Monday, February 27, 2012

Pickled Red Onions

I pulled a bunch of red onions from the garden on Saturday and I remembered a recipe I wanted to make that you can find  HERE.  They are very easy to make and would be a perfect accompaniment to a light spring luncheon menu.  I love how the brine turned a lovely shade of pink from the red onions.  Nature holds so many mystic surprises for us.
 Make the brine
Place sliced onions in colander in sink and pour boiling water over them
Add the onions to the brine... Wait a bit.....
Enjoy!!
Make sure to stop by NutriMirror for more recipe ideas and to meet up with a great group of healthy eaters!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Peas with Nasturtium Blossoms and Mache Lettuce

 Peas with Nasturtium Blossoms and Mache Lettuce came about while picking peas and mache lettuce just before lunch today.  I also decided to pick some Nasturtium flowers to go on my table.  When I got back in the house I was thinking about how to prepare the peas and started to add garlic and olive oil to the pan, here is the results of my lunch.  It turned out quite delightful, I must say and it was so pretty and so very healthy. I mean how much more fresh can you get.   The produce was picked and cooked within 15 minutes.
Peppers will wait for another day
 
Mache fresh from the garden
Peas with Nasturtium Blossoms and Mache Lettuce 

One serving

1 clove Garlic, sliced in fine slivers
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon fresh Dill, torn from stems
1/3 cup shelled peas
1-2 cups Mache lettuce
6 to 8 Nasturtium blossoms

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil.  Add garlic, dill and peas, sauté for 2 minutes. Toss in the Mache lettuce, sauté just until wilted.  Add Nasturtium blossoms and stir for about 10 seconds. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and  serve immediately.  

Garnish with fresh Nasturtium petals and Dill

Nasturtiums are a native of Peru, brought by Spanish conquistadors to  Spain early in the sixteenth century. This bright yellow, orange or red flower traveled to England at the end of the sixteenth century as a decorative plant.
The flower gets it's name from the Latin nasusm (nose) and tortus (twisted) because their smell makes the nose wrinkle or twist. The botanical name Tropaelum is from the green tropiaon (a trophy). In ancient Greece, shields and helmets of defeated enemy were fixed onto tree trunks. It was thought that the nasturtium leaves resembled shields, with the flowers resembling helmets.


Nutritional information does not include the Nasturtium blossoms, but they are packed with vitamin C and Iron.
Nutritional analysis provided by NutriMirror