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No Bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls

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It’s that time of the year where our summer days are becoming shorter and there is a cool crispness to the evening air you can’t deny. Winter is coming. No Bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls are full of antioxidants help you to boost your immune system while you enjoy a sweet treat.

Back to school shopping is in full swing for supplies, clothes, backpacks and of course school snacks. It’s amazing how much less my kids eat during summer holidays compared to when they are in school and needing fuel throughout the day. Baking snacks in advance, like these No Bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls, and freezing is one way we like to get ready for back to school before it arrives.

No Bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls
No Bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls

Elderberries are full of antioxidants, vitamins A, B and C plus are anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and are the most commonly used medicinal plants in the world. When it comes to antioxidant power, elderberry is higher in flavonoids than blueberries, cranberries, goji berries and blackberries. Known as a treatment for cold and flu symptoms, Feel Good Elderberry Syrup can also be used when cooking or baking as a food flavouring.

No Bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls
No Bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls

No Bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls are a protein packed recipe you can freeze and pull out for breakfasts, pop into lunches or enjoy while out hiking or camping. Using only 7 ingredients, they are loaded with nutritional foods like elderberry syrup, chia seeds, nut butter, hazelnuts (also called filberts) and dried cherries. This combination of super foods offer immune boosting antioxidants, protein, fiber and healthy fats.

Ingredients for the no bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls
Ingredients for the no bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls

Teaching our kids to make healthy choices is easy when you have great ingredients to work with. For more inspiring healthy recipes or back to school snacks check out our Date Energy Balls, or Pepperoni Pizza Muffin recipes.

No Bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls
No Bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls

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No Bake Elderberry Syrup Power Balls
Author: 
Serves: 16
 
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cup natural nut butter
  • ½ cup honey
  • 2 tsp Elderberry Syrup
  • 2 cups oats (combine large flake oats and quick oats)
  • ¼ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
  • ½ cup dried cherries
  • 2 tsp chia seeds
  • salt
Instructions
  1. In a whisk together nut butter, honey and Elderberry Syrup.
  2. Add oats, hazelnuts, dried cherries, chia seeds and a pinch of salt.
  3. Stir to combine. Let rest for 15 minutes.
  4. Pick up a small amount and start forming a ball in your hands. Roll into 1 inch balls. You should get close to 16 power balls.
  5. Keep refrigerated when not using due to the natural nut butter. Or freeze and pull out as needed.

We are working in collaboration with Feel Good Syrup on this post. All opinions, views expressed and recipe development are, as always, my own.

Iceberg Wedge Salad with Bacon

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A salad needs only a few ingredients and a fantastic dressing to make it a salad and this Iceberg Wedge Salad with Bacon offers all those things and more.

Wedge Salad History

The history of the Wedge Salad has been found to date back to 1916 in a book called “Salads, Sandwiches & Chafing Dish Recipes” by Marion Harris Neil. Iceberg lettuce was a very popular item in those days, most likely super cheap and a good canvas for adding flavours. With fewer ingredients to cook with in those days Marion’s recipe is simply Roquefort cheese and hard boiled eggs with a light dressing. In the decades to follow the wedge salad became a delightful and popular starter course to order when dining out.

Wedge Salad with Bacon
Wedge Salad

The traditional classic wedge salad of the 1970s could be found in many steakhouses and would always be laden with blue cheese dressing, crispy bacon, and hard boiled egg all on top of an iceberg lettuce wedge.

Wedge Salad with Bacon
Wedge Salad with Bacon & Pistachios

In the last ten years the wedge salad has begun to make a comeback popping up on menus all over the country. Many recipes stick true to the traditional wedge salad ingredients, however at Bakersbeans we see no point in following tradition and as always love to put our own spin on recipes.

A wedge salad, like any bright green salad can be dressed up or dressed down however you choose. Adding beans, nuts, chopped vegetables or fruit, different cheese, salad dressings, even protein changes the game and gives you a new fresh salad every time you make it.

I’ve been playing with my food aka wedge salads for the past month. We decided this week will be wedge salad week in our house. One head of iceberg lettuce can make four meal sized wedge salads, therefore stay tuned for three more wedge salads this week!

Pro Tips:

  • Leave the stem on, slice a thin piece off the bottom and eat around it. Keeping the stem on helps hold the wedge together.
  •  This recipe makes enough for one wedge. Double ingredients for more wedge salads.
  • Sprinkle a little water on your leftover lettuce head and use plastic wrap pressed against the cut side of the lettuce head and wrapped around it to stop it from turning brown.
  • If you do not like to cut into your salad, simply cut up the salad, toss everything currently on your plate and boom you have a regular plated salad.

This salad is a knife and forker and currently one of our favourites. Be sure to check out our other wedge salads: BLT Wedge Salad

What is your favourite salad?

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Iceberg Wedge Salad with Bacon
Author: 
Serves: 1
 
Ingredients
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into four wedges
  • 1 tbsp blue cheese crumbles
  • 3 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh chives
  • 1 tsp fresh dill
  • 1 tbsp pistachios
  • White Balsamic Dressing
Instructions
  1. Add your piece of wedge to a plate.
  2. Sprinkle on your toppings blue cheese through pistachios.
  3. In a small bowl or measuring cup whisk together 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, ½ tsp kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and 1 small chopped fine shallot.
  4. Pour dressing over salad and serve.

 

 

Sausage and Lentil Soup

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Almost annually we host International students and currently we have a student from Spain (small town near Madrid) living with us for the school year. It’s his first time leaving Spain and traveling so far from home. He’s done remarkably well during the holidays and missing his family all things considered.

Sausage & Lentil Soup
Sausage & Lentil Soup

He likes to cook and loves to eat even more. So he and I get along amazingly well since we both love to cook and of course eat. One of the dishes he says he misses the most is his Momma’s sausage and lentil stew. Made with small brown lentils. Did you know lentils are considered pulses and extremely good for you. Just 1 cup of lentils = 6.59 mg of iron. So if you are feeling like you are lacking in iron, lentils are a great way to add more iron, fiber and vitamin A to your diet.

Sausage & Lentil Soup
Sausage & Lentil Soup

He and I have talked about this stew many times. Because I ask a lot of questions. This week it was added it to our weekly menu and last night I attempted to recreate it. I wasn’t nervous at all, after all his mom makes it all the time. No pressure right? I patiently waited as he took his first bite. And his face lit up. He took another bite. And then he told me he couldn’t believe how similar it tasted to his mom’s. I was so excited I almost peed a little.

He tells me his version of this dish is a stew and thicker. They add potatoes into the stew while cooking it which would help thicken it. I opted to finish our soup with diced, cooked potatoes mixed with fresh parsley, lemon and olive oil. This mixture complimented the soup perfectly.

We simply adore this young man and have gotten to know his parents a little. You know sometimes you just click with people, well it was like that with this family. I hope we get to go to Spain one day and meet them. I’m sure the wine, food and interesting conversation would free flow non stop.

Sausage and Lentil Stew
Sausage and Lentil Stew

This soup is hearty and super flavourful. We’ve added Spolumbo’s Sausage which is a locally made, preservative and gluten free sausage. The cured sausage in this soup is also locally made, called shremska and available at The Italian Store. A very healthy meal indeed.

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Sausage and Lentil Soup
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 5 mild fresh Italian sausages
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped leaves included
  • ½ cup cured sausage, chopped
  • 1 tsp fennel
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp each salt and pepper
  • 2 cups brown lentils
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 10 cups chicken stock
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ------
  • ½ cup cooked potatoes
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • pinch of lemon zest
  • squeeze of lemon juice
  • Olive oil
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Cut casings of fresh sausages and squeeze sausage into hot pot. Break up the chunks using a potato masher. Cooke until nicely browned. Remove to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
  2. In pot add another drop of olive oil if needed, then onions, carrots and celery. Mix in cured sausage, fennel, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add lentils, bay leaves, chicken stock and smoked paprika. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium, add Italian sausage and simmer until lentils are tender, adding more broth as needed and cooking up to 45 minutes if needed to soften lentils.
  4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with potato parsley mix.
Notes
To make potato parsley mix, saute chopped potato in olive oil until crispy. Pour into bowl. Add parsley, lemon zest, juice and olive oil. Season with salt, mixing well.

 

Armenian Roasted Vegetables

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A sucker for roasted vegetables, I couldn’t wait to make this recipe by Olia Hercules and her Mamushka cookbook. Fall and winter has us roasting vegetables regularly. I’ve roasted cabbage before and loved it so the combination of these Armenian Roasted Vegetables was quite intriguing to me.

Ensure you cut your vegetables thick as illustrated in the recipe. I’ve noticed while making recipes from this cookbook they use a lot of dill and yogurt in Eastern European Cooking. Our student from Spain has advised the same. Things I would have never known had I never joined the cookbook club. My mom used to cook with dill she grew in her garden. Dilled baby potatoes are one recipe that stands out from childhood. It’s an herb I adore. Serve these veggies along side a roasted chicken, pork loin or beef roast.

Olia also suggests to change things up, try adding some feta before serving.

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Armenian Roasted Vegetables
Author: 
Recipe type: side, dinner, lunch
 
Ingredients
  • half a small head of cabbage, cut into thick wedges
  • 1-2 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 zucchini, thickly sliced
  • 2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
  • 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1-2 cups cauliflower florets, thickly chopped
  • 1 pepper, cored, seeded and thick slices
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 beefsteak tomato, thickly sliced
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place all the vegetables except the tomato in a large roasting pan.
  2. Pour the oil over and season well with salt and pepper. Mix everything together with your hands and pop in the oven until the edges of the vegetables start to char, 30 minutes.
  3. Arrange the tomato slices on top, season and place in the oven for another 15 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped dill over, taste for seasoning (adjust if necessary) and serve.

 

Aiden’s Gouda Fruit Salad

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My kids love to get into the kitchen and create things. More often then not they announce what they want to make without checking on ingredients first. This salad was the exception as we just so happened to have all the fruit available. Aiden’s Fruit Salad is made by my son Aiden and on this night accompanied quick sandwiches before a busy activity evening.

A fruit salad can include any fruit you want. We never add a dressing or drizzle of honey to our fruit salads as we let the sweetness of the fruit speak for itself.

Aiden's Gouda Fruit Salad
Aiden’s Gouda Fruit Salad

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Aiden's Gouda Fruit Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: salad, side, lunch
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup strawberries, rough chop
  • 2 cups grapes
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup green apple, rough chop
  • 1 cup fresh pineapple, rough chop
  • 2 cups watermelon, rough chop
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint
  • ½ cup cubed Gouda, Monterery Jack or grilled Halloom cheese
Instructions
  1. Add all fruit to a bowl. Light stir to combine.
  2. Tear off pieces of mint. Pour cubed cheese on top and serve.

 

 

Watermelon Berry Popsicles

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Stay hydrated and cool off on a hot summer day with homemade popsicles. With just a few ingredients and a little time, you can have healthy popsicles any day of the week!

I’ve been making these popsicles, minus the coconut milk, since the kids were toddlers. For a new spin I added coconut milk.

Popsicles, like smoothies, can be made using a variety of ingredients. Add in fresh herbs, dairy free milk or yogurt, fruit slices, cold brewed tea, chia seeds, nut butters and more. Make them as simple or complex as you like but be sure to make extra as they won’t last long.

These Watermelon Berry Popsicles have only 5 ingredients and a small pinch of salt as an added flavour enhancer. Best made the day before you plan on eating them.

Watermelon Strawberry Popsicles
Watermelon Strawberry Popsicles

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Watermelon Berry Popsicles
Author: 
Recipe type: snacks, treats
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups watermelon, cut up and rind removed
  • 1 cup strawberries, stems removed and chopped
  • ½ fresh lime juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint rough chop
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • Popsicle molds
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Aluminum foil
Instructions
  1. Using a blender or hand immersion blender whiz together watermelon, strawberries, lime juice, a pinch of salt and mint. Pour into molds and fill about ¾ full. Place in freezer for 30-40 minutes.
  2. Remove from freezer and place popsicle sticks in middle of each popsicle. Return to freezer for another 15 minutes. Remove and pour coconut milk to the top of the mold. Place back in freezer, cover with tin aluminum foil and let set up at least 12 hours.

 

Infused Water

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About four years ago I hosted one of our annual Mom’s Who Needs Wine Evenings. One of the ladies was pregnant so for her I filled a lovely jug with spring water and added cucumber and fresh mint. She loved it so much that when we went camping together that summer it was all she drank! We experimented more in summer with fruit and the kids loved it.

I try to encourage the kids to drink lots of water during the day. We don’t drink much juice here and rarely pop so infusing their water with good stuff encourages them to keep at it, and eat the good stuff!

There are so many combinations of infused waters the variations are endless. Put out a variety of ingredients and let the kids make up their own. It will encourage family bonding time and them to drink the water. We made three infused waters for these photos and re-used water bottles from a local juice store. Mason jars or any other easy to carry and pretty jar with a lid would also be ideal.

In these photos we made three variations. Here’s how we did it.

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Infused Water
Author: 
Serves: 3
 
Ingredients
  • 3-4 slices thinly sliced orange
  • 3-4 slices thinly sliced lemon
  • 3-4 slices thinly sliced lime
  • 4-6 strawberries, hulled and sliced thin
  • 6-10 slices cucumber
  • 6 fresh mint leaves
  • water
  • 3 bottles
Instructions
  1. To first bottle add orange, lemon and lime. Pop in some ice and fill with water.
  2. To second bottle add strawberries. Add ice and fill with water.
  3. To third bottle add cucumber and mint. Add ice and fill with water.

Infused-Water-v2

Infused Waters
Infused Waters

 

 

Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

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Chick peas are a good source of protein, iron and several other vitamins and minerals. I try to rotate them into my diet weekly by roasting, adding them to salads, or whipping up a batch of hummus to munch on when hunger hits since I tend to not eat a ton of meat. I secretly eat them right out of the bowl once roasted. So delicious.

This slightly spicy hummus came to be when I needed to use up some jalapenos I had in the fridge. I roasted four and these jalapenos were not all that spicy. The second time I made this hummus the jalapenos had some zing to them and the hummus was spicy. Depending on how much you like heat, you may want to sample the jalapenos first as this will give you an idea of how spicy they are. Then start anywhere from 1 jalapeno to 4 depending on your heat level tolerance.

I also love roasted garlic and roast up to 4 bulbs at a time and keep them in the refrigerator to use as needed. Squish out the entire contents of one roasted garlic bulb into this hummus for added flavour.

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Roasted Jalapeno Hummus
Author: 
Recipe type: snack, lunch, supper
 
Ingredients
  • 4 jalapenos
  • 1 can (540ml) chick peas
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 head roasted garlic (remove garlic itself)
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • sea salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Drizzle olive oil on your jalapenos and place on parchment lined backing sheet. Roast for 15 - 20 minutes turning at least once. Remove from oven when they are darkly roasted. Set a bowl over top upside down and let them steam for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Peel off the skin of the jalapenos, cut open and remove seeds. You may want to use kitchen gloves while doing this or ensure you wash your hands well after. Set aside.
  3. In a blender or food processor add jalapenos, chick peas, tahini, water, roasted garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Blend for about 3-4 minutes scraping down sides as needed.
  4. Taste and add additional salt if required. Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve with pitas or bread sticks, in a wrap as a sandwich or with vegetables.

 

Homemade Sausage Patties

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I remember my sister in law serving up sausage patties while we were all out camping one summer. They were these perfectly formed sausage shaped coins (twoonie sized for my Canadian readers) purchased from the local Costco as an easy to cook main to accompany breakfast eggs or a dinner salad. I thought they were pretty cool and was left wondering why I didn’t think to bring something so convenient and easy.

These patties have the delicious addition of roasted garlic. If you can roast your garlic the night before or earlier in the day so it’s ready to go. They are an easy dinner served with green apple & jicama slaw, eggs, a light pasta or a salad. If you have time prep the ingredients the night before allowing the pork to infuse the flavours overnight.

A simple and healthy meal you can have on the table in less than 30 minutes.

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Pork Sausage Patties
Author: 
Recipe type: dinner, lunch
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs ground pork
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 entire head roasted garlic (removed from shells)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground pepper
  • oil
Instructions
  1. Combine the pork, sage, rosemary, thyme, fennel seeds, dijon mustard, red pepper flakes and roasted garlic.
  2. If you have time to cover the bowl and let it sit in the fridge, the flavours improve. If not form into 12 equal patties.
  3. In a cast iron pan over medium high heat, add your oil.Depending on the size of your pan you will need to cook the patties in batches. Do not over crowd the pan. Fry the patties until completely cooked through and golden brown about 3-4 minutes per side. If you are not sure, your internal temperature should read 165F.
  4. Remove from grill, lightly tent and let sit a few minutes until ready to serve.
  5. We enjoy these patties with green apple & jicama slaw.

 

Homemade Sausage Patties
Homemade Sausage Patties

Berry Orange Smoothie Bowl

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Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and this year it falls on a Sunday. We created this Berry Orange Smoothie Bowl a couple months ago and thought it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day! It’s loaded with healthy goodness and has some extra zing with added orange zest and fresh mint. The kids love this combination.

We tend to celebrate Valentine’s Day with food and as a family. I’ve never been caught up in the day, and the need for romantic things, but I enjoy more the time spent together (with all electronics off), watching the kids delight in making up cards for their friends and baking some delicious treats. After all food is love or is that love is food?

Our favourite thing to do on Valentine’s Day is to fondue. Some people think fondue went away and make a big deal about it coming back. Actually it never left the building. Back in the 90’s I would swap ideas with friends out East who put on big fondue parties. I picked up lots of great tips and tricks for dips and still have the email print out of her recipes!

The next decade I started blogging and hearing about different ways to fondue. Back in the day it was more oil fondues but we’ve been doing broth for the past 14 years. So from what I’ve seen, it’s never stopped or slowed down. We love it and make it a tradition to fondue on Valentine’s Day. Now the kids are older and we don’t have to worry so much about  them burning themselves or getting tangled in all the cords. This year we have invited over my single mom friend and her two kids. Our International Student from China will also get to experience fondue for the first time. We do broth, cheese and chocolate. I’m getting quite excited thinking about it.

Valentines Blog Hop
Valentines Blog Hop

This year I’m participating in a Valentine’s Day Blog Hop Recipe round up with local food bloggers. Be sure to check out their blogs to see what’s cooking in their kitchen this Valentine’s Day and Family Day Long Weekend here in Alberta. They are Merry About Town, Food Mamma, Dish N The Kitchen, and Edible Life in YYC.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you, however you choose to celebrate!

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Berry Orange Smoothie Bowl.
Author: 
Recipe type: breakfast, lunch, snack
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup frozen berries
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • Zest & juice of 1 medium sized orange
  • ¼ cup mint leaves, fresh
  • 1 tbsp frozen raspberries
  • Chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp toasted, slivered almonds
Instructions
  1. In a blender add frozen berries, avocado, spinach, coconut milk, orange juice and mint. Cover and blend until smooth.
  2. Pour into bowl and sprinkle on your chia seeds, orange zest, frozen raspberries and toasted almonds. Serve immediately.

 

Blueberry Mango Smoothie Bowl

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I’m not one to jump on a bandwagon. Never have been, never will be. Instead I view myself as an observer. I like to sit back, watch and see how it all unfolds. Over time. Cautious. Curious. Quiet. Discrete. A people watcher. Have always loved the bars for that very thing.

The smoothie bowl craze has been going on for a while now. And I’ve never really got it. I’ve been making smoothies since the 1990’s (yes it’s true) and the kids simply adore making them. What a great way to get extra good stuff into them. And then it hit me. Why not give it a go. Pour your damn smoothie into a bowl and add toppers to make it all pretty. Can’t be hard. Sounds pretty simple really. But I kept thinking about why would I want to eat my smoothie with a spoon when I’m a straw gal? So curious got to me and I did it. Made 3 of them in 6 days actually and ate my way through that damn bowl.

You know what I liked about it? Well it was a normal smoothie first off, but it had texture, chewy texture from the toppers and I found this uber cool. And I kind of liked eating it with a spoon. Who knew?! I might be a smoothie bowl convert. Maybe.

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Blueberry Mango Smoothie Bowl
Author: 
Recipe type: breakfast, snack, lunch
Serves: 1
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1 cup frozen mango
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ avocado
  • Toppers: cut up avocado, banana, chia seeds, sprinkle of cinnamon and frozen blueberries
Instructions
  1. Toss blueberries, mango, banana, coconut milk, cinnamon and avocado into a blender and whiz away until all blended.
  2. Pour into a bowl, add toppers to make pretty, insert straw and spoon and you are good to go.

 

 

 

Green Apple & Cranberry Quinoa Salad

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Meals during the week have to be quick since the kids have activities. These are the days they come home from school, play with the dog, check their emails, do their homework, eat and go to activities, so dinner has to be easy and fast. By the time they get home it’s bed time. Last night was one of those nights, and unfortunately I had not done any meal prep in advance. Off to the store I went to pick up some quick grill sausages and a few ingredients to make a Quinoa Salad.

Green Apple, Gouda & Cranberry Quinoa
Green Apple, Gouda & Cranberry Quinoa

I tend to make my quinoa a day or two in advance. I like it cool or right out of the fridge vs hot off the stove. I find it fluffs up when it has time to sit and cool off plus it’s available for a quick meal solution. This salad is Gluten Free and can be made dairy free by not adding the cheese.

I’m happy my whole family enjoys quinoa and I no longer feel like I have to put a carb on the table (rice, pasta, potato). Grains are a beautiful & filling thing.

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Green Apple & Cranberry Quinoa Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salads, dinner, lunch
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 2 green apples, sliced thin
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • 2 tbsp mint, chopped
  • ¼ cup cranberries
  • ½ cup Gouda cheese, cubed
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 5 tbsp pepitas, toasted
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl toss together quinoa, green apple, parsley, mint, cranberries and cheese. Set aside.
  2. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Pour half on salad, toss and taste. Add more dressing if necessary.
  3. To serve top with toasted pepitas.

 

Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic Soup

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The first time I made this soup was sometime in 2013. It was a craving soup end of the week kind of day and I had very little vegetables left to play with. There it sat on the third shelf in the refrigerator staring back at me. There was no way around it – it was to be cauliflower soup or nothing. Admittedly I’ve never made cauliflower soup before but I sure love roasted and grilled cauliflower.I turned on the oven, hacked up the cauliflower, tossed in some garlic cloves for good luck, a little oil and off it went into the oven. What happened next was outstanding. I made Roasted Cauliflower soup, and I loved it.

You have to agree, roasting your garlic with the cauliflower is pretty clever, and imparts great flavour. I wanted the soup again, so I took it a step further this time, and tossed in a couple shallots to roast them up to. I do not add cream to this soup but blitz the cauliflower, garlic and shallots like crazy to keep it healthier.

The roasting party in my oven became soup on my stove. I like it when this happens. A few extra minutes to simmer on the stove with thyme and bay leaves, then it gets blitzed, strained and is ready to serve. Those who can not eat dairy will appreciate this soup is dairy free. If you are gluten free do not add croutons. I quickly made some cumin croutons for this soup, but you can use any croutons you have on hand. I made croutons so often I will need to share the recipe. Simple flavours make it delicious.

This should serve 4 pending how big your servings are.

Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic Soup
Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic Soup

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Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup, lunch, dinner, side
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 6 cups cauliflower florets (approximately 1 head)
  • 1 head of garlic,separated and peeled
  • 2 shallots, peeled and cut in half
  • Olive oil
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¾ tsp pepper
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 cups stock (you can use vegetarian)
  • Croutons
  • Hot pepper flakes
Instructions
  1. Put cauliflower, garlic cloves and shallots on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.. Roast in 400 F oven, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, about 25 minutes.
  2. Remove from oven and pour into a sauce pan over medium heat. Add thyme, bay leaf and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are thoroughly cooked through.
  3. Remove the thyme bay leaf. Using a hand-held blender, or in a food processor, blitz the soup until smooth. I run it through a sieve, return to the pan and warm.
  4. Pour into serving bowls and top with croutons and a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes.

 

 

Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Lentils

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We always have luck growing carrots in containers on our deck. Not so much luck with radishes (worms) or lettuce (aphids) however but we haven’t given up yet amidst trying almost everything. The kids love to plant seeds, and watch them grow. It’s something they look forward to every year. They especially enjoy the coloured carrots, and admittedly always plant way to many seeds so we end up with all kinds of carrot shapes, and sizes. But it’s fun, I let them do their thing, and they are learning so much from this process.

Garden carrots ready for roasting
Garden carrots ready for roasting

I was asked to submit some recipes for the Winter edition of a Gluten Free Magazine. Many of my salad or vegetable recipes tend to be gluten free, so I knew exactly what I wanted to make, sides for a holiday dinner. Which could also be a delicious meal for one with some added protein. I had ideas, well several so I decided to make a trio of sides for the magazine. It’s a day of chopping I will never forget as I somehow managed to chop off part of my finger while preparing the parsley for this dish. Fortunately the kids were home (my daughter came to my aid), and my husband just walking in the door. He cleaned the counter/cutting board, and re-chopped a fresh batch of parsley for me so I could get the dish finished, and photographed since the deadline was looming. Plus there was still work to be done, and a cut finger wasn’t going to stop me although it’s the first time I’ve cut it this bad since I worked in a butcher shop when I was 16.

The first time I tried crispy lentils was at a Food Blogger Conference in Vancouver. They were sprinkled on a fish dish (halibut I believe) and it was delicious. I came home and started making crispy lentils which I sprinkle on everything. I promise to post that recipe soon.

The Trio of Sides recipes I made for the magazine are these Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Lentils, Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou and Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts.

Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Crispy Lentils
Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Crispy Lentils

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Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Crispy Lentils
Author: 
Recipe type: sides, salad, dinner, lunch, gluten free
 
Ingredients
  • 30 small carrots
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup roasted green lentils
  • Salt & pepper
  • ½ lemon, halved
Instructions
  1. Roasting Lentils: Pour 1 cup green lentils into a pot. Add 2 cups water, 2 bay leaves, half a lemon and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 25 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes or make the day before and refrigerate.
  2. Preheat oven to 400F. Pour one cup cooked lentils onto parchment lined baking sheet. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil and lightly toss. Spread out evenly and roast for about 10-15 minutes stirring once half way through. Set aside.
  3. Assemble: Preheat oven to 400F. Trim carrot tops and peel about 20 carrots. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Toss carrots on baking sheet with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper and fennel seeds. Roast about 15-20 minutes. Remove & set onto platter.
  4. Peel the remaining carrots into long ribbons and place in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley and squeeze of lemon juice. Toss lightly. Scatter over roasted carrots. Garnish with roasted lentils and season with salt as needed.

 

 

Trio of side dishes
Trio of side dishes

 

Mango Ginger Smoothie

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Smoothies in our house happen fast & furious. Never a lot of thought goes into making smoothies, but more searching through the freezer and fridge for fruit or veggies needing to be used up. That’s what so great about smoothies is anything goes. My kids now know how to make them and are totally ok with spinach going in, cause they can’t taste it.

This time we were under the weather so I added fresh ginger. You need to puree it really well to break up that ginger, and it’s never so strong it takes over the taste. Just a hint. Pomegranates never last long in this house. The kids are totally addicted. So this last tablespoon full is all I got out of two pomegranates. They both inhaled them. Not a bad thing since they are full of antioxidants. I just need to teach them how to clean them. This is a fun smoothie to make.

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Mango Ginger Smoothie
Author: 
Recipe type: snack, breakfast, lunch
Serves: 1
 
Ingredients
  • ½ pear, seeded
  • ½ avocado, peeled
  • 3 coins sliced fresh ginger, peeled
  • 1 cup frozen mango
  • 1 cup spinach
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup ice
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
  • ½ tsp chia seeds
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients (pear through ice) to a blender and puree until smooth.
  2. Pour into glass, top with pomegranate and chia seeds, add a straw, and serve.
  3. Mix ingredients together and enjoy.

 

Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou

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Roasted potatoes just go with everything, and I defer to them more often than not because hubs loves them. My son on the other hand wouldn’t eat them for I’d say the first 5 years of his life. While he’s finally accepted potatoes, he still doesn’t like them mashed.

In the summer I put them in foil, and on the BBQ they go with a myriad of flavours depending on my mood, and what I feel like for seasoning. Mix together fresh herbs, garlic, butter, your favourite spices, or olive oil with the potatoes all wrapped up in foil. During the colder months I like to have my oven on to  help warm up the house. So it’s into a roasting pan they go with a little olive oil, and spices. Same rules apply, add the flavour enhancers you have available.

I find these potatoes pair with so many things (well not pasta of course) but grilled or roasted meats, slow cooker dishes, even some seafood dishes. I always make extra potatoes so there are leftovers for either breakfast or dinner hashbrowns the next night. Topping them with a fried egg is extra tasty.

If you are wondering what a Pistou is, it’s a Provencal cold sauce made from garlic, basil and olive oil. Similar to a pesto without the nuts. It’s easy to make and you can modify it to suit your tastes. A great topper for roasted veggies, grilled meat or even egg dishes.

 

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Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou
Author: 
Recipe type: sides, vegetables, dinner
 
Ingredients
  • 6 cups baby potatoes
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1 cup parsley pistou
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Break up garlic bulb, remove garlic from shells and place in a bowl. Add potatoes, thyme, 2 tbsp of olive oil, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cut lemon in half, give a squeeze and add to bowl. Toss all ingredients onto parchment lined baking pan or sheet. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour until brown. Flip once or twice during cooking to ensure even browning.
  2. To make the Parsley Pistou: Make this non-traditional pistou by mixing one cup of chopped flat leaf parsley, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add a little more oil if needed.
  3. Assemble: Pour cooked potatoes and garlic onto platter. Top with parsley pistou and serve.

 

Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou
Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou

Vegetable Lasagna [Catelli® Gluten Free Lasagne Challenge]

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Vegetable lasagna’s have been a favourite of mine since the 90’s when I was single, living in Vancouver, and involved in weekly office potlucks. Then I moved to Calgary, got hitched, had kids, and well settled down with a prominently meat eating family. These days lasagna’s in our house have some form of meat in them, and husband advises he “misses” the meat when it’s not there. Extraordinary one can actually miss the meat, but who am I to judge.

Recently I was offered a challenge by Catelli to create a Gluten Free Lasagna using their new Gluten Free Lasagne noodles, a first-of-its-kind pasta made from a delicious blend of four grains; white rice, brown rice, corn and quinoa. I knew I wanted to bring vegetarian lasagne back into the routine, so I went for it.

Lasagna noodles have sure evolved over the years. I remember making lasagna, and having to boil the noodles first. What a treat that was. When oven ready noodles came out I did the happy dance. The Catelli® Gluten Free Lasagne noodles are also an oven-ready noodle that does not need to be boiled or cooked beforehand. It’s the little things like this that appeal so much to a busy life style.

Additionally Catelli has a delicious line of Gluten Free Pastas including Penne, Fusilli, Macaroni, Spaghetti, and recently launched Linguine. Their Gluten Free Lasagne noodle has been voted by consumers as a 2015 Best New Product Award winner.

After sampling this lasagna, I can tell you first hand you wouldn’t know it was gluten free pasta – it’s delicious. In fact I tested it on our vegetarian baby sitter, and she loved it. She had no clue it was gluten free. These noodles are available at all major retailers across Canada, in the pasta aisle.

I did something I’ve never done before when making lasagna, I topped it with a little smoked cheese. The distinct hint of smokiness elevates this lasagna to a whole new level. While this recipe may have a few extra steps, it’s well worth it.

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Vegetable Lasagna [Catelli® Gluten Free Lasagne Challenge]
Author: 
Recipe type: dinner, lasagna, lunch
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • ½ yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
  • ½ - 28oz can crushed san marzano tomatoes
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 firm, medium zucchini
  • 1 leek, cleaned & sliced (white parts only)
  • 2 cups mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
  • 1 ½ cups sundried tomatoes (dry pack, not in oil)
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cups fresh ricotta
  • 2 cups mozzarella, grated
  • ½ cup parmesan, grated
  • 1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed & drained
  • 3-4 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup provolone, sliced thin or grated
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano
  • ½ cup smoked gouda, grated
  • 1 - 250 gram box Catelli Gluten Free Lasagna
Instructions
  1. Add 1 tbsp oil to sauce pan over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté 3-4 minutes. Toss in garlic and cook for one minute ensuring garlic doesn’t burn. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, basil, and season with salt & pepper. Allow to simmer for minimum 15 minutes while you prepare other ingredients.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400F. Slice zucchini crosswise ¼ inch thick. Set onto parchment lined baking sheet, drizzle on some olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
  3. In a sauce pan over medium high heat add 2 tbsp olive oil swirling around pan. Sauté your leeks for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms stirring regularly for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and let cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Turn off heat.
  4. Put sundried tomatoes in a bowl. Pour boiling water over just enough to cover. Let sit to soften for 3-4 minutes and drain. Mix 1 tbsp oil with 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Add your softened tomatoes and stir. Marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Blend in mixer or with immersion blender until consistency is spreadable.
  5. Combine the ricotta with 1 cup mozzarella, the parmesan, and a pinch of salt & pepper.
  6. Mix together your fresh & frozen spinach in a bowl. Set aside.
  7. Spread half of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish, and layer on your zucchini. Place 4-5 of your noodles (breaking up to fit if necessary) on top and carefully spread on half of your ricotta mixture. Sprinkle on your fresh oregano, and top with your mushrooms and leeks. Lay down another layer of noodles. Spread on your sundried tomato mixture, top it with the rest of your ricotta, and finally your spinach. Add a layer of noodles. Spread the rest of your sauce over all the noodles evenly. Sprinkle on your mozzarella and provolone cheese. Finish with your smoked gouda evenly distributing.
  8. Cover the lasagna with greased parchment and wrap with foil. Bake for about 30 minutes, uncover and let cook another 15 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes, cut and serve.

All ingredients for the Vegetable Lasagna have been prepped
Vegetable Lasagna ingredients

 

Layering ingredients
Layering vegetable lasagna ingredients

 

Vegetable Lasagna ready to eat
Vegetable Lasagna ready to eat

 

 

Catelli Gluten Free Lasagne Noodles
Catelli Gluten Free Lasagne Noodles

 

Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts

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Fresh produce in the winter time was limited where we grew up. During the holidays my mom would buy frozen brussels sprouts to cook up with our turkey. Her cooking method of choice was to boil and serve as is. I found them lacking in flavour and tough to swallow so I avoided whenever possible. Brussels sprouts entered my life again in the mid 90’s while living in Vancouver. I was able to experience them sauteed, crispy and full of flavour, and I was hooked. Husband also grew up eating them boiled but with a little encouragement, my simple tastes man has learned to love them sauteed as much as I do.

Lately the trend is to cook your brussels sprouts with bacon or pork of some sort. The added fat gives the sprouts a burst of flavour, but I was looking for something new when I created this recipe. I was also looking to make it gluten free for a magazine. I love to saute my brussels sprouts in sesame oil and decided to add some nuts. Toasted some walnuts in a pan, added a splash of maple syrup at the end, and ended up with candied walnuts that were insanely delicious. The dish started to come together. We are lucky to live where we do where relatively fresh produce is more readily available in the winter time. This year I noticed brussels sprouts in the stores all year long and I definitely made it a point to eat them regularly.

This recipe was one of three I made for the magazine. We also created Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Lentils and Lemon Roasted Potatoes with a Parsley Pistou. Any of these dishes pair well with a big Thanksgiving, Easter or Christmas Dinner.

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Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner, side, lunch, gluten free
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb (2 cups) Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • ½ cup unbleached walnuts
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • water
  • Salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. In a small pot add orange juice and bring to a boil. Add cranberries, and remove from heat. Set aside for about 15 minutes to plump. Strain and set liquid aside.
  2. Heat a large frying pan and add walnuts. Stir regularly and cook for a couple minutes ensuring not to burn. Turn off heat and add maple syrup – it will sizzle. Stir nuts around to fully coat and pour onto parchment lined sheet and let cool for about 10 minutes. Once cooled break apart.
  3. In a large pan, heat olive oil and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add brussels sprouts, pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour onto serving plate. Season with salt & pepper as needed, garnish with cranberries and walnuts. Finish with a drizzle of the leftover orange juice.

 

Blueberry Guacamole

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BC Blueberries have arrived in the stores/markets and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s one of my favourite times of the year. Growing up in BC, my mom used to grow all kinds of berries and vegetables plus had several fruit trees in our yard. Enjoying fresh produce like this every Summer was sure a great way to grow up. I’m always giddy when the fresh BC produce arrives in Alberta.

I am excited to be attending the BC Blueberries 2015 Kick Off to the Season Launch in Calgary this week. I always get inspired and want to create new recipes with blueberries when I know this event is coming up and the blueberries arriving in Calgary. This blueberry guacamole happened almost by accident. Eating blueberries along side guacamole and I decided to combine the two into one bite. I was sold, it’s seriously delicious. Even my guacamole loving kid loved the addition of blueberries. I might try fresh cherries next.

Here’s how you do it.

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Blueberry Guacamole
 
Ingredients
  • 3 ripe avocados
  • ½ cup fresh blueberries, halved if big
  • 1 tbsp fresh jalapeno, chopped
  • juice from 2 limes
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp green onion, sliced thin
  • olive oil
  • salt
Instructions
  1. Mash avocados in a bowl.
  2. Mix in blueberries through green onion and a good pinch of salt.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with crackers, pita chips or tortillas.

 

Grilled Citrus Chicken

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My kid watches me in the kitchen and has been doing so since she was little. She’s 9, almost 10 going on 14. She’s a true Leo as she was so stubborn during her birth, that after 64 hours of labour, she ended up being escorted out of my belly via emergency C-section. She brings this stubbornness into the kitchen when she bakes. Always wanting to race ahead, and do things her way without reading instructions properly or sitting back to listen & learn. I do love this about her, but it can be challenging.

A couple weeks ago I gave my kids a chicken challenge. Cook any kind of (simple) chicken dish you wanted for supper. Think about it, go through recipe books, or make up a recipe. Hailey’s first idea was to make up a watermelon marinade for the chicken. Since we don’t care for grilled watermelon, and watermelon logged chicken didn’t seem to appeal, I talked her out of it (maybe a mistake?). I could have googled ideas, but I wanted this to be hers. So I suggested she think up something different. She decided on this citrus chicken. Created it entirely on her own. I directed her to the fresh herbs, she smelled & tasted and decided which she wanted to add to the marinade. She loves grilled halloom cheese (from Superstore) and knew she wanted grilled this cheese as part of her meal (she calls it the squeaky cheese), with the grilled chicken placed on top. And her favourite Tabbouleh Salad. I helped with suggesting grilled lemon or lime on top. Her dad did all the grilling.

For the first time we worked together in the kitchen (I helped with the chopping) without any battles. It was flawless and so much fun to watch her follow her vision. And she did an amazing job. While it may not happen again anytime soon, this mom is super proud.

To assemble plate place a little salad on bottom of plate in a circle. Add a slice of grilled halloom cheese. Top with a piece of grilled chicken and if using, grilled lemons or limes.

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Grilled Citrus Chicken
Author: 
Recipe type: dinner, lunch
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 8-10 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 orange
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh mint & fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 pckge Halloom Cheese
  • Additional lemons or limes for grilling
Instructions
  1. Zest the orange, lemon and lime until you get about 1 tsp of each.
  2. After zesting, juice each fruit pouring all juice and zest into Ziploc bag.
  3. Add oil, a pinch of both salt and pepper, mint, oregano and chicken.
  4. Marinate for 1-2 hours in refrigerator.
  5. Preheat BBQ to medium high. Slice halloom cheese lengthwise into 8 pieces.
  6. Grill for about 2-3 minutes or until golden. Carefully flip (some cheese may stick to grill) and grill other side for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove & set aside.
  7. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
  8. Assemble plates as suggested above
Notes
Slice extra lemons or limes and place right on preheated grill. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until you get a nice char.

 

Grilled Citrus Chicken
Grilled Citrus Chicken

 

 

Planning dinner & making a list
Planning dinner & making a list

 

Ginger Peach Smoothie

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Trying to get some frozen berries used up from the freezer so I can buy some more. Realizing tummy growls meant I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. 10am & I started tossing items into my blender to make a smoothie.

I’m a big believer in raw ginger in various forms. 20 years ago I worked in a high rise in downtown Vancouver. The penthouse housed actors & I even rode down the elevator once with David Duchovny. No bigs really. I’m never awed by celebrities, maybe cause I’ve met so many, but it was still cool to share elevator space with him even though I never gave him a second glance. At the bottom of the highrise was a little convenience store. I got to know the lady who owns/runs the store quite well. Late 50’s, looked amazing and one day she told me she hasn’t been sick in over 30 years! I asked how and she said “I cut up fresh ginger/garlic and eat it every single day”. Have been for 30 years. Inspired by this I started cutting up raw ginger & garlic and eating it. Now to be honest I don’t do it every day but it’s been a habit I can’t break for 20 years. It’s easy enough to cut up and store in the fridge for hubs & I. I even try to get my kids to eat it like this when they are not feeling well. We do 1 tsp every day – mornings/bedtimes, push it to the back of your mouth (don’t chew) and swallow. No bad breath either! I’m so in love with ginger I even grate it into my green tea.

Why not put some in my smoothie, I said. Delicious and only a hint of ginger taste. There is enough smoothie here for two, but I didn’t share today. If you do not have or can not find frozen smoothies, any frozen fruit will do. Here’s how I did it.

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Ginger Peach Smoothie
Author: 
Recipe type: snack, treats, breakfast, lunch, smoothie
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 1 banana,
  • ½ avocado
  • ½ cup pineapple juice
  • ½ can coconut milk
  • ½ cup fresh spinach
  • 4 coins fresh ginger, peeled
  • ½ cup frozen peaches or 4 slices frozen peaches
  • ½-3/4 cup frozen berries
Instructions
  1. Toss all ingredients into blender in order listed. I find frozen berries blend better when they are closer to the top.
  2. Blend away and enjoy immediately.

 

Brussels Sprouts Brown Rice Bowl with Cilantro Lime Drizzle

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I love bowl food. It’s hearty, filling and mostly healthy depending on ingredients. When I make it at home, it’s always healthy. When I have it out it’s full of inspiration and for the most part a bowl full of good stuff.

I’ve had a love affair with brown rice going on for over 20 years thanks to my mom and since it’s part of the rotation, my husband even likes it. We top it with salty feta cheese & fresh herbs. If brown rice is not your thing try making this bowl with white rice or even quinoa.

I finished it with a Cilantro Lime Drizzle but you can use your favourite dressing if cilantro is not your thing or use a different herb like basil or parsley. If you are on the Wild Rose Detox you have to keep your dressing simple (olive oil, citrus, herbs, s&p). I called this a drizzle as it doesn’t contain vinegar and technically a vinaigrette does.

As always recipes can be changed up to suit your tastes. Add chicken or protein if you want some meat, omit the jalapenos if you don’t like the extra heat!

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Brussels Sprouts Brown Rice Bowl with Cilantro Lime Drizzle
Author: 
Recipe type: lunch, dinner, snack, bowl food
Serves: 1
 
Ingredients
  • ½ - 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • ¼ cup peppers & spanish onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup cooked lentils
  • ¼ cup brussels sprouts, lightly sauteed
  • ¼ cup baby tomatoes, halved
  • 1-2 radishes, sliced thin
  • 1 jalapeno cut thin and sauteed lightly
  • 2-3 small bocconcini balls
  • Cilantro Lime Dressing
Instructions
  1. Put brown rice in bowl.
  2. Add each item on top of brown rice.
  3. Pour on some of your Cilantro Lime Drizzle & serve.
Notes
To make Cilantro Lime Dressing: Mix together 1 part lime juice to 3 parts olive oil. Add ½ cup cilantro, pinch of salt & pepper & puree with a hand mixer, food processor or blender. Use within a day or two.

 

Pork Belly & Brussels Sprouts Spaghetti (Gluten Free)

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Following a recent and fun evening cooking with Chef Lynn Crawford and Catelli Pasta, I was asked to participate in a Catelli Gluten Free Pastabilities Challenge. I love challenges and especially challenging myself. In celebration of Celiac Awareness Month in May, Catelli asked bloggers to develop an original gluten free pasta recipe using one of four Catelli Gluten Free Pastas – penne, fusilli, macaroni or spaghetti. Did you know Catelli Gluten free pasta won a 2015 Best New Product Award as voted by consumers?!

I’m always looking to incorporate new items and foods into my family’s diet giving us a broader range of items to choose from. Having made several gluten free meals in the past, I was very excited to create something new & flavourful everyone would love. I started brain storming ideas for pasta creations knowing every item I used had to be gluten free. I scribbled out ideas like pulled pork, korean meatballs and ramen pasta. After researching the ingredients (I was leaning towards a ramen pasta) I stalled on pork belly. Pork Belly…what a delicious ingredient to use in a pasta dish. So I built my pasta dish around pork belly.

The next two ingredients were easy. I’ve been on a brussels sprouts kick since last Fall and wanting to make a brussels sprouts pasta. As well as in love with crispy lentils..I put them on many of my dishes. So I decided on a Pork Belly, Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Lentil Gluten Free Spaghetti. Crisp your lentils in advance and keep them in the fridge until ready to use.

I’ve tested this recipe three times and each time it’s come out tasty and the family has enjoyed it. What I did learn about cooking gluten free pasta is it’s best removed from the boiling water at about 5-6 minutes allowing it to soak up some of the pasta sauce and not get to gummy. Third times a charm!

Here is some great information about Catelli Gluten Free Pasta.

  • Made from a unique four-grain blend of white rice, brown rice, corn and quinoa.
  • Available in Spaghetti, Fusilli, Penne and Macaroni (photo attached).
  • Delicious taste, smooth texture.
  • Voted the Best New Gluten Free Pasta by Consumers.*
  • Rated extremely high** by consumers in blind taste tests for taste, texture, colour and appearance.
  • Produced in a dedicated gluten free facility.
  • Certified by the Canadian Celiac Association’s Gluten-Free Certification Program.
  • Made with ingredients that are declared GMO free: white rice flour, brown rice flour, corn flour, quinoa flour, monoglycerides (from vegetable/palm oil).
  • 310 calories, 2 grams of fat per serving (85 g) of pasta.
  • Low in sodium (0 mg), source of fibre (3 g) per serving (85 g) of pasta.
  • Cholesterol and preservative free.
  • Easy to digest, with the great taste and texture of regular pasta.
  • Available at all major retailers across Canada, in the pasta aisle.

Catelli Gluten Free Pasta Product Shot

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Pork Belly & Brussels Sprouts Spaghetti
Author: 
Recipe type: pasta, dinner, lunch, gluten free
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb pork belly, rind removed and cut into ¾ inch thick dice
  • 2 cups brussels sprouts, shredded
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce, gluten free
  • ½ lime, juiced
  • salt & pepper
  • ½ cup crispy lentils (recipe below)
  • 1 340g box Catelli gluten free spaghetti
  • parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. In a pan over medium high heat add 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp olive oil. Toss in brussels sprouts and sauté until lightly browned & wilted but still crispy (2-3 minutes). Pour into bowl and set aside.
  2. Start a large pot of water boiling, salt it and drop in your pasta. Cook for 6 minutes & drain.
  3. In same pan over medium high heat add your pork belly and cook until nicely crispy and browned. Remove from pan with slotted spoon, and place in bowl. Drain grease from pan.
  4. Put pan back on stove, turn down heat and add shallots. Drizzle in a little olive oil if you need it. Cook until soft. Add honey, 1 cup of water, fish sauce, and lime juice. Bring up to a boil and drop to a simmer for about 3 minutes.
  5. Add your pork belly to the pan and mix in your cooked pasta.
  6. Toss with brussels sprouts, sprinkle your crispy lentils on top, a little parmesan cheese and a cracked pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
To make the crispy lentils: mix 1 cup cooled cooked lentils with 1 tbsp olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread out on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes until crispy, stirring every 10 minutes. Season again as needed. Store in air tight container in fridge.

 

Pork Belly & Brussels Sprouts with Gluten Free Pasta
Pork Belly & Brussels Sprouts with Catelli Gluten Free Pasta

Southwestern Bean Dip

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I joined a Blog Hop! Well I joined yes but I’ve fallen behind and kind of missed the deadline to submit my post. Mostly due to family health issues, 15 hour driving trips (each way) to visit sick relatives and then returning home to get ready for Easter and finish organizing a City Wide Foodie Treasure Hunt that I had been chatting about putting on in Calgary for almost two years. For the blog hop, I was matched up with blogger Michelle of A Dish Of Daily Life.

In getting to know Michelle through this process I learned we have a lot in common. Besides the fact she lives far away (in Connecticut), has kids, pets and a husband, she’s a runner and also manages social media as do I. I’ve gotten into running a few times and always wanted to be a runner, so hopefully I will find some inspiration as I follow her blog and her adventures to get motivated to start running again. She’s also big into cooking Mexican & Lebanese food, both of which I love, so I will also be on the look out for recipes to try in these areas.

Each blogger in the Blog Hop was asked to pick a recipe from their partner Blogger and make it, photograph it and post it. For weeks I’ve known I was going to make this delicious sounding Southwestern Bean Dip. It’s healthy, gluten free and the perfect snack. Plus I want to get my family eating more beans. So I finally got to it this week. The one ingredient I couldn’t find easily was the Ro*Tel tomatoes. So I googled what they were and made up my own batch. The end result, fantastic. This is a dip perfect for entertaining and for those Hockey Night In Canada Game Nights that are now upon us thanks to our Calgary Flames making the playoffs – woot woot!

I modified Michelle’s version slightly as I wanted to make less and used what I had available in my pantry. Here is my slightly modified version of Michelle’s Southwestern Bean Dip.

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Southwestern Bean Dip
Author: 
Recipe type: appetizer, snack
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup mixed peppers (red, yellow, green), chopped
  • ¾ cup red onion, chopped
  • ½ cup carrot, chopped or grated
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed
  • 1 can of Ro*Tel tomatoes (see note below)
  • 1 540 ml can of black beans
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • juice from ½ lime
  • salt & pepper
  • water
Instructions
  1. Heat oil.
  2. Sauté the peppers, onions, and carrot in oil until soft.
  3. Add in the teaspoon of cumin seed and continue sautéing until fragrant, only about another minute.
  4. Rinse your beans.
  5. Add the can of Rotel tomatoes and black beans to the vegetables.
  6. Season with salt & pepper. Add a splash of water.
  7. Cook for a few minutes longer on low; remove from heat.
  8. Add cilantro and puree.
  9. Mix in juice from ½ lime. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
Notes
To make Ro*Tel tomatoes: Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pot. Add 1-2 fresh jalapenos rough chopped (seeds & all). Saute for a few minutes. Add in one 14oz can of diced tomatoes & a pinch of salt. Cook until slightly thickened.