Garden Fresh Zucchini and Black Bean Pasta Stirfry

 

Zucchini Squash/Courgette fresh from the garden

My friend/roommate brought home a box of zucchini squash from his Granma's garden, telling me and my boyfriend Jason to help ourselves! I am attempting to grow my own zucchini in our little garden, but I planted late and might have to opt. for just the zucchini flowers (yes, they are edible, and yes, they are delicious!).

With only 17 cals/100g, zucchini (along with most veggies and fruit) are considered a functional food. A functional food is basically a term that means you get the most amount of nutrients for the least amount of calories/energy. You get "more bang for your buck". Zucchini (especially the golden variety) are rich in flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants, very good source of potassium, rich in vitamins A and C, and moderate source of B vitamins (including folate) and minerals; iron, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc.

What I would really like to make is zoodles (zucchini noodles), but unfortunately, I don't have a spiralizer to slice the zucchini properly to do that. One day, I will! So, I decided on black bean noodles instead and slice up the zucchini in a stirfry. I make these black bean noodles often, They are an excellent source of fibre and protein and not a high source of carbs, like most pasta varieties. With black beans being the only ingredient, they are also gluten free! Where can you find these? Costco, if you are lucky! If not, Save on Foods, in the natural foods section/aisle.



 

Black Bean Pasta Stirfry

For this stirfry, I simply chopped up the zucchini plus some other veggies I had at home (onion, carrot, bell pepper), friend them on med-high heat with avocado oil, added some shrimp, and made my simple stirfry sauce. Then, served over the black bean pasta! Easy-peasy, fast, healthy meal!



Thai Red Curry Lentils

  

 Most of the time when I cook something good, it happens by accident. I'll start with an idea and then just start throwing extra stuff in.. whatever I have in the fridge that I think I should use up soon and extra spices. I love flavor (who doesn't?!), but not a lot of salt. Instead of grabbing for the salt shaker next time you think your food is lacking in flavor, try adding something from the spice cabinet instead. If you don't feel confident about mixing your own flavors there are lot's of spice mixes you can purchase at local markets and online.

I am now going to write down everything I make, as I go long with any extra additions. I feel like I have had so many good eats lately that I would love to share, but I never have the recipe to be able to share it. I started today with this vegan and gluten free Red Curry Lentil recipe. I've made something similar to this a few times in the past. I made this with the vegetables I had on hand and you can do the same... you don't have to use the exact same veg and portions that I used. The next I make it, I'm probably going to use different ones anyways ;)

Thai Red Curry Lentils 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water

• 1 can (400ml) lite coconut milk

• 1 cup red lentils (dry)

• 1 can (227ml) sliced bamboo shoots

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 tomato, diced

• 1 zucchini/courgette, diced

• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

• 1 tomato, diced

• 2 carrots, peeled, and chopped

• 3 Tbsp. Thai Kitchen red curry paste

• 1 tsp. raw coconut sugar

• 1 Tbsp. low sodium tamari sauce

• 1 tsp. ground ginger

• 1/2 tsp. cayenne papper

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in to a large pot, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer for approx. 20 mins. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Add something new to your grocery list!

 

This morning I chopped up some fresh purple potatoes for breaky. Yams are usually are my choice potato, but I thought I'd change things up this time. I love food and having a big selection of it, but at times I can be guilty of eating a lot of the same foods frequently and cooking the same meals. It's so important to eat a variety to ensure you aren't missing out on any nutrients. So, next time you are at the grocery store or market, try picking up an item or 2 that you normally wouldn't! It doesn't have to be exotic or completely new to you.. maybe you just haven't had a zucchini for a few months or maybe you usually add a banana to your smoothie and want to swap it for avocado! If you are unfamiliar with the foods or haven't prepared them before, look up some recipes and ideas online!

Add some Kelp to your spice rack! // Stirfry Chicken with almonds and brussel sprouts

Kelp granules are my new favorite seasoning! Kelp is a great substitute for table salt, as it's low in sodium, but still has the iodine... a lot of it! It tastes kind of like salt.. salty seaweed. I like to cook with Himalayan and sea salt, which are void of iodine, so adding a couple shakes of kelp fixes that problem. The reason why iodine is important for our health is because it helps stimulate the thyroid gland, which secretes hormones that regulate the body's metabolic rate (aka metabolism). It is also a good source of potassium, iron, vitamin b-6, and riboflavin (vitamin b-2), and it contains a phytochemical that has been shown to absorb and eliminate radioactive elements and heavy metal contaminants from our bodies. Please note, a little bit goes a long ways with kelp granules. Recommended servings range from 1/10 to 1/4 tsp... so just a little sprinkle is all you need.

Stirfry Chicken with Almonds and Brussels Sprouts

 

Last night I made a chicken stir fry seasoned with a little bit of kelp granules, Himalayan salt, and pepper, sautéed with avocado oil (which is a great oil for med-high heat cooking). I simply threw some chicken breast on to a George Foreman grill. While the chicken cooked I sautéed some chopped brussel sprouts, onions, and sliced almonds. I added the chicken to the stir fry after it was cooked and mixed it all together. It made for a delicious, fast, and easy healthy dinner! :)

Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken

        Since I've finished all of my assignments I've been using a lot of my spare time in the kitchen. I've making numerous trips to Planet Organic; getting all the ingredients I've been wanting to play with and stock my pantry. Our landlords just told us the other day that we will getting a brand new kitchen this summer, so I'm super excited about this news!

 

Other things I've been up to lately include yard work and a war with my printer. I bought a printer in the summer, equipped with whole lot; colour, scanner, and fax. I wanted to print some research papers yesterday and it wouldn't print.. just blank paper!! The ink head was clogged up.. great. This required having to take the piece out to clean it.. which isn't as simple as it should be. With the help of You Tube tutorials and after a many choice words and a couple glasses of wine, I got the piece out. My boyfriend was in the room next to me and I could have simply ask for a hand, but my ego got the best of me and I was determined to do this by myself. Now, the printer head is laying out to dry and fingers crossed when I put it back together it will print again!!

The thing about living in Edmonton is that as soon as all the leaves fall off of the trees in the autumn, it snows right after. In the spring, after the snow in melted, they have to raked. We have a lot of trees in our yard.. a lot of bags of leaves were made (about 15 of them).. So, let's say I have to squat down 10x for each bag with a handful of leaves.. that's 150 squats!! 2 days later and I can still feel it in my bum and back of the thighs!

 

In the kitchen, I've been making a lot of vegan dishes lately. This is because I recently purchased the Oh She Glows Cookbook.. and everything in it looks so good!! I'll share of my favorite recipes from it with you all in the future. But, last night I decided I wanted to make Chicken. I wanted to use the slow cooker because that's something I haven't really cooked with much. I looked online for a recipe and found this one from Skinny Taste. It is SO GOOD!! I served this with a side of shredded carrot, sautéed with coconut oil and balsamic vinegar, and a glass of fresh made iced tea (green tea, fresh lemon, and sweetened with a little bit of xylitol).

 

 

 

Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken

 

Ingredients:

 

•  2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

• black pepper, to taste

• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce (I used tamari for gluten-free)

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 cup tomato paste

• 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp water

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp sriracha hot chili sauce, or more to taste (I used about 3 tsp, I love spice!)

• 1 heaping tbsp cornstarch

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds (I toasted them first)

• 2 medium scallions, chopped for garnish

 

 

 Method:

• Place the chicken in the slow cooker and season with black pepper.

• In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, 1 tbsp water, sesame oil, onion powder and sriacha. Pour over chicken and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

• Remove chicken, leaving the sauce in the slow cooker. Shred chicken with two forks; set aside.

• In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/4 cup water; add to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high until slightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes; return chicken to the slow cooker and mix well.

Serve chicken and sauce over rice and top with (toasted) sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

  

 

Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

 I've been seeing these delicious looking "over night oats" recipes all over the internet for quite a while now, but for some reason never tried any of them out.. until now! It took me all of 2 minutes to prepare tonight and then just stuck the jar in the fridge over night and they are ready to eat in the morning! No more excuses for anyone who tries to say they don't have time to make a healthy breaky in the morning :)

 

 

Peanut Butter Banana Over Night Oats

 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbps. old fashioned rolled oats

• 1 heaping Tbsp. chia seeds

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1 cup unsweetened milk (I used soy)

• 1 small ripe banana, mashed

• 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter

• 2 tsp. maple syrup

 

Method:

• Mash the banana and then mix all the ingredients well together in a bowl, adding the milk last.

• Transfer mix in to a jar or other container that can be well sealed. (This recipe fits perfectly in to a regular size mason jar).

• Place in the fridge and let set for 6+ hours.

• Add on top some slices banana, chopped nuts, and cinnamon if you like.

 

Makes 2 servings 

Happy Earth Day! // Protein Power Goddess Bowl by OhSheGlows

Happy Earth Day everyone! I feel like I have not blogged in SO long. That's probably because it has been a long time. It was nice to take the summer and again parts of the winter some what easy. I did continue with taking courses, but took a few vacations/getaways, and focused more on balancing my life instead of devoting my life to school and work. The consequence of that decision was that eventually I had to make that devotion in order to make my nutritional applications diploma deadline. After months of being over my head with deadlines and working more than I should, I am happy to say that I just finished my very LAST assignment!! I write my final exam in 2 weeks and I will officially be certified as a nutritionist. I am so happy to be "done"! You can bet it won't be long until I sign myself up for an advanced course though. There is still so much I want to continue to learn.

So, Earth Day!.. To celebrate our planet I decided reduce my environmental foot print by making a vegan dinner from all organic ingredients. I made the Protein Power Goddess Bowl from the Oh She Glows cook book. I loved this recipe and I can't wait to try more of them in her cook book, everything looks so good! I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but I do try incorporate plant protein instead of animal sources at least a few times a week.

I have been busy in the kitchen a lot lately with all kinds of experiments and challenging myself. Some of it has been more successful than others... mostly success though! I wish I could share so much of it with you, but I am terrible at measuring and recording down what I make. So, there's a few things that really stood out which I am going to work on re-making and recording it properly so that I can share! :)

 

Protein Power Goddess Bowl

 

 Ingredients:

 

Lemon-Tahini goddess dressing;

• 1/2 cup tahini

• 1 large garlic clove, minced (I used 2)

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (I used 2)

• 1/2 tsp. sea salt (I omitted all together)

• fresh ground pepper, to taste

 

Lentil mixture;

• 1 cup uncooked green or black lentils (I used green)

• 1 cup uncooked wheat/spelt berries (I used wheat berries).. use rice or quinoa for gluten free option.

• 1 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, for sautéing (I used avocado)

• 1 red onion, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 1 large tomato, diced

• 3 cups spinach or kale, chopped (I used kale)

• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

 

Method

• In a food processor combine all the ingredients together for the lemon-tahini dressing and process until smooth. I don't have a food processor and mixed it well together with a fork and crushed the garlic with a garlic crusher.

• Cook lentils and wheat/spelt berries according to the directions given on the package. I cook lentils for 20 mins and then wheat berries for 1 hour.

• In a skillet, sauté onions in the oil over medium heat until almost cooked, then add the bell pepper, garlic, and tomato and continue to cook for approx. 7-8 more mins (until most of the liquid has evaporated). Stir in the spinach/kale until wilted.

• Stir in all of the tahini-lemon dressing and cooked lentils and spelt/wheat berries. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for a few minutes. Stir in the minced fresh parsley just before serving.