This is my entry to #fruitsandveggiesmonday thanks to @lenasveganliving
Marc and I have started a job at a restaurant over three weeks ago and we still haven't gotten paid so buying food is not something we have done recently. We walk to and from work even if it's after midnight. Two hour walks. They are tiring after a shift but they will make us stronger in the long run.
A few of you already know that since our return from Mexico after six months, we have had no choice but to stay with Marc's parents. Eating and cooking is not easy when they are not happy with the odor of spices and garlic cooking.
Today we have a day off together since it is a Quebec holiday and although many restaurants are open, the one we work at is not.
We get one meal from the restaurant after a shift so we usually eat half of it and save the rest for breakfast but having known that we would be off for a couple of days we had to come up with an idea for today's food.
On the way home in the dark we picked herbs and lettuce and kale from sidewalk box gardens that don't have a sign saying "don't pick". I suppose it is not really up for grabs but there happen to be many stores and businesses that are growing edibles in the front on the busy streets of Montreal. It seems to be a great trend.
We only grabbed a little from each place not leaving any signs of having picked anything. Normally we would just buy these things but we are flat broke. Hopefully this will be the week that we get paid. It isn't a comfortable thing to ask about, when you are new and trying to prove yourself. Also every one seems a little frazzled since the chef recently disappeared and was no where to be found. Finally they learned that he had a little breakdown and wasn't coming in for a while if ever.
We had finally gathered a lovely bunch of herbs. I made a fresh multi herb dressing for the salad.
The dressing was a combination of fresh garlic, olive oil, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, chives, parsley, thyme, dill, lemon balm, and mint.
The rice was from work and was what the burritos come with. The rice is flavored with turmeric, cloves and I don't really know what the other spices are. It isn't the most exciting so using it for a salad was perfect.
We asked for a can of chickpeas that are in the cupboard. Marc's parents buy things by the case in bulk. At least they buy chickpeas while we are here. I have never seen them eat such things so it is assumed that this purchase is for us which we are thankful for right now especially.
I combined the chickpeas, rice, red onion,cucumber and tomatoes with the dressing and mixed it together.
I put it on a bed of chopped kale lettuce and spinach.
It was topped with strawberries, apples that were in the fridge, pumpkin seeds, and some croutons that I made with multigrain bread that was in the fridge that Marc's mother buys in bulk wholesale.
This was really tasty and satisfying, and the great thing besides nutrition is that we didn't have to cook anything and cause unwanted odors in the house.
