Homemade Butter

Homemade...that word is like music to my ears.  Homemade Butter?  An orchestra!  And no, I didn't churn until my arms felt like they were going to fall off, I simply pressed a button!  Really!  I had my doubts, but it really was as easy as they say.

During my visit with Dr. Willard, we spoke briefly about making our own foods and he mentioned to me that the first time he made butter, he actually felt upset - that no one had ever shown him how easy it was!  I have felt like that over many things in the past few years.  It has become so easy for us to buy something in a jar, box, can, etc., that making home made staples has become a lost art.  The fact is, when we make our own foods at home, we know exactly what ingredients go into it.  And I have to say, the most important ingredient, which you won't find in many grocery store products: LOVE!  There is love in this butter, let me tell you!  I loved making it and we are loving eating it!

OK, it really is super easy.  There are a few simple steps.  Firstly, if you can buy fresh cream, do it.  I bought 39% organic cream.  No farm close by, but have it on my list of things to do to find somewhere to buy fresh cream so it could go straight from the farm into my kitchen.

homemade butter

500 ml heavy cream or whipping cream 

1. Pour cream in food processor.
2. Turn on high and go make coffee.   Come back 10 minutes later.
3. Turn off food processor and you will find that the solid and liquid have separated.
4. Pour out the liquid (this is buttermilk and can be used for other recipes)
5. Run butter under cold running water and press out all remaining buttermilk from the butter, until the water runs clear.  (Your butter won't spoil as fast if you are thorough with this step).
6. Alternatively to step 5, you can fill a large bowl with ice cold water and press the butter.  Drain and repeat until the water remains clear.
7. And there you have it!  You can add salt to it at this point if you like your butter salted.  Place in a jar and refrigerate.  This will last anywhere from 2-4 weeks in the refrigerator.  
8. I made two batches and froze one batch.  I thawed it and the texture was completely unchanged, so make lots and freeze!

There are other ways to make butter, which I haven't tried yet.  You can get the same results by using an electric mixer and a bowl instead of the food processor.  You can also simply shake the cream in a jar until it separates (tip: put a marble in for quicker results).

A great idea for kids is to do the jar/marble trick using baby food jars.  I'm thinking of buying a couple of baby food jars just for this reason!  I have no babies, but have a couple boys that could use some  exercise to make up for all the butter they've been eating ;)  If you work for it, you've earned it!  Will definitely post on it when we try.

Finishing Day#7 of the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox today.  I have to say that the first few days were pretty rough.  My body must've required a lot of detoxing.  I was extremely tired with mental fogginess and headaches.  Today seems to have been better, most of the fog has lifted, so hopefully on the upswing from here!

I'll keep you posted on the D-Tox and for now, thank you for reading and happy butter-making!

Green Egg Scramble

Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox day #1... This breakfast came together so quickly, having a warm, delicious breakfast is only a few minutes away.

Soya sauce and eggs - a flavour combination I've loved since my mom first made it many moons ago.  If you haven't tried this yet, you will be pleasantly surprised.

During the twelve days of detoxing, some days are tougher than others.  What I find works for me is keeping it simple but also delicious.  If my food is boring, I won't stick with it, but I also don't want to spend all my time slaving away for each meal.  The good news is, it doesn't always have to be a planned recipe.  Combine ingredients you already have in stock.   Any veggies you have will work in this recipe: peppers, zucchini, onions...  The trick up my sleeve on this one is the Bragg's liquid soy seasoning, which gives eggs a new twist!  (Bragg's tastes very similar to soya sauce, but unlike soya sauce, it is allowed on the D-Tox)

green egg scramble

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
2 large handfuls chopped spinach
2 eggs, beaten
Bragg's soy seasoning

1. Heat frying pan to medium.
2. Melt butter and fry pepper for about 3 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook for another couple minutes, until the garlic just starts to get some colour.
4. Add spinach and cook until wilted, stirring often.
5. Add eggs and a good squirt of Bragg's.  
6. Stir until eggs are cooked through.
7. Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken

This is one of my favourite dishes to make when I'm strapped for time with prepping.  I always want a nutritious dinner on the table but sometimes, I don't have a lot of time to spend making an elaborate dinner.  Roasted chicken is quick, simple and delicious.  You can serve it with rice and a cooked vegetable or two, or serve warm chicken with a nice green salad and simple vinaigrette.  At the end of the meal, I separate the leftover meat to use for the next day's lunch or dinner and freeze the carcass.  Once I have three carcasses, I make a delightful chicken broth.  Nothing goes to waste with these little free-range chickens!  Oh, and the chicken tastes amazing infused with these flavours.  I have to draw the line on the amount of skin my youngest son eats, he simply can't get enough!

roasted chicken

6-10 lbs free-range chicken
olive oil
salt
pepper
thyme
3 garlic gloves, peeled and whole

1. Brush whole chicken with olive oil.
2. Rub salt, pepper and thyme all over the skin (don't forget the underside).
3. Sprinke salt, pepper and thyme inside the cavity and add the garlic cloves.
4. Put chicken on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  This makes the clean-up a bit easier.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Pierce the chicken with a skewer where the leg meets the body.  If the juices run clear, it's ready.  It's that easy!

I'll take this opportunity to mention that I've stopped following the SCD diet.  If I was a stay-at-home mom, I think I would've been able to go much longer, but gave it a good go for a month and a half.  I've discovered so many new recipes that have become new staples, however, wasn't able to go for the 1-2 years it probably would have taken to get rid of my kids' dairy intolerances.  Thank goodness for the multitude of substitutions available today, the don't really have to go without. And, given that so many people are intolerant to dairy nowadays, it's probably telling of how our bodies just aren't able to 
digest dairy as easily as other products.  I'll still keep on labelling foods that I make that are SCD friendly, in case it can help someone visiting this blog come up with new ideas.

For now, we are back at school and in the full swing of things.  Packing healthy snacks and lunches and keeping it simple!

Famous Chicken Fingers / Tenders (Gluten-Free, Paleo, SCD, Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox, Candi)

Occasionally, while on a specialized diet, a person only wishes to have "normal" food.  You know what I'm talking about: pizza, a fresh sandwich, moist chocolate cake, and the list goes on... for the most part, it's possible to replicate close to and sometimes, better than,  the original comfort food.  Yes, it comes with more steps than taking it out of the box and baking!  That is just something we can't get away from when trying to eat healthier.  You know that secret ingredient "love"?  Well it comes with loving preparing your own food.  There's no love in taking a chicken nugget out of the box and baking it.  The love comes when I'm chopping my chicken breasts to just the right size, measuring my spices, thinking how I feel so good about putting turmeric in my chicken tenders, knowing my kids will be loving their dinner that is going to nourish their growing bodies and give them the energy they need.  Cheesy?  Maybe, but it makes my world go round.

These are Famous Chicken Fingers.  That's what they're called at my house anyways, and I am proud that they have been so-called!  They disappear in a fraction of the time it took to make them, but I'm one of the four not able to help themselves!

famous chicken fingers / tenders

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast (chopped to chicken finger size)
2 cups almond flour
4 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons pecorino romano, grated OR 1/3 cup parmesan, grated
2 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup olive oil (or more) for frying

• Now this step will make it a much smoother process: having a good production line happening.  
• In medium bowl, beat eggs.  Add chicken pieces to beaten egg and mix well.  Set aside.
• In another medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well and transfer to a dinner plate.
• Pour at least 1 cup olive oil into your frying pan.  Heat to medium/high.
• Take out a clean plate where  you will put your coated chicken pieces while waiting for your current batch to cook.
  
  
  

• While your oil is heating up, coat your first batch of chicken pieces and place in clean plate.
• When a drop of cold water sizzles in the oil, it's ready.  Gently place chicken pieces in oil, one at a time.  Oil should cover the sides or else the sides will be soggy.

•  Cook for 3 minutes first side, then turn with tongs and cook for another 2 minutes.  When this batch is cooking, get your next batch of chicken fingers coated and ready to go.
• Removed cooked chicken fingers and place on paper towel covered cookie sheet.  Place in 150 degree oven to keep warm.
• Once I remove my cooked chicken fingers, using a slotted spoon, I remove the foam and grits from almond flour that have accumulated.  I add a little more olive oil and repeat the process until they are all cooked.
• Serve this with a homemade honey-mustard sauce(unless on D-Tox or Candida diet).  Just mix honey and mustard in a bowl and adjust to taste.  
• Enjoy!!!

Butternut Squash Soup

When I think butternut squash soup, I think velvety, comforting, flavourful and simple.  This soup is all of the above.  If you like butternut squash, you will absolutely love this soup.  I don't have a picture of the finished product but it should be a nice soft, velvety texture. 

butternut squash soup

1 butternut squash, halved and seeded

3 vine tomatoes

1 large red onion, peeled and halved

2 garlic bulbs, tops sliced off

olive oil

dried thyme 

4 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
3. Place all vegetables on baking sheet as shown in picture below.

    3.  Brush butternut squash and onions with olive oil.

    4.  Drizzle olive oil on top of garlic bulbs.

    5.  Sprinkle a good amount of dried thyme on top of the butternut squash, onion and garlic.  Leave 

         the tomatoes as they are.

    6.  Bake until butternut squash is soft.  The timing is tricky to predict as butternut squash comes in so 

         many different sizes.  Check after 30 minutes: if other veggies are ready but squash is not, remove 

         the ones that are ready and return squash.  

    7.  In a large pot, put the following:

• chicken stock
• garlic: grab the whole garlic bulb and squeeze out roasted garlic (cutting the tops off initially makes squeezing out the softened garlic a breeze!)
• tomatoes: chop off the coarse top that attaches to the vine.
• onion: remove outer skin layer if it has become blackened or tough.  You want only the softened onion skins.
• butternut squash: with a spoon, scoop out all the softened squash meat.

    8.  Bring all ingredients to a simmer and mash roughly with a potato masher. 

    9.  If you have a good immersion blender, now's the time to let it work its magic.  If not, puree in 

         batches in your food processor or blender.

  10.  Return all to blender, heat and add salt and pepper to taste.  (This soup freezes very well!)

    

My Go-To Salsa and Guacamole

I've posted a recipe of each before, however, this salsa and guacamole are the recipes that I make very regularly.  They are perfect food for serving when entertaining or bring along when going to watch the game at a friend's house.   It's also great to have this in the fridge for your daily chips and dip snacks!

These can also be integrated in other recipes: one of my favourites, a bowl of brown rice with black beans, topped with this fresh salsa.  I love a brown rice cake topped with salsa and guacamole!  Perfect for candida cleanse and Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox.  For Paleo, use these as the toppings for your lettuce wrap tacos and fajitas!

fresh salsa
3 cups roma tomatoes, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
large handful cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

• Put all ingredients except salt in a food processor and pulse until everything comes together to your preferred consistency.  Pour in a medium bowl and add salt to taste.

fresh guacamole
3 soft avocados
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup red onion, chopped finely
small handful cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium bowl, mash avocados with potato masher.
2. Add tomato and garlic and mash so tomatoes get crushed.
3. Add red onion, cilantro and lime juice, mix well.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox Day 12 (Last Day)!!!

Well I've finished the 12 day detox a few days ago.  I've been crazy busy so haven't posted.  I feel wonderful and would encourage anyone who doesn't eat a super clean diet to do this detox at least twice a year.  I like to do it 3-4 times per year.  It's a true reminder of how great we can feel if we fuel our bodies with the healthy foods mother earth provides for us. 

I've just made changes to my "Comments" setting and hoping that anyone is now able to add a comment.  I would appreciate any feedback,or questions that my readers may have.  If you find that the comments don't work, please try my e-mail link on top of the page to let me know,  or you can e-mail me at inmoskitchen@gmail.com.

Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox - Day 9

I have to start by saying how much energy I have now.  Before I started the detox, I would start to get quite tired at around 1PM.  Most nights, I would fall asleep at 8PM, while putting my kids to bed.  A few nights, I even went to bed before them at 7:30!  I wasn't getting the most out of my days or time with my kids as I was just too tired.

A couple days ago while I was at work, it was 1 o'clock in the afternoon and I had so much energy that it was difficult for me to sit at my desk to work.  When I put my kids to bed, not one ounce of me feels like going to sleep.  I feel 10 years younger, and that's an awesome feeling for a lady who will turn 38 next week!

You are what you eat...how true it is!  It's so easy in today's society to eat on the run.  If we don't take the time to prepare our food from scratch, we're doing ourselves a disservice.  I don't want to be preachy, but when you feel the transformation firsthand, you just want to shout it out to the world.  There's no secret to it, no magic pill, we just have to make the effort to buy whole foods and create meals with them.

brunch
oatmeal w/blueberries and roasted pecans
1/2 cup steel cut oats, cooked as directed
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup roasted pecans (bake at 350 deg for 13 minutes on baking sheet)

dinner
cod chowder
This recipe is from the Herbal D-Tox Cookbook for Cleansing.  I'm not going to copy it on this blog as I fear copyright infringement but would highly recommend this book if you're detoxing or not.  It offers many great recipes.

pub night with the girls
Oh yes, these times are some of the difficult ones.  Going out with the girls, where a large part of the fun relates to perusing the menu and discussing which appetizers we're going to share.  And drinks, oh the drinks!  
I went in feeling strong and full of willpower.  I didn't crumble!  I had a coffee and some sweet potato fries.  Lucky for me, the fries were simply sweet potatoes, slighly deep fried.  The oil they were fried in was probably not a type allowed on the detox, but all in all, I'm pretty proud of myself!  The platter on the table had nachos, potato skins, chicken wings, etc.  
I felt so good about my choices that I came home and tried on a pair of jeans I haven't been able to wear in months.  Yes, I attempted this at 10:30PM at night and guess what, they fit!  Now that's a great way to end the day.   I only have one more pair of jeans that aren't quite making it yet.  Hopefully I can stay on the right track and get there soon :)

Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox - Day 8

Day # 8

I thought by this day I would be not craving any of the restricted items on the eating plan, but I was wrong.  In the afternoon, I got hungry, and ran out of food at my desk.  Yes, even after that large salad.  I saw chocolates and it took every ounce of my willpower to not just start eating them like crazy!  I know it'll be worth it at the end, but a strong craving can be almost unbearable, as this one was!  Then, I walk into the lunch room and there are these awesome flatbread sandwiches that look just amazing, just there waiting for someone to declare it their lunch.  Being super sensitive to anything made with any type of flour, I would never eat one of these fluffy, doughy delights, but it doesn't make it any easier to pass them by.  I did grow up on a large bread diet as most of us did, it's a comfort food that comforts me no more :)

As I write this, I would do almost anything for a plate of corn chips with melted Daiya cheese and hot salsa!  This is all part of detoxing and being able to stick with the program.  It's important in order to get the full benefits that the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox has to offer.

OK, I just have to mention I just had my first blog viewer from Tunisia today!  Now that is amazing!  The Sahara Desert covers large parts of this country!  This is just awesome.


breakfast
2 eggs, over easy
roasted potatoes

I didn't bring my breakfast at work today, my bad, but I was able to find this in a food court.  Sure, the eggs aren't organic and neither are the potatoes, I'm sure, but it'll have to do for today!

lunch
salad
4 cups spring salad mix
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 avocado, chopped
1 apple, chopped
3/4 cup roasted almonds

dressing
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Yes, this is a large salad, but it filled me up!  I was asked again today: "Do you eat ALL THAT?" Oh yes I do!! lol


snack
Jugo Juice snack-size The Big Beet (beet, apple, spinach, blueberries and ginger through a juicer).
- I had to have something this afternoon, I was just losing it, funny it's the first real hard time I've had since I started.  This juice really helped me get through the rest of my time at work.

dinner
leftover curried rice salad

snack
2 rice cakes
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 pear

Thick slices of pear served on top of almond buttered rice cake really hit the spot!

Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox - Day 7

breakfast

strawberry-oat pancakes (serves 2 to 3)
1 cup slow cooking oats
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
coconut oil, for frying

1. Mix oats, eggs and cinnamon in blender to a smooth batter.
2. Pour in a bowl and fold in strawberries.
3. Drop by large spoonfuls onto hot, oiled frying pan.  
4. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
5. Serve with butter or almond butter.

lunch

roasted vegetables
I just went to a buffet-type eatery close to my work and bought some roasted potatoes, zucchini and green beans. 
Ever have one of those days that you feel unusually hungry?  Well that is me today!  About a half hour after eating a good amount of vegetables, I had a few more pancakes with almond butter ;)

dinner

curried rice salad 
for recipe, click here

snack

rice cake w/almond butter 
apple

Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox - Day 6

Half of the detox done!  I feel great, my energy level has greatly improved already, in only 6 days.  Before starting the detox, I had a constant stomach pain for 2 weeks.  Following my first day on the detox, the stomach pains were gone and haven't been back!  I'm very encouraged to keep going strong for the second half :)

breakfast

veggie scramble (serves 1)
1 cup chopped vegetables (peppers, onions, zucchini and garlic)
2 eggs
salt and pepper

1. In frying pan, cook vegetables until desired doneness,
2. Add eggs and scramble.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

lunch

Leftover Moroccan soup from yesterday.  For recipe, click here.

snack

roasted almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet.
4. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Sometimes a handful of these really does the trick!

dinner

brown rice curry with steak (serves 1)
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 cup cooked vegetables (I used frozen peas, corn and green beans mix)
2 oz cooked steak (leftovers from the other day)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1-2 teaspoons green curry paste (I found a curry paste in the Asian section at Superstore that is allowed on this detox,  just look at the ingredients carefully.)

1. Heat coconut milk and curry paste.
2. Serve rice in a bowl, topped with vegetables, steak and pour curry sauce.

The information leaflet which comes with the detox doesn't mention coconut milk, but I searched and found out on Dr. Willard's blog that it's considered a nut and is acceptable: see the blog entry here.  

Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox - Day 5

I haven't mentioned yet that it is important to eat as much organic as you can on the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox.  That being said, following the D-Tox while following the meal plan will still give you great benefits if you don't eat organic.  Most of the ingredients I use are organic, but I won't write it down every time as it really is a personal choice.  But if you can buy organic, even just some of your produce, you'll be better off in the long run.  And for meats, I don't buy much organic meat as it is so expensive, however, I go to the Farmers' Market as well as a local butcher shop and I buy meat that is from animals who were all ethically treated, fed no hormones, no antibiotics and were free range.  All their sausages, deli meats, etc. have no chemicals and no fillers.  Now that's something you can feel good about!

breakfast

apple cinnamon steel-cut oats
Oats is my go-to breakfast on workdays.  Easy to cook at home in the morning, I pour it in a small thermos container and have hot cereal at work!  Click here for the recipe, except this morning I used chopped apples instead of berries.

lunch

chickpea salad with strawberry vinaigrette
4 cups spring salad mix
1 cup chickpeas
1/4 red pepper
10 grape tomatoes
red onion (a few slices)

I used the leftover vinaigrette I made a couple days ago.  For that recipe, check out this post.

snack

fresh veggies
1 cup sliced celery (click here if you'd like a tip on how to keep your celery fresher, longer!)
1 cup baby carrots

dinner
Moroccan Chickpea and Quinoa Soup (serves 4)
***recipe from the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox Cookbook for Cleansing
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup yam, diced
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup raw quinoa (the recipe calls for the same amount of millet, but I prefer to use quinoa)
1 whole star anise or 3 whole cloves
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon nutmed
3 lemon slices
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
pinch pepper
2 tablepoons cilantro, chopped

1. Saute onion, garlic and celery in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until onion is soft.
2. Add yams, chickpeas, quinoa, star anise or cloves, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, lemon slices, water, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until yams are cooked.
3. Add cilantro and serve.

I like to prep my ingredients before starting to cook this soup.  It takes about 20 minutes to prep.  This is a delicious soup!

snack

I got hungry in the evening and had another bowl of the soup I made for dinner.

Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox - Day 4

First thing this morning, I went out grocery shopping for some much needed ingredients in order to make my detox a little more interesting.  I got home, put everything away, did some of my veggie chopping, and all of a sudden, it was noon and I hadn't eaten yet! 

brunch

veggie scramble (1 serving)
1 to 2 cups fresh veggies (the more the merrier!)
3 eggs, scrambled
coconut oil for cooking
salt and pepper
salsa (if storebought, find an organic brand that contains no sugar or vinegar) 

1. Cook veggies until desired consistency in hot, oiled pan.
2. Add eggs, salt and pepper and scramble until ready.
3. Enjoy with a nice spoonful of salsa!

My chopped veggie container has all these vegetables, chopped up and ready to cook: 1 medium zucchini, 1 medium red onion, 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 yellow pepper, 7 garlic cloves.  This veggie mixture is really awesome with eggs as well as rice or on their own!

dinner

creole steak with roasted vegetables (2 servings)
2 steaks of choice
olive oil and spices
2 small sweet potatoes, diced 1/2"
2 small white potatoes, diced 1/2"
1 medium red onion, sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced 1/4" strips (fennel has a smell/taste similar to black licorice.  Just slice the bulb lengthwise in 1/2, then slice.
coarse sea salt and pepper
olive oil, for drizzling

1. Rub a little extra virgin olive oil and spices on steaks.  My very awesome sister Chantal gave me some spice mixtures for Christmas.  One of them is creole spice and it was great on our steaks.  I'm not going to give cooking instructions for steaks, it all depends on thickness, how you like 'em done, so I'll leave the spicing and cooking details out as you can spice it up per your taste and cook it how you like it!  I don't have a barbeque right now, so it was in a cast iron pan on my gas stove, which did a very good job.
2. Let steak sit until time to cook.
3. Put all veggies in a cookie sheet, drizzle generously with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, turn.  Bake another 20 minutes.
5. After you've turned your veggies, start on your steaks.  When your steaks are cooked, put them on a hot plate and cover them with aluminum foil for about 10 minutes.
6. Enjoy dinner!

Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox - Day 3

Well day number three and I'm feeling good.  I don't have the same types of cravings as I used to have when I first started to do this d-tox a few years ago.  I already have cut out a lot of the foods that are a bit difficult to give up, such as breads, pastas, pastries, etc...  At this point in the d-tox, it's normal to have a light lingering headache for a few days and to feel depleted of energy.  If you're doing the d-tox and feel this way, it's just your body using up its energy to do some hard-core d-toxin', it's a good thing!  This will go away within a few days and then you'll feel better than ever.

breakfast

gluten-free blueberry-oat pancakes (2 servings - makes 8 small pancakes)
1 cup slow cooking oats
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup blueberries
coconut oil for frying

1. Put oats, eggs and cinnamon in blender.
2. Mix until it becomes a smooth batter.
3. Pour into a small bowl and fold in blueberries.
4. Heat frying pan to medium high and add coconut oil to coat bottom.
5. Pour batter by the large spoonful into the hot pan.
6. Cook for a couple minutes, turn when the bottom is light brown.
7. Do the same for the other side and presto!

I used fresh blueberries and the burst of flavour I got from every bite was great.   I ate them with only a butter spread and it was very flavourful with the blueberries, no syrup needed!

lunch

I was in a rush around lunchtime, getting my dinner prepped up to bring the my in-laws for my father-in-law's 65th birthday supper.  So I grabbed 2 of the four leftover pancakes and topped them with almond butter.  They were equally as good at room temperature.

dinner

lime chicken wings and fresh salad with strawberry vinaigrette

chicken wings

1 lb chicken wings

coat well with coarse salt and pepper

lime wedges

1. Coat baking sheet with olive oil and place chicken wings on a single layer.
2. Bake at 475 for 20 minutes.
3. Turn and bake for another 15 minutes or until desired doneness.  
4. Serve with lime wedges.  The lime juice really livens them up!

strawberry vinaigrette 

7 medium strawberries

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1. Mix all ingredients in food processor until smooth.

This went very well with my salad comprised of spring mix greens, red onion, orange pepper and apple.

snack

We came home from our visit at 8:PM.   I put the kids to bed and I wanted a quick snack so I had my last two pancakes with almond butter.  I have to say that my diet today didn't follow the 80%-20% by food type that the d-tox suggests, however, I did stay within the allowable foods from the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox and I'm proud of that!  I even passed on the birthday cake, and that's easier said than done :)

Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox - Day 2

Day # 1 of the D-Tox done and it was quite easy.  I didn't find it difficult to follow the eating plan and I slept really well last night: playing outside in a snowstorm last night probably helped that!

I allow myself the maximum 2 cups of coffee in the morning, as per the D-Tox.  It really helps to boost my energy when I get to work in the morning.  Maybe one day I'll cut it out, but enjoying it for now.

DAY 2

Breakfast
oatmeal w/fruit & nuts (see yesterday's breakfast)
note: If you haven't tried these yet, you need to buy the Organic Power Berries Blend from Superstore.  They are in the "frozen fruit" section, not in the "health food" section.  The blend is cherries, blueberries and blackberries, simply delicious!  Eat them whole on hot cereal or yogurt.  Blend them up to make a sweet berry syrup or use the fruit in smoothies.

Lunch
triple b (1 serving)
1 cup brown rice, cooked
2 cups broccoli florets, steamed
1/2 cup black beans, cooked
sauce: 2 tablespoons Bragg's Soy Seasoning & 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

If I haven't pre-made my lunches, I basically grab whatever I have in the fridge that will be quick.  This morning, I grabbed some leftover brown rice and cooked broccoli from the fridge.  I also grabbed a frozen bag of black beans from the freezer (instead of buying canned, I cook a large batch at a time and then freeze in 2 cup portions.  It's healthier as well as much more economical!)  I then made my sauce mixture in a small container and badabing badaboom, lunch is ready. 

Snack
Apple

Dinner
roasted vegetables w/salmon (serves 2 or 1 very hungry detoxer)
1 medium sweet potato, cubed
1 small zucchini, large cubes
handful of snap peas
1/2 red onion, sliced thickly
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper
1 can salmon (or 2 servings of salmon)

1. Put all the ingredients in a 9 X 13 casserole.
2. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss.
3. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, turn, bake 10 more minutes.

I baked these at a high heat so the vegetables would caramelize and turn sweet.  I ate half of the vegetables with half a can of salmon, as I had some in the cupboard, so I added that to the mix before serving.  

This was absolutely delicious.  Each bite with a piece of roasted garlic is like magic!  We should eat like this all the time.  Having a piece of leftover salmon in this mixture would be beautiful!

Snack
I was quite hungry in the evening so I ate the second half of what I made for dinner.

Wild Rose Herbal Detox - Day 1

Back in December, I had decided to do the Wild Rose Herbal D-tox program(you can buy it here) since I hadn't been feeling well. With the holidays coming up, I wasn't very successful - I stopped after 3 days. While I always eat quite healthy, following a detox takes a little extra determination.

At the end of each day, I will write down what I ate for the day.  I'm hoping this can help someone who wants to try and follow this D-Tox program, or just plain eat healthier.  I like to keep most of my meals pretty simple as I end up making two meals most of the time: one for me, and one for hubby and the boys.
Note: All of these Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox recipes will also work with the Wild Rose Cand-Aid program.

DAY 1

Breakfast
oatmeal w/fruit & nuts (1 serving)
1/2 cup steel cut oats (or any type of oats, just not instant)
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup frozen berries
1/2 cup roasted almonds (350 degree oven for 15 minutes)
1/4 teaspoon cinammon

1. Cook oats as per directions:  For steel cut oats, add 1/2 cup oats to 1 1/2 cups boiling water and simmer for 20 minutes or until desired consistency.
2. Put oats in bowl, add berries and they will thaw quickly.
3. Add milk, almonds and cinnamon.
4. Stir and enjoy!  Serves 1.

Lunch

I didn't take the time to make my lunch for work today and Teriyaki Experience is the only take-out option for me on this eating plan.  They cook with water, have brown rice and use fresh ingredients.  I just ask them to omit the mushrooms.  I also brought my own sauce which is a mixture of Bragg's Soy Seasoning and chili flakes.

Supper
chickpea salad with lemon dressing (1 serving)
-4 big handfuls organic salad
-red onion, sliced (use as much of these as you can eat, much healthful benefits including anti-inflammatory)
-1 cup roasted chickpeas (2 cups chickpeas tossed with 1/2 tsp olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder.  Bake at 425 deg for 30 minutes, turning them after 15 mins.  Use one cup for your salad and keep the other half for snacking!)
-1 cup grape tomatoes
-1 apple, chopped
-1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

dressing:
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon (I squeeze a bunch at a time and have a ready-made container of it in the fridge).
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard

1. Mix dressing ingredients together in a small bowl with a fork.
2. Put all your salad ingredients in a big salad bowl.
3. Pour dressing, toss and enjoy!  

I've received lots of comments at work that my salads are huge!  Most people don't believe they could eat that much at once, so if this is too much for you, just size it down.  I find if I want to stay satisfied with a salad, it's gotta be big!

Snack

strawberry-almond rice cakes (1 serving)

2 brown rice cakes, unsalted

2 tablespoons almond butter

2 large strawberries, sliced

This is a sweet and satisfying treat!

Beet Hummus

Time spent in the kitchen is what makes the holidays.  The wonderful food we prepare to share with family and friends over laughter and love.

Tonight, Christmas Eve will be spent following the tradition of the past few years of going to my sister's house where everyone brings appetizers, desserts and drinks.  The kids all look forward to this evening as do we.

This year, I was going to make two dips.  Well, two turned into many.  I made fruit salsa, guacamole, baked eggplant dip, sundried tomato hummus and last but not least, beet hummus.  This is simply a beautiful dip and if you love beets, you will love this dip!

beet hummus

2 cups chickpeas (if using canned, drain and rinse)
3 medium beets, roasted 
    - To roast, wrap unpeeled beets in tinfoil.  Place on baking sheet in 400 deg oven for one hour.       
      Remove from oven and let sit until cool.  Remove from foil, peel will slide of very easily.
1/4 cup tahini
5 cloves roasted garlic
    - Put a whole garlic bulb in the oven with your beets, unwrapped.  Take them out when soft, 30-40    
      minutes.
3 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Put all ingredients in food processor and pulse until desired consistency.
2. Serve with chips, crackers, rice cakes or as a side to mashed potatoes...yum!

Thank you to all who read this blog in 2012, last week marked the 1000th view,  and that was very exciting for me!  I love seeing how people from all over the world can come across this site: Canada, USA, Russia, Australia, Germany, Poland, UK, France, Ukraine and Israel.  From my kitchen to yours,  Happy and Safe Holidays to you and yours....Monique xox

Butter Chicken with Chickpea Flatbread

I'm surprised I haven't posted this recipe yet.  It has been a family favourite for a few years now.  I've made it in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.  I've made it for many friends and it's always a big hit.  Gluten-free, very healthy, hearty, what more can you ask for? 

This whole recipe freezes very well.  Double the recipe and store some in the freezer!  I put it in individual containers with rice on the bottom and sauce on top.  The flatbread freezes very well also, I put them in ziplock bags, separated by parchment paper.

butter chicken

3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, freshly grated
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon crushed chilies (optional for heat)
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken (thighs or breasts), cubed
1/3 cup almond flour (you can also use almond meal)
1 1/2 cup tomato puree (or 10 oz can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes)
1 cup tomato, chopped
curry powder, and salt to taste

1. Heat a large saucepan and melt butter until frothy.
2. Fry onions and cinnamon for 5 minutes, until onions turn soft
3. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili powder, crushed chilies and cilantro.  Stir for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken turns white
5. Add ground almonds and tomatoes.  Mix well, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
6. Taste, and add curry powder and salt to taste.

Yield: 5-6 servings

The best way to prepare this recipe is to get all the ingredients measured and combined in bowls in the order they are added to the recipe (garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilli powder, crushed chillies and cilantro in one bowl, etc.)
This tastes even better the next day.  If you're having friends over, make this the day before, then store in the fridge.  Come the next day, cook your rice and flatbread and re-heat the butter chicken.  More time for drinking wine with your friends!


chickpea flatbread

3/4 cup chickpea (gram) flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
small handful fresh coriander, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon

1. Put the flour in a bowl and pour olive oil into a well in the middle.  While whisking, add the water. 
2. While still mixing, add the lemon zest, lemon juice and coriander.
3. Drop by spoonfulls onto a oiled frying pan on medium high and cook a couple of minutes per side.

If on Candida diet or Wild Rose Detox program, you might want to omit the flatbread until you've reintroduced flour.

Celery Storage

Well the Christmas tree is up, the outside lights are on, shopping almost done, and  I haven't been cooking up anything fancy these past couple of weeks.  I've been eating lots of salads, fruit and smoothies.  Keeping it simple during this busy time of year.

Celery has always been one of these vegetables that I put in the drawer, used whatever I needed for a certain recipe, and the rest would go soft so quick.  I knew about this trick, but never really bothered with it.  Now that I buy organic veggies, I'm more attached to the coins that I've spent if we don't eat it, so no more of that!  If the celery is washed, cut and ready to eat, I don't end up throwing any out.  So easy to put on our plates as a side with some baby carrots, and I always pack some for my snack at work.

1. Wash celeri.
2. Cut into preferred serving size
3. Place in container and cover with cold water
4. Put in fridge and it they will keep well over a week and remain nice and crunchy!

Buckwheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Kid-Approved Buckwheat Pancakes!

My energy levels have been very low for the past couple of weeks and added sleep has been of no help, so I started the Wild Rose Detox program yesterday morning.  I've done this one many times in the past few years and the results a person will get from doing this 12-day program are amazing.  There is a large variety of allowed foods, along with a great recipe book available to purchase, which makes it much easier to stick with than some other detox programs out there.  The most recommended foods, which you can eat as much of as you want are: fish, almonds, buckwheat, brown rice and millet.  I don't eat millet myself, as it contains a substance which suppresses thyroid activity.  Consumed in small amounts is considered safe, however, I'd rather stay away from it as I already have an underactive thyroid: hypothyroidism. 

While eating a very healthy diet, I need to keep it economical.  This isn't easy when buying gluten-free and organic!  When I started shopping this way,  I was spending way too much on groceries.  Over the years, I've learned that if I buy the whole food and make recipes from scratch, my penny goes much farther. 

Let's take pancakes for example. I've bought pre-made gluten-free pancake mix once before.  My boys really enjoyed them, but they were a bit crumbly and quite light.  They were able to eat half the box in one sitting and that's not economical for me!  This buckwheat pancake recipe includes only whole foods, nothing's been turned into a flour, which means I, too, can eat it! (for myself, I've realized it's not just the gluten-free I need to follow, but also to not eat any grain or legume that's been processed into a flour).  This is the first pancake recipe that I make with buckwheat that my two sons liked, so, even though I have another buckwheat pancake recipe on this blog, here's a second one!  They are so hearty and fluffy and are not at all crumbly.

buckwheat pumpkin pancakes

6 eggs

2 cups hulled buckwheat

1 cup water

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

coconut oil for frying

1. In a medium bowl, whisk 6 eggs. 
2. Add buckwheat and water, let sit for 30 minutes to soften the grain.
3. Pour in blender along with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Mix until the mixture turns into a batter.  Some small grits left in the batter is just fine.
5. Preheat frying pan to medium-high.
6. Add some oil to coat the bottom of your pan and drop in batter by large spoonfuls.
7. I make mine about 3 inches in diameter.
8. My kids eat them with agave syrup drizzled on top, and I have it with a mixture of almond butter and apple sauce, which I prefer to syrup anyways!  I had them this morning at room temperature and they were great.  Even better was if you can pop them in the toaster when eating them as leftovers.

Yields about 30 pancakes.

Note: This is quite a large batch.  If you'd like to try a smaller batch first, just try cutting the ingredients down.  Use 2 eggs, 2/3 cup buckwheat, 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup pumpkin gpuree, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/3 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  This will give you very similar results.

Pumpkin puree tip: I've mentioned this before, one thing I haven't yet tried is making my own pumpkin puree.  That is one of the very few things I buy pre-made, although it is just organic pumpkin, but it is in a can and the ones who make it themselves would never go back.  Maybe next year when the pumpkins come out, I will buy some and freeze a bunch!  But for now, I buy it pre-made and for the recipes I use it in, never use the whole can.  No matter if I have the best intentions to use the left-overs in a few days, it usually doesn't happen and I throw it out. 

Two weeks ago I made some pumpkin cookies and put the rest of the pumpkin puree in the freezer.  I thawed it out yesterday to make these pancakes and it was great.   The texture does change a bit, so I probably wouldn't use this pre-frozen pumpkin puree to make, say, pumpkin pie filling as it's not as creamy, but for recipes such as the ones on my blog, it's a great way to make another one of my ingredients last!