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Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox

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!

 

Roasted Sweet Potato with Dill

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Like several other posts, I started this one well over a month ago. But December was….I have to say, a write off. Both husband and I were sick (chest infections to some degree hit everyone in our house over the course of 5 weeks) and we had a hard time shaking the sick. His progressed to laryngitis, mine to a 3 week and still fighting off head cold. We did our best to channel the Christmas spirit for the sake of the kids, but it was tough. So out with the old, in with the new…we were happy to welcome a new year and get back to our chipper healthier selves.

Long before the start of 2015, I was hearing people talking about detoxing and the New Year. I am one of those who like to get a clean fresh start following a holiday season that is typically full of lots of goodies and over indulging, giving my body some maintenance (yes just like a car). It’s a habit I’ve come quite accustomed to and while it’s not for everyone, 10 years later it’s still working for me.

I do the Wild Rose Detox and it’s 12 days long. It’s not an easy plan to stay with, especially if you have never done it before. Detoxes are different and it’s important you do not attempt one without consent from your doctor. If you are considering the Wild Rose Detox here are a few things to remember.

1. Advance shopping, meal planning and some simple prep.

2. Change up your eating weeks in advance to help you cope with the amount of things you have to eliminate from your diet. IE drink more water and green tea.

3. Add more fruit, veggies or even roasted chick peas into your diet for snacks but make sure you know which fruits you can eat on this detox and which ones you can not. This will help when the actual detox starts. There is much you can do with vegetables to help fill you up during the detox, just remember to keep fresh herbs and a good selection of spices on hand as flavour is key to success.

I love roasted vegetables and certainly eat my share of them. Upon slicing into the sweet potato, I learned it was yellow – what a surprise! Sweet potatoes are a powerhouse vegetable. They contain vitamins B6, C, D, iron, magnesium, potassium plus more, so really an excellent vegetable to include in your diet. This recipe makes enough for a couple of smaller meals or is lovely as a side dish to a main meal, Sunday supper or holiday dinner. When I am on the detox, I like to serve it over top a simply seasoned & cooked pork chop, slices of pork tenderloin, salmon, white fish or chicken breast. If you like dill, toss on some additional chopped fresh dill or parsley and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

 

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

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When I made this for lunch this wasn’t the first thing that came to mind. In fact I had set my sights on bigger conquests for lunch, that day. But not everything is meant to be and so Roasted Cabbage Wedges with a Tahini Dressing and Fresh Salsa became lunch. And oh so delicious.

I had cabbage to be used up and the biggest decision of the hour was do I cut the cabbage into wedges or thick planks for roasting. Since the leftover cabbage was on the smaller side, I opted to cut it into wedges. Plus it was easier to roll in the olive oil and lemon juice. Tee hee.

I’ve been all about the fresh salsas lately and so I opted to make one to serve along side, or on top of the cabbage. And I’ve been craving the Tahini Dressing I made back in January so I knew it would be a good companion to the cabbage and salsa.

It was a lovely lunch. Almost too much for one but I managed to get through it all.

 

Twice Baked Smashed Potatoes

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I first came across this recipe years ago, after watching Chef Michael Smith make them on one of his shows…maybe Chef at Home? They were so easy to make, bake a potato, smash them, bake again. The recipe stuck and I started making them at least a couple times a year.

These potatoes are so versatile they go with anything. You can top each one with a small, dressed salad. I love them topped with guacamole or salsa. Eat as a side with a steak or any kind of meat. Sprinkle bacon on top. Drop on some grilled or baked veggies.

Oh La La delicious and they were the perfect side to our Steak with Chimichurri Sauce the other night.

Here’s how I did it.

 

 

Chili Lime No Tequila Chicken

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This recipe is simple with simple flavours. I created it while doing the wild rose d-tox. It was satisfying, tasty and filling. You could easily add half a cup of tequila to the recipe for some added flavour and even toss in some chopped jalapenos. But it’s not necessary.

Chicken kabobs can be made in the winter, by broiling them. The one thing about broiling meat in the oven, is there will always be smoke when you open your oven door. But they cook quickly. Fortunately when I made them I was able to open the windows as we were having a Chinook here in Calgary. As always grilling them while camping or on the deck is just as tasty.

The first time I made these kabobs I used one chicken breast. It made two kabobs which gave me two meals. The second time I prepared 2 chicken breasts and ended up with four kabobs or four meals. This recipe is for 2 chicken breasts. You could easily substitute turkey breast. I’d say it’s a keeper since the minions were picking the chicken off my plate hence prompting me to make more the second time around.

Serve it on a salad, on top of  grains or brown rice.

 

Tabbouleh

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This Tabbouleh recipe is one I got from my mom, so she gets full credit for this recipe. If I were to try and guess which year, it would have been around 1992. Yikes I’m old.

Shortly after I moved to Vancouver my mom started seeing a nutritionist and taking better care of herself. I learned a lot from her in those years whenever I would come home to visit. Tabbouleh is one of the many new foods she introduced me to. Better explained Tabbouleh is a Levantine Arab salad traditionally made of bulgur, tomatoes, cucumbers, finely chopped parsley, mint, onion, and garlic and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.

I really enjoyed this new to me salad and it has become a 20 year (so far) keeper. On the original handwritten recipe, my mom adds other items to her salad. Things like olives, garlic, feta cheese. For me I love an authentic tabbouleh although it tends to have way more parsley and less bulgar wheat then how I make mine. I ate this salad often when I was Single in The City (Vancouver). Recently, and much to my surprise, my husband has decided he likes it to. There is hope!

Did you know, by the way, parsley is a nutritional powerhouse with vitamins A, B, C and K and the minerals iron and potassium. Another reason to try and like tabbouleh or add parsley to your soups, salads and smoothies. It’s not just a garnish anymore.

Like quinoa, I cook a batch of bulgar (1 part bulgar to 2 parts water), let it cool and store it in the fridge. I also like lots of lemon in mine, so you may want to cut back on the lemon the first time you make it if you don’t like it so tangy.

You could also substitute quinoa for bulgar wheat and have a Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad instead.

 

Dilly Pork Burger

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A hint of dill in our Pork Koftas not only flavours the meat but provides a delicious taste experience. So much so I decided to scale the recipe down a bit and turn it into a regular burger. How about that, a food blogger changing up one of her own recipes to create something new!

The kids and the hubs really liked this burger. I ate mine in a lettuce leaf topped with a Jicama & Green Apple Slaw. They ate theirs on buns. Husband went back for seconds. I wish I had his metabolism and appetite. This was even better the next day for lunch. Will post Jicama & Green Apple Salad soon.

 

Dilly Pork Burger in Lettuce Cup
Dilly Pork Burger in Lettuce Cup

 

We doubled the pork in this recipe so we would have leftovers the next day. Normally for our small party of 4 we use 1 pound of burger and still end up with leftovers since we make our burgers smaller. Maybe that’s why husband can down two of them at one sitting without thinking twice and then contemplate a third.

In any case add your regular fixings to your burger on a bun. You could even mix in a little dill with mayo for an added dill-elicious treat. Or change it up by adding a salsa or slaw and eating it in a lettuce leaf (do this if on Wild Rose D-Tox). Either way it’s a keeper!

 

Bakers Latkes

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One of my favourite foods growing up was potato pancakes. Besides grating potatoes, I honestly don’t know how my mom made them, nor do I recall if they had onion in them or not. But what I do remember is they were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, thin and oh so tasty.

I’ve experimented with them over the years and the way I like to make mine is without any additional fillers…with the exception of egg, sometimes. If you search your basic latke recipe, you will find it is made with a binder (egg) and either flour, matzo, crushed crackers, or breadcrumbs and some onion. My latkes are pretty much grated potatoes, salt and pepper. This time I added in some grated zucchini. I love to taste the potato without any other stuff. Since they are cooked in oil, I salt them lightly after. Crispy and salty goodness is just what I was needing on Day 8 of my D-Tox.

And for the toppings…well growing up it was mostly sour cream. I’ve eaten them with a variety of other toppings, but I always come back to old faithful (sour cream). Since I’m allowed to eat these on a D-Tox, I had to find another topping and decided to add some of the jicama and green apple slaw I created the other day (recipe to be posted soon). Another yummy topping would be a fried egg.

Potato Pancakes latkes
Bakers Latkes

Things to note: Because you don’t have a binder to hold the latkes together you have to be gentle with them or they will fall a part. Ensure you scoop some carefully into your hot pan, gently push down and only turn when they are browned on the underside.

 

Avocado Green Smoothie

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Some days we sleep in or at times oversleep ending up frazzled and rushed to get out the door. Can anyone relate? But having a time-crunched morning doesn’t mean you should skimp out on breakfast. Breakfast fuels our body and that’s where creating a quick, simple avocado green smoothie can help you start your day with energy.

Several years ago I tried out the Body For Life fitness program. Breakfasts were easy and consisted of smoothies or shakes with the addition of protein. Throughout the years smoothies have stayed with me as a quick alternative to breakfast, lunch or even a snack. And when I am in workout mode, I am always adding protein powder to my smoothies when I can find one I like.

When I had my babies, smoothies were part of the rotation and they quickly got addicted to them. I would add a little water, fruit juice or coconut milk. I always use any kind of frozen fruit—whether it be berries, mangoes, or pineapples, add cinnamon, spinach and whatever else I could find like a fresh banana. As they have gotten older I do not use fruit juice any more but rather cold green tea, water or coconut milk to decrease any added sugars. Always using frozen fruit ensures a thick smoothie.

This smoothie was a combination of all things green I could find in my fridge or counter top. And since I had an abundance of lemons and limes to use, I added some lime juice to finish it off. If you ever find your smoothies to thick add in a little water to thin it out.

When we make smoothies we use either our blender or immersion blender. If you wanted to make this one for the kids, you might want to add in a little maple syrup for sweetness but its not necessary. Mine have never had added sweeteners so they do not miss it. If you really love green smoothies, check out our Mango Ginger Smoothie, a delicious bright drink with a ginger kick!

What’s your favourite smoothie combination?! Please tell us in the comments below!

 

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Red Chili

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Growing up my mom used to make stuffed peppers. She used ground meat, rice, tomato sauce or soup and a few other simple flavours. It was quite good and I always looked forward to it.

Fast forward to the present. I am married to a man who does not like peppers. Lord give me strength. Fortunately the kids do like them raw. Well really they prefer most of their vegetables raw. But it does make cooking challenging at times since I have to miss out on adding the peppers to stews, soups, chili’s, etc. This is why I try to introduce my kids to a variety of foods constantly so they are more open to foods as they get older and not as fussy as my husband.

I’ve made a quinoa stuffed pepper before, but like so many other dishes I make, I’ve never documented it. Now that I’m doing a cleanse and wanting to keep better track of the recipes I use on this cleanse, I am adding it to the blog.

Things to note: I added in some leftover roasted chicken….you can leave the chicken out and keep it strictly vegetarian if you prefer. This recipe makes enough for one person, so if you are cooking for more than one, double it. I like my peppers on the crispier side vs softened when stuffed, so if you like a softer stuffed pepper, bake it for an additional 5 minutes or so. If you love heat, add more chopped chili pepper. The quinoa mixture could also be eaten as a salad. If you are not doing a D-Tox that requires no dairy, a small scoop of shredded cheese mixed in is equally delicious or even sprinkled on top.

Hope you love it as much as I do!

 

 

Bok Choy & Quinoa Salad with Tahini Dressing

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It was bound to happen. If you follow my blog you’ll know firstly I love Quinoa and secondly have been a fan of bok choy salads since the early 90’s. It was only a matter of time before these two collided in my kitchen. My kids started really liking salads last year (anything from spinach, arugula to a mixed bag) so I am able to toss some chopped bok choy into their regular salad and they don’t even notice.

I never jumped on the kale bandwagon as I honestly prefer bok choy and have for almost 20 years. It’s got all the good stuff in it, vitamins, fiber, anti-oxidants, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, iron and magnesium. I do eat kale from time to time, but not as much as I eat bok choy.

I’d never had a tahini dressing before but since it includes most of the ingredients that go into making hummus, I decided to give it a try. As I made the dressing I tasted it without the garlic, and then added the garlic, and it went from ok to amazing! I love the addition of fresh garlic in a salad dressing, but make sure others around you are eating it to, if you know what I mean! There were no vampires bothering me that day. If you like hummus you will like this dressing.

If you do not have the Ras de hanout spice just use extra cumin. This is seriously one of my favourite dressings now and I even put some on my baked potato. You could easily add any grilled protein to this dish or any additional vegetables you enjoy.

 

 

 

Eggs in Avocado with Fresh Salsa

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Every January I do the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox. This is my 13th+ year doing this D-Tox and as you can tell I’m hooked. I try to do it twice a year. After Christmas/December and at the end of the Summer. It’s such a great reminder to get back on the healthy eating track, helps me feel better and clears up my skin. I love it and I’m very excited to be starting it again. A forewarning however, do not do a cleanse or D-Tox of any sort unless you have consulted your doctor. Another forewarning is this D-Tox is 12 days long and not an easy one by any means. Being prepared with meal planning, especially if you have a family to feed as well as yourself, is essential to success.

Another important thing to note is don’t do a cleanse or D-Tox to lose weight. Do it to jumpstart healthy eating and as such, make a lifestyle change. Do it to remove flours, dairy and sugars from your diet and see how they may have affected you. When the D-Tox is over re-introduce those foods slowly. I have had friends who have done this D-Tox and struggled with it. It’s not for everyone.

Over the years I have compiled a file on my computer with the recipes and foods I’ve tried that work on this program. It’s important to note this D-Tox is mostly fruit & vegetables with a side of protein, grains and light carbs.

Recently I saw an episode of The Chew, one of my favourite shows on TV right now, and Chef Michael Symon made Eggs in Avocados. He topped it with tomatoes & fresh basil. I’ve seen recipes in passing with eggs baked in avocados, but this is the first time I’ve seen it done in a sauce/fry pan. Being a lover of all things avocado I wanted to try it.

So this is day 1 of my 12 day cleanse and breakfast consisted of eggs in avocado fried in saucepan and topped with a fresh salsa. I’ve never had cooked avocado before and have to admit it’s a peculiar taste that I am not sure about. But everything went together nicely and I will try it again, but next time I might bake it in the oven. Plus you might love cooked avocado, even if I wasn’t so sure!

If you want to keep it vegetarian don’t add eggs, just crispy up your avocado in the pan or oven and top with salsa. You can make up your own fresh salsa like I did today or use this Pico De Gallo recipe. I made a huge batch since I know I will be eating a lot of fresh salsa over the next 12 days. I love it. Here’s how I did it. Note while you are allowed to use salt while on the cleanse, you have to use it in moderation. I did not salt the avocado dish but I salted the salsa.

 

Carrot & Cumin Soup

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Some days you just feel like soup. Nothing else. Soup. Maybe a Sandwich because you need to feed the minions a little more than soup or you can’t guarantee they will like the soup you made. But mostly soup. I made this soup and it rocked our world. Well the grown ups. Easy Peasy as Jamie Oliver would say.

Make it entirely vegan by replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock and omitting the butter.

Easy, quick and currently our favourite comfort soup.

 

Caramelized Onions with Ginger

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The past couple of years I’ve been having a love affair with caramelized onions. How could I not have known how delicious these slow cooked, sweet little morsels were. Now I make them on a regular basis and keep them in the fridge. The sampling during the cooking tends to lower the end quantity, so I always try to make a little more than the recipe calls for.

Adding the ginger gives the onions a little kick. Sweet + spicy is super delicious. I can’t wait to try a french onion soup with this combination. The caramelization process does take close to an hour to get the onions nice and brown so make sure you have the time.

Caramelized onions can be used many ways. Mix into mayo or greek yogurt for a dip or sandwich spread. Put on your burger (one of my favourites) or on top of a steak or pork chop. Place on top of a baked brie, or on crackers or baguette slices with your favourite cheese. Mix into eggs, on pizza, or in a pasta (mac and cheese). And of course these make the perfect french onion soup.

 

Ras el hanout Roasted Cauliflower with Chick Peas

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I’m very excited to be 1 of 3 food bloggers from across Canada chosen to review a Foodie Package from The Missing Ingredient, a Vancouver based company who offers a monthly food subscription service.

Each month The Missing Ingredient will deliver to you (anywhere in Canada) 4-5 hand picked and tantalizing food items for you to play with, all packaged in a lovely box. This is a Canadian service and as such, the product is uniquely Canadian.

Roasted Chick Peas
Roasted Chick Peas

Within each box of ingredients you receive 4 informative post cards; Chef’s Tips is tricks and secrets from a cornucopia of local Chefs, Meet the Maker tells you about one of the locally sourced products in your box, Feature Recipe gives you ideas on how to use one of the ingredients, and Double Up is a another way to use your feature ingredient.

The spice in the box I received was Ras el Hanout. I loved how this spice smelled and immediately became addicted to the aroma it provided. Playing with the spice I’ve so far added it to cream cheese for dips, hummus, roasted vegetables, soup, slow roasted meat with more experimenting to be done.

Roasting chick peas or vegetables in general are a delicious lunch or snack to have during the day. You can add any herbs you like, fresh or dried, and try all kinds of spices. Sometimes just sea salt and black pepper makes me happy. Healthy and good for you, definitely give it a try!

PRO TIPS:

  • I prefer my roasted chick peas to have a little bite. Some like them to be entirely crispy. To get them to the crispier stage let them roast for at least 30 minutes and check them.

 

Sun & Salsa Festival | Cucumber Salsa

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One of Calgary’s older neighbourhoods, Kensington, has been hosting it’s Annual Sun & Salsa Festival for as long as I can remember. The first time I attended was back in 2002! I love that you can bring the kids along and participate as a family in trying different salsas. Upwards of 20 local restaurants, pubs and cafes participate in the festival, making a fresh batch of their best salsa for the public to sample, and then we the public, are tasked at voting for the salsa we liked best.

There are always some crazy and unique creations. Most super delicious, but also inspiring. You can buy chips there, with proceeds going to charity. Or if you are watching your funds, bring your own bag along. From kids activities, to street performers and dancers, vendors tables, free samples, free fruit, games and balloons artists, there really is a ton of stuff to do. Another treat is the Food Trucks. There are a handful on site to feed you when you get hungry and can’t get into a restaurant and/or on their patio.

My only advice is get there early. Each year this festival gets busier, and by mid afternoon one can almost feel like they are in a sardine tin can walking along the main streets. This is usually our signal that it’s time to go, as it’s no longer fun for the kidlets. This festival typically happens during the summer months, when it’s hot out, so come prepared with sunscreen, hats, and lots of water!

When I used to live in Vancouver, I used to love exploring the Vancouver Province Newspaper during lunch. Of course there was a food/recipe section and it was all that mattered to me back in the day. Whenever I would find a recipe I was interested in, I would cut the recipe out, eventually photocopy it and add it to the “must try” section of my recipe box. It was quite the process back in those days, the days before food blogs, bloggers and foodies alike. More proof that even back in the 1990’s food was a big part of my world.

So in my repertoire of old recipes, somewhere I have a cut out cucumber and tomato salsa. I remember this because we renovated one of our pantries recently and as such everything had to be hauled out and sorted. Not like I got distracted going through recipes or anything. This particular recipe involves vinegar, something I’ve never used in a salsa before. So on a whim I wanted some salsa to pair with our Cumin Steak with Black Beans. I whipped up a quick cucumber and tomato salsa and this recipe was born.

There’s so much you can do with salsa whether you are roasting, toasting or making it fresh. This salsa is super duper easy. Keep it easy or add in a few of the extras I talk about below.

The Sun & Salsa Festival in Kensington returns on Sunday, July 20, 2014. It’s a great way to try some new salsa flavours, support the community and get inspired to make your own salsa at home.

 

Roasted Fennel and Broccoli Soup

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I love soups. Smelling up the house while they cook. I’m trying to get my kids to eat more soup. Wish me luck? They tend to enjoy raw vegetables over cooked. But one must not give up. I had someone come to the door while this soup was simmering on the stove and they were drooling over the smells wafting through the air.

I haven’t made many pureed soups and honestly the family was not too sure about the texture of this soup. But I loved it and I am going to start making more pureed soups to put into rotation. So easy and so healthy.

More often then not my inspiration these days comes from something I’ve heard, seen, or what’s in my pantry/fridge. I’ve had a fennel bulb taking up space for two weeks with the intention of making a salad. Decided today was the day of the fennel bulb. And it wasn’t going to be salad. Looked in the fridge again and broccoli pops out. Thinking a fennel and broccoli soup might work. I used to Google my ideas to see if they’d been done before and I finally clued in to the fact that was a bad idea. Who cares if it’s been done before, at this moment in time it’s my idea inspired by the vegetables staring back at me from the fridge. You can totally make this vegetarian by using vegetable stock or water instead of chicken stock. And you can omit the evaporated milk for a Vegan soup. I just so happen to have some leftover from pumpkin pies so it tossed it in.

Substitute almond or coconut milk (unsweetened) if you are making this while doing the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox.

 

Grilled Asparagus Bean Salad

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Love Summer for many reasons but quick and simple food appeal to me the most especially on hot days. Brightly coloured, fresh and tasty fruit and vegetables are inspiration everywhere you turn. I loves me a good bean salad and this one is simple enough to make while camping or at a cabin. In fact out at a cabin in Manitoba last week, is where I created this delicious salad.

We had been planning for two years to return to Clear Lake, Manitoba in 2013, after spending time there in 2011.  As it turns out a rather large family gathering was also brewing for around the same time. Our return last week collided with the family gathering and it ended up being quite a large family affair with family folks coming and going throughout the week. Love being part of such a great, happy, social group of people – also known as my inlaws/outlaws. My brother and family also joined in on the fun and with all the people in attendance we completely covered Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

As it turns out husband and I celebrated our Anniversary while in Manitoba and decided to host a BYOBCM Potluck (Bring your own Booze, Chair and Meat) for all the family assembled in Clear Lake. We supplied the sides which consisted of: baked potatoes, quinoa salad, ceasar salad, green salad with fruit and a new grilled asparagus bean salad). It was a lovely evening spent with special family and we couldn’t have asked for a better Anniversary celebration. The wine flowed and the food was splendid. Since I received some good feedback on this salad I wanted to get it posted to share.

 

Cilantro & Black Pepper Hummus

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I admit I’ve had  hummus on the mind.   I like my hummus spicy and I’m always trying new flavours.  This morning I went rummaging through my fridge to see what I could find.  Olives…feta cheese…sun dried tomatoes..could roast some garlic…everything was appealing…and then I spotted the “needing to be used” cilantro.  Perfect, my cilantro & black pepper hummus adventure was about to begin.

I really want to get the kids liking hummus so this is definitely going to be the “Year of Hummus” in our house as I experiment with flavours they might like and dippers all the while knowing I have a secret agenda.  “Look kids I tried a new recipe today“, “I think it might be great on our greek pitas” or “I made hummus with cucumbers, how yummy” are some of the lines of persuasion one might over hear.   Even sneaking a little on a burger is worth considering.  In the end they will be the ones who decide if they like it or not.

For this recipe add more pepper if you want more of a kick.  The amount in this recipe keeps it pretty mild.

 

Alberta Burger

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With the summer heat finally here, all we want to do is grill burgers. Change up your burger game with our Alberta Burgers served with pita instead of a bun!

 

3 out of 4 of us really enjoy a good burger and I am proud my kids are not uber fussy about all the things we put in the burgers. They save the fussiness for the burger preparation “ketchup, cheese and some mayo please” is all they like on their burgers although they boy is becoming more experimental in his lettuce adventures.  Baby steps.

This burger is flavoured with spices of the Middle East and served up in a pita allowing everyone to choose their toppings. We served it with a minted yogurt sauce that my little girl mixed up (and liked!).

In considering what to name this burger I decided to firstly pay homage to my birth Province and place where my babies were born. Secondly celebrate the diversity in cultures that makes Alberta such an incredible place to live.  It’s not just plain beef & buffalo here anymore!

As always if you are on the Wild Rose D-Tox you can not have the yogurt sauce or pita. Use a lettuce leaf instead and add some fresh salsa.

You could easily substitute ground pork or lamb in this recipe. Yummy goodness all wrapped up in a pita.

 

Couscous with Mint

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Back on the grain wagon again this week sharing a Couscous with Mint salad of sorts.  A couple of cooler days here in Calgary allowed the brain to start thinking again and planning some meals….if only for a few days.  Rummaging through my pantry I pulled out couscous.  I further had some peppers to use up, feta that was growing green, 5 kalamata olives left and a pack of mint turning a nasty brown colour. 

A new recipe was born.  Loving all things mint, it’s worth making.

Guacamole

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Inspired by a trip to Mexico for my 30th birthday, Guacamole quickly became a make at home habit. Enjoy this dip at your next potluck or gathering.

Guacamole
Guacamole

Pico de Gallo and home made Guacamole are 2 of my favourite summer time snacks. Having visited San Diego many times, driving over the border to Tijuana for Mexican food and taking a few trips to Mexico over the years, I’ve come to love eating and making a variety of Mexican recipes.

Guacamole
Guacamole

How do you like your Guacamole

Are you a chunky guacamole lover or smooth operator?!

Over the years I have tasted my fair share of guacamole. Some times it’s left chunky, some times it’s fairly smooth. Some restaurants and Chefs add additional spices. Some like Rick Bayless add ingredients (chiles and garlic). Once you get the basics down on making a great guacamole, do not be afraid to experiment and add in your own fun ingredients. We tried Blueberry Guacamole and it really works!

More than just a dip

One thing I’ve learned by trying to eat healthier is a little goes along way. Making up a batch of guacamole on Sunday night and keeping it throughout the week is how we like to roll using a little bit every day but not eating the whole bowl. That is hard let me tell you.

If you are looking for more ways to use guacamole than just Mexican food, here’s some of the ways we’ve used this tasty dip:

Deviled eggs, as a topper on potatoes (baked is fantastic), to jazz up brown rice, egg dishes, a dollop on top of baked avocados or roasted veggies, on burgers and hot dogs, grilled meats or fish, even as a topper on chili.

I hope we’ve inspired you to make guacamole if you never have before. Here’s a few tips to help get you started.

PRO TIPS

  • Avocados must be ripe
  • White onion is essential
  • Save the avocado pitts and keep in the guacamole to help prevent browning
  • Save the lemon after you juice it and add to the guacamole to help prevent browning
  • If you do not have jalapenos use red pepper flakes

Lemon Chili Pork Chops

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There are many ways to spice up and/or marinate pork chops.  Open your pantry and see what you have for spices.  Then experiment with a few.  If you are not sure about what to use try the spice combination in this recipe.   It is not a spicy recipe but more on the milder side – which is perfect for kids who do not like too much spice!  If you like your meat kicked up a notch add in more chili powder.

It was a cooler day outside when we grilled these pork chops.  So I paired these bad boys with some roasted proscuitto, potatoes, onions and carrots.

Simple Chicken Fajitas

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Mexican style food is something our family adores. I’ve tried many different versions of chicken fajita’s and always found the flavours are rather bland. So after playing with some spices most of us would have in our pantry, I was able to get the flavour I was hoping for. Plus the family enjoyed the meal so much my daughter asked for it for lunch the next day at school (now that is unusual).

Fajita’s for our family are a quick & easy supper on an activity night. These are truly yummy.

If you are making these for the Wild Rose D-Tox you will have to eat them without the tortillas, sour cream, cheese and any pickled peppers.