Gourmetmom

2012-01-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

Blueberry Butternut Squash Muffins

This is a recipe I've been playing around with for some time. The original idea came from this recipe.

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I love Meghan Telpner and often use her recipes, or bits and pieces thereof :-) This one actually came from one of her assistants. I started off using 2 kinds of sweeteners, as the original called for, but found we didn't think it needed that much. So I've made it with maple syrup, or coconut palm sugar (my fav. low GI sweetener) and this time I tried it with raw honey. I've also used various kinds of flour in this recipe, including oat, brown rice, premade gluten-free blends, arrowroot, tapioca, etc... This time I used a mix of besan (ground chickpeas), oat and brown rice flours. I think this might be the one that's baked up lightest and fluffiest so far. This is also the first time I've used blueberries in this particular recipe. I usually use dates or raisins.

Here's what I did...

Cut in half a beautiful butternut squash I bought at our favourite organic farm (Simpler Thyme in Waterdown, On.)

Roasted it for 45 minutes in a 400F oven (on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper)

Cooled, then mashed the squash

Put it into the bowl of my stand mixer with 2 organic eggs

And 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I usually use coconut oil for this, but thought it would make a change) and 1/2 cup raw honey

Mixed it all together

Then added 1/2 cup oat flour (I just ground the oats myself), 1/2 cup chickpea flour and 1/2 cup brown rice flour

Added 3 tablespoons lucuma, 2 tablespoons chia seeds, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2/3 tsp. Celtic sea salt, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon & 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

This is lucuma. Some info. on it can be found here.

Then I added 2/3 cup chopped, raw walnuts

And one and a half cups frozen blueberries

Folded them in gently and then dolloped the mixture into large muffin liners

I baked them for 28 minutes at 350F (rotating trays halfway through cooking time)

Finished!!

2012-01-18T06:10:00.000-08:00

Salad in a Jar!

When I read about this idea on Twitter last week, I was totally blown away.
What a simple, but brilliant way to package salad for Perry to take to work with him!
I didn't use any leafy greens in this particular salad, so it probably wasn't as vital to keep the veggies away from the dressing as it would have been had I used lettuce. Regardless, it's an awesome idea and I'll continue making these.

Here's what I did...

To a small bowl, I added balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisked it all together to make a dressing

Poured the dressing into a large mason jar

Added some grape tomatoes

Diced celery

Chopped red peppers

Chopped cucumber and sliced green onions

Lots of grated carrot

And topped it all with pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts and pine nuts

Voila!!

2011-12-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

Chocolatey Brown Rice Treats

These treats were inspired by a recipe posted in the Vitamix '13 days of Christmas' album. You can see

the original here.

The recipe was for Granola balls, but I had half a box of brown rice crisps that I wanted to use up, so I figured I'd give it a try with my own substitutions. It worked out really well!

Here's what I did...

To my Vitamix, I added 1/4 cup of coconut milk

This is the brand I used

Then I added 1/4 cup of coconut oil

and 1/3 cup of coconut palm sugar

I broke up half of a 70% cocoa chocolate bar (about 50g as it was a 100g bar)

Then I added 1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

And blended it all on high speed for a couple of minutes. The recipe said 5 minutes, but mine didn't need that long

I dumped it all into a bowl, using a spatula to scrape the sides of the container

Then I added 1/2 cup of shredded coconut (unsweetened) and 3 tablespoons chia seeds

and 4 cups brown rice crispies

These are the ones I used

Then I stirred it all together until the crispies were all completely coated

And patted it all into a silicone pan (9x9 I think) lined with plastic wrap

Then I placed it in the freezer for about 45 mins. and then cut it into squares.

2011-11-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

Chia Banana Date Cookies

I found this recipe while searching for interesting things to bake with chia seeds.
I decided not to make many changes since it's the first time making the recipe and it sounded different from what I'm used to in a cookie recipe. I did go the gluten-free route and used coconut flour, so I knew there'd be extra liquid needed. I figured I'd use the amount called for and then add extra when I saw how dry the mixture was. I ended up adding a couple of extra tablespoons of water and one more egg.

I won't lie and say they're the best cookies ever, but they're actually quite tasty and I like the ingredients, so I'll muck around with the recipe and next time add some chopped nuts (probably walnuts) and some chopped dates or maybe raisins for texture and a little more sweetness. I would also (and meant to, but forgot) add cinnamon and ginger for a kick.

Here's what I did...

I ground 4 tablespoons chia seeds in my spice grinder and dumped this into a large bowl

Added 4 tablespoons coconut flour

I added 2 tablespoons rolled oats

Into my Vitamix, I added half a ripe banana (next time I'll use the whole thing) and 2 pitted Medjool dates

I added 1 large egg, a tablespoon of water and 2 tablespoons of raw honey and 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Then I blended it on high speed for a few seconds until well-mixed

I added 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt to the bowl

And mixed the dry ingredients together with a spatula

Mixed all the ingredients together and as expected, it was a stiff, dry blob :-)

So I added an extra egg and 2 tablespoons of water and this mixture seemed more managable

Dropped it by teaspoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and baked at 350F for 20 minutes

Not the prettiest cookie, but quite tasty! As I said, I'll tweak it in the future and I'll report back :-)

2011-09-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

Flourless (Gluten-free) Almond Butter Muffins

I'm still on my quest for good gluten-free recipes for my Mum, so I was very happy to come across this recipe.

It sounded very similar to those cookies that only need eggs, peanut butter and sugar that I've made in the past. The first time I made them, I really didn't believe they'd turn out but they were wonderful. What I loved about this recipe was that it didn't call for refined sugar and that I could sub. almond butter for the peanut butter. Also, I got some lovely organic, free run eggs in my CSA share last week, so this was the perfect use for some of them. These turned out beautifully and will definitely be added to my 'keeper' recipe file.

Here's what I did...

Into my stand mixer, I put 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/3 cup raw honey and 2 teaspoons baking powder

I mixed them for about a minute on setting #3 and then added 1 1/4 cups almond butter

In a separate bowl, I mixed together 4 eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla and 1/4 cup water

I added the egg mixture to the almond mixture and mixed for another minute. Then I added 1 tbsp. raw cacao powder and 1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt.

I mixed this very well (about 2 minutes), scraping down the sides a few times.

I didn't have any mini chocolate chips, so I took about 1/4 cup of 62% cocoa chocolate chips and whirled them in my mini food processor.

I placed liner in a muffin tin (didn't spray them) and poured the mixture in until they were about 2/3 full.

Then I sprinkled about 1 tsp. of chips into each liner

I baked them for about 26 minutes at 350F. Mmmm! :-)

FLOURLESS ALMOND BUTTER MUFFINS

1/3 cup maple syurp
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
11/4 cups almond butter
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder

1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
mini chocolate chips (or choc. chips chopped in a food processor)

In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) mix together maple syrup, honey and baking powder. Add the almond butter and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, water and vanilla. When well-combined, add to the almond mixture and continue to mix for another minute or so. Add the cacao and salt and mix until smooth. Preheat oven to 350F. If you don't have mini-chocolate chips, just pulse regular-sized chips in a food processor until desired size. Some of mine turned into crumbs, but it didn't make any difference. The finished product was still great. Fill muffin tins with liners (I needed 18 in total) and pour in batter until each is about 2/3 full. Sprinkle about 1 tsp. of chocolate on top of each muffin. Bake for about 26 minutes (my oven is slow, so maybe yours will take a little less time) until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes in the muffin tins and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

2011-08-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

Protein Breakfast Bars

Perry mentioned to me lately that he has been feeling really hungry in the mornings. He hates to get up extra early to eat breakfast before he leaves for work, so I thought I could make him some sort of 'energy' bar that has a good amount of protein in it. I think this one fits the bill. It has healthy fats (virgin coconut oil and almond butter), a little fruit (banana) and lots of seeds and other goodies. I tasted one a little while ago and it's really delicious.

Here's what I did...

I peeled a banana and put it into a bowl

Mashed it with a fork

Added 1/2 cup raw honey and 1/2 cup organic almond butter

Mixed it all together and added 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil (which is pretty liquid at this time of year)

Meanwhile, I toasted 1/2 cup coconut flakes in a small pan

Added 2 cups rolled oats and the coconut to the mixture

Then I added 2 tbsp. chia seeds, 1 tbsp. brown flax seeds and 1 tbsp. golden flax seeds

Then I added 1/4 cup hemp seeds, 2 tbsp. maca and 1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt

I added 1/2 cup 62% cocoa chocolate chips and 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Mixed it all together and then added 1 cup puffed quinoa

Gave it a final mix and pressed it all into a 13x9" glass baking pan. Popped it into the freezer for a couple of hours

Cut it into bar shapes and wrapped and froze them individually.

Thank you to my dear friend Teresa for typing this recipe out for me :-)

Protein Breakfast Bars

Put in a bowl and mix:

1 banana mashed

1/2 cup raw honey

1/2 cup organic almond butter

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut flakes toasted in a small pan

2 cups rolled oats

2 tbsp. chia seeds

1 tbsp. brown flax seeds

1 tbsp. golden flax seeds

1/4 cup hemp seeds

2 tbsp. maca

1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Mix it all together and add 1 cup puffed quinoa.

Press it all into a 13 x 9" glass baking pan.

Freeze for a couple of hours.

Cut it into bar shapes. Wrap and freeze them individually.

2011-08-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Gluten-free Lemon Flax Cookies

These cookies are so delicious! I found

this recipe last week and thought it sounded wonderful. My Mum has decided to try eating gluten-free for a while, so I figured I might as well start working on some recipes.

I'm a huge fan of citrus zest in cookies and I thought the addition of a little dried rosemary would make for an interesting combination. It definitely works and the texture of the cookies is just right.

Here's what I did...

I gently melted 5 tbsp. coconut oil in a large bowl over a pot of simmering water. Added 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Then I added 2 tbsp. lemon zest and 1 tsp. lemon juice. I noticed after I added the maple syrup (from the fridge) that the coconut oil started to solidify, so I very gently warmed it again and then mixed it all together.

I added 1/2 cup ground flax seed and 1 cup brown rice flour

I mixed it all together then added a couple of pinches of dried rosemary (partially ground in my spice grinder) and 1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt

I dolloped tablespoons of the mixture onto 2 parchment-lined cookie sheets and baked at 350F for about 22 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets after about 10 minutes.

Removed from the oven and left on the cookie sheets for about 2 minutes and then placed on a cooking rack. Yum, yum!!

2011-08-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

Lamb Bhuna

My cousin Audrey posted a photo of lamb bhuna on Facebook the other day and I knew immediately what I was making for dinner that night. She used this recipe.

I read it over, decided it was a winner and promptly ran out to buy the meat and chiles. I completely forgot to buy the fresh methi, so I used the dried I already had in the cupboard. I walked to the grocery store, found they only had red chilies, so decided to go with them as I figured it wouldn't make much of a difference. I also used fresh tomatoes from the garden, rather than canned. I also didn't bother adding the extra water at the end, as I didn't feel it needed it. I think I pretty much stuck to the recipe otherwise. This was absolutely wonderful. Best Bhuna I've made (and tasted) and all three of us just loved it. I'll be making it again soon.

Here's what I did...

I put 4 roughly chopped chilies into the Vitamix (blender)

Added 8 cloves of garlic

About 2 inches of ginger

Then I whizzed it until it became a paste

I removed half of the paste to a separate small bowl and then added 1/2 a very large onion (roughly chopped) to the blender

I whizzed all this again until it was a fairly fine paste

In a small pan, I dry-roasted 4 green cardamom pods, 4 cloves, 4 dried red chilies and a cinnamon stick

Then I ground the roasted spices in a spice grinder

To a large bowl, I added 1 tsp. each of cumin, turmeric and white pepper

I added 1 tsp. each of cayenne pepper, Celtic sea salt, coconut palm sugar, coriander and the ground spices

Then I added 1/4 cup dried methi (fenugreek) leaves and 3 tbsp. full-fat yogourt

To the dried spices, I added the mixture from the blender

I added 3 lbs. cubed lamb and mixed it all by hand until it was really well coated. Covered it and left it for about 2 1/2 hours

After the meat had marinated, I sautéed the other half of the large onion (sliced) until it was lightly browned

Then I added the remaining garlic/ginger/chili paste and sautéed for another few minutes

Next, I added the chopped fresh tomatoes and cooked until they were softened

I added the meat and brought to a light simmer. Next, I covered the pot and let it cook for about half an hour.

By this time, it had let out quite a bit of liquid, so I uncovered the pot and let it simmer for about 2 more hours, stirring occasionally.

I let it cook until the there was only a thick sauce coating the meat.

I served it atop cooked brown Jasmine rice. Delish.! :-)

2011-08-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

Avocado Banana "Ice Cream"

I've been looking for some more healthful dessert ideas other than the various cookies and muffins I usually make. Krestan loves ice cream and I hate for him to be eating the commercially made stuff with all the additives. I saw this recipe and thought it looked like a keeper.

Here's what I did...

I put one (very) ripe avocado into my Vitamix

I absolutely love this handy dandy avocado-scooping tool :-)

Then I added 1 chopped, frozen banana

I added a tsp. of vanilla extract

Then I added 1/2 cup almond milk and 1/4 cup maple syrup

Finally, I added 1 cup of ice and blended on high for about a minute

Until four peaks appeared on the surface. Mmmm! :-)

2011-07-26T05:25:00.000-07:00

Roasted Cauliflower and Cheese Soup

I was reading Erin's blog
this morning and saw those glorious pics. for creamy cauliflower soup. Since it's meatless Monday today, I figured it would be a good idea as part of tonight's dinner. I didn't actually follow the recipe, just sort of did what I thought sounded good (in my head) as I usually do.

Here's what I did...

I roasted 1 head of cauliflower (drizzled with melted coconut oil) on a baking sheet lined with parchment for 45 minutes at 400F.

Meanwhile, I sautéed a chopped Vidalia onion in coconut oil until softened

I added about 4 cups of broth and 4 roughly chopped garlic cloves and simmered for a few minutes

Into my Vitamix blender, I added the roasted cauliflower, some roughly chopped extra-aged cheddar (about 100g) and 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

I poured the broth, onions and garlic into the Vitamix

And I added a teaspoon of cayenne

Blended it all up and voila!

2011-05-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

Meghan's Magnificent Asparagus Pesto

Once again, this is a Meghan Telpner recipe that worked out beautifully! When I read that she had made an amazing sounding version of asparagus pesto with the fat coming from wonderful seeds like sunflower and hemp and only a tiny bit of olive oil, I knew I wanted to try it.

I pretty much followed Meghan's recipe to the letter. The only change I made was to add some nutritional yeast. I had planned to use it as a spread for crackers, but after tasting it I decided to make some pasta with lots of veggies and beans and toss it in this yummy concoction. I saved the rest for crackers.

Here's what I did...

I lightly steamed some lovely Ontario asparagus that I'd bought at the Sherway Gardens Farmers' Market. Then I cooled them and plopped them into my Vitamix blender.

Added hemp seeds and Sunflower seeds.

Added Dijon mustard, a clove of garlic and a little bit of olive oil.

Added Celtic sea salt, lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

Blended it until smooth, tasted it and decided it needed a touch more sea salt and thought I'd add a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast just for fun :-)

Then I sautéed 2 sliced onions, 2 sliced red bell peppers, 1 sliced yellow bell pepper and 2 Thai bird chilies in some coconut oil. Added some cooked kidney beans and cooked chickpeas. Meanwhile, I cooked some whole grain spaghetti. When the pasta was done, I tossed everything together with about 1/2 cup of the pesto and 2 ladles of pasta water. This was absolutely delish.!!!

2011-03-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

Red Lentil and Wheat Berry Snacks

I'm always on the lookout for tasty snacks that are also good for us and was thrilled to come across this wonderful recipe.

I love red lentils and I'm crazy about Indian spices, so these really fit the bill when it comes to yummy yet nutritious snacks.

Here's what I did...

Melted some coconut oil and added chopped onion

Added cumin seeds, ground coriander, garam masala and chili flakes (I didn't actually have chili flakes, so I just crumbled up some dried chilies)

Sautéed the onions and spices for a few minutes and then added some minced garlic

Added cooked wheat berries

And cooked red lentils

Decided it wasn't spicy enough or colorful enough, so added cayenne and turmeric and mixed it all together then refrigerated the mix overnight

On one plate I poured some white sesame seeds and black sesame seeds

On another I poured some chia seeds (Perry's brilliant idea!)

I rolled some of the golf ball-sized scoops in the sesame mixture, some in the chia seeds and left some naked

Baked them (on a parchment-lined cookie sheet) for 30 minutes at 400F, turning after 15 minutes. Served with tamarind chutney. YUM!

2011-03-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Kamut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

The other day, I was really in the mood to make some chocolate chip cookies. I didn't want to make a traditional chocolate chip cookie, but one with some healthy additions and omitting some of the less healthy options. I had some kamut flour in the fridge, so I decided I'd search for a recipe online and see what I came up with. I found this recipe
and decided it was exactly what I was looking for. The recipe called for kamut flour and kamut flakes, but I decided to use rolled oats instead of the flakes because that's what I had on hand.
These cookies are absolutely delicious. I'd say they're as good as or even better than any oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I've had in the past.

Here's what I did...

I partially melted (gently on the stove) 1/2 cup of virgin coconut oil

Added 1/2 cup maple syrup, 2 teaspoons water and 1 teaspoon vanilla (I think the water was unnecessary)

Then I added 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, 1 cup kamut flour, 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, 2 tablespoons flax seeds, 2 tablespoons chia seeds and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Next I added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1 cup Guittard 63% cocoa (so happy to find these) chocolate chips

Then I mixed it all together and dolloped by tablespoons (using a cookie scooper) onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet

And baked for 20 minutes, rotating cookie sheets after 10 minutes.

2011-03-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

Wheat-Free Blueberry and Banana Muffins

I've been experimenting quite a bit lately with wheat-free baking and finding it a lot easier than I expected. In the past, when I'd searched recipes online for wheat-free muffin and cake recipes, I always found ingredients like xanthan gum and guar gum and such things. I didn't want to get into buying yet another bag or box of something I'd use once and then have to find storage space for, so I'd always forget about it and just make something else. I've realized lately though, that I can sub. most flours for wheat and the products work out just as well as they had with wheat. So, I looked at one of my favourite muffin recipes and made it over. The texture and flavour of these muffins is pretty much the same as it was with wheat flour and white sugar, but this one is so much more healthful.

Here's what I did (recipe at the bottom)...

Put 3 very ripe bananas and two large eggs in my stand mixer

Added 1/2 cup of gently melted coconut oil (didn't worry about it melting 100%)

Mixed these until well blended

Added 1/4 cup arrowroot flour, 1/4 cup brown rice flour, 3/4 cup oat flour and 2/3 cup coconut palm sugar

Added 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda

Mixed on low speed until just blended

Added 1 cup frozen blueberries and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Folded them in and poured into paper muffin liners in a muffin tin.

Baked at 375F for 27 mins.

Blueberry and Banana Muffins

2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup arrowroot flour

1/4 cup brown rice flour

3/4 cup oat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, gently melted

2/3 cup coconut palm sugar

3 very ripe bananas, peeled

1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces

1 cup frozen blueberries (don't thaw)

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the eggs, coconut oil and bananas. Add all other ingredients except walnuts and blueberries and give it another quick mix. Fold in the walnuts and blueberries. Spoon into muffin tins lined with paper cups. Bake at 375F for 27 minutes or until they spring back when gently pressed.

Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and allow to cool (or eat while warm).

2011-03-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

Spicy Shrimp with Okra

This was dinner for Perry and me last Saturday night. Krestan had few friends over for a sleepover, so they were doing their own thing for dinner.

The shrimp was just sprinkled with a homemade Cajun spice blend (recipe follows) and then sautéed in coconut oil for a minute or so each side. I served the meal with quinoa which had been cooked with onions, garlic, cayenne, Celtic sea salt and lemon juice.

I made the okra similar to the way my Sister's friend Priscilla taught me when she was visiting from B.C. a couple of summers ago. It's fairly simple, but absolutely delicious!!

Here's what I did...

I sliced some onions and green chilies and chopped some garlic (Priscilla pounded the 3 in a mortar)

Washed and chopped some okra

Sautéed the onions, garlic and chilies in coconut oil for a few minutes

Added the okra and continued to sauté, stirring gently until cooked (about 25 minutes), then seasoned with Celtic sea salt

About 5 minutes before the okra was done, I sprinkled some shrimp (peeled and deveined) with Cajun seasoning

Sautéed in coconut oil for a minute or so each side, until pink

Served the shrimp atop the quinoa, with a lemon wedge on the side

Cajun Seasoning

1/4 cup Celtic sea salt
1/4 cup cayenne pepper
1/4 cup paprika (smoked is nice)
1/4 cup garlic powder (not salt)
1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder (not salt)
2 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons thyme

2011-03-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

Frozen Choco-Banana Coconut Treats

When I read Angela's blog this afternoon, I knew I had to make these little treats.
I'm so happy I did because they're absolutely delicious! My photography skills (nor camera) are nowhere near Angela's level, but keep reading to see my version of her wonderful Chocolate Coconut Butter Banana Bites!!

The only changes I made were to use my Vitamix instead of a food processor, organic coconut palm sugar instead of icing sugar and 2/3 of a (100g) 70% cocoa chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips.

Here's what I did...

I put 2 2/3 cups cups of unsweetened coconut into my Vitamix

 Blended it for 45 seconds at speed #5, then increased to full speed for 15 seconds.  I was amazed to find liquid coconut after such a short period of time!

Added 1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt and 2/3 cup organic coconut palm sugar and blended for a few more seconds.

 
Broke up 2/3 of a 70% cocoa chocolate bar

Melted it and stirred the 2 mixtures together

dipped chunks of banana into the chocolate/coconut mixture (using a toothpick)

Then put them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Then popped the sheet into the freezer for 20 minutes.

And they were done!

Yum, yum, yum!!

I had about 3/4 cup of the chocolate coconut butter left over.  Not sure what to do with it, but I'm sure Krestan will come up with some ideas :-)

2010-12-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

Thai-inspired Pumpkin Soup

This is a soup I've been making for about 10 years. It's incredibly versatile and never really tastes the same as the time before as I'm always adding a little something or omitting something. Often, I throw in some veggies that I happen to have lying around, but it always seems to work out well and is a big hit when I serve it to guests or take it to potlucks.

I used to make this with acorn squash and sometimes butternut squash, but for the last couple of years I've been using pumpkin and I think I like it even better that way. I bet it could even be made with sweet potatoes! I've made it at different times with red, yellow, masaman and green curry paste. I've made it with homemade chicken stock, turkey stock or pork stock. I've even made it with bought stock in a pinch. I've added zucchini at times, sometimes lentils or even steel cut oats. I've also omitted cilantro when someone who dislikes it will be dining with us and I've used onions and/or shallots depending on what I have on hand.

Here's (more or less) how I make it...

I cook some pumpkin until soft

Roughly chop some onions (or shallots)

Roughly chop some garlic (8 cloves), ginger (1/4 cup) and Thai bird chilies (3-5)

This is what the chilies look like when whole

I sauté these in some coconut oil until softened

This is my favourite coconut oil

I add some Thai curry paste (red this time and about 1/4 cup)

This is the brand I had on hand but my favourite is Mae Ploy brand

I add a large can of coconut milk (full fat, not that horrible light stuff!)

And I cook all of this together for about 20 minutes

Then I add about 6 cups of homemade stock (mine was frozen in 2 cup blocks, which is why it looks so strange). I cook this for about another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, I chop a large bunch of cilantro

Then I add the cooked pumpkin to the soup

Along with the cilantro (probably 3 cups chopped)

Once this has cooked for about 10 more minutes, I purée the whole lot with an immersion blender

Then I add fish sauce (this is my favourite brand) to taste (maybe 1 tablespoon)

Sometimes I add a teaspoon or so of tom yum paste (most brands have MSG so don't use if there are those with sensitivities). I also add 1 tablespoon organic coconut palm sugar for a slight sweetness

To balance the soup, I add some tamarind paste (for sourness)

I use about a tablespoon (dissolve it in 1/4 cup hot water) but the juice of a lime can be substituted if you can't find it!

Pour into a bowl and enjoy!

Ingredients for Thai-inspired Pumpkin Soup

3 cups cooked pumpkin
3 large shallots or 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh ginger, roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3-5 Thai bird chilies, roughly chopped
1/4 cup red curry paste (up to 1/2 cup depending on the paste)
1 large or 2 regular cans of full-fat coconut milk
6 cups homemade stock (veggie, chicken, turkey, pork or beef will work)
3 cups cilantro, chopped
3 cups cooked pumpkin
1 tablespoon tamarind paste or juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon organic coconut palm sugar (or honey or agave nectar)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon tom yum paste (optional)

2010-11-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

Fennel, Arugula and Orange Salad with Miso-Lime Dressing

I made this salad a couple of weeks ago and have been meaning to write about it. It is quite similar to a salad I've been making for years, but that one doesn't have miso in the dressing and has pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top. Had I had any pomegranate when I made this one, I definitely would have added them and will do the next time I make it. Regardless, this is a 'keeper' and I plan to make it again soon. The miso in the dressing adds a wonderful flavour. I used this recipe.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find blood oranges, but regular navel oranges worked just fine.

Here's what I did...

Put about 3 cups of arugula on each plate

Using my mandolin, shaved fennel and red onion on top of the arugula

Removed the peel and pith from a couple of oranges, sliced them and added to the plates

Used a microplane to finely grate ginger into a bowl

Added miso, lime juice, Celtic sea salt, agave nectar and Extra-Virgin olive oil. Whisked this mixture together until smooth.

Topped salads with dressing and sprinkled with finely sliced mint and chopped cashews. Yum! :-D

2010-11-22T12:43:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin & Pistachio Crunch

This recipe is the result of a challenge given to me by my Sister. She told me about a snack she had tried and really enjoyed and asked me if I could recreate it. I didn't write down the details, just listened to her explanation, so the first time I made this I forgot the sesame seeds, only adding them at the end. This meant that they weren't really incorporated into the mixture properly. I tried again on Thursday and think this batch worked out a little better.
I did end up trying the original and although it was interesting, I think I liked mine a bit better because I didn't add any spices other than Celtic sea salt and cayenne. I really don't think it needs anything more. I'll probably play around with it in the future, perhaps using different nuts and/or seeds. I'm thinking chia seeds would be fantastic in this!!
Here's what I did...

Preheated the oven to 300F and spread out 1 cup of raw pistachios on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Roasted them for 20 mins.

Did the same with 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds on a separate cookie sheet. Meanwhile, in a dry pan I toasted 1/4 cup of sesame seeds (shaking constantly to prevent scorching).

Once they were done and cooled slightly, I mixed all the nuts and seeds with 3 teaspoons of maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt and 1 teaspoon (heaping) of cayenne.

Popped it all back into the oven for 25 more minutes (until dry-ish).

Added about 1/2 cup goji berries and allowed it all to cool before sealing in an airtight container.

2010-10-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

Baked Barley 'Risotto'

I hesitate to call this a risotto, as it's not at all traditional. But I did make it in a similar fashion although I finished it in the oven. It was fairly decadent for us as I don't cook with cream, bacon or cheese very often. It really was yummy, so I'll be making it again. I may try using different grains next time, but loved the combination of the smoky bacon and the gooey cheese so I probably won't mess with those!

Here's what I did...

First, I sautéed some sliced onions and sliced double smoked bacon (I trimmed all the fat from the bacon first)

Then I removed the bacon and onion and added barley and some minced garlic and sautéed this for about a minute (virgin coconut is my oil of choice). Next I added a cup of white wine and stirred it over low heat until the wine was incorporated. I then added homemade turkey broth one cup at a time, stirring until each was incorporated and the barley was tender.

Meanwhile, in a separate skillet I sautéed some chopped portabello mushrooms.

I stirred everything together, along with a huge bunch of Swiss chard (sliced, washed and dried) and Celtic sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper

I added some cream

Then poured it all into a casserole dish and added slices of gruyere and edam. Baked it all in a 400F oven for about 30 mins., then completely forgot to take a pic. of the ooey, gooey mixture on a dinner plate! But it was yummy!!

2010-10-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yummy Chocolate Superfoods cake

This cake is an amalgamation of a recipe or two that I've read and a bunch of ideas I've been dying to try out. I wanted to make a cake without any flour (well, it has 1 tbsp. of ground oats, so I suppose that's oat flour) and with a few superfoods included. I really didn't expect it to turn out well since it was my first attempt at a cake that I more or less made up, but it worked out really well. It's almost brownie-like, but with lots of tiny almond chunks in it. I'm not a fan of the brownie consistency, but I stuck my slice in the freezer for about 20 mins. and it was really delicious!! Perry and Krestan ate it 'as-is' and loved it.

Here's what I did...


I spread some almonds on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and baked them until golden


Put virgin coconut oil and broken-up 70% cocoa chocolate into a saucepan and melted together gently


Separated 4 eggs and put the yolks into my mixer bowl and whipped until thick


Pitted 2 avocados and added them, along with some Celtic sea salt and vanilla to the egg yolks and whipped further


Put the cooled almonds, oat flour and coconut palm sugar into the food processor


And pulsed until it was fairly finely chopped

Added this and the melted chocolate/coconut oil to the avocado/egg yolk mixture and mixed for another minute


Whipped the egg whites in a clean bowl with some cream of tartar and when stiff, added coconut palm sugar and whipped for another minute


Added the egg white mixture to the chocolate mixture


And gently folded the two mixtures together


Poured the mixture into a prepared (greased and parchment-lined) springform pan


And baked for an hour at 350F

Allowed it to cool in the pan (on a wire rack) and then sliced it open!

Deb's Chocolate Avocado Almond Cake

1 generous cup of almonds

7 oz 70% cocoa chocolate, broken into small pieces

7/8 cup virgin coconut oil

1 cup coconut palm sugar, divided

1 tablespoon oat flour

4 eggs, separated

2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Oil an 8-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.

Bake almonds in a preheated 350F oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 15 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool completely. Add to the bowl of a food processor with 1/4 cup of the coconut palm sugar and the oat flour and pulse until finely ground.

Melt chocolate and coconut oil lightly, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar until yolks mixture is quite thick. Add the avocados, vanilla and Celtic sea salt and continue mixing until smooth. Fold in chocolate/oil and nut mixture.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar, in small amounts and continue beating until stiff, but not dry. Fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture. Pour into the prepared springform pan and bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan.

2010-10-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Barley, Kale and White Bean Stew

This was last night's dinner. We've been eating more meat than usual lately, so I decided I wanted to make something with plenty of veggies, some sort of whole grain and also to use some of the homemade turkey stock I had made the night before. It turned out really well, made quite rich by the homemade stock.

Here's what I did...


Sliced and chopped 1 onion, then sautéed in coconut oil

Added 8 cloves of chopped garlic and about 3 cups of sliced mushrooms and sautéed for about 5 more minutes


Added 1 cup of pot barley (I prefer this to pearl barley)


And one can of petite-diced tomatoes, some Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


About 5 cups of the homemade turkey stock (of course veg. stock could be subbed to make it a vegetarian stew) and 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper (we like our food fairly spicy)


I drained and rinsed a can of white beans and added those for a little extra protein, then covered and simmered for about 30 minutes, until the barley was tender


Finally, I stirred in about 4 cups of shredded, organic kale and simmered for about 2 mins., just until it was wilted

Finished!!

2010-10-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Quick, Easy and Delicious Oat Spice Cookies

I made these yesterday and they literally took 25 minutes. I decided I wanted to make a crispy cookie without flour and with some superfoods. I've been using coconut palm sugar for a little while now and decided to try using it as the only sweetener in these cookies. It turned out tasting pretty much like I'd used brown sugar. Here's what I did...


To a mixing bowl, I added 1/4 cup gently melted virgin coconut oil, 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar, 1/3 teaspoon Celtic sea salt and one egg

Added 2 cups rolled oats

2 tablespoons chia seeds, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ginger

Mixed all these ingredients together

Dolloped on parchment-lined cookie sheets and baked for 15 mins. at 350F

Let them sit on the cookie sheets for a couple of minutes and then removed to cooling trays

Deb's Oatmeal Spice Cookies

1 egg

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil (lightly warmed to melt)

1/2 cup organic coconut palm sugar

2 cups Rolled oats

1/3 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

2 tablespoons Chia seeds

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together all ingredients. Drop heaping tablespoons onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on tray for a few minutes before removing to cooling rack. Once cool, store in an airtight container.

UPDATE

I just made another batch of these cookies with some modifications. A couple of weeks ago, my Sister told me her friend had bought her a box of mint chocolate Girl Guide cookies and I've been craving them ever since. Since I don't eat that kind of junk food anymore, I decided to make a healthy version of mint chocolate cookies. I used this recipe, omitting the ginger and cinnamon. I added 1/4 cup raw cacao powder, 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs and 2 teaspoons of organic peppermint extract. They're yummy and definitely hit the spot!!

Sorry about the lousy pic. I took it with my iPhone.

2010-09-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

Green Goodness!

This is my favourite green smoothie creation so far! It doesn't taste anywhere near as 'green' as it looks :-) It's sweet and creamy and has a lovely banana and coconut flavour. I'm so glad I took pictures as I was working or I'd never have remembered what I'd done! Here's how I made this glass of deliciousness :-)

Picked 3 large leaves of kale from the garden. Washed and dried them, ripped them into pieces and placed in my blender

Added a frozen banana (broken into chunks)

And a handful of frozen green grapes

Added a teaspoon of spirulina powder, a pinch of Celtic sea salt and a little stevia (maybe 1/3 tsp.)

About 2 teaspoons of bee pollen

A tablespoon of shelled hemp seeds

And a nice, big scoop of chia seeds

Topped it all off with a scoop of raw coconut butter

Finally added about 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

Blended it all together and quickly guzzled it all up :-)

2010-09-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

Black Bean and Roasted Beet Salad

I found a bag of golden beets on clearance at a local grocery store yesterday. They inspired me to make this salad as I remembered I had a couple of small red beets in the fridge. I didn't use a recipe, so measurements are approximate.
Here's what I did...

I washed and trimmed the ends of a golden beet and a red beet. Then I diced them and placed on a baking sheet. Sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Baked at 400F for about 25 mins.(until tender)

Into a large bowl, I added the juice of half a lemon, about 3 times that amount of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt and a few grindings of black pepper

Added about a teaspoon of ground chipotle powder

I whisked the dressing ingredients and added 1/2 an onion, diced and a large red Sheppard pepper, diced

Added 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Tossed in a can of rinsed and drained black beans

Tossed in the roasted beets

And served it with a fish fillet (sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning and baked)

2010-08-04T08:29:00.001-07:00

Stuffed Turkey Wings

I was originally planning to follow a recipe I'd found for stuffed chicken wings, but upon closer inspection I realized that the ingredients for the marinade and the stuffing were all mixed up and some were even missing. I mentioned this to Perry and we decided that instead of trying to figure out how they were supposed to be made, we'd prefer to make up our own recipe. We are so glad we did as these were wonderful. The filling was so incredibly tasty. I didn't write down exactly how much of each ingredient we added, but I think I can take a pretty close guess.

Here's what we did...

Perry removed the bones from the wings and I put them into a freezer bag with about 20 cloves of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon agave nectar, 1/2 cup minced lemongrass, 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. Marinated these in the fridge for 24 hours.

To the bowl of a food processor, added 1 cup shrimp

Added 2 minced green onions and 3 finely sliced Kaffir lime leaves

Added 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass and 3 chopped Thai bird chiles

Added 2 tablespoons Massaman curry paste, 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce, 10 cloves of garlic mashed together with 1 teaspoon evaporated cane juice

Blended these ingredients and added 1 cup lean ground pork. Placed this into a freezer bag and cut off one corner. Piped this into the boned turkey wings. Secured with toothpicks and baked at 400F for 20 mins., turned over and baked for 20 more mins.

Served the wings with a salad made from 1/2 a sliced English cucumber, 1/2 sliced red onion, 3 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts, 2 tablespoons fried shallots. Poured over a dressing of 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons agave nectar, 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce and 2 minced Thai bird chiles.

2010-07-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

What to do with leftover Juicer pulp!

Yet again, I have Meghan Telpner to thank for this fantastic recipe!! I changed it a little bit because of what I had on hand, but kept to her recipe for the most part. I LOVE these cookies!!! I was so sure they were going to be dry and not so appetizing, but they're delicious. They're moist and a little sweet, but not over the top. I will make these again and again.

Meghan's recipe is for muffins, but I followed her directions to turn them into cookies.

Here's what I did...

In a large bowl, I placed about 1 1/2 cups of leftover pulp from beet and ginger juice

I added 1/3 cup ground flax seeds and 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Added 1/4 cup raw agave nectar and 1 teaspoon vanilla

Added 2 eggs and the zest of a large lemon

Added 1/4 cup arrowroot flour, 3/4 cup oat flour, 1 heaping teaspoon ground ginger, 1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

Mixed it all together and added 1 cup frozen blueberries and 1/3 cup chopped dates

Used my tablespoon-sized cookie scooper to put them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, flattened them with my hand and baked at 350F for 20 minutes.

2010-07-26T13:13:00.001-07:00

Beet Chips

There's not much of a recipe to this. I just decided the other day that since we enjoy kale chips so much, perhaps there was a way to make beets into chips. We like beets, but there are only so many ways we've tried to prepare them. I made cookies with them last week (I promise to share that recipe soon), I juice them all the time, occasionally roast them, but this was something new. They turned out so much better than I had hoped, so I'll make them again for sure. I baked them, but some of them were getting a little brown and others weren't yet crisp, so I finished them off in the dehydrator. Next time, I'd like to try only using the dehydrator.

Here's what I did...

Scrubbed and halved a beet, then sliced it thinly with my mandoline.

Arranged the slices on 2 baking sheets, lined with parchment. Sprayed with a little olive oil and sprinkled with Celtic sea salt.

Baked at 375F for 20 mins., turned them all over and baked for a further 20 mins. Removed to the dehydrator and dried them for about an hour. Delicious!!

2010-07-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

Duck Breasts with Summer Fruits

Perry and I are big fans of duck. We don't have it often as it tends to be very expensive. I happened upon some duck breasts for a very reasonable price yesterday, so I decided to look for an interesting recipe for dinner. I found this recipe

and knew it would be a winner. I changed very little of the original as I thought it sounded almost perfect. I don't use much sugar, so instead decided to use evaporated cane juice and cut the amount in half to 40g. I used a little less butter than the original called for and I decided to salt and pepper the ducks ahead of time and put them in the fridge for a few hours before cooking (removing one hour ahead of time to come to room temperature).
Here's what I did...

Caramelized the evaporated cane juice

Added 150ml dry red wine and 100ml beef stock then reduced until fairly thick

Seared the duck breasts, skin side down. Cooked them on medium heat for about 10 mins.

Turned and cooked for another 5-6 mins. Then allowed them to rest for 8 minutes.

Grilled 2 halved peaches and 1 thickly sliced mango and served with the duck. Drizzled the sauce overtop.

2010-07-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

Real Vegetable Burgers

Once again I was inspired by one of Meghan Telpner's recipes.
Krestan has been a vegetarian for 2 1/2 years now and I'm always striving to find healthy recipes for him, but to avoid too much soy/tofu. Most of the veggie burgers we purchase have soy as the first ingredient. When I saw Meghan's recipe, I knew I had to give it a try. I served it much as a traditional burger for Krestan, on a whole wheat 'Thintini' bun with ketchup, onions, pickles and tomatoes. He said it was at least as good as a bought veggie burger, but maybe even better. That was good enough for me :-) Perry and I also had ours on the 'Thintini' buns but with onions, tomatoes and cucumber and with a dressing made with tahini, kefir and sambal oelek. We both really enjoyed them.

Here's what I did...

Shredded 2 carrots in my food processor, using the grater attachment.

Added one sliced onion

A handful of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds

Added 5 leaves of fresh kale from our garden

About a cup of chickpeas

2 cups coarsely chopped mushrooms

2 tablespoons freshly ground flax seeds

1/2 cup cilantro, some Celtic sea salt and cayenne pepper

2 heaping tablespoons of chia seeds (just 'cos I love them) and about 2/3 cup of besan (chickpea flour)

Formed them into patties and baked at 400F for 20 mins., flipped them and baked for 20 more mins.

Yum, yum!!!

2010-07-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Fresh Tomato Spicy Bloody Mary

This recipe came from the summer 2010 edition of the Food & Drink magazine which is put out by the L.C.B.O. (Liquor control board of Ontario). It intrigued me as it has a whole fresh tomato in each drink. Mum and I just loved these, but Perry wasn't a fan. He really doesn't enjoy any alcoholic drinks with tomato juice.
Here's what I did...

Put 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice into a blender

Add a large tomato, roughly chopped

Add 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo (I added a whole teaspoon)

Add 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

Add 2 oz tomato juice, 1 1/2 oz of vodka and 1 cup of ice and blend well

Rim a glass with salt (I used Himalayan because I like the pink colour :-)

Pour into the rimmed glass and garnish with a lemon wedge and a cucumber spear

2010-06-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Best Lemonade Ever!

Okay, I know this doesn't look like a glass of lemonade. It's actually a very non-traditional berry lemonade and once again it's a recipe from Meghan Telpner. Today, after walking outside in the muggy heat, I was in need of something thirst quenching. I decided to forgo my usual glass of water with 1/4 of a lemon squeezed into it and instead I tried Meghan's recipe.

Wow this lemonade is amazing. It's tart, sweet, tangy and oh so delicious.

Refer to the link above for Meghan's recipe. Here are a few pics. of what I did to recreate it...

I washed some blueberries and strawberries and placed them into the blender.

Added ice, a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of stevia

Added a chopped, peeled lemon and some water

Blended it all up then sipped and enjoyed! :-)

2010-06-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

Copycat Raincoast Crisp Crackers

I've been wanting to copy these crackers for years. It pains me to pay $6+ for them in the grocery store, but they're just so darn good! They're my good friend Heather's very favourite cracker and since it's her birthday tomorrow, I decided it was finally time to attempt them.

I had searched online a couple of years ago for recipes and had found a few, but none of them was exactly what I was looking for. I decided to mess around with a couple of recipes and change some of the ingredients to better represent the original version of these crackers.

This is the recipe that I eventually came up with...

Copycat Raincoast Crisp Crackers
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. Celtic sea salt
2 cups buttermilk
Scant 1/4 cup organic evaporated cane juice
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1/4 cup flax seed

Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the buttermilk, cane juice and molasses and stir. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well-combined.
Pour the batter into two 8”x 4” loaf pans that have been lined with parchment and sprayed with olive oil. Bake for about 45 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack.
Once cool, place in the freezer for about 3 hours. They're a lot easier to slice if they're almost frozen. Slice the loaves as thinly as you can and place the slices in a single layer on an parchment-lined cookie sheet. Reduce the oven heat to 300° F and bake them for about 20 minutes, then turn them over and bake for another 20 minutes, until crisp and deep golden.

Flour, baking soda and Celtic sea salt

Add molasses and evaporated cane juice

Buttermilk added

Add the seeds

Stir it all together

Pour into prepared pans and bake

Finished loaves

Voila!!

2010-06-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

Grain-free Pumpkin Cake

I just found this recipe and knew what I wanted to do with the piece of pumpkin I had bought at a local Asian market this afternoon.
When I first read through the recipe, my first thought was "how can this possibly work without flour?" but then I noticed the similarity to flour-free peanut butter cookies. The first time I made those, I didn't think they'd work either, but they always do. I figured I'd give it a try and it worked out really well. I did mean to add cinnamon and ginger and completely forgot. That's what I'd change next time. The original recipe said to bake it for only 25 minutes, but mine took more like an hour. I guess that's because I misread the direction and baked mine in a loaf tin rather than shallower baking pan. Next time I'd also bake it in the correct pan, because as you can see from the picture, it dipped down a little in the centre. Regardless, it's moist and so delicious!!

Here's what I did...

I cooked and mashed 3/4 cup fresh pumpkin

Added 1 cup almond butter

Added 1 one egg and one egg white

3/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt and 1/3 cup agave nectar

1 heaping tablespoon chia seeds

Approximately 1/2 cup coconut (didn't measure)

About 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds and 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Mixed it all together and poured into a loaf tin lined with parchment. Sprinkled the top with some more pumpkin seeds and baked at 350F for an hour.

And what did I do with the leftover cooked pumpkin????

I made a mushroom, pumpkin and asparagus risotto and topped it with sliced grilled lobster tail...yum! :-)

2010-06-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Flax and Bulgur Pilaf

This recipe was completely new to me. I found it on the back of a package of 'Bob's Red Mill' flax seeds. I love flax seeds and am always happy to find another way to enjoy them. This pilaf was delicious and now that I've tried it, I am imagining all the other grains I can combine with flax. I think I'm going to mix it with my brown rice, quinoa, barley and the list goes on and on.

Here's what I did...

Sautéed some chopped onions (recipe said 1/3 cup but I love onion so I used 1 1/2 onions) in coconut oil (recipe said butter)

Added 1 cup bulgur

And a heaping 1/4 cup flax seeds and continued to sauté for about 3 minutes

Added a diced tomato

2 cups vegetable stock and 2 teaspoons cayenne (my addition...not in the recipe)

Brought to a boil, covered and simmered 16 mins. Turned heat off and left lid on for 10 mins.

I served it with baked trout fillets and sugar snap peas. Yummy!!

2010-06-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Crispy Rice Squares a la Meghan Telpner

Anyone who reads my blog knows how much I love Meghan Telpner and her amazing recipes. This morning I tried yet another winner! I had read this recipe when she first posted it, but didn't have all the ingredients on hand. I came across the recipe again a few days ago and finally got what I needed yesterday. I changed it only slightly by using agave nectar in place of the honey and maple syrup. I used toasted pumpkin seeds and chopped walnuts (because walnuts are Perry's favourite nuts). I added unsweetened coconut flakes and chia seeds to make it even more delicious. Oh, and I completely forgot about the ground flax seeds until I had already placed the mixture into the glass baking pan. I thought about leaving them out but since I had already taken the time to grind them and since I love flax seeds, I just poured it all back into the pan, stirred in the seeds and put it back into the baking pan. No harm done! :-)

I will definitely be making this one again!

Here's what I did...

Into a large pan, added coconut oil, agave nectar and vanilla extract

Added almond butter

And some squares of 70% dark chocolate (the kind with cocoa nibs in it)

Added Celtic sea salt, chopped walnuts and chia seeds

Added coconut, raw cacao nibs and pumpkin seeds

Added the brown rice crisps, stirred it all together and put into a glass baking dish (greased and with a parchment sling for ease of removal)

Took back out of the dish, put back into the large pan and added the ground flax seeds that I'd forgotten!! Put back into the dish, flattened with the back of a mixing spoon and chilled for 35 mins. then cut into squares.

These are just so scrumptious that I can't stop myself from having another taste and another and another :-) They are a little softer than usual rice crispy squares and I'm not sure if that's just because they're supposed to be or because I used agave instead of honey. Regardless, they're wonderful and I'll make them again. Thanks again to Meghan Telpner for another fantastic recipe!!

2010-05-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

Kale Chips with Cashews

I found this recipe the other day and just had to try it. I've made kale chips many times now and am always trying to think of new ways to change them up.
I didn't do much to change it other than using roasted red peppers instead of raw, adding some cayenne pepper and Celtic sea salt. I also cooked mine in a low oven as I wanted them done quickly. So I guess I really did change the recipe quite a bit :-)
These aren't raw, but they're still fairly healthy and they're so delicious!
Here's what I did...

Soaked some raw cashews for a few hours. Drained and put into the blender. Blended until they were quite pasty.

Added some roasted red peppers and blended those with the cashews.

Added lemon juice, sea salt, cayenne and nutritional yeast and blended some more.

Mixed washed, dried and torn kale leaves with the cashew mixture until well-coated. Spread on cookie sheets and baked in a 255F oven for about 30 mins. Turned them over and baked another 20 mins.

Yum yum!!!

2010-04-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

Broccoli Salad

This is another of my favourite lunches. I also enjoy making it for summer barbecues instead of the usual stodgy salads that are on offer. I generally make it in a similar way to this, but decided to add a couple of things (chia seeds, hemp seeds and flax oil) to make it even healthier this time.

Here's what I did...

Diced some Spanish onion and doused with balsamic vinegar. Let this sit for a while so that the vinegar would take the 'edge' off the raw onion.

Added some extra virgin olive oil, flax oil and Dijon mustard (helps emulsify the dressing)

Added Celtic sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper

Mixed it all together until the dressing was well-combined

Added a large, chopped red bell pepper

Lots of chopped broccoli

Added chia seeds and hemp seeds

Lots of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds

Mixed it all together and gobbled it up :-)

2010-04-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

Best Ever Asparagus Bake

When I first read about this dish, I wasn't at all convinced that it would be good. I mean, who cooks asparagus for 90 minutes??? But the result was tender, slightly crisp, absolutely delicious asparagus. I've honestly never enjoyed it more than I did in this dish!!
Here's what I did...

I washed about a pound of asparagus and cut off the woody stems. Laid half of these on parchment paper (very large sheet) on a baking tray.

Started layering sliced shiitakes and sliced prosciutto on top, as well as seasoning with freshly ground black pepper, Celtic sea salt, a couple of sprigs of fresh tarragon and freshly grated nutmeg

Added another layer of the same (spraying everything on both layers with extra virgin olive oil)

Folded the parchment up and stapled the edges

Baked in a 200F oven for 90 minutes and then opened it up to see this delicious concoction!!!

Put some quinoa (cooked with onions, coconut oil, Celtic sea salt, freshly ground pepper and lots of cayenne) on a plate.

Topped the quinoa with the asparagus mixture and promptly gobbled it up...fantastic!!

2010-04-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

Coconut Superfood Cookies

This is yet another recipe from Meghan Telpner and it's another winner! I didn't make many changes to Meghan's recipe.

The only things I did differently were to add a little Celtic sea salt for that sweet/salty contrast and some chia seeds just for the heck of it.

These cookies are crispy and sweet and oh so yummy!

Here's what I did...

Put some unsweetened coconut in the food processor

Added some coconut oil

Sesame seeds

Some freshly ground flax seeds

I was soooo excited when I found this coconut palm sugar :-)

I added 2 tablespoons of the coconut palm sugar

Mixed it all up in the food processor, adding 1 tablespoon of water after a few minutes just to help it come together

Added some chopped goji berries as I didn't have any golden berries

And some raw cacao nibs

A little Celtic sea salt

Finally some chia seeds

Dumped it all onto some parchment and then covered it with another sheet of parchment

Rolled it out and then removed the top layer of parchment

Scored into cookie-sized pieces

And baked for about 17 minutes at 350F. I'm sure I rolled mine way too thinly as they were already getting brown on the outside after 17 minutes. Next time I will either leave them thicker or will bake them at a slightly lower temperature. Regardless, they're delicious!!

**UPDATE**

I made these cookies again today, with the following changes...

I added the zest of an orange. I also baked them at 325F instead of 350F. I baked them for 30 minutes, which was too long as they were still a little overdone. Next time I'll stick with 325F but only leave them in for 25 minutes. They're still really delicious though and I love the flavour the orange zest added.
p.s. I forgot to point out that the last time I made these I did the entire procedure in the food processor (rather than completing the final mixing in a bowl).

(phone pic., so not the best quality)

2010-04-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Raw Chocolate Treats

I've been wanting to make Meghan Telpner's Raw Chocolate Brittle recipe for a while now, but had been unable to find the raw cacao powder. I finally located it at WholeFoods on Saturday and was so excited to get a batch of this made yesterday. Oh yum, it is absolutely delicious!! It has a flavour similar to raw chocolate cookies I used to make when we were in our 'raw' phase, but these are so much better because of all the nuts and seeds in them.

Here's what I did...

I gathered together some superfoods

Lightly warmed coconut oil and added it to raw honey with bee pollen and the raw cacao powder. I also added 1/2 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt and I like the salty/sweet combination

I was about to reach for a bottle of vanilla when I remembered I had some fresh vanilla pods

I split one in half and scraped out all those lovely little tasty vanilla seeds

I mixed the vanilla seeds, into the mixture and added raw cacao nibs and raw almonds

Added some unsweetened coconut

Raw pumpkin seeds

And some raw chia seeds

Mixed it all together and spread it on a parchment-lined cookie sheet

I made sure I got all of that chocolaty goodness out of the bowl :-)

Popped it into the freezer for 15 minutes to harden

Then broke it into bite-sized pieces

***Update***

I made these again (they didn't last long) but this time instead of using dried coconut, I sliced up some fresh coconut and added it. I also used chopped almonds instead of whole. Both changes were for the better, so I'll continue to make it that way from now on!

2010-04-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Super Green Super Bread

Spirulina strikes again :-) This is yet another wonderful superfood recipe I received in The Superfoods Tutorial
from Meghan Telpner. She calls it Incredible Hulk Bread.

I soaked the quinoa overnight last night and made this bread first thing this morning. It tastes 'green' and hearty and delicious! I decided to use oat flour instead of buckwheat or brown rice flour as that's what I happened to have on hand. I also topped mine with some toasted sesame seeds since I had some left over from last night's superfood snacks.

Here's what I did...

I gathered together some of my ingredients

Drained the quinoa and put it into a large bowl

Added eggs, agave, arrowroot flour and sea salt

Mixed in almond milk

In a separate bowl, measured out baking powder, baking soda and spirulina

Added oat flour

Mixed them together

Added the flour mixture and some chia seeds

Then stirred it all together to make this lovely Hulk-green mixture

I sprayed a loaf tin (well glass, not tin) with olive oil and placed a parchment sling in it

Poured in the green goo :-)

Then sprinkled the top with toasted sesame seeds

Baked it for 55 minutes (I have a slow oven) at 350F

Let it cool and sliced it up

2010-04-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

Superfood Snacks

Since I received the wonderful Superfoods tutorial. from Meghan Telpner, I've been trying to incorporate as many superfoods as possible into our diet.

The other night, I made some snacks for us to nibble on with a glass of wine and decided to make them again tonight as we enjoyed them so much. The may look a little 'interesting', but they really do taste yummy :-)

Here's what I did...

Took a couple of ripe avocadoes

Scooped the flesh into a bowl

Juiced half a lemon

Added the juice and 2 minced garlic cloves

Added some cayenne pepper

Some freshly ground black pepper and Celtic sea salt

Mixed it all around until everything was incorporated and the avocado was mashed

Added a nice big spoonful of spirulina powder

Mixed it all around (Perry says it looks like baby poop )

Toasted some sesame seeds

Filled some celery sticks with the avocado mixture and chopped them into bite-sized pieces

Topped some with chia seeds

Some with toasted sesame seeds

And the rest with shelled hemp seeds

YUM!!

2010-04-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

Granola Bars Revisited

Yesterday, I decided to remake my fairly healthy granola bars from a couple of weeks ago.
I didn't make a lot of changes and I'm still not 100% happy with them, but I think they're much better (on the healthy front) than they were.
Here's how I changed them...

I added pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, replaced honey with agave, cut down on the evaporated cane juice, used raw almond butter instead of peanut butter and chopped up a 70% cocoa chocolate bar instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips

They honestly didn't taste much different, but are a lot better for us! Next time I'm going to try to eliminate the evaporated cane juice...maybe use coconut palm sugar instead! Then they'll be just about perfect :-)

2010-04-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Spicy Oatmeal Soup with Mustard Greens

As I was getting ready to post this recipe, it occurred to me that I had already shared my method for making oatmeal soup a few months ago.

However, as I said in that post I don't follow a recipe so it's never quite the same. I decided that I would share today's 'recipe' just to show how it can be made slightly differently.

Here's what I did today...

I sautéed a chopped red onion, chopped garlic and chopped Thai Bird chilies in some coconut oil

I added a can of small-cut tomatoes (14oz)

Some steel cut oats

And some veggie broth and Celtic sea salt. Brought it all up to a boil and then simmered until the oats were softened (20 mins. or so)

A few mins. before serving, I stirred in some washed, sliced mustard greens and simmered for maybe 3 more minutes.

The finished product!!

2010-04-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

And the Winner is...

Risa!!! She is the lucky winner of a copy of Meghan Telpner's Superfoods e-tutorial.

I had 4 comments (other than mine and Meghan's), so there were 4 eligible entrants. I wrote down each of their names on separate pieces of paper.

I folded the pieces of paper, mixed them around a little

And unfolded one piece of paper to reveal the winner...Risa!

Congratulations Risa! I have the e-tutorial and it's fantastic! I know you're going to love it! :-)

2010-04-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

Healing with Everyday Superfoods and a Contest!!

You've 'heard' me mention Meghan Telpner before on this blog. In fact my last post
was inspired by her last tutorial "5 Days Low GI".

I have learned so much from her website and enjoyed many of her yummy recipes over the last few months, but a couple of weeks ago was the first time I downloaded and tried one of her tutorials. The "5 Days Low GI" challenge was actually a lot of fun for me. Meghan provided recipes for all of the 5 days (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks) and a LOT of additional information. I took this info. and created some of my own recipes (within her guidelines, of course) and ended up having a blast while getting healthier! Now Meghan is running a contest to win her latest e-tutorial on Superfoods! I already eat quite a few superfoods, but I'd love to learn more about them and about some I've probably never even heard of or didn't even realise WERE superfoods. The way it works is that I post a link to the new e-tutorial here on my blog, and I get a chance to win it! How exciting!! :-)
So here is Meghan's latest and greatest e-tutorial.

But it gets even better! You can also win a copy! All you have to do is leave a comment here on my blog, telling me which superfood is your favourite and how you enjoy it! For example "I love broccoli and my favourite way to eat it is steamed with a little flax oil drizzled on top". That's all there is to it! I will draw randomly from all the entries I receive and will notify the winner by April 7th. I will forward that winner's name and e-mail address to Meghan and she will tell you where to download the e-tutorial! Easy peasy! So leave your comment and we'll both keep our fingers crossed that we'll be winners!

Here's what Meghan will be sharing in this Superfoods e-tutorial...

The guide contains 60 + pages of info including (but of course not limited to):

•   The Definition of a Superfood
•   Benefits of Whole Foods
•   Food as Fuel
•   Food as Medicine
•   Challenges with Food Guides and Diets
•   Calories Versus Nutrition
•   Benefits of Raw

Everyday Superfoods

•   Cruciferous Vegetables
•   Leafy Greens
•   Sprouts
•   Seeds + Seed Oils (Sesame, Pumpkin, Flax, and Hemp)
and more
The Super-Powered Superfoods
•   Chia
•   Cacao
•   Super Berries (Goji Berries, Goldenberries and Mulberries)
•   Bee Products (Raw Honey, Bee Pollen, Propolis, Royal Jelly)
and more!

Super Healing Herbs
Time to Get Super-Powered

•   5-Day Meal Plan
•   Super-Powered Recipes
and more!

Additional Resources

•   Conscious Eating
•   Sprouting 101
•   Food and Mood Journal
•   Whole Foods Shopping List
•   Blank Meal Plan Template

Plus Additional References and Resources

2010-03-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

Cookies that taste good and are actually good for you!

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but in the evening I tend to want something sweet and usually go for some chocolate with 70% cocoa. I enjoy it, but sometimes I'd like something else without resorting to something that's full of sugar and unhealthy fats.

Today I decided that I was going to invent a cookie that is tasty, sweet and still good for me. So here's what I did...

I mixed together 1/2 cup raw almond butter and 1/2 cup raw agave nectar

I added 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

I added 1/2 cup raw organic sunflower seeds

And 1 tsp. Celtic sea salt

Then I added 1/4 cup raw organic cacao nibs

And two tablespoons of raw chia seeds

I mixed it all together and used my 1 tablespoon cookie scooper to dollop them onto a parchment-lined cookie tray

I baked them at 350F for 16 mins., rotating the cookie trays halfway

*Update!!*

I remade these cookies yesterday with a couple of changes and they're soooo good! I melted a 100g 70% cocoa chocolate bar with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and mixed it into the batter.

I also used a mixture of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds instead of all sunflower seeds.

YUM!

2010-03-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Shrimp with Wilted Arugula

This was one of those meals that just comes together with things you already have in the fridge/freezer and pantry. I had bought a huge container of arugula at Costco the other day to use in a salad. Since it was just Perry and me eating that night, we had 2/3 of the mammoth container left over. I didn't want to do salad two nights in a row so I decided to make this instead. I had some pitted Kalamata olives in the fridge and some of our favourite creamy Macedonian feta, so I thought I would make a (sort of) Greek-flavoured meal. Here's what I came up with...

I sautéed some red onion slices in coconut oil (yeah, I know that's not even remotely Greek)

Meanwhile, I made a marinade of Extra Virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, fresh rosemary, minced garlic, Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

I cooked the onion slices until lightly browned

Then I added minced garlic and chopped Thai chile peppers

Meanwhile, I added some peeled shrimp to the marinade and tossed them around, letting them stand for about 10 mins.

Then I put them on a greased (and foiled) baking tray and baked at 425F for about 6 minutes (until pink)

I finished sautéeing the onion, garlic and chile mixture

Then I added lots of fresh arugula to the pan

I tossed it around until it was wilted

Then I threw in the feta and olives and tossed it all around until well-mixed

I served the arugula mixture with the shrimp on top