Frittatas are such a healthy and easy way to use up leftover ingredients, and the options extend as far as the imagination. I usually like to add in something dense like chopped potatoes or yams, but I went with gnocchi this time. Gnocchi is basically pasta made from potatoes, it is chewy and dense and heavy in all the right ways and is one of my absolute favourite comfort foods, ideal for the fall and winter. Continue Reading →
Homemade Flavoured Oatmeal
It was dark and rainy this morning, and there was a cold breeze we haven’t felt in months. I love the food this time of year because we still have freshly ripe and juicy fruits but as the temperatures drop we start incorporating more hearty items. Warm oatmeal with lots of fruit is an ideal breakfast for transitioning into autumn and fuelling us through long days. Continue Reading →
Bacon Wrapped Frittata Muffins
Frittata muffins are one of my most depended upon meals to prepare in advance. They are basically eggs, a great source of highly absorbable protein and important nutrients, and whatever other ingredients you have available to add in. I made these ones for my family so I wanted them to be as filling and enticing as possible. The eggs are mixed with sweet potato for some density and complex carbohydrates, thyme and red onion for flavour and tomatoes for some extra vitamins. A salty cheese like feta and a wrapped piece of alder smoked maple bacon makes it seem more like fun food than healthy food. Continue Reading →
Baked Oatmeal with Fresh Fruit
Making big batches of whole grains is a necessity for me to be able to throw quick and healthy meals together. Sometimes I like for it to be a big pot of slow cooked hearty oats, this stage is the more involved part because it requires a constant eye and regular stirring. But it makes the following mornings much easier when I can pour some of the leftovers into a baking dish, top it with fruit and bake it in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is warm and golden and the inside is warm and gooey. Continue Reading →
Vanilla Peach Smoothie
Peach season is in full effect and freezing them overnight then blending them with a few extra ingredients turns them into chilled, creamy, decadent tasting smoothies that highlight their sweet, summer flavour. Peaches are stone fruits related to roses and they are full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Some medjool dates increase the sweetness, vanilla adds some fragrant flavour and almond milk brings it all together. Continue Reading →
Berry Chia Pudding Parfaits
There are currently a couple pretty trendy dishes to make from chia seeds- chia pudding and chia jam- and this is sort of a combination of the two. Along with some yogurt and a thick smoothie it makes for a very healthy parfait with a large range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Continue Reading →
Strawberry Power Balls
Power balls a.k.a. energy balls are exactly what they sound like- little nutrient-dense balls of food that provide a burst of power or energy. They are jam packed with a good balance of fats, protein and carbs to provide a boost during an afternoon energy slump or to fuel or refuel before or after a workout. Continue Reading →
Peanut Butter Banana Fig Smoothie
Growing up, the only encounters I had with figs were the dried and processed versions in the Fig Newton’s my grandpa would try to pass off as “cookies”. Then, despite the misgivings inspired by how gross I thought they were, I finally tried them fresh and unadulterated when I was visiting family in New Zealand. They ripened on the tree in the yard and were like precious jewels that magically appeared on the kitchen counter every so often. That’s where I fell in love with these fruits- warm, squishy and incredibly sweet- almost too decadently sweet to pass as fruits. Now, whenever I have them I’m taken back to lounging by the pool with the soft breeze coming in from the ocean and the sun warming my skin amid the laughter of loved ones. Continue Reading →
Bacon Yam Waffles with Corn Salsa
There are so many different ingredients that can be put into a waffle maker and be transformed into fluffy waffles with lightly crisped edges. This version uses mashed yams as the main ingredient (potatoes would work too) and they are held together with eggs and flavoured with onions, chili powder and fresh thyme. Bacon is an optional addition- when chopped into tiny pieces it folds in well to the yam mixture and offers a rich, smoky, meaty touch in every bite. Continue Reading →
Banana French Toast
French toast is technically not that French and it existed well before France was even a country. Bread has long been a staple food for many cultures since the shift to agrarian societies and it was discovered that soaking stale bread in milk (and also often eggs) then frying it extended its shelf life- making it edible past its prime. Our first written record of the dish was in a cookbook credited to Apicius, all the way back in 4th century Rome. With the right bread it can be a good, healthy base to build a breakfast plate off of. Continue Reading →