Category: Blog

Nothing screams freedom like the the word Travel. I am hands down at my best when I am in travel mode. My whole mindset shifts; the sky seems bluer, my jokes are funnier (everyone please nod in agreement) and I become completely engulfed in exploration.

Travel brings with it an air of excitement and unknown adventure which is key if you want to absorb the ulitmate foody experience.

Let’s take a little virtual jet set to the streets of Montreal, Quebec – home of the famous poutine! World renowned as the coveted hang over cure it is not so famous for it’s appearance on health food billboards. However, we are about to change that! If you’re gonna live, go get it all!

Traditionally this is a dish of fried potatoes layered with rich gravy, cheese curds and Montreal smoked meats. Yum, but don’t even think about it if you want to rock those skinny jeans.

Here’s the short of how we are going to dazzle dazzle it: Roasted starchy vegetables drizzled with miso gravy, smoky bbq pulled chicken and goat cheese. Good bye trans fats, hello protein kicking greatness!

By replacing the deep fried potatoes with roasted starchy vegetables you retain the texture of the dish while skyrocketing the fiber component. This will enhance the digestibility of the dish.

Tackling the gravy is super easy! Throw that packaged gluten ridden gravy mix in the garbage and test out this recipe. It’s plant based, light, gluten free and seriously delish! Top that with your smoky pulled chicken breast & fresh goat cheese and you will be breaking into song. It might even be in French:)

Bon Apetit!

GLUTEN-FREE POUTINE

For the vegetable base you will need:

• 1 carrot
• 2 parsnips
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 small yam
• 1 tbsp of olive or avocado oil
• 1 tsp dulse flakes (or salt)

For the miso gravy you will need:

• 2 tbsp vegan butter (I use “Earth Balance”)
• 2 tbsp sorghum flour
• potato starch
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1.5 tbsp miso paste
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• salt & pepper to taste

For the bbq pulled chick you will need:

• 1 chicken breast
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• your favourite gluten free bbq sauce

For the garnish you will need:

• soft goat cheese
• green onion

Directions

• Peel vegetables and slice into thin strips (alternatively you can also use a mandolin peeler which will create the thin strips for you)
• Toss vegetables with oil of choice, sprinkle with dulse flakes and roast at 300 degrees until golden brown, about 10 minutes
• While vegetables are roasting, prepare the gravy. In a medium sauce pan melt butter over low heat and stir in sorghum flour until combined. In a small bowl whisk together the broth, miso & potato starch until completely smooth. Pour into saucepan and increase heat to med/high, whisking vigorously until smooth and no lumps remain. Whisk in coconut aminos, salt & pepper to taste, reduce heat to med-low to avoid burning. Once thickened, remove from heat until ready to use.
• Prepare your chicken breast according to cooking instructions. Once the chicken is cooked cut into chunks and place in food processor. Pulse until completely broken apart. Remove from food processor and place in a medium bowl and combine with bbq sauce, liquid smoke & salt and pepper to taste. Now it’s time to assemble!
• Arrange vegetables first, drizzle with miso gravy and top with your smoky pulled chicken. Garnish with fresh goat cheese, green onion an you are completely ready to enjoy!!

Bon Apetit!

Have you ever had a ‘Foodmare?’ (foody nightmare) I promise it is a thing and will catch you by complete surprise!

I was plagued by one of these such events yesterday evening. Our brains are such a fascinating machine. They have the power to create and justify an absolute truth for us in moments and before we know it we assign ourselves to rigid thoughts rather than remaining open to alternative ways of thinking.

These stigmatic mind sets are evident everywhere we look and the culinary world is no exception. Close your mind for a moment and think about a specific type of cuisine or food you like and dislike. Are there any generic phrases that are billowing through your thoughts? When I tried this exercise for the first time, immediately I saw TOFU in big red warning signs with adjectives like soggy, mushy, no flavour, terrible texture, too high in estrogen, etc. following closely behind.

For years I allowed this view to hinder me in my culinary exploration of this unsung hero. Needless to say my foot slowly made it’s way to my mouth and I had some apologies to make to the wondrous soybean. After allowing myself to put on my big boy pants and experiment around with this fabulous veggie protein it is now one of my favourite items to work with. It is extremely adaptable and it’s versatility continues to inspire creativity within me. So close your eyes again…envision ‘Butter Chicken.’ Now whichever conditioned thoughts you have, put them to the side for a moment and try my version of this widely known traditional dish below. I want to hear those tastebuds sing the love of butter chicken when you are through! Bon Apetit!

BUTTER CHICKEN

This recipe serves about 4 people.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp vegan butter (I like to use “Earth Balance”)
• 1 kg chicken cut into chunks
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 tsp chili powder (adjust to taste)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 bruised cardamon pods (or 2 tsp ground cardamon)
• 1 can of tomato puree
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Garnish

• cinnamon sticks

Preparation

• Place your pan on the stove and heat on medium. Once heated, add the first 2 tbsp of butter and stir-fry the chicken. You can cook them in 2 batches if your pan is too small.
• Remove the chicken from the pan.
• Put the second 2 tbsp of butter in the pan with all of your spices and slowly heat the spices for a minute or two until you can smell the aroma.
• Put the chicken back in the pan and stir so you mix in all the spices with the chicken.
• At this point, add the tomatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the coconut milk and lemon juice and simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and serve over brown jasmine rice.
• Garnish with fresh herbs and a stick of cinnamon for extra fanciness points.

If Barbara Walters sat me down and asked me what fuels my inspiration most I would, after a long dramatic pause, look straight into camera and answer, Diversity. There’s something about that word that opens up a vault of uncapped emotions. It invokes freedom and being daring when every thing around you seems a little too safe. It can be adventurous, whimsical and above all else, never boring and without rules. That is exactly where I like my mindset to be when I stumble into my kitchen!

When it comes to diversifying our pallets the important thing to remember is it doesn’t have to be difficult. You don’t need to take on a new 3 course dinner party menu every evening because you’re afraid to have a boring plate. Also, who has the time? Many of us fall into routine meal planning because it’s easy. We learn how to do something well and we do it over and over and over again. We can work with routine. You can still have your chicken breast and broccoli but let’s dedazzle it a little. What about trying them roasted with herbs & garlic or steaming with sesame oil and fresh chilis? By simply altering the cooking style and rotating through your herb cupboard you suddenly have created a completely different and unique flavour. And you got to use the word bedazzle!

My go to breakfast if I need something fast is banana bread. I love everything about it, the texture, flavour and the fact that I can close my eyes and be in any little coffee shop around the world. However, warning lights, banana bread is typically known for it’s health components. It’s generally made with white flours, a heap of butter and just nothing that is conducive to looking good in a speedo. But I was determined to have my cake and eat it too so I got a little creative and came up with this gem below. It’s low carb, paleo, high in protein, super light on your digestion and you can easily adapt the flavour to eliminate any chance of boredom! The cross fitters down the street will definitely be jealous.

So put on those slouch socks, back comb your hair and rock out with this ab popping recipe! It will absolutely change your life. As for me, I better freshen up for my close up, Barbara Walters is bound to call any second.

PALEO BANANA BREAD

Ingredients

• 4 bananas
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 3 tbsp agave
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F
2. Combine your bananas, eggs, nut butter, agave and coconut oil in a blender or food processor and mix well
3. Once all of your ingredients are blended, add in your coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and sea salt and blend again
4. Pour your batter in a greased loaf pan (I use coconut oil) and place in your preheated oven to bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
5. Remove from oven and flip your bread out onto a cooling rack
6. Slice and serve (or slice and then grill with vegan butter in a frying pan for a crunchier texture)

Variations

1. Cranberry Orange – Only use 3 tablespoons of coconut oil. Add zest of one whole orange diced, juice of one whole orange, and1 cup dried or fresh cranberries
2. Chocolate Blueberry – Add 1 cup of fresh blueberries and 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
3. Pumpkin Pecan – Reduce the almond butter to 1/4 cup and add 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree and 1 cup of roughly chopped pecan pieces

Fall is the season that puts culinary fashion into it’s most inspiring step. Every turn proves a new twist of inspiration, blending the seasonal transition of summer freshness into the cozier mysterious curves of indulgent comfort foods. This season has date night written all over it! And date nights need wow factor if you want them to end under the covers so let’s get those creative juices flowing!

Step 1 – Choose your seasonal favourites and make sure your date isn’t allergic to them. Mouth to mouth is best performed when both parties are conscious.

Autumn is all about the famous root vegetables – beets, turnips, squash, pumpkin, carrots – so if you’ve been on the summer juice craze keep those veggies handy they’re all super high in folate, B-vitamins and beta-carotene which means your stamina will be poppin! For my recipe of choice I get hopped up on butternut squash. It has a great texture which adapts amazingly to most dishes and has a slight sweetness to it which creates balance.

Step 2 – Choose your favourite comfort food to easily incorporate your seasonal selections. If you’re worried about the extra carbs and calories that fall cooking is known for do not stress! You can re-invent any of your favourite fall dishes into healthful balanced delights packed full of flavour and nutrition without all the dreaded fats. Don’t believe me? Keep reading:)

Step 3 – Rock the hell out of it! My go to comfort food of all time is an Italian classic, risotto. This dish is famous for it’s rich and creamy texture brought on mostly from whole milk butter, cheese & cold pressed olive oils which always brings with it the satisfied sounds of enjoyment.

However, I don’t do the dairy thing and prefer to not fall into a food coma halfway into my first glass of wine. The night is young and there is still dancing to be had! As a healthful alternative let’s make this dish vegan shall we? Show your date how trendy you are.

By simply replacing butter with soy free vegan butter (I use “Earth Balance” derived mostly from flax and pea protein), replacing milk & cheese with a combination of vegetable stock & avocado oil with the addition of seasonal pureed butternut squash you immediately boost your omega content, banish the trans fats, and add a lightness to the dish without sacrificing the creamy texture.

If you are a meat junkie a grilled chicken breast placed on top of this tasty treat would absolutely complete the dish entirely and boost the protein component for all your muscular needs.

Now Roll those sleeves up and rock out this recipe. Your date will be raving about your mad kitchen skills! If that package of butter starts to tempt you, just remember…it’s speedo season somewhere!

Bon Apetit!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash
• 4 tbsp light olive oil
• 600ml vegetable stock
• 50g vegan butter (I use “Earth Balance”)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 140g risotto rice
• 100ml white wine

1. Heat oven to 200C. Peel the squash and separate the bulbous seed-bearing section from the slender end. Chop the slender end into 2cm cubes, toss in half the oil, season lightly and roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until golden brown on the outside and soft in the centre, about 30 mins. Cut the bulb in half and scrape out the seeds with a spoon – you can keep these to toast in the oven and sprinkle over salads. Chop the flesh into 2cm pieces. Warm the vegetable stock in a small pan, set over a low heat. Drop in squash and leave to gently poach.

2. While the squash is roasting, warm a medium-size frying pan over a gentle heat. Add the remaining olive oil and half the butter, followed by the onion. Cover and cook for 3 mins until the onion turns translucent. Stir in the celery, garlic, herbs and a few turns of pepper (no salt at this stage). Cover again and cook for a further 2 mins. Increase the heat slightly and stir in the rice. Stir, uncovered, for about 5 mins – this will help to develop the toasty aroma of the rice without burning the veg.

3. Turn up the heat, stir in the wine and let it bubble away to almost nothing. Reduce the heat and start adding the stock. Add one ladle at a time, stirring gently but constantly during each addition. The idea is to encourage the rice to absorb the liquid and soften, but also give up its starch to thicken the remaining broth. Don’t stir too aggressively or you will end up with a pan of mush. When the stock has been absorbed, it’s time to add the next ladleful and so on. It will take about 15 mins to reach the final ladle of stock. By this time the squash in the stock should have softened. Mash it up with the remaining stock and stir into the risotto.

4. Turn off the heat, dot the top of the risotto with remaining butter, cover, leave to rest for 2 mins, then stir through and check the seasoning. Spoon the risotto into shallow bowls and sprinkle the roasted squash on top. Serve.