Recipes
Roasted nuts
16/Apr/13 08:55 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Have you ever looked at the ingredients on some bulk bins of nuts? In addition to adding salt and flavouring, sometimes they add wheat starch! It was because of this that I started buying raw nuts and roasting them myself. It’s easy, quick, and you can even season them yourself to your taste!
Roasted nuts
Ingredients:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
2. Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking pan (one with walls is best).
3. Cook nuts for approximately 15-20 minutes (time will vary depending on the type of nut and your taste), shaking the pan halfway through to move the nuts around.
4. The nuts are done when they are lightly browned and crunchy, not chewy.
5. Remove from oven and let them cook, then store in the fridge.
Notes:
Have you ever looked at the ingredients on some bulk bins of nuts? In addition to adding salt and flavouring, sometimes they add wheat starch! It was because of this that I started buying raw nuts and roasting them myself. It’s easy, quick, and you can even season them yourself to your taste!
Roasted nuts
Ingredients:
- Nuts of your choice (I use almonds most often, so this recipe is suited to that)
- Seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, etc) of your choice!
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
2. Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking pan (one with walls is best).
3. Cook nuts for approximately 15-20 minutes (time will vary depending on the type of nut and your taste), shaking the pan halfway through to move the nuts around.
4. The nuts are done when they are lightly browned and crunchy, not chewy.
5. Remove from oven and let them cook, then store in the fridge.
Notes:
- Cook the nuts only until they start to turn a light brown and parts still appear raw - they will keep cooking a bit even after you take them out of the oven.
- Don’t let the nuts burn!
Comments
Roasted butternut and carrot soup
25/Mar/13 12:50 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
For a dinner on New Year’s Eve I made a lovely butternut squash and carrot soup based on this recipe from the With Style and Grace blog. I say “based” because right away I made a big mistake in the recipe by using DOUBLE the amount of carrots! However, the soup still turned out really great and since carrots are my favourite vegetable, it all worked out OK. I also tweaked some of the spices for my tastes. I recently made this soup again (with the right amount of carrots!) and made a few more adjustments and it was great! Posted below is the latest (and best) version I made, along with photos.
The only changes I would make the next time would be to maybe simmer covered to avoid losing too much liquid from the soup - I had to add about 1 cup water at the end to get a consistency I liked.
Roasted butternut and carrot soup
Makes about 8 servings
Ingredients:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and place face down on lined baking sheet.
4. Peel carrots, chop into large pieces and place around squash on baking sheet.
5. Bake squash and carrots at 375 degrees F until tender (about 45 minutes).
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool. While waiting for the squash and carrots to cool, chop up onion.
7. Peel skin from squash or scoop out squash, then chop squash and carrots into cubes.
8. In a large soup or stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
9. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent.
10. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
11. Add squash, carrots, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
12. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil.
13. Reduce heat to low-medium and allow to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.
14. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.
15. Puree in the pot using an immersion/hand blender or (carefully) transfer to blender (filling only half full) to puree in batches.
For a dinner on New Year’s Eve I made a lovely butternut squash and carrot soup based on this recipe from the With Style and Grace blog. I say “based” because right away I made a big mistake in the recipe by using DOUBLE the amount of carrots! However, the soup still turned out really great and since carrots are my favourite vegetable, it all worked out OK. I also tweaked some of the spices for my tastes. I recently made this soup again (with the right amount of carrots!) and made a few more adjustments and it was great! Posted below is the latest (and best) version I made, along with photos.
The only changes I would make the next time would be to maybe simmer covered to avoid losing too much liquid from the soup - I had to add about 1 cup water at the end to get a consistency I liked.
Roasted butternut and carrot soup
Makes about 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 1-2 pounds (approximately 2-4 cups) carrots, peeled
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and place face down on lined baking sheet.
4. Peel carrots, chop into large pieces and place around squash on baking sheet.
5. Bake squash and carrots at 375 degrees F until tender (about 45 minutes).
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool. While waiting for the squash and carrots to cool, chop up onion.
7. Peel skin from squash or scoop out squash, then chop squash and carrots into cubes.
8. In a large soup or stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
9. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent.
10. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
11. Add squash, carrots, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
12. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil.
13. Reduce heat to low-medium and allow to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.
14. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.
15. Puree in the pot using an immersion/hand blender or (carefully) transfer to blender (filling only half full) to puree in batches.
Aromatic roast chicken
05/Jan/13 09:50 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I cannot take credit for this recipe - I found it somewhere on the internet a year or two ago and now I cannot find the original source again! If you know the source or ARE the source, let me know and I’ll link the original recipe.
A few years ago my dad and I, neither of us having prior knowledge or experience, decided to learn to roast a chicken. It has now become our tradition to roast a chicken on major holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Over the years we have tried a lot of seasonings and methods (possibly including brining, although there is debate over whether we actually did this or just talked about doing it). And, as you would expect, we have had our share of successes and less successful occasions (no complete failures, as we have always managed to eat what we made). This recipe has given us our greatest results, in my opinion, and is fairly simple for beginners.
Next time, I would use more grapeseed oil to dilute the spices as they tend to stick to the chicken and blacken a bit, although it does not taste burnt, just flavourful!
Aromatic roast chicken
Ingredients:
1. Remove organs from chicken and discard.
2. Rinse chicken and pat dry.
3. Mix oil, ghee, and spices and spread over the chicken, then cover and marinate in fridge overnight.
4. The next day, remove chicken from fridge and leave to come to room temperature for 45-60 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
6. Pierce the lemon several times with a paring knife and stuff into chicken with 2 sprigs of rosemary.
7. Tie legs together with cooking twine.
8. Place chicken on rack in pan and cook with legs toward the back of the oven for 15 minutes
9. Turn oven down to 375 degrees F and continue to cook chicken with legs toward the back of the oven for approximately 17-20 minutes per pound or until thickest part of thigh reaches 165 degrees F. A good way to test if it is done is to grab one of the drumsticks and if it moves freely and detaches easily, your chicken is done!
10. Once chicken is cooked, turn off oven, open door, and let chicken rest for 20 minutes before carving.
I cannot take credit for this recipe - I found it somewhere on the internet a year or two ago and now I cannot find the original source again! If you know the source or ARE the source, let me know and I’ll link the original recipe.
A few years ago my dad and I, neither of us having prior knowledge or experience, decided to learn to roast a chicken. It has now become our tradition to roast a chicken on major holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Over the years we have tried a lot of seasonings and methods (possibly including brining, although there is debate over whether we actually did this or just talked about doing it). And, as you would expect, we have had our share of successes and less successful occasions (no complete failures, as we have always managed to eat what we made). This recipe has given us our greatest results, in my opinion, and is fairly simple for beginners.
Next time, I would use more grapeseed oil to dilute the spices as they tend to stick to the chicken and blacken a bit, although it does not taste burnt, just flavourful!
Aromatic roast chicken
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken
- 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1 Tbsp ghee, melted
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 lemon
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1. Remove organs from chicken and discard.
2. Rinse chicken and pat dry.
3. Mix oil, ghee, and spices and spread over the chicken, then cover and marinate in fridge overnight.
4. The next day, remove chicken from fridge and leave to come to room temperature for 45-60 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
6. Pierce the lemon several times with a paring knife and stuff into chicken with 2 sprigs of rosemary.
7. Tie legs together with cooking twine.
8. Place chicken on rack in pan and cook with legs toward the back of the oven for 15 minutes
9. Turn oven down to 375 degrees F and continue to cook chicken with legs toward the back of the oven for approximately 17-20 minutes per pound or until thickest part of thigh reaches 165 degrees F. A good way to test if it is done is to grab one of the drumsticks and if it moves freely and detaches easily, your chicken is done!
10. Once chicken is cooked, turn off oven, open door, and let chicken rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Judy's gluten-free breakfast pudding
06/Oct/12 11:08 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I recently received this email from our lovely receptionist Judy at Kew Beach Naturopathic Clinic:
Judy’s gluten-free breakfast “pudding”
Thought of you this morning while I was eating my breakfast. Here's one for the blog. Everyone always asks me what the heck are they going to eat for breakfast if they are gluten-free. This is what I had this morning.
Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk
2 Tbsp chia seeds
A bit of sweetener (try vegetable glycerine, maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, or stevia)
2 drops vanilla
Directions:
I recently received this email from our lovely receptionist Judy at Kew Beach Naturopathic Clinic:
Judy’s gluten-free breakfast “pudding”
Thought of you this morning while I was eating my breakfast. Here's one for the blog. Everyone always asks me what the heck are they going to eat for breakfast if they are gluten-free. This is what I had this morning.
Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk
2 Tbsp chia seeds
A bit of sweetener (try vegetable glycerine, maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, or stevia)
2 drops vanilla
Directions:
- Combine ingredients and put in fridge overnight. It’s like rice pudding or tapioca!
- I actually put it in the microwave for half a minute cause I like my cereal warm in the morning.
- I added a diced apple and some gluten-free granola. You could add just about anything to it, like fruits and nuts.
Peppermint patties
14/Sep/12 04:04 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I recently tried this recipe for Peppermint Patties from Elana’s Pantry and they were so good!
A few changes to ingredients for my taste:
I recently tried this recipe for Peppermint Patties from Elana’s Pantry and they were so good!
A few changes to ingredients for my taste:
- I used 1/8 cup vegetable glycerine and 1/8 cup agave syrup as sweetener to cut down the sugar a bit. Next time I may try more vegetable glycerine.
- I used a bit more peppermint extract/oil (nearly 1 tsp)
- I let the coconut oil sit at room temperature for a bit which made it more liquid and easier to mix.
- I froze the mixture for at least 15 minutes to get it hard enough to scoop into balls.
- I melted the chocolate and left it to cool for about 15-20 minutes - it is really important that it is as cool as possible (yet still liquid) or it will melt the patties and make a big mess!
- Make sure your patties are nice and hard before you dip them in the chocolate. I actually melted a bit more chocolate and dipped them again once the first layer was hardened as I like my chocolate and I found this made them look a bit nicer.
Homemade jerky
18/Jun/12 10:06 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Both these recipes are made easily in a dehydrator with a jerky gun (here’s an example) and store well in either the fridge or freezer. Much better alternative to store-bought jerky!
Beef jerky
Ingredients:
1. Add spices together with meat and mix thoroughly.
2. Load meat into jerky gun and extrude onto dehydrator trays in strips.
3. Dry at 155 degrees F for about 2 hours, then blot with a paper towel (if necessary) and turn strips over if you like. I used to do this, but now I usually just shuffle the trays on my dehydrator around about 2 hours in (moving the trays at the top to the bottom) and do not blot or flip the strips over.
4. Continue drying for about 2 to 3 more hours.
5. Strips are done when they splinter when bent, but don’t quite break.
6. Remove strips from dehydrator and lay on paper towel while they cool to remove oil.
7. Once cooled, store in Ziploc bag in fridge (for about 1 week) or in the freezer for longer).
Turkey Jerky
Ingredients:
See above instructions for beef jerky.
Both these recipes are made easily in a dehydrator with a jerky gun (here’s an example) and store well in either the fridge or freezer. Much better alternative to store-bought jerky!
Beef jerky
Ingredients:
- 1 kg extra lean ground beef (organic, grass-fed, and fresh is best)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ginger
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- Or, whatever spices you like best
1. Add spices together with meat and mix thoroughly.
2. Load meat into jerky gun and extrude onto dehydrator trays in strips.
3. Dry at 155 degrees F for about 2 hours, then blot with a paper towel (if necessary) and turn strips over if you like. I used to do this, but now I usually just shuffle the trays on my dehydrator around about 2 hours in (moving the trays at the top to the bottom) and do not blot or flip the strips over.
4. Continue drying for about 2 to 3 more hours.
5. Strips are done when they splinter when bent, but don’t quite break.
6. Remove strips from dehydrator and lay on paper towel while they cool to remove oil.
7. Once cooled, store in Ziploc bag in fridge (for about 1 week) or in the freezer for longer).
Turkey Jerky
Ingredients:
- 1 kg ground turkey (organic, fresh, dark meat is best)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ginger
See above instructions for beef jerky.
Coconut almond cookies
23/May/12 07:36 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
This is a new take on my previously posted recipe for Simple Almond Cookies. I have a lot of leftover dried coconut (from making Lime Coconut Sweet Potato Bites - recipe to come in another blog) so I incorporated it into this recipe and it was a hit! A reminder, these cookies are helpful on an elimination diet as a tasty, healthy snack!
Coconut Almond Cookies
(makes about 24 small cookies)
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix almond meal, coconut, baking soda, and salt together in a medium sized bowl.
3. Mix butter, veg glycerine, and egg together in another, smaller bowl.
4. Blend wet ingredients with dry and stir until combined (do not over stir).
5. Spoon onto greased baking sheet and flatten a bit with fork.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
7. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Note:
To make the chocolate version, add an additional ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa and 1/8 cup of vegetable glycerine.
This is a new take on my previously posted recipe for Simple Almond Cookies. I have a lot of leftover dried coconut (from making Lime Coconut Sweet Potato Bites - recipe to come in another blog) so I incorporated it into this recipe and it was a hit! A reminder, these cookies are helpful on an elimination diet as a tasty, healthy snack!
Coconut Almond Cookies
(makes about 24 small cookies)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1 cup dried coconut
- ¼ cup melted ghee (I make my own ghee using organic, cultured butter, see ghee recipe here) or butter - ghee is wetter than butter, so adjust accordingly
- ¼ cup vegetable glycerine (very sweet but does not spike blood sugar - I get mine in large bottles from Azure Standard) or agave syrup - adjust according to desired sweetness
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix almond meal, coconut, baking soda, and salt together in a medium sized bowl.
3. Mix butter, veg glycerine, and egg together in another, smaller bowl.
4. Blend wet ingredients with dry and stir until combined (do not over stir).
5. Spoon onto greased baking sheet and flatten a bit with fork.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
7. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Note:
To make the chocolate version, add an additional ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa and 1/8 cup of vegetable glycerine.
Delicious kale chips
15/May/12 07:28 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I got this recipe from my colleague Bronwyn Hill, ND and have changed it a bit for my own tastes. These chips are truly addictive and a great healthy snack!
Kale Chips
(makes 2-6 baking sheets worth of chips)
Ingredients:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Rinse kale to remove any dirt.
3. Remove ribs from kale and cut or tear into 1.5 inch pieces.
4. Place in bowl and toss with a small amount of oil.
5. Lay on baking sheet and add spices and seasonings.
6. Bake for about 5-7 minutes, then turn and bake until crisp (another 5-7 minutes or longer if needed).
7. The chips are done when crispy but still retain most of their original colour.
I got this recipe from my colleague Bronwyn Hill, ND and have changed it a bit for my own tastes. These chips are truly addictive and a great healthy snack!
Kale Chips
(makes 2-6 baking sheets worth of chips)
Ingredients:
- Kale (1-3 bunches)
- Oil of your choice (grapeseed, olive, walnut, etc)
- Seasonings of your choice (salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, ginger, etc)
- Any other ingredients you want! Eg: Tamari sauce, crushed garlic, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, etc
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Rinse kale to remove any dirt.
3. Remove ribs from kale and cut or tear into 1.5 inch pieces.
4. Place in bowl and toss with a small amount of oil.
5. Lay on baking sheet and add spices and seasonings.
6. Bake for about 5-7 minutes, then turn and bake until crisp (another 5-7 minutes or longer if needed).
7. The chips are done when crispy but still retain most of their original colour.
Lentil and brown rice soup
09/Apr/12 01:44 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
This is a simple, easy recipe for soup that came to me from my boyfriend via his mom. I think we each make this soup a bit differently, but the principles are the same and it makes a great, healthy, high-fibre meal.
Lentil brown rice soup
Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils
1/2 cup brown rice
1 medium onion
1-2 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, and other spices to taste
Water and/or vegetable broth
Directions:
This is a simple, easy recipe for soup that came to me from my boyfriend via his mom. I think we each make this soup a bit differently, but the principles are the same and it makes a great, healthy, high-fibre meal.
Lentil brown rice soup
Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils
1/2 cup brown rice
1 medium onion
1-2 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, and other spices to taste
Water and/or vegetable broth
Directions:
- Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear. I do this by putting the lentils in a medium pot and running water over them, stirring occasionally.
- While the lentils are rinsing, chop one medium onion and two cloves of garlic into small pieces, then place onion and garlic pieces into a food processor and chop/grind to desired consistency. I like to get the pieces as small as possible!
- Add a bit of olive oil to a large soup/stock pot and cook the onions and garlic on low to medium heat until just golden.
- Add the rinsed lentils and brown rice to the pot along with enough water or vegetable broth to cover.
- Add any other spices you want to taste.
- Simmer at low to medium heat (about 3-4 out of 10).
- Stir regularly and keep adding water or broth as needed to keep desired consistency.
- After about an hour, the soup is done! Let it cool down a bit then either eat or store in the fridge or freezer.
Tips and tricks to make cooking easy
12/Mar/12 09:51 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
The cornerstone of eating healthy is to prepare your food yourself! More and more people are eating out every day and sometimes multiple times per day and the result is that we eat processed foods that are exponentially higher in sugar, salt, preservatives, and fillers and much lower in nutrients than anything we could make at home!
So, here are some tips and tricks for cooking delicious homemade food quickly and easily.
1. Learn to live without (or with far less) sugar
Processed sugar is not a necessity of life and in fact is a food that we as humans are only made to have in small quantities occasionally. Sugar depresses your immune system, encourages accumulation of belly fat, alters your brain function, promotes inflammation (and pain!) and contributes to all major chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc). But this is a topic to be explored in another blog...
Luckily, there are so many ways to reduce the processed sugar we eat! One important step is to simply fill up on nutritious foods and stop eating desserts. Another is to get your sweet fix in healthier ways, by substituting other types of sweeteners, baking healthier, and using other foods, such as fruit, for that sweet fix.
My favourite substitute for sugar in baking in vegetable glycerine, which I use in many of my recipes on this site. Vegetable glycerine doesn’t spike blood sugar because it isn’t sugar, but it does taste very sweet so you don’t need as much of it to get that sweet taste. You can also mix it with other natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or agave depending on your taste. But remember, the idea is to significantly reduce your sugar intake!
2. Cook in batches
The first rule of cooking and eating mostly homemade food is to cook more than you need (sometimes much more!). For example:
3. Buy in bulk
This can mean literally buying bulk foods, but it can also mean buying a large amount of food and spacing it out. One way that I do this is to buy a roast chicken (which is way too big for one meal for me) then cut it up and place portions small ziploc snack bags. This makes a really easy meal if I need it - I can just pull a snack bag out of the freezer (which will thaw a bit within 10-15 minutes), reheat the chicken, and make a wrap or mix with rice for a quick meal.
You can do this with lots of different prepared foods you find at the grocery store or restaurants. You can even do this when you eat out - get a takeout container when you get your plate at a restaurant and immediately put half your meal in it to take home for leftovers!
4. Learn to make your own substitutes
One of the biggest pitfalls to a healthy diet is snacking - everyone has their favourite sweet or salty snacks that they can’t resist buying. For me, it is anything chocolate and even if I try to make healthier choices (that usually being chocolate covered almonds), I just don’t feel as good when I eat snacks that I buy at the store.
The solution that has worked best for me is to learn to make my own snacks that approximate/substitute for the snacks I love best. I have several recipes for baked goods that work well for me - give some of these a try:
Or, if you have a particular favourite food or snack, start experimenting with how to make it yourself. Here are some ideas:
The cornerstone of eating healthy is to prepare your food yourself! More and more people are eating out every day and sometimes multiple times per day and the result is that we eat processed foods that are exponentially higher in sugar, salt, preservatives, and fillers and much lower in nutrients than anything we could make at home!
So, here are some tips and tricks for cooking delicious homemade food quickly and easily.
1. Learn to live without (or with far less) sugar
Processed sugar is not a necessity of life and in fact is a food that we as humans are only made to have in small quantities occasionally. Sugar depresses your immune system, encourages accumulation of belly fat, alters your brain function, promotes inflammation (and pain!) and contributes to all major chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc). But this is a topic to be explored in another blog...
Luckily, there are so many ways to reduce the processed sugar we eat! One important step is to simply fill up on nutritious foods and stop eating desserts. Another is to get your sweet fix in healthier ways, by substituting other types of sweeteners, baking healthier, and using other foods, such as fruit, for that sweet fix.
My favourite substitute for sugar in baking in vegetable glycerine, which I use in many of my recipes on this site. Vegetable glycerine doesn’t spike blood sugar because it isn’t sugar, but it does taste very sweet so you don’t need as much of it to get that sweet taste. You can also mix it with other natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or agave depending on your taste. But remember, the idea is to significantly reduce your sugar intake!
2. Cook in batches
The first rule of cooking and eating mostly homemade food is to cook more than you need (sometimes much more!). For example:
- Cook double or triple the portions at each meal so you have leftovers for future meals
- Cook a chicken/turkey/roast/soup and package and/or freeze portions
- Make veggies in batches to use throughout the week, such as blanching greens to make salads or as part of a meal
- Prepare snacks and store in small containers to grab when needed, such as cut and washed veggies (carrots, celery, peppers, etc), fruit (grapes, berries, mango, etc), nuts and seeds
3. Buy in bulk
This can mean literally buying bulk foods, but it can also mean buying a large amount of food and spacing it out. One way that I do this is to buy a roast chicken (which is way too big for one meal for me) then cut it up and place portions small ziploc snack bags. This makes a really easy meal if I need it - I can just pull a snack bag out of the freezer (which will thaw a bit within 10-15 minutes), reheat the chicken, and make a wrap or mix with rice for a quick meal.
You can do this with lots of different prepared foods you find at the grocery store or restaurants. You can even do this when you eat out - get a takeout container when you get your plate at a restaurant and immediately put half your meal in it to take home for leftovers!
4. Learn to make your own substitutes
One of the biggest pitfalls to a healthy diet is snacking - everyone has their favourite sweet or salty snacks that they can’t resist buying. For me, it is anything chocolate and even if I try to make healthier choices (that usually being chocolate covered almonds), I just don’t feel as good when I eat snacks that I buy at the store.
The solution that has worked best for me is to learn to make my own snacks that approximate/substitute for the snacks I love best. I have several recipes for baked goods that work well for me - give some of these a try:
- Walnutty chocolate: Amazing chocolate fudge as a vehicle for fibre and nuts
- Quinoatmeal cookies: high fibre oatmeal-like cookies, a hit with everyone
- Antioxidant brownies: dense, moist, dark chocolate brownies
- Ultimate chocolate chip cookies: a healthier take on a traditional favourite
- Simple almond cookies: great for elimination diet and tasty too
Or, if you have a particular favourite food or snack, start experimenting with how to make it yourself. Here are some ideas:
- Make your own granola using whole food ingredients like dried fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, seeds, coconut, and rolled oats.
- Crave crunch? Try high fibre crackers (I like Mary’s) and nut butter. I recommend homemade walnut butter for more omega 3 fats. You can also use almond, hazelnut, pumpkin seed, cashew, or peanut butter. Make sure to read ingredients and get brands without sweeteners or fillers.
- Make a superfood smoothie for your fruit fix.
- Buy fresh fruit and cut it up to make fruit salad (my personal favourite is fresh mango with raspberries).
- Like bacon? Try turkey bacon - not the greatest, but a better choice! Read ingredients carefully to avoid nitrites/sulfites, which are carcinogenic!
- Like chocolate milk? Try almond (or rice or soy) milk and chocolate protein powder!
- Bake your own banana bread or muffins.
- Like chips or french fries? Make your own at home or, even better, make kale chips or sweet potato chips or sweet potato or veggie fries.
- Like beef jerky? Make your own using a dehydrator!
- Do you miss ice cream? Make your own at home or, even better, make your own sorbet.
- Crave a burger? Make your own from ground beef/bison/turkey/whatever favourite meat and add onions, garlic, spices, etc to taste. You can freeze these and cook quickly for lunch or dinner. Also consider making meatballs!
Make cooking easy with the right tools
10/Feb/12 11:02 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I spend much of my time coaching and encouraging patients to eat healthy and a major part of that is learning to cook nutritious meals at home. Cooking healthy homemade meals can seem daunting at first, but it is simply a matter of learning basic skills and forming new habits.
April 2012 is my 10 year anniversary of eating right for my type (which has evolved from type O to type O nonsecretor to Hunter) and over this decade I’ve gone from eating primarily toast, milk, fast food, and packaged food (can you believe it?) to learning how to prepare healthy meals at home.
One of the keys to successful food preparation is having the right tools! So, I would like to share the most valuable kitchen tools/appliances I own. To equip yourself with all 4 tools will cost you about $126.96. To me, for years of cooking assistance and time savings, this is well worth it.
1. Hand blender
Cost = $55.99 (at Kitchen Stuff Plus, which I find to have very low prices)
Back in 2004 I got a Cuisinart Smart Stick hand blender and it is still going strong today after daily (and sometimes twice daily) use! Last year it started to make some disturbing noises, so I bought a new one on sale (because I feared getting stuck without my morning companion), but I haven’t had to open the new one yet since my old one has hung in there! Long story short, I think this is one appliance worth a $50-$60 investment. I would recommend this brand over others - I previously owned another handblender brand that only lasted a year or two and was made of plastic rather than stainless steel.
Use your handblender to make a daily superfood smoothie, as well as blending sauces, dips, etc. Use the chopper attachment to chop veggies or grind nuts for homemade nut butters. Finally, use the whisk attachment for beating eggs to make healthy brownies at home!
2. Steamer basket
Cost = $6.99 (small) to $8.99 (large)
This one is new within the last year or so. Before owning a steamer basket, I just boiled or blanched veggies. However, steaming uses less water, is much faster, and retains more nutrients in your food! Simply place the steamer basket in a pot, add water to just below the basket, bring it to a boil and add your veggies. Steam for as long as you like to achieve desired texture. I now do my broccoli and kale for about 1-3 minutes to get the same texture as blanching.
You can steam literally anything quickly and easily! I find the steamer basket gives better results than an actually steamer appliance (which I find less even) and if you use a large steamer basket in a large stock pot, you can steam enough greens/veggies to keep in the fridge to eat all week. It’s all about efficiency and convenience!
3. Rice cooker
Cost = varies (at least $13.99)
Kitchen Stuff Plus has more expensive ones, but I bought my small rice cooker from Canadian Tire for about $10 on sale (regular price $13.99)
This is another recent addition to my kitchen (bought within the last year) and honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t get one sooner! My rice cooker makes perfect rice, quinoa, lentils, etc every time with no work! Simply measure the right amount of rice (or whatever), water (or use vegetable broth for extra nutrients), and seasonings, turn it on, and when it’s done it stops cooking.
Extra bonus: you can make oatmeal in a rice cooker and even steam veggies in some (if they come with a steamer basket)!
4. Indoor grill
Cost = varies (at least $49.99)
There are a lot of different grills on the market today! I think my dad has the Cuisinart Griddler ($99.99 at Kitchen Stuff Plus), I have a George Foreman grill they don’t even make anymore (with a temperature control, which I really like). Here is a similar George Foreman with temperature control ($59.99) at Canadian Tire and a slightly less expensive ($49.99) model here.
I’ve now owned 2 George Foreman grills and I couldn’t imagine my life without it! You can use the grill for burgers, steaks, fish, veggies, etc... The temperature control is nice for having more control over what you are cooking, and the cook time is really reduced since you cook both sides at once. For example, a bison burger generally takes about 7 minutes total to cook from frozen. They are also pretty easy to clean - I use only water and a special sponge that works perfectly to wipe the grill down after using and then I just dry it gently with paper towel.
I spend much of my time coaching and encouraging patients to eat healthy and a major part of that is learning to cook nutritious meals at home. Cooking healthy homemade meals can seem daunting at first, but it is simply a matter of learning basic skills and forming new habits.
April 2012 is my 10 year anniversary of eating right for my type (which has evolved from type O to type O nonsecretor to Hunter) and over this decade I’ve gone from eating primarily toast, milk, fast food, and packaged food (can you believe it?) to learning how to prepare healthy meals at home.
One of the keys to successful food preparation is having the right tools! So, I would like to share the most valuable kitchen tools/appliances I own. To equip yourself with all 4 tools will cost you about $126.96. To me, for years of cooking assistance and time savings, this is well worth it.
1. Hand blender
Cost = $55.99 (at Kitchen Stuff Plus, which I find to have very low prices)
Back in 2004 I got a Cuisinart Smart Stick hand blender and it is still going strong today after daily (and sometimes twice daily) use! Last year it started to make some disturbing noises, so I bought a new one on sale (because I feared getting stuck without my morning companion), but I haven’t had to open the new one yet since my old one has hung in there! Long story short, I think this is one appliance worth a $50-$60 investment. I would recommend this brand over others - I previously owned another handblender brand that only lasted a year or two and was made of plastic rather than stainless steel.
Use your handblender to make a daily superfood smoothie, as well as blending sauces, dips, etc. Use the chopper attachment to chop veggies or grind nuts for homemade nut butters. Finally, use the whisk attachment for beating eggs to make healthy brownies at home!
2. Steamer basket
Cost = $6.99 (small) to $8.99 (large)
This one is new within the last year or so. Before owning a steamer basket, I just boiled or blanched veggies. However, steaming uses less water, is much faster, and retains more nutrients in your food! Simply place the steamer basket in a pot, add water to just below the basket, bring it to a boil and add your veggies. Steam for as long as you like to achieve desired texture. I now do my broccoli and kale for about 1-3 minutes to get the same texture as blanching.
You can steam literally anything quickly and easily! I find the steamer basket gives better results than an actually steamer appliance (which I find less even) and if you use a large steamer basket in a large stock pot, you can steam enough greens/veggies to keep in the fridge to eat all week. It’s all about efficiency and convenience!
3. Rice cooker
Cost = varies (at least $13.99)
Kitchen Stuff Plus has more expensive ones, but I bought my small rice cooker from Canadian Tire for about $10 on sale (regular price $13.99)
This is another recent addition to my kitchen (bought within the last year) and honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t get one sooner! My rice cooker makes perfect rice, quinoa, lentils, etc every time with no work! Simply measure the right amount of rice (or whatever), water (or use vegetable broth for extra nutrients), and seasonings, turn it on, and when it’s done it stops cooking.
Extra bonus: you can make oatmeal in a rice cooker and even steam veggies in some (if they come with a steamer basket)!
4. Indoor grill
Cost = varies (at least $49.99)
There are a lot of different grills on the market today! I think my dad has the Cuisinart Griddler ($99.99 at Kitchen Stuff Plus), I have a George Foreman grill they don’t even make anymore (with a temperature control, which I really like). Here is a similar George Foreman with temperature control ($59.99) at Canadian Tire and a slightly less expensive ($49.99) model here.
I’ve now owned 2 George Foreman grills and I couldn’t imagine my life without it! You can use the grill for burgers, steaks, fish, veggies, etc... The temperature control is nice for having more control over what you are cooking, and the cook time is really reduced since you cook both sides at once. For example, a bison burger generally takes about 7 minutes total to cook from frozen. They are also pretty easy to clean - I use only water and a special sponge that works perfectly to wipe the grill down after using and then I just dry it gently with paper towel.
Natural electrolye drink
23/Jun/11 08:58 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
This is one of the home remedies I discussed during my appearance on Wylde on Health June 17, 2011. Video is up online here (look for June 17th, segment 2).
If you are dehydrated through sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting, it is essential to not only replenish water, but also glucose and minerals/electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, which are essential for many processes in your body. It is also important to stay well hydrated when you are sick with a cold or the flu. This remedy is also great for keeping sick kids hydrated!
There are a lot of electrolyte drinks on the market and unfortunately most of them are very high in sugar and artificial ingredients that you don’t need. Why not make your own simple electrolyte drink at home? The simple recipe below can be made with ingredients found in your kitchen and for extra taste and to bump up the immune boosting power of this drink, you can add a berry concentrate such as Proberry 3 liquid. Check out my blog called A tastier flu “shot” about the power of berries, especially elderberry. Elderberry has powerful anti-viral properties, so is effective against influenza and other viral infection such as the common cold.
Natural electrolyte drink
Ingredients:
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp agave nectar (or maple syrup or honey)
Juice of a ½ lemon
1L water
1-3 tsp berry concentrate (to taste)
Directions:
1 Add the first four ingredients to the water and stir until dissolved.
2 Add berry concentrate to taste.
This is one of the home remedies I discussed during my appearance on Wylde on Health June 17, 2011. Video is up online here (look for June 17th, segment 2).
There are a lot of electrolyte drinks on the market and unfortunately most of them are very high in sugar and artificial ingredients that you don’t need. Why not make your own simple electrolyte drink at home? The simple recipe below can be made with ingredients found in your kitchen and for extra taste and to bump up the immune boosting power of this drink, you can add a berry concentrate such as Proberry 3 liquid. Check out my blog called A tastier flu “shot” about the power of berries, especially elderberry. Elderberry has powerful anti-viral properties, so is effective against influenza and other viral infection such as the common cold.
Natural electrolyte drink
Ingredients:
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp agave nectar (or maple syrup or honey)
Juice of a ½ lemon
1L water
1-3 tsp berry concentrate (to taste)
Directions:
1 Add the first four ingredients to the water and stir until dissolved.
2 Add berry concentrate to taste.
Ultimate chocolate chip cookies
20/Mar/11 09:15 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Looking for a great, but healthy recipe for chocolate chip cookies?
I recently tried this recipe called Jesi’s Chocolate Chip Cookies and they were great! I found them a little too sweet for my taste, so I modified the recipe in the following ways:
Enjoy!
Looking for a great, but healthy recipe for chocolate chip cookies?
I recently tried this recipe called Jesi’s Chocolate Chip Cookies and they were great! I found them a little too sweet for my taste, so I modified the recipe in the following ways:
- I used a combination of vegetable glycerine (very sweet but does not spike blood sugar - I get mine in large bottles from Azure Standard) and agave syrup
- I used less vanilla (1/2 tsp instead of 1 tsp)
- I used less chocolate chips (3/4 cup instead of 1 cup)
Enjoy!
Simple almond cookies
02/Mar/11 09:28 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
These really simple cookies are easy to make and great for a quick, high-protein snack. I’ve made them more recently while I was doing an elimination/detox diet as part of my New Year’s resolution and they helped keep me on track by having a healthy and tasty snack around!
Simple Almond Cookies
(makes about 24 small cookies)
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix almond meal, baking soda, and salt together in a medium sized bowl.
3. Mix butter, veg glycerine, and egg together in another, smaller bowl.
4. Blend wet ingredients with dry and stir until combined (do not over stir).
5. Spoon onto greased baking sheet and flatten a bit with fork.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
7. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Note:
To make the chocolate version, add an additional ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa and 1/8 cup of vegetable glycerine.
These really simple cookies are easy to make and great for a quick, high-protein snack. I’ve made them more recently while I was doing an elimination/detox diet as part of my New Year’s resolution and they helped keep me on track by having a healthy and tasty snack around!
Simple Almond Cookies
(makes about 24 small cookies)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups almond meal
- ¼ cup melted ghee (I make my own ghee using organic, cultured butter, see ghee recipe here) or butter - ghee is wetter than butter, so adjust accordingly
- ¼ cup vegetable glycerine (very sweet but does not spike blood sugar - I get mine in large bottles from Azure Standard) or agave syrup - adjust according to desired sweetness
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix almond meal, baking soda, and salt together in a medium sized bowl.
3. Mix butter, veg glycerine, and egg together in another, smaller bowl.
4. Blend wet ingredients with dry and stir until combined (do not over stir).
5. Spoon onto greased baking sheet and flatten a bit with fork.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
7. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Note:
To make the chocolate version, add an additional ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa and 1/8 cup of vegetable glycerine.
Easy blanched greens
13/Feb/11 08:34 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Blanching is a method of cooking that technically means immersing food in boiling water followed by cold water to quickly stop the cooking process. I use a variation on this in which I boil greens for a short period of time, then allow them to cool. This is a great way to soften them a bit, remove any bitterness, but retain a crispy/firm texture, and preserve nutrients.
Blanched Greens
Ingredients:
Any greens you like! Great for greens that are tougher (kale, collards, mustard greens, etc) rather than tender (spinach, swiss chard). You can also cook broccoli this way.
Directions:
1. Fill a large pot with enough water to just cover greens. I use
about 2L of water to do one bunch of kale or broccoli.
2. Bring the pot of water to a boil.
3. While you are waiting for the water to boil, chop the greens up
into bite-sized pieces.
4. One the water is boiling, put the greens in, stir them around
for about 1 minute. The longer you boil the greens, the softer
they will be.
5. Pour the contents of the pot out through a strainer. Even better, put the strainer over a bowl to retain the “greens water” and use
this water as a base for making soup, broth, or boiling something else!
6. Spin the greens in a salad spinner to get rid of excess water,
and lay them out to dry on a double-layer of paper towel.
7. Eat the greens warm or store them in the fridge (lasts about
a week) in a covered container to use for salads.
Blanching is a method of cooking that technically means immersing food in boiling water followed by cold water to quickly stop the cooking process. I use a variation on this in which I boil greens for a short period of time, then allow them to cool. This is a great way to soften them a bit, remove any bitterness, but retain a crispy/firm texture, and preserve nutrients.
Blanched Greens
Ingredients:
Any greens you like! Great for greens that are tougher (kale, collards, mustard greens, etc) rather than tender (spinach, swiss chard). You can also cook broccoli this way.
Directions:
about 2L of water to do one bunch of kale or broccoli.
2. Bring the pot of water to a boil.
3. While you are waiting for the water to boil, chop the greens up
into bite-sized pieces.
4. One the water is boiling, put the greens in, stir them around
for about 1 minute. The longer you boil the greens, the softer
they will be.
5. Pour the contents of the pot out through a strainer. Even better, put the strainer over a bowl to retain the “greens water” and use
this water as a base for making soup, broth, or boiling something else!
6. Spin the greens in a salad spinner to get rid of excess water,
and lay them out to dry on a double-layer of paper towel.
7. Eat the greens warm or store them in the fridge (lasts about
a week) in a covered container to use for salads.
Quinoa-oatmeal cookies
06/Feb/11 05:38 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I think I came up with these cookies from a recipe somewhere and modified it a bit from there. I’ve been making them for several years and they are always a hit!
Quinoa-oatmeal (aka Quinoatmeal) Cookies
(makes about 36 small cookies)
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Mix quinoa flakes, oats, almond meal, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. Mix ghee, vegetable glycerine, and egg together in a small bowl.
4. Blend wet and dry ingredients together until combined.
5. Add chocolate chips.
6. Spoon onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and flatten a bit with a fork.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.
8. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Notes:
You can also make a chocolate version of these cookies by adding 1/4 cup cocoa. You can also add a bit more sweetener to taste.
I think I came up with these cookies from a recipe somewhere and modified it a bit from there. I’ve been making them for several years and they are always a hit!
Quinoa-oatmeal (aka Quinoatmeal) Cookies
(makes about 36 small cookies)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rolled oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill Wheat-free Oats)
- 1 cup quinoa flakes (from Go Go Quinoa)
- 1 cup almond meal (Bob’s Red Mill again!)
- 1/2 cup ghee, melted (I make my own ghee using organic, cultured butter, see ghee recipe here) or butter - ghee is wetter than butter, so adjust accordingly
- 1/4 cup vegetable glycerine (very sweet but does not spike blood sugar - I get mine in large bottles from Azure Standard) or agave syrup - adjust according to desired sweetness
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips which are gluten, dairy, and nut-free)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Mix quinoa flakes, oats, almond meal, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. Mix ghee, vegetable glycerine, and egg together in a small bowl.
4. Blend wet and dry ingredients together until combined.
5. Add chocolate chips.
6. Spoon onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and flatten a bit with a fork.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.
8. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Notes:
You can also make a chocolate version of these cookies by adding 1/4 cup cocoa. You can also add a bit more sweetener to taste.
Yummy walnut butter
30/Jan/11 04:38 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I’m doing an elimination diet right now and one of the things I’ve eliminated is my beloved chocolate! To successfully abstain, it was crucial that I plan out some great non-chocolate snacks. One great substitute for me has been walnut butter. It is really easy to make and tastes amazing! Plus, walnuts are full of healthy fats and are a diamond superfood on my SWAMI. You can also add other nuts to this mix. Today I added pecans too (another superfood).
Walnut Butter
(makes about 400-500g of nut butter - enough to fill a large Nuts to You jar!)
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Fill a chopper/grinder/food processor with nuts, like so:
2. Sprinkle in sea salt to taste. I have no idea how much I use, just a few shakes.
3. Chop the nuts until they are in tiny pieces, then switch to grinding until they are in even smaller pieces. They will look somewhat like this:
4. Add oil and keep grinding the mixture until it reaches the consistency you want. Again, I have no idea how much oil I use! Enough to make a thick, but not dry paste.
5. Empty walnut butter into a glass jar and store in the fridge. Enjoy on rice crackers, rice cakes, as a dip for veggies, or any other way you can think of.
I’m doing an elimination diet right now and one of the things I’ve eliminated is my beloved chocolate! To successfully abstain, it was crucial that I plan out some great non-chocolate snacks. One great substitute for me has been walnut butter. It is really easy to make and tastes amazing! Plus, walnuts are full of healthy fats and are a diamond superfood on my SWAMI. You can also add other nuts to this mix. Today I added pecans too (another superfood).
Walnut Butter
(makes about 400-500g of nut butter - enough to fill a large Nuts to You jar!)
Ingredients:
- Walnuts
- Other nuts to your liking (pecans work well, I think almonds would be too hard, but haven’t tried them)
- Sea salt
- Oil of your choice (I used grapeseed oil because that is all I had, but using walnut oil makes a lot of sense or any other oil you prefer)
Directions:
1. Fill a chopper/grinder/food processor with nuts, like so:
2. Sprinkle in sea salt to taste. I have no idea how much I use, just a few shakes.
3. Chop the nuts until they are in tiny pieces, then switch to grinding until they are in even smaller pieces. They will look somewhat like this:
4. Add oil and keep grinding the mixture until it reaches the consistency you want. Again, I have no idea how much oil I use! Enough to make a thick, but not dry paste.
5. Empty walnut butter into a glass jar and store in the fridge. Enjoy on rice crackers, rice cakes, as a dip for veggies, or any other way you can think of.
Walnutty chocolate
21/Jan/11 10:56 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Yes, another post about chocolate! This is my other major chocolate “substitute.” Back in 2003, I decided to stop eating sugar entirely for one month as an experiment. This was actually a lot easier than I expected and completely changed the way I eat since. It made me realize how often I was eating sugar to sooth uncomfortable emotions and that I didn’t need to eat cookies, cake, and other desserts to have a good time or connect with people. However, the biggest thing I missed was chocolate! Not even really sweet chocolate, just that distinct taste! So I came up with this recipe for making my own fudge-type dessert using some healthier ingredients.
Kate’s Walnutty Chocolate
(makes about 36 small pieces)
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Melt cocoa powder, butter, and almond butter in a medium pot over low-medium heat.
2. While those are melting, chop the walnuts and pumpkin seeds (and cacao beans or nibs if you are using these) using a chopper/grinder until they are a size you desire.
3. Once the cocoa mixture in the pot is melted and blended, remove from heat and add vegetable glycerine and combine.
4. Next, add the walnuts, cacao nibs, ground flax, and puffed rice and combine.
5. Press the mixture into a square pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Place in fridge or freezer to cool.
Yes, another post about chocolate! This is my other major chocolate “substitute.” Back in 2003, I decided to stop eating sugar entirely for one month as an experiment. This was actually a lot easier than I expected and completely changed the way I eat since. It made me realize how often I was eating sugar to sooth uncomfortable emotions and that I didn’t need to eat cookies, cake, and other desserts to have a good time or connect with people. However, the biggest thing I missed was chocolate! Not even really sweet chocolate, just that distinct taste! So I came up with this recipe for making my own fudge-type dessert using some healthier ingredients.
Kate’s Walnutty Chocolate
(makes about 36 small pieces)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (I now use raw cacao powder)
- 1/2 cup butter or ghee (I make my own ghee using organic, cultured butter, see ghee recipe here) - ghee is these softer/wetter than butter, so use a bit less
- 1/2 cup almond butter (you can also use tahini or any other nut butter you like)
- 1/4-1/2 cup vegetable glycerine (very sweet but does not spike blood sugar - I get mine in large bottles from Azure Standard) or agave syrup - adjust according to desired sweetness
- 2-3 handfuls (about 1.5 cups) walnuts
- 1/4-1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup flaxseeds, ground
- 1 cup puffed rice or quinoa
- 1 handful cacao beans or nibs (optional)
Directions:
1. Melt cocoa powder, butter, and almond butter in a medium pot over low-medium heat.
2. While those are melting, chop the walnuts and pumpkin seeds (and cacao beans or nibs if you are using these) using a chopper/grinder until they are a size you desire.
3. Once the cocoa mixture in the pot is melted and blended, remove from heat and add vegetable glycerine and combine.
4. Next, add the walnuts, cacao nibs, ground flax, and puffed rice and combine.
5. Press the mixture into a square pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Place in fridge or freezer to cool.
Antioxidant brownies
16/Dec/10 10:29 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I LOVE chocolate, but I try to avoid sugar because I feel so much better without it. When I stopped eating sugar in 2003, I was faced with the dilemma of how the heck I could still feed my chocolate cravings while avoiding sugar? Necessity is the mother of invention and the result was that I have come up with a few creative recipes to make chocolatey things without sugar. I also avoid gluten and dairy, so I have had to modify my recipes for those too.
One of the most popular recipes I’ve created has been for gluten-free, dairy-free (if you use ghee instead of butter), sugar-free (if you use vegetable glycerine instead of agave syrup) brownies. I recently had the idea to make them more nutritious by using raw cacao powder (instead of traditional cocoa) which is high in antioxidants!
Antioxidant Brownies
(makes about 36 small brownies)
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt the ghee/butter and combine in a medium bowl with the cacao powder until smooth.
3. Add vegetable glycerine/agave, almond meal, and egg yolks and combine.
4. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into other bowl with the chocolate mixture.
5. Gently combine until blended and pour into a square pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, then turn 1/4 turn and bake for another 10-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out nearly clean.
7. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then continue cooling in fridge.
I LOVE chocolate, but I try to avoid sugar because I feel so much better without it. When I stopped eating sugar in 2003, I was faced with the dilemma of how the heck I could still feed my chocolate cravings while avoiding sugar? Necessity is the mother of invention and the result was that I have come up with a few creative recipes to make chocolatey things without sugar. I also avoid gluten and dairy, so I have had to modify my recipes for those too.
One of the most popular recipes I’ve created has been for gluten-free, dairy-free (if you use ghee instead of butter), sugar-free (if you use vegetable glycerine instead of agave syrup) brownies. I recently had the idea to make them more nutritious by using raw cacao powder (instead of traditional cocoa) which is high in antioxidants!
Antioxidant Brownies
(makes about 36 small brownies)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup ghee (I make my own ghee using organic, cultured butter, see ghee recipe here) or butter - ghee is wetter than butter, so adjust accordingly
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable glycerine (very sweet but does not spike blood sugar - I get mine in large bottles from Azure Standard) or agave syrup - adjust according to desired sweetness
- 1 cup almond meal (from Bob’s Red Mill)
- 4 eggs, separated
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt the ghee/butter and combine in a medium bowl with the cacao powder until smooth.
3. Add vegetable glycerine/agave, almond meal, and egg yolks and combine.
4. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into other bowl with the chocolate mixture.
5. Gently combine until blended and pour into a square pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, then turn 1/4 turn and bake for another 10-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out nearly clean.
7. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then continue cooling in fridge.
Bone broth recipe
03/Dec/10 02:17 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
In honour of recent discussion about calcium and vitamin D supplementation, I’m sharing my easy, simple recipe for bone broth. This is a great way to get calcium and other minerals from the bones, as well as other nutrients from the meat and cartilage. Plus it feels great to truly use every beneficial part of your food before throwing it away.
I like to buy a roasted chicken (the ones from Whole Foods are amazing!), cut off the meat (which I store in the freezer and pull out for a quick meal), and use the leftover bones. Basically you can just get some bones, throw whatever else you like in there too, and boil it all. There is really no way to mess this up, except if you boil it too long, in which case it turns kind of gelatinous... Don’t worry, I’ll tell you how long from my own experience!
You can use the broth to cook rice or other grains, as a base for soups, or in any variety of ways to add taste and nutrition to other dishes.
Bone Broth
(makes about 2-3L of broth)
Ingredients:
Bones! You can use chicken or beef, whichever you prefer.
1 Tbsp vinegar (I like apple cider because it is less vinegary tasting)
Spices of your choice to taste (salt and pepper are great)
Veggies of your choice (I use chopped garlic and onions, sometimes some carrots and celery too)
Immune boosting option! Add ingredients for Change of Season Soup (I’ve bought packages of this from Herbie’s Herbs) along with your veggies! Change of Season soup is an Asian medicine recipe using four herbs (Astragalus, Codonopsis, Dioscorea, and Lycii) which helps your body adjust to the transition between seasons to prevent getting sick.
Directions:
1. Place bones and vinegar in a large stockpot and cover with filtered water.
2. Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Turn down the heat to between low and medium and let simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours.
4. Add spices and veggies.
7. Discard bones and other solids.
8. Place bowl in refrigerator overnight and in the morning skim off the top layer of fat.
9. Decant the liquid into airtight, leakproof, and ideally glass containers and store in the fridge or freezer.
Notes:
In honour of recent discussion about calcium and vitamin D supplementation, I’m sharing my easy, simple recipe for bone broth. This is a great way to get calcium and other minerals from the bones, as well as other nutrients from the meat and cartilage. Plus it feels great to truly use every beneficial part of your food before throwing it away.
I like to buy a roasted chicken (the ones from Whole Foods are amazing!), cut off the meat (which I store in the freezer and pull out for a quick meal), and use the leftover bones. Basically you can just get some bones, throw whatever else you like in there too, and boil it all. There is really no way to mess this up, except if you boil it too long, in which case it turns kind of gelatinous... Don’t worry, I’ll tell you how long from my own experience!
You can use the broth to cook rice or other grains, as a base for soups, or in any variety of ways to add taste and nutrition to other dishes.
Bone Broth
(makes about 2-3L of broth)
Ingredients:
Bones! You can use chicken or beef, whichever you prefer.
1 Tbsp vinegar (I like apple cider because it is less vinegary tasting)
Spices of your choice to taste (salt and pepper are great)
Veggies of your choice (I use chopped garlic and onions, sometimes some carrots and celery too)
Immune boosting option! Add ingredients for Change of Season Soup (I’ve bought packages of this from Herbie’s Herbs) along with your veggies! Change of Season soup is an Asian medicine recipe using four herbs (Astragalus, Codonopsis, Dioscorea, and Lycii) which helps your body adjust to the transition between seasons to prevent getting sick.
Directions:
1. Place bones and vinegar in a large stockpot and cover with filtered water.
2. Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Turn down the heat to between low and medium and let simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours.
4. Add spices and veggies.
- 5. Turn heat up again to boil more vigourously, then turn it down to simmer again for another hour.
7. Discard bones and other solids.
8. Place bowl in refrigerator overnight and in the morning skim off the top layer of fat.
9. Decant the liquid into airtight, leakproof, and ideally glass containers and store in the fridge or freezer.
Notes:
- Simmering for more than 3-4 hours can result in a gelatinous broth!
- Use refrigerated broth within 7 days
- Use frozen broth within 6 months
Make your own ghee
20/Nov/10 07:52 AM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
Those who know me know that I love ghee! Ghee is “clarified butter” meaning that it is butter minus water and dairy solids. Bhavaprakash, a major Ayurvedic text, states that “Ghee is … good for the eyes, stimulant for digestion, supports glow and beauty, enhances memory and stamina, promotes longevity, and protects the body from various diseases.” (1)
Ghee production increases levels of butyric acid, which is believed to improve digestion and nourish tissues (2). Ghee also contains elevated levels of the unsaturated fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), “a chemical that may have anticarcinogenic properties” (1), compared to milk and butter. “Milk fats … from cow or buffalo milk contained 0.6 and 0.5% CLAs, respectively … microbial fermentation during curd formation increases the CLA content of milk fats to 1.0% … Heating of milk fats … as in ghee making, is known to increase CLA content. There is a further increase of CLA content (2.5-2.8%) in ghee samples when butter is clarified at higher temperatures (120˚C) than at the 110˚C (1.1-1.3%) traditionally used in villages to make ghee.” (3)
In my opinion, ghee tastes better than butter and is a great substitute in baking if you want to avoid dairy. It is possible to find ghee in some stores, but I have found that making my own is easier and tastes better! So, here is my recipe for homemade ghee, complete with photos!
Homemade Ghee
(makes about 1.5 cups of ghee)
Ingredients:
One pound of organic, cultured, unsalted butter
Directions:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan at medium heat.
2. Once the butter is melted, turn the heat down to between low and medium. Leave it at this heat uncovered and undisturbed. It is fine if the butter boils!
3. About 10 minutes after the butter boiling, you will notice steam rising off the butter, foam forming on top, and gurgling, crackling, or squeaking noises. At this point the butter will smell somewhat rancid. Don’t worry! You’re getting there... Your butter should look something like this:
And then, as the foam thickens, like this:
4. About 25-30 minutes after the butter boiling, the foam will dissipate, the noises have quieted, and the ghee smells like hot popcorn. The milk solids at the bottom will be golden coloured and the ghee will be clear. These are all signs that the ghee is done! It will look something like this:
5. Remove the ghee from heat and skim off the remaining foam using a spoon.
6. Filter the ghee into a clean glass jar through cheesecloth. I fold the cheesecloth so there are 4 layers.
This is what the hot ghee looks like:
7. Let the ghee cool, then cover and store in the fridge, where it will become solid. This is what it looks like once it cools and hardens:
References:
1. Sharma, H., & Clark, C. (1998). Contemporary Ayurveda. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone.
2. Lad, V. D. (1998). The complete book of Ayurvedic home remedies. New York:
Three Rivers Press.
3. Aneja, R. P., & Murthi, T. N. (1991). Beneficial effects of ghee. Nature, 350, 280.
Those who know me know that I love ghee! Ghee is “clarified butter” meaning that it is butter minus water and dairy solids. Bhavaprakash, a major Ayurvedic text, states that “Ghee is … good for the eyes, stimulant for digestion, supports glow and beauty, enhances memory and stamina, promotes longevity, and protects the body from various diseases.” (1)
Ghee production increases levels of butyric acid, which is believed to improve digestion and nourish tissues (2). Ghee also contains elevated levels of the unsaturated fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), “a chemical that may have anticarcinogenic properties” (1), compared to milk and butter. “Milk fats … from cow or buffalo milk contained 0.6 and 0.5% CLAs, respectively … microbial fermentation during curd formation increases the CLA content of milk fats to 1.0% … Heating of milk fats … as in ghee making, is known to increase CLA content. There is a further increase of CLA content (2.5-2.8%) in ghee samples when butter is clarified at higher temperatures (120˚C) than at the 110˚C (1.1-1.3%) traditionally used in villages to make ghee.” (3)
In my opinion, ghee tastes better than butter and is a great substitute in baking if you want to avoid dairy. It is possible to find ghee in some stores, but I have found that making my own is easier and tastes better! So, here is my recipe for homemade ghee, complete with photos!
Homemade Ghee
(makes about 1.5 cups of ghee)
Ingredients:
One pound of organic, cultured, unsalted butter
Directions:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan at medium heat.
2. Once the butter is melted, turn the heat down to between low and medium. Leave it at this heat uncovered and undisturbed. It is fine if the butter boils!
3. About 10 minutes after the butter boiling, you will notice steam rising off the butter, foam forming on top, and gurgling, crackling, or squeaking noises. At this point the butter will smell somewhat rancid. Don’t worry! You’re getting there... Your butter should look something like this:
And then, as the foam thickens, like this:
4. About 25-30 minutes after the butter boiling, the foam will dissipate, the noises have quieted, and the ghee smells like hot popcorn. The milk solids at the bottom will be golden coloured and the ghee will be clear. These are all signs that the ghee is done! It will look something like this:
5. Remove the ghee from heat and skim off the remaining foam using a spoon.
6. Filter the ghee into a clean glass jar through cheesecloth. I fold the cheesecloth so there are 4 layers.
This is what the hot ghee looks like:
7. Let the ghee cool, then cover and store in the fridge, where it will become solid. This is what it looks like once it cools and hardens:
References:
1. Sharma, H., & Clark, C. (1998). Contemporary Ayurveda. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone.
2. Lad, V. D. (1998). The complete book of Ayurvedic home remedies. New York:
Three Rivers Press.
3. Aneja, R. P., & Murthi, T. N. (1991). Beneficial effects of ghee. Nature, 350, 280.
My favourite smoothie
31/Oct/10 04:42 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
For at least 7 years, I have started my day with a smoothie and I love it! Smoothies are a great way to widen the variety of foods you eat and to add what are called “functional foods” or nutrients to your diet. Plus they taste great and are easy and quick to make! Get creative about adding foods with high nutritional content to start your day right. Also a great way to sneak more nutritious foods to kids!
Over time, the ingredients have evolved to what is currently my “go-to” recipe. I follow my personalized SWAMI GenoType plan based on the work of Peter D’Adamo, which categorizes foods as superfood (including a subset of “diamond” superfoods), neutral, or avoid for you based on what is the best fuel for your body. All the ingredients in my smoothie are neutrals, superfoods, or diamond superfoods for me.
Kate’s Favourite Smoothie
(Made in a 2 cup container)
Ingredients:
1. 1 banana
2. 1 heaping Tbsp ground flax (yay for extra fibre!)
3. 1 heaping Tbsp lecithin (emulsifier, supports healthy cell membranes, and lots of other healthy functions)
4. 1/2 large leaf of swiss chard (diamond superfood and a great way to add more veggies to your diet - drink them!)
5. 1/2 avocado (healthy fats)
6. 1/4 cup each of frozen mango, blueberries, and raspberries (beta carotene and antioxidants)
7. 1 tsp Harmonia Deluxe sprouted greens powder (even more fruits and veggies)
8. 1 tsp spirulina powder (diamond superfood for me)
9. 1 tsp glutamine powder (supports gut health)
10. A few splashes of juice - could be black cherry, pineapple, mango, goji berry, pomegranate
11. Fill the rest of the cup with filtered water
I let this all sit for about 10-15 minutes to soften up while I get dressed and then I blend it up using a hand blender. I drink 1 cup in the morning as part of my breakfast (which includes lots of other food since breakfast is the most important meal of the day) and the other cup before dinner.
For at least 7 years, I have started my day with a smoothie and I love it! Smoothies are a great way to widen the variety of foods you eat and to add what are called “functional foods” or nutrients to your diet. Plus they taste great and are easy and quick to make! Get creative about adding foods with high nutritional content to start your day right. Also a great way to sneak more nutritious foods to kids!
Over time, the ingredients have evolved to what is currently my “go-to” recipe. I follow my personalized SWAMI GenoType plan based on the work of Peter D’Adamo, which categorizes foods as superfood (including a subset of “diamond” superfoods), neutral, or avoid for you based on what is the best fuel for your body. All the ingredients in my smoothie are neutrals, superfoods, or diamond superfoods for me.
Kate’s Favourite Smoothie
(Made in a 2 cup container)
Ingredients:
1. 1 banana
2. 1 heaping Tbsp ground flax (yay for extra fibre!)
3. 1 heaping Tbsp lecithin (emulsifier, supports healthy cell membranes, and lots of other healthy functions)
4. 1/2 large leaf of swiss chard (diamond superfood and a great way to add more veggies to your diet - drink them!)
5. 1/2 avocado (healthy fats)
6. 1/4 cup each of frozen mango, blueberries, and raspberries (beta carotene and antioxidants)
7. 1 tsp Harmonia Deluxe sprouted greens powder (even more fruits and veggies)
8. 1 tsp spirulina powder (diamond superfood for me)
9. 1 tsp glutamine powder (supports gut health)
10. A few splashes of juice - could be black cherry, pineapple, mango, goji berry, pomegranate
11. Fill the rest of the cup with filtered water
I let this all sit for about 10-15 minutes to soften up while I get dressed and then I blend it up using a hand blender. I drink 1 cup in the morning as part of my breakfast (which includes lots of other food since breakfast is the most important meal of the day) and the other cup before dinner.