Simple and Fresh - Spinach, Orange and Strawberry Salad

Now that we have been blessed with warmer weather, I find myself spending more time outside in my garden, which leaves me less time to spend in the kitchen.  So finding simple recipes that require only a few ingredients and that I can throw together in less then 30  minutes is essential.  Throughout the warm season I will try and give you as many recipes labeled Simple and Fresh that fall into that category.

Arugula is one of my favorite greens because it adds freshness to any recipe.  Either paired with pasta (here) or as the star of a salad (below) it never fails to impress me.  So how is it good for you?  Well, it contains a group of anticancer compounds called glucosinolates.  These compounds trigger antioxidant activity and are good stimulators of our body's natural detoxifying enzymes.  Arugula is also a good source of calcium.

Simple and Fresh - Spinach, Orange and Strawberry Salad



Ingredients

Salad

4 cups strawberries, hulled and cut in quarters
3 navel oranges
2 avocadoes
6 cups baby spinach
2 cups arugula
2 green onions
1 cup pine nuts

Dressing

Juice from the orange peels, should yield approximately 1/8 cup
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp.. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Method

Hull strawberries and cut in quarters.  Using a sharp knife, peel the skin off the oranges making sure there is no membrane left.  DO NOT DISCARD the membranes as you will need them later.  Cut the oranges in wedges, and then in half.  Peel the avocado and cut in 1/2 inch pieces. 

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, squeeze the juice from the membranes.  This should give you approximately 1/8 cup.  Add balsamic and red wine vinegar as well as the dry mustard.  Whisk together and add to the salad.

Mix the salad and vinaigrette together and serve.

Have a great day!
Amelie

 

Green Smoothie with Celery

I know people are getting more and more curious about green smoothies, so I figured I would give you another one of my recipes.  I usually prefer my smoothies to taste sweeter, so when I try recipes that use lemon, ginger and more "advanced" ingredients I find myself having a real hard time enjoying them.  The following recipe was an exception. I really enjoyed it, although I wouldn't recommend starting your new green smoothie morning routine with this recipe, as the strong celery taste somewhat overpowers the other fruits.  When making smoothies, you should aim to get as close as you can to the 60/40 ratio (60% fruit, 40% leafy greens).  Why? Simply so the sweetness of the fruits will dominate and the leafy greens' somewhat bitter taste will tone down the sweetness of the fruit.  It is also recommended to vary the greens you use in order to get a variety of nutrients.  Great leafy greens would include beet greens, chard, spinach, kale and dandelion greens. 

 

What about celery?  We've all been taught that the more vibrant the color of  a vegetable, the better it is for you.  As true as this can be, it doesn't mean that paler vegetables like celery are empty of important nutrients.  Here are some of the health benefits of celery:

  

• It is considered to be a superfood for people with high blood pressure mostly because of its high potassium level that helps regulate it. 
• It contains coumarin compounds that are effective in cancer prevention and have the capability of enhancing the activity of certain white blood cells.

 

Green Smoothie with Celery 

 



Yields 1 serving

 

Ingredients

 

1 cup water

1 banana or avocado (this serves as an emulsifier)

1 pear

1 orange

1 celery stalk

1 cup baby spinach

3 ice cubes

 

Method

 

Place all ingredients in blender and mix until you get a smooth texture.

 

 

Have a great day!

Amelie

 

 Source:

 

www.everynutrient.com/healthbenefitsofcelery.html

 

 

 

Kid-proof Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce

There are some things my kids simply refuse to eat.  So how do you get them to eat it anyways?  My answer is to hide it in their food.  Some will argue that they need to learn to eat it as is, and that's the end of the story.  I sort of agree, which is why I keep serving these things over and over again, and they still refuse to eat them.  So until I am successful, I will keep hiding it in their food.  Earlier this week, I shared my muffin recipe with spinach and today I am sharing my spaghetti sauce with some of the vegetables they refuse to eat cooked, and some they simply won't put in their mouths.

Kid-Proof Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce



Ingredients

1 23 oz. can organic tomato sauce
2 28 oz. can organic crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can organic whole peeled tomatoes
4 large carrots peeled with the ends removed
4 zucchinis with ends removed
4 celery stalks
6 mysteriously long sweet peppers
1 orange bell pepper
2 yellow onions
3 cups arugula
3 cups baby spinach
1 tbsp. fresh parsley
1 tbsp. fresh oregano
1 tbsp. fresh basil
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp. granulated California garlic (can be found at Costco)
1 tsp. sea salt
1tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ground
1 cup nutritional yeast enriched with vitamin B12

Method

Chop vegetable coarsely.  Place in blender with tomato sauce.  Puree and transfer to a large saucepan.  Then place spinach, arugula and whole peeled tomatoes in blender and puree.  Add to vegetable puree.  Mix purees with spices and nutritional yeast and bring to a boil.  Simmer for an hour and serve over your favorite gluten-free pasta!

If you are new to this blog and you are wondering what nutritional yeast is, please go to this blog post.

Have a nice day!
Amelie

 

Simple and Fresh Roasted Asparagus and Quinoa Salad!

A lot of my recipe inspiration comes from trying to use whatever we bought on sale at the grocery store.  My husband is sort of king when it comes to saving, so even if I do a most of the grocery shopping, he uses his savvy ways to buy the fresh stuff.  This week, the weather has been warmer and it has made me crave summer food.  And since we had some asparagus, I looked online and found this amazing recipe.  I will rarely post other people's recipes, but this was an exception.  It was just too good to pass up.

 

So here is the link to Shaina Olmanson's  Roasted Asparagus and Quinoa Spinach Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette recipe.  

 

 

 

I did make a few adjustments though, here they are:

 

I did not have shallots, so I used red pearl onions.  Since they are smaller, I used 6 instead of the required 3.  I also used red wine vinegar in lieu of the sherry.  And finally, I substituted the butter for virgin coconut oil!

 

Enjoy!

Amelie

 



Gluten-free Banana chocolate chip muffins

My kids' idea of a perfect breakfast is either waffles or pancakes.  And since it doesn't coincide with mine, I have been trying for quite a while to make their first meal a healthier one.  From rolled oats to hearty grain cereals, I haven't had much success.  That is until I decided to hide the healthy stuff in what they like.  Hence, how my gluten-free spinach banana chocolate chip muffins came to be.  Both my kids and their friends go crazy for them!  It also makes a great after school snack. 

Gluten-Free Spinach Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins



(Yields 16 muffins)

Ingredients

3 - 4 bananas (depending on the size of your bananas)
3- 4 cups baby spinach (see method for bananas and spinach exact quantity)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1/3 cup raw honey
1/2 cup sugar-free applesauce
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup raw sugar cane
2 tbsp. 100% pure cocoa powder
1 tbsp. baking powder (not all are gluten-free)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease pans.

In a blender, mix together the bananas, spinach and water (you should get a relatively smooth and thick liquid which should amount to no more than 1 1/2 - 2 cups).  Add sunflower oil, honey, applesauce and vanilla extract and mix until blended.

In a large bowl, combine the next 7 ingredients.  Stir in the banana mixture and mix until well blended.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, using a 1/4 cup measuring spoon.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Have a great day!
Amelie

 

Arugula Salad

Last night for dinner, we were supposed to eat a Greek inspired salad with spaghetti squash, but when I started making it, I realized I had bought the wrong kind of squash.  So I decided to ditch the squash altogether and improvise (which I seem to find myself doing a lot these days).  I ended up with something completely different, but surprisingly tasty.   This was our main course, which I wouldn't recommend - rather it would make a great side dish.  After eating half of my portion, I decided to reheat the leftover (yet untouched by sauce) fusilli pasta we had the night before, and it was SUPER DELICIOUS!  The combination of the cold salad and the warm pasta made me crave the summer ahead.  This is definitely a meal worthy of a warm summer night and a nice glass of white wine! 

 

Arugula Salad

(pictured as a side)

 

Ingredients

(Yields 6-8 sides or 4 main courses) 

 

 

Salad:

 

2 cups red grape tomatoes cut into quarters

2 cups yellow grape tomatoes cut into quarters

1 cup cucumber seeded and diced

1 yellow bell pepper diced

6-8 cups arugula

 

Dressing

 

3 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

3 tbsp. nutritional yeast powder

2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes

2 tbsp. fresh oregano or 2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

 

Method

 

In a large bowl, mix all the salad ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk together both vinegars and the nutritional yeast powder.  Add the oregano, salt, pepper and garlic.  Whisk until well blended.  Add to the salad.  Sprinkle yeast flakes over salad and serve.

 

For main course option, add 3-4 cups of warm pasta.  Fusilli or penne would be my preferred choices.

 

 

Have a nice day!

Amelie



Old Fashion Rolled Oats - a nice week-end treat!

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you all had a nice week-end,  we sure did.

On week-ends, I enjoy lounging around in my pajamas with a cup of coffee and snuggling up with the kids in  front of their favorite cartoons. We often have a special treat for breakfast, and in my case, it's old fashion rolled oats. It so easy to make and is so satisfying. Did you know that 1/2 cup serving contains 7g of protein and 5g of fiber (which accounts for 20% of your recommended daily fiber intake)


Old Fashion Rolled Oats

Don't mind the neon color of this recipe, it tastes much

better than it looks!

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 banana sliced (reserve a few slices to add a bit of freshness to the taste)
1 cup blueberries or mixed berries
1 tbsp. flax seed
2 tbsp. sunflower seed (for added crunch)

Method

Place all ingredients in a microwaveable bowl and cook on high for 3 minutes. Stir and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Let cool and enjoy! You may substitute the banana for a pear for a different twist.  My rolled oats of choice is Bob's Red Mill, which can be found in the health food section of most grocery stores.  With this particular brand, if using water instead of pomegranate juice I recommend reducing the amount of liquid to 3/4 cup to avoid a more watery texture. 

Have a great day!
Amelie

 

 

Soy - What you need to know about it!

This is not a sponsored post

So, when deciding to make the switch into the gluten and dairy-free world, it is important to consider all the alternatives.  Some products are healthy and some downright bad.  I recently saw a blogger's post on veganism that said "vegan does not necessarily mean healthy", with a picture of a bowl full of Oreo cookies - which are vegan.  Well, the same can be said about gluten-free and dairy free.

While scouring the isles of my local health food store, I am amazed at the amount of unhealthy gluten and dairy-free products that are available.  Take for example soy milk.  People are led to believe (as I was before I delved more into the subject) that soy based products are a healthy alternative to meat and dairy.  But what they don't know, is that most of these products contain unfermented or GMO soy.  Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story points out thousands of studies linking soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.    

 

Here are the basic fermented soy products that are safe and even healthy to consume: 

• Tempeh
• Miso
• Natto
• Soy Sauce

Can you tell that one food of choice for many vegans and vegetarians is missing?  That's right, tofu is not healthy for you.  What is the strong selling point of unfermented soy?  It is one of the best source of vitamin K1-2, which is a fat-soluble vitamin our body requires for blood coagulation.  The greatest sources of  vitamin K1-2 is found in leafy greens and in  Natto.  

 

As for gluten-free products, you need to make sure that you look at the ingredients.  In crackers and pasta, I look for some that are made with brown rice, quinoa, amaranth flours which are healthy grains.  I also avoid anything where oil or sugar is at the top of the list of ingredients.

 

Here are some of my favorite products :

 

 

Have a great week-end!
Amelie

5 Minute Hummus

I have recently been craving hummus, but the store-bought kind is loaded with oil and not so great on a regular basis.  So I scoured the internet looking for a homemade recipe (although very basic, I still wanted to make sure I didn't mess it up!).  But I had almost none of the required ingredients, so I experimented and came up with something that was delightful and fresh.

 

  

 

 

Yields 16 snack servings or 3-4 side dish servings

 

Ingredients

 

1/3 cup hemp seeds

2 tsp. sunflower oil

Juice from a lemon (or 1/4 cup store bought)

2 cups chick peas

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. parsley

2 garlic cloves

A pinch of paprika

 

 

Method

 

Place all ingredients in blender and mix until you get a relatively smooth texture.  Enjoy  with your favorite vegetables.  (Please note that the sunflower oil is used to help the hemp seeds form a paste).

 

What you should know about hemp seeds :

• It contains more of the beneficial amino acids than proteins such as milk, eggs or meat.
• It is a complete protein.
• It provides an optimal ratio of both omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids.  What makes these essential oils critical is that our bodies do not manufacture them and we need to consume them as food.  It contains almost seven tines more omega-3 fatty acids than fish. 
• These essential fatty acids can dramatically reduce your chances of having a sudden heart attack.  They also help lower your cholesterol levels and remove build-up in your arteries.
• 3 tbsp. of hemp seeds provides you with 110% of your daily manganese requirements.  Manganese is important in regulating blood pressure.   

 

 



Beet and orange salad

Yesterday's bleary weather made me crave some color in my plate, so I decided to make a recipe with red beet.  Not only is beet one of my favorite vegetable, it is also one that we should all include in our diet.  Did you know that it can keep bad cholesterol at bay?  Studies have shown that consuming beets regularly can lower your LDL cholesterol by as much as 30%.  It also contains a compound known as betaine which can reduce inflammation in the joints, bones, throat and blood vessels by 20%, making it a vegetable of choice for people suffering from, amongst other things, osteoporosis and asthma. 

I was in the mood for something summery as well, since my son had asked me to boil some corn on the cob for dinner.  I know, corn season is not for quite a few months still, but I have to admit that although I undercook it, it was really good. 

Here is the recipe:


BEET AND ORANGE SALAD (YIELDS 4 SERVINGS)

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

6-8 beets ends chopped

3 oranges

1/2 cup hazelnut

 

 

Method

 

Boil beets until you can easily insert a fork in the middle (approximately 20 mins).  They could also be roasted in a foil in the oven with some olive oil (approximately 1h25 mins).  Once beets are cooked, let them cool completely and peel the skin off.  To avoid having deeply red stained fingers you can wear some gloves (although I never do and it disappears after within a day).  Slice the beets and cut in half moon shape.  

 

Using a sharp knife, peel the skin off the oranges making sure there is no membrane left.  DO NOT DISCARD the membranes as you will need them later.  Cut the oranges in wedges. 

 

Place beets and oranges in a serving bowl and add the hazelnuts (a made a mix of sliced and whole ones).  Squeeze the membranes on top of the bowl in order to get as much juice as possible.  Serve and enjoy!     

 

Have a great day!

Amelie



Grilled Vegetable salad

On days when I am busy working around the house, I am often uninspired for lunch.  So when I had the great idea of using the leftover grilled vegetables on my salad, I suddenly became super excited!  I was hoping to relive the wonderful experience my husband and I shared when a friend, who is a sous-chef, came over for dinner and he decided to make this unbelievable grilled vegetable salad.  My concoction might not have been as exquisite, but it was downright yummy. 

 

 

 

Simple Grilled Vegetable Salad

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

A decent portion of grilled vegetables (I used the one from this post here)

2 handfuls of baby spinach

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp. B12 fortified nutritional yeast powder  (for protein)

 

Method

 

Place baby spinach in a bowl.  Warm up vegetables in the microwave so that they are lukewarm.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and nutritional yeast.

 

If you are unfamiliar with nutritional yeast, it is found in a powder or flake version.  It is a complete protein (which means it contains all the amino acids that your body needs and cannot produce).  1 tbsp. of the powder yeast contains 10g of protein. Because I do not consume dairy, I buy the b12 fortified version to make sure I don't become deficient.  It has a nutty almost cheesy taste which makes it a great addition in soups, sauces and even as a popcorn topping.  It can be found in most health food stores.

 

Have a great day!

Amelie



Grilled sweet potatoes

With the snow from last week's snowstorm all melted and the warmer weather slowly creeping in, the thing that I miss the most about the way I used to eat is the convenience of barbecued meals.  I don't miss meat in itself, I just miss the simplicity of putting everything on the barbecue and having a meal in minutes without many dishes.  So last night I decided we would have a little summer feast.  I made kale chips and grilled some vegetables to accompany the kids and my husbands vegetarian sausages.  As a protein, I had leftover quinoa (pronounced keen-wa).  For those of you unfamiliar with quinoa, it is a grain that is a close relative to species such as beets, spinach and tumbleweed.  It is known as a superfood for its high nutritional value.

 

Here are some of the nutrients found in quinoa:

• It is a complete protein - Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles  (with 3.5 oz providing you with 14g of protein).
• It contains high levels of magnesium which helps relax your muscles and blood vessels.  It also can have a hypotensive effect on blood pressure.
• It is a great source of fiber.  That combined with its protein content help regulate blood sugar, which in turn could help prevent Type 2 diabetes.
• It is a good source of copper and manganese which act as antioxidants.

 

I had vegetables I needed to use up, so I used zucchinis, cherry tomatoes and sweet potatoes.  The potatoes were cooked separately from the other vegetables.  Here are the recipes : 

 

Grilled Sweet Potatoes (Yields 4 servings)

 

Ingredients:

 

6 sweet potatoes scrubbed and ends removed

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 pinch of sea salt

 

Method:

 

Slice potatoes and toss with oil and salt in a bowl.  Place directly on barbecue and roast for approximately 15-20 minutes, turning halfway.

 

 

Grilled Vegetables (Yield 4 servings)

 

Ingredients:

 

2 zucchinis washed and ends removed

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes whole

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. vegetable seasoning

 

Method:

 

Slice zucchinis  and toss with whole tomatoes, oil and seasoning.  Place the zucchinis in a barbecue vegetable grilling basket for approximately 15, adding the tomatoes a few minutes before the zucchinis are done.

 

 

Have a great day!

Amelie

 

Sources:

 

www.whfoods.com

www.wikipedia.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy snacks, great company!

Since switching to a whole food approach, a lot of people ask me what I do when I have company over.  To be honest, most seem to think that eating this way is not suitable for everyone.  But I like to show them that it is not only suitable, but actually great tasting.  So I make a lot of fun things to snack on and show them that it's possible to eat what the mass considers "regular meals", but with a twist.  I recently made stuffed peppers, but switched the meat for cashews.  I make spaghetti, but I use quinoa and amaranth pasta instead of regular and add nutritional yeast to my sauce so that we get a protein.  And I make sure to include greens in every recipe (either in regular form or hidden in some sort of puree so that my kids can't detect it!  Thank heaven for blenders!)

I rarely snack between meals, since snacking prevents your body and digestive system from resting and recovering.  But I make an exception when we have company.  In those occasions I go all out with dips and chutneys, along with my favorite gluten-free crackers and vegetables.  And since we are having company for dinner tonight, I figured I would share two of my favorite recipes!

  

 

Ingredients :

 

1 cup fresh dates, pitted

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsps. regular of toasted sesame oil

1/4 inch fresh ginger root, shredded

1 garlic clove

1 hot pepper (optional, I never include it in the recipe)

 

Place all the ingredients in the blender and either use the automatic puree setting or pulse 10-12 times - depending on the type of texture your like.   I pulse mine because I like a chunkier texture.

 

Yields 4 portions

 

 

 

 

1 tbsp. agave nectar (can be substituted with maple syrup or honey for non vegans)

2 tbsp. almond butter

1 tbsp. linseed oil

1 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes

 

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a spoon.

 

Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fats, associated with the reduction of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels.



Yields 2 portions

This recipe diluted with a bit of water also makes a great salad dressing.

These recipes were taken from Kate Wood's RAW cookbook.   Photos are my own.

 

 

Have a great week-end!

Amelie

Drink your greens! - Yummy green smoothie recipe

They say that breakfast is the most important meal.  The first things you put in your body in the morning will impact how you feel for the rest of the day, and if your choose wisely, your body will thank you for it. 

Ever since I started having green smoothies for breakfast, I have seen the benefits first-hand.  One of the symptoms of my Chiari Malformation was excessive fatigue.  I would sleep for 10-12 hours and never felt rested.  I barely had the energy to get my kids out the door in the morning and would have bouts of being bed ridden for days on end every few months.  My neurosurgeon suggested I have decompression surgery to try and make the situation better for me (although he could not guarantee it would change much).  I was very scared at the thought of having brain surgery without being sure of the results.  So a few weeks before my surgery,  I read a few books on whole food plant-based diets and how eliminating dairy and gluten from your diet could help improve a variety of symptoms - amongst others, joint pain, which I experienced daily.  I could barely fold a load of laundry without hurting a lot.   I decided to postpone my surgery and see if changing my whole approach to food would make a difference in my life.  I changed overnight (I always jump feet first without dipping my toes in the water beforehand, this approach may not work for everyone, so you can start by changing one thing at a time!)  Well it has been 4 months and I don't miss a thing.  While I have to admit it took some getting used to - the thought of spinach or kale for breakfast seemed gross at first - I quickly became hooked.  I look forward to making new concoctions everyday and have so much more energy.  And there are so many benefits on your health, it's hard not to give them a try, even if that is the only thing you change...

Benefits of green smoothies in the morning:

-You are giving your body more of the nutrients it needs, which means your body won't crave as much junk food and sweets.  (That's so true!  Although I do still consume chocolate, I don't crave the other junk food I used to consume at least a few times a week.)  It also gives you more energy.

-Blending the fruit and greens allows your body to absorb the nutrients well, making the smoothies easy to digest.  It will give you clean bowels (hey, I know, it's not sexy, but it's the truth) which is key to eliminating toxins.

-Eliminating toxins will help giving you more radiant skin

-It also helps regulating mood swings (although if you ask my husband, he would say it has not improved mine!)

 

Here is my favorite concoction so far:

 

 

4 fruit green smoothie :

 

1 mango

1 orange

1 banana

1 pear

1 cup of water

2 cups of spinach or kale

1 tbsp. flax seeds

2 tbsp. hemp of chia seeds (for protein)

6 ice cubes

 

Place all the ingredients in a high-power blender starting with the water and ending with the ice cubes (better for blender blades).  I say a high-power blender because the texture is much smoother, although I used to have a regular blender before I had my vitamix, and it still did a decent enough job!  Start on a low setting, increasing the intensity gradually until you get a smooth texture.  It will yield a considerable serving.  I drink it all and then I am sure I have my fruit servings for the day.  I also drink it over the course of an hour.  If you drink it too quickly, it will sit on your stomach and you will feel awful.  Enjoy!

 

Amelie

 

 

 



Superfood of the day : Red Cabbage

When adopting a whole food plant-based diet, it is very important to eat a good variety of foods in order to get all the nutrients needed to be healthy.  It also helps prevent what I call "food boredom", which can quickly lead you to get off the bandwagon!  So I have recently been experimenting with red cabbage.  It is on my list of superfoods for being loaded with antioxidants and for being rich in Vitamins C, A and K.  One cup of red cabbage provides you with 85% of your daily vitamin C requirements and 20% of your vitamins A and K  requirements.   I love its vibrant color and its subtle sour taste that mixes well with sweeter ingredients.  I recently tried a Christmas cabbage salad which was ok, but my husband and I did not feel the need to add it to our list of great recipes. 

 

So when I was looking online to find recipes to use up the rest of my cabbage last week-end, I came by this wonderful Red Cabbage Soup on Ehow.  It looked great and used ingredients I already had on hand. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

 

2 tbsp. butter (which I substituted with Coconut Oil)

1 large onion finely chopped

1 red apple coarsely chopped

1 green pepper diced

1 head of red cabbage shredded

2 red tomatoes diced

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tbsp. soy sauce (I used gluten-free Tamari sauce)

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

 

Method:

 

1. Melt oil in a large saucer.  Add the onion and cook until caramelized.
2. Add apple and green pepper and cook until tender (approximately 4-5 minutes).
3. Add the red cabbage and cook until caramelized (another 5-7 minutes)
4. Add tomatoes and cook for an extra 3-4 minutes
5. In a mixing bowl combine the vegetable broth, tamari sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper.  Add to the saucer and cook on high heat for 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the stove and let cool for 10 minutes.
7. Pour into a food processer of high power blender and puree until you get a even smooth texture.  Serve and season with extra salt and pepper if needed.

Yields 8 cups

 

Have a great day!

Amelie

 

Kale Chips Recipe

I eat a lot of greens, whether it's chard, kale, spinach or arugula (my favorites!) I incorporate as much greens as I can in each meal. My breakfasts usually consist of green smoothies, my lunches are usually a raw soup with a salad and my dinners always have a salad (whether the main meal or the main side dish). But getting my kids to eat "lettuce" is a whole other story. So When we hosted my family's Easter dinner a few weeks ago, I decided to give kale chips a try. Well, I am happy to say I was mostly successful! The whole family loved them (with the exception of my son and nephew!). So instead of opting for an unhealthy alternative when we have our family movie night on Fridays, I will now serve kale chips.

 

 

 

Preheat your oven to 400F.  Remove the hard stems from the kale and wash it.  Then, pat it dry  using a clean dish towel (the key to crispy results is  making sure your leaves are completely dry).  Cut the leaves in chips-sized pieces.  Using your hands, massage each piece with a bit of olive oil making sure you cover the leaves completely.  Lay your pieces on a baking sheet without overlapping them.  Sprinkle some salt and bake in the middle of the oven for approximately 4-5 minutes - making sure they are crispy but do not loose their vibrant green color.  Loosing color means loosing nutrients and in this case taste as well!  Chips will keep for two days in an air-tight container.  If making them ahead of time, simply reheat at 350F for a minute or two to give them back some crispiness! 

 

Have a great day!

Amelie

 

 

 

Channeling summer with a Superfruit Smoothie!

So it's springtime in Montreal, but the weather has been quite icky!  The snow is almost all gone, but the cold weather is lingering on. This morning, I woke up to light snow falling and just wanted to get back into bed (but couldn't because I had to get the kids ready for school).  

 

Once the kids are off, I usually sit by the fireplace in the living room and read my emails by the fire while having breakfast (usually a green smoothie).   But this morning, to try and lift my spirits up I decided to make myself a summery smoothie

 

Superfruit Smoothie (Yields 1 portion)

 

1 cup Almond chocolate milk

3/4 cup Nature's Touch frozen Superfruit blend (blueberries, blackberries, dark sweet cherries and pomegranate arils) (I buy it at Costco)

1 Banana

1 Tbsp. chia seeds

4 ice cubes

 

Put all the ingredients in the blender (with the milk first) and mix until you get a nice, smooth texture and enjoy.

 

Have a great day,

Amelie

 



The road to health is paved with green!

 

The road to health is paved with green!  At least that is what I seem to be experiencing.  Ever since switching to a whole foods plant-based diet, I have been feeling wonderful!  I don't like to call myself Nutritarian or Vegan because I eat for health, not for any doctrine.   On top of eating a plant-based diet, I am also mostly dairy and gluten-free.    I am a stay-at-home mom with Chiari Malformation type 1.  I have two kids :  Mackenzie (5 yrs old) and Alexa (8 yrs old). My husband and kids eat mostly like me, although they will eat meat, gluten and dairy on a more regular basis.  This is our journey to health.

 

So I have been looking for new ways to get my kids to eat more vegetables and this is no easy quest.  They are picky and less than willing to try new things.  And since they dislike most cooked vegetables and eat only small quantities when given crudités, soups and well hidden and blended versions usually work best.  While searching for raw recipes, I happened on the Rawtarian app for Iphone last week-end... I have tried two raw soups, so far without much enthusiasm from the little ones.  But the adults are completely in love.  What sold me the most on raw recipes is the fact that your food doesn't loose any nutrients, there is usually a minimal amount of preparation and it creates less dishes, that's a great trio right there!

 

Here is the recipe for the Raw "cream" of celery soup that can also be found on The Rawtarian website.  I had it as a side at lunch and enjoyed it quite a bit.  Although I prefer her red pepper version, the celery soup will be on rotation in the next few weeks!

 

 

1 1/2 cup of roughly chopped celery (reserve 1/2 cup for garnish)
1/4 cup cashews
1/2 garlic clove
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp celtic salt (I used sea salt)

1. Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender.

2. Start blending on low and work your way to high speed.  Blend for a few minutes to get rid of any stringiness and so the speed from your blender warms up to soup nicely.

3. Place the reserved celery in a bowl and pour the soup mixture on top.  Mix with a spoon and enjoy!

This makes 1 big portion.

Have a great day!