A little healthy indulgence

Sometimes, a girl just needs a little chocolate. 

My sweet tooth doesn't actually kick in that often. I am more often found indulging in a piece of cheese with some salted rice crackers instead of digging into a candy jar. However, sometimes in the middle of the afternoon or perhaps, after dinner, I just want "something". I created this ultra-simple raw chocolate recipe so I could have something delicious that I could really feel good about eating. A treat that didn't require a trip to the store; just a few minutes and a few ingredients that I usually have on hand.

Raw Superfood Crunch Chocolate

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil (I like Organic Lives because they are a local company!)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder (I used Navitas Naturals)
2 tbsp of Nature's Path Cranberry Vanilla Qia (or use your favourite superfood - chia, hemp,      dried berries etc)
1-2 tbsp maple syrup to taste (okay...not for the raw food purist!)

cacao powder  plus 1/4 tsp cinnamon for dusting

Place raw cacao, Qia and maple syrup in a medium bowl. Gently warm coconut oil in a saucepan until just liquid and stir into cacao mixture until well blended. Place bowl in the fridge until firm enough to form chocolates, about 15-30 minutes. 

Use a cold spoon to scoop out a bit of chocolate and drop onto a chilled plate or quickly roll into a little ball. Work quickly or the heat of your hands will melt the chocolate again! In a separate bowl, mix cinnamon with a bit more cacao powder. Roll chocolates in cacao to dust. Refrigerate chocolates in an airtight container and keep on hand for healthy chocolate cravings! 

PS...I am a spokesperson for the new Qia cereal from Nature's Path. I always said that if I am connected to a product I will maintain transparent communications - no sneaky marketing here! I think it is a truly amazing product...unprocessed, healthy and delicious. I will never share any product with you that I don't eat myself and feel good about recommending. So I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Eat...Mediterranean Kale with Halloumi

I mentioned on Monday that I would be cleaning up my act this week but of course that doesn't mean eating only plain, boring "health" food. It means eating wholesome, veggie fueled meals made at home. So today I stopped by Yek-o-Yek on Main St and picked up some halloumi cheese thinking it might make a nice "steak" to serve with the gorgeous organic greens in my fridge. If you haven't had halloumi before, it is a wonderfully salty firm cheese from the Mediterranean region that is unique because it actually holds up to frying. 


I like using lacinato kale because I prefer its softer texture and milder flavour. And even if you don't like greens, give this a try. My husband, who merely tolerates greens, actually took a second helping. I then picked my jaw up off the floor and continued eating my delicious dinner.


Recipe


Mediterranean Kale with Halloumi Steaks


This recipe is so quick, it is absolutely weeknight dinner material. By the time the quinoa finishes cooking, dinner is done. And you think you don't have time to cook.


1 cup    quinoa
2 cups  water
Pinch    thyme
1 piece lemon rind


1 tbsp    extra virgin olive oil
1 large  sweet onion (I used a Walla Walla...love saying that!), thinly sliced
1 clove  garlic, minced
1/4         serrano pepper, minced 
1 bunch lacinato kale, shredded, stalks chopped and reserved
Pinch    salt, to taste
Remaining lemon rind, zested


1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
250 grams halloumi cheese, sliced in 3 or 4 pieces...for 3 or 4 people


Juice of lemon


First, prepare the quinoa: place quinoa and water in pot (rinse quinoa first if not pre-rinsed) with thyme and lemon rind. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes.


While the quinoa cooks, saute the onion and the kale stalks in olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add serrano pepper, garlic and stir. Add remaining kale and saute over medium heat until glossy and wilted while searing the halloumi. Stir occasionally as halloumi cooks.


After you add the kale, heat the remaining olive oil in another pan to medium high heat. Place halloumi in pan and allow to caramelize, about 3 minutes a side.


When quinoa is finished, serve by scooping quinoa onto plate; top with kale and place halloumi on top of kale. Finish with a drizzle of lemon juice.


Serves 3-4


Enjoy!
Desiree


PS...where is the luscious food shot? Given my terrible photog skills, the photo didn't look half as delicious as the food tasted. Thought I would spare you :)

Eat...Kale!

Lovely Photo by Melissa Quantz!

To give you a little inspiration for your kale fest this week, enjoy this recipe by my friend Melissa, The Bounty Hunter....Be sure to check out her blog for more great recipes and beautiful photos!

Recipe: Wholegrain Spaghetti with Kale and Turkey Sausage

Chicken or Italian pork sausage work well too, be sure to get the best quality you can.  I like to use the kale stems as well as the leaves, but feel free to remove them and save for soup. 

Note from Desiree...our sausages at Choices Markets are all made in house and feature no added preservatives, MSG or other nasties...give them a try!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb turkey sausage, casings removed 

1 large bunch kale, washed and cut into bit sized pieces (any variety)

3 cloves garlic, minced

Couple pinches dried chili flakes

¾ lb whole grain spaghetti or your preferred shape

2/3 cup chicken stock

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.  Blanch the kale in the hot water for 2-3 minutes, until bright green and tender.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.  Use this water to cook your pasta.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausages and cook, breaking them up into small pieces with a spatula, until browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and chili flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, when the reserved cooking water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, see package for cooking time.  Somewhere between 8-12 minutes for wholegrain pasta.  Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking water.

While the pasta cooks, add the kale to the sausage in the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Add the broth, stirring and scrapping the brown bits from the pan. 

Add the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese and toss until combined.  If a bit dry, add a little of the reserved cooking liquid from the pasta.

Serve with a fresh grinding of pepper and another sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Eat...Freestyle Oatmeal Cookies

I had the overwhelming urge to bake tonight. Can't explain it really. I rarely bake except for the occasional muffin or holiday cookie. But tonight I wanted to fill my apartment with the sweet aroma of butter and sugar and I sure didn't want to have to buy any groceries. So I sifted through internet recipes for inspiration and then created this recipe based on the reality of my pantry. 


Feel like a cookie? Get baking....why "freestyle"? Because I threw these together as I do everything, haphazardly...and give you options to do the same.


Recipe. Freestyle Oatmeal Cookie


Place oven racks in top and bottom third of oven and preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.


1/2 cup organic butter 
1/2 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (or your favourite natural nut butter)
1 1/2 cup loosely packed demerara sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large organic eggs


2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (get pure, uncontaminated oats for a "gluten free" recipe)
1 cup rice flour (brown or white)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine sea salt


2 1/2 cups of goodies* 
*I used half of very good bittersweet chocolate and half currants but any dried fruit, nut, chocolate combo would be awesome. Some suggestions: cranberry, pecan and milk chocolate; apricot, walnut, white chocolate; blueberry, almond, dark chocolate


In large bowl, cream together butters and sugar with wooden spoon or electric beaters then add vanilla and eggs and blend until fluffy. Then add next 4 ingredients and mix well by hand. Finally, add the goodies and mix in.


Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheets, a dozen per sheet. These will seem too loose, like they won't work...I was so sure they wouldn't but they come together really well in the oven. Place one sheet on top rack and one on the bottom rack and bake 7 minutes. Alternate rack position and bake 7 more minutes until golden brown.


Remove to a rack to cool and then bake the last 2 dozen cookies from remaining batter.


Enjoy!
Desiree 

Eat....Monster Cookies

Yum....here are my mother-in-law's Monster Cookies...photo taken with their Canon camera...still hoping I get a new one in my stocking!

It's almost Christmas and inevitably, we will all be eating some holiday treats, including me. (Yes, Virginia, dietitians do eat holiday treats!) Unfortunately, my little one, E, appears not to tolerate wheat in his breast milk so I have been eating fewer treats than I would normally enjoy over the holiday season. In my desire to have something festive to nibble on I have been making a ridiculous amount of Rice Krispie treats, even crafting a salted caramel variety, which I promise to share in a future post. Not the most thrilling of treats but a worthy substitute when everyone else is noshing.

My mother-in-law is a serious holiday baker. We are talking mountains of baking: one Christmas I assisted her for 8 hours straight of baking. So when my mother-in-law mentioned holiday baking and I sullenly replied...."but I can't eat wheat!" she triumphantly mentioned that her monster cookie recipe doesn't contain any flour. So of course I instantly thought - I need to share these with you!

Not for the dietetically faint of heart, these really are a monster of a cookie. Lots of eggs and good old fashioned sugar and fat for your holiday pleasure. However, they are not without their merits among lesser cookies. To their credit, monster cookies are 100% whole grain, contain a reasonable amount of protein and far less sugar then some other recipes. They are wheat free and can be gluten free if you ensure all your ingredients are gluten free, such as the chocolate chips. You could make these cookies dairy free with a switch of candies. And not that I would ever advocate cookies for breakfast but in a pinch one of these could keep you going if you have to scram out of the house because you still have Christmas presents to buy 5 days before Christmas (not that I am speaking from experience...). 

Recipe: Monster-in-Law (just kidding, I totally love my mother-in-law) Cookies

My mother-in-law got this recipe a couple of decades ago from a neighbour so I don't know if there is an original source I can attribute this recipe to....my apologies!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream together the following ingredients in a really, really big bowl:

1 1/2 cups butter or vegan butter (3/4 pound)  Go for organic butter if you can afford it...
9 eggs Ditto on the organic eggs....
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
2 1/4 lb peanut butter (just over one kilogram)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp corn syrup
6 tsp baking soda

Then add the following to the creamed mixture and get your strongest armed family member to mix:

1/2 lb plain M&M candies
1/2 lb peanut M&M candies
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
13 1/2 cups oatmeal (yes, not a typo....that is thirteen and a half cups of regular quick cooking oats, not instant and not thick or steel cut oats)

Once mixed, drop by spoonful (about 1/4 cup batter) onto cookie sheets and bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

The recipe makes 8 - 10 dozen snack/meal sized cookies, depending on how big you make them. Perfect for bake sales, gifts and fattening up relatives you don't like too much.

Merry Christmas,
Desiree