Homemade Granola

Granola offers such a power-packed nutritional boost to your day when prepared with the right ingredients.  Sadly, many supermarket granolas are filled with tons of oil and the healthy granolas that are available are often ridiculously priced.  This delicious granola is from a favorite Jamie Oliver recipe that I have adjusted. You can also top a yogurt & berry parfait with the granola or eat as a snack throughout the day.

2 cups quick cool oatmeal (but not instant)
1 heaping cup mixed nuts (I use almonds and pecans but feel free to use walnuts, hazelnuts, etc)
1/4 cup mixed seeds, unsalted (I add flax seeds but sunflower, pumpkin, sesame are also great)
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups dried fruit (I generally use organic cranberries or raisins; try also apricots)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4- 5 Tablespoons maple syrup, honey or agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350.  Put your dry ingredients (including coconut and cinnamon but not the dried fruit) in a big glass pyrex baking dish.  Stir well and smooth out.  Drizzle with your sweetener of choice and the olive oil and stir again.  Place in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.  Every 5 minutes or so, take the granola out and stir it, smooth it down again and put back into the oven.  While it's toasting, chop up your dried fruit if necessary (apricots, etc).    When the granola looks nice and golden brown, remove from oven, mix in the dried fruit and allow to cool.

Picnic season is almost here!

Our family loves to go and eat outdoors as soon as the weather permits.  We enjoy going to new, undiscovered parks or old favourites that we haven't visited in a while.  I try to pack a fairly "authentic" picnic lunch.  And while  it's always easier to stop en route at a local Mr Sub or Lick's,  that's not really as special as a seasonal summer picnic (nor as healthy!).    Here are some ideas to pack along on your summer picnic....remember to pack some paperware (plates, cutlery if necessary, tablecloth, napkins, etc) and bottles of water.  Also, please remember that if your journey is long, the day is hot or you don't expect to eat for many hours after you arrive, place some ice packs in and around the food, just to be safe.

Hard boiled eggs, halved
A variety of sliced cheeses or cheese cubes + crackers or flatbreads + grapes
Sliced raw veggies (carrots, celery, red and green peppers, etc)
Raw fruit - sliced / peeled  at home is a bit easier than doing so at the picnic - oranges, apples, mangos, pineapple rings, quartered peaches & plums, watermelon
Hummous and pita bread
Apple butter or  unsweetened jam on crackers
Veggie meat slices (sliced hickory smoked tofurky as an example) on buns + all the condiments your family enjoys (sliced tomatoes, mustard, ketchup, dill pickles, relish, etc)
Unsalted nuts or unsalted popcorn
Sparkling non-alcoholic beverages
Vegetarian pate

Have fun and enjoy the much deserved warmth when it arrives!!

Chestnut Roast

Another favorite main course dish is the Chestnut Roast, from British nutrition guru Gillian McKeith.  I bring this along to Friday night dinners and the reviews are always fantastic.  This roast serves about 4 people.

1 tbsp olive oil plus a bit more for greasing the tin
1 large red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large leek, washed thoroughly, and thinly sliced (mainly white part only)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped
200 gram vacuum-packed package of chestnuts
100 grams pine nuts
3 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped thyme
2 tsp chopped rosemary
2 tsp wheat-free vegetable bouillon powder
100 grams soft mild goat's cheese (optional)

Preheat over to 350.  Take a round pie-like pyrex dish (or other round baking dish that's not very deep) and grease with some olive oil.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan.  Gently cook the onion and garlic approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned.  Add leek, carrots and parsnip and 375 ml of water.  Bring to a boil and then simmer on a lower heat for about 8 minutes.  The water should have evaporated and the veggies should be tender.  Allow to cool for ten minutes.

Place the chestnuts in a food processor and pulse 10-15 seconds until roughly chopped.  Transfer to a large bowl along with the cooked vegetables.  Add the pine nuts, parsley, thyme, rosemary and bouillon powder.  Mix well.  Spoon half the mixture into the pyrex dish, pressing down well.  If using, dot with half the cheese.  Spoon the rest of the mixture on top.  Dot the top with the rest of the cheese.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until browned.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 5 - 10 minutes.

A nutritious slow cooker vegan main course...Mushroom and Chickpea Stew with Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

This delicious entree is courtesy of "The Healthy Slow Cooker" by Judith Finlayson.  I have adjusted a few items to make the recipe easier.  It is always a popular dish at my dinner table.  And with the ease of cooking it in a slow cooker, you can leave in on in the morning and come home to a delicious hot meal at days end.

1 Tablespoon cumin
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
8 oz cremini mushrooms
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes (San Marzano are the best if available)
1 can chickpeas (organic if possible to avoid BPA in the tin liner; also, always make sure to thoroughly rinse chick peas in a sieve under running water )

Red Pepper Coulis

2 roasted red bell peppers
3 oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
10 fresh basil leaves


In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat for 30 seconds (as always, never allow oil to smoke).  Add onions, carrots, celery and cook, stirring, until tender (about 10 minutes).  Add garlic, turmeric, salt, pepper, and cumin and cook, stirring, one additional minute.  Add mushrooms and toss until coated.  Add tomatoes with juice and boil.  Transfer to slow cooker.  Add chickpeas to slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.

Coulis:  combine all ingredients (peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, etc) in a food processor and process until smooth.

To serve:  put stew into a bowl and ladle a generous spoonful of room-temperature coulis on top.  Serve with salad and crusty bread.

More healthy children's meal ideas...

Getting the children to eat healthy food can be  a challenge, but often I find that the excitement that surrounds a cool looking meal can work wonders towards getting them to eat! Here are a few new ideas,  adapted from Annabel Karmel, a well-know British food expert and author.

Mini baked potatoes with filling  (a favourite with my boys!)

3 small baking potatoes
oil for brushing
sea salt
grated cheddar cheese or vegan cheddar cheese

Wash the potatoes very well, pat dry, prick with a fork and brush with some oil.  Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt on the potato.  Place in a 400 degree preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside (test with a skewer or long thin knife).  DO NOT wrap the potatoes in foil - just place them on the oven racks.  There is mixed information regarding the long-term risk of aluminum and diseases like Alzheimer's.  Remove the potatoes when done and put your broiler on.  Cut the potatoes in half, scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash.  Mix the ingredients from your chosen toppings (see below) with the mashed potato then spoon the mixture back into the skins.  For a simple grated cheese topping, simply sprinkle a bit of cheese over each of the potatoes.  Place the potatoes under the broiler (you may wish to put them into a muffin tray in order to keep them upright).  Heat for a few minutes or until lightly browned.

TUNA & SWEET CORN FILLING

1/3 cup cooked frozen or fresh made sweet corn
2 Tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise or Nayonaise (the vegan version of mayo)
2 oz canned tuna, flaked and drained (NOTE:  please use LIGHT tuna, not ALBACORE as it has less mercury; light tunas such as skipjack are not as large as albacore tunas and as such, do not carry as much mercury within them)
1 green onion, finely sliced
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon grated cheddar cheese or vegan cheddar


BEAN FILLING

1 cup baked beans
1 Tablespoon cheddar cheese


Salmon Starfish 


1 lb potatoes, mashed and chilled
2 Tbsp ketchup (agave sweetened is best)
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp chopped chives
12 oz cooked organic Scottish or Irish salmon (NOT pacific), flaked
3 Tbsp bread crumbs, plus extra for coating
canola oil

Mash the potatoes with the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, beaten egg and chives.  Mix in the salmon and 3 Tbsp of bread crumbs.  Shape the mixture into flat fritters.  Use a large star-shaped cookie cutter to cut 8 star shapes.  Gently pull out the points of the stars.  Coat with bread crumbs and drizzle with a bit of oil.  Set the fish cakes on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Transfer to a 350 degree preheated oven and cook for 4 minutes on either side.  For an extra "sea worthy" display, Annabel suggests serving on shredded cooked green beans, to look like seaweed!

Delicious Breakfast Cereal from....COSTCO!!!!

Yes, you read it correctly - COSTCO!!  They carry a fantastic breakfast cereal "Wild Roots Organic Triple Berry Morning Bliss."  It's a 2.2lb bag...the cereal is made with freeze dried fruits (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries) and is made of five organic whole grains (including brown rice, kamut, corn, oat, etc).  At 11 grams of sugar per cup, it's sweet so that the kids LOVE it but not disgustingly sweet.  Also, it's sweetened with honey, organic cane juice, etc and NOT high-fructose corn syrup (AKA liquid poison)...I use it on top of yogurt parfaits and with skim milk or almond milk as a morning cereal.  Try it  - you'll be very happy with the product.

COMING SOON.....

Picnic Ideas
More healthy kids lunches
Delicious Crock-Pot dinners
Proper washing techniques for produce

If you have any requests on topics, please forward (many of you already have messaged me and I thank you!) and I am happy to accommodate!