Category Archives: healthy recipe

Recipe: Spicy Black Bean Dip

Posted on August 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

This recipe is inspired by a great dip that Chef Melissa Saunders has made a few times. Her version changed my mind about black bean dip, as I’m not the biggest fan of black bean dip. Her dip was so tasty that I became open to making black bean dip myself sometime. I used this dip for raw veggies and even more fun, a black bean and cheese quesadilla made with corn tortillas.

2 cups or 1 can of black beans

1 clove of garlic, slivered

1/2 jalapeno pepper minced (remove seeds if you prefer a milder dip)

Juice of 1-2 limes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, pulse black beans, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, and jalapeno on high until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add cilantro and pulse again until well blended. Enjoy with fresh veggies, chips or in a quesadilla.

 

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Posted in Healthy food, healthy recipe, Healthy snack, plant food, Recipe, Vegan, Veggies

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Recipe: Sauteed Callaloo

Posted on August 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

I developed a love for callaloo while I was in Jamaica. It has to be one of the tastiest green veggies around and it is so easy to eat a good volume of it. I have found it here in Toronto at Caribbean Corner in Kensington Market, so look for it at a Caribbean grocer near you.

There is some technique to handling this plant once you have it in your hands. Separate the leaves and the stems throughout. Use a paring knife to remove the fibrous outer coating from the stems.

Sauteed Callalloo

1 bunch of callaloo, stems and leaves separated

1 clove garlic, slivered

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to your taste

Cut the stems and leaves of callaloo into small pieces. See below for a visual:

In a large pan, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add cut callaloo, saute for 2-3 minutes or until leaves start to wilt. Cover pan and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper or any other seasoning to your taste. Enjoy!

 

 

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Posted in antioxidant, Greens, Healthy food, healthy recipe, plant food, Recipe, Recommendation, Vegan, Veggies, Vivian Law

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Recipe: Quinoa Waffles

Posted on August 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

This recipe came to my attention from a client in April and I finally tried it this past weekend. The recipe originates from the chef at Dish cooking studio. I was reluctant to try it at first, because I do not enjoy the taste of quinoa flakes. However, this is a great gluten free recipe if you stick with the quinoa flakes or use gluten free oats (my preference). These waffles were great the next day, toasted and topped with Nutella and fruit. I would not recommend them hot off the waffle iron, as they were a bit too soft.

Quinoa Waffles (Serves 2)

¼ cup quinoa flour
¼ cup quinoa flakes or 2 tbsp quick oats + 2tbsp millet flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ Tbsp brown sugar or honey
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp coconut oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 very ripe banana, mashed
¼ cup non dairy milk such as Coconut Dream, almond, soy or oat milk

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients except for the brown sugar and mix well. In another bowl, beat together eggs, mashed banana, coconut oil, milk and brown sugar or honey. Add wet ingredients to dry and lightly mix together. Be sure not to overmix to ensure a tender waffle.

Have waffle iron heated to desired setting. Pour batter into prepared hot iron, cook to desired doneness and remove from iron. Cool and store in an airtight container. Serve toasted with Nutella and fruit.

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Recipe: Simple Sauteed Collard Greens

Posted on July 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

My first recollection of eating collard greens was at a Vancouver barbecue joint called Memphis Blues 5 years ago. We ordered something called the Elvis platter, which is every meat that they serve at the restaurant. I ordered a side of collard greens to complement the vast quantities of meat. It was too much food, but I recall that I quite enjoyed the collard greens. It has taken me a few attempts over the years to cook collard greens to a taste and texture I enjoy. Here is the recipe, try it whenever you need some leafy greens (which we recommend is all the time!). Collard greens provide vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, and various healthy phytonutrients.

2-3 slices of pancetta or bacon

1 bunch organic collard greens, cut finely, crosswise, tough talks removed

dash of hot sauce

In a large pan over medium heat, brown pancetta until almost crisp. Add cut collard greens to pan and saute for 2-3 minutes. Depending on how tender the greens are, cover the pan for 2-3 minutes until the greens are tender, but still bright green in colour. Season with hot sauce to taste. Serve with turkey, lamb, chicken or enjoy the greens on their own.

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Recipe: Healthy Granola

Posted on July 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Granola is a food that most of us enjoy for the taste and texture, but consider to be a food that is too high in calories to enjoy regularly. However, the source of the ‘high calories’ is very important to consider. This recipe is wheat free and contains various sources of fibre and healthy fats that we could all use in our diet. The soluble fibre in the oats can help lower blood cholesterol. The pumpkin, sunflower and chia seeds provide healthy fats and vitamin E in addition to fibre. The coconut oil provides flavour and medium chain fatty acids, which help your cells absorb nutrients amongst other benefits.  I like to have granola for breakfast with non dairy milk, such as Coconut Dream, and fresh berries. I find it to be a great source of steady energy that tastes great at the same time. Many friends that have tried this granola just love to eat it out of hand as a quick snack.

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup oat bran

1/4 cup whole chia seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1tsp ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup honey or maple syrup or combination

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together oats, coconut, ground flaxseed, oat bran,  chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon. In a small sauce pan, melt together honey and/or maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Pour liquid honey mixture over the oat mixture and toss to coat evenly. Spread mixture evenly on shallow rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 min, remove from oven, use a spatula to stir the mixture to ensure even browning. Bake a another 15-20 minutes until granola is crunchy and browned to your desired level.  Add 1/2 cup of your favourite dried fruits after the granola cools, if desired. Store in an airtight container. Try a 1/3-3/4 cup serving size to see what amount fits your energy needs.

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Posted in Healthy food, healthy recipe, Healthy snack, Vegan, Vivian Law

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Recipe: Quinoa with sesame, grapefruit and mint

Posted on July 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

This a light refreshing summer dish that I have adapted over the years from the Silver Palate Cookbook. It’s great as a side dish for a barbecue or on it’s own for lunch at a picnic. If you don’t like grapefruit, orange works equally well. The original recipe called for canned mandarin orange segments, which is even more convenient if need be. However, I find there is more zest and nutrition with fresh orange or grapefruit.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented into small pieces

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup mint, finely chopped

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup walnuts, pine nuts or sunflower seeds

Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water, add salt to taste at the end of cooking and allow to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, sesame oil and green onions. Add grapefruit (be sure to add any grapefruit juice that remains on the cutting board for extra flavour) and nuts, mix gently. Serve at room temperature.

 

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Recipe: White Bean and Feta Dip

Posted on July 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

I received a recipe for a black bean and feta dip from a client yesterday. She had tried the dip at a party and loved the flavours of feta and mint. I happened to have only cooked white beans on hand, as I prefer not to use canned beans, so I adapted the recipe. I really enjoyed these flavours as well. This dip is a great way to eat some raw veggies.

2 cups or 1 can of cooked white beans (black beans if you prefer)

1 shallot finely minced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (greek, sheep’s milk is good)

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Salt and black pepper to taste

In a food processor, pulse beans and shallot until pureed. Add feta, mint and lemon juice, pulse until well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

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Posted in Healthy food, healthy recipe, Veggies, Vivian Law

Recipe: White Bean Dip

Posted on June 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

This is a recipe that has stayed with me for many years after trying it at a good friend’s summer dinner. The original recipe was from Gourmet magazine and used canned beans, but as I have mentioned before, I prefer to slow cook them myself for better flavour and minimal gas. The simple blend of fresh mint, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil with the pureed white beans makes for a clean and refreshing summer dip. Serve with raw veggies (ie. endive, celery, cucumber slices) or whole grain crackers. Makes a tasty, healthy snack anytime.

2 cups cooked white beans (or one can)
1 clove garlic, cut into slivers (more if you like the taste of garlic)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2-1 cup mint and parsley, minced (depending on how much herb taste you prefer)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, puree white beans, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add mint and parsley, pulse until just blended through. Enjoy!

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Posted in healthy recipe, Healthy snack, Vegan, Vivian Law

Recipe: Red Lentil Pasta Sauce

Posted on May 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

This a recipe I came across and adapted while studying vegetarian nutrition. I enjoy it as a vegan main dish with brown rice pasta, and find I feel satisfied and energized after this meal. Some little people I know love it as well. It is a great way to have a few different vegetables at once. I find this particular mix of veggies the best tasting, but any veggies you have on hand especially ones you need to use up, is good to try.

Red Lentil Pasta Sauce

1 cup red lentils, cooked
(rinse 1 cup of dry lentils, bring to a boil in 2 cups of water, then simmer for 15 minutes until tender)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped (optional)

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 bunch of swiss chard or kale, finely chopped

1 can 796ml of diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, saute onion, garlic, carrots, celery and cauliflower in olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lentils, and oregano bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Add finely chopped swiss chard or kale and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Use an immersion blender if smaller discernible pieces of vegetables are desired.

 

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Recipe: Acai Bowl

Posted on April 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

So it was not too difficult at all to create an acai bowl at home. I went to a health food store, Evergreen Natural Foods and purchased some Sambazon frozen organic acai berry puree (smoothie packs). Printed on the package was directions on how to make an acai bowl! Here is my version:

One package of Sambazon frozen acai puree
1/4 cup Coconut Dream or other non dairy milk
1/2 banana, sliced
1/4 cup granola
1/2 cup mixed berries of your choice
1 tsp honey or more to your taste

Blend acai puree and milk in blender until thick and pour or scoop into a bowl. Drizzle with honey. Top with granola, sliced banana and berries-enjoy!
Enjoy as a light breakfast, healthy snack or dessert.

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