summer eats

Grilled Peaches

Peaches are a summer favourite when it comes to fruit, especially Niagara peaches; nothing else quite compares. And every so often I like to spice things up by throwing peach halves right on to the grill – which is a real treat! Grilled peaches are the perfect way to jazz up a weekend brunch/breaky or if you want to impress guests with a sweet and smoky dessert.

I like to keep mine simple with a light drizzle of pure maple syrup as the peaches are the real winning treat already. However, if you are looking for something super delicious and indulgent, grilled peaches  topped with your favourite type of ice or whip cream is the way to go! I personally love them topped with Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss “Naked Coconut” – YUM!

Also, another favourite dish for grilled peaches when looking to use them as part of your main dish, is to pair your grilled peaches with ricotta, basil and a drizzle of EVO and your favourite balsamic vinegar (see here my spin on the classic Caprese).

Grilled Peaches

For more of my favourite items to grill – check out my post Grill On and please share what you’re grilling up this summer! #delsdish #delsgrill

Happy Long Weekend! xx

 

 

Wild Mushroom Freekeh Salad

Freekeh is the new grain on the block and I can see why! This ancient super grain offers a ton of nutritional value and an earthy, smoky flavour that is super delicious.

When compared to other ancient grains, Freekeh ranks high in protein and fiber. Offering almost twice as much as our beloved quinoa. It’s also low in fat, low on the glycemic index, packed with iron, calcium and zinc – it really is a super grain! It’s versatility also offers you the ease of swapping out the other grains in your favourite dishes whether they are savoury or sweet and adding in this nutty substitute. Seriously, give it a try! I don’t think it’ll replace quinoa any time soon, but it is a very nice change. 🙂

A salad that I am super obsessed with this summer is this Wild Mushroom Freekeh Salad that I cam across on Canadian Living. So simple and so tasty, it was an instant household winner. Plus, it was a major bonus that the only thing I had to buy for this recipe were the mushrooms. Everything else I had on hand or growing in the garden – ahh the perks of summer!

While this recipe was perfect the way it was, I did make a few tweaks based on what I had on hand, and whenever I cook mushrooms I always add garlic and white wine (it just naturally  happens!). Here’s the  dish with a few of my modifications below.

Wild Mushroom Freekeh Salad

Wild Mushroom Freekeh Salad

Lemon Vinaigrette:

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon liquid honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • pinch pepper

Salad:

  • 1 cup freekeh rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon earth balance or butter
  • 2-3 cups oyster mushrooms torn
  • 1-2 cups shitake mushrooms torn
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 4 tbsp of white wine
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups diced vine-ripened or plum tomato
  • 4 cups packed baby arugula

Ingredients

  1. Lemon Vinaigrette – In large bowl, whisk together oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Salad –  In large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook freekeh according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool. (Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 days.)
  3. In large nonstick skillet, melt earth balance or butter over medium heat; cook mushrooms and salt, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add in garlic and white wine and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add freekeh and tomatoes to vinaigrette; gently toss to coat. Gently stir in mushrooms and arugula.

Wild Mushroom Freekeh Salad

Get Freekeh. xx

Grill On

Spring is here and we’ve been graced with warmer weather this season, putting me in total BBQ mode. Peppers, zucchini, beets, asparagus, any protein, pizza, peaches  – I’ll grill just about anything! And it’s no surprise that most items taste better on the BBQ, that summery taste of the grill comes so easy and leaves for little clean up – huge bonus!

Over the Spring/Summer season, I thought I would share some of my favourite picks for grilling, to help excite and inspire your grilling game. 🙂 Don’t mind the iPhone shots, I was serious multi-tasking when I thought this would be a good one to share. Hope you enjoy and please share what you’re grilling up this season! 
Most recently, I have been obsessed with grilled Kale. The flavours and texture add a unique twist on a regular salad. I love a raw kale salad and have found that adding in a few grilled leaves makes it even more amazing. It puts an interesting spin on a classic dish and helps change things up from salad to salad when you have a garden full of Kale – which I can’t wait for!
My Classic Kale recipe is oh so simple:
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 parts olive oil
  • 1 part lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • salt, pepper
  • parmesean
  1. Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, zest, garlic, salt and pepper.
  2. Massage dressing onto the raw kale. The longer it sits, the more delicious it gets.
  3. Grill a couple plain leaves and tear into the dressed salad and enjoy!
  4. Add toppers if I have them on hand, currants, pine nuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, whatever might be in the cupboard.
Kale Salad
Next up, which has become a new favourite summer appetizer/snack of mine is from Canadian Living’s Summer Best special issue. Their recipe for Grilled Sesame Edamame is ahhh-mazing!!! As soon as I came across this one I knew it would be a winner, seriously so YUMMMM!!! Grilled Sesame Edamame
Grilled Sesame Edamame
  • 500 g edamame (defrosted)
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp toasted sesames
  • 1/2 tsp himalayan sea salt
  1. Skewer defrosted edamame, heat grill to medium-high heat.
  2. Grill edamame until golden 8-10 minutes.
  3. Toss in sesame oil, top with sesame seeds and salt.
  4. Serve warm.
    Grilled Sesame Edamame

Stay tuned for more of my favourite BBQ picks and don’t forget to share yours on instagram – #delsdish #delsgrill

Get Grilling! xx

Tuna with Mango Salsa

The days are getting longer giving us more of that lovely evening sunshine that we all love so much. Allowing us more play time in the evenings after a full day at work. Meals in minutes are ideal in order to fit in the things you love. For me that means S&D Jerky, running, yoga, blogging, reading and catching up with friendships.

As you all know I love meals that are quick, healthy and delicious. This meal took about 20 minutes to put together, was very satisfying and left us with a full evening ahead. A win win! Pair this one with a cold crisp Pinot Grigio and you have a delightful summer dish.

Tuna with Mango Salsa (yields two servings)

  • 2 tuna steaks (or your choice of fish, this is really interchangeable)
  • 1 diced mago
  • 1/2 cup diced heirloom tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp diced red onion
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil
  • fresh lime juice from half of lime
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese
  • olive oil
  • 6 cups of spinachTuna & Mango Salsa
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  2. Combine mango, tomatoes, red onion, basil and lime juice to make salsa
  3. Season tuna steaks with salt, pepper, and olive oil
  4. Bake tuna in oven for 5 minutes on each side or until tuna flakes
  5. While tuna is baking, wilt spinach in frying pan. I like to add a touch of hot chili oil here
  6. Plate spinach, tuna, topped with mango salsa and goat cheese

Tuna Steak with Mango Salsa

Eat Fresh. xx