Fresh tomato basil pasta sauce

 

 

 

I have a lot of tomatoes right now. I planted a couple of tomato plants in the garden this year and just had to pick them all due to the frost at night now (boo short Alberta summers!). Quite a few were not ripe yet, so they are ripening on the window sill. A lot were ready though, so we are having tomato everything for days.. starting with fresh tomato basil sauce with gluten free penne. This pasta is one of my top favs. You have to be careful wit a lot of packaged/prepared gluten free products because a lot of the time they are just as processed (if not more so) than the gluten containing variety. Not the case with this pasta.. it's made from whole organic ingredients. Plus, you'd never even know it's gluten free, it tastes and has a very similar texture as the real deal.

 

.

Fresh Tomato Basil pasta sauce

 

 

Ingredients;

• 4 large tomatoes, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves. crushed or minced
• 1/2 tsp. (Himalayan pink) salt
• 1/8 cup basil, torn up in to small pieces
• 1 Tbsp. red wine (optional)

Method;

• In a pot add tomatoes, garlic, wine, and salt and bring to a simmer while stirring quite frequently, turn down the heat to low-med and continue to simmer for 15 mins.
• Add basil and continue to simmer for another 2 mins.

 

I haven't been blogging as much as I thought I would or as much as I would like to. I love writing on my blog and I'm actually pleasantly surprised and super grateful for a amount of readers I have. To be honest I find the cyber world a little overwhelming. Besides blogging I have facebook, twitter, instagram, and snapchat.. so I'm going to make a schedule where I allow myself time to catch up with the digital world, but know when to turn it off.

Life is just so busy right now, but in a good way... I love my studies, my current full time job, running and riding my bike outside, aaaand my new kitten; meet Sitka!

 

 

 

 

Orange Muffins

 

Orange Muffins

Orange muffins.. sounds boring, but they taste delicious! Maybe I'll come up with a better title for this recipe later... lol. I adapted this recipe from Pretty Simple Sweet blog, just made some of my nutritionisty substitutions and additions to make them gluten free and refined sugar free. In order to make them sugar free but equally sweet I used Xylitol which is a sugar alcohol. It has about 33% less calories than sugar. It is absorbed much slower than sugar and does not spike blood sugar levels making it most often safe for diabetics. It also reduces dental cavities by remineralization of deeper layers of demineralized enamel. Xylitol is safe, there are no studies that connect it to any of the negative health affects that have been seen in studies regarding artificial sweeteners (Xylitol is not an artificial sweetener, it is a sugar alcohol), but too much (1/2 cup/day+ usually, but varies person to person) can cause some gastrointestinal upset.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Xylitol
• 2 Tbsp. orange zest
• 1 3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour, sifted
• 3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking power
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup choice milk (I used coconut)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• For the topping; crushed almonds and sprinkled cinnamon.

Method

• Preheat oven to 375f./190c
• Grease 12 muffin cups or line them with paper cups.
• Mix together all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl; Xylitol, orange zest, flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
• Mix together all of the wet ingredients; coconut oil (make sure it's not too hot or will cook the egg!), eggs, yogurt, milk, OJ, and vanilla extract.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together well.
• Pour the batter in to the 12 muffin cups and then top with crushed almonds and cinnamon.
• Bake for approx. 20 mins, until tooth pick comes out clean.

 

Tzatziki Sauce

 

Tzatziki Sauce

I'm pretty big on the Meatless Monday thing, so for my vegetarian dinner tonight I plan to make falafel wraps. I was trying to think of where I can pick up some tzatziki sauce that has pronounceable ingredients.. and then I remembered I have a cucumber in the fridge that is on it's last legs, actually, I have everything I need to throw together my own tzatziki sauce! So, this it... just 5 ingredients, so easy, and sooo much better for you than the stuff from the grocery stores. This recipe doesn't make a ton, so feel free to double up on the ingredients if you wish.

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. cucumber (grated and squeezed of excess moisture with paper towel)
• 1/2 tsp. dried dill
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed with a garlic press.

Method

• Just mix it all together and store in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving for flavours to enhance.

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! :)