Recipe: Quinoa Hot Cereal
February 10, 2010
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is like rice, but a little more nutty. It was a staple in the diet of South American Indians (who considered it a sacred food) for centuries, but only arrived in North America in the last 30 years or so.
What’s powerful about it is that it’s a full protein - unlike other vegetarian proteins that do not have all the amino acids. That makes it a great choice for vegans who might be worried about their protein intake. For everyone, though, it’s delicious, and contains lots of manganese and other nutrients.
I use it where I would use rice. Because it’s gluten free, it also makes a great substitute for couscous in a couscous salad..
As a breakfast, it’s a very yummy alternative to oatmeal. This one’s a recipe for the crock pot.
- 1 ½ cups quinoa - rinsed well
- 4 cups water - you can use rice, soy or almond milk for a creamier texture.
- 1 cup chopped dried fruit like raisins, dates, apricots, cranberries, etc. of your liking (or leave this out if you don’t like it)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Toss everything in the crock pot (that’s the beauty of crock pots!), and cook on low heat all night. Add honey or some maple syrup in the morning if desired, and enjoy!
-Tara
PS - The photo is from The Vivacious Vegan - a great source of info and recipes!
Recipes: How To Cook Kale
January 6, 2010
Kale is a very traditional winter green veggie and is one of my favourite foods. Like broccoli, it’s part of the brassica family and is full of potent phytochemicals that help your liver neutralize toxins. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and the mineral manganese which, among other things, is important in bone health.
The trick with Kale is in the preparation. Try this:
- Remove woody stock from leaves.
- Cut the remaining leaves in strips.
- Sauté in olive oil with garlic and sea salt to taste. (You want to sauté it until it is bright green all the way through, and stop before it starts to dry out - about 3-5 minutes.)
You can use it in salads, soups, stews or stir fries, or try my latest favourite: top it with poached eggs, parmesan cheese and cracked pepper - yum!
-Tara
Recipes from our Open House
June 19, 2009
A big thank-you to everyone who attended our open house. We had some great feedback on the food, but we ran out of recipe cards during the evening so I thought I’d post them here for anyone who missed out. You can also check out Shelby’s recipe page for some others.
The green smoothies were the surprise hit of the night! We don’t have her recipes, but if you want more information on the delicious green smoothies created by Sarah Heipel of Good Energy, you can contact her here. Thanks Sarah!
Enjoy! -Tara
No-Bean Hummus
- 2 zucchini, peeled and chopped
- ¾ cup tahini
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 ½ tsp Celtic sea salt
- ½ Tbsp ground cumin
Combine all ingredients in a food processor; blend until thick and smooth.
Serve with slices of cucumber, zucchini, celery or carrots.
Source: RAWvolution, by Matt Amsden
Marinated Tofu
- 1 block firm or extra-firm tofu, chopped in to 1cm cubes
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce/ tamari, Bragg’s
- 1 tsp coriander seed, ground
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
* adjust amount of each marinade ingredient according to taste; these amounts are approximations
Combine marinade ingredients and pour over tofu so that all cubes are immersed. Store overnight in refrigerator.
Bake at 400degrees for 30 minutes, or until desired consistency.
Serve on own as a snack or as a protein topping to any salad.
Source: Juice for Life, by Ruth Tal
Black Bean Dip
- 1 15-oz can or organic black beans
- ¼ C of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Sea salt & pepper totaste
- 1 tbs chili powder
First, sauté garlic cloves in olive oil. Then puree all of the ingredients in a blender. Serve with organic corn chips as a healthy, yummy snack!
Recipe: Juliette’s Awesome Harvest Salad
January 13, 2009
This amazing salad was created by the equally amazing Thai Massage practitioner, Juliette Reynolds, of Creemore, ON. Who knew kale and beets could taste so good!
Kale is remarkably good for you - it’s a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese, among others. You can learn more about it at World’s Healthiest Foods. According to the entry:
Like broccoli, cauliflower and collards, kale is a descendant of the wild cabbage, a plant thought to have originated in Asia Minor and to have been brought to Europe around 600 B.C. by groups of Celtic wanderers.
Celtic wanderers? Who knew? You might not be wandering that much, but this salad is just as good sitting down. It’s also an excuse to use those great pan-roasted seeds we talked about last month. Enjoy! - Tara
Ingredients
- A bowl full of mixed organic salad greens
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 bunch of beets
- 1/2 cup goat milk feta
- 1/2 cup seasoned, pan-roasted seeds
Directions
- Cut the kale thin and sautee in sesame oil, crushed garlic, and salt to taste. Let cool.
- Cook beets in boiling water, cool and dice
- Build salad in layers as above in a large, swallow bowl
- Dizzle with any organic sesame and ginger dressing - Amy’s Goddess Dressing is very tasty.
Makes enough for a meal for one, or side salads for 2-4.
PS - Thai massage is very different from traditional massage. It’s often called “lazy person’s yoga”, and is done fully clothed, which some people prefer. You can reach Juliette in Creemore at (705) 466-5793. - T.
Recipe: Black Bean and Mango Salad
December 1, 2008
This recipe comes from the unlikely source of the label on a can of Unico black beans. Like Jackie’s Bean Salad, this one is surprisingly delicious considering how good it is for you. 
It’s also fast - you can make enough for a week’s lunches in about 5 minutes!
-Tara
Ingredients
- 1 can (540mL/19 fl oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced
- 1 sweet red pepper, diced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Combine the beans, mango, red peppers and green onions in a bowl
- Whisk together lime juice, vegetable oil, soy sauce and red pepper flakes
- Add the cilantro and toss lightly
Serves 4-6, or lunch for a week for just you!
Recipe: Pan Roasted Seeds
November 25, 2008
These seeds are simple, delicious and great source of protein, vitamin E, zinc, copper, magnesium and lots of other good stuff. Perfect for having on hand to add to any salad, a stir fry or rice and rice dishes.
Because they’re peanut-free, they also make an excellent snack for school lunches for kids.
Total time: about 12 minutes, half of which is watching them cool off so you can eat them…
Enjoy! - Tara
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Put everything in a pan (if you’ve got a cast iron one, all the better - they’re a good source of iron!)
- Heat gently over low heat, stirring occasionally until the seeds are heated through (about 5 minutes or so)
- Remove from heat, and leave to sit for another 5 minutes or so (stir a couple of more times if you’re using cast iron)
- Let cool, and use as needed. I often make a batch and store it in a jar in the cupboard.
Bonus trivia:
Sunflower seeds were one of the first plants ever cultivated in the U.S. They are thought to have originated in Mexico and Peru. (From The World’s Healthiest Foods by George Mateljan.)
Recipe: Dr. Steve’s Breakfast Smoothie
July 4, 2008
Breakfast shakes are an easy (and tasty) way to get a full complement of fruits and vegetables into your diet. Because the sweet flavour of the fruits is so strong, you can add vegetables and still get a great, rich taste. It makes smoothies a particularly good option for people who aren’t enthusiastic vegetable eaters.
This recipe comes from our friend Dr. Steve Rallis, DC, president of Healthscore. Dr. Steve’s recipe gives you an unbelievable 10 full servings of fruits and veggies!
Ingredients
- 1 cup fruit juice (apple, orange, pineapple) -not from concentrate. Fresh squeezed is better.
- 1 banana
- ½ cup strawberries (frozen and organic are suggested)
- ½ cup blueberries (frozen and organic are suggested)
- 5 cups of baby spinach
Instructions:
- Put the fruit and juice in the blender.
- Start blender and then slowly add the baby spinach.
- Blend until smooth, adding water if necessary to change consistency from thicker to thinner.
Adding 1 tbsp of olive oil or flax seed oil is also a great way to add your essential fats to the smoothie. Protein can be added, too, and if you don’t have the juice, just use fruit and add water or soy milk!
Enjoy!
Recipe: Jackie’s Famous Bean Salad
February 19, 2008
Here’s a great one from my friend Jackie. The best thing about this recipe? It’s unbelievably good for you, and it’s delicious. This is one of those vegetarian dishes that even the carnivore in your life will like. It’s got fish oil in it, so it’s not vegan, but other than that, it’s straight up vegie goodness.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 can of lentils, drained
- 1 can six bean mix, drained
- 1 can artichokes, diced
- 1/2 English cucumber, diced
- 1 green pepper,diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
Dressing
- 4 tbl sesame oil
- 4 tbl rice vinegar
- 3 tbs fish sauce
Instructions
- Combine in bowl, toss
- Can be stored in fridge for up to one week
- Serves at least 4, or lunch every day for the week!
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