Two fresh new recipes & a super great country media trip!

Happy Monday World!  Today's post is all about one of my favourite vegetables in the world! Its great for you, super versatile and is currently in season...
 
Can you guess...


Is related to onions & garlic (Lily family)..
Aside from North America - China, Peru & Mexico are some of the top suppliers...
Present day is still harvested by hand...

Anyone?  Anyone?

Last hint:  It makes your pee smell (roughly 20-40% of population cannot smell it)...

Asparagus people! 

A couple weeks ago I was invited by our friends (Toronto) Foodies on Foot to join the #Asparabus tour.  This included a media bus which brought us to Norfolk County to enjoy a day of asparagus farms, lavender farms & a lunch prepared by future chefs that was oh so good!  As if this wasn't enough we were sent home with 11lbs of fresh Ontario asparagus to create some tasty culinary inventions!  I decided to do something raw & something cooked to highlight the ingredient without losing its delicate flavour!  Super simple & nutritious for you to recreate at home!

Here's a recap of our day & my new recipes! Mmmmm.

 Mission: 

 Learn all about #asparagus.

Where: 

Welsh Brothers Farm, Simcoe ON

Where the magic happens: trimming, bunching and packaging.

The star of the day: ASPARAGUS

Shared selfie with Asparagus!

Asparagus grow in individual little rows.  Can be harvested every 2-4 days and will harvest for up to 15 years!

The bluest of skies!

 

Ready to take home or ship to stores!  We went home with a box each!  Eleven pounds of goodness!

Next up:  

Bonnieheath Lavender & Winery

Where: 

Norfolk, ON

 Mission: 

Eat & Network with all the Lovely People

Oh so pretty - last years lavender (doesn't harvest until late summer)

Lunch is served: Mixed local pork bbq, variety of asparagus dishes & rhubarb desserts!

Mmmm so much beautiful & local food!

My plate:  YES I eat a lot!

All natural lavender shop: I bought bug repellent, soaps & body lotion!

Obviously I had to bring some lavender & cider home for Josh & I!

The smell! Oh so delicate and fragrant!

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And now for some new & delicious (modest right) recipes!!

Spring Goddess Salad
(Gf, Vegan)
Yeilds 2 mains or 4 sides.

What you need:

1 cup chickpeas, (cooked)

1 cup fresh peas,

1 small handful fresh mint

1/2 English cucumber, julienned

1 bunch of asparagus (steamed gently and trimmed)

1 handful of basil

1 lemon, juiced

1 fennel, julienned

3 tbsp of olive oil

 sea salt and pepper

What to do:

Gently steam asparagus.  Mix all ingredients minus the asparagus.  Taste and season accordingly.  Arrange asparagus on plate and then place the mixed salad atop.  Finish with fresh mint and lemon wedges.  Perfect accompaniment to shrimp, chicken or great with goat cheese!

 

Asparagus & Jalapenos Cornbread Muffins

(GF, Vegetarian)

What you need:

3 tbsp coconut oil

1/3 cup apple sauce or reduced/cooked peaches

1 large egg 
1/4 cup of pure maple syrup

1 cup coconut milk 

1 cup cornmeal 

1 cup gf flour (Bobs Red Mill) 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

Sea salt & pepper

1 red chili/ jalapenos, diced

1 bunch of asparagus, chopped BUT save tops for garnish.

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 and coat muffin tin with coconut oil.  Mix all wet ingredients together with peppers and asparagus.  Mix dry ingredients together thoroughly & slowly incorporate into wet batter.  Pour into muffin tins approx. 1/4 full.  Finish with aspara-tops. Bake for 15/20 minutes until golden.  Good for up to 4 days fresh OR freeze for a couple weeks.  Great with a fried egg, with preserves or what we did at home is use for shhhhmancy #sloppy Joe's using Walter All-Natural Caesar Mix as our sauce!

Shhhhmancy Sloppy Joe's with Walter All-Natural Craft Caesar BBQ sauce!

Pretty little things ready for the oven!

Yummers.

Updated cornbread without all the bad stuff!!  Feel good about feeding your family these!

As always, send us a tweet when you replicate any of these!  Yay.

Until next post lovelies,

rbn

xoxox

THE TROUBLEMAKERS!

Anna & moi!

The one and only Steven Hellman!

GFW2 ~ The National Women's Show ~ Super Detox Smoothie ~ Giveaway!

Happy Snowy Thursday!

Grey, wet & snowy day - balcony view.

For those of you who know me - either in real life or social media life, this week is our #gfw2 - GlutenFreedomTO Week in Toronto and its going oh so well!  I realize not everyone who read my blog resides in Toronto (or nearby)... BUT if you do -> I really encourage checking out one (or two or three) of our amazing participating restaurants!  Our event ends this Saturday which gives you 3 more eves of gluten-free culinary masterpieces!  Click HERE for details & all things GFWeek2!

For contests & more follow Us on Twitter -> Rachel Bies AND my business partner Rachael Hunt @GlutenFreedomTO


******

Thanks again to The National Women's show for the Media tickets & Giveaways, hope all that attended had a great time.  

My favorites included: 

Walter Caesar (click for details) - An all natural, artisanal & gluten-free Caesar mix made right here in Canada (recipe blog to follow soon)!  Check them out - They just went national!  Yumm. 

Orange Naturals (click for details) - A Canadian line of professional quality, naturopathic health products that are convenient to use and easy to understand.

Luv Lockits etc. (click for details) - Three women started this adorable locket co & I loved so much I bought one!   

Kitchen Mixer.  Eiffel Tower. Dog Bone. Josh & I's Birthstones.

 Be sure to check out The National Women's Show next year again & please tweet your favorites!


*****

Now that GFW2 is up and running, I've been able to make it back into RBN Kitchen for some recipe development & cooking for clients!  After my birthday week, decided after all the dining out & sparkling that it was time to DETOX; which for me is eating with lots of colour, 50% raw & lean proteins!  Morning smoothies and juices (after lemon water) were a priority - this is what I came up with!

 

 Super Duper Detox Smoothie

 

 

Green & Gorgeous!

 What you'll need:

1 thumb ginger, chopped

1/4 lemon, deseeded

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 handful of organic spinach

small bunch of fresh parsley

1 kale leaf, remove stem

1 tbsp organic coconut oil (or flax)

1 pear or apple (ripe is best)

1 tsp chia

1 tsp flax seeds

1 tsp bee pollen

1/4 cup cucumber 

1/4 cup celery

1/4 cup raw cashews (optional)

1/2 banana, ripened

1/2-1 cup water to liquify.

What to do:

After washing and roughly chopping all ingredients, add to bullet, vitamix or blender.  Pulse until desired texture.  Add a little more spice or greens if you're able.  Enjoy.  Makes 2 small or 1 large smoothie! **If too bitter add a touch of maple or honey.  

Will result in:

• brighter eye whites
• increased energy
•  skin & acne reduced/eliminated
• Alkalines your body to help ward off infections & flu's
• optimal health
• weight loss (once you begin eating clean whole food, naturally occurs)
• mood enhancer
• better sleep & more!
•  

 ****

Giveaway time... duh duh duhnnnnn!

Its that time of year again for The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo which is one of my favorite food shows..I think it's because I know the holidays are just around the corner (I've been cooking to holiday classics!)..there is something for everyone tastebuds & insight into whats happening in the industry!  

Up for grabs:  

2 VIP tickets to The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo 

Thursday, November 20th

6pm-10pm

&

2 Sunday Day tickets to The Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

Sunday, November 23rd

12pm-6pm

How to win:

Tweet OR Instagram me why you want to come this year! Super easy.  Contest begins November 14th, 2014 - Ends Wed afternoon 2pm!

Enjoy the wknd everyone and blog again soon xoxo

Me & my partner in crime (far right) at our GFW2 launch party!