Keto spaghetti squash with caramelized vegetables

keto spaghetti squash

Keto spaghetti squash with caramelized vegetables

This pregnancy has my cravings all over the place. A few weeks back, I couldn’t get enough of oranges. I had to have one, or two, the moment I woke up and the craving would stay with me all day long. Lately, it’s all about high fat foods. My body is just screaming for avocados, cashew butter and full fat coconut milk.

There are plenty of theories out there regarding cravings, what they mean and if you should indulge in them or not. Personally, I choose to listen to what my body is asking for. I’m not talking about pints of ice cream, boxes of donuts and bags of chips. I try to eat intuitively and when my body tells me it needs to eat more fatty foods, then I eat more fatty foods. It’s as simple as that.

Does that mean I don’t crave donuts? Heck no, I crave those little soft sugar and fat bombs more often then not. But I know that my body is not actually craving a donut, it’s craving calories in the form of sugar and carbs, so I eat a bowl of mixed fruits like strawberries and bananas and peaches or I’ll have an orange (ha!). If I start daydreaming about cheese pizza, then I know my body needs fat so I eat avocado with a little Himalayan salt and a spoon.

I tend not to want to overcomplicate my life with theories and data. I check in with my self and eat accordingly.

Back when I was following a ketogenic diet, I had to come up with creative ways to replicate my favourite dishes with as little carb as possible and loads of fat. Most of the time, I think I succeeded pretty well.

This keto spaghetti squash was created back then.

The Ketogenic diet

For those of you who don’t know what the ketogenic diet is, let me give you a quick overview.

The ketogenic diet is a very low carb, moderate protein and high fat diet that was developed in the 1920’s to treat epilepsy, mostly in children suffering from uncontrollable and frequent seizures.

Today, the diet is rapidly gaining popularity as a mainstream diet for weight loss and those suffering from diabetes and even cancer.

The ketogenic diet should not be mistaken for the typical low carb diets that put a heavy emphasis on high fat meat and dairy products. The ketogenic diet is a moderate protein diet with an emphasis on high fat foods.

According to the science behind the ketogenic diet, when the body is deprived of glucose (carbs), the liver produces ketones from fatty acids, which the body uses for energy. Eating too much protein in a low carb setting will strain your body into converting that extra protein into glucose. Your body will then burn that protein turned into sugar instead of fat, preventing your body from enjoying the benefits of the ketogenic diet.

So how much fat should a person eat on a ketogenic diet: the average consensus is anywhere between 60 to 80% of your total caloric intake, depending on your current body composition and activity level with carb intake ranging from less then 25 grams per day, up to 50 grams per day, again, according to your body composition, your goals and your activity levels.

Yup, that’s a whole lotta fat and not a whole lotta carbs!

Can a keto diet be vegan?

Absolutely!

Like I mentioned previously, the keto diet is not to be confused with the high meat consumption associated with most low carb diets.

A vegan keto diet is very feasible by emphasizing high fat foods like avocados, nuts and nut butter, coconut oil and coconut butter, MCT oil and palm oil. Eating lower carb vegetables like cucumbers, watercress, spinach, kale, brussels sprouts, asparagus (pretty much any green vegetable has the thumbs up), mushrooms, cauliflower and spaghetti squash. And rounding off your plate with seitan, tofu and tempeh. Low sugar fruits like raspberries and blueberries are ok, as long as your remain within your personal carb limit.

Wether this diet is right for you is a decision only you can make but know that it is possible to eat both a ketogenic diet and a vegan diet.

Unto the recipe…

high fat vegan spaghetti squash

 

As you can see, my recipes back then needed to follow rather strict guidelines. Needless to say, spaghetti squash became one of my favourite vegetables and quickly replaced all my pasta cravings. And because I was always very active, I didn’t need to pay much attention to the carb count in vegetables.

And even though I don’t follow that diet anymore, I still love me some spaghetti squash!

But the sauce is where the magic happens. Pesto is a great high fat addition to any past wannabe dish but a creamy, cheezy, sauce without the downfall of dairy is even better. This sauce uses full fat coconut milk, Dijon mustard, yellow mustard, nutritional yeast and a little salt. Delicious!

Because of the full fat coconut milk, the sauce does have a hint of a coconut taste, which I love, but if you’re not a fan of the coconut-y taste, you can replace it with unsweetened nut mylk and a roux.

To make a roux, melt 2 Tbs. of Earth Balance butter in a saucepan. Once the butter is melted, add 2 Tbs. of flour. Stir with a wooden spoon. Once the two are combined and you can smell the butter cooking, slowly add in your mylk and whisk to prevent clumps. Once the roux has dissolved in the mylk and the sauce starts to thicken, you can add the other ingredients.

Mix the sauce with the spaghetti squash, add some caramelized vegetables on top and you’ve got yourself one heck of a satisfying dish. Trust me, you won’t be hungry after this…and this comes from a pregnant lady whose hungry all the time!

Leave a comment below and let me know how you’ve enjoyed this recipe and if you’ve ever tried the ketogenic diet.

I always love to hear from you!

Eloise

xx

Keto spaghetti squash with caramelized vegetables
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-3 portions
This high fat low carb vegan meal is filling and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
  • 1 large spaghetti squash
  • olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 orange bell pepper
  • 10 small mushrooms
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 Tbs. red palm oil
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
  • 1/2 Tbs. yellow prepared mustard
  • 1/3 cup of nutritional yeast
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven at 425 degrees.
  2. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil.
  4. Place the squash halves, cut-side down, in a baking dish lined with parchment paper.
  5. Place in the oven and roast until tender, about 35-45 minutes.
  6. In the meantime, julienne your bell peppers, mushrooms and onions.
  7. Melt the red palm oil in a pan over high heat and add your vegetables.
  8. Saute your vegetables for 3-4 minutes then reduce to medium heat and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
  9. Set aside.
  10. In a saucepan over medium heat add the coconut milk, Dijon mustard and yellow mustard.
  11. Whisk in the nutritional yeast and salt. Taste to adjust the seasoning.
  12. Reduce to low heat and cook the sauce for another 5 minutes.
  13. When the spaghetti squash is cooked, carefully scrap the interior with a fork to make spaghetti-like strands.
  14. Add the squash and sauce to a mixing bowl and combine. Add salt to taste.
  15. Serve in a plate or bowl and top with caramelized vegetables.
  16. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Weekend Warrior Reset – Why you want it!

 

Is it really April 13th today? Have I not written on my blog since February 25th? Shame on me! But believe me friends, it is not because I have forgot about you. On the contrary. You have all been on my mind, daily. I’ve been working hard writing and researching ideas and concepts for my next project, that I know will help you reconnect with yourself.You know, that amazing person you are.

I’m teasing you, I know. But I can’t say more for now.

If you’re curious and don’t want to miss out on the launch of my next project, subscribe to my email list and you’ll be the first to know. Just walk yourself over to the side bar and send me your name and email. Go, do it. I’ll be right here waiting for you.

All done? Ok great!

I’m excited you signed up, not only so you can be updated on what’s coming up, but because by signing up, you get my Weekend Warrior Reset ebook for free.

This is what I want to briefly talk to you about today: the Weekend Warrior Reset.

Many of you have emailed me saying your enjoying the addition of the mindfulness posts to my blog and I couldn’t be more thrilled with your response. But I wanted to do more for you.

So I created the Weekend Warrior Reset.

This 12 page ebook is designed to give your body and mind a needed reboot, within a short period of time.

I know many of you are juggling busy family lives, kids, careers and social obligations. I know, because I am one of you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t move yourself up the priority list for just one weekend and devote a little bit of time, for you, everyday, to feel better and clear your mind.

And that’s what the Weekend Warrior Reset is going to help you with.

I’ve included new vegan recipes, most of which are not on the blog and quick and efficient mindfulness practices to incorporate in the morning and evening.

The recipes have all been tested and are husband and toddler approved so I’m confident your family will enjoy them too.

As for the mindfulness practices, they won’t take much of your time but the benefits are infinite.

I’m so excited for you to start your weekend off right!

Because I’m all about teasing you this morning, here’s an example of the recipes you’ll find in my ebook: Mexican couscous with vegan sour cream and tomatillo salsa.

 

mexican spicy couscous vegan sour cream and tomatillo salsa

I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Elle

xx

Creamy Sweet Potato Risotto | plant-based recipe

 

UPDATED: February 25, 2018

On my first ever Instagram post, a couple of weeks ago, I shared this picture of my creamy sweet potato risotto. In the caption, I mentioned that my blog would be up and running soon… Well “soon” took a little (a lot!) longer then expected. I am no techy by any stretch of the imagination and yet I was animate about setting this up, all on my own.

So after many failed attempts, a multitude of pages magically disappearing or mistakenly deleted and quite a few melt downs, I think I’ve succeeded…or at least I’m here, blogging, sharing with you guys a recipe I absolutely love. So in advance, and before we get to the recipe, I’d like to apologize if my site isn’t “perfect”. I’m still working on it. But my desire to start sharing all this deliciousness with you guys was stronger then my need for “blog perfection” so I hope my food will make up for my lack of technical talent!

So onto my recipe…

This creamy sweet potato risotto was inspired by an amazing meal I had at the Montreal’s Children Hospital Foundation Gala last June (you can read about it on my first Instagram post). The risotto I had that night was a squash risotto. It was perfectly creamy, luscious and oh so satisfying.

So the following week, I knew I had to make my own version of that risotto. I didn’t want to use squash because I wanted to make this recipe my own. Although butternut squash was a very tempting ingredient, I decided to make my key ingredient sweet potatoes.

I chose sweet potatoes for their earthy and creamy taste and texture. Sweet potatoes are also nutrition power houses. I remember in my hardcore fitness training days, sweet potatoes were on the menu every. single. day. And for good reason. When you train at that level, you need all the nutrients food can bring you.

According to the knowledgeable folks over at Organic Facts, sweet potatoes, or yams, are loaded with healthy vitamins, fiber, minerals, and proteins. The health benefits of sweet potatoes include their ability to help lose weight [hence being on most every fitness competitors menu], boost immunity, aid in digestion, treat asthma and bronchitis, control diabetes and help treat certain cancers. Sweet potatoes also help in treating arthritis and stomach ulcers.

Not bad for an orange little tuber.

I love using using sweet potatoes for another reason: my husband doesn’t like them… Well he likes them if they are cut into fries and come from this Irish pub not far from where we live! Loll. On the other hand, my 1 year old son Adriano and I, love them! Needless to say, I need to find sneaky ways to include sweet potatoes so my son and I can enjoy them without my husband minding so much. And a risotto is the perfect place to “hide” them as it a dish my Italian husband is quite found of. Winner!

 

The trick to this risotto, and to any risotto for that matter, is the gentle stirring. Stir, stir, stir…

Slowly, lovingly, gently, stir in small quantities of hot liquid into the rice. As the rice absorbs the hot liquid, the constant stirring releases all that starchy goodness that gives risotto its creamy identity. And from there, you can build layers of textures and tastes.

That’s where the addition of the creamy sweet potato comes in. To enhance the texture and creaminess of the risotto. And once all that texture has developed, I like to add an acidic component to my risotto, like the lime juice in this recipe. This brightens the taste of the dish and cuts through all that creaminess.

Trust me, you won’t miss any of the traditional ingredients found in risotto. And you won’t feel so heavy after your meal.

So without any further a do, here’s the recipe. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as my family and I did. And please, let me know what you think!

xx

Creamy Sweet Potato Risotto
Author: Elle
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Creamy Sweet Potato Recipe
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup sweet onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp roasted ground ginger
  • 1 cup Arborio rice (arborio rice is naturally gluten free)
  • 3 cups vegetable stock, heated (I used homemade broth to make sure it’s gluten free. If using store bought, make sure you buy GF)
  • 2/3 cup sweet potato, pureed or mashed
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • Fresh dill, to serve
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium heat.
  2. Add the diced onions, minced garlic, nutmeg and roasted ground ginger.
  3. Stir the onions and garlic with the spices for 2 minutes or until onions are translucent. Make sure the garlic doesn’t turn brown as it’ll give a bitter taste to your risotto.
  4. Add the arborio rice to the pan and coat the rice with the spice mixture.
  5. Add 1/4 cup of the warm vegetable stock to the rice and stir until all the liquid is absorbed.
  6. Repeat, 1/4 cup at a time, until all the vegetable stock is absorbed by the rice.
  7. Add the sweet potato and continue stirring.
  8. Turn off the heat and add the fresh lime juice.
  9. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with some fresh dill.

 

Pin this for later

 

vegan sweet potato creamy risotto

 

 

Luscious mushroom risotto | Vegan recipe

luscious mushroom risotto

 

Mushroom risotto will forever hold a dear place in my heart. Not only has it always been one of my favorite dishes, but it was also a star dish at my wedding. The hotel venue we chose for our reception actually has a designated chef who’s sole responsibility is to make heavenly delicious mushroom risotto. During our wedding, the DJ stopped the music and invited everyone to take a seat at their table when the risotto was served, so it could be eaten right away. A bit intense, I know. But that’s how seriously they take their risotto. It also goes to show just how seriously I take risotto, considering I went along with it.

I also thought the timing was pretty good since Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. And what could me more romantic then sharing a warm dish of creamy, rich, decadent risotto.

That being said, I have to say I have mixed emotions about Valentine’s Day. I like it and dislike it, for the exact same reasons.

I like the idea of having a single day dedicated to love and happiness. A day that brings us out of our routine and invites us to take a moment and remind the people in our lives that we love and care for them and that they are important to us.

I never though Valentine’s day was just for lovers/spouses/partners. I feel it’s a celebration of love for everyone in our lives: parents/friends/mentors… People that we share our lives with and who influence us in a positive way.

I also genuinely dislike Valentine’s Day because you have to show love on that one day. That one special day that is so commercialized and over advertised, making you feel like you need  to do something special, and mostly extravagant, for that one person in your life. You can’t walk into any store right now and not be bombarded by expensive gift ideas, overpriced flowers, cards, chocolates… That, I don’t like.

Ok, rant over, back to my risotto.

 

creamy mushroom risotto loaded with mushrooms and flavour

 

Since I’ve never been a fan of going out for dinner on Valentine’s Day, I always try to make dinner a little extravagant. Jazz it up a little. Make it a little fancier without necessarily going overboard and leaving us with mounts of dishes to do afterwards.

Risotto fits that bill perfectly as it is rather simple to make and it only takes one dish. Or one pan to be exact.

Mushroom risotto also being such a beautiful reminder of our wedding, I felt it needed to be replicated this year.

The challenge was making it exclusively plant based while still getting that amazingly creamy mouth feel you get from a traditional risotto, that’s loaded with cream and parmesan cheese.

The secret is in the layers of flavours from the mushrooms. Umami.

From the rich mushroom broth used as the base of the risotto to the chunky pieces of portobello, porcini and white mushrooms sautéed in olive oil and garlic.

If you are pressed for time, you can buy already made mushroom broth in cube, powder form or even liquid form. But if you have a little extra time, I strongly suggest making your own mushroom broth. It’s easy and adds so much flavour to a dish.

My mushroom broth is a variation of Chef Michael White’s recipe over at Food & Wine. It is rich and flavourful and perfect for drinking on it’s own or in a recipe like this. The only differences are the addition of 2 more gloves of garlic (for 6 total gloves) and a 2 inch piece of ginger. I just love the added zing and brightness, ginger brings to the broth.

I also add a secret ingredient to my risotto. An ingredient that is not Italian at all. So this will be our little secret.

I add miso paste. Red miso paste. It gives this risotto so much flavour and an added boost of good for you nutrients.

Miso seems to bring out the umami even more in the mushrooms. I dissolve the miso paste in the mushroom broth before adding it to the rice. Amazing.

I promise, this mushroom risotto recipe won’t have you miss the heavy cream or the parmesan cheese.

If my Italian husband and his mom, gave it their seal of approval, I’m confident your family will enjoy it too.

The second key to a great risotto, after the stellar ingredients, is the cooking method. Risotto requires patience.

The liquid to rice ratio is anywhere between 1:3 to 1:4. I tend more towards the 1:4, because I find it gives a much creamier and smooth texture. So for each cup of arborio rice, I’ll add 4 cups of broth. You can also replace some of the broth with white wine. I choose not to because I feed this risotto to my toddler. But if you want to make this recipe for grown-ups only, you can easily replace 1/2 cup of broth with 1/2 cup of white wine.

When it comes time to cook my rice, I separate my broth in 4 parts, pouring only 1 cup at a time, stirring gently, waiting for all the broth to be absorbed before I add any more liquid.

I guess that’s why I consider this the perfect Valentine’s Day dish: it takes love, and time, and patience to make.

Leave me a comment and let me know how you guys have enjoyed this risotto.

xx

Luscious mushroom risotto
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 portions
This mushroom risotto is rich and creamy while offering you all the goodness of a plant based meal.
Ingredients
  • 4 Cups sliced mixed mushrooms (I used portobello, porcini and white mushrooms)
  • 1 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 spanish onion, diced
  • 2 Tbs. vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 Cup arborio rice
  • 4 Cups mushroom broth
  • 1 Tbs. red miso paste
  • 1 tsp. fresh rosemary
  • Freshly cracker black pepper
Instructions
  1. Add the olive oil to a deep pan set over medium high heat.
  2. Add the mushrooms and sautée for 5 minutes.
  3. Remove the mushrooms from the pan, add a dash of salt and return the pan to the heat.
  4. Reduce to medium heat.
  5. Add the vegan butter and olive oil.
  6. Add the onion and cook for 3 mins.
  7. Add the miso paste to the broth and stir with a whisk to dissolve the paste.
  8. Add the arborio rice to the pan and stir to evenly coat the rice.
  9. Add 1 cup of broth at a time, stirring frequently until the liquid is completely absorbed before adding more broth.
  10. Risotto is done when the rice is still firm but cooked through and creamy, about 20 minutes.
  11. Stir in the fresh rosemary, mushrooms and black pepper.

 

 

 

 

 

Banana Pancakes

 

Like many things we cherish, this banana pancake recipe came out of necessity. Let me explain…We always have a mountain of fruits at home but the one fruit that trumps all others in terms of quantity and eating frequency is bananas. Mainly because it’s my son’s favourite and most prized fruit.

His entire face literally lights up as he sees me pull one out of the banana basket. It’s often the first thing he eats in the morning. I sometimes feel guilty for giving him the same fruit every morning so every now and then, I’ll cut up some clementines, grapes or whatever other fruit I have on hand.

The bowl of fruit is usually met with a blank stare. He diligently eats the non-banana fruit but gazes over at the banana basket and points at it with a “nana”… My heart melts and so it’s bananas again the following morning.  My husband and I are just as crazy for bananas, but in their frozen form for smoothies and nice cream.

Suffice to say, bananas are a big thing in my family and none go to waste: half are eaten by our son and the other half is frozen for later delicacies. But last week, two bananas unexplainably fell out of the banana basket and went into hiding behind the coffee machine. I didn’t notice them until Sunday morning!

Needless to say, the bananas had well passed their prime but since no food ever goes to waste in our house (it’s one of my worst pet peeves!), I had to come up with something good to make with them, and quickly, before my son realized the treasure I was holding. So I took out my small blender and the recipe for these pancakes was born.

These pancakes are probably the easiest and quickest pancakes I’ve ever made. Even with the 10 minutes resting time in the fridge before cooking them in the pan. And if you’re really pressed for time, you can skip that part. I find the resting time n the fridge gives the pancakes some added oomph (read fluffiness) but is in no way necessary, taste wise.

And of course, like all things banana, they were a huge hit in my family! I actually forgot to take out the maple syrup but no one said anything and we ate them as is. Ok, honestly, we ate them with our fingers like cookies… don’t judge, I’m sure you’ve done it too, and if not, it’s a must try!

I hope your family enjoys them as much as we have. Leave me a comment and let me know what recipe you’ve come up with out of necessity?

xx

Banana Pancakes
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 portions
These pancakes are fluffy and filling. They are already sweet from the bananas and agave nectar so you won’t even need to take out the maple syrup… unless you really want to and that’s totally cool too!
Ingredients
  • 2 medium bananas
  • 2 Cups gluten-free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill GF flour mix)
  • 2 Tbs agave nectar
  • 1 1/2 Tbs baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbs melted vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 Cup mylk alternative (I used almond milk)
Instructions
  1. Put all the ingredients in the blender, starting with the wet ingredients, and blend until smooth consistency.
  2. Put in the fridge for 10 mins to rest.
  3. Add cooking spray to a pan and set over medium high heat.
  4. Take out the pancake mix and scoop 1/4 Cup batter at a time in a hot pan.
  5. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
  6. Repeat for the remainder of the batter.

P.S. As you guys may have noticed, some adds have been added to my blog and you will now find some affiliated links. I now participate in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. Please rest assured that the products I link to, are all products I personally use and love.

Jerk spiced stuffed peppers

 

I’m calling on all my spicy food lovers out there. These stuffed peppers are for you! They are spicy, without stripping your taste buds, chewy, and loaded with good for your soul ingredients such a farro, mushrooms and collard greens.

Now, here’s a few fun facts about me and where these peppers get their inspiration…

My husband Chris and I started dating around the time of my birthday, which is in early December. Around that time, is also when I do a retrospect of my year. I look at what I’ve accomplished, what I’ve failed at, what goals I get to scratch off my list and what goals still need to be crushed. I look at the good and the bad and reflect on it. I also make a list of 3 (yes, 3, which sounds like a fair number: not too many, not too few) resolutions for the year to come (why wait until January 1st!). I also write down the steps I think I need to take to get to where I wanna go. It’s also a time where I reflect on how I feel about my life in general and what needs to be changed, added or deleted!

One of the things I knew needed to be added to my resolution list was taking more time for myself. Even though I didn’t feel burned out, I knew I couldn’t keep up this pace. So I decided this new resolution was going to start off with a bang. It was going to start with a beach vacation. Now this may not seem like such a bang for some, but this was going to be my first real vacation in over 5 years! Since I traveled quite extensively for work, and I never really took time off of work, a beach vacation sounded like an extravagant luxury for me. And I was going to go for it…

Needless to say, when I told Chris about my resolution to take a relaxing beach vacation, he suggested we go together to his favourite place: Jamaica. Jamaica was the last place I had vacationed, 5 years earlier, so I thought it was a great idea to pick up where I left off.

Jamaica did not disappoint! It was everything I needed it to be and then some. And the food…the food was simply scrumptious! Our favourite thing to eat came from this food cart that was pushed around the resort, from 11am to 11pm with the most amazing jerk spiced food ever! The sauce was dark and thick and spicy. But not the kind of spicy where you can’t feel your tongue or taste buds for days. The kind of spicy that made your mouth water with delight. Yes, it was that good! Chris and I would eagerly wait by the beach for the food cart to roll around and would unapolagicoly pounce on it as it made it’s way to us. We would take our paper plates back to our beach chairs and devour what ever was on it, licking our fingers between every bite… My mouth is watering at the recollection as I’m writing this.

So that’s where these peppers come from! They come from the recollection of that food cart and it’s jerk sauce.

If you’ve been to Jamaica, I hope these peppers bring back some wonderful memories. If you haven’t been, close your eyes as you eat these and picture yourself on a beach with some soft reggae music playing in the background. Trust me, you’ll almost feel like you are there!

I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed making them.

Leave me a comment to tell me what recipe you make that’s inspired by your travels or what tradition you have around your birthday.

xx

Jerk spiced stuffed peppers
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 portions
The level of spiciness of this recipe will depend on how much of the jerk spice sauce you put in it. Start with 1 Tbs and work your way from there. If you think you and your family can handle a little more heat, add another tablespoon and enjoy! This recipe will makes extra and keeps well in the fridge.
Ingredients
  • For the jerk sauce
  • 1/2 Cup ground allspice berries
  • 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • 2 to 4 Scotch bonnet peppers, seeded and cored
  • 2 Tbs thyme, ground
  • 10 green onions
  • 1 Tbs ginger, fresh
  • 1 Tbs cinnamon, ground
  • 1/2 Tbs nutmeg, ground
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 Tbs red palm oil
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1 Tbs coconut seasoning (similar to soy sauce)
  • For the stuffed peppers
  • 4 peppers, seeded and cut in half, length wise
  • 1 Cup farro
  • 2 1/2 Cups water
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 6 collard green stalks, ribs removed and chopped
  • 1 Cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Chive for presentation
Instructions
  1. For the jerk spice mix, add everything to a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
  2. For the stuffed peppers.
  3. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
  4. In a medium size pot, bring 21/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the salt and farro.
  5. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 25-30 minutes. (make your jerk spice mix during this time).
  6. In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and onions. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
  7. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes.
  8. Add the chopped collard greens and cook for another 3 minutes.
  9. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside.
  10. Oil the bottom of an iron skillet or oven safe dish and place the pepper halves.
  11. When the farro is cooked, add to the vegetable mix and stir to combine.
  12. Add 1 Tbs of jerk sauce and adjust to taste.
  13. Spoon the mixture evenly between the peppers.
  14. Place the skillet in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
  15. Allow to cool at least 5 minutes and decorate with a little chive.

 

 

Chocolate Chip Banana Donuts

There’s something that just feels so naughty yet so right about eating a donut, especially, for breakfast. I personally consider donuts to be high up there on the comfort food/I’m-going-to-treat-myself-because-I-totally-deserve-it pyramid. But here’s the thing, I don’t just want to eat a donut once in a while. I want be able to eat donuts often, and for breakfast! That being said, and although I’m a firm believer of the 80-20 rule (eat really good-for-you food 80% of the time and indulge 20% of the time), I can’t eat a regular donut every morning. That’s way beyond the 20% of indulgence, even according to my standards. Bakery style donuts are heaven in your mouth but they are literally the not-so-good-for-you kind of calorie/fat/sugar bombs. And although they taste amazing, they leave me feeling slightly lethargic. Like, I need to take a nap after this, kind of lethargic. Not something I can afford to do on a Tuesday morning, with a to-do list that looks like Santa Clause’ gift list!

So what to do… make a healthy donut!

So this is what I set out to do. I wanted my donut to resemble the texture and softness of a real donut but I also wanted it to have a little more consistency, not like when you bite into those air-like fluffy donuts, so I don’t have to eat 5 of them to feel like I had a decent breakfast. It also had to be something I was ok giving my 15 month old because he is now at a stage were he wants to eat everything me and my husband eat. And I mean EVERYTHING…

So with a few trials and errors, I think I finally nailed it. This donut is nutrient packed with bananas, oatmeal, high protein pea mylk and almond butter. And I can personally attest to the fact that you don’t need to eat many to be satisfied. I ate 2 and was happily full. No lethargy, no guilt. And this is definitely something you’ll feel good about feeding the entire family. My son had one for breakfast, along with a glass of almond mylk.

 

Now before we continue on with the recipe, I want to come back to something I wrote at the beginning of this post that I want to clarify a bit: the “I’m-going-to-treat-myself-because-I-totally-deserve-it pyramid”. A few blog posts back, I talked about rewarding yourself with food and how I wasn’t against it at all. Truthfully, that is how I personally reward myself, because food is such an integral part of my life. A passion, really. But here’s something important to take into consideration: I don’t use food to fill a void. I don’t use food as a coping mechanism because I don’t want to deal with certain things/people/emotions/situations in my life. I reward myself with food because I love food, I love cooking food, I love sharing food with others and I get great pleasure from the experience of it all. I don’t indulge to numb some deep hidden pain or forget about what’s going on inside or outside. Rewarding yourself should come out of self-love. To offer yourself something you enjoy and that is good for you. For some, it’s taking the time to sit down with a cup of tea and read a book, for others, it’s going to the spa for a massage, others will choose to do a yoga class or take a bubble bath surrounded by candles and essential oil diffusers. Me, I choose to go to my favourite restaurant with my loved ones or have friends over and share a meal. It’s as much about the experience as it is about the food, which makes it feel so rewarding. And it all comes from self-love, not self-sabotage.

I hope you guys enjoy baking and sharing these donuts with your family and loved ones. Leave me a comment and let me know how you like to reward yourself.

xx

 

Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Donuts for breakfast
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12 large donuts
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbs chia seeds, ground
  • 6 Tbs water
  • 1 Cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 Cup spelt flour
  • 1/2 Cup large rolled oats
  • 1/4 Cup agave nectar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 Cup bananas, mashed
  • 2/3 Cup mylk alternative (I used pea mylk)
  • 2 Tbs coconut oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup creamy almond butter
  • 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Grease a donut pan and set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the ground chia seeds and water and set aside. Allow to set for at least 5 minutes.
  4. In a medium size bowl, add the mashed bananas, agave nectar, mylk, oil, vanilla extract and almond butter. Whisk to combine.
  5. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
  7. Add in the chocolate chips after batter has been mixed.
  8. Spoon batter into donut pan.
  9. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.
  10. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

 

Autumn Carrot & Turnip soup

 

 

Hello my beautiful friends,

It has been far too long… I had originally written almost an entire post (just not complete enough to publish it!) on Canadian Thanksgiving with more tips and tricks about hosting a stress free gathering, along with the soup recipe I was going to serve. Unfortunately, my son got very sick the week before Thanksgiving and everything came to a halt. And I mean everything came to a halt. At that moment, nothing else mattered other then figuring out what was going on with Adriano and getting him better. It is such a nerve racking experience to see your child get sick and feel so powerless… Because Adriano is only 14 months, he can’t tell me what’s wrong and it makes me feel completely at a loss and unable to help him. It’s quite a humbling experience…

That being said, I am happy to say he is now almost fully recovered but it was a very scary two weeks. When Adriano finally started eating and drinking again it’s a huge relief and I knew things would get better from there… And they did.

And so needless to say, we completely missed Thanksgiving! I did manage to serve this soup I had made and kept in the freezer, alongside some mashed potatoes, cranberry stuffing, marinated tempeh (for which I’ll post the recipe later on this week because it is completely to die for… or should I say, to be thankful for! lol) and a green salad. It was far from the celebration I had prepared for (I’ve been hosting Thanksgiving for years now and it’s one of my very favourite holidays alongside Easter!) but considering everything (did I mention I got pretty sick also, spending 2 full days barely being able to move from the couch!), I think it turned out pretty good.

What I missed the most this year was spending time with my family. Because Adriano was sick, and so was I, and doctors couldn’t figure out what was going on with him, we didn’t want to chance it and have my sister, her kids, my parents or my in-laws exposed to whatever virus or whatever else was going on. So we stayed home… I won’t lie, not being able to see my family or part take in our yearly post meal soccer game made me realize just how thankful I am to have such an amazing family. It made me realize how lucky I am to have so many great people in my life that I can count on, on a moment’s notice. It also made me realize how grateful I am for my husband and my son and how precious they are to me…

When something is taken away from you, regardless of how benign or little it is, it wakes something up in you and makes you realize just how lucky you are… Or at least that’s how I feel. Thankful and grateful. And even though my husband Chris and I didn’t get to have our traditional Thanksgiving, we were so thankful we were even able to even have a thanksgiving meal and that our son was home with us.

So even though this soup recipe won’t make it to your Thanksgiving table, it is totally worth making because it is easy, delicious, nutritious and heart warming… Oh and did I mention you can freeze it and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Perfect for when you are pressed for time and need to crab something to feed your family. This soup is hearty enough to make a meal on it’s own, served with some crusty bread for dipping or a side salad.

I hope all of you had an amazing Thanksgiving, that you took the time to say thanks for everything you have in your life and be grateful for everyone that shared the day with you.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you guys did for Thanksgiving and what made it to your table!

xx

 

Carrot & turnip soup
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6 portions
This is such a versatile soup. If you don’t have turnips (or you don’t like them!), you can add squash or other root vegetable you have on hand and that your family enjoys. You can serve it topped with some vegan sour cream and chopped chives for a pretty finishing touch.
Ingredients
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 garlic gloves, minced
  • 1 leek, white part only, sliced thick
  • 2 celery sticks, sliced thick
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbs cumin, ground
  • 1/2 tsp all spice
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds, ground
  • 7 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 turnip, cut in cubes
  • 1 medium white potato, cut into cubes (I used a Russet potato)
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium high heat.
  2. Add the diced onion, garlic and leek.
  3. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the spices and coat the onion mixture. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until the spices become fragrant. Be careful no to burn the spices so stir frequently.
  5. Add the remaining vegetables and coat with the onion spice mixture. Cook for another 2 minutes.
  6. Add the broth and bring to a boil.
  7. Once the soup is boiling, bring the heat back down to medium low and let simmer for 20 minutes.
  8. With a fork, check to make sure the carrots and potatoes are well cooked (cooking time will depend greatly on how thick or thin you cut the root vegetables). Add another 5 minutes if not cooked through.
  9. Once cooked, allow the soup to cool slightly then with a hand blender, blend the soup until you reach a nice creamy consistency.
  10. Serve with vegan sour cream and chives or allow to cool completely, transfer to glass jars and freeze for alter use.