Garlic Shrimp, Roasted Veg and corn on the cob

Tonight’s supper was a somewhat odd mix of garlic shrimp, roasted winter vegetables and corn on the cob. It was delicious and extremely nutritious. I added as much garlic and onion as possible, hoping to counteract the effects of the cold we all seem to have.

I hate getting sick – it interrupts my fitness regime! – and so I try to eat myself back to health. Garlic, onion and ginger help cleanse the blood. Root vegetables and corn are high in vitamin C, contain water and provide roughage - useful for a body that’s slightly dehydrated by a cold.

The vegetables were yams, sweet potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and garlic, rough-cut to cubes or slices, in the case of the carrots, and tossed in olive oil. I placed them in a cast-iron skillet, added enough chicken stock to about one inch deep, and sprinkled coarse salt over top. I love the flavours of roasted veg, and since the tastes can be subtle, I used no other flavourings. Roasted them on 450f for about 45 minutes.

And the shrimp, well shrimp in garlic just makes life that much more enjoyable. I sauteed onions and garlic in butter, then added the shrimp and some chopped fresh herbs (basil, lavender, oregano, thyme). Cooked it for a few minutes (I use cooked frozen shrimp in a resealable bag from Costco - good shrimp at a good price, and super practical to have around in the freezer for two-minute meals.)

To drink we had what we call Ginger Water – it’s ginger tea poured over ice cubes to cool the temperature and mitigate the heat of the ginger.

The corn was really tasty - sweet, fresh and succulent. Even with a cold I could taste it. Yum. We don't add butter or salt to corn. I always did until ten years ago, when I tasted fresh peaches and cream corn with no topping. My life changed and I stopped the knee-jerk salting and buttering that goes on in many north american diets.

If you use enough salt when you cook, none needs to be added at the table. Cooking vegetables for less time - until they are cooked but still crunchy (in the case of carrots and broccoli, for example) allows them to retain their texture and more flavour.

You also have to train the diners in your life to bring awareness to eating. I do this by discussing what's in each dish. It's a kind of contest for the kids, and they take great pride in naming every last ingredient, including herbs and seasonings. We also discuss the nutritional value of each dish, so they are learning to combine ingredients for healthy deliciousness.

Teaching those you love to enjoy the flavours of the actual foods, not salt and butter, is a lasting legacy that can help keep them healthy, conscious and empowered. It's that important - if you eat crap, you feel like crap, and usually look that way too. If you take ownership over your physical and mental health by controlling the foods you eat, and the loving aware atmosphere in which you eat them, you will probably slow your life down to focus on what's in front of you and your sensory experience of your time here on earth. It really is that important.