It’s also a great recipe on rushed nights – it takes less than 30 minutes (with very little prep).
This is a very flexible recipe. Love ginger? Add more. Find the cumin too strong? Use less. Note that this dish doesn't taste nearly as good as leftovers, so only make as much cauliflower as you think you’ll eat that night.
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower
2 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp cumin
2 TBSP ginger
Steps
1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2 Wash and finely chop cauliflower. The more finely you chop your cauliflower, the faster it will roast. I recommend 0.5 cm slices (yes, it’s small!).
3 Very finely chop the ginger. I like to use a sharp vegetable peeler instead of chopping.
4 In a metal roasting pan, combine all ingredients, tossing to combine well.
5 Roast for approximately 20 minutes, taking the pan out to stir the cauliflower twice. The length of cooking time will vary depending on how small you sliced the cauliflower. Look for it to have a lot of dark brown spots (but not burnt). This will create a sweet, roasted flavour. If you take it out too early it will be pale, limp, and flavourless.
6 ENJOY!
Green Earth Organics Inc. is a home and office certified organic grocery and natural product delivery service. We have a wide selection of 100% Certified Organic fruit, vegetables, and other grocery products. We also carry a growing list of environmentally friendly products that make it easier for our customers to tread lighter on our planet. This blog offers exiting information on organic food and healthy eating habits.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Friday, December 12, 2014
White Bean Dip Recipe
Makes 12 Servings
Ingredients
1 can (14 oz, 17.6 oz) cannellini beans, canned, drained
1 bulb garlic, raw
1/4 cup (2 oz) olive oil
1/4 cup (2 fl oz) lemon juice, fresh
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Remove the outermost skin of the garlic bulb (the loose stuff). Cut off the very top of the bulb so the tip of each clove is exposed. Rub the entire bulb with some olive oil. Wrap in tin foil, shiny-side inwards. Place on a cookie sheet or in a casserole dish.
3. Roast in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until the bulb gives off the distinct roasted garlic (not raw garlic) aroma and the cloves are squishy.
4. Allow to cool.
5. Drain and rinse the beans (rinsing removes some of the “magical” part of the beans). Place them in a medium-size bowl.
6. To the beans, add half the olive oil, half the lemon juice, and half of the cloves of garlic. Using a hand-held blender, blend the mixture until it’s smooth. Adding more olive oil, lemon juice and garlic to taste and to get the texture to the desired smoothness.
7. ENJOY with tortilla chips, crackers, apple slices, and raw veggies like carrots, celery and bell pepper strips.
Note: You can roast the garlic days in advance.
Ingredients
1 can (14 oz, 17.6 oz) cannellini beans, canned, drained
1 bulb garlic, raw
1/4 cup (2 oz) olive oil
1/4 cup (2 fl oz) lemon juice, fresh
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Remove the outermost skin of the garlic bulb (the loose stuff). Cut off the very top of the bulb so the tip of each clove is exposed. Rub the entire bulb with some olive oil. Wrap in tin foil, shiny-side inwards. Place on a cookie sheet or in a casserole dish.
3. Roast in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until the bulb gives off the distinct roasted garlic (not raw garlic) aroma and the cloves are squishy.
4. Allow to cool.
5. Drain and rinse the beans (rinsing removes some of the “magical” part of the beans). Place them in a medium-size bowl.
6. To the beans, add half the olive oil, half the lemon juice, and half of the cloves of garlic. Using a hand-held blender, blend the mixture until it’s smooth. Adding more olive oil, lemon juice and garlic to taste and to get the texture to the desired smoothness.
7. ENJOY with tortilla chips, crackers, apple slices, and raw veggies like carrots, celery and bell pepper strips.
Note: You can roast the garlic days in advance.
How to Use After School Snacks to Get Picky Eaters To Try New Foods
If you’re like the parents of picky eaters who’ve I’ve helped for the last 6 years, you’re constantly on the look out for ways to get your kids to eat more (healthy) foods. After school snacks are a great (and often overlooked) opportunity to contribute to kids’ nutrition.
Here’s why after school snacks are such a great time to get kids to eat more foods, how to do it, and some snack ideas.
Why it Works:
Many kids have big appetites at after school snack time. Appetite is a great motivator for kids to try new foods.
Have you ever tried getting a child to eat a new food when they aren’t hungry? It’s a lesson in futility.
Take advantage of this natural window of opportunity and use after school snacks to offer your child new foods.
How to Do It:
Step #1: Plan snacks that include foods from 2 or more food groups. Often we think of snacks as a time for junk food. Or, as a time for a single food – e.g. an apple. But kids have big nutrient needs and small tummies. They need healthy foods more than just at 3 meals per day.
Step #2: Consider meals and snacks to be equal opportunities to eat. A mistake that many parents make is to give their child healthy foods at meals and favourite foods at snacks. This stacks the odds against kids eating well at meals. Instead, frequently, give your child a snack that includes either a new food or a food that your child has seen many times but hasn’t tried yet.
Step #3: Think outside the snack aisle. When looking for snack ideas, it seems natural to look in the snack aisle of the grocery store. But this aisle is mostly filled with highly processed, junky foods. Instead, look for easy to eat versions of meal foods. Focus on providing foods from the food groups where your child isn’t meeting the recommendations. To see the recommendations, check out Canada’s Food Guide http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
Snack Ideas:
Edamame and an orange (2 food groups)
White Bean Dip* with a variety of raw veggies such as snow peas, carrots, and zucchini (2 food groups)
Yogurt with pomegranate and hemp hearts (3 food groups)
Sliced banana on top of whole grain crackers/rice cakes/corn cakes spread with peanut butter, nut-butter, or non-nut butter. (3 food groups)
Here’s why after school snacks are such a great time to get kids to eat more foods, how to do it, and some snack ideas.
Why it Works:
Many kids have big appetites at after school snack time. Appetite is a great motivator for kids to try new foods.
Have you ever tried getting a child to eat a new food when they aren’t hungry? It’s a lesson in futility.
Take advantage of this natural window of opportunity and use after school snacks to offer your child new foods.
How to Do It:
Step #1: Plan snacks that include foods from 2 or more food groups. Often we think of snacks as a time for junk food. Or, as a time for a single food – e.g. an apple. But kids have big nutrient needs and small tummies. They need healthy foods more than just at 3 meals per day.
Step #2: Consider meals and snacks to be equal opportunities to eat. A mistake that many parents make is to give their child healthy foods at meals and favourite foods at snacks. This stacks the odds against kids eating well at meals. Instead, frequently, give your child a snack that includes either a new food or a food that your child has seen many times but hasn’t tried yet.
Step #3: Think outside the snack aisle. When looking for snack ideas, it seems natural to look in the snack aisle of the grocery store. But this aisle is mostly filled with highly processed, junky foods. Instead, look for easy to eat versions of meal foods. Focus on providing foods from the food groups where your child isn’t meeting the recommendations. To see the recommendations, check out Canada’s Food Guide http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
Snack Ideas:
Edamame and an orange (2 food groups)
White Bean Dip* with a variety of raw veggies such as snow peas, carrots, and zucchini (2 food groups)
Yogurt with pomegranate and hemp hearts (3 food groups)
Sliced banana on top of whole grain crackers/rice cakes/corn cakes spread with peanut butter, nut-butter, or non-nut butter. (3 food groups)
Friday, November 28, 2014
Provencal Lemon Stuffed Chicken Breast
Chef Luis Felipe Lavieri
Ingredients
Compound Butter
-4 Table Spoon Unsalted room temperature Butter
-1 Poultry Mix Herbs (Thyme, Sage, Rosemary)
-1 Lemon
-2 pinch of salt
-(optional) 1 tbsp of Roasted Garlic
Chicken
2 Chicken Breasts
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Directions
Everybody and their second cousin knows how to cook chicken, and you probably think that this is probably one of the simplest chicken recipes that you will see, but the devil truly is in the details. I don't want you to just know how to cook a chicken but how to do so with the flare of a 3 star restaurant chef. If you follow the instructions, this dish will be one of the best dishes you eat this week.
Turn on and set the oven to 375 F
Grab 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 leaves of sages and one sprig of rosemary. Take all the little leaves off the stems on both the rosemary and the thyme. Chop up all the leafs liberally into very small pieces.
Mix the butter with the herbs, the zest of a lemon and salt (optional - and the garlic too).
Make an incision on the back side of the chicken with a paring knife. I have attached a drawing to help you out.
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-Two very important tips here - Keep your fingers away from the sharp side of the blade. You are puncturing meat so it is very easy to slip and cut yourself. My recommendation is to lay the breast flat on a cutting board and to insert the knife away from you.
- The second tip is to go as far as the handle will take you. Paring knifes usually are between 3 and 5 inches long, while chicken breasts are usually around 5-6 inches long, which means that you won't be puncturing through. You want to create a pouch in which you can put the compound butter. If you don't make a hole on the other side, less butter will come out, and less of the natural juices of the chicken will come out. The end result is a juicer chicken with more flavour.
Stuff about 2 table spoons of the compound butter into the chicken.
Add 1 pinch of salt and 1 pinch of pepper to the outside of the chicken
In a hot pan at medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil
Sear the chicken. About 3 minutes per side should be good enough. Each side should have turned golden by the time you turn/take the chicken off. Give it enough time per side to sear.
Place the seared chicken in the oven for 25-30 minutes depending on the size of your chicken breasts. If unsure whether your chicken is done, check the internal temperature with a thermometer. It should read 75 Celsius or 165 Fahrenheit.
Recommendation - If you happen to have a cookie cooling rack that is rated to be able to go in the oven, cook the chicken on the wire rack. This has the added benefit of distributing the heat evenly all around your chicken. If any juices come off, the chicken will not sit on them cooking the meat at two different temperatures.
After you take the chicken out of the oven, allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes while covered (with a lid or aluminium paper). This allows the juices to sit in the meat, and your chicken won't dry out once cut.
Ingredients
Compound Butter
-4 Table Spoon Unsalted room temperature Butter
-1 Poultry Mix Herbs (Thyme, Sage, Rosemary)
-1 Lemon
-2 pinch of salt
-(optional) 1 tbsp of Roasted Garlic
Chicken
2 Chicken Breasts
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Directions
Everybody and their second cousin knows how to cook chicken, and you probably think that this is probably one of the simplest chicken recipes that you will see, but the devil truly is in the details. I don't want you to just know how to cook a chicken but how to do so with the flare of a 3 star restaurant chef. If you follow the instructions, this dish will be one of the best dishes you eat this week.
Turn on and set the oven to 375 F
Grab 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 leaves of sages and one sprig of rosemary. Take all the little leaves off the stems on both the rosemary and the thyme. Chop up all the leafs liberally into very small pieces.
Mix the butter with the herbs, the zest of a lemon and salt (optional - and the garlic too).
Make an incision on the back side of the chicken with a paring knife. I have attached a drawing to help you out.
-Two very important tips here - Keep your fingers away from the sharp side of the blade. You are puncturing meat so it is very easy to slip and cut yourself. My recommendation is to lay the breast flat on a cutting board and to insert the knife away from you.
- The second tip is to go as far as the handle will take you. Paring knifes usually are between 3 and 5 inches long, while chicken breasts are usually around 5-6 inches long, which means that you won't be puncturing through. You want to create a pouch in which you can put the compound butter. If you don't make a hole on the other side, less butter will come out, and less of the natural juices of the chicken will come out. The end result is a juicer chicken with more flavour.
Stuff about 2 table spoons of the compound butter into the chicken.
Add 1 pinch of salt and 1 pinch of pepper to the outside of the chicken
In a hot pan at medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil
Sear the chicken. About 3 minutes per side should be good enough. Each side should have turned golden by the time you turn/take the chicken off. Give it enough time per side to sear.
Place the seared chicken in the oven for 25-30 minutes depending on the size of your chicken breasts. If unsure whether your chicken is done, check the internal temperature with a thermometer. It should read 75 Celsius or 165 Fahrenheit.
Recommendation - If you happen to have a cookie cooling rack that is rated to be able to go in the oven, cook the chicken on the wire rack. This has the added benefit of distributing the heat evenly all around your chicken. If any juices come off, the chicken will not sit on them cooking the meat at two different temperatures.
After you take the chicken out of the oven, allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes while covered (with a lid or aluminium paper). This allows the juices to sit in the meat, and your chicken won't dry out once cut.
Is There Really Progress if They Consistently DON'T Eat it?
Do you have a child who is a picky eater? Many parents give up offering their kids foods that they don’t eat because it can seem like a waste of time, effort, and food.
A parent wrote in this question to me. If it sounds familiar to you, read on...
…reading about how "you may have to serve a particular food as many as X times before they will eat it": is there really progress in serving a food if they consistently DON'T eat it? Like don't even try it / does not go anywhere near their mouth or even their hand? I feel as though I have probably served various vegetables to my son well over a hundred times and he still doesn't eat them, and still doesn't even come close to trying them. And frankly, I wonder how he will ever come to try them since he seems stubborn enough to continue dodging them for many years to come...
The truth is that there is no guaranteed way that you can get your child to like a particular food.
But don’t give up!
There absolutely is progress…even if they don’t try it!
By seeing the food over and over again, you are normalizing the food for your child. Many kids are honestly scared to try new foods. The more times that they see it (even if they don’t try it), the less scary it becomes. And, by seeing you (and other influential people) eat it, it helps them come to trust the food.
You never know when the magical day will come that your child will try it. If you stop serving it now you’ll never know if it would have been the next time, or the time after that.
Here are some tips to follow to make sure that each time you’re serving these vegetables you’re maximizing the likeliness that your child will try them:
Make sure there isn’t any pressure to try (and like) foods. Many picky eaters are sensitive kids. They can feel pressure coming from you a mile away. By preparing and serving foods you’ve indicated that you want them to eat it. Enough said. Instead, focus your energy on enjoying each other during this family time. It seems counter intuitive, but the more pleasant the table experience, the more likely kids are to try new foods.
Give small servings. A small serving is less intimidating than a large one. If your child tries it and likes it, he/she can ask for more. If she/he doesn’t, then you’re minimizing your food waste.
No “one bite rule” (also known as the “no thank you bite”). While the “one bite rule” may work for some kids, it only fuels picky eating in many, many kids. And while it may get one bite of that food in your child today, it isn’t teaching him to like these foods. What your child is learning is to eat to please others – the opposite of mindful eating.
Allow touching, licking and spitting out. For picky eaters, putting a food in their mouth is a very intimate action. These steps allow a child to ‘get to know’ a food before eating it. Teach your child how to do these activities with good manners (such as spitting food out into their napkin).
And, last but not least, rest assured that even if your child never develops a taste for specific vegetables, he/she can still have good nutritional health – we humans do best when we eat a variety of foods. There’s no one individual specific food that we must eat in order to be healthy. Which is a good thing because I still haven’t learned to like Brussels sprouts yet (and yes, I do keep trying them). However, an openness to trying different foods is a key (and learned) skill necessary for having a healthy relationship with food. By continuing to present these vegetables, this is exactly what you’re teaching your child. Great job!
A parent wrote in this question to me. If it sounds familiar to you, read on...
…reading about how "you may have to serve a particular food as many as X times before they will eat it": is there really progress in serving a food if they consistently DON'T eat it? Like don't even try it / does not go anywhere near their mouth or even their hand? I feel as though I have probably served various vegetables to my son well over a hundred times and he still doesn't eat them, and still doesn't even come close to trying them. And frankly, I wonder how he will ever come to try them since he seems stubborn enough to continue dodging them for many years to come...
The truth is that there is no guaranteed way that you can get your child to like a particular food.
But don’t give up!
There absolutely is progress…even if they don’t try it!
By seeing the food over and over again, you are normalizing the food for your child. Many kids are honestly scared to try new foods. The more times that they see it (even if they don’t try it), the less scary it becomes. And, by seeing you (and other influential people) eat it, it helps them come to trust the food.
You never know when the magical day will come that your child will try it. If you stop serving it now you’ll never know if it would have been the next time, or the time after that.
Here are some tips to follow to make sure that each time you’re serving these vegetables you’re maximizing the likeliness that your child will try them:
Make sure there isn’t any pressure to try (and like) foods. Many picky eaters are sensitive kids. They can feel pressure coming from you a mile away. By preparing and serving foods you’ve indicated that you want them to eat it. Enough said. Instead, focus your energy on enjoying each other during this family time. It seems counter intuitive, but the more pleasant the table experience, the more likely kids are to try new foods.
Give small servings. A small serving is less intimidating than a large one. If your child tries it and likes it, he/she can ask for more. If she/he doesn’t, then you’re minimizing your food waste.
No “one bite rule” (also known as the “no thank you bite”). While the “one bite rule” may work for some kids, it only fuels picky eating in many, many kids. And while it may get one bite of that food in your child today, it isn’t teaching him to like these foods. What your child is learning is to eat to please others – the opposite of mindful eating.
Allow touching, licking and spitting out. For picky eaters, putting a food in their mouth is a very intimate action. These steps allow a child to ‘get to know’ a food before eating it. Teach your child how to do these activities with good manners (such as spitting food out into their napkin).
And, last but not least, rest assured that even if your child never develops a taste for specific vegetables, he/she can still have good nutritional health – we humans do best when we eat a variety of foods. There’s no one individual specific food that we must eat in order to be healthy. Which is a good thing because I still haven’t learned to like Brussels sprouts yet (and yes, I do keep trying them). However, an openness to trying different foods is a key (and learned) skill necessary for having a healthy relationship with food. By continuing to present these vegetables, this is exactly what you’re teaching your child. Great job!
I AM NOT A COOK
They say there is a first time for everything, and frankly, I’ve become a big fan of the satisfaction and reward that comes with stepping outside of my comfort zone. In the course of one week, I tackled some necessary financial decisions, floated in a sensory deprivation tank for the first time, and faced each day of my new self-employed life with an open mind and heart, which, I am finding, takes its own brand of courage.
In spite of all this, here I was, waking up worried about a box of vegetables.
It was an uncomfortable feeling. (It was also completely ridiculous.)
I am not a cook.
As the haze of my sleeping state wore off, I felt a sudden pang of desperation for something that I felt I didn’t possess. I desperately needed to be an inspirer of culinary creativity and genius.
The Yoga that I teach (a restorative, relaxation-style practice called Yoga Nidra) works specifically with a single, potent intention that creates a vehicle for deep inner transformation. Simply put, I’ve seen how the power of what you put after the words ‘I AM’ shapes your reality, and there was no way I was going to start my day telling myself I was NOT something.
But there’s a fine line between denial and the truth, and the truth remains that I am not a cook. I’m really not. I CAN cook, but I am not…you know… a Chef.
This eventually begged the question, “if I am not a cook, then what AM I?”
A culinary explorer? A dabbler? A creative & curious spirit?
I ventured down to the kitchen to face “The Bin.” Not even 24 hours earlier, the arrival of this cardboard box on my doorstep had given me endless excitement. I nearly hugged the delivery guy as he left, and like a kid at Christmas, I tore into the box with enough reckless abandon to keep my precious fruits & veggies unscathed.
I laid this cornucopia of organic goodness out on my counter, one by one (or two by two!)…juicy Asian Pears and Macintosh Apples, a bunch of bright yellow bananas, luscious lettuce & kale… My mouth started to water… it all seemed so easy. Just…eat it!
But no, I somehow felt I had to blow minds with my culinary prowess, effortlessly whipping up something so flavourful, yet simple to prepare, with complexity, depth and YUM Factor. I imagined my husband’s delighted face as he would savour my creation, jumping immediately to his feet and applauding the simple genius of it all…
I snapped back to reality. Sigh. If only.
Defeated by my perceived limitations, I ripped a banana from the bunch and ate it straight up.
And THAT’S where my light bulb moment happened. It was time for an honest self-chat.
First of all, I’m scarfing this banana without thinking twice, not savouring or relishing the flavours or the experience.
Second of all, look how complicated I am trying to make this whole exercise! Why try to be something that I am not?
The answer to my produce dilemma suddenly seemed simple, and admittedly, much more profound than I had anticipated:
Do what you’re already doing, but “do” less in order to enjoy it more.
Savour every part of the gift of nourishing yourself and others.
Dare to be unapologetically imperfect and enjoy the learning.
My mission was clear: I would either relish each of these tasty morsels on their own, exactly as they were, or call on my new best friend…
Our Vitamix.
The result? Simple, tasty, and oh so flavourful, with a deeper sense of respect and gratitude for every single bite. No culinary genius needed.
I may not be a cook, but I am creative…and that is enough.
By Allison Goundry
http://allisongoundry.wordpress.com
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Tomato Carrot Ginger Soup
by Michelle Giangualano
Ingredients
2 tsp coconut oil
4 cup tomatoes, quartered
1 cup carrots, shredded
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 cups vegetable broth
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp, ground pepper
1 tsp whole cane sugar (or coconut sap)
½ tsp rosemary
Directions
1.) Heat 2 tsp coconut oil in a saucepan, add tomatoes and carrots, then sauté until slightly soft. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the broth, and all remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
2.) Use a submersion blender or transfer soup into a blender and puree until completely smooth. (Use caution, as the soup will be very hot).
3.) Serve and enjoy!
Makes 4 servings.
The perfect fall soup; warm, delicious and simple to make. This recipe boasts fabulous immune boosting nutrients, as well as tremendous lung support. Its makes a perfect side dish for any meal
Ingredients
2 tsp coconut oil
4 cup tomatoes, quartered
1 cup carrots, shredded
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 cups vegetable broth
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp, ground pepper
1 tsp whole cane sugar (or coconut sap)
½ tsp rosemary
Directions
1.) Heat 2 tsp coconut oil in a saucepan, add tomatoes and carrots, then sauté until slightly soft. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the broth, and all remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
2.) Use a submersion blender or transfer soup into a blender and puree until completely smooth. (Use caution, as the soup will be very hot).
3.) Serve and enjoy!
Makes 4 servings.
The perfect fall soup; warm, delicious and simple to make. This recipe boasts fabulous immune boosting nutrients, as well as tremendous lung support. Its makes a perfect side dish for any meal
Life Made Easier By Home Delivery!
I recently received my first box of organic produced delivered straight to my door, by Green Earth Organics. What a treat…Shopping done for me! As a busy parent with an over-flowing schedule, nothing could be better.
Every parent I know is scrambling just to get through most days with some sense of sanity, meeting the demands of school, sports, and life in general. Keeping up with house, shopping, and meals, can just be too much some days, and what often falls, is our level of nutrition.
We resort to meals bought and eaten on the run, because we couldn't get to the store or did not have enough time to prepare a home-made dinner. That’s why Green Earth Organics is such a gift to us all. Having a box of fresh, organic produce delivered each week, saves me precious time. I always know I have fresh veggies to create a meal from- one of the MOST IMPORTANT elements of our daily diets.
I have discovered a wealth of soup recipes that can be easily adapted based on what veggies I have on hand, not to mention stews, chili’s and salads. In the summer I tend to keep things raw as much as possible, but on cold wintery days, the hearty nutrient dense veggies are perfect in a warm meal.
Here is one of my favorite fall recipes: Tomato Carrot Ginger Soup
Michelle Giangualano
Olympian, Natural Health Advocate & Nutritionist
Bundles of Energy
403-875-5570
michelle@bundlesofenergy.com
www.bundlesofenergy.com
Every parent I know is scrambling just to get through most days with some sense of sanity, meeting the demands of school, sports, and life in general. Keeping up with house, shopping, and meals, can just be too much some days, and what often falls, is our level of nutrition.
We resort to meals bought and eaten on the run, because we couldn't get to the store or did not have enough time to prepare a home-made dinner. That’s why Green Earth Organics is such a gift to us all. Having a box of fresh, organic produce delivered each week, saves me precious time. I always know I have fresh veggies to create a meal from- one of the MOST IMPORTANT elements of our daily diets.
I have discovered a wealth of soup recipes that can be easily adapted based on what veggies I have on hand, not to mention stews, chili’s and salads. In the summer I tend to keep things raw as much as possible, but on cold wintery days, the hearty nutrient dense veggies are perfect in a warm meal.
Here is one of my favorite fall recipes: Tomato Carrot Ginger Soup
Michelle Giangualano
Olympian, Natural Health Advocate & Nutritionist
Bundles of Energy
403-875-5570
michelle@bundlesofenergy.com
www.bundlesofenergy.com
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
When Was The Last Time You Tried a New Food?
Did you know that the physiology of our taste buds change as we age? These changes cause us to experience food differently. The result is that a food that you didn't like as a child, you may enjoy now.
Do you want a simple step for improving your nutrition?
Or, perhaps you have a child who is a picky eater? Last week I shared that an important way to encourage picky kids to try new foods is to be a “trying new food” role model. As the saying goes: “actions speak louder than words”.
The simple step is to play the new food challenge. It’s easy, just pick a new food or recipe to try every week. Think once a week is too much? How about 2 new foods per month? Or, once a month?
I've found this to be an especially successful technique when working with families with picky school-age kids – kids who should have long ago grown out of the picky eating phase. It engages their love of adventure and exploring the world by creating a game of it.
I admit it. I play this game myself! In the past year I re-tried polenta, chia seeds, spaghetti squash, radicchio, and Belgium endive. And, I discovered that I now love polenta, chia seeds, spaghetti squash and Belgium endive. Radicchio was just okay. Four out of 5 is an incredible success rate! On my radar this winter are Brussels sprouts, okra, and millet.
Be honest. When was the last time that you tried a new food (or re-tried a food that you didn’t like previously)? Whether for your own health or to be a role model for your kids, I encourage you to join me in the game!
Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps you experience the pleasure (and energy) of healthy eating. After 6 years of only working with the toughest customers (i.e. picky kids), she is now serving adults who want amazing energy to live their busy lives without sacrificing the pleasure of delicious food. Discover how (and get recipes too) at:
www.KristenYarker.com
www.Facebook.com/KristenYarkerNutrition
Twitter: @KristenYarker
Pinterest: KristenYarker
Do you want a simple step for improving your nutrition?
The simple step is to play the new food challenge. It’s easy, just pick a new food or recipe to try every week. Think once a week is too much? How about 2 new foods per month? Or, once a month?
I've found this to be an especially successful technique when working with families with picky school-age kids – kids who should have long ago grown out of the picky eating phase. It engages their love of adventure and exploring the world by creating a game of it.
I admit it. I play this game myself! In the past year I re-tried polenta, chia seeds, spaghetti squash, radicchio, and Belgium endive. And, I discovered that I now love polenta, chia seeds, spaghetti squash and Belgium endive. Radicchio was just okay. Four out of 5 is an incredible success rate! On my radar this winter are Brussels sprouts, okra, and millet.
Be honest. When was the last time that you tried a new food (or re-tried a food that you didn’t like previously)? Whether for your own health or to be a role model for your kids, I encourage you to join me in the game!
Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps you experience the pleasure (and energy) of healthy eating. After 6 years of only working with the toughest customers (i.e. picky kids), she is now serving adults who want amazing energy to live their busy lives without sacrificing the pleasure of delicious food. Discover how (and get recipes too) at:
www.KristenYarker.com
www.Facebook.com/KristenYarkerNutrition
Twitter: @KristenYarker
Pinterest: KristenYarker
Friday, November 14, 2014
Spaghetti Carbonara
Chef Luis Felipe Lavieri
Ingredients
1L Goat milk or Cereal Cream
Olive oil
250 g of Pancetta or Bacon
1/2 small onion chopped finely
1/4 tbsp Garlic paste
250 g parmesan cheese
1 egg
400 g of Spaghetti
Directions
If using Dried Spaghetti
-In a large pot, add about 3-4 Liters of water, bring to a boil, add salt
-Cook The spaghetti to be still quite raw, 2-3 minutes less than the minimum time said in the package. (Usually 5-6 minutes should be ok)
-Strain the spaghetti
If the spahetti is fresh
-Wait for the next step that mentions spaghetti
Cut the bacon/pancetta into 1/4" pieces
In a pot (can be the same you used previously) sweat the onions in olive oil until translucent
Add the bacon/pancetta and cook about 90% (no full bacon color, but fat has stared melting and rendering)
Add Garlic Paste and Goat milk/cereal cream.
Bring to a boil
Add Spaghetti (either half cooked dried or uncooked fresh)
Stir constantly for 2/3 minutes, making the sauce thicken with the starch from the spaghetti
Add parmesan cheese and continue stirring for about a minute
Take off heat
When it has stopped bubbling, add the 1 egg and stirr vigorously. The heat from the sauce will cause the egg to clump and cook before mixed in if left to rest, but needs to be hot enough for the egg to cook.
This dish is the quintecential traditional Roman dish. The history is quite interesting, hence some of the ingredients being a little bit less than common. The spaghetti carbonara comes from a coal mine just north of Roma. There was a cave in at the mine and the miners were stuck with only a goat, rationed water, an old piece of ham, and dried pasta. Rather than use up what little water they had, the milked the goat and cooked the pasta in the goat milk and the dried ham. They liked the dish so much, that after they were rescued, they continued to eat the dish perfecting it to what we have today. Traditionally garlic is not part of the recipe, but I have adapted it and found that the north american market is very receptive to the change. The difference between Pancetta and bacon is having a more smokey flavour, which again tends to be more of a north american taste. Goat milk is not always available, but has roughly similar fat content as cereal cream.
Roasted Garlic Paste
Chef Luis Felipe Lavieri
Ingredients:
1 Garlic (whole)
Olive Oil
Utensils Needed
Fine mesh strainer
Aluminum Paper
Directions
Turn on the oven to 350F
Cut off the top 1/4 of a the garlic to expose the cloves.
Grab a sheet of aluminum paper large enough to wrap the Roasted garlic.
Place the garlic in the center of the aluminum paper and create a pouch.
Pour about 1 tbsp of olive oil on the garlic, soaking it a little.
Close the aluminum paper pouch and seal it so that steam does not get out
Important: Pace the pouch on a pan. This will catch any oil that might leak out
Place the pan into the oven for about 55 minutes. This will allow the garlic to slowly roast and turn tender.
Allow to cool and squeeze through the fine mesh strainer. This should catch all the peel.
Roasted garlic paste is amazing as a cooking ingredient. Substitute for garlic. Does not require any further cooking. Is quite awesome when mixed with mayonnaise for a roasted garlic mayo
Turn on the oven to 350F
Cut off the top 1/4 of a the garlic to expose the cloves.
Grab a sheet of aluminum paper large enough to wrap the Roasted garlic.
Place the garlic in the center of the aluminum paper and create a pouch.
Pour about 1 tbsp of olive oil on the garlic, soaking it a little.
Close the aluminum paper pouch and seal it so that steam does not get out
Important: Pace the pouch on a pan. This will catch any oil that might leak out
Place the pan into the oven for about 55 minutes. This will allow the garlic to slowly roast and turn tender.
Allow to cool and squeeze through the fine mesh strainer. This should catch all the peel.
Roasted garlic paste is amazing as a cooking ingredient. Substitute for garlic. Does not require any further cooking. Is quite awesome when mixed with mayonnaise for a roasted garlic mayo
Beyond Sneaking: 5 Tips to Encourage Picky Kids to Eat Veggies
In the last 6 years, I've helped hundreds of families get their picky eaters to try new foods on their own - without being sneaky or forceful. The most common challenge that parents worry about is kids who don't like vegetables.
Here are five strategies that have proven successful for many families to get their kids to eat vegetables:
1. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Studies show that it takes on average between 10 – 30 times of seeing a new food before a child will try and like it. Of course this will vary from child-to-child and from food-to-food. Studies also show that parents usually give up after 5 times. Don’t give up. You never know when the magical time will be that your child will try (and like) a food. Instead of thinking “my child doesn’t like it” change your attitude to “my child doesn’t like it yet”. Patience is a difficult, but necessary, quality if you’ve got a picky eater.
2. Be a "trying new food" role model. As the saying goes “action speak louder than words”. When was the last time that you tried a new food? Or, re-tried a food that you didn’t like previously? If you want your child to try new foods, be a “trying new food” role model.
3. Think beyond dinner. I feel badly for poor old dinner. In many families it’s the meal where we most want kids to behave well. But it’s also the only time of day when kids are presented with the challenge of new foods. Instead of only serving vegetables at dinner, serve them at other times of day. Lunch, snacks, even breakfast are all fantastic opportunities to present kids with new foods.
4. Variety is the spice of life. Young kids have more sensitive taste buds that we adults. The taste and texture differences of a vegetable when it’s prepared different ways is particularly evident to young taste buds. For example, raw broccoli is very different than steamed broccoli, which is very different than broccoli in a stir-fry, which is different again from broccoli in a casserole. Take advantage of this. If your child hasn’t liked (or even tried) a vegetables prepared in one way, don’t stop making it in other presentations.
5. If you sneak, don't forget the obvious veggies. Often parents ask me my opinion about sneaking in vegetables. Studies show that kids do get more servings of vegetables in families where they add pureed vegetables to dishes. And, most of us could use to eat more veggies, so exploring new dishes that include veggies is a fantastic idea! However, if all you’re serving your child is mac and cheese and brownies, all they’re learning is to eat mac and cheese and brownies. You may know that there’s cauliflower in the mac and cheese and beets in the brownies, but your child doesn’t. If you choose to sneak in veggies, also be sure to serve obvious veggies (e.g. serve steamed broccoli on the side of that mac and cheese). Even if your child doesn’t eat the obvious ones, you’re role modeling choosing to eat vegetables – an important lesson for life-long healthy eating habits.
Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps you experience the pleasure (and energy) of healthy eating. After 6 years of only working with the toughest customers (i.e. picky kids), she is now serving adults who want amazing energy to live their busy lives without sacrificing the pleasure of delicious food. Discover how (and get recipes too) at www.KristenYarker.com
www.KristenYarker.com
www.Facebook.com/KristenYarkerNutrition
Twitter: @KristenYarker
Pinterest: KristenYarker
Here are five strategies that have proven successful for many families to get their kids to eat vegetables:
1. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Studies show that it takes on average between 10 – 30 times of seeing a new food before a child will try and like it. Of course this will vary from child-to-child and from food-to-food. Studies also show that parents usually give up after 5 times. Don’t give up. You never know when the magical time will be that your child will try (and like) a food. Instead of thinking “my child doesn’t like it” change your attitude to “my child doesn’t like it yet”. Patience is a difficult, but necessary, quality if you’ve got a picky eater.
2. Be a "trying new food" role model. As the saying goes “action speak louder than words”. When was the last time that you tried a new food? Or, re-tried a food that you didn’t like previously? If you want your child to try new foods, be a “trying new food” role model.
3. Think beyond dinner. I feel badly for poor old dinner. In many families it’s the meal where we most want kids to behave well. But it’s also the only time of day when kids are presented with the challenge of new foods. Instead of only serving vegetables at dinner, serve them at other times of day. Lunch, snacks, even breakfast are all fantastic opportunities to present kids with new foods.
4. Variety is the spice of life. Young kids have more sensitive taste buds that we adults. The taste and texture differences of a vegetable when it’s prepared different ways is particularly evident to young taste buds. For example, raw broccoli is very different than steamed broccoli, which is very different than broccoli in a stir-fry, which is different again from broccoli in a casserole. Take advantage of this. If your child hasn’t liked (or even tried) a vegetables prepared in one way, don’t stop making it in other presentations.
5. If you sneak, don't forget the obvious veggies. Often parents ask me my opinion about sneaking in vegetables. Studies show that kids do get more servings of vegetables in families where they add pureed vegetables to dishes. And, most of us could use to eat more veggies, so exploring new dishes that include veggies is a fantastic idea! However, if all you’re serving your child is mac and cheese and brownies, all they’re learning is to eat mac and cheese and brownies. You may know that there’s cauliflower in the mac and cheese and beets in the brownies, but your child doesn’t. If you choose to sneak in veggies, also be sure to serve obvious veggies (e.g. serve steamed broccoli on the side of that mac and cheese). Even if your child doesn’t eat the obvious ones, you’re role modeling choosing to eat vegetables – an important lesson for life-long healthy eating habits.
Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps you experience the pleasure (and energy) of healthy eating. After 6 years of only working with the toughest customers (i.e. picky kids), she is now serving adults who want amazing energy to live their busy lives without sacrificing the pleasure of delicious food. Discover how (and get recipes too) at www.KristenYarker.com
www.KristenYarker.com
www.Facebook.com/KristenYarkerNutrition
Twitter: @KristenYarker
Pinterest: KristenYarker
An update on California's Drought
Image taken from the U.S. Drought Monitor website on March 21st 2014
In the last six months, California has seen a rapid decrease in water reserves, very little rain, and a sharp rise in costs among farmers across the state as they battle to keep their crops alive and producing enough to meet demand. The image above is one I previously posted from the United States Drought Monitor, a department of the government that measures available water versus demand throughout the entire country. That image was captured on March 21st, 2014 – just over seven months ago.
Below is the most recent drought map for the state of California, created October 28th, 2014.
Comparing the two maps, shows just how rapid the water reserve decline has been in California. Farmers have been the hardest hit, with large numbers now finding they are unable to water their fields unless they want to spend large amounts of pocket money to import water from other states. The effects of the drought can even be seen from space, as less rainfall also means less snow cover on the mountains.
After this long without rain, even a small shower could mean serious damage due to mudslides. Topsoil that is dry to such an extreme will, instead of absorbing the water, turn into a thick mud on the top layer and gravity will dump it down the hills onto the fields and towns below. Already a small localized storm near Los Angeles, that only dropped about 3-4 centimeters of water, caused a mudslide that forced 11 people from their homes and one person to be buried in house before he was rescued.
NASA has issued a warning that should circumstances continue, the entire United States may be facing a food shortage not seen since the 1930’s dustbowl, when a series of dust storms covered the prairie, destroyed over one hundred thousand acres of crops, and forced tens of thousands of farmers to abandon their farms and migrate to the coasts to look for work.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Nicoise Salad
Chef. Luis Felipe Lavieri
Ingredients:
- Seared sockeye salmon
- Yellow grape tomato
- Russet potato
- Beans (you can use purple)
- Hard boiled egg
- Mandarin orange segments
- Mediterranean organic pitted black olives
Mandarin Vinaigrette
- Zest of 1 mandarin
- Juice of 1 mandarin
- 3 leafs of mint
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 1 tea spoon of Dijon Mustard
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
Directions
Seared sockeye salmon - Portion, Salt, and pepper. On a hot pan, add 1 tbsp of Olive oil, quickly cook each side of the salmon. Each side should be cooked for less than 1 minute, only long enough to get a little colour and for all the pores to be sealed.
Hard boiled egg - Put egg(s) in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, set a timer for 8 minutes. When the timer goes off, strain the egg(s) and run under cold water. Peel and cut in half longwise
Purple beans - Bring a small pot of water to boil, put in the cleaned purple beans for 30 seconds, strain the water and place the beans into an ice water bath to stop cooking process.
Russet Potato - peel and cut into cubes about 1-2 inches wide, put into a small pot of cold water, bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring the heat down to a medium heat. Check the potatoes every 3-5 minutes for done-ness. Usually takes less than 10 minutes for potato cubes to be fully cooked from the moment the water begins to boil. Do Not Overcook, otherwise you will end up with mash.
Yellow grape Tomatoes - cut in half
Mandarin orange segments - Peel mandarin. divide mandarin into segments. Remove any of the rind still attached to the segments and any seeds.
Mandarin Vinagrette
Combine and emulsify all ingredients except for the mint. Chop mint finely and combine with the dressing.
Finishing the salad
In a hot pan at medium heat, pan fry Potatoes, beans, olives, grape tomatoes, and 2 tbsp of the vinagrete. Take off heat, add 1 tbsp of vinagrette and toss, Salt and Pepper to taste. Plate as the base. Add Hard boiled egg halves on top. Add Pan seared Salmon on top. Spoon 1 tbsp of vinaigrette on top of the salmon.
Mandarin vinagrette works really well also with Arugula
Ingredients:
- Seared sockeye salmon
- Yellow grape tomato
- Russet potato
- Beans (you can use purple)
- Hard boiled egg
- Mandarin orange segments
- Mediterranean organic pitted black olives
Mandarin Vinaigrette
- Zest of 1 mandarin
- Juice of 1 mandarin
- 3 leafs of mint
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 1 tea spoon of Dijon Mustard
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
Directions
Seared sockeye salmon - Portion, Salt, and pepper. On a hot pan, add 1 tbsp of Olive oil, quickly cook each side of the salmon. Each side should be cooked for less than 1 minute, only long enough to get a little colour and for all the pores to be sealed.
Hard boiled egg - Put egg(s) in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, set a timer for 8 minutes. When the timer goes off, strain the egg(s) and run under cold water. Peel and cut in half longwise
Purple beans - Bring a small pot of water to boil, put in the cleaned purple beans for 30 seconds, strain the water and place the beans into an ice water bath to stop cooking process.
Russet Potato - peel and cut into cubes about 1-2 inches wide, put into a small pot of cold water, bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring the heat down to a medium heat. Check the potatoes every 3-5 minutes for done-ness. Usually takes less than 10 minutes for potato cubes to be fully cooked from the moment the water begins to boil. Do Not Overcook, otherwise you will end up with mash.
Yellow grape Tomatoes - cut in half
Mandarin orange segments - Peel mandarin. divide mandarin into segments. Remove any of the rind still attached to the segments and any seeds.
Mandarin Vinagrette
Combine and emulsify all ingredients except for the mint. Chop mint finely and combine with the dressing.
Finishing the salad
In a hot pan at medium heat, pan fry Potatoes, beans, olives, grape tomatoes, and 2 tbsp of the vinagrete. Take off heat, add 1 tbsp of vinagrette and toss, Salt and Pepper to taste. Plate as the base. Add Hard boiled egg halves on top. Add Pan seared Salmon on top. Spoon 1 tbsp of vinaigrette on top of the salmon.
Mandarin vinagrette works really well also with Arugula
Baked Pear
Chef. Luis Felipe Lavieri
Ingredients:
1 Pear
2 tbsp of sugar (per pair)
2 tbsp of cottage cheese
A little bit of lemon juice
Directions
1. Cut the Pear in Half, core the Pear and place on a baking tray.
2. Add lemon and sprinkle sugar
3. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for about half an hour.
4. Serve with cottage cheese
This recipe is great for breakfast. To spice it up add nuts!
Ingredients:
1 Pear
2 tbsp of sugar (per pair)
2 tbsp of cottage cheese
A little bit of lemon juice
Directions
1. Cut the Pear in Half, core the Pear and place on a baking tray.
2. Add lemon and sprinkle sugar
3. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for about half an hour.
4. Serve with cottage cheese
This recipe is great for breakfast. To spice it up add nuts!
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Glory Bowl
Ingredients:
1 Cup Brown Rice
1/2 Cup Beets
1/2 Cup Carrots
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Spinach
1/4 Cup Alfalfa
1 Avocado
1/2 Cup Tofu or Chicken
1/4 Cup Cilantro
Dressing:
1/4 Cup Miso
1 Lime
1/8 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Water
1 Clove Garlic
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/3 Cup Tahini
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Beets
1/2 Cup Carrots
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Spinach
1/4 Cup Alfalfa
1 Avocado
1/2 Cup Tofu or Chicken
1/4 Cup Cilantro
Dressing:
1/4 Cup Miso
1 Lime
1/8 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Water
1 Clove Garlic
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/3 Cup Tahini
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
Directions
1. In small pot, start cooking the brown rice with 2 Cups water and 1 Cup of brown rice.
2. While Rice is cooking, Grate the raw beets and carrots
3. Finely shred the spinach and dice the avocado.
4. In a blender, blend together the miso, lime juice, vinegar, 1/2 cup of water, garlic, soy sauce and tahini. Slowly drizzle in the Vegetable oil as it can get too thick.
5. Once your rice is done cooking, layer the ingredients as follows: Rice, a little of your dressing, Beets, Carrots, Spinach, Avocado, Alfalfa, Chopped Cilantro, Sunflower Seeds, and the rest of your dressing.
1. In small pot, start cooking the brown rice with 2 Cups water and 1 Cup of brown rice.
2. While Rice is cooking, Grate the raw beets and carrots
3. Finely shred the spinach and dice the avocado.
4. In a blender, blend together the miso, lime juice, vinegar, 1/2 cup of water, garlic, soy sauce and tahini. Slowly drizzle in the Vegetable oil as it can get too thick.
5. Once your rice is done cooking, layer the ingredients as follows: Rice, a little of your dressing, Beets, Carrots, Spinach, Avocado, Alfalfa, Chopped Cilantro, Sunflower Seeds, and the rest of your dressing.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Turkey? What Turkey? – A Brief Culinary History of Thanksgiving Dinner
Movies, TV Shows, books, and other illustrative media the world over laude the first Thanksgiving in all its glory; with pilgrims and natives sitting side by side enjoying a huge roasted Turkey, roasted corn, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and many other delightful treats that we enjoy today. Truthfully, if we could hop into a time machine and join them at this feast, it is likely that we wouldn't recognize anything from our traditional thanksgiving meal at all.
Turkeys, while abundant in the wild, had not yet been domesticated and were very difficult to catch. It would have been much easier for the English settlers to hunt waterfowl, such as ducks and geese, since those were familiar to what they would hunt and eat back home in England. The birds themselves, whatever the species, would have been stuffed with herbs, onions, or whole oats if they were stuffed at all. From various sources, the first New England settlers tended towards easily caught bounty, such as lobster, eels, oysters, and fish.
The Wampanoag mainly used corn for making bread during the harvest season and were familiar with squash like pumpkins, so corn bread and baked squash would have made it on to the menu, though perhaps not in the same forms we recognize today. Cranberries were likely not so lucky. If they were included in the meal at all, it was only to be used sparingly as an added sour or tangy flavour. When they fled England, the Pilgrims only brought with them what they could carry on their backs, so expensive spices like sugar were not high priority. Historical records show that it wasn’t until at least 50 years after the first Thanksgiving that sugar would be both available and inexpensive enough in New England to be used in making sweets.
Like sugar, potatoes also hadn't quite made it to New England yet. Originally from South America, the tuber was exported to England, but considered a rare luxury item and one that the Pilgrims would not have been able to bring with them. Sweet potatoes, originally from the Caribbean, found themselves in a similar situation, but with the added stigma of being considered a potent aphrodisiac. Definitely not something the very religious Puritans would want to bring to the new world with them.
So, when did all these “traditions” come about? Not until about 200 years later, as the settlers learned about their new homeland and began experimenting with the food they had available. The earliest we see a menu resembling what we expect a Thanksgiving meal to contain isn't until 1779 and was described in a letter. “Haunch of Venison, Roast Chine of Pork, Roast Turkey, Pigeon Pasties, Roast Goose, Onions in Cream, Cauliflower, Squash, Potatoes, Raw Celery, Mincemeat Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, Indian Pudding, Plum Pudding, Cider” * Yum!
Cranberry sauce still didn't appear on the menu until the mid-1800s. Around that same time, the well-known bread based stuffing also began appearing on the menu. In fact, if you were to travel through time and eat at every thanksgiving dinner from the first until now, the most common food served during a Thanksgiving meal, was any dish featuring oysters. Can you just imagine watching the United States President pardoning an Oyster?
Friday, October 3, 2014
Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
1 Cup Quinoa2 Cups Water
Salad:
1 Apple
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Tomato
2 Stalks of Celery
1/2 Red Onion
1/2 Cucumber
6 Sprigs Cilantro
1/4 Cup Walnuts
Dressing:
8 Tbspn Olive Oil
6 Tbspn Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tbspn Lemon Juice
2 Sprigs Cilantro
1/2 Tspn Salt
1/2 Tspn Pepper
Directions
1. In small pot, bring to boil 1 Cup Quinoa and 2 Cups of water.
Turn down to simmer for 15 minutes, until water all absorbed in the quinoa.
Once Quinoa is done, put in the fridge/freezer to cool off (Do not freeze) so it is cold when added to salad.
Chop up Apple, Green Pepper, Tomato, Celery, Red Onion, Cilantro into small chopped pieces. Put aside.
In a small blender, blend together Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Cilantro, Salt and Pepper.
Everyone is different, so try the dressing and add what you think will make it better for you! Be creative!
In a large bowl, add the cooled down Quinoa to the chopped fruit and Vegetables. Add your dressing and mix thoroughly.
Sprinkle some crushed walnuts on top and voila! A healthy salad that is absolutely delicious!
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
In October we turn pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
We want to join the fight against Breast Cancer by raising awareness and creating an easy way for our members to donate through our website.
To donate, just add this item (as many quantities as you would like) to your bin until October 31st and we will place a pink ribbon inside your bin on your next order!
If you are in Victoria please add this item
If you are in the Fraser Valley please add this item
If you are in Calgary please add this item
If you live in the Sea to Sky corridor please add this item
About Breast Cancer:
Breast cancer is a complex disease that will affect 1 in 9 Canadian women during their lifetime.
According to the latest statistics, it is estimated that 24,400 women and 210 men in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and that 5,000 women and 60 men will die from the disease in 2014.
As a national leader in breast cancer funding, the Foundation has allocated over $248 million towards breast cancer research, health promotion, advocacy, education and awareness programs since 1986.
Our donor dollars are put to work by investing in the brightest and best minds in breast cancer research and community health programs that are leading groundbreaking work across the breast cancer spectrum.
With your support, the Foundation will continue investing in the brightest and best minds in breast cancer research. We will continue advocating for greater education, improving treatment options, access to screening and empowering Canadians affected by breast cancer. With your support, we will create a future without breast cancer.
Souce:
To donate, just add this item (as many quantities as you would like) to your bin until October 31st and we will place a pink ribbon inside your bin on your next order!
If you are in Victoria please add this item
If you are in the Fraser Valley please add this item
If you are in Calgary please add this item
If you live in the Sea to Sky corridor please add this item
About Breast Cancer:
Breast cancer is a complex disease that will affect 1 in 9 Canadian women during their lifetime.
According to the latest statistics, it is estimated that 24,400 women and 210 men in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and that 5,000 women and 60 men will die from the disease in 2014.
As a national leader in breast cancer funding, the Foundation has allocated over $248 million towards breast cancer research, health promotion, advocacy, education and awareness programs since 1986.
Our donor dollars are put to work by investing in the brightest and best minds in breast cancer research and community health programs that are leading groundbreaking work across the breast cancer spectrum.
With your support, the Foundation will continue investing in the brightest and best minds in breast cancer research. We will continue advocating for greater education, improving treatment options, access to screening and empowering Canadians affected by breast cancer. With your support, we will create a future without breast cancer.
http://www.cbcf.org/bc/Pages/default.aspx
Friday, September 19, 2014
Sesame-Maple Roasted Tofu
Ingredients:
14oz Extra-Firm Tofu
1 Medium Red Onion, sliced
2 tsp sunflower oil or other neutral cooking oil
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Large or 2 Small Zucchini
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 450 F.
Rinse and pat dry the tofu, then cut into cubes.
Toss tofu, onion, canola oil, sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast until the tofu is lightly golden on top and the onions are browing in spots.
About 15 to 20 minutes.
In a small dish, whisk together the tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup, and vinegar until combined. Quarter and dice your zucchini. Remove the tofu from the oven, add the zucchini pieces and drizzle with the sauce. Stir to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Return to the oven and continue roasting until zucchini turns golden and tender.
About 10 to 12 minutes more.
** The original recipe calls for Snap Peas or Green Beans, but since the Zucchini plants are exploding, we decided to go with those instead. I love baked Zucchini! **
Preheat Oven to 450 F.
Rinse and pat dry the tofu, then cut into cubes.
Toss tofu, onion, canola oil, sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast until the tofu is lightly golden on top and the onions are browing in spots.
About 15 to 20 minutes.
In a small dish, whisk together the tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup, and vinegar until combined. Quarter and dice your zucchini. Remove the tofu from the oven, add the zucchini pieces and drizzle with the sauce. Stir to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Return to the oven and continue roasting until zucchini turns golden and tender.
About 10 to 12 minutes more.
** The original recipe calls for Snap Peas or Green Beans, but since the Zucchini plants are exploding, we decided to go with those instead. I love baked Zucchini! **
Did you know... Unavailable Items, Credits, and Billing.
We've had a few people ask these questions over the
past couple of weeks, so I thought I'd share in case other members have
been wondering and haven't asked yet.
So, Why is an item unavailable?
Sometimes a supplier or manufacturer runs out of a product and we don't find out until our order arrives at the warehouse. For example, I place an order on either Wednesday or Thursday for the following week's deliveries and then the order arrives on Monday without some of the items I ordered.
So why not mark it as Out of Stock on the website?
We can only mark it out of stock if no one has added it to their bin for that week. I discovered this past Tuesday, for example, that Eden will no longer be manufacturing their Bottled Crushed Tomatoes. Since quite a few people had already ordered it for this week, I was unable to remove it from the website until after 9am Thursday when everyone's orders are locked into the system.
If I were to mark an item as Out of Stock or Not Available, then it would automatically disappear from your order leaving us without any way to tell who had ordered it and no way to tell you that it was unavailable. Instead we leave it up on the website and make sure to give you a note in your bin, then credit it back to your account and mark it out of stock on the next closest Thursday.
We are constantly discussing potential website upgrades with our programmers and one of the items on our list is implementing a better system which will allow us to update stock inventory daily instead of once per week.
When do you credit it to my account?
If our warehouse doesn't have it in stock, we don't give up there! We try twice more to get a product for you. Around mid-morning our warehouse assistant will make a quick stop at our local suppliers to see if we can get any individual units of missing items. Any items we were unable to get from them, we write down on a list for our drivers. The drivers then stop at stores along their route to see if they can find anything. Sometimes items are unavailable at every location because the manufacturer is having difficulties, so we have to leave a note in your bin.
Our office closes at 4pm, long before our drivers come back to the warehouse to drop off any picked up bins, bottles, and cryo-paks. To make sure we credit everything back, the drivers write down anyone who had unavailable items on their route paperwork. The next morning, we check through the paperwork and credit back the unavailable items, plus any bottles and cold-pak returns.
Can I see these Credits for myself?
Absolutely! Anytime you want to double check your credits, you can do so right on your account. Once you have logged on and are looking at your dashboard, look to the list of links on your left. You want to click on the one that says "Your Billing" (pictured below).
Once you have clicked on "Your Billing", you should be able to see your payment information. Scroll down the page and underneath will be your list of Credits and Charges with the most recent on top.
We will do our best to get items credited back to your account within 24 hours of your delivery, so if you do not see an item listed that was unavailable, please let us know! Our drivers do their best to make sure everything is written down for us, but they may occasionally miss something.
As always, please let us know if you have any questions!
So, Why is an item unavailable?
Sometimes a supplier or manufacturer runs out of a product and we don't find out until our order arrives at the warehouse. For example, I place an order on either Wednesday or Thursday for the following week's deliveries and then the order arrives on Monday without some of the items I ordered.
So why not mark it as Out of Stock on the website?
We can only mark it out of stock if no one has added it to their bin for that week. I discovered this past Tuesday, for example, that Eden will no longer be manufacturing their Bottled Crushed Tomatoes. Since quite a few people had already ordered it for this week, I was unable to remove it from the website until after 9am Thursday when everyone's orders are locked into the system.
If I were to mark an item as Out of Stock or Not Available, then it would automatically disappear from your order leaving us without any way to tell who had ordered it and no way to tell you that it was unavailable. Instead we leave it up on the website and make sure to give you a note in your bin, then credit it back to your account and mark it out of stock on the next closest Thursday.
We are constantly discussing potential website upgrades with our programmers and one of the items on our list is implementing a better system which will allow us to update stock inventory daily instead of once per week.
When do you credit it to my account?
If our warehouse doesn't have it in stock, we don't give up there! We try twice more to get a product for you. Around mid-morning our warehouse assistant will make a quick stop at our local suppliers to see if we can get any individual units of missing items. Any items we were unable to get from them, we write down on a list for our drivers. The drivers then stop at stores along their route to see if they can find anything. Sometimes items are unavailable at every location because the manufacturer is having difficulties, so we have to leave a note in your bin.
Our office closes at 4pm, long before our drivers come back to the warehouse to drop off any picked up bins, bottles, and cryo-paks. To make sure we credit everything back, the drivers write down anyone who had unavailable items on their route paperwork. The next morning, we check through the paperwork and credit back the unavailable items, plus any bottles and cold-pak returns.
Can I see these Credits for myself?
Absolutely! Anytime you want to double check your credits, you can do so right on your account. Once you have logged on and are looking at your dashboard, look to the list of links on your left. You want to click on the one that says "Your Billing" (pictured below).
Once you have clicked on "Your Billing", you should be able to see your payment information. Scroll down the page and underneath will be your list of Credits and Charges with the most recent on top.
We will do our best to get items credited back to your account within 24 hours of your delivery, so if you do not see an item listed that was unavailable, please let us know! Our drivers do their best to make sure everything is written down for us, but they may occasionally miss something.
As always, please let us know if you have any questions!
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