I was tagged awhile back with a rather interesting meme (At least, for readers, it is).

Both Tanna, of My Kitchen in Half Cups, and Pat, of Pat’s Food Blog tagged me for the 1,2,3 Meme:

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

Since I was tagged by two lovely bloggers…. And I am reading two books…. we’ll play twice:

First: “Don’t Sweat the Aubergine”, by Nicholas Clee:  What works in the kitchen, and why.

Leave out the nutmeg and mustard, if you like.  If you don’t like mustard, you might find it worth trying anyway: you’ll be surprised by how it loses its heat in the sauce, and enhances the flavor of the cheese.  Why you do it….

Second: “The Orphan’s Tales: In The Cities of Coin and Spice”, by Catherynne M. Valente.

“I am sorry for you,” she said, and her voice moved against me like a stone crushing millet.  “But if you would not waste to less than an old brown leaf in this place, come to my bedchamber on the third day of the new moon.”  She set down her cup and put her hands to my face, the light in them terrible and wonderful, like a judgment, like a promise.

Now to the food portion of our program.

May is Osteoporosis Month.

Susan, of Food “Blogga” is hosting an event to raise awareness for this, potentially debilitating condition.

She is highlighting both the foods we can eat to help build bone, and the activities/exercise/lifestyle we can strive for to minimize bone loss and help increase/maintain bone density.

Calcium rich foods are key and this salad has spinach, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, yogurt, oregano and whole-wheat pasta.

All those lovely, calcium-rich foods…. and it’s good, too!

Salad with Spinach, Ham, Avocado and Pasta

8oz (250gr) ham, cooked
1 avocado
1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) cherry tomatoes
6oz (180gr) fresh spinach
1 tbs fresh snipped chives
1 tbs marjoram or oregano leaves
1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby)
3/4 cup dry, bite-size, whole-wheat pasta
White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Cook pasta according to package instructions.
While waiting for the water to boil, prepare salad:
Make Vinaigrette. Slice ham into large strips. Sauté the ham if you like, set aside. Wash spinach if needed and spin dry.  Cut any large leaves in half. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Cut avocado, slice it thickly, then cut into chunks. Snip/strip herbs.
When pasta is done, drain but don’t shake every last bit of water off.
To assemble salad: Put spinach into a large bowl. Add hot, drained pasta and toss lightly to combine.  Add half of the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add the ham, avocado, herbs and tomatoes, toss lightly. Taste and adjust vinaigrette, adding more if you like. Sprinkle with cheese and serve, any remaining vinaigrette on the side.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
3 tbs Greek yogurt
5 tbs olive oil, the good stuff

Place mustard, vinegar and yogurt, in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slow add olive oil, whisking constantly, to combine. It should be thick and emulsified when finished.

Visit Food “Blogga” for all of the recipes for Osteoporosis Health and Prevention after the end of May.