Wow…. has it really been 99 Tuesdays since the birth of Eat Spin Run Repeat?! Actually, it’s a few more because I had to miss a TSNT when I was in Italy over Christmas and didn’t start up the feature until a couple of weeks after I started blogging. Nevertheless, that’s a lot of Tuesdays and a TON of new things tried! Here’s what went down this time:

1. Recipe of the Week: While walking past a cafe recently, I saw “tandoori salmon salad” advertised on a chalkboard menu as a daily special. I haven’t a clue what the dish actually looked like or what was in it, but immediately I had visions in my head of what I wanted it to look like. When I got home, I began brainstorming ingredients of my own version.

If you’ve never come across okra before, it’s a green Indian vegetable that has an almost star-shaped cross section and small white chewy seeds inside. You don’t have to worry about going to a specialty shop for it – you should be able to easily find it in any large grocery chain, somewhere near the other green veggies. I’ve never tried the pods raw, and I don’t think they’re really meant to be eaten that way. Instead, I like to lightly boil or stir-fry them, which softens the outside and makes the seeds in the middle gummy (in a tasty, not gross, sort of way). In addition to the obvious salmon, these were key in my Tandoori Salmon Salad.

Although traditional tandoori dishes are grilled, I opted to cook the salmon in a frying pan. Despite the lack of authentic grill marks, it was still delicious. Enjoy!

2. A new sprouting contraption. Back on TSNT62, I tried (rather successfully) to sprout my own quinoa. During this time, I read all about various sprouting devices and techniques that can be used to ensure ideal drainage and sprout freshness. While browsing the shelves of one of my favourite local health food stores on the weekend, I found this new-to-me thing:

That would be the BioSnacky Germinator, a special sprouting container. By special, I mean that it’s essentially just a jar with a plastic attachment that holds it at approximately 45 degrees to a flat surface. This is high-tech stuff, folks. Could I have made my own by strapping some cheesecloth to a mason jar? Probably. But let’s just find out what happened next, shall we?

Using this dishwasher-safe germinator, tons of different types of sprouts can be grown. Why would I want to go through the trouble? Firstly, because sprouts are delish and have an enormous number of health benefits. And secondly, part of me enjoys the satisfaction of growing my own food, especially since I can’t seem to keep flowers alive! The holes in the green plastic part are small enough to keep seeds in, but also allow water to drain out properly so that moisture doesn’t accumulate and mould doesn’t grow inside. And speaking of seeds, that brings me to my next new thing…

3. Seeds for my sprouter: The BioSnacky Detox Mix. I couldn’t just buy the fancy jar and call it a day, right? I found a ton of seed mixes by A. Vogel, and the Detox Mix sounded most appealing. It contains a blend of red clover, radish, mung beans and lentils, and contains a mix of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, E, iron, calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, sodium, niacin, phosphorous, and zinc. Whew! Apparently red clover, radish, and mung beans are very easy to sprout so this seemed like a good choice.

Prior to my first sprout, I did some research and learned that sprouts won’t grow well if…

• they are placed too close together (recommendations are given on the back of each seed packet)
• they receive too little or too much water
• the room temperature during germination is too low or too high (ideal temperature: 18-22° C)
• the seeds are of lesser quality

(Source)

Here’s a quick look at the instructions I followed:

1. Soak – Rinse the jar, sieve compartment, and seeds under cold water. Put the seeds in the jar and cover with cold water. Let them soak. (The Detox Mix needs 6-8 hours of soaking.)
2. Rinse – Screw the sieve on the glass and turn the whole thing upside down. To rinse, fill the jar with cold water and empty immediately. Then tilt the germinator with sieve attached on an angle to let all water drain out.
3. Location – Place the germinator in a warm, well-lit location away from direct sun. Shake the seeds around a bit inside the jar to separate them and avoid too much moisture build-up.
4. Harvest – The Detox Mix is ready for harvesting after 3-5 days. The sprouts should be rinsed just before eating, just like regular veggies. They should be stored in the fridge and used within 2-3 days.

In pictures….

After soaking, I rinsed and drained the seeds a couple of times, then left the germinator on a plate so that the moisture could drip out of the jar. From that point, it was just a case of repeating the rinse/drain cycle 2-3 times per day for 3 days. At the end of day 1…

Day 2….

And on day 3 (pardon the gross looking sprout water on the plate)…

Things seem to have turned out quite nicely if I do say so myself! The third day was yesterday, and since growth seemed to be slowing down I decided to end the process there. After giving the sprouts another thorough rinsing and draining, I let them dry a bit before using some in a delicious salad with the following ingredients:

• Romaine lettuce
• Sweet bell peppers
• Snap peas
• Cucumber
• Red onion
  
• Tempeh
• Edamame
• Sprouts!
• Homemade white balsamic vinaigrette
  

Look at all of that sprouty goodness! Since this packet was a blend of seeds, it was difficult to determine what each one tasted like. I don’t mind though, because all together, they were lovely! The mix was slightly crunchy, and I think the mung beans would have grown more had I done I few more rinse/drain cycles. This is definitely not the end of my sprouting adventures. All of A. Vogel’s BioSnacky shoots and sprouts are organically grown, non-treated, additive-free and GMO-free, and I’m very eager to try some of the other mixes. I may not be able to grow flowers, but I seem to be pretty good with the sprouts!

So tell me…

• Have you ever tried sprouting seeds or shoots, or growing an edible garden of any sort? Ideally I’d like to have an enormous veggie garden full of kale and carrots and a bazillion other favourite veggies. Sadly, I don’t think my gardening space (a 3×5′ flower box) has the capacity to yield Angela-sized quantities of produce.
• Did you try anything new this Tuesday?
• Next week is Try Something New Tuesday 100, so if you have any fabulous ideas for me to try, send them my way!