I’d like to posit that everyone has their own brand of travel anxiety. For my husband, it manifests as constant fretting, worrying, inability to relax or sleep.

As for myself, it is more like having a mild to medium panic attack all day. Seriously, nothing seems to stress me out quite like an impending airplane ride.

And since I have a few loose ends to tie up, I’ll say nothing except about that pic of the sandwich except: in order for a sandwich to be a panini, it should really be heated so that the cheese is melty. Because if, you know, I ordered a cheese panini and paid you $7 dollars and in return I received a roll with slices of cool cheese and mealy tomato, I just paid for a damn cheese sandwich and I can do that myself at home.

One of the quick meals I slapped together this short week was more grilled portobello mushrooms (yay! I found a way to eat them!) on a foccacia bun with roasted red peppers, goat cheese and fresh basil from the garden. I feel like I put something else on them but it’s escaping me at the moment. As an accompaniment, I roasted some asparagus and tossed it with roasted garlic oil.

There is no recipe for this because you can eat your portobellos any way you like; this is the way we liked them this week.

In addition to my anxiety regarding my trip to the States (it’s not the arrival I worry about, it’s the getting there), the LSC’s folks  spent a couple of days up here with us. It takes some getting used to, having, essentially, a third set of parents (second, if your folks are still together, fourth if both parties involved have separated ones). But the trick of it is that you know what to do with your own parents; with someone else’s, it’s a bit of a guessing game. I am not an entertainer, honestly. I tend to do my own thing, regardless of company present, but I constantly have to try to remind myself to put forth the effort to entertain. Aside from my husband and our cats, I rather like the solitude I have during the day.

Well, one place where I am definitely comfy entertaining is cooking. Allowing me to display my culinary skill for others is a treat and safe harbor for my oh-my-god-am-I-being-rude fears. The LSC’s folks brought us more local cheeses from Ontario but instead of doing something decadent with them, I opted for something slightly more wholesome. I really am trying to wean the LSC and I off of having too fatty foods. Don’t worry, I will never give up indulgence but moderation is key. Besides, I am sort of on this sweet/savory kick recently. I love the contrast of those two flavors so I found a recipe involving a rice dish that includes veggies AND fruits. It went over well, thankfully.

I also paired the rice with some fresh green beans boiled, blanched and then sauteed with lots of garlic and lemon. I won’t say that these two recipes are utterly guiltless—they do involve olive oil and butter, after all—but you can feel slightly less bad about yourself. Also, this is my last Quebec entry for the next ten days. I will still be blogging and posting pics but from the States so wish me a safe journey!

Harvest Rice

1 tbl. canola oil

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup sliced scallions

2 cups cored and chopped unpeeled apples

3 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 cup raisins (I subbed dried cranberries)

1 tbl. sesame seeds

1/2 tsp. salt

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots and cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes until softened. Add scallions and apples; cook 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in rice, raisins, sesame seeds and salt. Cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

Lemon-Parsley Green Beans

from AllRecipes.com

• 1 pinch white sugar
• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat: add sugar, and beans. Cook until beans are bright green and tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, and place in a large bowl of ice water to stop cooking.
2. Combine the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook until butter melts. Stir in the garlic; cook until pale beige and fragrant. Stir in the beans; cook until wilted, and garlic is dark brown, about 4 minutes. Toss beans with parsley and lemon zest, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer beans to a serving dish, and garnish with lemon wedges.