Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar {Liquid Gold}

Here we are again, another week of vacation comes to an end. This week of vacation was pretty uneventful.  I spent most of the time working on my RHN course.  I know it's not how most would chose to spend their vacation but it works for me.  This course is so interesting and I love learning about everything. While everyone else has been spending their time engrossed in Fifty Shades of Grey, I haven't been able to put down, Eating Alive, Healing Arthritis, and The Nutritional Bypass...who'd have thought!

I did take some time off from studying and ventured over to Halifax with hubby.  I indulged in some Chai Masala Gelato and a Skor Bar Latte (made with Almond Milk) from Humani T Cafe. They make their own gelato and sorbetto from scratch without artificial flavouring or colouring, and use organic ingredients or ingredients from our local market. Something else I noticed was they have Gluten Free cones. I didn't try them but always a great option. They have a great lunch menu as well.  Made fresh with local ingredients whenever possible and offer Vegan and Gluten Free options.  If you're in Halifax you should make a point to visit them.  (I didn't have my camera with me so these photos are from their site)

One of our other stops was a little piece of Foodie Heaven, well at least for me.  Hubby didn't find it quite as exciting as I did.  I had been meaning to check this place out for some time now but never made it over the bridge.  Now that I've been once I guarantee it will not be my last visit.  I wanted one of everything!!  This little piece of heaven is called Liquid Gold Tasting Bar & All things Olive.  You can find them in the Hydrostone Market along with other great shops, cafes, and restaurants (oh, and if you like garlic you have to try Salvatore's Ceasar Salad). Back  to the Liquid Gold.  Not only do they have olive oil, they have Balsamic Vinegar, Flavour infused Oils, and Gourmet Oils.  The best part is you can taste them all before you decide. I was like a kid in a candy store.

I couldn't decide on an olive oil so I came home with three Balsamic Vinegars . Cranberry Pear White Balsamic, Maple Balsamic and Dark Chocolate Balsamic.  Yup that's right I said Dark Chocolate Balsamic.  If only strawberries were still in season this would be perfect drizzled over the top. 

If you have any recipe ideas for me please let me know.

~~ Jackie

Vacation - Chicken and "Rice"

It's that time again, I'm on vacation.  Unlike my last couple weeks off where the weather was sweltering hot this vacation started off with a monsoon. We didn't have any flooding in our area but about an hour away there was some serious flooding.

Hopefully the water recedes soon and everyone can start the clean up process.

One thing I will be working on during my vacation is getting a good start on some goals I set for myself in September.  Something I need to overcome is the fact my goals are usually vague, big picture, and lacking a plan with little goals along the way. As a result I end up getting distracted and never quite seem to get to the desired end result.  Which in turn leads to negative thoughts and feelings about myself.  My September goals aren't lofty by any stretch of the imagination but slow and steady wins the race, right!

A few of my September goals are:

1.  Walk at least 30 minutes 5 days per week.  

2.  Complete and submit tests/assignments for 2 modules in RHN course.

3.  3 Day Smoothie Detox

One of my upcoming goals is to organize my recipe collection. I have 59765 recipes I need to get under control, but I have no idea how.  Do I sort them by meal type, chef, type of cooking (Gluten Free, Vegan, Raw) etc. Anyone have suggestions?

On the subject of recipes,  last night I was sitting here among my 59765 recipes while searching online and  I still couldn't find anything for supper. Sadly this occurs more often than I would like. Supper obstacle #2 hubby won't eat what I eat so I have to cook something different for him.

Here's what I decided on for me, Ginger Cilantro Chicken  and Cauliflower Rice. 

Ginger Cilantro Chicken (adapted from The Kitchn)

Preheat Oven to 375

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1" piece of fresh ginger, grated

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno pepper seeded

1/3 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 - 1/3 chicken stock or white wine

2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce (or Tamari)

1 tsp sesame oil (I used about 1/2 tsp hot sesame oil)

Sea Salt and Pepper

chopped green onions for garnish

Put all ingredients (except chicken and green onions) into your food processor and process till smooth.

Sear chicken on both sides in a skillet. Remove from skillet and place in baking dish.  Pour sauce mixture over chicken and bake till chicken reaches 165 and juices run clear.

Remove and serve topped with some chopped cilantro and green onions.

Since I liked everything in the recipe I figured it would be a winner and it was.  

Cauliflower Rice

1 medium head of cauliflower

1/2 - 1 cup chopped onion 

1 small carrot, shredded

1 - 2 cloves roasted garlic, mashed

1 tbsp EVOO or coconut oil

Sea Salt and pepper

Place shredding blade in food processor (you can use a box grater too). Processes cauliflower.

Saute onions till soft, add cauliflower, mashed garlic, carrot, salt and pepper.  Saute about 10 minutes.  I wanted mine a little crispy so I probably cooked it a it longer.

I was skeptical about the "rice" but it turned out really well.  A great way to get in some extra veggies and skip the carbs.

~~Jackie                           

Are Chocolate and Avocado Really BFF's?

Chocolate and avocado are not a new combination in the blog world.  I'm sure you've all seen the pudding, cake, and cupcakes, but to be honest the thought of adding avocado to my yummy baked goods kind of freaked me out.  I was skeptical to say the least.  That was until I tried this recipe Marie posted on her blog over at Marie Tower Nutrition.  Marie hasn't steered me wrong yet so I had to give them a try.

I made three slight modifications to the recipe.  One I wanted to see how they would work using a gluten free flour mix, two I was running out of maple syrup so I didn't use as much and three I read if you add a little apple sauce, pumpkin or something with pectin in place of some of the fat it would help bind things together with the GF flours.

Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes (Gluten Free)

1 1/2  cups gluten free flour mix (or AP flour. Spelt would probably work good too)
3/4 cup coco or cacao powder
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 large avocado pitted and peeled
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup olive oil (I subbed approx 1/8 cup unsweetened apple sauce for some of the oil)
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven 350

Line 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.  Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Combine wet ingredients, including avocado in your blender and blend until creamy.  Add avocado mixture to dry ingredients and mix till well combined.  This batter is very thick a large ice cream scoop would be perfect to use to put the batter in the muffin cups.

Bake for 25 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs attached.  Let cool (if you can wait that long) and enjoy!

They were velvety smooth, yummy and held together really well. The next time I make them I'll be adding in some dark chocolate for a little extra chocolaty goodness.

If you would like to try the GF flour mix here it is. I've used it in muffins, and brownies too all with great results.

2 cups sorghum flour
2 cups potato starch (not flour)
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 tbsp xantham gum (or guar gum)

Mix together and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for longer shelf life.

Enjoy your Labour day holiday!!

~~ Jackie

From Middle Eastern to Moroccan - Quinoa Take Two

Today we're continuing with the Quinoa theme but moving on over to Morocco!!!  Morocco has a little something for everyone.

Resorts

Beaches 

 

 Desert Adventures

Last but not least....Spice Markets!!     You won't see that at your local grocery store.

Today's recipe, Stuffed Butternut Squash Moroccan Style,  is another meatless meal, but because it is packed full of fiber from the veggies and protein from the quinoa you won't feel like you're missing out on anything.  Not only is this packed full of flavor you'll be getting in lots of the good stuff too ( * Antioxidants, B Vitamins, Potassium* ) It's the color that gives away it's most noteworthy health benefit.  The orange color of the butternut squash tells us it's a rich source of carotenoids.  Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that protect our bodies from the damage done by free radicals.  This colorful squash also has high levels of beta-carotene, (converted to Vitamin A in the body) which has been identified as a deterrent against breast cancer and age related macular degeneration.  Butternut squash isn't alone here either -carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and papaya all contain carotenoids.

Stuffed Butternut Squash Moroccan Style

** These are items I added that weren't in the original recipe**  

1 Whole butternut squash, halved lengthwise seeds removed

2 Tbsp EVOO

S & P

2 oz pine nuts (walnuts would work too)

1/2 large red onion**

1 red or yellow pepper, chopped

2 medium carrots chopped**

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin (I ran out of ground cumin so toasted some cumin seeds and used them)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground turmeric ( I used more than a tsp)

1 tsp curry** 

1 tsp chili flakes

2 small - medium zucchini, cubed

10 (or to taste) cherry tomatoes, halved**

1 3/4 cup chicken broth (or water)

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drains

2 - 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro chopped 

2 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Preheat oven to 350

Using a sturdy knife (or a spoon) scoop out enough flesh in the squash so you have a bowl with a border of about 3/4 inch.  Coat with EVOO, S & P and bake for about 20 - 25 mins or until tender.

While that is cooking dry roast your pine nuts in a small non-stick pan and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan.  Add onions, peppers, and carrots and saute till soft.  Add garlic and ginger.  Cook for another minute. Stir in the spices (cumin, paprika, turmeric, curry and chili flakes) let cook for a minute or so to bring out their yummy flavours. Add the zucchini and tomatoes and 1 cup of broth.  Cover and simmer for 10 mins.  Add the quinoa to the pan along with the remaining 3/4 cup of broth.  Cover and simmer for another 10 - 12 mins.  (Keep an eye on it.  I had to add some more broth).  Stir in the pine nuts and coriander.  Spoon the mixture into the squash halves.  Return to the oven for 10 - 15 mins until golden.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley.  I also added a little goat feta to mine just because feta make everything better in my mind.  Also, I love spices and I don't actually measure when I'm cooking.  I just know what I like so I probably used more than what is listed in the recipe.

Hope you like this one. 

~~ Jackie