{A Happy Mother's Day} Double Strawberry Basil Tart

I hope everyone had a nice Mother's day! As I become older and finding myself having to juggle more things, I realize more and more how amazing my Mom really is.  To successfully take care of her career, her home and the family is no small feat, and I can only hope to be as strong and productive some day.

 There are many amazing brunch places out here in Los Angeles, but Cy and I decided to cook brunch for my parents this year to show our appreciation - including this Double Strawberry & Basil tart that turned out amazingly well :) I made it because I really love the Double Blueberry tart recipe, and figured if it works for blueberries it must work for strawberries as well.

I made a strawberry & basil jam to spread on the bottom of the tart and simply topped it with fresh strawberries and basil - served with some vanilla creme fraiche, it's springtime in your mouth.

Cy's Broccoli Salad

We often make a big batch of Cy's favorite Broccoli Salad to have during the week.  I think this has pretty much become his trademark salad and he often makes it for potlucks and dinners.  It's simple, healthy, and makes a great lunch during the week...another one of those versatile recipes that can be altered with what you have on hand.

I've always liked broccoli, but I've tended to dismiss it as an "ordinary" vegetable.  Nothing as exciting as say an artichoke?   But did you know that Broccoli has amazing beneficial qualities for your health?  

Like other cruciferous veggies, when you chew broccoli, isothiocyanates are produced.  This byproduct can help eliminate carcinogens in your body before they can cause genetic damage.  Not only this, Broccoli also produces sulforaphane, which has been shown to help repair damage to your blood vessels caused by hypoglycemia...so important for diabetics!  I'm sorry the nerdy science major in me tends to get very excited over information like this...if you want to read more, check out this article.

It's best not to overcook broccoli and lose it's amazing nutritional value, so this salad is the perfect way to get your dose of broccoli. 

Cy's Broccoli Salad

Ingredients (Serves 4):

Broccoli...2-3 small bunches

Grape Tomatoes....1 cup

Basil...a handful

Chopped Nuts...1/2 cup  **I used pecans, but you can use almonds, walnuts, whatever floats your boat!

Dijon Mustard...1 tsp

Honey...1 tbsp

Olive Oil...1/4 cup

White Wine Vinegar...4 tbsp

Lemon Juice...4 tbsp

Salt & Pepper...to taste

Directions:

1.   Toast Nuts.

2.   Mix Mustard, Honey, Vinegar, and Lemon Juice.  Stream in Oil, whisking constantly. 

3.   Add Salt & Pepper to taste.  Set dressing aside.

4.   Wash and chop Broccoli (including stems) into small bite size pieces.

5.  Halve grape or cherry tomatoes.

6.  Chiffonade (fancy way of saying chop) the basil. 

7.  Toss broccoli, basil, nuts, and tomato mix into the bowl with the dressing.  Toss and let sit in the fridge for at least   30min.

Made some Pork Katsu Curry with shredded lettuce - less carbs than rice;)