Cinnamon Cookie Cereal

July 23, 2014March 11, 2015Leave a comment

These little cookie bites are the perfect accompaniment to our fresh Ontario strawberries! We keep a stock pile of berries in the fridge, so this cereal is loaded with organic blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries and topped with cookie bites.

I’m already planning on topping my vanilla coconut ice cream with them later 🙂 Good thing I went to the gym this morning! I’m pretty sure the kids are going to ask for this cereal every single day from here on in. It’s delicious, and will destroy your favourite boxed cereal in both the quality and flavour departments. We top this cereal with unsweetened almond milk and it is perfect. There’s enough sugar in the berries and cereal that sugar in the milk would have been overkill.

Although it may look like these took forever to make, I had half of the little balls formed before the oven had even heated up, so it’s not too bad. Totally worth it.

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Cinnamon Cookie Cereal

2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a bowl, mix almond flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.

Add melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix well.

Pull apart with your hands into little rustic balls. Hint: make a little dough snake and you can easily pull small cookie balls off the end. You can either grease the sheet with coconut oil, or use a silpat sheet – my personal favourite.

Cook at 350° for 8 minutes. Let cookies cool on the pan and they will harden.

Fill a bowl with your favourite berries, and top with cookie cereal and your favourite milk for a nutritious and energy sustaining breakfast.

Enjoy!

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Healthy Chocolate Mousse

July 12, 2014June 1, 2015Leave a comment

This was inspired by the not-so healthy chocolate mousse debauchery that went on at the cottage this summer. In an attempt to lessen withdrawal symptoms, this healthy version was born. I’ve always loved avocado in chocolate mousse form, but it’s not for everyone so I toned it down in hopes of appeasing you avocado/chocolate haters (namely the hubby). The results were A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

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Healthy Chocolate Mousse

1 cup coconut milk (canned)(coconut water works well too!)
1 avocado
1/4 cup peanut butter (or more…delicious)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
6 medjool dates, pitted (or 1/4 cup honey)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend well, using the tamper as needed to move the ingredients around. Eat immediately (and why wouldn’t you?) or refrigerate for later! Just be sure to place cling wrap right on top of the pudding to avoid as much oxidation as possible due to the avocado content.

You can also add a tsp of maca if you love it. It will make your pudding taste like maca, but it’s a nice change if you’re a maca lover!

Sesame Protein Balls

June 28, 2014June 25, 2014Leave a comment

sesame

Sesame Protein Balls

2/3 cup sesame seeds
2/3 cup shredded coconut
2 scoops ultimate vegan energy protein powder
1/4 cup almond milk
1/3 cup almond butter
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp sea salt

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly. Roll into golf ball shaped balls or flatten between parchment paper to create bars. Refrigerate. Enjoy!

Makes 15 balls. 3.5g of protein and 3g of sugar each.

Lentil Fusilli Salad with Chicken

June 19, 2014June 12, 2014Leave a comment

pasta

Lentil Fusilli Salad with Chicken

225g red lentil fusilli pasta (approx. half a package)
1 head broccoli
1 orange pepper
1/2 cup olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, diced
1 pint mini tomatoes, halved
3 cooked chicken thighs
olive oil
salt and pepper

Boil water and turn flame down to low/medium. Stir in pasta and cook for 8 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile chop up broccoli into bite size pieces, put into a pot with an inch of water and boil/steam with lid on until tender but firm, roughly 8 minutes.

Chop up remaining ingredients and place in a large bowl. Add pasta and broccoli when they are finished cooking.

Add oil, salt and pepper to taste. Add more as desired.

Red Lentil Pasta vs. Brown Rice Pasta

We were a brown rice pasta type of family until I discovered red lentil pasta. Now it is my go-to pasta. Both are gluten-free. Win-win.

Per 100g, here is how they measure up:

Protein: 13g vs 7g
Fibre: 6g vs 3.5g
Calories: 350 vs. 350
Fat: 1g vs 2.7g

But, don’t lentils have lectins? Yes lentils have lectins. Lectins bind to your intestines, block absorption, and damage the gut lining, causing the body to battle the dreaded leaky gut and then have to divert proteins from other tasks in order to repair it. But, once lentils are cooked, their lectin levels drop dramatically.

It all comes down to this, and this is our philosophy where all food is concerned: how do you personally feel after you eat them? Good – great. Not so good – it’s your call if you want to eat them or not!

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Coconut Protein Balls

June 14, 2014June 13, 2014Leave a comment

Meet my new favourite obsession: protein bar creation. I used to live off of protein bars so it’s high time I make my own. These balls will come in super handy when the kiddos come home from school and want food ASAP. Though I would like to get the sugar content down even more for that same reason!

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Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Coconut Protein Balls

3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 scoops ultimate vegan energy protein powder
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup almond milk
6 drops liquid stevia

Mix all ingredients together, and roll into TBSP size balls. Serve.

Using the above recipe yields 16 balls with 2.5g of sugar and just over 2.5g of protein each. The protein powder is comprised of sprouted brown rice protein, maca, and vanilla. I highly recommend Brad King’s brand not only because it tastes great, but because it is a highly bioavailable form of protein. Our bodies can use it easily unlike other vegan forms such as pea protein which are largely cheap fillers.

My favourite brand of stevia is Now’s better stevia, french vanilla flavour. It’s still got the bitterness characteristic of stevia, but is way better than sweet leaf in my opinion.

balls Note that sweet little hand trying to get into the chocolate chips!

Fresh Tomato Soup

May 27, 2014May 31, 2014Leave a comment

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Fresh Tomato Soup

1 onion
2 carrots
2 ribs of celery
4 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp coconut oil (or butter)
5 organic tomatoes
2 cups organic chicken broth
28 oz can organic tomatoes (796ml)
14 oz can coconut milk (398ml)
1 tbsp fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

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Chop up onion, carrots, celery, garlic. Cook in coconut oil over medium heat until soft.

Chop up tomatoes and add to the pot along with the rest of the ingredients.

Bring to a boil and turn down to medium heat. Leave the soup on medium for approx. 20 minutes to boil off some of the excess water.

Place soup in a blender and puree. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

tomato3 Proof that the kids loved it!

Moroccan-Style Meatballs

May 20, 2014May 20, 2014Leave a comment

This meal came together very quickly and it was so good that I’ll be making it again very soon. It was a hit with our 3 year old but the 18 month old won’t eat meat, and apparently is rebelling against carrots now too…

We served it with quinoa, but it can be a stand on its own dish served with a side salad.

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Moroccan-Style Meatballs adapted from here.

Serves 4-6

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1/3 cup grated onion
1 egg
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp dried ginger
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Form meatballs slightly larger than golf balls, place onto a plate and set aside.

Stew

2 tbsp coconut oil (or butter)
3 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
2 cups beef broth
28oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup organic raisins
3 medium carrots, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a large oven-safe pot, cook onions in coconut oil over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 10-15 minutes.

Add cinnamon, turmeric, and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes, raisins, and carrots, and bring to a boil.

Carefully press meatballs into the stew mixture until covered, sprinkle with cilantro, and cover the pot.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Kid Friendly: Almond Crusted Fish Sticks

May 18, 2014May 16, 2014Leave a comment

This is one meal that my kids actually eat! If you loved fish sticks as a child, then you will love these. They are a gazillion times more delicious than that frozen crap I grew up on, and are also gluten-free! If you don’t like garlic than you can just leave it out. You can also add some dried parsley if you’re feeling fancy 😉 I just didn’t have any to use tonight!

I don’t recommend tilapia because they are bottom feeders. You’re better off with halibut or cod.

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Almond Crusted Fish Sticks

1 lb cod or halibut
1.5 cups blanched almond flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil for frying

Cut fish up into 1 inch x 3 inch pieces, or as close as possible to the same thickness. Place almond flour, salt, and garlic powder in a bowl, and the 2 beaten eggs in a separate bowl.

You will want to fry the fish in 2 separate batches to avoid crowding the pan. Heat a large pan with 1/4 cup of butter or coconut oil. Dip each piece of fish in egg, then the almond flour mixture, and place in the pan. Fry until browned on both sides – 3-4 minutes per side. I always cut into a piece to be sure they’re done.

While the first batch is cooking, you can prepare the second batch and place them on a plate, ready to take the plunge into the next 1/4 cup of butter/oil.

These are delicious plain, served with ketchup or with home made tartar sauce, recipe below:

Homemade Tartar Sauce

1/2 cup mayo
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp or more tartar sauce (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix and enjoy! Hey, I never said it was a healthy home made tartar sauce.

Allergen Free Baking: The Best Pancakes Ever.

February 20, 2011October 25, 2014Leave a comment

Banana Coconut Gluten-Free Vegan Pancakes

I have had many reasons to go allergen free in the past, but none were as motivating as my current living breathing reason: my newborn son Oscar. I have many food sensitivities that I notice daily unless I eat 100% clean. Even then, I will notice a reaction if I eat too much of something that I am mildly sensitive to such as certain vegetables! I have been eating moderately clean my entire pregnancy, gaining less than 25 lbs, and my eczema disappearing for most of it. However, upon delivery, my hormones are out of whack and so is my body. My eczema is flaring up once again.

Oscar is also developing a rash. I don’t know if it’s eczema yet. I think it’s newborn acne at this point, but in a bid to avoid the occurrence of eczema and allergies I am trying to keep him away from the common culprits: dairy, soy, corn, wheat, excess sugar, etc. as well as giving him a daily probiotic. Unfortunately, when both parents have allergies or asthma, the offspring is nearly 100% likely to have them as well.

And it is because of all of this that these pancakes were born. I swear they are the best pancakes ever, and Yuri agrees! I am not saying that you can eat pancakes every day because they are allergen free, but they are there when you want something special. There is no need to feel guilty about indulging in these, and the best part of it is that these pancakes cause me NO digestive distress!

BEST PANCAKES EVER

Gluten-Free Banana Coconut Pancakes. They’re vegan AND healthy.

Serves 2

1 1/4 cup gluten free flour (see below)
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups almond milk
2 eggs, or use this egg substitute:

1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
4 tbsp hot/boiling water

3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 banana, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut
maple syrup, for serving
banana and coconut for garnish

If using the egg substitute, mix the egg substitute ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.

Separately, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Add the almond milk, egg substitute, and coconut oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Add the coconut, cinnamon, and banana.

Cook over medium heat until done, flipping once. Makes 6 pancakes.

*if the batter is too thick, add more almond milk

*Lately we’ve been really loving chocolate chunks in our pancakes – the best ones are by Enjoy Life!

Gluten Free Flour

Gluten free flour making is an intimate thing. There are so many variations out there. This is what I came up through trial and error and it is my favourite gluten free flour yet. I doubt I’ll even try any others. You can use this in any recipe that calls for all purpose flour. Just make up a batch and you’ll have it to use whenever you need it!

Mix together:

250g millet flour (1.5 cups)
150g almond flour (1.5 cups)
150g quinoa flour (1 cup)
150g buckwheat flour (1 cup)
300g tapioca flour (2 cups)

I buy millet, almonds, buckwheat, and quinoa whole and mill them in the coffee grinder. This way they are as fresh as possible. Tapioca and almond flours I buy already milled. Though you can grind almonds in a coffee grinder – they are super fresh! In Canada you can get almond flour from jkgourmet.com which is what I do now that I’ve found them!

Eggs Florentine with Potato Latkes

August 4, 2010December 11, 2014Leave a comment

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Today I think I really outdid myself. I made the best eggs Florentine I have ever produced. There has been a lot of trial and error over the years and this is the best hands down which is why I have to share it!

I love to make gourmet meals, especially homemade gourmet versions of meals that scare me in restaurants, because you never really know what’s in them! Take Hollandaise sauce for example. In the restaurant I work at, ingredients include MSG and some other pretty nasty stuff.

For example, Knorr brand Hollandaise sauce mix that you can buy at your local grocer lists the following as ingredients:

Modified Food Starch (Corn, Potato), Maltodextrin, Wheat Starch, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Whey Protein Concentrate (from Milk), Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Lactose (from Milk), Fructose, Salt, Citric Acid, Onion Powder, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Guar Gum, Spices (Including Paprika), Turmeric (for Color), Caramel Color, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder.

I mean, SERIOUSLY? What the hell is that stuff? Is it even “food?” Guess what the ingredients are in a classic Hollandaise sauce? Water, egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice. Four ingredients, none of them artificial. FOUR natural foods – not EIGHTEEN chemicals!

Eggs Florentine with Potato Latkes (serves 2)

Classic Hollandaise Sauce

2 tbsp water
2 egg yolks
½ cup butter, melted
1 tbsp lemon juice

Place a mixing bowl on top of pot of barely simmering water. Make sure the bowl is not submersed in water. The idea is to “steam cook” the Hollandaise. Place 2 tbsp of water and 2 egg yolks in the bowl. Mix with whisk until mixture becomes thick. Then slowly add the melted butter while stirring constantly. When mixture is combined and thick, slowly add the lemon juice while stirring. Set aside.

Other Ingredients:

2 large handfuls of spinach
1 handful of feta (optional)
Green onion for garnish, diced

You can use a steamer to cook the spinach. Alternatively, put a bit of water in a non-stick frying pan and place a lid over top and steam it that way. Once spinach is cooked, place it on a plate covered with paper towel until ready to use.

Set feta and diced green onion aside until ready to assemble Eggs Florentine.

Potato Latkes

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
1 medium onion
1 egg
2 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sea salt
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup coconut oil for frying

Dice the onion and grate the potatoes, placing them into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients (except oil) and mix well. You may have to add more flour depending on how wet the mixture is.

Separate the mixture into 4 equal portions and heat oil to medium-high. As you get ready to place the potato pancakes in the oil, squeeze out any extra moisture. Make a pancake shape and carefully place them in the pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides, turning as little as possible. Once done, place them on paper towels to drain.

Poached Eggs

4 eggs
2 tbsp white vinegar
Pot with roughly 2 inches of barely boiling water

Poaching eggs is an art. It has taken me a long time to learn to poach the perfect egg, so be patient and don’t worry about perfection at first! I break my eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl and slowly pour them into the boiling water. I find this way easier than breaking an egg so close to boiling water because this way I don’t burn myself! And, the fresher your eggs, the better they poach.

Place your pot on the heat source and add the white vinegar. When the water is just boiling, turn the heat down to medium (or whatever your barely boiling temperature is). Add the eggs, one at a time to the water. Once in, take a wooden spoon and carefully move the egg white over the yolk. Hold for about 10 seconds.

By the time I have my 4 eggs in the water, it is usually time to take the first one out because I like my eggs runny. I think they’re in the water for 3-4 minutes at this point. Using 2 wooden spoons, I take each egg out and place them in one small bowl. This way, they stay warm while you are putting together the rest of the ingredients.

Putting It All Together

Place 2 potato latkes on each plate. Cover with spinach and optional feta. Place one egg on each mound and spoon over Hollandaise sauce. Garnish with green onion. Serve!

Final Notes

This recipe takes some time management skills at first. I generally make the Hollandaise first, and set it aside. I then steam the spinach and make the potato latkes. While the Latkes are frying, I start the poached eggs (using the water used in making the Hollandaise sauce) and set the eggs aside while the potatoes are finishing.

“Eggs Benedict” recipes traditionally use English muffins as a base, but my objective is always to use as many whole food ingredients as I can. Enter the potato. Once you have tried these potato pancakes you will be addicted! Obviously, frying them in oil is a nutritional “no-no” but sometimes you’ve got to take one for the team, right?