in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and roasted them in the oven for about 15 minutes. The balsamic vinegar made them lovely and gooey and sweet. Then, they got mixed around in a bowl with the tuna, roasted red bell pepper, and herbs. Since I left it in the fridge overnight, the flavours were bee-yoo-tiful when I enjoyed it yesterday afternoon.

SO simple, but SO much flavour. The graffiti eggplant wasn’t a whole lot different taste-wise to a regular one, and I’m sure you could sub in any kind if you prefer – this one just has a cool name. If you make one thing this week (well, except for my Recipe of the Week, because that is a great one too), make this. Oh, and maybe the fiddlehead omelette too. You won’t be disappointed.

OK, go time for me! Before you get on with your Wednesday, tell me:

• Do you have a breakfast that you could eat every day and never get bored of it? My usual go-to is Nature’s Path Kamut Puffs with yogurt and diced apple or strawberries, and a very large green monster on the side!
• Are you looking for a recipe for an upcoming event, or do you have a recipe that needs “cleaning up”? Feel free to send it to me at eatspinrunrepeat (at) gmail (dot) com, and I’ll get cracking on it! I might even make it a Recipe of the Week!