Fully Nourished

I've Moved!!

2009-09-19T18:48:00.002-04:00

If you are looking for some of my delicious posts...you need to go to www.fullynourished.ca from now on!

Thanks for your support!

Spaghetti and Meatballs - Uncooked!

2009-09-04T10:29:00.003-04:00

How do you not cook spaghetti and meatballs? Well if it is all raw ingredients, no cooking is required! It is nice to know that you can please your palate with old time classic meals that are typically full of unnecessary calories and ingredients that may not agree with your digestive system or your nutrition mentality anymore. So fear not, there are ways around this. I know for instance my Dad's all time favourite meal was Spaghetti and Meatballs and now he can't sit down and enjoy it the same way. The wheat in the spaghetti noodles makes him bloated, he is not one for red meat anymore and the dairy (from Parmesan cheese) does not agree with him. So this is the perfect opportunity for me to jump in and create something innovative, healthy and satisfying.
Since consuming raw foods has amazing health benefits and I am on a bit of a raw kick myself, I figured I would experiment. So for my spaghetti noodles, I opted to use Kelp Noodles. These are noodles made from a seaweed called Kelp - but they do not taste like seaweed at all! Kelp noodles are pretty much odorless, tasteless and have no calories and the virtually take on any flavour that you marinate them in. They are also so simple to prepare as all they require is a bit of water to soak in for a few minutes or hours. If you want to soften them a bit, add a touch of lemon juice or vinegar to the water.

For a Marinara sauce - I concocted a blend of:
1-2 cups of "fresh from my garden: tomatoes (both cherry and regular)
1/4 cup olive oil,
2 cloves garlic
1-2 dates
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
handful of fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
sea salt and pepper

Whirled that all up in my vitamix and there I had a sauce, all ready to go. If I left it in long enough it would have been warm!

Now as for the "meatballs", here is where I got a bit creative. In a food processor I added:
1 cup soaked almond
1 cup soaked walnuts
2 stalks of celery
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
5 mini onions or 1 leek
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water

Smooth together until you get a thick paste and roll into balls and place in a food dehydrator for 12 hours or in your oven on a low temp - (as low as it will go) for 1-2 hours. But keep an eye on them!

Then top it off, I added some marinated kale and broccoli which I just tossed with some olive oil and sea salt and added to the dehydrator for about an hour to soften up.

Oh and if you needed a little "cheesiness" on top - because what is pasta without cheese, then I would add some crunched up pinenuts, cashews or hemp seeds tossed with some sea salt and lemon juice for a zesty topping!

Now if that isn't a hearty, satisfying and health prmoting bowl of Spaghetti and Meatballs, then I don't know what is!

The BEST night EVER!

2009-08-31T10:44:00.003-04:00

These are the wise words of David Wolfe - a renown guru in the world of raw foods. I had the opportunity last night to go and see him speak in Orangeville Ontario. Even though he racaps on so much of what I know - he always has a way of taking nutrition to a whole other level beyond most people's consciousness.
The emphasis last night was on Superfoods. This term has been coined to emphasize food from nature which has superior health benefits. The best part is that these foods are so widely available to us - literally they are all around us in nature. Unfortunately most people don't even know what true superfoods are or better yet what they can do for our body, our mind and of course our health. Superfoods are foods that have unique properties that have the ability to nourish our body in more than one way. For instance on single food item (such as goji berries) may contain not only protein, but also immune properties, antioxidants and trace minerals. So in one single tiny berry you are getting an array of health benefits. Other superfoods - according to David Wolfe include Cacao (yes this is chocolate), maca, bee products, blue green algae, marine phytoplankton, aloe vera, hemp seed and coconuts.
So last night I went with a friend to watch and be inspired by David Wolfe's magnetic energy about superfoods. You can't help but feel his buzz and become pumped about all the benefits that these foods have to offer. Before I had arrived at the lecture, I was feeling a little tired from the long day I had, luckily there was a chocolate elixir available for me to drink and this perked me right up and made me feel amazing. I mean, who wouldn't want to drink a cup full of chocolate goodness? I am talking about chocolate in it's purest sense- no dairy and no unnatural sugars, only filled with herbal extracts and other super healthy goodies. This was followed by a slice of heavenly cheesecake made from cashews and coconut butter...I was in heaven!

David Wolfe with a Bag of Goji Berries on his head! - sorry for the poor quality pictures, I only had my phone available!

Since I already have been including superfoods in my diet for a long time - I thought I would share my favourite super smoothie recipe with you!

Chocolaty Super Food Smoothie!

1-2 cups almond milk
1-2 scoops of sunwarrior chocolate rice protein powder
2 tablespoons goji berries
1 tablespoon raw cacao or cacao nibs
1 tablespoon hempseeds
1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter
1 frozen banana
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp cinnamon

Place all ingredients in blender or vita-mix and blend until smooth and creamy!
Enjoy!!

Organic Doggie Muffins

2009-08-20T15:20:00.010-04:00

Yes, I make my dog super-powered organic, gluten free muffins. They are made from a base mix of- organic milled whole brown rice, organic whole chickpeas, organic whole quinoa, calcium, carob, 100% pure alfalfa, acadian sea kelp, oregano, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, ginger and garlic. This is a pre-made mix from Canine Life, a company that specializes in whole foods for dogs. They are an amazing company because they will cater to dogs that have ailments from food allergies, to skin disorders, cancer and arthritis. Dogs can suffer from the same things as humans and this can be a result of their diet, their environment or a genetic predisposition. Pet owners who take pride in their pets health will understand that they only want to feed their dog the best quality food. Why would you give your dog any less quality than you would give yourself? Why would you want to give your dog food that has no nutrients and is sometimes full of preservatives, chemicals and dead remnants of other animals that were not raised organically?

If you want to see your dog thrive and live a long healthy life - make sure to feed him or her the best quality organic foods. There are actually some great dried food mixes on the market that are made from 100% organic ingredients - so look out for them or ask at your local pet food store.
Or if you really want to take control and responsibility for your pet's diet - you can go the length and make them muffins!

Here is the recipe I make for my dog Casey

Casey's Organic Muffins

5 cups of Canine Life - gluten free flour mix
1 organic red apple, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
1 large handful of green beans, chopped
1 lb. organic ground chicken
1 organic egg
1/2 cup organic sunflower oil
1-2 cups filtered water
1 cup blueberries

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Stir well to combine everything.
3. Place in muffin tray and bake for 20-30 minutes until they have hardened up.
4. Take one muffin out to let it cool and give to your dog right away - because he will have been hovering around the oven for the last half hour licking his lips!

The Nourished Traveler

2009-08-09T15:46:00.011-04:00

It is so important to make sure you nourished when you are away. That may mean that you have to pack a yourself a whole bunch of goodies to take with you on the go just in case! It really is the worst thing when you are away somewhere with no access to healthy food. If you choose not to bring your own food for whatever reason, then it is important to make use of the internet and source out some of the healthy, vegetarian and organic restaurants and stores that may be nearby. There are some great resources for you to use like Happy Cow which is an amazing site with listings of health centered and vegetarian restaurants and health food stores located all over the world. I have used this resources many a time - in London, New York, Los Angeles, Florida, Vancouver - you name it!

After just coming back from vacation to Scottsdale Arizona, a common landing spot for the Wasserman family - I was more impressed this time than ever before. I have been travelling here with my family for years. The first few years - most meals were centered around your standard American chain restaurants ( Cheesecake Factory, Houston's, P.F Changs) as the years passed and as my palate became more refined (and discriminating) I have had a yearning for more sophisticated and health based options - which Arizona clearly lacked. Luckily we have a "place" ( or a second home) down there and I have the ability now to stock up on my favourite groceries from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's which usually takes care of breakfast and lunches for me but often dinner is out at a restaurant and now finally I had places to go! So after much research online and just merely keeping my eyes open my family and I have now found more places to eat here than I have ever imagined. An amazing restaurant called True Food Kitchen - has become a new favourite. It is a restaurant built on the foundation Dr. Andrew Weil's anti-inflammatory diet. "The dishes feature whole grains, omega-3 rich fish, organic fruits and vegetables, whole soy products and anti-inflammatory herbs and spices such as ginger and turmeric. The result: food that is delicious, satisfying, healthy and environmentally responsible." This makes me so happy and of course fully nourished! Then there were some other hidden gems along the way like Pizza Fusion a happy eco organic pizza place that has gluten free crust and goat cheese! So as you can see I was very well nourished while I was away!

So here are some quick tips to make sure you can be just as successful on your next vacation!

Things to bring with just in case you have limited resources:

- quick grab goodies like healthy snack bars (lara bars, pure bar etc..) trail mixes (raisins, almonds, goji berries, walnuts)
- organic whole grain crackers or spelt flatbread
- organic dark chocolate bar
- a loaf of spelt or kamut bread or gluten free bread or rice cakes
- a jar of almond butter or now you can get them in little squeeze packs
- dried fruit (mango, apple, pear slices)
- seaweed (nori, dulse)
- rolled oats so that you can make them anywhere ( you may want to bring some cinnamon too!)
- a bag or box of spelt, kamut or brown ricepasta (this can really come in handy)
*** For the record - if you know you are going to be somewhere where you don't have many options on the menu and you have the guts to do so, bring in your own pasta - ask the head chef to make it for you and just add some tomato sauce or olive oil, order some steamed veggies and voila you have your very own healthy pasta dish! ( I did this while in Scottsdale, at a family dinner at a hotel - the only options for me were cheese layered lasagna or white pasta with tomato sauce - neither would satisfy - so I worked a little magic and instead of sitting there starving - I had an amazing dinner!)

Or if you are in big city (Vancouver, Montreal, New York, L.A, Chicago, Miami) be sure to:

- check out web resources such as happy cow or you may find a local website that has listing of local restaurants
- go to any health food store (such as whole foods) and ask if they can recommend restaurants
- find areas in the city that cater to a healthy living lifestyle and you can ask there - also any yoga studio or spa may have some ideas for you

Don't be afraid to nourish yourself and ask questions as you may discover some amazing organic and friendly places where the food is delicious!

If you have any suggestions or other resources to share all readers please leave a comment below!

Bringing You Back To Life - An Amazing Weekend RE-Treat!

2009-07-30T16:05:00.006-04:00

Have you ever just wanted to get away for a weekend to reconnect, rejuvenate and re-energize your whole being? Who doesn't? We often don't get the opportunity to take a mini vacation and escape to nature and explore what really matters in our life. We get so caught up in our busy day to day lives and don't take enough time for ourselves. Well I if I told you that I had an opportunity for you to break away for a weekend mini vacation- to restore your body and your mind - would you do it? ...I hope so!

Here's what I got - I am part of an amazing group of people -organized through Evergreen Adventures and together we are creating a healthy living weekend just for you. A weekend where you can connect with nature and participate in a whole range of activities that are geared towards rejuvenating and rewarding yourself, by bringing your soul back to life!

Can you think of a better way to spend 3 days at the end of the summer? This is for everyone and anyone who is interested experiencing a relaxing weekend that will guide you towards a path of healthy living!

This amazing weekend starts on Friday August 28- Sunday August 30th 2009

And this weekend includes...

4 yoga classes (active hatha and vinyasa flow)
2 interactive healthy living cooking classes (taught by me!)
lessons in canoeing and kayaking
tea tasting and so much more...

So come and experience the 150 acres beautiful waterfront Muskoka property and stay in our 5000 square foot lodge for a weekend of relaxation, fun, and worthwhile activities.

If you are interested in participating in the amazing weekend please click here or call 416.843.6421 or email info@evergreenadventures.ca as spots are filling up fast!

Better than Timbits!

2009-07-21T16:18:00.013-04:00

Of course these are better than timbits, because timbits are not even food. So really there is no comparison.(For those of you that don't live in Canada - Timbits are donut holes!) I really should have titled this post "GREAT Balls of Bliss" - because the second you let one of these little gems break apart and melt into your mouth, there is no turning back-you are in bliss. But don't have too many or you will be left with a tummy ache. Each little ball is so power packed full of nutrition - that you only need one or two to satisfy that sweet tooth or give you that much needed burst of energy. Just in case you didn't know, timbits or donuts only do the opposite - they make you tired and sluggish - not to mention there isn't one useful calorie in a donut. As they are filled with empty calories - meaning they contain refined white flour and white sugar and usually some low quality oils. Just for the record each "Bliss" ball is loaded with calcium, protein, fibre, iron, b vitamins, healthy fats and give you long lasting energy and make you feel great! So why not make something that looks just like it, is better for you and has a taste that is out of this world? Really there is not reason not to!

These little guys are so easy to make that all you need a food processor and some basic ingredients. What is also so much fun about making these, is that they are simple and they are not baked or heated. You can also sub in other ingredients and get creative every time you make them. If you or your child has nut allergies, you can use a seed based butter instead of almond butter or just just use pureed dates or figs. You also have the option of putting in all kinds of super foods like goji berries, spirulina powder, raw cacao etc... or you can just keep it to the basics like I did.

Chocolate Coconut-Almond Bliss Balls

3/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1 cup coconut flakes

Procedure:

1. Add nut butter, tahini, and maple syrup to a bowl or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add sesame seeds, cocoa powder, oat bran and quinoa flakes and blend until mixture becomes like dough.
3. Scrape down sides of food processor as necessary. Spread coconut on a plate.
4. Rolled mixture into 1-inch balls and rolls in shredded coconut.
5. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Get Composted

2009-07-21T16:18:00.012-04:00

In the "not so" lovely land of Toronto these days...garbage is piling up, garbage is piling up high! Because nothing is being picked up. Our garbage is accumulating and our recycling is accumulating and we have so much food waste that we don't know what to do with. But I do have one small solution, there is one small thing that you can do to make some head way and get some things accomplished - START COMPOSTING! It is up to you to make a small difference - even if it is just for you and your family. This could then extend to your neighbors or other surrounding communities. Whether you can find a local resource to take your compost to or you can build or buy your own, that is the best way to get rid of some of this excess food waste. Not only that, but you will have some amazing fertilizer for your garden next season. Based on a previous post Garden of Eatin', I encouraged my readers to get started with a simple garden in their back or front yard.

So to build a compost - whether you have the luxury of a loved one in your family to build one for you :) or have to hire out help from a reliable resource, it is well worth your while - especially in this desperate and "smelly" time of need! Whether it is piling up in your backyard or down your street it has got to be decomposing somewhere and it may as well be on your own property! If you are using organic produce - which I hope you are if you are a reader of my blog then you know that I encourage you to buy only the best quality organic ingredients (especially fruits and veggies ) and in that case you will have the best quality- high nutrient soil that you garden will just soak up! When these ingredients break down...you will be on your way to some good sourced organic and high nutrient fertilizer.

Here are some tips on how to get started....
1. Location - select a level area for your bin with good water drainage. (partially shaded is best, and keep away from walls and fences, bushes, plants and openings of your home).
2. Before you place your bin on the ground, loosen the soil so it is sitting in teh dirt.
3. Once your bin is in place, put a layer of dead plants.
4. 3 STEP SYSTEM: a) Materials (use equal parts of Green and Brown Materials)- see below. Start with browns first, then add a layer of greens. Top greens with layer of soil or finished with compost. b) Moisture: keep your pile as damp as possible c) Air: add air to you pile every 2-3 weeks. Poke holes through the pile with a garden fork.

What to compost:

GREENS
- grass clippings, flowers, green plant trimmings and newly fallen leaves
-fruit and vegetable peelings
-coffee, tea or fruit or vegetable juice
-grain or pasta products (no sauces or butter)

BROWNS
-dried grass clipping and dried leaves
-small amounts of woodchips
-dryer lint
-thin layers of hardwood ash and sawdust
-straw

What NOT to Compost:

-dairy products
-peanut butter or oil based products
-fish, meat, bones, fat
-bbq charcoal or ash
-diseased or infested plants
-weeds with mature seeds
-treated wood products
-animal or human waste

I hope this gives you some insight and inspiration to get COMPOSTING!!

Stirring Things Up!

2009-07-20T21:29:00.004-04:00

It's always good to stir things up every now and then. Whether it is in a salad bowl, a pot of soup, a blender or a wok - it is easy to make a nutritious meal out of a combination of great ingredients. As simple as it is to make a stir fry, I find that often people are very intimidated to "stir" things up in their own kitchen. I often get asked by my clients or participants at workshops and even in my cooking classes - "what do I put into a stir fry? how many veggies can I use? what type of protein should I use? how do I make a "healthy" Teriyaki sauce?" These are all great questions, but it is much easier than people think to make a great stir-fry. I just tell people to just get creative and have fun! What you need to get started is a wok or a large stainless steel pan. I use Titanium cookware for my pots, pans and woks- they are great quality, conduct the best heat, non coated and rarely get burned or have stuff stuck to them - so in essence perfect for a stir fry! Once you have that all set, get your stove top turned up to high heat, throw a little grapeseed oil or coconut oil in the pan (two great oils for high heat cooking) and start stirring. You need to be quick, small movements, always keep the veggies moving. Don't ever let them stay in one spot for too long. You want to cook them, but just a little - a really good stir fry will have crisp, tender and colourful veggies - that are just lightly cooked. There is nothing worse then a wilted brown, dark and soggy stir fry!
What I love about making stir fry's - is that you can get as creative as you want and just throw anything in there. You can make a different combination every time! So there really should be no stress about choosing the right vegetables. For starters it is always good to have some onions, celery and carrots, they provide a great base. Then go crazy with anything like kale, broccoli, bok choy, peppers, bean sprouts, snap peas, green beans to zucchini and even eggplant. For my delicious bowl of goodness (photo above) this week I grabbed a whole bunch of fresh veggies from my garden (kale, carrots, broccoli, snap peas) added some purple cabbage and combined them with marinated Tempeh, Spelt/Buckwheat Soba Noodles and a simple "Teriyaki" sauce (you can just make some extra sauce and use that to marinate the tempeh).
Then I topped it with homemade sprouted mung beans. This just added a little extra boost of protein and raw enzymes to my meal to keep it fresh, light and crunchy!

So next time you want to stir things up, don't be afraid! Grab some veggies, cook up some buckwheat noodles or brown rice, top it with marinated tempeh (or tofu, organic chicken, wild fish) for a change, and you will have yourself a nutritious and satisfying dinner!

Simple Teriyaki Sauce:

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger
juice of one orange
1-2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup

StreEats of New York!

2009-07-10T10:16:00.021-04:00

I have to admit, the variety of amazing healthy, organic and vegan food in new york it out of this world. Whether you want to dine in style or dine casually, are there a number of options (especially for vegetarians, vegans and raw foodies!).
So I was in New York for a fabulously beautiful 4th of July weekend. The weather was perfect and I got to visit and stay with a great friend from the culinary school I went to last year - The Natural Gourmet. I literally took advantage of the weekend and lived it up with some really good food.
It all started with an amazing lunch at One Lucky Duck- an incredible little vegan cafe that has the best salads, smoothies, juices and tasty desserts. It is the takeout and more casually version of the restaurant Pure Food and Wine which I will get to later in this post. I had the most amazing salad, filled with greens, hemp seeds, avocado and their amazing rosemary almond crackers and sweet miso dressing. I also ordered their amazing lemonade (ginger+lemon+agave and sea salt)

Then we took a walk down to the east village for some much anticipating vegan "ice cream". This little place called STOGO has it all! A variety of different flavours and toppings- all vegan - Yup that means no dairy, sugar or other hidden junk like artificial binders, food colouring and hydrogenated fats!
I ordered simple for my first trip there, as I really just wanted to taste the pureness of the ice cream - so I landed with coconut- chocolate and my friend has coconut vanilla bean! They were both amazing! If you live in NY or are going there soon, please drop by and have a treat!

We were a little unsure of what to have for dinner that night because we saw an off-Broadway show around dinner time Fuerza Bruta (crazy!). So we opted for late meal.Which generally I don't like to do, but when on vacation in New York - you've got to give somewhere! We landed at this little place called Hummus Kitchen - where they make hummus from organic chickpeas. It really was the best Hummus in NYC!! Now because I don't eat wheat - that means no white or whole wheat pita bread - I went to Whole Foods beforehand and grabbed a bag of spelt wraps. (Yes I bring my own food into restaurants!) That way I can enjoy the whole meal!!

So on Saturday July 4th - we headed to Brooklyn. Didn't really spend too much time there back when I lived in New York - so it was nice to go back. It is like Manhatten but simpler, more spread out and there is some green there- meaning lots of trees! (Actually they are also very GREEN as well, lots of amazing little eco shops!)
So we went to this little veg place in Brooklyn called the V Spot - and I had the most delicious open faced corn tortilla with black beans, kale and avocado! It was soo good and so simple! I have got to make these more often at home!

For dinner, I had the extreme pleasure of being invited over to one of my chef teachers from the natural gourmet's home. I have to say that we cooked up a meal (more like a feast) that was better than anything you would find at any vegetarian restaurant! Herb infused red quinoa, roasted yams, braised tempeh, sauteed rainbow chard and asparagus and a local greens salad with a homemade lemon vanilla vinaigrette and a peach berry crumble for dessert with coconut "ice cream"! Again, so simple and so delicious!

The next morning we were still so full - from the meal that all we could handle for breakfast was a giant green juice! Lunch, we ate in central park - just packed up a couple of spelt wraps filled with hummus, veggies and sprouts and we were good to go!
Now dinner was the absolute highlight of the trip. We dined at Pure Food and Wine where I not only did a one month internship following the chef training progam at NGI, but it is also the sexiest, most delicious raw vegan food you will ever eat. The plates are gorgeous, the portions are good and they are extremely creative! For an appetizer we had king oyster mushrooms topped with cashew cheese and black garlic with baby greens. The main courses looked so good at first glance-that I only noticed after the meal, that I forgot to take pictures!
One always knows to save room at Pure Food as their desserts are truly like no other. They have the absolute best "ice cream" made from cashew milk. It is so creamy and rich, that I promise you wouldn't notice a difference. The only difference you would notice is that your stomach isn't gurgling and that there isn't a sugary/milky coating left in your mouth!
I had my all time favourite - the chocolate chip mint sundae and my friend had an Indian spiced sampler plate!

As you can see, I ate very well in New York. It is hard not to with so many amazing restaurants. Even on my last day there, I spoiled myself all over again and went to Quintessence, back to Stogo, back to One Lucky Duck and then to the Union Square green market to take home some goodies!
So if you haven't been to New York yet, I encourage you to go, get some culinary inspiration or at least just infuse your palate with some originality and unique tastes. For me it is a treat, it just makes me that much more eager to create some new innovative dishes!
So get out there and hit those streEATS of New York and treat yourself!!

Improve Peach Berry Crisp!

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

2 peaches
2 nectarines
1/2 cup each blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries
2 tbsp lemon juice
cinnamon

1. mix topping ingredients in a bowl, set aside
2. slice up the peaches and nectarines and toss in a bowl with berries, lemon juice and cinnamon
3. place the fruit in a large baking dish, top with oat crumble - until evenly distributed
4. bake at 350 F for about an hour

Serve with vanilla coconut ice cream!

Garden of Eatin'

2009-06-27T14:19:00.008-04:00

There really is nothing better than produce shopping in your own backyard!

I have always been able to maintain a simple garden consisting of tomatoes, cucumbers, kale and green beans. By maintain, I mean drop the seeds and hope for the best! This year I decided to take it to the next level. Because I have a the farthest thing from a green thumb, I had to hire in help for this task, an organic farmer. He came at the beginning of the season to get my soil turned over with organic goodness and now he comes by to plant things in their proper places - because now I know there is a proper place for every little seedling and they can't just go anywhere.

I am also learning that there is a timeline involved with everything, and that all things will grow in cycles. I am also learning that little critters, bugs and animals like to feast on my organic buffet in the backyard - I guess it's because it all just tastes so good! But honestly it's not fair that they get to dive in before I do - and they usually eat the best parts! But there are ways around this - like building a mesh mini green house to keep the animals away. As for the little critters, cayenne pepper in a water bottle seems to help a bit. However, I am open to more suggestions, if you know of some other ways I can get the bugs off my chard, kale and lettuce - please let me know and leave a comment!!

So far this season I have been seduced with radishes, spinach and some other greens (which I am going to have all season) this includes everything from salad greens to kale, chard, collards, broccoli and arugula. I also have some berry bushes planted that will yield strawberries, blueberries, cranberries and blackberries. In the later part of the summer I will have carrots, beets, fennel onions - I will take more pictures at that time. I also have a beautiful little box of fresh herbs like oregano, lavender, sage, thyme and rosemary.

So if you are considering having your own garden please go through with it, hire some help or at the very least just get some seeds or herb plants and plant them yourself. You can usually get a hold of this stuff at your local farmers market. There is nothing better than walking out to your own "garden of eatin' and picking your own produce.

Having my own organic garden has made my weekly produce shopping extremely easy. It also provides me with enough veggies for my morning juice - without any worry that I am running out of greens. But the best part is that I get to use some of this wonderful organic and very local produce in my cooking classes. The participants really enjoy this as there is nothing better than eating salad that is picked that same day. If you want to experience this, then you are just going to have to come to a class to find out!

Veggie Delight Salad:

2-3 handfuls fresh arugula, baby greens or spinach
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
1/4 of a beet, shredded
2 tablespoons hemp seeds

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil or Vega's EFA Oil Blend
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 heaping tablespoon dijon mustard
fresh herbs
salt and pepper to taste

Frustrated, Depressed and Angry...But Inspired To Make a Change!

2009-06-16T18:12:00.010-04:00

Well I am pretty much on that path already...to make a change that is. The focus of my business and my whole philosophy is stemmed around wholesome and organic foods. Not only the foods themselves but the impact that these foods have on our everyday health and well being. So to reinforce my immense passion for food, I went to go see an advanced screening of FOOD INC. last night. I was invited to join Lisa Borden of Borden Communications to view this life changing film about the industry of food. You will also have a chance to go and see it this Friday June 19th in select theaters around Toronto.

I was all excited and expecting to run into some other nutrition junkies and other health focused/ like minded people- but instead I was shocked to see that the theater was filled with people who most likely didn't know anything about the film - which was actually a good thing in the end. I was even more shocked at the fact that more than 80% of these individuals were stocked up on bags full of popcorn of the worst kind (made with genetically modified corn, loaded with hydrogenated oils and butter and low quality salt), liquid sugared sodas and candy. Well maybe I am not that shocked, as this is common. People go to the movies and order popcorn...right?
Well if we were to look that majority of people, whether it is in Toronto or North America for that matter - this is the mainstream, and these are the individuals who need to make these changes and understand where their packaged, processed and fast food is actually coming from. For that reason alone it should not have been a theater full of people like me who are already converted and sold on the power and healing potential of whole foods!

So of course, I felt sorry for anyone who was snacking on popcorn and candy during the movie - as they would have learned very quickly where their buttery kernels actually came from and that High Fructose Corn Syrup was the basis of their coca-cola and junior mints. This extracted and concentrated syrup made from corn as you will learn from the film leads to all kinds problems like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

On a more positive note, I truly hope that these individuals where awakened, enlightened or at least ready to make some changes in their daily food choices. Honestly after seeing this film I don't know how you couldn't. Whether you are an omnivore, vegetarian or vegan. There is something for everyone to learn.

Even though I consider myself fairly informed of most of the issues in the modern food industry, I have to say that I my eyes were even opened to some of the disturbing political issues around food and the meat industry. This of course left me frustrated, depressed and angry at all the information that was presented in this film.

To be honest though -all of this actually fueled my fire and confirmed my passion to continue to inspire individuals to make healthy choices around food. Through my ongoing workshops, seminars, cooking classes and of course my blog - I strive to educate people on how they can make changes everyday by simply making healthier and more natural food choices. These changes can be as simple as buying more organic fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy or adopting a more plant based diet and of course buying local, buying seasonal, or planting your own garden...as you will see, these are some of the tips at the end of the film! Go and find out for yourself what FOOD INC is all about. If you can't get to it...wait, as I will be hosting a screening and a discussion in the fall!

In the meantime you can TAKE PART and start to make a change!

Bring the Rainbow into Your Kitchen!

2009-06-11T23:00:00.009-04:00

How does one bring a Rainbow into their kitchen you ask - all you need is a wide variety of colourful fruits and vegetables - and there you have it - a rainbow in your kitchen!

This week's "Taste the Rainbow" cooking class was themed around the colourful veggies. I couldn't help but inspire others to learn how to make meals that are bursting full of vibrant colour and of course delicious flavours - as this is how I eat on daily basis.
We made so many colourfully healthy recipes that even a child who believes that the only rainbow in your kitchen comes from a box of lucky charms - would have been impressed!

The good news is that with colourful foods - from nature and not a box - you are not only getting something that is beautiful on your plate - but you are loading your body up full of antioxidants, vitamins and essential minerals. In each colour category: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple - you are providing your body with separate and very different elements of something called phytochemicals. These little guys help to protect us from diseases and keep our immune system strong. So make sure to EAT YOUR COLOURS!

Some highLIGHTS on the menu in last nights class included- mango rice paper wraps, cabbage, carrot, beet slaw, sauteed swiss chard, wild rice with oranges and cranberries and a wild blueberry tart (with a gluten free crust of course!)

So tonight - to keep up with the rainbow theme my good friend came over a for a night of creation. We do this every once in a while - get together and cook up a storm of delicious and of course colourful recipes. Just because it was rainy outside didn't mean that we had to settle for anything less than a delicious meal - even without the sunshine we brought a rainbow into the kitchen. In fact we even called our meal the "veggie-Q" our version of a typical BBQ - rain or shine the rainbow was on our plates!

Since the slaw salad was such a hit last night - I really wanted to make it again - and what is a "veggie- Q" without a good slaw salad? Of course there had to be burgers and fries thrown into the mix - so we made flax - almond burgers, served in a collard wrap with a pesto made from fresh basil and arugula from my garden, and yam "fries" baked in the oven on a low temp with coconut oil, pumpkin seeds, garlic and oregano (Inspired by Brenden Brazier's Thrive Diet).
For a sweet and colourful ending to this meal, what better than a bowl of ice cream - yup you got it - vegan creamy goodness made from coconut milk, banana's and mango and topped with sprouted buckwheat, blueberry compote and cacao nibs - can you say YUM!!!

Once again - I leave it to you to get creative and have fun. There are a whole slew of colourful veggies out there - take advantage of them, have some fun and bring the rainbow into your kitchen this summer with this colourful recipe!

Carrot, Cabbage and Beet Slaw

Ingredients:

1 savoy or nappa cabbage, shredded
2 ½ cups grated beet (approx. 2 beets)
2 cups grated carrots (approx. 4 carrots)
1 fennel (optional)
1 green apple (optional)
5 Radishes (optional)
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1/3- ¼ cup agave syrup
1 ½ Tbs. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

Procedure:

1. Shred beets and carrots (fennel and apple) using a food processor
2. Chop cabbage into long shreds or shred in food processor.
3. Mix the dressing and toss over cabbage mixture and let it sit and marinate for 1 hour before serving.

Revived and Alive!

2009-06-04T22:13:00.009-04:00

So it's after 10 pm...and I should be settling down, getting ready for bed - but I can't. Not because I am stressed, not because I have so much to do, but because I am fueled full of living and raw foods - as I just finished (not more than a half hour ago) my Raw and Ripe Cooking Class (although no "cooking" actually took place).
Since it was a Raw class, we just prepared all the meals. Delicious meals created from recipes that are based on sprouted nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, spices, fresh herbs, sea vegetables, pressed oils and a few other little goodies like dates, sea salt, tamari, cider vinegar etc...
But the reason why I am so awake and feeling so alive right now...is because these foods are living. Living means they are full of enzymes. When you soak and sprout nuts and seeds, beans etc.. you are activating all of it's nutritive potential - so in your body it can't help but do the same thing! Also when you eat raw fruits and veggies which are also full of enzymes -your body has to do less work to break them down, leaving bundles of energy readily available. I have to admit, I also get a bit of an adrenaline rush after all of my classes - they are so much fun and there is always such great energy throughout my kitchen that I can't help but feel energized at the end of the night!

Okay enough rambling and back to raw foods...I am by no means " a raw foodie" or "100 % raw" in fact, I believe in a very balanced approach to food and raw food being a huge component! Especially this time of year, it is very easy to "prepare" most of my foods as opposed to cooking them. Eating a "gourmet" raw meal like we did tonight in the class - takes a bit more thought and planning than just a salad or smoothie but still easy enough that anyone can do it (even without fancy equipment).
However, once it's complete and you have created a whole raw meal from zucchini noodles, fennel, carrot and beet slaw, cold avocado cucumber-coconut soup, almond basil pesto and the list goes on you will be feeling really proud of yourself and not to mention revived and alive!

It is common for most people to feel intimidated when it comes to raw food, and raw food prep. But the focus of tonight's class was on how to make raw foods simple and a apart of your everyday life without too much time and effort. You can make anything from "pasta" made from zucchini noodles (in your food processor) with an almond pesto, to "pizza" made from sprouted (Ezekiel) crust with sun dried tomato paste and cashew ricotta cheese to, nori rolls to an apple pie that wasn't even baked!

Have a look!

Yes, this may require a tad of planning. But all in all, preparing raw food can be simple, delicious and energizing!

Try this for starters....

Sun Seed Nori Rolls

Ingredients

1 cup sunflower seeds soaked 10-12 hours
1 cup almonds soaked 10-12 hours
1 ½ tablespoons dill, fresh and minced
1 tablespoon oregano fresh and minced
1 teaspoon sage, fresh and minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon tamari
1 tablespoon kelp or dulse granules
½ tablespoon Celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup celery minced
1/3 cup red onion minced

Procedure:

Mix almonds and sunflower seeds, hand mix in remaining ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Serve by itself or wrapped in nori with veggies (cucumber, lettuce, carrots, sprouts) or with flatbread, raw crackers or on top of a salad!

Also have a look at some of these resources to read more about the benefits of Raw Food.
Raw Food Life
Raw Food Diet
Raw Food Research
Raw Food and Energy Gains
Raw Food vs. Cooked Food

Beans, Beans, good for your Bones!

2009-05-29T14:04:00.009-04:00

This may be surprising but it is true. Beans are a source of calcium! This is great news especially if you think that it is difficult to enough calcium in through your diet...well it is not. There are plenty of plant based sources of calcium that not only assimilate into the body much easier than animal sources (such as commercial dairy ) - but also have many other health promoting benefits.

So I used beans as the first example, because this was my lovely appetizer of my "Calci-Yum" cooking class last night. The theme was based around non-dairy sources of calcium that are supportive to your bones and long term health. I also wanted to highlight the cute little radish on top - because it was grown in my very own backyard organic garden - which is so very exciting.
My garden has yet to provide me with an array of wholesome organic veggies that will become the foundation of my cooking class recipes over the summer months - it doesn't get more local than that! So make sure to come to a cooking class, enjoy the recipes and check my garden out. (check back soon, as I will be writing about my organic garden in a few weeks!)

Okay, now back to calcium rich foods and recipes that were prepared last night. For starters calcium can be found in a slew of foods that usually would not come to mind for the average person. They are found in green veggies (tall dark leafy ones like: kale, collards, beet greens, chard, bok choy, spinach), nuts and seeds (almonds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, sesame and sunflower seeds), soy products like tempeh, miso and tofu (organic of course), carob powder, sea vegetables, tahini, avocados and quinoa. That is just a taste as these items were the foundation of the delicious menu last night, which included: Mixed Bean Salad, Arame Pomegranate Orange Salad, Steamed Greens with Scallion "Butter", Maple Marinated Tempeh, Roasted Root Veggies with Cinnamon Glaze, Red Quinoa with Broccoli and Pinenuts and Carob-Fig Frozen Fudge for dessert. Now that is what I call a healthy, calcium rich and balanced meal!

To top the night off, I had the wonderful distributors, Linda and Dale of Natural Calm (natural magnesium) attend my class last night. Which was the perfect compliment to the class. What good is calcium in the body without magnesium? Calcium absolutely needs magnesium to be assimilated into the body. For more information on the benefits of magnesium please read this page.

Learning about healthy plant sources of calcium and the power of magnesium and their natural abilities to protect, heal and support the body made for a wonderful, delicious and informative evening.

To complete this post, I will give you the recipe to make a nutritious bean salad of your own. This is a great recipes to have on hand for simple lunches, a great snack, a side dish for a dinner party or a morning brunch.

Zesty Three Bean Salad with Fresh Mint

Ingredients:

1 can each eden canned organic black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans (you can also soak and cook all of your beans)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½-1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ extra virgin olive oil
3 red radishes, small dice
3 scallions, minced
¼ cup parsley, minced
¼ cup fresh mint, minced

Procedure:

1. Rinse and drain beans in a colander until all the residue and foam is rinsed off.
2. Strain any excess water and pour beans into a large bowl.
4. Whisk together the next five ingredients and pour over beans.
5. Then toss together with radishes and fresh herbs.

What is means to be Alkaline

2009-05-21T18:28:00.010-04:00

Nowadays most people are concerned with their body's pH balance. I know at least four - and they all attended my "Acid-Alkaline Balance Cooking Class" last night. This is an extremely important measure of what is going on inside your body, from the size and flow of your blood cells to the quality of your skin and your digestion. This may sound extreme, but it is important for your body to find it's natural balance before a whole range of health problems and diseases creep their way into your life. The good news is, is that you have control over this. Enough control that it merely comes down to your daily diet and lifestyle choices. Of course there is the small percentage dedicated to your genes - but for the most part YOU ARE IN CONTROL!

A little background on pH:

Your body is measured on a scale of “potential hydrogen” or pH. When your pH level is low (1-6 on pH scale) your body is considered to be in an acidic state. When your pH levels are high (8-14 on pH scale) your body is considered to be more alkaline. In order to reach an optimum pH level that is considered "healthy" or neutral – you want your pH levels to be around 7.

What causes high acid levels:

- stress, tension
- poor sleep habits
- environmental toxins
- household chemicals and cleaners

- coffee
- alcohol
- red meat or a high protein diet
- refined
- dairy
- processed foods and refined carbohydrates
- eating to few fruits and vegetables

What does an acidic state lead to:

- low energy
- poor health
- weight gain
- toxicity
- osteoporosis
- bladder infections
- kidney stones
- lethargy
- colds/flu
- infections (weak immune system)
- poor skin, hair and nails
- poor concentration
- diabetes
- mood swings

Choosing an Alkaline based diet means:
- drinking more filtered water daily (have 1-2 glasses of lemon water every morning: 1 wedge of lemon squeezed into warm water)
- consuming more fruits and vegetables ( juices, smoothies, whole fruits and whole vegetables)
- drinking herbal teas
- eating a more plant based diet
- eating whole grains, raw nuts and seeds, cold pressed vegetable oils, avocados

What lifestyle habits can help:
- going to bed at a regular time
- eating breakfast everyday
- clearing your environment or your home of toxic chemicals
- taking deep breaths (belly breathing)
- having warm baths with Epsom salts and essential oils like lavender, mint, eucalyptus or lemon
- taking time to walk outside and enjoy nature
- taking time for yourself (journaling, reading, singing, yoga, pilates...whatever makes you happy!)

As you can see there are so many things that YOU can do to counteract high acid levels in your body. When it comes to diet especially, it is extremely important to make the right choices and choose foods that contribute to a more alkaline state (which means for the most part a plant based diet). That does not mean that you can't eat any foods that are considered acidic (even grains and nuts are considered to be acidic)- it just means that for the most part you should focus on consuming more raw or steamed green veggies, big colourful salads, fresh raw, ripe organic fruits, smoothies, juices etc...!

So here is a simple recipe to get you going!

Green Beans Almondine

Ingredients:

1 cup of water
1 cup almonds, chopped (and lightly toasted or raw)
2 lbs. organic green beans, ends trimmed, and strings removed
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp grapeseed or olive oil
1 Tablespoon Bragg’s or Tamari
1 T. toasted sesame oil

1. Place the green beans in a large steamer basket and steam for 3-5 minutes or until tender - but still crispy. Place under cool running water to halt the cooking and maintain a bright green colour. Transfer the steamed green beans to a large bowl.
2. Season the green beans to taste with salt and pepper, toss gently, and set aside.
3. In a non-stick skillet, warm the olive oil or grapeseed on medium heat and add the green beans and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the tamari and sesame oil.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir well to combine. Sprinkle the toasted or raw almonds over the green beans and toss well to thoroughly coat the beans with the mixture.

Become Your own Green Goddess!

2009-05-14T18:29:00.007-04:00

What does it mean to become a green goddess you ask...well let me tell you!

I had four lovely goddesses join in on my "GREEN GODDESS" cooking class last night. We teamed up and cooked up a storm of delicious and nutritious green dominant recipes. It was a great night, everyone learned about different greens and how to use them in simple and tasty recipes.

If you are not yet acquainted with the array of greens that exist, I am going to give you a bit of an introduction and some reasoning behind why consuming green veggies on a daily basis is absolutely crucial to your health and well being. That way you can also learn how to make delicious recipes and become a green goddess in the kitchen!

Here are some reasons why you need to consume greens everyday...

- Greens are cleansing, they are alkaline forming, purify your liver and aid in detoxification
- Greens regulate bowel movements and clean out the intestine and prevent constipation
- Greens provide good amounts of calcium, protein, magnesium, zinc and antioxidants that are essential to good health such as vitamin c, magnesium, folic acid and beta carotene
- Greens give you boundless amounts of energy – just try it! Start your day with a fresh pressed vegetable juice and you will see the amount of abundant energy you have for the rest of the day
- A healthy intake of green leafy vegetables reduces your cravings for sugar (and help to regulate blood sugar), fried foods and processed foods, coffee and alcohol
- Greens are and excellent source of fibre
- Greens remove toxins from the body and bloodstream and prevent diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer- greens are excellent to consume as part of cancer therapy and treatment!
- Greens strengthen the immune system for overall health

- Just remember that a meal isn’t a meal without a portion of greens, just make sure that you are getting in your daily dose

There are many ways to incorporate greens into your life and become your own Green Goddess- I have even mentioned a few options before in previous blog posts - such as juicing or masking them in smoothies (for the fussy ones)!
Otherwise- a simple salad will do - but make sure to use dark greens such as arugula, spinach, spring mix or romaine. You can also steam, saute, braise or stir fry greens such as kale, collards, bok choy, green beans, broccoli, swiss chard, beet greens the list goes on. Just be sure not to overcook them or you will loose their precious nutrients. A great resource for getting started and learning about the different greens that exist out there and how to prepare them - is a book called "Greens Glorious Greens" by Johnna Albi & Catherine Walthers. They introduce greens in a fabulous way that is not intimidating but rather encouraging and exciting! In the meantime...here is a simple recipe to get your inner green goddess going:

Green Goddess Salad Dressing

1-3 cups of mixed salad greens (arugula, baby spinach, spring mix)

1 medium avocado
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 cup cold pressed sunflower oil or extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp rice syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch cayenne
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/8 cup parsley
1/8 cup green onion
1/4 cup spinach

Directions
Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, scoop the flesh into the blender, add everything else and blend very thoroughly- until you have creamy and thick dressing.

Get Juiced...

2009-05-08T14:22:00.005-04:00

If you aren't juicing already...you are truly missing out on the powerhouse of nutrients one glass of fresh vegetable juice has to offer. I am not talking about getting some pre-made concoction at the grocery store that claims that it is all natural - I am talking about making your own organic, whole vegetable juice in the comfort of your own kitchen!

Juicing is key to vitality and an overall sense of well being. It is even a great part of a good cleansing regime. Juices are a great addition to any diet. Even if it is just as simple as apple juice...I am encouraging you to make them!

You can go as basic as you would like with juicers, they range in price from $150 - $500. So pick and choose what works for your lifestyle and your budget. But remember, the more expensive juicers give you more juice and more nutrients and enzymes. (This is due to the way the juice is extracted from the vegetables.)

Check out online resources and other places in your area that may sell juicers and ask around to other people you may know - which juicer they use and if they like it!

If you are not ready for a juicer yet...

At the very least start your day by making a cup of lemon juice! You don't even need a juicer for that! Squeeze a half of a lemon into some warm or cool water and drink on an empty stomach.
Another excellent way to cleanse your body (and flush your kidneys) and get your metabolism going for the day.

If you have a blender or a vita-mix you can make all kinds of concoctions and pour your juice through a sieve and capture all the pulp - or you can make a vegetable smoothie with the pulp (see the Simply Smooth posting below!)

But if you do get a juicer and you want a recipe to crack in your new toy...here it is!

Revitalizing (Salad) Juice

I call this a salad juice because instead of making a salad for lunch you can juice it! But don't do this all the time as you don't get any of the beneficial fibre from the vegetables. This is a great recipe for days when you don't really feel like eating or when you are cleansing!

2 Carrots
Handful of Sunflower sprouts
2 small (really small) Beets
1 or 2 apples (Granny smith work nice)
2 stalks of Celery
1 inch piece of Ginger
1/2 Lemon
handful of Collard green or kale
small handful of Romaine lettuce

Place everything into you juicer according to instructions....best to do one vegetable at a time and finish off with lemons because it cleans the juicer at the end!

Enjoy!

Simply Smooth

2009-05-02T16:09:00.013-04:00

Making up a blended batch of smooth and creamy goodness is just the absolute simplest and best way to get whole food nutrition in, extremely fast!
Creating a daily smoothie is an amazing first step in taking charge of your health. It is an easy way to digest a whole slew of vitamins and minerals - along with complex carbohydrates, protein and essential fats all in one shot! Especially if you are pressed for time in the morning, a smoothie to take with you on the go is the best thing you can do for your body and your energy. Just make sure you don't add too many ingredients or you will be left with a stomach ache and a really high calorie drink!
Smoothies are also a great way to sneak in some green veggies or powders that you may not be inclined to take with water alone - at least with a smoothie you can mask the earthy or bitter flavour (which I happen to like!). This means you can even add a bunch of spinach, collards or kale into your blueberry banana morning smoothie. Go figure! It really is that easy. That way you can at least say that you got your dose of greens in for the day!

So let me help you out and get your started with a few ideas and recipes to get some liquid nutrition running through your body.
It is important to make a smoothie that compliments what you are looking for or what your body needs - if it is a breakfast smoothie you may want just fruits, or maybe add some sheep's yogurt, soy yogurt or coconut oil, rice milk and honey/agave or if it's a post workout smoothie - you want a higher protein content from a plant based protein powder such as Vega, Hemp or Sun Warrior (my newly discovered RAW and VEGAN brown rice based powder that is incredibly high in protein - easy to absorb and delicious!).
Or maybe your smoothie is just for a snack in the middle of the afternoon in which case you can use some cacao or carob powder, banana, almond butter, coconut oil and cinnamon to hit that sweet craving and replenish your energy for the rest of the day!

Other than that here are some more ideas to get you started...

All you need is a good blender or if you want to take it to the next level...a Vita Mix - which is the goddess of all blenders. It is a high powered machine that will emulsify all of your ingredients into the perfect blend of whatever you put into it!

So let's start simple.
First off - make sure you are using high quality organic fruits and vegetables. You can pick anything under the sun that makes you feel good.

Fruits: Banana, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Mango, Pineapple, Coconut, Kiwi, Peaches, Apple, Pear, Grapes, Acai

Vegetables (sometimes it is better to juice your veggies first and use the juice as the base of a smoothie): Carrots, Celery, Kale, Collards, Beets, Spinach - if you want all green you can just use a veggie juice base and add green vegetables, an avocado and spirulina ( I call this the liquid lunch smoothie!)

Green Supplements: Kelp, Spirulina, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, Smoothie Infusion (Vega), Vitamineral Green, Nu Greens, Progressive Greens

Protein: Vega, Hemp, Rice Protein , Sun Warrior, Hemp Seeds, Almonds or Almond Butter, Sheep's Milk Yogurt

Liquid: Filtered water, 100% Fruit juice, Rice milk, Almond milk, Hemp milk, Coconut milk

Sweeteners: Agave nectar, Honey, Maple syrup, Stevia, Dates or Figs

Healthy Fats: Flax oil, Flaxseeds, Coconut oil, Coconut shreds, Chia seeds, Avocado

Other: Carob powder, Cocoa powder, Cinnamon, Non GMO soy- lecithin, maca root, Green or red tea powder, Activated barley and the list goes on....

So here is a sample recipe to get you started....

Scrumptious Coco Shake (a perfect midday snack shake!)

2 Cups almond milk
2 scoops sun warrior chocolate protein powder + 1 tsp raw cacao powder (for extra chocolate)
1 tablespoon soy lecithin
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 banana
1 tsp agave nectar (optional)
1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon

Place all ingredients in blend and blend on high speed for 1 minute. Pour into two glasses and drink immediately!

And this is my typical Breakfast:

Berry Blast Smoothie

1 1/2 cup rice milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries or 1 packet of Acai Pulp
1/2 frozen banana
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 tablespoon soy lecithin
1 scoop of vega's smoothie infusion
1 tablespoon sprouted chia/flax
dash of cinnamon

Place all ingredients in blend and blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes. Pour into one or two glasses and drink immediately with a glass straw if preferred!

Happy Hemp Protein Loaves

2009-04-13T16:46:00.009-04:00

This hearty loaf may not be much to look at, but it's taste is amazing! You may be well acquainted with hemp already, or you may be reading this wondering, what does she mean by hemp... really?... in food?

Yes...Absolutely!

Hemp is actually becoming quite popular these days. It has a nutritional value that is off the charts. Let me tell you why...
Hemp is an extremely nutrient rich whole food. It is also one of the purest sources of raw plant based proteins. As a plant, this means that hemp is also extremely alkaline forming unlike many other proteins that come from meat, fish, eggs or whey which can be acidic to the body overtime. So for athletes and busy/active people, hemp is an amazing form of sustaining and nourishing energy. The protein present in hemp is also complete -containing all 10 essential amino acids which makes it ideal for vegetarians, vegans or anyone seeking an alternative source of protein. Hemp also contains balanced healthy fats - both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. This makes hemp an excellent natural anti-inflammatory as well as providing the body with healthy oils for skin, hair and nails. If this isn't enough already... hemp is also easy to digest (because it contains it's own natural enzymes), contains a high levels of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, fibre and chlorophyll. So if this isn't a superfood, I don't know what is!

There are so many ways that hemp can be consumed - whether it is as a seed (also know as hemp hearts), in a powder, as a flour or mixed in a blend- you can even by "hemp ice cream". There are many options to choose from for your first go at hemp!

I usually start my day off in the morning with a hemp smoothie. I use Vega's smoothie infusion, mixed with some organic fruit, rice milk and agave nectar. I sprinkle hemp seeds on salads or use them in baked or raw desserts and I use hemp flour to make delicious baked items like these high protein, low carb, gluten free loaves. They are hearty, filling and delicious. You can eat them in the morning or enjoy them after a good workout.

So if hemp is new to you, it may take some getting used to a gritty texture, nutty flavour and a greenish look. But it is worth it and your body with thank you for it in the end!

Enjoy!!

Hemp Coconut Mini Loaves

1 cup hemp flour (Hempola Brand)
1 cup coconut flour or coconut meal
1 teaspoon each baking soda and baking powder
1 organic egg or 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water for vegan option
1/2 cup organic apple sauce or pureed apples
1 banana
1/4 cup maple syrup
6 tablespoon virgin coconut oil

Procedure

1. Add oil, maple syrup, and salt to mashed banana and beat until well mixed.
2. Add egg or flax and vanilla and mix well.
3. Add remaining dry ingredients and nuts. Mix until just blended.
4. Pour into greased mini loaf pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
5. Allow to cool on baking rack.

PASSOVER those cookies please!

2009-04-06T12:55:00.007-04:00

Passover, the Jewish holiday celebrated this time of year is known for its traditional recipes and ingredients that have been used for centuries. The premise is to make savoury and sweet recipes that do not "rise". In this case, many families have become accustomed to purchasing either pre-packaged "kosher for passover" treats or making their own "unhealthy" desserts. In which case, many of the ingredients are either full of fat, sugar and other processed ingredients that are tasteless and unsatisfying - (not to mention the digestive back up that comes along them).
I want to assure you that you don't have to settle for bland desserts and cookies during Passover- there is another way!

All that is required is a little creativity and knowledge of what grains and alternative flours can be used and what other natural ingredients can be put together to make delicious treats that are not only comprised of butter, eggs, sugar and matzah!

So, I got a little crazy in the kitchen concocting all sorts of amazing passover cookie recipes. I wanted to prove to my own family that passover desserts can not only taste great, but also have some amazing nutritional properties (protein, fiber and heart healthy fats)!

I took some traditional cookie recipes and modified the ingredients by using almond flour, quinoa flour and amaranth flour as the main ingredients. (For the record these are not only kosher for passover, but are also gluten free!). Then I used natural sweeteners like agave nectar, maple syrup and brown rice syrup and oils such as grapeseed, organic canola or coconut oil and then some added in some fun ingredients like nuts and seeds, chocolate chips, coconut and naturally sweetened raspberry jam.

It is simple and may even save you some money to make your own treats this year! So enjoy and have a little fun in the kitchen. Then pass-over your own healthy and delicious cookies to everyone in your family!

Passover Friendly Jam Dot Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds, ground to fine meal
1 cup quinoa flour
1 cup amaranth flour
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup melted coconut oil, sunflower, canola oil
½ cup maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt
Raspberry or Apricot Jam

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350, line 2 baking sheets with Parchment paper.

1. In medium bowl, combine almonds, both flours and cinnamon. Mix well to combine.
2. In separate bowl, blend oil, maple syrup, and sea salt. Add to nut mixture and stir to combine.
3. Roll into walnut sized balls. Place on baking sheet and press down with thumb.
4. Fill indentation with jam and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Gourmet and Gluten Free

2009-03-29T12:34:00.005-04:00

Despite what people might think, eating a gluten free diet is not limiting at all. In fact you can get more variety eating a gluten free diet than most people do eating their average diet. When people don't have any limitations, it is ironic, but that is when people tend to eat the same thing day in and day out. When one is restricted to a specific diet either for health reasons (allergies, intolerances, sensitivities or digestive problems) - it forces you to become more creative and add more variety to your everyday eating.
On Wednesday night at my "Gourmet and Gluten Free" cooking class, my participants learned just that. By incorporating gluten free foods in your diet you can have more variety, colour and balance then you ever would have dreamed. For example we made these delicious "Everything Cookies" (recipe below) that had just about everything in them - except for gluten! Based on the response - these cookies tasted better than anything they had ever expected. Also included in the menu was a creamy carrot ginger apple soup, a quinoa pilaf salad with cashews and cherries, a tofu vegetable stir fry with buckwheat soba noodles, black bean and yam burgers, a pesto sauce on brown rice penne pasta and guacamole with blue corn chips. As you can see, there is no lack of flavour, variety, colour and texture in this menu. Gluten free grains are also extremely high in protein, calcium, vitamins, minerals and best of all they don't make you bloated! You don't have to be intolerant to gluten to have this variety in your diet - just be creative and have fun.

A word on Gluten:

Gluten is the protein in wheat that many people nowadays have difficulty digesting. If someone is gluten intolerant, they are likely to have Celiac Disease. This can be an exteremly severe situation for some people as everyday digestion is compromised causing inflammation of the small intestine.
People who suffer from Celiac Disease need to stick to a gluten free diet indefinitely.
If someone is just simply sensitive to gluten containing foods it is important to stick to gluten free foods as much as possible to keep the gut lining nourished and soothed.

Examples of Gluten Free Grains:

Grains & Grain Products
GF Grains: amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn (cornmeal, corn grits), fava, flaxseed, garbanzo bean (chickpea, besan, gram or channa), hominy, hominy grits, kasha (toasted buckwheat), millet, pure uncontaminated oats, quinoa, rice, sago, tapioca

GF flours: bean flours (garbanzo, fava, romano), pure buckwheat flour, buckwheat bran, cornstarch, cornmeal, corn bran, garfava flour (garbanzo + fava bean flours), mesquite flour, quinoa flour, montina flour (made from Indian rice grass), nut flours and nut meals, pea flour, potato flour, potato starch, rice flour (white and brown), sorghum flour, soy (soya) flour, teff (or tef) flour

Breads and baked goods made with GF grains and free of other gluten-containing ingredients

Pastas made from rice, beans, corn, potato, quinoa, soy, wild rice and other GF grains
Cold cereals: puffed corn, amaranth, buckwheat, millet or rice, rice flakes and soy cereals
Hot cereals: hominy grits, soy grits, cream of buckwheat, cream of rice, puffed amaranth, rice flakes, quinoa flakes, soy flakes
Rice: brown, white, basmati, jasmine or wild rice
Grains: buckwheat, millet, amaranth, rice, corn, quinoa

Corn or rice tortillas

Everything (but gluten) Cookies

Ingredients:

1/3 cup maple syrup or agave
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp brown rice syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. almond butter
1/3 cup tahini
1 cup quinoa flakes
¼ cup puffed amaranth
¼ cup brown rice flour
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup chocolate chips
¼ cup ground flaxseeds
1/3 cup currents
1/3 cup sesame seeds

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease 2 large cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, honey, vanilla, almond butter and tahini.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Pour wet mixture over dry and stir to blend well.
4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared bake sheets.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cookies will firm up as they cool.

Makes 20-24 cookies.

Everybody wants Delicious Knowledge!

2009-03-23T10:18:00.005-04:00

This past weekend, I participated in my very first trade show at the Holistic World Expo...and my booth was a hit!
I met so many wonderful people, some of which will be new cooking class participants!
It was so great to be out there in the public, showing my face, my brand and my business to the people in Toronto who didn't know that I existed.

It was also exciting to meet people were interested in the Delicious Knowledge that I had to offer - meaning there was really an active interest in healthy, organic eating! It is refreshing to see that people really do want to take control of their health and well-being and learn how to cook and prepare simple, delicious and balanced meals. I am proud and excited to be that catalyst!

If nothing else, people walked away from my booth this weekend learning at least one thing on a specific ingredient or nutrition related question- which is my ultimate goal and passion in this business joy - to educate anyone and everyone on all things food and nutrition!

So overall the goal of the weekend was to meet new people and that is exactly what I did! I made new friends with other vendors at the show, met wonderful people who attended the show and even more exciting - I have new cooking class participants!
I just wanted to share this wonderful occasion with all of your who read my blog and take interest in what I have to say and what I do.
Please feel free at anytime to share you questions, comments or anything else you would like to say on my blog page - or you can email me at anytime!

Thank You for Your Support!

Organic is In! Pesticides are Out!

2009-03-12T20:22:00.006-04:00

I feel obligated to inform you of what it means to have pesticides contaminating our food. I think people are aware that this exists but have no idea how to avoid them or better yet, how horrible they actually are for long term human health.
There are solutions to this problem. People just need to become informed and aware of which foods to consume organic and which foods to avoid.
With growing evidence that supports the fact that individuals consuming what are considered the 12 worst foods (meaning they contain the most pesticides) are said to have been exposed to at least 10 different pesticides in one day. This may not sound like much but long term health concerns have been noted to include:

Nervous system effects
Carcinogenic effects
Hormone system effects
Skin, eye and lung irritation

"Pesticides are unique among the chemicals we release into the environment; they have inherent toxicity because they are designed to kill living organisms – insects, plants, and fungi that are considered "pests." Because they are toxic by design, many pesticides pose health risks to people, risks that have been acknowledged by independent research scientists and physicians across the world."
Much of this content that I am discussing was put together by The Environmental Working Group which is an organization that has developed a guide based on data from nearly 87,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between 2000-2007 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. FDA(Food and Drug Act). The philosophy behind the guide is simple: give consumers the information they need to make choices to reduce pesticides in their diets.

It is a valuable resource to get yourself educated as to what is the difference between foods with pesticides and foods without and why it is valuable to buy organic for certain types of produce.

The most common question I get in my cooking classes, is "Which fruits and vegetables are crucial to buy organic, and which ones can I still buy conventional and not worry?". Well the EWG has put together two lists to simplify and prioritize this very question.

THE "Dirty Dozen" (Buy These Organic!) - rated in order Most Toxic to Least Toxic
Peach
Apple
Bell Pepper
Celery
Nectarine
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Grapes
Carrot
Pear

The CLEANEST (lowest in pesticides) - if you can- buy these items as organic or local if available.
Onion
Avocado
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Papaya
Watermelon
Broccoli
Tomato
Sweet Potato

This post would not be complete without a recipe to go along with it. So here is a recipe that incorporates many of these foods, many of which are considered "CLEAN" too!

Tangy Thai Lettuce Wraps

Makes 12 wraps
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ tablespoons tamari
1 cup almond butter
½ head red cabbage, shredded
6 large collard green leaves
1 avocado, sliced
2 large carrots, shredded
1 large ripe mango, cut lengthwise into strips
1 bunch mint leaves
1 bunch basil leaves

Procedure:
1. In a vita mix or high speed blender, puree the maple syrup, lemon juice, ginger and tamari. Add the almond butter and blend at low speed to combine, add water to thin out if necessary.
2. In a medium bowl, add the shredded cabbage with almond butter mixture and toss well to combine.
3. Cut out the center rib of each collard green leaf, dividing the leaf in half. Place the leaves in a large bowl and toss with 1 tsp of tamari and a 1 tbsp of sesame oil and toss around with hands to coat. Allow to marinate for 1-2 minutes.
4. Place half leaf on a cutting board with the underside facing up. Arrange a few tablespoons of the cabbage mixture evenly across the bottom third of the leaf, leaving about 11/2 inches clear at the bottom. Lay a few stick of carrot and a few strips of mango on top.
5. Add a few leaves of each mint and basil.
6. Fold the bottom of the collard leaf up and over the filling, keeping it tight, and tuck the leaf under the ingredients and roll forward. Place the roll seam side down on a serving dish.

This recipe is adapted from "Raw Food, Real World" Created by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis. Sarma currently owns and operates Pure Food and Wine - fantastic raw food restaurant in New York City!

The Sexiest and Healthiest Martini you will ever Drink!

2009-03-05T15:15:00.011-05:00

Red Spicy-Tini
1 ½ cup pomegranate juice
½ cup apple juice
¾ cup sake (optional)
¼ cup black cherry juice
1 tablespoon agave nectar
splash of fresh ginger juice and/or lime juice
4 cinnamon sticks

In a martini shaker, pour all the ingredients except the cinnamon sticks over ice and shake or stir very well to chill. Strain and pour into martini glasses and garnish with cinnamon sticks

So there you have it, one of the healthiest martini recipes you will ever have! Jam packed with antioxidants and vitamins, this martini is a nice treat for any special occasion.
Those who know me, know that I am not an advocate for alcohol; however, a tasty martini with delicious wholesome ingredients makes it all worth while.
Especially if you are not a drinker, having just one of these is just enough-your palate and your senses will be more than satisfied. You don't even have to add the sake - as this makes a delicious virgin cocktail.

If you haven't heard of or tried sake - let me tell you it's worth the try - at least once.

Sake is fermented from steamed rice, yeast and koji (a bacterial starter) and water.
Sake also happens to be rich in amino acids and naturally occurring carbohydrates. Sake also has no sulfites, and is therefore an excellent replacement for those who like white wine but have an allergic response to sulfites that causes asthma-like symptoms. So as you can see for being an alcohol, sake is pretty natural with only it's four ingredients.

Sake also has a reputation as a love potion. In Japan drinking sake is very sacred and should be sipped for enjoyment and pleasure - as sex in Japan is something to savor.

As good as sake is, especially in this recipe, make sure you don't drink to much or you won't see straight-it really hits you much harder than other alcohols because it's so natural. The good news is that sake generally doesn't give you a hangover. Which I believe is something worth mentioning.

So if you are having an occasion and want to make something a little extra special, serve up some sake cocktails and garnish them with fun things like cinnamon sticks, fresh raspberries or lime slices.

Tapas and Mezes...create a cultural experience in one meal!

2009-02-26T19:55:00.008-05:00

Tapas is the name of a wide variety of appetizers predominately in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold or warm. In North America and the UK, tapas have evolved into an entire cuisine - and can be the beginning stages of any cuisine or made into a full meal.

Mezes or mezze is the term used in the Eastern Mediterranean (Persian, Greek, Arabic and Turkish influence) They are a selection of appetizers or small dishes often served with a beverage, like anise-flavored liqueurs or different wines.

In essence both are similar in nature, however, they originate from two different places. They have also been called: small plates, mini salads or even side plates. But there is an associated authenticity and cultural flare when you call them Tapas or Mezes...

So in my Moroccan Flavours cooking class, the participants created a sampling a three little salads that were the "appetizers" of the well rounded Moroccan meal. Actually, the true appetizer or starter recipe was a smokey eggplant dip with wilted spinach and spelt lavash, but let's not complicate things.

The whole point of what I am getting at, is that it can be extremely simple to prepare a few different small little salads, which together can create the beginning of delicious meal.

It may seem like a lot of work to prepare three different salads, but if you think of it this way, now you have three different salads to choose from and if you really don't like one at least you've got two more to munch on!

At the very least the goal is to have a small sampling of different flavours that compliment each other and taste great together!

Since the theme of the night was Moroccan...the flavours of cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, fennel, lemon and mint were the inspiration of most of the recipes.

But you can do this with any combination of flavours with any variety of spices and ingredients of choice. Whether your palate is Indian, Asian, Spanish, French - you can really have a lot of fun with Tapas!

So here is some insight to what you see above and you will see that it is fairly simple and quite fun to create a cultural experience in just three little recipes!

Zesty Citrus Mint Salad

Ingredients:

4 oranges, supreme and cut in half
4 grapefruits, supremed and cut in half
½ bunch of mint, chopped finely

For the Dressing
½ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 orange, juiced
5 mint leaves

1. Supreme the oranges and grapefruits and then cut each slice in half.
2. Strain the chopped slices over a mesh colander and place in a large bowl.
3. Finely chop the mint and combine with orange and grapefruit slices.
4. In a separate jar or bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, orange zest, a few mint leaves and orange juice.
5. Allow dressing to infuse overnight or for 2-3 hours.
6. Pour the marinade over the oranges and grapefruit, discarding the mint leaves.

Speckled Lemon and Fennel Salad

Ingredients

2 heads of fennel, thinly sliced
1 preserved lemon, finely minced and diced or zest of one lemon
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon sea salt

1. Using a mandolin, slice fennel into fine slices
2. Dice the preserved lemon and combine with fennel
3. In a separate bowl mix together, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, agave nectar, sea salt and black sesame seeds
1. Pour dressing over fennel and allow to sit for 2-3 hours in refrigerator

Beet Cumin Salad

Ingredients:

2medium beets
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon sea salt
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp ground cumin
½ cup olive oil

1. Boil beets a medium saucepan for 30 minutes.
2. Remove beets from boiling water (reserve beet juice), allow cooling and gently removing the skins.
3. Using a mandolin, slice beets into long strips (about ½ inch thick).
4. In the pot with reserved beet juice, heat and combine apple cider vinegar, agave nectar, garlic, cloves, cinnamon sticks, fennel seeds and sea salt allow to come to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Allow beet juice mixture to cool and then pour mixture over beets and let it sit absorbing the liquid for a few hours or overnight.
6. Place cumin powder into a jar with olive oil, shake a few times with lid sealed and allow oil to infuse for a few hours.
7. Remove beets from juice and place into a large bowl and stir in cumin oil and chopped parsley.
8. Serve and enjoy.

This recipe can also be done with Raw Beets and the dressing can be amended by infusing the other herbs in the oil with the cumin for several hours and then combining it with apple cider and agave nectar.

Pump your Heart Full of Nutrition!

2009-02-09T11:05:00.007-05:00

As we all know February is Heart Healthy month and of course Valentines Day! It is also an opportunity for you to support the Heart and Stroke Foundation. In honour of my boyfriend and his challenge to support the Heart and Stroke Foundation, I am hosting a special "Heart Healthy Cooking Class" on Thursday February 19th. If you are interested please email me for details! (This class will also offer you a tax deductible receipt from the Heart and Stroke Foundation.)

Because of the importance of this month it is especially important for you to learn about which foods and nutrients are supportive to your heart and your overall health! You can even have a little fun with your food and make Valentine's a little extra special this year. You don't even need to go out to a fancy restaurant for dinner. Maybe this year you want to opt to stay home and make your honey a sexy, balanced and heart healthy V-Day dinner!

Here are some tips of which foods will provide your heart with maximum nutrition and aren't bad for your sex drive either! These foods are all from whole sources! A diet rich in these foods will promote and overall state of optimal health and well being!

Salmon or other Fresh White fish
Omega-3 fatty acids.

Grill, steam or bake fish with a yummy rub, marinade or fresh herbs and lemon juice. Save a chunk to chop for a pasta or salad later on.

Flaxseed (ground)

Omega-3 fatty acids; fiber, phytoestrogens.

Ground flaxseed hides easily in all sorts of foods -- yogurt parfaits, morning cereal, homemade muffins, or cookies.

Oatmeal

Omega-3 fatty acids; magnesium; potassium; folate; niacin; calcium; soluble fiber.

Top hot oatmeal with fresh berries. Oatmeal-and-raisin cookies are a hearty treat.

Black or Kidney Beans

B-complex vitamins; niacin; folate; magnesium; omega-3 fatty acids; calcium; soluble fiber.

Give soup or salad a nutrient boost -- stir in some beans.

Beets

Calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorous, vitamin A, B complex and C

Shred raw into salad, or steam and cut into slices (or hearts!)

Pumpkin Seeds

Protein, omega 3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, phosphorus, vitamin A, calcium, b vitamins

Eat them raw in trail mixes, salads and granola or toast them lightly for a fragrant extra boost of flavour!

Almonds

Plant omega-3 fatty acids; vitamin E; magnesium; fiber; heart-favorable mono- and polyunsaturated fats; phytosterols.

Mix a few raw organic almonds (and berries) into sheep's milk yogurt, trail mix, or fruit salads.

Walnuts

Plant omega-3 fatty acids; vitamin E; magnesium; folate; fiber; heart-favorable mono- and polyunsaturated fats; phytosterols.

Walnuts add flavorful crunch to salads, pastas, cookies, muffins, even pancakes

Red wine

Catechins and reservatrol (flavonoids).

Toast your good health! A glass of red wine could improve "good" HDL cholesterol.

Tofu and Tempeh

Niacin; folate; calcium; magnesium; potassium.

These soy options are easy to use and taste delicious in any recipe: Thinly slice "firm" tofu, or tempeh and marinate for several hours and bake, grill or stir-fry.

Brown rice or Quinoa

B-complex vitamins; fiber; niacin; magnesium, fiber.

Organic varieties are wonderful! Cook up a pot and make pilafs, soups or top it with a colourful vegetable stir fry!

Soy milk

Isoflavones (a flavonoid); B-complex vitamins; niacin; folate, calcium; magnesium; potassium; phytoestrogens.

Make sure it is Organic! But soy milk is great over oatmeal or whole-grain cereal. Or, make a smoothie with soy milk.

Blueberries

Beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); anthocyanin (a flavonoid); ellagic acid (a polyphenol); vitamin C; folate; calcium, magnesium; potassium; fiber.

Cranberries, strawberries, raspberries are potent, too -- for trail mixes, muffins, salads!

Carrots

Alpha-carotene (a carotenoid); fiber.

Cut up into snack sized pieces for a great snack. Use in recipes such as stir fries, salads and soups or sneak shredded carrots into spaghetti sauce or muffin batter.

Spinach

Lutein (a carotenoid); B-complex vitamins; folate; magnesium; potassium; calcium; fiber.

Pick spinach (not lettuce) for nutrient-packed salads and sandwiches. Tastes great when steamed and added to cooked dishes!

Broccoli

Beta-carotene (a carotenoid); Vitamins C and E; potassium; folate; calcium; fiber.

Chop fresh broccoli into store-bought soup. For a veggie dip, try hummus (chickpeas).

Sweet potatoor butternut Squash

Beta-carotene (a carotenoid); vitamins A, C, E; fiber.

Steam in steamer basket, bake or roast in oven or boil in a pot of soup!

Red bell peppers

Beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); B-complex vitamins; folate; potassium; fiber.

Rub with olive oil, and grill or oven-roast until tender. Delicious in wraps, salads, sandwiches.

Asparagus

Beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); B-complex vitamins; folate; fiber.

Grill or steam slightly, then dress with olive oil and lemon. It's a pretty side dish.

Oranges

Beta-cryptoxanthin, beta- and alpha-carotene, lutein (carotenoids) and flavones (flavonoids); vitamin C; potassium; folate; fiber.

Make your own orange juice with freshly squeezed organic oranges. Use the zest in marinades chutneys and salad dressing. You can even use it in baking!

Tomatoes

Beta- and alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein (carotenoids); vitamin C; potassium; folate; fiber.

For a flavor twist, try oil-packed tomatoes in sandwiches, salads, pastas, pizzas.

Acorn squash

Beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); B-complex and C vitamins; folate; calcium; magnesium; potassium; fiber.

Baked squash is comfort food on a chilly day. Serve with sautÃ©ed spinach, pine nuts, raisins.

Cantaloupe

Alpha- and beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); B-complex and C vitamins; folate; potassium; fiber.

A fragrant ripe cantaloupe is perfect for breakfast, lunch, potluck dinners. Simply cut and enjoy!

Papaya

Beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein (carotenoids); Vitamins C and E; folate; calcium; magnesium; potassium.

Serve papaya salsa with salmon: Mix papaya, pineapple, scallions, garlic, fresh lime juice, salt and black pepper.

Dark chocolate

Reservatrol and cocoa phenols (flavonoids).

A square of dark cocoa is great for blood pressure, but choose 70% or higher cocoa content.

Tea

Catechins and flavonols (flavonoids).

Make sun tea: Combine a clear glass jar, several tea bags, and hours of sunshine.

Source: various resources including Webmd, Phyllis A. Balch and Rebecca Wood's Whole Foods Encyclopedia

Heart-Beet Salad with Sweet Pumpkin Seeds

Dressing:
4 whole meyer lemons
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
1 pound or bunch of wild arugula
1 beet, steamed and peeled and chilled, shaved on the mandolin or cut into heart shape slices
1 pear, cut into shavings with a peeler
½ cup candied pumpkin seeds
½ cup dried black mission figs, sliced

*candied pumpkin seeds
2 cups pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon ground ginger
¼ cup maple syrup
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Mix all the ingredients together, place on a baking tray and lightly roast at 200F for 10-15 minutes.

Procedure:

1. With a sharp paring knife, cut away the ends and the outer peel of the lemons along with the seeds, leaving some of the white pith. Cut the lemons in halves or quarters and add to blender with honey. Blend on high speed for about a minute to break up.
2. With the blender running on medium speed, slowly pour in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. In a large mixing bowl, gently toss the green and pear with enough dressing to generously coat. Divide among serving plates and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and dried figs.

Warming and Wonderful One Pot Meals

2009-01-28T18:59:00.005-05:00

There is something to be said about having a dish that is nourishing, warming, easy to digest and tastes wonderful all in one. You can easily accomplish this with ONE POT MEALS - such as soups and stews!
It is so great to cozy up to a warm bowl of goodness during these long and cold winter days.
If you haven't experienced this, then let me tell you how extremely simple it is. In fact -it is easier then preparing your average dinner at home (which usually involves more than one recipe to get a balanced meal).
In order for your one pot meal to cover all the basis your are going to need a few things. Start with some vegetables, (or at least onions, carrots and celery as a base) otherwise play with vegetables in season such as sweet potatoes, rutabaga, turnips, parsnips, brussel sprouts, fennel, broccoli, cauliflower, kale (you can really get crazy here!), a legume (such as chickpeas, black beans, white beans, lentils, yellow split peas), some herbs and spices (cumin, parsley, sage, oregano, garlic, ginger, rosemary, thyme), a grain if you wish (barley, quinoa, brown rice, millet) and there you have it - a well rounded one pot meal! These meals make for a convenient and easy way to approach dinnertime in the winter months. You can make a batch of it early in the week or on the weekend and take portions out as you need them throughout the week. You can even warm some up and put it into a stainless steel thermos for you or your kids on the go! You can freeze portions in glass containers and store them for snowy day when you don't feel like cooking or going anywhere.
Why not benefit from cooking some of your own meals at home- you get to be creative, you know what going in it, you know it's going to be delicious! So have fun and get creative with some warming and wonderful one pot meals!

Vegetable Medley Stew with White Beans

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 leek sliced and washed carefully to remove sand
10 medium mushrooms, quartered
2 rutabagas, cut in small dice
½ cup water as needed
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon ground sage
1-teaspoon herb de Provence
2 fennel bulbs cut into medium chunks
4 medium sweet potatoes, diced
2 turnips cut in medium cubes
1 cup cooked or canned organic garbanzo beans
10 brussel sprouts, cut in ½ pieces
1 head of kale, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 ½ tablespoon Bragg’s amino
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. In a small stockpot, sauté onions in oil until translucent (5-10 minutes).
2. Add rutabaga and mushrooms with 1 teaspoon of salt. Sauté until liquid is released.
3. Add water, bay leaf, sage, oregano, parsley and herb de Provence and bring to a boil, covered.
4. Add sweet potatoes, turnips and fennel. DO NOT STIR
5. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
6. Blend 1 cup of vegetables and add back to stew with ¼ teaspoon salt and water as needed.
7. Raise heat until briskly bubbling and add kale and Brussels sprouts to stew, right before serving.

Nothing like warming up to some Hot Apple Pie!

2009-01-17T13:26:00.007-05:00

Choosing the right warming foods to eat during these below freezing cold days is key nourishing you body and soul. It's not enough to just take a hot shower and have a bowl of soup. There are in fact some particular foods and spices that warm up your body up from the inside out. The body naturally craves, starchy, heavy and sweet foods during the winter season. So instead of going for the processed stuff like donuts, Alfredo sauces, cakes and pies or other rich and dense foods which leave you feeling lethargic and draggy - not to mention the calories they pack in. Why not try making your own satisfying creations in the kitchen! You can still fulfill your cravings by choosing the right ingredients. Not only will you be satisfied with just one serving but you can also feel great knowing that you made it from scratch!

Choosing warming foods like cooked grains such as oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain pasta's or baked yams and even a variety of soups and stews are sure to keep you warm during these frigidly cold days. You can even satisfy those sweet cravings with some home baked goodies like muffins and pies made with whole grain flours and natural sweeteners. If you are on the go, get yourself a reusable stainless steel mug and fill them up with warm herbal teas to sip throughout the day. When you are at home, brew yourself your own loose leaf teas or try making your own chai latte's or dark pure cocoa hot chocolate!
I encourage you to use a variety of warming spices in different ways. Try using cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, cumin, turmeric and cloves. Your body and your taste buds will thank you for their warmth and delicious essence.

Since apples are so widely available during the winter months and there is nothing better then a little cinnamon and nutmeg to warm you up, I decided to make apple pie for my family dinner last night. I have to admit, I love to bake - but pie making isn't my specialty. So I promise that this recipe is simple enough that anyone can do it... I promise!
I even went the length of making my own ice cream...I know what you are thinking. Ice cream is cold and it's not healthy! Well not true if you make your own with the right ingredients and warming spices. I now have this amazing ice cream maker which means that I can use anything as the base! So I chose organic pure coconut milk (to read more on the health benefits of coconut milk check out my posting CooCoo for Coconut). I blended that up with some maple syrup, cinnamon and agar for a creamy consistency. Then the whole thing churns and makes delicious "ice cream" that I can put on top of my warm apple pie!

Hot Apple-Cinnamon Pie..."A La Mode"!

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

1 1/4 cups light spelt flour
1 cup spelt flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tablespoons maple sugar
Pinch of sea salt
2/3 cup cold coconut butter
1/3 cup ice water

Filling:

4 cups tart apples, such as granny smiths, jonathan or spy, peeled, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Procedure:

1. Sift the flours, cinnamon and salt into a medium bowl. Add the oil and mix well.
2. Add the ice water gradually to the mixture while continuing to mix the dough. Continue to mix until dough is firm but not flaky. Roll up the dough, put into a bowl, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. Form the dough into 2 balls. Roll one out into a circle with ½ inch thickness. Press into an 8-inch pie pan and trim, leaving ½ in all around.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F
5. In a large bowl, combine the apples, maple syrup and lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix together the arrowroot, cinnamon and nutmeg, then toss with the apple mixture. Add the filling into the pie shell.
6. Roll out the second ball of dough into a circle large enough to cover the pie. Top the pie with the dough, then trim any excess dough and crimp the edges. Cut 3 slits in the top crust.
7. Bake for 1 ½ hours, or until the piecrust is golden.

Serve with vanilla rice or soy ice cream or make your own!

Nourish yourself this year!

2009-01-12T17:17:00.007-05:00

Start off the year right. You owe it to yourself to nourish your body with fresh delicious food and your mind with the satisfaction that you can make the choice to be the best YOU this year. Make the right choices now, or else January will pass by to quickly. Then in February... well no one feels like starting anything new in February. Then March comes and you tell yourself you may as well wait until the spring or summer to start eating right or getting in shape or going on a cleanse. Well I am telling you that if you start right now, by the summertime you will already be looking and feeling great!

So the key is to get yourself motivated today. Start up a new exercise program and fill your kitchen full of healthy choices. You may even want to take a COOKING CLASS (see side column for details) or two, get yourself loaded with health supportive and tasty recipes to get you on your way - just email me if that is your plan!
I am also offering a WHOLE FOOD MAKEOVER WORKSHOP series starting next week that should definitely get you on your path to good health and well being. Sometimes you just need a little push in the right direction to get you on your way.
But if you are the type that just wants to do it yourself, then let me at least give you a few tips to get 2009 to YOUR best and most nourishing year ever!

1. Choose fresh and whole foods everyday
2. Choose organic and bio-dynamic foods as often as possible
3. Choose food that is fresh, local and seasonal
4. Choose foods that are colourful, vibrant and that vary in texture, flavour and shapes (this is great for kids too!)
5. Experiment cooking with different grains, legumes, vegetables and spices for variety
6. Limit your consumption of fried, processed, packaged and sugar laden foods
7. Limit your consumption of commercial meat and dairy (instead select naturally raised or organic whenever possible)
8. Start up a new exercise program, even if that means taking a walk around your block!
9. Find alternative methods for relaxation, healing and rejuvenation (massage therapy, aroma therapy, acupuncture, tai chi, yoga and pilates).
10. Have Fun!

Quinoa with Porcini Mushrooms and Dried Cranberries

Ingredients:

1-cup quinoa
2 cups water or vegetable broth
Salt
1 ounce (3/4 cup) dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup minced red onion
1 garlic clove
1 stalk celery
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 cup dried cranberries or currents
½ toasted pinenuts or pecans
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley or thyme

Procedure:

1. Rinse quinoa and place in large pot and dry toast on a low heat for a few minutes. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil with salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Combine 1 cup of water with porcini mushrooms in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mushrooms soak for 20 minutes. Then drain the mushrooms, reserving the mushrooms and the liquid separately. Roughly chop the mushrooms.
3. Warm the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 7 minutes. At the last minute add the spinach.
4. Add the reserved mushrooms, the garlic, and the cranberries and sauté until the cranberries are heated through about 2 minutes.
5. Add the pinenuts, quinoa, salt and black pepper to taste, and the mushroom soaking liquid. Cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve hot.

Yams or Sweet Potatoes... what's the difference?

2008-12-22T20:55:00.010-05:00

There is so much confusion between yams and sweet potatoes. They look the same, they taste the same and you never really know which you are eating at any given time.
So I am going to do my best and give you some information on why these two roots are different from each other and not to be mistaken. However you can still choose to interchange them in recipes-I always do!

Yams were first cultivated in Africa and are part of the tuber family. They are very popular in tropical regions of the world. They are round and elongated with a thick, scaly or rough skin and it's flesh can be either white, ivory, cream, pink or purple. Yams are typically mores starchy and dry. However the most common variety has a deep orange flesh, which is why they are often mistaken for sweet potatoes. Most of the time they are also mislabeled in stores and are actually sweet potatoes!

Sweet Potatoes on the other hand, are native to South America and is part of the morning glory family. Sweet potatoes are actually not at all related to Yams or Potatoes. They are very sweet and dark and sometimes mislabeled as Yams. Sweet potatoes have a wide center and taper at both ends. They also have a thin and smooth skin. Sweet potatoes are also sometimes mislabeled when actually they are yams.

I know it can be confusing...but when it comes to their nutritional content and health benefits they are pretty much the same with a few unique qualities between the two.
They are both amazing sources of beta carotene, an antioxidant found in most orange fleshed foods such as mangoes and carrots. They are both high in vitamin A and C with a good amount of thiamine. They are nourishing to the spleen, pancreas and stomach. Yams are particularly known for it's properties to help regulate menses and prevent miscarriages. Yams also help to treat fatigue, inflammation, spasms and stress.

For more information on the differences between Yams and Sweet potatoes you can read upon the loads of articles and resources on the net with sometimes confusing but insightful information these roots. Or you can always check out Rebecca Wood's Whole Foods Encyclopedia for a small description on the description, health benefits and uses for each.

So in conclusion, both roots are amazing for their own unique properties. Now you can be just a bit more aware of which varieties you are eating (if it is labelled correctly). Either way both are sure to please your palate and make wonderful ingredients for side dishes, soups, dips, pancakes or pies!

Yummy Yam Pecan Pie

Crust:

1 cup almonds, ground
1 cup brown rice flour
2 tablespoon maple crystals
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of sea salt
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup

Filling:

2 cups mashed or cooked yams or sweet potatoes (you can always buy canned organic sweet potatoes or yams if necessary)
1 cup vanilla soymilk
3/4 cup maple sugar or sucanat
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fair trade vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup chopped pecans, mixed with 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1 tablespoon coconut oil and roasted for 5-10 minutes at 200F

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Oil a 9 in tart pan or a few mini tart pans.
For the Crust:
2. In food processor, grind nuts to meal. In mixing bowl, combine nuts, flour, maple crystals, baking powder and salt.
3. In separate small bowl, whish together oil and maple syrup
4. Mix wet ingredients (oil and syrup) into dry ingredients (nut meal and flours).
5. Press crust mixture into tart pan.
For the Filling:
1. Blend all the ingredients in a vita mix or a blender until well combined.
2. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 45-60 minutes.
3. Cool on rack and then refrigerate over night before serving.

CooCoo For Coconut

2008-12-17T19:26:00.006-05:00

Coconut oil has to be among one of the most controversial topics these days. I am constantly being asked about it's relation to health. How can a saturated fat be healthy?
Coconut oil has been perpetuated by both the media and medical practitioners as unhealthy, fattening and damaging to the arteries. Well let me tell you something- this is a wrong approach as those who are against coconut oil have not really looked at the whole picture. It is the hydrogenated coconut oil that is use in most processed products that are deemed unhealthy, as hydrogenation changes the delicate nature of virgin coconut oil into a trans fat. By the way this goes for most cold pressed vegetables oils (such as olive, sunflower, safflower and sesame) that when heated at high temperatures they too become denatured and altered into a trans fat!

There have been studies upon studies done on the health benefits of virgin coconut oil (in it's original state), from its antibacterial, antiviral, energizing and healing properties all the way to being used daily as a moisturizer!
Bruce Fife, among many others such as Conrado S. Dayrit have proven that coconut oil is actually a cure to so many health ailments and diseases.
For example, the saturated fat component of coconut oil is made up of certain fatty acid chains called medium chain triglycerides or MCT's. These are different from animal sourced fatty acid chains made up from long chain triglycerides. This may not sound like a big deal, but in your body it is! The long chain fatty acids found in animal and dairy fats are the ones that clog arteries, contribute to increased cholesterol, heart disease and weight gain. Also the consumption of processed and packaged foods made up of trans fats (or altered vegetable oils) such as margerine and shortening are also the main culprits that lead to high cholesterol and other heart damaging conditions such as atherosclerosis. Whereas the medium chain triglycerides found in coconut oil actually help people who suffer from digestive problems to protecting against infections to boosting energy and metabolism and it even protects against serious health problems such as cancer and diabetes. (Source: The Truth about Coconut Oil : Conrado S. Dayrit, 2005)
So don't be afraid of this wonderful and tasteful fruit, use it whole, use it's water, use it's butter, use it's shell. There are endless possibilities!
I make wonderful recipes with Coconut Oil - it is one of my favourite ingredients. It is dairy free, gluten free and full of delicious flavour. It can also be heated to high temperatures in baking and stir frying without any fret or used raw in smoothies and desserts. You can even drink the water straight from the coconut and use it as an energy drink before, after or during exercise!

I could really get into a whole long discussion about how wonderful coconut oil really is, but I am going to leave it at that.
So get yourself educated about the benefits of coconut by reading some books or going to:

http://www.coconut-info.com/coconut_oil_why_it_is_good_for_you.htm http://www.coconutresearchcenter.com/

I will also leave you with a recipe for shortbread...yes coconut oil is the perfect replacement for butter in this decadent and rich shortbread cookie created by Jae Steele.

Enjoy!

Spicy & Sweet Shortbread Cookies
(Slightly Adapted from Jae Steele's recipe for Shortbread Cookies in her book "Get it Ripe")

1/2 cup maple sugar or organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/4 cups brown rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup virgin coconut oil, diced
1/4 cup room temperature applesauce
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, cocoa powder or maple crystals

Preheat oven to 275 F
1.Place sugar and salt in food processor and blend for 30 seconds to give a finer texture.
2. Add the flour and baking powder and blend to combine. Add the oil and applesauce and process until well combined, but do not allow to form a ball.
3. Scrape dough onto a clean surface with spatula and knead gently with your hands and form a ball. Divide dough in half and roll out each half to 1/2 inch thick.
4. Cut dough into rounds using a cookie cutter (I chose a heart!)
5. Place cookies on to parchment paper lined baking sheets and dust with cinnamon, cocoa powder or powder maple sugar.
6. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until they turn a light colour. The shortbread will be be firm at first, but it will harden as it cools.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets before storing in an air tight container for up to a month.

Spice Girls

2008-12-06T14:22:00.006-05:00

It is so nice to know that the flavours that come from traditional Indian cuisine, are not only delicious to that palate but they are completely nourishing to the body as well.
We had a chance to discover this on Wednesday's Indian Flavours Cooking Class.

We created and sampled a whole range of dishes from Chana Masala to Lentil Dal, to a Saffron Yellow Basmati Rice, to a Brown Rice Pudding and of course the class would not have been complete without a Coconut Vegetable Curry (recipe below).

The common thread in all the recipes was all the fresh and fragrant spices that were in each dish. We made continuous use of the flavours of cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, garlic, cumin and mustard seeds. Each on of these delicate spices offers a wonderful infusion of flavour that makes you want to use them all the time.

So here is a quick guide to some of the beneficial properties of these spices:

Cinnamon:
Sweet and pungent, pleasant and warming cinnamon supports the spleen and the pancreas, stomach, bladder, kidney and liver meridians (from a Chinese medicine perspective).
Cinnamon aid in digestion, aid in circulation and helps to treat diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and menstrual cramps. Cinnamon is also well known for it's blood stabilizing abilities.
Ginger:
Has a peppery and pungent taste. It is warming and stimulates digestion and boost circulation, respiration and nervous system function. Ginger is useful for colds and fevers and alleviates motion sickness and nausea. It is also an anti-inflammatory and destroys intestinal parasites.
Turmeric:
Has the highest source of beta carotene. It tones the spleen and pancreas, liver and stomach. It strengthens the immune system and enhances digestion and helps to dissolve cysts and gallstones. Turmeric is antibacterial and may be used to regulate blood sugar for diabetics.
Cardamom:
Is sweet and pungent and warming. It also acts upon the spleen and pancreas, stomach, lung and kidney meridians. It aids in digestion, relaxes spasms and cuts mucus, making it useful in lung tonics. It also eases coughs, breathlessness, burning urination, incontinence and hemorrhoids.
Cloves:
Are bitter, spicy and warming. They tonify the kidney, spleen, pancreas and stomach. Cloves also aid digestion, treat nausea, hiccups and vomiting.
Cumin:
Is pungent and bitter. It aids the digestive system, improves liver function, promotes assimilation of other foods and relieves abdominal distention, gas and colic, as well as migraines and headaches.

If you want more information on these spices or any other specific food have a look at Rebecca Woods book "The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia" which is available for purchase right here on my page (see my favourite book list).
So warm up this winter and make use of these nourishing and health supportive spices!

Recipe:
Coconut Vegetable Curry

Ingredients:

1 Spanish onion
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
¼ cup coconut oil
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¾ cubes
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¾ “ cubes
Curry Blend*
1 medium cauliflower, cut into bite size florets
1 cup shelled peas, cooked
½ red cabbage
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
Vegetables can be roasted*
Curry Blend:
1 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoons turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon fenugreek
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds, no pods
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds

Procedure:
1. In a large skillet, sauté onions, with one teaspoon salt in oil until they begin to soften and brown. Add squash and cook ten minutes more. Add potatoes and curry blend and continue sautéing another five minutes, stirring often.
2. Add cauliflower to the top of the squash and potatoes, being careful no to stir the mixture. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender (15-20 minutes).
3. With a wooden spoon, smash some of the squash in the curry mixture against the sides of the skillet to thicken the sauce. Stir in the peas and season to taste with salt.

Naturally and Nutritionally Sweet!

2008-11-26T17:16:00.004-05:00

We all naturally crave sweets - it's in us! I know a lot of people nowadays try to avoid sweets completely, thinking they can get away with it! But I will tell you what, this doesn't work because at some point your body will cave and you will be likely to binge (usually on the bad stuff like refined sugars and carbohydrates) and this creates a worse situation in your body than if you were to moderately consume some good quality sugars.

Sugars from fruits and starchy vegetables is the most natural way to consume sugar. If eaten in moderation and in season there are amazing benefits from a piece of fresh fruit or root veggies such as fiber, vitamins, minerals and energy. If you love fruit and tend to gravitate towards a piece more than 2 or 3 times a day, stick with the low sugar/non starchy fruits such as apples, berries, peaches, oranges, pears and kiwi's.

At this time of year the fruits and vegetables to get your sweet fix from are yams, sweet potatoes, squash, beets, apples, oranges, pomegranates, persimmons and grapefruit!

Then of course there are your deliciously available dried fruits (unsulphured of course- meaning not bright orange) apricots, figs, dates, goji berries, pears, apples etc...

Other sources of sugar come from grains starches. The stuff we want to stay away from includes the white and refined stuff. This includes white rice, white flour (bread, pasta, donuts, cakes, twinkies, cookies.) These foods quickly turn into simple sugars in your body and shoot your blood sugar up. Instead you want to select natural whole grains sources and complex carbohydrates. These come from grains like spelt, kamut, oats, barley, rye and the gluten free ones: quinoa, millet, teff, amaranth, buckwheat and brown rice. Other sources of complex carbohydrates that give you long sustained energy are sweet potatoes, yams, squashes and any of the above mentioned root veggies.

So my advice to you is to become and informed shopper. Make sure to select products that are steer clear of white sugar, icing sugar, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose and chemical sweetners containing aspartame. Instead look for items sweetened with maple syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, agave nectar, applesauce, dates or stevia.

It is not difficult to find things that are sweetened naturally with nutritional benefits, you just have to be conscious and aware and consume these items in moderation!

Here is a delicious recipes to satisfy those sweet cravings and make you feel good all over!

Date Almond Pudding

2 avocados
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup
4 Medjool dates (soaked overnight or boiling water for 20-30 minutes)
2 tbsp of pure unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp almond butter or 1/2 cup raw almonds (soaked in water overnight for 8 hrs.)
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine the ingredients in a blender and whirl on high until well blended into a thick creamy pudding.
Divide the pudding into 2 servings
ENJOY!

WHOLE FOOD MAKEOVER AND LIFESTYLE WORKSHOP

2008-11-16T16:09:00.015-05:00

Haven't you been waiting for the perfect program to get you started on a new path in healthy eating? Well I have created a program just for you!

A Whole Food Makeover Program - for six straight weeks starting Monday January 19th, I will guide you through a makeover that will change your life!

Whatever your health or weight goals may be for the new year, I have the knowledge to take you there!

Here is an outline of the program:

KICKSTART THE NEW YEAR:
Monday January 19th and Monday January 26th
Cost $50.00 includes any 1 FREE cooking class (any free upcoming class)

In this introductory session I will kick start the workshop with information that will set a foundation for the rest of your life!

We will cover all the necessities. You will learn to become equipped with the tools, ingredients and skills that you will need in your kitchen in order to live a wholesome and long life!

HOW TO SHOP: Monday February 2nd
Cost: $65.00
7pm-9pm

Shopping time! I am going to guide you through Planet Organic. This will help you become an informed and healthy shopper. You will also be given a special gift to give your shopping bags a boost and keep your produce safe!

COOK WITH MARNI: Monday February 9th
Cost: $75
7pm-9:30pm

In this class I am going to cook with you! We are going to cook up some deliciously simple recipes that will make your cooking experiences more efficient. These nutritious and energizing recipes will also and make you feel great from the inside out!
You will also learn what to eat when you can't always cook - whether it's out for dinner or on vacation!

EAT GREAT, FEEL GREAT, LOOK GREAT: Monday Febrary 16th
Cost: $65
7pm-9pm

In this session we will discuss how whole foods will make you look and feel great! We talk about which foods to consume and which foods to avoid make your skin and hair shine and keep your nails and bones strong! You will also be introduced to new ideas of how to give yourself your very own whole-food facials, scrubs and cleansers!

Eating whole foods, means living a whole life!

You can do the whole program for $250 (4 sessions) or take any course separately.

Email me right away to reserve your spot today!

Birthday Potluck Fiesta

2008-11-10T19:10:00.012-05:00

There could not have been a better way to celebrate my 27th birthday, then to have my closest friends over for a potluck dinner. Everyone brought over something delicious to contribute to a collection of different dishes which made up our fantastic and unforgettable dinner!

One of my friends who was there this weekend was in from New York. I met her at The Natural Gourmet (the culinary school I attended last year). In fact her birthday is the same day as mine, November 11th - so it was a dual celebration! Together we spent a whole morning shopping for the prime ingredients of what would make up some of the creations of the evening.

We started our venture at the Brickworks Farmers Market in Midtown Toronto. What an amazing place! Fresh produce galore, wild mushrooms and rustic root vegetables. We definitely did not leave there empty handed. From there we made our way down to St. Lawrence Market, mainly just to look. However we did find some great organic produce and some organic kabocha squash which was transformed later into a Roasted-Spiced Squash Soup with Asian Pear. We then went across town to Kensington market and worked our way through the busy streets to the organic markets that had what we needed. I must say, Toronto made it very easy for us to come home with "re-usable" bags full of local and farm fresh ingredients.

Marti (yes her name is Marti) my New Yorker friend and I spent the rest of the day creating recipes from a pesto pizza's with goat cheese, fennel and figs to a green pea guacomole, to ginger snap cookies, to cashew cream covered carrot cake and of course the most delectable squash soup puree garnished with pomegranate seeds (as seen in the picture).

What made this whole evening so great, was having all my friends over to enjoy a delicious and colourful dinner full of variety and flavour. The meal included, delicious dips, a quinoa salad with purple cauliflower, cabbage salad with a cider vinaigrette, a wheat berry citrus salad with goji berries, brown rice sushi rolls, a goat cheese maple glazed pecan salad with raspberries and the rest of the creations that were catered by Marti and I. So all in all my friends pulled through to help make a well balanced and healthy dinner that had our belly's full by the second bite - not to mention the all organic wine that accompanied the meal!

So if you are looking for a fun and different way to celebrate- then have your crew over for a night of good conversation, healthy food and a birthday memory you will never forget!

Squash Soup With Asian Pear and Ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-2 kabocha squash halved

1 butternut squash halved and seeded

1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

2 asian pears, peeled and chopped

8 cups water

pomegranate seeds or roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish.

Recipe inspired by Rebecca Katz's Cookbook "One bite at a Time"

Preheat oven at 425F

Line sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl whisk the allspice, cinnamon, salt and nutmet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Brush the inside flesh of the squash with spice mixture and arrange the squash cut side down on the pan. Roast for 30 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and let cool.

While squash is roasteing, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the reserved spice mixture in pot over medium heat. Add teh onions and pinch of salt and cook until the onions turn a light golden brown. Add the shallots, saute for about 3 minutes and add teh ginger and pears. Continue to saute for another 3-5 minutes or until fruit softens and turns brown. As the mixture startes to stick to the bottom of the pot, deglaze with 1 cup of water. Loosen all the bits from the bottom for a great added flavor. Add 3 more cups of water and simmer.

When the squash has cooled, scoop the flesh into the onion fruit mixture. Mash the squash mixture with back of wooden spoon and add 4 more cups of water.

Gently simmer for another 15 minutes. Ladle soup into blender in small batches or use a hand blender and puree until smooth.

Whole Grain Goodness

2008-11-10T16:35:00.003-05:00

When it comes to grains, it may take a while to sort through them!
There are so many to choose from! Different tastes, textures, colours and even shapes. But on a whole, all of them are composed of an amazing source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, b vitamins, trace proteins, minerals and even heart healthy fats that make you feel energized and nourished.

What needs to be recognized and understood by many, is that grains can be an essential part of everyones daily diet unless candida or carbohydrate metabolism is a problem. But when grains are left intact and prepared properly in their whole form - one requires much less of a portion to be satisfied. These grains are very different from eating a bowl of white pasta, white bread or white rice where you may need a few servings to fill that "hunger" void.
The natural fiber content whole grains also don't spike your blood sugar levels nearly as much and thus also contribute to feeling satiated for a longer period of time.

So the trick is to start simply. Select the grains that are most familiar and then go from there. Most people are accustomed to cooking rice, couscous and maybe even barley. With rice you want to find an organic brown rice. This can be either short grain, long grain or basmati (for simplicity sake). Couscous also exists in wheat counterparts, Spelt and Kamut (these are ancient forms of wheat that are left in their whole form and easier to digest). Also speaking of spelt and kamut, both of which can be cooked in their whole grain form as well...spelt is also known as Farro which comes from Italy. It is a wonderful addition or substution for a grain in any classic rice dish recipe!
As for barley, there are a few different types - but to start out I would go with a "pearled" form as it is easier to cook. Once you get hooked on grains and they become more familiar, get the whole barley which requires soaking and longer cooking and also has more fiber and nutrients intact.

Then comes the next level of grains which includes many gluten free options for those with digestive disturbances such as celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, crohns and something known as "leaky gut". These grains (almost seed-like) includes Quinoa, Amaranth, Teff, Millet and Wild Rice to name a few. Recipes for these divine gems can range from loafs, to pilafs, croquettes, soups, salads, cookies and pancakes. Many a cookbook exists on how to venture into the world of grains, including how to soak them, cook them, prepare them using a wide variety of ingredients. "The Splendid Grain" by Rebecca Wood is one in particular that makes cooking and learning about grains really easy and rather fascinating.

My overall advice, is to make sure you have some healthy whole grains on hand, stored properly (in a glass jar) in your cupboards, so that the next time you want a warming and nourishing bowl, side dish or breakfast of delicious goodness they are there and ready to go!

Warm Farro Foutash Salad
Ingredients:

1 cup pearled farro (if the whole form then soak overnight)
1 cup vegetable stock
½ butternut squash, cubed
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup portabello mushrooms, chopped
1 cup rainbow chard, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sea salt
Dash of herb de provence
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup toasted walnuts
1/3 cup cranberries or currents
Crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Procedure:

Rinse and place farro into a pot with vegetable stock and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours.
Set aside farro.
Place cubed butternut squash on a baking tray with 1 tablespoons of olive oil and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with garlic over medium heat and add mushroom and sauté until softened.
Add spinach, sea salt, dry herbs and balsamic vinegar. Let sit to let the flavours combine for a few minutes.
Place cooked faro into a large bowl, add olive oil, and butternuts squash and onion, mushroom, spinach mixtures and stir everything in.Add pinenuts and crumbled goat cheese

A Gourmet Stagette

2008-11-02T14:06:00.001-05:00

Six girls came over last night for a cooking frenzy in honour of one, who is on her way down the aisle. It was as good as an evening can get with out expensive cocktails, an overpriced meal and bar hopping all over town. It was a evening in style where everyone learned how to cook some tasty recipes. Not only were all the recipes seasonally structured, but they were also great dishes to get a head start with for a new life as a couple. Everyone teamed up with great effort to make zesty appetizers like guacamole, mango rice paper wraps, pomegranate salad, then came the entree a parchment wrapped wild salmon and quinoa pilaf but the voted favourite was the roasted root vegetables with a cinnamon glaze (recipe below).

It really is a unique and rather entertaining option to customize a night of all-girl-fun and learn how to cook before you enter into holy matremony. Why not learn what it takes to make to most delicious (and might I add healthy meals) for your honey without fret.

My goal in my classes is to make it easy for you. You will learn the necessary skills without the fuss and become a Gourmet Girl in less than three hours. All you need is a few great recipes to get your new life on the right foot. Whether you are familiar in the kitchen, or holding a knife is a new skill in itself why not learn how to cook in style with a little (cooking) class.

Seasonal Roasted Root Vegetables

Ingredients:

4 cups red beets, cut in quarter or small wedges
4 carrots sliced
1 butternut squash
1 zucchini
2 turnips or parsnips
2 yams

2 tbsp maple syrup
2 ½ tbsp orange juice
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp paprika
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tamari

Preheat oven to 350°C
Procedure:

Prepare the sauce by mixing all of the ingredients in a jar and shaking well. Set aside.
Clean and slice all of the vegetables then place them in a large baking dish or baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Pour the sauce over top and stir all of the ingredients together thoroughly. Place the pan in a preheated oven and bake for 45-55 minutes. Stir the vegetables and few times while baking to be sure that they are coated with sauce and cook evenly.
Remove from oven and serve hot.

Miso Magic

2008-10-29T13:36:00.000-04:00

Miso is a fermented paste with a texture like almond butter. It is made from soybeans, koji (a bacterial starter), salt and a grain - usually rice or barley.

There is quite a variety of Miso's on the market, as soybeans can be fermented into a range of different flavours, from rich and savoury to delicate and sweet. They come in varieties of either dark brown, red, white or yellow in colour.

Miso is so wonderful and holds amazing health properties. Miso acts as an anticarcinogen, and is also effective in reducing the effects of radiation, smoking, air pollution and other enviromental toxins. The darker the colour the more potent its medicinal properties. Miso is also a wonderful digestive aid because of the fermentation process. So having a cup of warm miso soup before or after a meal is the perfect choice is your digestive system is a bit off!

Miso is also a concentrated protein source, it contains approximately 12-20% protein depending on the source. It is also low in fat, but in keep in check that it is fairly high in salt!

Miso can be used in a variety of dishes and recipes. Because of the variety of flavours and colours to choose from, each one will derive a different outcome. It can be used in place of worcestershire sauce, salt and soy sauce as a seasoning agent. Miso is most typically used as the base of soup, where it provides a rich and flavourful broth. But it can also be used in marinades, salad dresssing and even some desserts.

So get yourself equiped with at least two different varieties of miso (a sweet miso and a dark brown miso), so that you can create different recipes with different flavours. You will not be disappointed, as miso is magical and makes you feel good all over!

Quick Tip: Before adding miso to your pot of soup, take some water out and stir in the miso until it has completely dissolved. Then pour the miso mixture back into the soup pot with the heat turned off.

Miso should never come in direct contact with boiling water as it will affect it's naturally occuring enzymes and delicate properties!

Sweet Miso Dressing:
½ cup white miso
1/3 cup agave nectar
½ cup mirin
¼ cup sesame oil
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ chopped ginger

In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Store in refrigerator for 3-4 days. Makes about 2 cups.

Add this dressing to any salad or slaw with a variety of vegetables like: napa cabbage, carrots, beets, cucumber and throw some sea vegetables in too (arame, wakame, nori....)

Balance is Everything!

2008-10-15T22:44:00.001-04:00

Balance really is everything when it comes to your blood sugar levels. It is extremely important to make sure you moderate and regulate your sugar intake everyday. As participants learned in tonight's Sweet and Low Cooking Class, whether you have diabetes, hypoglycemia or just want to stay within a normal range and avoid cravings, it is vital to learn which foods will do the job and keep you in balance!

Here is a quick resource of some daily things you can be doing to keep your levels in check while creating overall, balanced and healthy eating habits!

Tips for Regulating your Blood Sugar Levels on Daily Basis Naturally

Always eat a balanced breakfast, everyday!
Do not go more than 2 hours without food or consume large heavy meals. Eat six to eight small meals throughout the day. Even eating a small snack before bed might help.
Eat a diet high in fiber (whole grains, legumes) and include large amounts of vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, squash, spinach and green beans and whole fresh fruits.
Consume beans, brown rice, oats, oat bran, lentils, sweet potatoes, tofu and fruits such as apples, apricots, avocados, banana, lemons.
For protein eat white fish or wild salmon, turkey, lean chicken breast, eggs and goats and sheep’s milk cheeses or sheep’s milk yogurt.
Use natural low glycemic sweeteners such as: brown rice syrup, barley malt, agave nectar, dates, stevia* and maple syrup (in moderation)
Stay away from high fatty foods and fried foods and choose healthy fats and oils instead: (avocado, coconut oil, olive oil or other cold pressed natural oils, raw nuts and seeds)
Remove alcohol, processed foods, sulphured dried fruits, table salt, white sugar, saturated fats, soft drinks and white flour. Also avoid food with artificial colours and preservatives.

Special foods with special properties for blood sugar:

Avocado: contains a sugar that depresses insulin production, which make them an excellent chose for people with hypoglycemia.
Cinnamon: has a lowering affect on blood sugar levels by reducing the amount of insulin secreted. Consume at least 1 teaspoon everyday!
Brewer’s Yeast: (1 Tbsp. twice daily) provides a rich source of the mineral, chromium, which has a glucose tolerance normalizing effect.
Soybeans and other legumes: (1 cup or more daily) Kidney beans, lentils, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, and lima beans retard the rate of absorption of carbohydrate into the blood stream.
Onions and garlic: (1/2 a clove twice daily) normalize blood sugar regulation by decreasing the rate of insulin elimination by the liver.
Other blood sugar controlling foods include: berries (especially blueberries), celery, cucumber, green leafy vegetables, sprouts, string beans, parsley, garlic, onions, psyllium, flaxseed, lemons, oat bran, radishes, sauerkraut, sunflower seeds, squash, watercress.

That's Amore!

2008-09-25T13:36:00.000-04:00

It really is love when you can make your favourite Italian meals at home with Healthy and Hearty alternatives.

It was so much fun last night at my "Healthy and Hearty Italian" Cooking class. Six women came over to learn how to prepare delicious that they could take home to thier families.

Italian can be made Hearty and Healthy by choosing the right grains for the basis of pizza's and pasta's. Choosing from spelt, kamut, brown rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat flours is a start. There are many varieties available on the market for wonderful pastas that taste just as good if not better than a plain white pasta. The texture and the taste of brown rice pasta, if you haven't tried it, is so satisfying. Not only will you fill up because of the fiber and trace amount of protein, but you are also left not feeling bloated and overstuffed because it digests so easily (It is also gluten free!). The same goes for spelt, kamut and buckwheat pasta. They are a bit grittier but they add some depth (buckwheat is also gluten free!).

When it comes to pizza, it takes less than 30 minutes to make your own at home. So don't sit around waiting for it to arrive. Just have one of these whole grain flours on hand and mix it up with a little olive oil, honey, water and flaxseeds, bake it and top with your favourite veggies and you've got yourself a homemade pizza that tastes delicious - I promise!

One Italian classic dish that we ventured into last night was a Minestrone Soup. This was not your typical minestrone soup with a base of tomatoes and beef stock. This was a lighter version with a vegetable base and hearty root veggies. We then added some brown rice macaroni noodles and kidney beans to give it that Italian flare that we all love.

So it may take a bit of planning, but why not have your next Italian meal at home and love every bite of it!

New Age Minestrone

Ingredients:

1 Spanish onion, cut into large dice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoon, sea salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 cups filtered water or stock
1 bay leaf
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into medium dice
3 parsnips cut into medium dice
1 sweet potato cut into large dice
3 ribs celery cut into large dice
1 large zucchini or two small zucchini, cut into small chunks
1 bunch of chard, cut into bit size pieces
1 cup soaked and cooked kidney beans (optional)
½ cup cooked macaroni brown rice noodles (optional)

In a small pot, sweat onion in oil with salt until soft.
Add oregano and sweat a few more minutes
Add water and bay leaf
Add vegetables in order given (squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes, celery, zucchini)
Turn up heat until water bubbles, then lower and simmer covered for 40-45 minutes.
Stir vegetables until squash falls apart.
Add in chopped chard.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir a few more times and serve.

*** For a smoother texture, simmer squash separately until soft (in 1-2 cups of water), and puree in food processor. Add squash to the soup for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

About Marni Wasserman

2008-09-16T15:49:00.012-04:00

Hi! My name is Marni Wasserman. I am a Graduate of the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in Toronto, with a certificate as a Certified Nutritional Practitioner. I am also a graduate of The Natural Gourmet Culinary Institution in New York City as a certified chef. My focus is stemmed around whole foods. I am dedicated to providing individuals with a balanced lifestyle through natural foods. Using passion and experience, I strive to educate individuals on how everyday eating can be simple and delicious.

Why I created Fully Nourished:

I created Fully Nourished out of pure passion. After completing my holistic nutritional studies, I went straight to New York to continue to learn and pursue my passion of cooking, baking and preparing whole foods. I am now equipped with the proper tools and necessary information to educate people on how to become fully nourished through whole foods. My cooking classes demonstrate to people how to create simple and healthy recipes for everyone with varying health and wellness goals. Whether you want to learn about healthy eating or how to prepare simple whole foods or if you just want whole foods to compliment and overall healthy lifestyle - then I can take you there!

What I am passionate about:
I am completely, wholly and utterly passionate about food. Whole foods that is! I love anything that has to do with nutrition, the body and food preparation. I am also passionate about educating people. I love to show people how they can learn to eat healthy foods at home with simple and effective methods to prepare them. Teaching cooking classes is completely rewarding. I get the chance to meet new people all the time, answer questions and concerns they may have about specific foods or recipes, and the best part is watching people create delicious recipes and enjoying every bite of them!

What do I want to share with my clients:

I want to share my passion and knowledge with them. I believe that with passion everything else will follow. By sharing my knowledge about whole foods and healthy eating, my clients will gain a significant understanding of why I am so keenly interested in this lifestyle and chosen profession.

Get Creative and Make Food Fun!

2008-09-11T11:15:00.001-04:00

In my recent Yummy cooking class that focused on Kid-Friendly recipes, the menu was designed with simplicity and creativity in mind.

Kids like to see what they eat, they like bright colours and sometimes different textures (depending on how fussy they are!!).

So when you are creating recipes for yourself or your children or any child for that matter it is always best to make the recipes full of colour and of course full of flavour.

It is important to get your kids involved in the making of simple recipes, because then they see what is going into it and if they have a part of it, they are more likely to eat it too!

So get creative in the kitchen and have fun!

Chunky Corn and Tomato Salsa

2 ears of summer fresh corn

1 tbsp grapseed oil

2 cloves of garlic

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 pint of tomatillos (green tomatoes)

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 green onions

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp chili powder (optional)

1 tsp honey

salt to taste

1. Shave the corn kernals off the ear of corn over a bowl.

2. In a medium saucepan, warm up the oil with the garlic for a few minutes, add the corn kernals and red onion.

3. Sautee for 5-10 minutes until kernal turn bright yellow and onions are soft.

4. In a small food processor, lightly puree the chopped tomatoes and tomatillos (so that they are still chunky).

5. Combine the tomato/tomatillo puree to the saucepan with the rest of the ingredients.

6. Simmer on low heat for another 5-10 minutes until all the flavours are combined.

7. Put Salsa into the fridge in a glass bowl for a few hours to chill.

8. Remove from Fridge and serve with Corn Chips or on top Sprouted Quesadillas!

ENJOY!

Made to Order

2008-09-05T11:23:00.000-04:00

Yes it is possible, you can create your own custom made cooking class!

With a little help of a friend of mine, we organized a fun evening with a group of 7 women.

One of them was kind enough to extend her gorgious loft in downtown Toronto for this amazing night to take place.

The whole class was custom created-from the people selected to the menu designed! Of course there is always the option to bring your own wine.

This made for an enjoyable and alternative way to do a cooking class. What better way to spend an evening than to get together with a group of fabulous women, sip wine and learn how to cook new and exciting recipes and then sit down and feast on them afterwards?

Last night's menu of desire was asian inspired. Everybody wants to have a little asian experience in the kitchen - it is great for entertaining, the flavours are light and pungent and who doesn't want to know how to roll sushi or make the most delicious organic chicken teriyaki?

The group last night had the the chance to learn how to use some of the different condiments and ingredients that are used in asian-specific recipes. They also learned how to mix and match certain flavours to get just the right taste or texture and most importantly, they were introduced to some of natural products that are available for asian style cooking. This includes Tamari (wheat free soy sauce), Organic Toasted Sesame Oil, Brown Rice Vinegar, Bragg's Amino Acids, Kuzu (sea vegetable cornstarch), Umeboshi Paste (japanese pickled plums), Miso Paste, Tempeh and a whole range of different Sea Vegetables.

As you can see, there was a fair share of learning last night, a great deal of cooking and a whole lot of fun!

So if you don't know this already, this is an option for you too! Gather a group together, pick a date and let's design a class together!

Organic Chicken Teriyaki:

Ingredients:
Marinade:
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from ¼ cup peeled and grated ginger
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2½ tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon umeboshi paste
½ cup apple juice

2 breasts organic chicken, cut into strips
¼-1/3 cup vegetable oil (grapeseed oil)
1 tablespoon kuzu dissolved in ¼ cup water or apple juice
1 bunch of broccoli florets, blanched
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Procedure:

1. Cut the broccoli into florets and place into a pot of boiling water with salt for 1-2 minutes, remove promptly an immerse in cold water and set aside.
2. In a blender, combine first six ingredients with ½ cup water. Blend until smooth.
3. Slice chicken into strips of equal thickness.
4. In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken with the marinade (reserving a small amount of the marinade). Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 5- 10 minutes.
5. Continue to pan fry chicken over medium and heat until golden on both sides.
6. After chicken is cooked, add dissolved kuzu to reserved marinade and stir in a small dish until well combined.
7. Pour the blended marinade mixture into the pan or wok with the chicken, and cook for about two minutes, until the liquid is thickened, stirring constantly.
8. Add the Broccoli to the sauce stirring until well coated and top with toasted sesame seeds.

They Deserve the Very Best!

2008-08-25T15:03:00.000-04:00

Quinoa Surprise Salad

Parents always want to make sure that their kids have the best of everything. The coolest running shoes, the most high-tech video games, the trendiest clothing etc...So why skimp when it comes to their nutrition? I can't stress how important it is to make sure that kids are fueled with the right nutrients as early on in their life as possible. It becomes more difficult the older they get, as they begin to form unchanging and differing opions in their life - and when it comes to food, there is no shortage of personal preferences and aversions to foods that they just don't want to try because "I don't feel like it"!

If you train their palates to adapt to delicious foods then there should be any hesitation but to want to gobble up everything and anything you make for them. They won't even know the amazing nutritional benefits they are getting until they grow up and thank you for their good health and well being!

So the trick is to make sure that the foods you are preparing, taste just as good if not better than anything else they are eating. Even if that means sneaking in healthy ingredients into tasty recipes, they will never know the difference. Especially if you are making recipes from fresh whole foods, there should absolutely be no problem. Most recipes depending on what they are can be sweetened wih natural alternatives, bulked up with healthy fiber from natural sources and provide interesting textures and flavours that they have never experienced.

If you want to have delectable recipes like "Everything Cookies" and "Quinoa Surprise Salad" in your home then come and learn how to make a difference in your child's nutrition. You can guarentee that they will be saying "Mummy That's Sooo Yummy!"

Sweet Pleasures

2008-08-21T10:58:00.000-04:00

I can't describe to you how much I love each and everyone of my cooking classes. It is so rewarding and gratifying to have a group of people come over to your house, talk about food, nutrition and healthy ingredients and then make some amazingly delicious recipes. Well last nights class was just that. I had seven wonderful girls come and join me in making some healthy and tasty desserts. In this class everyone learned about the natural alternatives that can be used to make your desserts more nutritious. I mean what could be better than making scrumptious desserts without guilt?

Yes, of course these dessert still have calories. They are foods....and all food has calories. But what is nice to know is that the calories in these desserts also come along with some nutrients - something you don't get with commercially baked products with white flour, processed dairy and refined sugars!

The other best part of hosting a cooking class is watching the group interact and connect together as they team up and make the recipe that interests them most and if not just helped along with a recipe to learn new techniques or how to use alternative ingredients.

So the end result was great, everyone's sweet tooth was fulfilled. How could they not be with "the best brownies I have ever tasted"?

It was truly the sweetest pleasure seeing everyone create these dessert recipes and enjoy each and every decadent bite. Is not only rewarding for me to have recipes that are successful in a cooking class but more importantly the gratification that is felt among my participants when they feel nourished with knowledge and wholesome foods all at once!

Delicious Desserts without Guilt!

2008-08-11T15:26:00.001-04:00

How you ask?

Well all it takes is some education and a little planning. You just have to fill your kitchen with the right ingredients if you want to make simple substitutions to your dessert favourites. And guess what ...I can teach you how.

In this cooking class I will be outlining the different sugar alternatives that are available to you to use with ease. Not to mention their individual sweetness and subtle flavours. I will also be discussing whole grain flours flours that can be used rather than traditional white or now more commonly used whole wheat. These new whole grain alternative flours that can be used in your baked recipes, have some incredible health benefits and you can't even taste the difference!

Most importantly I will cover how baking can be done without any dairy. That means no milk, cream, butter or eggs. Baking can be done without these timely staples. It is really that simple!

You will now have more fun than ever while baking your favourite recipes!

So come and join me on Wednesday August 20th for a wonderful and delicious exploration of healthy baking at it's best.

Here is a recipe just to get your taste buds going....

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

3/4 cup spelt flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (you can do more...I always do!)

1/2 sucanat (natural form of sugar)

1/4 cup maple sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup sunflower oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats.

3. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

4. Mix sugars, maple syrup, apple sauce, oil and vanilla together in bowl. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the oats and raisins.

5. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

6. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the cookies sheets.

7. Bake for 12-14 minutes and let them cool for 5-8 minutes on cookie sheets then scoop onto a cooling rack.

8. Enjoy them with a glass a cold glass of Vanilla Rice Milk.!

Homemade Granola Goodness

2008-07-26T20:26:00.000-04:00

Wouldn't it be nice to sit down to a bowl of delicious granola in the morning knowing you made it and that it tasted better than anything you bought in a store....well you can.

You could have come to my Breakfast Cooking Class to learn how, or you could simply find a recipe that suits your needs to make a batch of this golden toasted goodness.

But I will give you some quick tips to get started with.

First of all get yourself some good quality organic whole rolled oats. This will be your basis and substance to the recipe. Use sweeteners such as maple syrup, agave nectar, honey. Oils such as sunflower oil, coconut oil or organic canola oil. Then comes the fun part adding such things as almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, coconut flakes, apricots, raisins, goji berries....whatever you want! It's yours to enjoy. Just store it in a glass jar and it will keep for a good couple of months.

So really it is that easy to make granola at home. Then you don't have to worry that it is loaded with trans fats, processed sugars and other preservatives.

The Hidden Truth about Calcium!

2008-07-24T11:22:00.000-04:00

Who needs a calcium supplement when you can get it from food! No, not from dairy ... but from plant based whole foods!

Learning about which foods have significant levels of calcium is crucial especially if you are concerened about your bones or current calcium intake levels. Unfortunately, I hate to break the news to you, but the Calcium that you think you are getting from a glass of milk, a cup of "low fat" yogurt or slice of cheese is not being absorbed into your body in a usable or beneficial form. In fact it is doing quite the opposite.

The truth is, dairy (especially commercially processed dairy) is extremely acidic to the body and especially to the bones. So when you consume any form of processed dairy, it is actually stripping calcium away from your bones rather than building on to it. So most individuals in North America, predominantly women could be responsible for thier own weakening bone conditions as a result of overconsuming commercial dairy. But not to fret, this can be taken care of and quite possibly reversed.

All you have to do is start consuming adequate amounts of Non-Dairy Sources of Calcium. These sources which come from plant based foods, are extremely bioavailable to the body and they taste great too!

So get your daily dose of greens in (chard, kale, beet greens, collards, broccoli and bok choy). You can steam them, blanch them, saute them, add them to soups, salads or grain dishes--you can even hide them in a smoothie. Consume nuts and seeds such as sesame seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds, all great sources of calcium, iron, protein and essential fatty acids. Other hidden but rich sources of calcium include tempeh, avocado, parsley, figs, carob, beans and legumes, salmon and quinoa.
So do what you will, but you can avoid taking expensive supplements and consuming commercial dairy and simply get your calcium from nature. Your body and your taste buds will thank you!

Recipe:

Parsley and Scallion "Butter" with Steamed Greens
This recipe is inspired by Anne Gentry owner of Real Food Daily (Vegan Restaurant in Los Angeles)

Ingredients:

1 bunch of greens such as kale, beet greens, collards, swiss chard, bok choy or spinach

1 ½ cup fresh scallions, chopped
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup fresh parsley
3 tbsp lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 tablespoons umeboshi paste
1 teaspoons minced peeled fresh garlic

Procedure:

Steam greens and rinse with cold water to maintain brightness.
Combine all ingredients of "butter" in a food processor and blend until creamy and smooth.
Transfer the spread to a small bowl.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and allow flavors to blend and the spread will become slightly firm.

The Humid Effect on Baking

2008-07-20T17:16:00.000-04:00

Well it is true, you will never get the result you want in a baked recipe when there is moisture in the air.

I was preparing my weekly batch of Spelt Blueberry Banana muffins, same ingredients each week in their proper amounts but the outcome... not the same. They just didn't want to rise. They normally have this nice little peak in the very center, but not this time. I must mention however, that the slight moisture in the air, brought about a very moist and tender muffin. So the taste, was delicious---they were just a little flatter and smaller than my usual batch. So really you can't beat the heat, when an order comes in, its got to be done. Just be aware that your muffins may not "muff" up like they usually do when the air is wet.

Who knew rolling sushi could be so simple?

2008-07-10T10:50:00.000-04:00

Everybody loves going out to eat Sushi. But wouldn't it be nice to make Sushi at home? Well those participants who came to join me last night for the AMAZING ASIAN cooking class, had the chance to do just that.

There is such fear around making sushi. People seem to think that it is so difficult and tell themselves, "I can't do that"! Well I will tell you what, you can! Also nobody thinks that sushi can taste that good if it's made out of brown rice...wrong again!

So let's go through the steps and simplify this for you.

All you need is a Bamboo sushi mat (approximately $2.00), some short grain brown rice, thinly sliced veggies of your choice (carrots, cucumber, avocado, scallions, mushrooms etc...) Nori (seaweed) sheets, water to dip your fingers in and a sharp knife. You can even add your own condiments such as yellow pickled ginger and wasabi.

There really is no skillful technique, just some practice. All you need to do is place the nori sheet on the bamboo mat vertically, spread the rice out on the nori filling it out abot half way or more, place your veggie strips in a line across the middle ...and then get ready to roll. Wrap the bottom layer over itself with the bamboo and give it a tight press on each turn and go all the way through until you have one rolled up sushi log. Then sliced it up into 8 little bit sized pieces.

And there you have it, Sushi at home. This was definitely the highlight of last nights class. Everyone was amazed at how simple it really is to make healthy vegetarian sushi at home.

Sensational Summer Cooking Class - A True Success

2008-07-08T11:43:00.000-04:00

I really do love to cook - but I love teaching people how to cook even more!

My new series of cooking classes have started off great!
A wonderful group of five lively and lovely ladies joined me for a wonderful evening of delicious summer recipes.

Everyone was greeted with a fresh glass of ginger-goji berry lemonade and then sat down to watch a demo of a creamy guacomole being prepared with fresh green garden peas, to be dipped in by organic blue corn chips. This is a delicious and nutritious twist to a traditional guacamole recipe. The peas add some depth, flavour and some good quality protein as well! The bowl was empty within seconds.

We then got into a discussion of the natural and fresh ingredients that were going to be used in the class. Everyone had questions to be answered.

Most questions were stemmed around what the difference is between some conventional ingredients such as soy sauce and sugar and what the natural alternatives were that we would be using in this class.

So I did my fair share of explaining that Tamari is a naturally fermented source of Soy Sauce that does not contain any wheat or additives. The sources of sugar we used in the class were either brown rice syrup, maple syrup or agave nectar, which are all from natural plant or food sources. Whichs means they contain some vitamins and minerals that would not be found in traditional white sugar. It was also pertanent to mention that brown rice syrup and agave nectar do not spike blood sugar levels as rapidly as processed sugar does.

It is always so great and rewarding to educate people on basic things that they can take home and bring into thier own cooking and daily eating. There are so many questions around food, and I am always more than happy to bridge this gap, and make clear what is confusing.

So the evening carried on with everyone making one of the many recipes that were to be prepared in the class. Everyone got to choose between making either: Tangy Thai Lettuce Wraps, Apple-Fennel salad with a Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette, Quinoa Tabule, Green Beans with Hazelnuts, White Bean Dip with Dill, Citrus Tempeh Skewers or Creamy Lemon Tarts. A tough decision to make, I know!

But everyone chose the recipe that made them eager and excited to prepare .
The recipes turned out fantastic and everyone learned a new technique or two to make things easier for them in the kitchen, whethter it was how slice fennel on a mandoline, processing quick dressings in a blender or vitamix or blanching broccoli to get crisp and tender floret, everyone got something helpful and useful out of the class.

Then after two hours of fun in the kitchen, we all sat down to enjoy the wonderful sampling of all the recipes together, plus there was plenty of leftovers to take home!

After such a great experience, I am really looking forward to my next upcoming summer classes and I hope you can make it to one of them!