Granola is one of the easiest things to make and just a little bit goes a long way to dress up a bowl of oatmeal or plain yogurt. Artisan granola is quite expensive but if you buy the ingredients in bulk it can be a very cost effective homemade endeavor. The stars of this particular granola are walnuts and cranberries. Continue Reading →
Pirate Chicken
Jerk sauce is about as flavorful as you can get, it has lots of spice and warming herbs like allspice and mace, along with coconuts and rum it is a hallmark of the Caribbean. It hails from Jamaica and compliments any type of poultry or meat very well, my favorite brand is Auntie Bev’s because it is delicious and has only good quality and real ingredients. Plus it is made by a local Vancouverite and it’s widely available. For more embarassingly Caucasian palates like myself it is best to start with a little bit so that the spicyness isn’t too overwhelming. I like to add some coconut milk in because it makes a really creamy sauce and helps to cool down the spice a little. I also add in broth to the sauce and cook it for awhile so that it boils down and thickens up to a rich gravy. Continue Reading →
Breakfast Tacos
Breakfast tacos are an easy, healthy and versatile option for anyone trying to cut down on their sugar consumption (even gourmet granola and other standard breakfast health foods can be full of added sugars). They are also a way to appeal to the crowd if you have a bunch of people with different tastes and appetites to feed. Generally, around 2 to 3 tacos per person is enough and the options are limitless. Continue Reading →
Salmon with Noodles and Zoodles
This is a very clean, light and healthy dish with every ingredient being high in cleansing or nourishing ingredients. I really like to mix long noodles with thinly cut vegetables, the dish is still hearty but full of extra vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Generally we think of salad as being a good way to lighten up our diets, and while that is true we benefit from more grounding, warmer foods in the winter. Adding the vegetables to the noodles after they are cooked but still warm is one of my tricks for getting lightly cooked vegetables. If they are overcooked or boiled in water they start losing nutrients and if they are sautéed or roasted then extra butter or oil is needed. This does what steaming does (without having to get an extra pot out)- it ensures that the vegetables are maintaining their nutrients but the light cooking makes them easier to digest and more appealing and comforting in this frigid weather. Continue Reading →
Poached Eggs on Avocado Toast
Avocado on toast has become quite a food celebrity, endorsed by human celebrities and healthy foodies far and wide. If you are not yet on the bandwagon I suggest you give this a try, and if you’ve “been there, done that” it can be brand new again with some additional toppings. Continue Reading →
Homemade Ferrero Rocher
One of my brother’s favorite treats is Ferrero Rocher so I wanted to try making a homemade version with clean and simple ingredients. He has a major sweet tooth so I wanted to make sure these fulfilled that but could also sneak some nutrients into him. I said to use dark chocolate in the recipe below because it’s a bit healthier and I made a couple for myself with it and they turned out well. For the majority of them I used milk chocolate instead because it makes them taste more like actual Ferrero Rochers and my brother doesn’t like dark chocolate, I have to accept that I have to take baby steps with him (last time I saw him make himself lunch it was a white bread sandwich with Nutella and three Oreos on the side)- so that is an option for pickier eaters. Continue Reading →
Fresh Yam Spring Rolls
If you think that fresh, non-deep fried spring rolls look kind of gross and potentially slimy, I get you. I have watched friends snack on these for years without any desire to try them myself, even though they are a very versatile way to eat more vegetables and use up scraps and leftovers. Then, the other day in the grocery store I saw the wrappers and had an uncontrollable urge to try them. Since there is pretty much no healthy food that I don’t like I realized my affront to these is probably unwarranted. Well, they turned out to be ever better than I expected! Continue Reading →
Maple Walnut Crusted Salmon
Walnuts and salmon are both individually famous for their high levels of omega-3 fatty acids but go quite nicely together. There are three types of omega-3s, the first two known as DHA and EPA are both in salmon (and in other cold water fish) and the third type called ALA is in walnuts (and other plant sources like seeds). Some of the omega-3s’ most valuable contributions to our bodies are the anti-inflammatory, healing effect they have on our cells, their ability to lower blood lipid (fat) levels and their ability to increase HDL cholesterol, which is the good type that benefits us. Continue Reading →
Cranberry Pumpkin Banana Bread Cookies
These cookies are lightly crisped on the outside but moist and gooey on the inside- just like banana bread. One of the main things I strive for in the kitchen is to get more vegetables and fruits into whatever I make. It is much more enjoyable than eating massive salads all the time and gives any dish significantly more vitamins and minerals. These cookies get a major health boost from apples, bananas, pumpkin and cranberries. Continue Reading →
Pumpkin Overnight Oats
On cold frigid mornings there are few things I would rather eat than a nourishing bowl of oatmeal. They are very filling and easy on our bodies, with a soothing effect on our digestive systems. Continue Reading →