Simple Garlic Hummus

I eat hummus daily for lunch. When I get super busy, I have to admit I'm guilty of just buying some from the store, but lately since making homemade hummus more often, if I have to resort back to the store bought one, I am miserable at lunch and feel nauseated from how gross it tastes in comparison.

This is my simple garlic hummus recipe that I have been using this summer that last me the entire work week. I like to eat it with crackers, or some days just dip some cucumbers and carrots in.

Recipe:

19 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1-2 cloves of garlic (depending on how garlicky you want your breath at work. Maybe you want to keep annoying patients or clients away ;))

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp tahini

1/2-1 tsp salt

The juice from one lemon

Lemon zest

2 tbsp water

1/2 tsp paprika

Steps:

1. Stick it all in a food processor or blender until its smooth and enjoy!

Simple!

-A

Garlic Aioli Spaghetti Squash

I have loved spaghetti squash since I was younger, when my mom would top it with a little bit of parmesan.  I wouldn't go as far to say that it is just like pasta, as some claim. You definitely don't get that dense carb satisfaction that us carb lovers desire, but with the right topping it can mimic the flavour you get from pasta, just a much lighter version! Spaghetti squash is a great alternative for those trying to lose weight, people who want/need to eat gluten free or diabetics who are trying to avoid sugar spikes from white flour pasta (as mentioned in our Turkey Bolognese recipe.)

Ingredients:
1 medium-large spaghetti squash
3 cloves of minced garlic
cooking oil
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp red chili flakes
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Celsius
2. Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise (be cautious-it can be quite difficult to cut through!). Scoop out the stringy bits and seeds from the middle and lay cut side down in a roasting pan that is filled with about 1 cup of water and 2 tbsp of cooking oil. Cover with tin foil and cook for around 45 minutes until the flesh is soft.

3. Once the squash is finished cooking, take 1/2 cup of the water it was cooking it in and put it aside in a measuring cup.
4. Heat a saucepan with ~1 tbsp cooking oil. Add the garlic and red chili flakes and sauté until the garlic has browned.
5. Add the reserved water, salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes.
6. Use a fork to gently pull the squash from the peel and create strands of the squash flesh.
7. Add the squash, along with the cheese to the simmering mixture and mix well.

I used this squash recipe to top my favourite Scalloped Tomatoes and the combo was so delicious, I didn't even feel bad going to second's and third's since it wasn't pasta! My family members, who sometimes don't prefer "healthier alternatives,"  even were fighting over who got more!

Hope you enjoy!

-A

Sweet Potato Salad

After a classic Greek Salad, this is one of my family's favourite salads to make. We make it for family get togethers and everyone loves it! It's also a good way to dress up sweet potatoes for someone who doesn't love them plain as chips. 

Ingredients:

3 Sweet potatoes

olive oil

1/2 pack low-fat feta cheese

1 package of spinach

3 tbsp pumpkin seeds (roasted)

1 lime

1/2 cup of sweet chilli sauce

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame seeds (roasted)

The recipe is not my own, I got it from Sarah Percy, a daughter of someone my mom worked for, and she published it in the Guardian. The only thing my family does differently is add less feta, she uses an entire package, whereas we only use half to reduce some of the sodium.  

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F and on a baking sheet, place peeled, sweet potatoes cut into discs

2. Drizzle with olive oil and cook for about 30 minutes or until soft

3. In a non-stick frying pan, roast the sesame seeds until they start to brown and then roast the pumpkin seeds until they brown and start to pop

4. In a small bowl, mix lime juice, sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce. Mix in the roasted sesame seeds

5. The salad assembly is in layers. First, layer the bottom of the bowl with spinach, then place a few sweet potato slices on top, and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and feta. On top of this layer, drizzle some dressing. Make another layer and drizzle again, until you have used up all of the ingredients.

Enjoy!

-A

Creamy Sage Butternut Squash Risotto

My family loves butternut squash soup. Unfortunately, as I've mentioned before, I am not a soup lover for some reason. I think I like my food with a bit more texture, so I decided to come up with a recipe that involved butternut squash, yet still had the carbs and texture I desired.
Butternut squash is a great addition to your diet. It is extremely high in many vitamins, especially vitamin A and C. Vitamin A is essential for healthy vision, among other things, and Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that is important for many aspects of your health. It is also low in calories, with only ~45 calories for 100 grams.
This recipe is a great addition to those holiday meals, such as the upcoming Easter holiday.

Ingredients:

½ of a yellow onion, chopped

2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1½ cup arborio rice
30 oz canned butternut squash (or roast and blend fresh butternut squash)
¼ red chili flakes
1 tsp salt
3½ cups of chicken stock (with no added salt)
½ cup fresh, chopped sage
¼ cup grated parmesan
pepper to taste

 Steps:
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir until the onion has softened. Stir in the rice, until it is covered in the oil.
2. Pour in the chicken stock and half of the squash. Stir and add the chili flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the remainder of the butternut squash and sage and simmer for 5 more minutes, until the risotto is creamy. Mix in the grated parmesan and serve.

Enjoy!
-A

Turkey Bolognese in a Spaghetti Squash Bowl

Diabetes is a pretty scary disease state that is affecting so many people these days. By 2020, the Canadian Diabetes Society predicts that 1 in 3 Canadians will have diabetes and for those of you that don't live in Canada, the World Health Organization predicts that 592 million people worldwide will have the disease (all stats are from the CDA).

Luckily, if you have pre-diabetes there are things you can do to lower the chance of it progressing 

to diabetes, and if you already have diabetes (besides taking your medications) there are things you can do to help your sugars be controlled. These things are the dreaded diet changes and exercise. 

Most people think the main thing affecting the blood sugars is added sugar. Sweet foods and added sugar do indeed cause a quick increase in blood sugars but they are not the only culprits. One "hidden" source of sugar is in carbohydrates, but not all carbohydrates are considered equal. As we know, carbohydrates are broken down in the body to glucose ("sugar"), which is a good thing because this is what our cells use for energy! But people with diabetes, who already have excess sugar in the blood do not want to be eating carbohydrates that can cause a spike in glucose. This can happen with starchy vegetables or grains that have been processed more, i.e. white flour, white bread, etc. Eating non-starchy vegetables and grains with more fibre can help manage blood glucose levels. Fibre slows the digestion of food and slows the movement of sugar into the blood so that the spikes of sugar after a meal are reduced. 

Another way to delay or prevent the development of type 2 diabetes, in people with pre-diabetes is weight loss. Easier said than done!

Below, I included a recipe that can tackle some of these problems. It is extremely flavourful, but substitutes pasta with spaghetti squash-a non-starchy vegetable (causing less of a sugar spike), which is drastically lower in calories compared to pasta (to help with weight loss).

Look at the difference in calories and total carbohydrates for the same serving size!

This recipe also uses turkey instead of beef-a leaner meat, that helps cut down on the saturated fats and Greek yogurt instead of cream-which also helps cut down on saturated fats. 

Ingredients:

2 medium spaghetti squash

~0.5 kg ground turkey

2 tbsp cooking oil

4 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp oregano 

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1¼ cup red wine (Note: diabetics should limit alcohol, but most of it is cooked off in this recipe)

28 oz can of diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp salt

1½ tsp pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup plain 2% greek yogurt 

Cooking the Spaghetti Squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Celsius
2. Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise (be cautious-it can be quite difficult to cut through!). Scoop out the stringy bits and seeds from the middle and lay cut side down in a roasting pan that is filled with about 1 cup of water and 2 tbsp of cooking oil. Cover with tin foil and cook for around 45 minutes until the flesh is soft.

Making the Bolognese:
1. While the squash is cooking, heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a large cast iron skillet along with the garlic. Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Stir in the oregano and red pepper flakes and mix well.
2. Add 1 cup of the red wine and stir in well.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for ~10 minutes
4. Add the nutmeg, greek yogurt, the rest of the wine (¼ cup) and the basil. Simmer for another 10 minutes until it has thickened

Pull the Squash out of the oven. Separate the flesh with a fork to get the spaghetti like strands and top with the bolognese sauce. Add with a small amount of parmesan, if desired.

Enjoy!

-A

Oatmeal To-Go!

I love to eat oatmeal in the morning, it's one of the only foods that keep me going until lunch. Sometimes I don't have the time to make it in the morning, so I decided to try making some baked oatmeal banana muffins. They are perfect to grab on the go in the morning. 

Ingredients: 

3 ripe bananas 

1 egg 

1 cup coconut milk 

1/4 cup maple syrup 

3 cups oats 

1 tsp baking powder 

Chia seeds 

Directions: 

Blend all wet ingredients in the blender, add to dry ingredients. Let the combination sit for 20-30 minutes. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy! 

-M

Shrimp Lettuce Boats

Balancing working full time (with my school practical rotations), working out, hanging out with friends and completing assignments can be really difficult, especially when you enjoy eating healthy and preparing most of your meals from scratch. This is one recipe I like to make when I'm in a rush, and it gives me a good balance of vegetables, protein and a high-fibre carbohydrate.

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp hot paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp olive oil
~12 prawns
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 of an avocado, cut into cubes
1 medium tomato, diced
3-4 large romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 cup of cooked quinoa (I used red but it doesn't really matter what type you use)

Steps:
1. Mix the olive oil and spices in a small bowl and set aside
2. Fry the prawns with a bit of cooking oil until they turn pink
3. Add the frozen corn and once it has almost completely cooked add the tomato, avocado, and top with the olive oil and spices.
4. On a plate lay out the washed romaine lettuce and fill evenly with the cooked quinoa. Top with the shrimp mixture.

Enjoy!
-A

"Pad Thai"

This is my version of pad thai, hence the quotations. It is more of a combo of a stir-fry and pad thai. This is an extremely quick recipe, that can be whipped up in under 30 minutes, especially if you have leftover meat. In this recipe, I used shrimp, but in the past I have substituted left-over chicken breast (even with jerk sauce on it) and left-over ground turkey. 

Ingredients:

Sauce:
1½ tbsp Thai Sweet Chili sauce
1/3 cup of Thai Fish sauce
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp red pepper flakes
~2 tbsp ketchup

~20 prawns
3 cloves of garlic
3 eggs, lightly beaten
5 medium carrots, sliced in the food processor  
3 tbsp natural peanut butter
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 package of 454g rice noodles, cooked
2 limes to garnish

Method:
1. Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and set aside for later
2. In a wok or large skillet, heat cooking oil and fry the garlic and shrimp, until the shrimp has turned pink. Remove from the pan and set aside. 
3.  Add more oil to pan if needed and scramble the eggs. 
4. Once the eggs are almost completely scrambled, add the peanut butter and let it fry in the pan for a few minutes, then add the carrots and the sauce (I like to use peanut butter instead of adding chopped peanuts at the end because I find that if you have leftovers, peanuts do not taste as good the next day if mixed into the entire mixture)
5. Add the cooked rice noodles. Mix together well. Then add the cilantro and the cooked prawns (if using left-over meat, I add it with the carrots to heat it up from the fridge) 

-A

Healthy Salad Rolls with Peanut Sauce

As I sit here writing this post, my mouth is watering. This is one of my favourite meals, and the fact that I'm hungry does't help. Vietnamese food is one of my favourites, a staple in my diet really, and salad rolls are on the top of the list. This is my version of a vietnamese salad roll, it has some of the same components of a traditional one, but I add a few other ingredients to add some flavour and to make them a bit healthier. 

For the rolls: 

-rice paper wraps 

-rice noodles 

-1/4 of a red cabbage 

-1 red pepper 

-2 large carrots 

-1/2 of a cucumber 

-cilantro 

-1 package of ground chicken or turkey OR 2 chicken breasts OR 6 chicken thighs 

-1/3 of your peanut sauce 

For the sauce: 

- 2 tablespoons peanut butter 

- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

-2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

-1/4 cup soy sauce

- 1-2 limes

-1-2 garlic cloves 

- 2 large thumb size pieces of ginger 

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil 

- 1/2 cup of coconut milk 

*this is a rough estimate, I adjust based on taste 

Directions: 

Boil water, and cook the rice noodles (do not overcook them, and as soon as they are soft take them out and put them in cold water). Shred the cabbage (I use a mandolin), grate the carrots, finely chop the cucumber and red pepper, and chop the cilantro. Combine all veggies in a bowl with the cooled noodles. Sautee the ground chicken/turkey with 1/3 of the sauce until fully cooked. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 

To put the rolls together start by boiling some water for the wraps. You will dip the wraps in the boiled water (you may want to let it cool a little first), one at a time, lay them flat on a cutting board or flat surface, add veggies and chicken and wrap. I wrap them by folding the sides in first, then one end, then the other. 

Once they are all rolled, use the remaining peanut sauce as a dip, and enjoy! 

^ready to wrap^ 

Vegan Beet Cake with Avocado Frosting

In honour of Melissa's, as well as my dear friend Krysta's birthday, which we celebrated this weekend, I am going to post a healthy birthday cake option. Unfortunately, they live out of town so my family and I had ate it all before they had gotten a chance to try any, oops :).
This recipe is extremely rich and only for devoted chocolate lovers. Besides the higher sugar content, which is typical for any sweet treat, it is relatively healthy alternative to classic chocolate cake and even sneaks in some vitamins and minerals with the beets and avocados. It can even be made gluten free by substituting out the wheat germ for an extra half cup of gluten-free oat flour.

Ingredients:
Batter:
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground coffee
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup of packed beet
3/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Icing:
2 avocados
1/2 cup cocoa powder
~7 tablespoons of maple syrup or more depending on sweetness preference

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees celsius. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the oil to the wet ingredients.
2. Blend a cooked beet in the food processor and add to the wet ingredients. Mix well and then add the dry ingredients to the wet.

3. Line an 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper and oil the edges. Add the batter. And enjoy licking the bowl, since it's egg free! The batter was actually so delicious, I think I even liked the batter more than the cake (even though that was still good). I realized after I had stuck the cake in the oven that I had gotten a little out of control licking the bowl....

Cook the cake for 35 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.

4. Make the frosting by using a hand blender to combine all of the ingredients. Add more maple syrup as desired.

5. Once the cake is done, let it cool and then frost the cake. Use toothpicks to keep up saran wrap, and cover the cake. Keep in the fridge overnight or make it in the morning and keep it in the fridge until night and then serve.

-A

Red cabbage sweet potato turkey soup

Soup is one of my favourite things to eat, especially when it's cold out! This is
a variation of my staple soup I make all winter, ground turkey and cabbage.

Ingredients:
1 package ground turkey
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
1 medium sweet potato
1 can white beans
1 carton chicken stock (or from scratch)
2 cups spinach
1 bunch cilantro
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 head of red cabbage
Sage
Thyme
Hot chillies

Directions: Coat the bottom of a pot with the oil, add the onions and garlic,
once they are soft add the turkey to brown. Then add the chicken stock and
4-8 cups of water. Add in all veggies, spices and bring to a simmer.

Enjoy!
-M

Fiery Shakshuka

This dish that originated in North Africa, involves lightly cooked eggs (I cooked my eggs a bit more because I prefer them well done) in a spicy tomato sauce. If you can't handle hot spices, this is not the recipe for you. I tamed the spices down so that people in my family, who are not as good with hot spices, can handle it...and still one of them ended up hiccuping uncontrollably. 

This was an amazing dish for my Sunday breakfast, when I actually have time to relax and experiment with new recipes. 

Ingredients:

2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp cumin seeds

3 tsp hot paprika 

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp granulated sugar

1 medium onion

1 yellow bell pepper

796 ml can of diced tomatoes

796 ml can of chickpeas

1/2 cup of water

2 tbsp oil 

4 eggs

1/4 cup of cilantro

Steps:

1. Heat up a cast iron skillet on medium high heat with the oil and cook the red pepper flakes, cumin seeds, paprika and cayenne pepper for about a minute. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or until lightly browned.

2. Add the onion and the yellow pepper and cook until the onion has softened and become translucent.

3. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and chia seeds. Then use the 1/2 cup of water to rinse out the tomato can, adding it to the mixture. 

4. Lower the heat and simmer until the chickpeas are soft (~8 minutes)

5. With a spoon, make 4 indents in the mixture and crack an egg into each one. Cook covered on low heat until eggs are cooked to your liking. 

6. Serve topped with the cilantro

Enjoy!

-A

Mango Salsa Salmon

Everyone knows that in terms of meat, fish is healthy. It doesn't have the saturated fats of many of the other animal meats and contains higher content of omega-3's. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of fish, unless the flavour is completely masked, or is something like Tilapia, and there is no fishy taste.

This recipe that we got from a neighbour, (with some slight alterations) is one that allows me to eat salmon, with the yummy mango salsa and guava BBQ sauce.

This is by no means a quick recipe (there is a lot of slicing/dicing involved) and best with a sous-chef, like my mom, Patti ;). I will give an alternative to make it faster.

To start, preheat broiler.

Mango-Veggie Salsa:
1 red pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into small dices
1 yellow pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into small dices
1 green pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into small dices
2 firm, ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into small dices (I've even used a bag of frozen diced mangoes when they are not in season and cut them into smaller portions while frozen and they defrost by the time you are done the recipe)
1 large red onion, cut into small dices
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 cup minced cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup of olive oil
2 juiced limes
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cans (8 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed

Combine all the ingredients and gently toss.

Guava BBQ sauce:
*This is the step that could be eliminated if you are pressed for time and you could just use a maple syrup glaze on top of the salmon instead*

3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
8 oz. guava paste, cut in chunks (Many times we use apricot jam instead when this ingredient is not  available)
1½ tsp tomato paste
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1½ tsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp dark rum

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions over medium heat until soft (~5-7 minutes). Add guava paste, tomato paste, brown sugar, allspice, curry powder and vinegar. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes until the guava paste has melted
2. Remove from heat and blend the mixture with a hand blender (or transfer to blender). Add lime juice and rum, puree until smooth

Cooking the Salmon:

1. Place salmon skin side down on a large foil-lined broiler pan and pour the BBQ sauce over it
2. Broil for 10-12 minutes for well-done. The sauce will start to burn near the edges
3. Serve the salmon covered with the mango salsa

-A

Dutch Baby Pancake

This past week it was my Mom's birthday. Typically, we go out for brunch, but this year we decided to stay home and I made her a massive meal. We usually enjoy making an Apple Pancake (will post and link recipe in a few weeks), but it's quite a bit of work, so my mom found a recipe (Style at Home) for a Dutch baby pancake, which looks quite similar to our apple pancake and a lot faster to make.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of milk

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup of flour

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp icing sugar

1/3 cup of jam (I used apricot-raspberry)-optional

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

2. In a blender, mix the milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar and salt, until smooth. Add the flour, and then mix for another minute until it is a uniform mixture. 

3. Heat the butter in a pie plate (10 inch) in the oven for 5 minutes. Add the batter and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and puffed. 

4. Dust with icing sugar and serve with the jam. It will quickly deflate once you pull it out of the oven, so serve quickly!

The pancake can also be served with lemon and icing sugar instead of the jam. 

The rest of Mom's breakfast. Happy Birthday Mom!

-A