Ginger & Butternut Squash Soup

We have officially entered the holiday season, with the season comes baking, with baking comes indulgence, and with indulgence often comes stomach aches -at least in my twisty intestinal world it does. Given that I battle with gastric dissension on a fairly regular basis, I like to turn a natural sources of relief whenever I can. One of these tried and tested remedies happens to be ginger root. I am sure that you are not surprised!

Ginger has long been touted for its range of medicinal properties and has been used to aid in a range of ailments from arthritis and muscle aches to indigestion and constipation. It has antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti inflammatory properties which makes it inherently “Christine Friendly”. I enjoy ginger in its many forms but hands down one of my favourite ways, is in soup! Below is one of my favourite seasonal variations on Ginger & Butternut Squash Soup.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 White Onion

1 White Potato (sweet potato also works well in this recipe- I often interchange them)

1 Cup coconut milk

2 Celery Stalks

2 Tablespoons chopped ginger root ( feel free to adjust this for flavor preference)

2 Cups chopped butternut squash ( approximately one medium sized squash)

½ – 1 teaspoon cayenne ( note- ½ tsp delivers a good kick, 1tsp might make you sweat a little)

¼ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar if you are in a pinch)

900mL Vegetable Broth

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Method:

Chop onion and celery and allow it to simmer in a pot for 5-7 minutes on medium heat.

Chop ginger root and add to onion mixture stirring often to ensure that it doesn’t burn (for a few additional minutes until onions are translucent).

Add vegetable broth, chopped squash, chopped potato, coconut sugar, cayenne salt and pepper- allow mixture to reach a low boil for approximately 20 minutes until squash and potato are soft.

Remove from heat, add coconut milk.

Blend until desired consistency reached- serve hot. 

Roasted Veg and Grain Salad

Glimmering Greens: Roasted Vegetable and Grain Salad

I haven’t been posting many recipes lately. Sometimes, as a blogger, I wonder if my recipes are worth posting, worth sharing with the world. Are the creative enough? Do they photograph well? Are they new and original? Did I measure out the portions properly? Did I remember to measure all of the ingredients? Frankly, it is rare that all of these boxes are checked and at the end of the day, self doubt can be an incredible obstacle.

As many of you know, I have been hired to guest blog for South Pond Farms. I get to talk about nutrition, seasonal foods, and recipes that I love ( whether I am a part of creating them or not). I surmised that it must be easier for me write about things that I was partially “removed from;” after all, I am able to post weekly for South Pond but I have been in hibernation for over a year on WordPress.  I decided that it must be easier to write for work because there is a bit of a disconnect- not every post is about me or something that I have created. However, when I really started to think about it,  I found that I wasn’t removed at all. Glimmering Greens and “Christine’s Corner” at South Pond are one in the same. They both speak to topics that I am passionate about, they both speak to things that I like; photo worthy and self created or not.

This lesson was driven home last night at our annual “Girls Christmas” gathering.  I was overwhelmed with the reception that my roasted vegetable and grain salad received. I often throw this recipe together on Sunday before a long work week and vary the ingredients based on what is in my fridge. For me it is not novel or special but I like it. I haven’t posted it because I didn’t find it particular exciting, I never measure the portions and it doesn’t look magical when I try to document it.  Based on the reviews I got last night, I think that maybe my priorities have been off. Maybe, its time to infuse Glimmering Greens with some of my South Pond spirt. Here is to writing about things that “I like” things that make me feel good and things that taste good- even if they aren’t the most inspired or photogenic. On that note, please have fun with this recipe!  Make it your own based on what you like and what is in your fridge this afternoon 🙂

Roasted Vegetable and Grain Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing:

Ingredients (for the ‘Salad’) :

• vegetables that you love. In the version pictured above I chopped
  • 3 large carrots
  • 2 yellow courgetts ( zucchini)
  • 1 eggplant
  • 1 leek
• Oil of Choice: I like to use coconut oil because of its high smoke point ( i.e. it retains its nutritional properties at high temperatures). Olive oil also works well but it loses some of its health benefits when exposed to high temperatures
• Vegetable stock
• Grain of choice – I often use millet and brown rice. Feel free to experiment with other grains
• Legume of Choice ( I like lentils)
• Artichoke Hearts ( no need to be a hero, canned or jarred work great)
• Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
• Parsley for garnish

Ingredients for the dressing:

• 1/2 a lemon
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/4 -1/2 cup of water ( add more or less based on preferred consistency)
• 1/2 cup of tahini

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
• Chop your vegetables and mix them in a bowl with oil and spices
• Lay veg evenly on a large baking pan ( or two) and cook for 20-30 minutes until slightly browned
• In a separe pan cook your grain of choice in vegetable broth ( adjust amount of broth according to grain)
• While grains and veg are cooking, combine ingredients for the salad dressing in a food processor and blend until smooth/ desired consistency reached.
• Once vegetables have roasted and grains are cooked combine with lentils, artichokes and dressing
• Mix and garnish with chopped parsley

 

 

Pumpkin Quinoa Chilli

Okay, so,  just incase you missed it… it is officially pumpkin season. I know, with my powers of perception and my ability to report breaking news I should probably be an evening anchor or something right? Pumpkins are everywhere at the moment from our coffees to our crockpots and so I’m thinking, why not in our chili? If you are in Ontario right now you could probably use something warm and delicious. Something warm, delicious, and full of fibre and protein of course! Below is a quick and easy recipe for festive stove top chili.

What you will need:

2 cloves garlic ( pressed/ chopped)

2 medium tomatoes (diced)

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 small can tomato paste

¾ cup rinsed/cooked black beans

½ cup vegetable broth ( this will vary based on consistency)

½ cup white onion ( diced)

½ red pepper (diced)

½  cup pumpkin puree

½ cup quinoa (cooked)

⅓ cup textured vegetable protein ( optional you can omit or use another protein source)

Chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add coconut oil, garlic, and onion to a large pot on medium heat
2. Let onion and garlic simmer until translucent
3. Add diced tomatoes, red peppers, mushrooms to onion and garlic mixture and continue cooking for approximately five – seven minutes until soft.
4. Add ½ cup of vegetable broth, pumpkin puree, tomato paste, textured vegetable protein, black beans and quinoa. Note: textured vegetable protein absorbs moisture, add vegetable broth to maintain desired consistency.
5. Add spices to taste – I used 2 tsp chilli powder, a sprinkle of cayenne, salt and pepper.
6. Reduce heat to low and let chili warm through slowly.
7. Let chili sit a few minutes before serving to ensure full flavour

Variation: for a fun twist add white kidney beans instead of black beans and roasted butternut squash!

Frothy Coconut Coffee

It is something about this time of year. I am not sure if it’s the cooler temperatures, the darker mornings, or my overwhelming desire to stay under the covers “just a little bit longer” but I find myself relying on that first hot cup of joe to get my day started. It’s like a warm hug and a pep talk all in one, “go on Chris, seize the day”… if your coffee doesn’t speak to you you’re not doing it right. Jokes aside I have recently adapted my morning coffee order and I have to say, I am LOVING it.

Now, I know that I will not be the first one to tell you of the many wonders of coconut oil. If you have ever attempted any of my recipes coconut oil is my go to cooking oil due to its high smoke point. I use coconut oil in my cooking, in my baking, as a moisturizer ( come on now, no one likes dry skin) but I had never put it in my coffee! My first reaction was “No” – I am not one who finds oil in their coffee all that appealing. BUT after doing some research I found that if done in moderation, it has a number of health benefits that are quite interesting.  Get ready for some science!

Coconut oil is composed of Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs). Simply put, MCTs are a form of dietary fat composed of carbon atoms that are linked into chains. Now that we know what they are, why do we want them? Specifically, why do I want them in my coffee? Well, I am glad you asked. I happen to love the little java boost I get around 5:30am well MCTs help sustain the energy that I get from my coffee. MCTs are quickly absorbed by our bodies and instead of being stored as fat, the calories stored in MCTs are used for fuel (Bach and Babayan, 1982,  950).  Whether I am running at the gym or to my car (which is usually the case) extra energy is always welcome.

Some interesting studies have been done on MCTs and obesity reduction but from my findings more research is still needed to determine the exact dosage of MCTs for the management of a healthy body weight (Mumme and Stonehouse, 2015). With this said, initial studies have shown promising results with regards to weight management. According to the Nutrition Review MCTs have a lower caloric content than Long Chain Triglycerides and that they are not stored in fat deposits in the body as much as LCTs ( Dean and English, 2013) Furthermore, MCTs have been shown to enhance thermogenesis (i.e., fat burning). So based on these facts MCTs seem to offer a triple pronged approach to weight loss – they “(1) have a lower calorie content than other fats, (2) are minimally stored as fat, and (3) contribute to enhanced metabolism to burn even more calories” (Dean and English, 2013). This seems promising.

The final reason that I started added coconut oil to my coffee ( especially during this time of year) for it’s positive effect on our immune systems and on our guts. Did you know that approximately 80% of our immune system is located in our gut ( Enders, 2015)?! As a person who struggles with her digestive organs I was drawn to studies that showed how MCTs could potentially help disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and boost immune function ( especially with nasty cold and flu viruses floating around). MCTs have been shown to aid in treating the symptoms a number of medical disorders, from Crohn’s and Celiac disease ( Dean and English, 2013) to constipation. From a viral perspective, a large portion of the fat content in coconut oil comes from Lauric Acid. T cells play an essential role in human immunity, Lauric Acid has been shown to increase T cell activation resulting in a boosted immune function (Weatherill et Al ., 2005).  Lauric Acid is also proven to have antimicrobial properties. As one of my fellow bloggers, Coconut Momma, pointed out Web MD cites the following as just a few of Lauric Acid’s amazing capabilities:  “Lauric Acid can effectively be used for treating viral infections including influenza (the flu); swine flu; avian flu; the common cold; fever blisters, and cold sores”.

Wow, that was a post and a half. Nowwww after all of that, who is ready for a delicious coconut inspired coffee recipe?

 Frothy Coconut Coffee:

Directions

Brew a cup of your favourite coffee.

Add 1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil ( stir in until melted).

Add sweetener as desired ( personally, I like to add raw brown sugar or Stevia)

½ cup vanilla coconut milk ( almond milk also works well)

Add your coffee/coconut concoction to a french press and pump until frothy! No blender or electronic frother necessary.

Side Note: Make this recipe extra flavourful by adding a sprinkle of cinnamon or your favourite flavouring extract!

Bibliography:

Bach, A., & Babayan, V. (1982). Medium -Chain Triglycerides: An Update. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 36(November 1982), 950-962. Retrieved October 26, 2015, from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/36/5/950.full.pdf

Dean, W., & English, J. (2013). Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs). Retrieved October 26th, from http://nutritionreview.org/2013/04/medium-chain-triglycerides-mcts/

Enders, G. (2015). The Immune System and Our Bacteria. In Gut: The inside story of our body’s most underrated organ. Vancouver, British Columbia: Greystone Books.

Mumme, K ., & Stonehouse W. ( 2015). Effects of medium-chain triglycerides on weight loss and body composition: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 115( 2), 249-263. Retrieved October 26th 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/256

Weatherill, A., Lee, J., Zhao, L., Lemay, D., Youn, H., & Hwang, D. (2005). Saturated and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Reciprocally Modulate Dendritic Cell Functions Mediated through TLR4. The Journal of Immunology, 174(9), 5390-5397.

Confession

So… it’s been a while. To say that the blog posts as of late have been less than frequent would be an understatement. I feel as though the last few months have been a whirlwind and unfortunately, the chaos took me away from this forum for a while. During the mayhem I decided to make a few changes. A big issue surrounding the scarcity of material was that I just didn’t know what to write. Though my diet is still 90% plant based I have decided to reintroduce eggs and on occasion, fish. It was a change that made sense for me ( though I know that not everyone will agree). I took me a while to adjust after being a “vegan” for so long. I had a hard time with trying to redefine my diet. What was I now? Did I fit into a neat new category? What would everyone think? These fears prevented me from posting. I didn’t know how I would be received. Currently, I choose not to subscribe to any labels. I still very much believe in the benefits of a plant based diet and opt for whole organic foods when possible.

Many people have asked me what spurred this change… I know that it must seem strange to wake up on a Saturday and order the eggs at brunch when you have rocked the tofu quiche for the past five years (don’t get me wrong, I still love my tofu quiche). As most of you know I started a new job this year. A huge part of my job required travelling both nationally and internationally. From the beginning, my decision to go “vegan” was founded in my health issues and ironically enough, I realized that in an attempt to stay healthy on the road I was turning to very unhealthy versions of plant based alternatives. Believe it or not, healthy, balanced plant based meals aren’t always a priority in service stops ( shocking I know). I soon learned that my intestines rebelled against these oil laden, deep fried and heavily processed foods. I knew these choices weren’t good for me but there is only so much iceberg lettuce a girl can eat – something wasn’t working. As it turned out, small portions of baked fish with heaping portions of veggies went down better than sweet potato fries and vegetable omelettes didn’t hurt as much loading up on plain toast ( gluten and I still aren’t quite friendly). It got to a point where I realized that supplementing my diet with these options while travelling actually worked better for me than forcing down over salted prepackaged nuts after an unsatisfying main of wilted flavourless “vegetables”. This realization was the catalyst for my dietary changes.

Now, as I mentioned, I still subscribe to a primarily plant based diet and only opt to supplement with eggs and fish on occasion. The recipes on this blog will reflect this. I had been afraid to post anything for fear that I would give something away and that I would be rejected but the cat is out of the bag and I am excited to reconnect with my passions.

I hope that you continue to follow along 🙂

Cocoa Creativity

 

Its February and you know what that means! It is the month of love … love of chocolate that is. Now trust me when I say, I take my chocolate very seriously and I vehemently celebrate it this time of year. It might be the cold, it might be the snow … it might be the cold and the snow but I look forward to the pick me up that I get when I have a little chocolate to look forward to. Now, you might be wondering how a certain someone with a dairy allergy gets her chocolate fix? The answer is simple cocoa powder! I use it regularly and with few limitations. I mean why not! According to livestrong, a 2 tbsp. serving of cocoa contains just 25 calories and 1.5 g of fat. It also provides you with 3.6 g of fiber (which FYI  is 14 percent of the daily value), 8 percent of the daily value of iron and 14 percent of the daily value of magnesium. The University of Michigan has even found that it helps you beat these winter blues by boosting endorphins and serotonin levels- hello happiness!!

Now, I am not suggesting you go out and buy a sugary and chemical laden candy bar! There are some incredibly delicious and healthy ways to incorporate cocoa into your diet without falling off the wagon. One of my favourite ways is by stirring it into almond or soy milk and heating it up like hot chocolate! I also love creating delicious bars that I can take with me to work. I have adapted the following recipe from one of my favourite women’s fitness/ lifestyle websites ( tone it up) and made a concoction that I am absolutely obsessed with. No bake, full of protein, healthy fats and naturally sweet… now, doesn’t that sound better than the chocolate bar you were reaching for?

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 scoop Vega Sport chocolate protein powder

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup walnuts

½ cup almonds

¼ cup shredded coconut

¼ -½ cup dried cranberries ( or cherries)

2-3 tablespoons of boiling water

Directions:

1.  Place nuts and oats in a food processor then, once significantly broken down, add the rest of your ingredients until they begin to stick together.

2. Evenly distribute chocolatey mixture into a baking pan ( I used a loaf pan to get the bar size that I wanted).

3. Place in fridge to set.

4. Divide into bars and enjoy!

 

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Okay! So, new year, new job, new home, new(ish) husband- its been a whirlwind around here! With all of the chaos I must admit, my motivation for lengthy meal preps has been slim to none. The days are short, my to-do lists are long and oh ya, its freaking cold. As a result, my kitchen style can be summed up as hot, quick and dirty. HA, okay not actually dirty because the recipe that I am going to share with you is clean clean clean. My creamy cauliflower soup has been a life safer this winter, its easy to make, has some seriously staying power and only requires THREE ingredients. In the spirit of quick and easy, lets get to it shall we?

Ingredients:

1 Full head of cauliflower

3.5 Cups vegetable broth of choice

1 Can full fat coconut milk

Boom! Done ( for the most part)

Add- salt and pepper to taste, nutritional yeast and hemp seeds to garnish/ pack in

additional nutrition.

Directions:

1.  Wash cauliflower chop into medium sized florets. Don’t spend a lot of time on this, just roughly chop and throw into a large pot with veggie broth.

2. Cover broth and cauliflower and bring to a boil.

3. Once cauliflower is soft remove from heat and add can of coconut milk. Let mixture cool. Note: Cauliflower base does not need to be “cold”, just cool enough to avoid a blender fatality. I may or may not be speaking from experience…

4. Once mixture has cooled add to your blender and blend until desired consistency is reached. I typically don’t blend for long- I prefer soups that aren’t completely pureed.

5. Pour soup back into your large pot, add some salt and pepper to taste, heat and serve.

Home at Last

Home at last. I know that I have been away for a while, okay a long while. There have been a number of transitions going on in our household, good transitions, exciting transitions but transitions nonetheless. Amidst these changes, I found that I was hit with an epic creativity block. You have heard of writers block? Well this was cessation of all creative momentum. As things have settled down, I am happy to say that I have broken through that wall and found my way back to the kitchen! Back to experimenting, crafting, inventing (sometimes burning) new recipes that are packed full of plant power. Get excited ( I mean as excited as you can get on a Sunday night) and get your food processors ready- we are about to make up for some lost time.

What’s Your Flava? Baby what’s your flava?!

Hi All!!

I am on a mission and I need your help. My little brother- well technically he is my sister’s boyfriend but I have adopted him over the last decade- plays hockey in the states – (gooooo Indy Fuel)  and last weekend a rogue puck to the face broke his jaw! Sooooo not ideal.

The poor little munchkin has his jaw wired shut for the next month. This brings me to my mission. We are trying to come up with as many smoothie recipes as we can to keep our guy happy and healthy over the next month, so tell me what’s your flava?!

To start it off I have posted a dynamite green smoothie recipe below. It’s full of fruits, veggies and protein!  I sent it off to our man bright and early this morn! I cannot wait to see what you come up with. xo

Green smoothie of Greatness

1 cup kale

1 apple chopped

1 frozen banana

1 stalk of celery

1/2 english cucumber – chopped

1 scoop vanilla protein powder ( you all know I am obsessed with vega sport)

4 ice cubes

3 tablespoons hemp hearts

2 cups of water

Bodacious Beet Smoothie

What is the right way to start my day? Lately it’s with a big ol’ serving of fruits and vegetables. I don’t know if it’s the shorter days or my busy fall schedule but I find myself lacking energy, anyone else? I have discovered that the best way to combat this energy slump is a big hit of readily available nutrients first thing in the morning- enter my power packed secret weapon…the smoothie!

Smoothies are a great way to squeeze a multitude of macro and micronutrients into your diet!! Pair your favourite fruits and veg to produce a potent concoction that is guaranteed to boost your energy and start you off on the right foot!

Healthy fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, protein… the possibilities are endless. One combination I am loving right now is rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, plant protein, potassium, fibre and vitamins galore!! Check out my Bodacious Beet smoothie below and get inspired to create your own smoothie sensations.

The Bodacious Beet Smoothie

½- 1 frozen banana – choose more or less depending on personal preference

1 stalk of celery – chopped.

½ Royal gala apple – chopped.

¼ cup chopped beets- alter this measurement to your own preferred tastes, beets have a strong earthy taste that may take some getting use to.

3 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 cup of water ( add more water if you like a thinner texture)

2 ice cubes