Winter Skin Care Essentials
Winter can be a difficult time for our skin between the cold harsh weather outdoors and the drying heated enviroment indoors. While cleasing and moisturizing your skin certainly is helpful to maintaining skin health and a fresh, youthful appearance, you don’t need expensive products to get the trick done.
Lentil Salad with Quick Pickled Carrots & Fennel
This lentil, quick pickled carrot and fennel salad is light yet satiating all at once, and full of flavour and crunch factor from the quick pickled veggies. It keeps well in the refrigerator and stays crunchy even the next day.
Spiced & Crumbled Tempeh
This spiced and crumbled tempeh can be prepared in advance, refrigerated and used all week long to complete a meal. Use it to top your salads, fill your tacos and wraps or enjoy warmed up in a pan with leftover roasted veggies. It’s flavourful, versatile, and an excellent source of plant based protein, a good source of plant based iron and calcium, and a rich source of gut healthy prebiotic fiber.
Thick & Creamy Banana Walnut Hot Chocolate
Meet your new favourite hot chocolate. It’s like banana bread in liquid form. Unlike the typical hot chocolate I grew up with, this one is rich, thick and creamy, almost like a smoothie, and 100% whole food based without any added sweeteners.
Why Dairy May Not Be The Best Source of Calcium
For years, we’ve been bombarded with marketing messages and told that we need milk to build strong bones, but the truth is, we don’t actually have a biological need for animal milk, if not for our own mother’s milk as infants and dairy may not actually be the best source of calcium for everyone. Read on to find out why and learn how you can get plenty of calcium without dairy.
Artichoke & Pistachio Tapenade
This bright green tapenade is loaded with the goodness of artichokes, pistachios, and parsley with a rich texture and hints of lemon and garlic. It's guaranteed to be an impressive appetizer and crowd pleaser at your next gathering and it’s a great condiment to keep on hand for spreading on sandwiches and crackers.
Red Lentil Ragù
This plant based vegan friendly ragù comes together effortlessly. It requires minimal chopping and a few basic pantry ingredients, and it’s mostly hands off because it simmers on the stove top while you do other things. It’s packed with nourishing red lentils that are loaded with plant based protein, iron and fiber and can be served with your favourite pasta noodles, zoodles, roasted vegetables, grain bowls or even as a topper for baked loaded sweet potatoes.
Vegan Blood Orange & Cacao Pancakes with Whole Spelt Flour
Citrus season is in full swing. Make the most of it while it’s still here with these delicious Blood Orange & Cacao Pancakes. These pancakes are made with whole spelt flour, pure raw cacao powder and fresh squeezed blood orange juice. They’re also vegan friendly and the batter is completely oil free.
What’s erythritol and is it really healthy?
Erythritol, the natural sweetener that looks and acts like sugar without all the negative side effects. Is it too good to be true? What exactly is this white powder made from? Is it safe to consume? and how do I use it? These are all questions I had when I first heard about erythritol. After doing some research and learning more about this natural sweetener, I’ve come to my own conclusions. I share the things I’ve learned and my thoughts on using erythritol in today’s article.
Orange & Fennel Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette
This salad is refreshing, crisp and sweet and loaded with vitamin C from both fennel and oranges. The sweetness is balanced out with a light and tangy white balsamic and thyme vinaigrette. It makes a perfect starter or side salad.
Sachertorte (aka Dark Chocolate & Apricot) Truffles
These Sachertorte inspired chocolate truffles are made with a delicious melt in your mouth concoction of almonds, dried apricots, cacao powder and a few other ingredients that are ground together into a creamy paste then formed into balls and dipped in melted dark chocolate, just like a chocolate truffle. They are enjoyed by adults and kids alike.
Almond Chocolate Cookies with Pink Sugar Free Glaze
These cookies are fun and like most of the recipes you’ll find here, they’re simple to make and are whole food based. You can decorate them or leave them plain, they’re delicious either way but understandbly, they are slightly more desirable and appreciated by the little one’s when they’re decorated with chocolate or this deliciously pink sugar free glaze.
Dairy-Free Vegetarian Quiche with Leeks, Artichokes & Spinach + Flaky Olive Oil Spelt Flour Crust
This dairy free vegetarian quiche is loaded with vegetables and comes packaged in a flaky olive oil spelt crust. Even if you’ve never made a quiche before, this recipe is a guaranteed success. It’s easy, nutritious and delicious. You can make it for a weeknight dinner, or prepare it in advance. The beauty of quiche is that it does keep well and taste amazing the next few days, straight out of the refrigerator (yes cold) or warmed up slightly in the oven. You can grab a slice for a quick breakfast, pack it for lunch or make it ahead for any dinner, lunch, brunch or party.
Rustic Sesame Oat Crackers
These delicious rustic sesame oat crackers are a family favourite in our home. I make two batches every 2 or 3 days. We snack on them, eat them with dips, spreads, nut butters and jams and use them in place of bread to accompany soups and salads. They’re simple, vegan and gluten-free when made with certified gluten free oats. Best of all, they’re husband and kid friendly.
Habit Stacking: The Most effective way to make long lasting healthy habits
Creating healthy habits doesn’t have to be painful. It takes some willpower yes, but it doesn’t happen overnight, it happens gradually over time, in small steady steps. But how do you make sure you’re taking those small steady steps, consistently? That’s where habit stacking comes in. I happened upon this concept just a few months ago and it has changed my life.
Smokey White Bean & Vegetable Soup
This smokey white bean and vegetable soup is warming and nourishing and perfect for a cold winter day. It get’s a slight smokiness from smoked paprika and warmth from cumin and turmeric. It’s easy to make, uses regular pantry items that you likely already keep on hand, tastes even better the next day and freezes very well making it the perfect weeknight meal or meal prep recipe. Try it in your meal plan this week.
Vegan Orange Spelt Loaf with Orange Coconut Cream
This whole spelt vegan orange loaf cake with orange coconut cream frosting is a delicious dessert this time of year and a great break from all the rich chocolate. It’s light and bright and makes great use of citrus which is abundant this time of year.
Whole Grain Thumbprint Cookies
If you're the kind of person who enjoys nibbling on a cookie with your morning beverage, an afternoon tea and/or after dinner and are looking for something less indulgent, lower in sugar and on the healthier side of things, here's my thumbprint recipe.
All Purpose Tahini Dressing (aka Lebanese Tarator Sauce)
This traditional Lebanese tarator sauce makes a delicious all purpose dressing or dip and can even be used as a pasta sauce. It’s the perfect condiment to keep around for adding flavour to your meals, whether it be a salad, roasted vegetables, a grain bowl or your choice of protein.
All About Chocolate: The Health Benefits & Ugly Truths
"Nine out of ten people love chocolate, the tenth lies."- John Tullius. Chocolate has got to be the most universally loved food on the planet. While I don’t have scientific evidence to back up that statement, I do have plenty of other evidence to suggest the health promoting benefits of chocolate. Read on to learn about the health benefits of chocolate and discover some of the ugly truths as well.