Tomato Cucumber & Hearts Salad

Hello friends! This is a first for me... I'm on vacation right now and don't have access to a computer.. I am writing this blog post on my IPhone. I hope the pics will come out OK... I will be able to check the result in a couple days :-)

With the sun making himself more present this week, I am starting to whip up some summer recipes. This one is a favorite at home and even some friends make special requests to have this side dish when they come over for dinner. It takes about 8 minutes to make and is simply delicious!!

TOMATO CUCUMBER & HEARTS SALAD

You will need:

- 12/15 cherry tomatoes

- one large cucumber 

- one can of hearts of palm 

 For the dressing you will need:

- olive oil 

- white balsamic vinegar

- dijon mustard

- honey

- your choice of salad herb mix

- salt and pepper

Directions:

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and the cucumber and hearts of palm in bite size pieces. You can leave the skin on the cucumber. I chose to peel it off this time around. Put in a bowl and set aside.

For the dressing: I never mesure the ingredients. I like to use one part vinegar and two parts oil. For this recipe you will need around 1/3 cup total amount of dressing. In a bowl put about one tablespoon of honey, a teaspoon of dijon mustard, and perhaps 2-3 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar. Give it a good whisk.

Start adding the oil slowly whisking vigorously. 

It takes time but you need to emulsify your ingredients. This way the oil will incorporate in the other ingredients and make a creamy dressing. If emulsified properly they will not seperate afterwards. Then add some salad herbs, salt and pepper to taste.

Pour over your veggies and toss so every piece is covered in dressing. If you have time let the salad sit for 15 minutes but it will be very tasty right away! Enjoy!!

I really do hope this blog post looks OK... I can't say writing on my IPhone is easy but I could not wait to get home! Happy Easter by the way! This is a beautiful day!!!

Delicious Water!!!

Delicious water!!! Our body is made of 50-60 % of this glorious liquid... We just simply can't live without it! I am one of those people who just have always loved drinking water... I am not a soda or even a juice fan... too sweet and most important of all not good for the body.

Having your daily intake of water does the body good: eliminates headaches, gives a clear complexion, stronger hair, helps the body cleanse itself through urine and perspiration, good for joint and muscle health... and I bet you can find 100 more good reasons to trade the soda and juice for water. Now don't get me wrong, I do drink coffee each day and I do love a bottled soda once in a while.

I can understand water might be non-appealing to some folks and trying to create a habit of drinking water might be difficult when you are used to taste the very strong flavours found in soda and juices.
I have a couple tricks that might help you start loving water! I drink it each day with a twist...

Even if I love the simple glass of water I find giving it a little twist makes me feel like I'm having  treat. During the day I will press half a lemon or orange in my glass of water. Usually people will flavour their water by putting in slices of fruit. I prefer pressing all the juices out of the citrus. It gives a lovely flavour to the water and at the same time I benefit from the properties of the fruit (contains high levels of potassium and vitamin C, stimulates the liver helping the body cleanse itself). At night I will do the same but this time I use sparkling mineral water. I will add the juice of half an orange and half a lemon or half a grapefruit... sometimes a little lime... and this drink feels like a treat!

Give it a try! You might be surprised how good this tastes! Enjoy!