Baked Oats

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Famous breakfast

This breakfast is great for a number of reasons. One, it’s super quick and easy to put together and throw in the oven. Two, it’s a great way to prep your breakfasts for the entire week at once. And three, it’s really really good.

I love oats in so many different ways. From overnight oats, to savoury oats with eggs and veggies, to my banana bread recipe. They’re so versatile and great because they are one of the healthiest foods out there. These baked oats have definitely made their way into my breakfast rotation.

Customize

Make these baked oats extra tasty in the morning by adding lots of yummy toppings. I love the oats both warm and cold. Then I top them with yogurt or nut butter, and of course some fresh berries. You can also add a little milk to the bottom of a bowl and enjoy them that way. The oats are your oyster.

Health

While of course you can eat these for any meal of the day, I am going to focus on the importance of a healthy breakfast and how these oats meet all the criteria of a good breakfast.

The description is right in the name. Break-fast. This meal is the first thing we are putting in our stomach after sleeping and breaking a fast. This is where the name fasting came from, which has become a popular trend in recent years. So, when you are eating your breakfast you’re fuelling your body for the first part of the day after your resting period.

This oatmeal bake provides all the good stuff we look for in a meal. Protein, from the protein powder, eggs and/or yogurt. Healthy carbohydrates from the classic oats. And healthy fats from toppings like nut butter. Having a well rounded meal to start your day will provide you with sustainable energy and kickstart your day on the right foot.

Protein Powder

The overwhelmingly large market for protein powders leaves it difficult to know how to pick the right one. Of course there are many different kinds of protein powder for different purposes, but here are a few things to highlight when trying to choose the right one.

  1. Of course number one is the ingredients list. Some proteins will have lots of unnecessary added ingredients that are not what you are looking for. So try to make sure it has a nice short ingredients list. Hint: anything that ends with “ol” tends to be sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners.
  2. Whey, casein, egg white, pea, hemp. There are lots of different proteins derived from different things to create powders. Whey is the protein from milk and is very easily absorbed by the body, unless you have any intolerance to milk of course. Casein is another protein from milk however it is more slow releasing, keeping you fuller for longer. Soy, rice, pea and hemp are all examples of plant based proteins, and a great option for those who avoid dairy. They are often combined together in protein powders as particular plant-based options lack in some of the essential amino acids. (We need this to help build muscle)

Fun fact: If you are choosing a pea-protein and have food allergies you are in luck, as pea-protein is hypo-allergenic!

3. Like I mentioned, the right protein powder for you will depend upon your goals and likes. However here are my favourite proteins to take a look at.

Magum quattro whey isolate

Canadian Protein Vegan protein blend

Baked Oats Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes Bake time: 30 minutes Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 mashed bananas
  • 1 egg*
  • 2 egg whites*
  • 1 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 C old fashion rolled oats
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2-3 scoops protein powder of choice
  • 2 C frozen berries of choice

*Or use 2-3 tbsp of ground flaxseed with 9 tbsp of water to replace egg with a flax egg instead!

Method

  1. Start by preheating oven to 350℉.
  2. Mash two ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl until completely mashed.
  3. Add egg, egg whites, almond milk, and vanilla and mix all together.
  4. Add oats, salt, cinnamon, and protein powder. Mix all together.
  5. Add two cups of frozen berries of choice to the mixture and combine all together.
  6. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non stick baking spray.
  7. Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes.
  8. Take out of oven, let cool and serve with yogurt, milk, nut butter, or whatever you can think of! Enjoy at home or on the go!

*If you don’t have protein powder, this recipe will still work completely fine! However the powder adds sweetness to it so you may want to add honey or maple syrup to your liking as a replacement.

Nutrition

Per 1/8 of the recipe

Calories: 191 Total Fat: 3g Sodium: 203mg Carbohydrates: 30g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 6g Protein: 12g

Healthy Fudgesicles

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Growing up, one of my favourite summertime treats was the iconic fudgesicle. There are the ones with chocolate outer coating, and the ones that are simply fudge, and I was totally team fudge. One of my favourite desserts is any kind of ice-cream. Perfect for a warm summer day, or in the middle of snow storm; because let’s face it, ice-cream always tastes good.

This fudgesicle recipe is an incredibly delicious treat. It is super rich, and in my personal opinion, better than a classic fudgesicle. Don’t believe me? Try it out, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. These contain lots of healthy fats through the canned coconut milk and the avocado.

Health

These fudgesicles are made from canned coconut milk and avocado as the base ingredients of the recipe. Coconut milk is a great source of healthy fats. Even though they are high in saturated fat which is often seen as the enemy, these medium chain fatty acids are fats that are easily absorbed in our bodies for energy, and the fats in coconut milk are perfectly healthy when consumed in moderation. Bet you haven’t heard that saying before.

Avocado. One of the most popular sources of healthy fats out there, and in my opinion, the most delicious as well. Avocados are a source of monounsaturated fats which contribute to a heart healthy diet. Perfect! We are helping our heart at the same time as we eat some yummy guac. It’s like the best of both worlds. However, if you aren’t an avocado lover like myself, you’re in luck for this recipe as you can’t taste any avocado. It just helps the fudgesicles become nice and creamy.

Prep

This dessert takes only 10 minutes to prep, which of course is always a win. All you’ll need are some popsicle molds, and a blender and you’re good to go.

Healthy Fudgesicle Recipe

Serves: 6-8 popsicles depending on your mold size Prep time: 10 minutes Freeze: 3+ hours

  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 a ripe avocado
  • 3/4 c raw cocoa powder
  • 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

  1. Cut up avocado into small cubes and place in blender along with all other ingredients.
  2. Blend until no small bits of avocado remain. About 30 seconds.
  3. Pour the mix into your molds.
  4. Freeze for 3 or more hours.
  5. When you are ready to eat, run the popsicle mold under warm water for about 30 seconds and it should pop out nice and easy. Don’t pull too hard or the fudgesicle could get stuck in mold. That would be sad.
  6. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Based on 1 of 8 fudgesicles

Calories: 146 Total fat: 11g Sodium: 83mg Carbohydrates: 10g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 8g Protein: 3g

Aloo Gobi

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This side dish has all the potential to be your new go to. So flavourful, delicious and healthy. These potato and cauliflower foils are seasoned to perfection and taste out of this world.

Inspiration

This recipe was created a few years ago when my family and I went camping. Of course, our version of camping is trying to make gourmet campfire meals. It’s like a fun challenge to try and make fantastic meals over our little campfire stove with minimal equipment. My dad came up with the idea to make the aloo gobi in tin foil and cook it over the fire. It was a hit!

This recipe makes an awesome side dish for really any kind of meal. Chicken, steak, a nice side salad, or making a yummy Indian inspired meal.

The key ingredients that make this dish perfect are the garlic, ginger, onion and alllll the spices that infuse with the cauliflower and potato.

Health

Not only is this recipe super tasty, it’s also loaded with good macros and micros. Potatoes are an awesome staple source of good carbohydrates (Even though I’m obsessed with sweet potato, in this recipe I like to use regular potatoes). Cauliflower is a cruciferous veggie that is full of good nutrients.

Potatoes can have a bad reputation for being unhealthy. However it’s not the potato itself, it’s simply how you prepare it. Sure, potato isn’t the greatest if it’s deep fried, or mashed with butter and heavy cream, but the benefits of the potato itself are actually awesome! They contain fiber, vitamin C and potassium to name a few.

Cauliflower is 92% percent water. This speaks for itself. If water is healthy, (which obviously it is) and cauliflower is 92% of the glorious H₂O then it’s pretty good for you. I talk more about the nutritional information of cauliflower in my Cauliflower “Wings” recipe. Check it out!

Aloo Gobi

For as long as we’ve been making this recipe I always referred to it as potato aloo gobi, only to recently find out that “Aloo” means potato and “Gobi” means cauliflower. So basically this dish’s name is potato potato cauliflower lol. And it’s too late to change the name so potato aloo gobi it is!

Potato Aloo Gobi Recipe

Yield: 6-8 side dishes Prep time: 10 minutes Barbecue time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3-4 medium russet potatoes
  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 2 yellow onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tbsp minced ginger
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil drizzled on top
  • around 1 tbsp each: curry powder and turmeric
  • 1 tbsp each: whole cumin seed, whole coriander seed
  • 1 tsp salt and pepper

Method

  1. Preheat your barbecue to high heat.
  2. Make your foils by making a t shape with two pieces of tin foil.
  3. Wash and chop your potatoes and cauliflower into bites size pieces.
  4. Evenly spread out the cauliflower and potatoes between your foils. (This amount can make around 2-3 foils, the size of each doesn’t particularly matter)
  5. Chop onion, ginger, and garlic and sprinkle overtop the potato/cauliflower.
  6. Drizzle olive oil over everything, spread spices over everyting, and close the foils.
  7. Place foils on the grill and cook for 20 minutes then flip foil onto other side.
  8. Check foils after they’ve cooked for 10 minutes on the second side. Take a fork and poke it through a piece of cauliflower and potato. If they are soft enough to your liking then it is ready. If they are not softened enough leave for another 5 minutes to cook. I cook on high heat because I like them crispy on the outside!
  9. Serve on the side of whatever you like and add more salt and pepper to taste!

*Times will vary depending upon how big your foils are as well as barbecue heat.

Notes

Because this is a recipe I have the amounts of each spice listed, however you truly can just sprinkle it on top with approximate amounts. Same goes for the onion, ginger, and garlic. The more spices and flavours in this side dish the better, so don’t worry about overdoing it.

(Except for salt) all the flavours will combine to make a super powerful aloo gobi. When it comes to the salt I always start light as it is easy to add extra at the end if you need a little more.

Nutrition

Per 1/6 of recipe

Calories: 150 Total Fat: 6g Sodium: 390mg Carbohydrates: 22g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 4g Protein: 4g

Healthy Banana bread

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(BBB) Best Banana Bread

Banana bread. One of the most popular and best baking recipes out there. There are obviously many different banana bread recipes, and most of them are super delicious. Despite thinking of this sweet bread being “healthy” due to its name, a lot of recipes call for loads of sugar and butter. So I have come up a recipe without all the butter and sugar, that is still delicious. And on top of that, it is made with oat flour for anyone who cannot have gluten. I think I’ve succeeded on this one lol.

This banana bread is super simple; only requires 5 ingredients, and can be customized however you like. Adding walnuts or pecans, or maybe a few chocolate chips. SO good. A piece of this banana bread with a little nut butter is one of my favourite snacks.

If you have a few ripe bananas just waiting to be used for baking, this is the perfect recipe. If your bananas aren’t ripe and you just really want to make these right now, I’ve taken a regular banana, sliced it up, and microwaved for 1 minute. It works pretty effectively to soften and sweeten the bananas instantly.

Prep

This recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. Three important things when it comes to baking in my opinion haha. I always start with making my oatflour by blending the oats, and then adding all the dry ingredients. Then, I mash my bananas. Pro tip: Mash your bananas on a plate instead of a bowl, it’s way easier.

Mix it all up, pour it in a bread pan, and you have a delicious loaf of banana bread ready to pop in the oven and bake to perfection.

Health

This banana bread is super good for you, and a great option for a pre-workout snack. Containing fast digesting carbohydrates from the oats and banana.

Bananas are a very popular pre and post workout snack choice. Why is this? Like mentioned above, they are a great source of fast digesting carbohydrates, which means it’s nice and easy for our body to absorb the energy they provide right when we need energy to pump some iron! They also have a ton of potassium, which is helpful for exercising and muscle growth.

Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

Yield: 1 loaf (10-12 slices) Prep time: 10 minutes Baking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 C oatflour *
  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup**
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Optional add-ins: Chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts

Notes

*Can substitute for regular all-purpose flour

**Honey can be used as a substitute as well

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉.
  2. Make oatflour by blending or food processing old fashion rolled oats. (Or quick oats)
  3. Add oatflour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to a large mixing bowl.
  4. In a medium size mixing bowl, mash three ripe bananas.
  5. Whisk two eggs and mix in with bananas.
  6. Add maple syrup and vanilla to wet ingredients and stir to combine.
  7. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
  8. Mix in optional add-ins if desired.
  9. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick baking spray.
  10. Pour batter into the pan. If desired, sprinkle cinnamon on top or other optional toppings.
  11. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes. (Oven temperatures will vary so it could take up to 35 minutes)

Nutrition

Per 1 piece

Calories: 107 Total Fat: 2g Sodium: 13mg Carbohydrates: 21g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 8g Protein: 3g

Healthy Avocado Brownies

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These brownies are to die for. Literally. Okay maybe not actually literally, but like they’re really good. When I made these for my family my dad said and I quote “these do not taste like they’re suppose to be healthy”. My brother showed his liking for them by eating almost the entire pan, and my mom, well she explained how delicious they were by repeating it only a handful of a hundred times. Lol.

Brownies are one of my favourite desserts ever. Fudgy chocolatey goodness; one of the many keys to happiness in my opinion. I HIGHLY recommend pairing these, or any brownies for that matter with raspberries, it’s a match made in heaven. Raspberries with brownies is like peanut butter and jelly, or crackers and cheese. You get the point. It’s a good combo.

The iconic boxed brownie has been around for a long time, and definitely deserve all the hype it receives, I mean let’s face it they’re delicious. So trust me when I say this healthy brownie recipe is super delicious, as I have very high standards for this special dessert.

These brownies are fudgy, chocolatey, and decadent, like any good brownie should be. Did I mention the best part? They’re super good for you! Made with oats, cocoa powder, avocado and naturally sweetened with dates. (Don’t worry, the avocado adds richness but you won’t taste avocado flavour.) (Don’t worry if you aren’t a fan of dates either, as they make the brownies sweet without tasting like actual dates.)

Comparing Ingredients

Comparing the nutritional value by looking at the ingredients of boxed brownies and these ones speaks for itself. Check it out!

Boxed Brownies

Ingredients: Sugar, Enriched flour bleached, Cocoa processed with alkali, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean and/ or cottonseed oil, corn starch.

Healthy brownies

Ingredients: Oats, dates, cocoa powder, avocado, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla extract, baking soda.

Making & Baking

On top of these brownies being super yummy and healthy, they are also super easy to make. No bowls necessary, only a food processor or a blender. Start by making your oats so they can blend into a fine oatflour, then you can add the rest of the ingredients, blend it up, throw in the pan… Patiently wait for 25 minutes while they bake, and then enjoy a piece (or pan) of brownies. Lol

Healthy Avocado Brownies

Yield: 1 Pan, 12 servings Prep time: 10-15 minutes Bake time: 25 minutes Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 C soaked pitted dates
  • 1 C old fashion rolled oats
  • 1/3 C cocoa powder
  • 1/3 C unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/3-1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Optional: 1/4 tsp salt

Method

  1. Soak pitted dates in hot water for 10-20 minutes, then drain water.
  2. Preheat oven to 350℉.
  3. In a food processor or blender, blend oats into oatflour.
  4. Then add all other ingredients to the food processor.
  5. Blend until all ingredients are fully combined.
  6. Spray a brownie pan with non-stick baking spray.
  7. Pour batter into the pan. Note that the batter will be less liquidy then normal brownies and slightly stickier, which is normal, this is just from the dates!
  8. Top with your desired amount of chocolate chips.
  9. Bake for 25 minutes in preheated oven.
  10. Let cool and serve WITH raspberries:)

Nutrition

Per 1 of 12

Calories: 129 Fat: 4g Sodium: 103mg Carbohydrates: 24g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 16g Protein: 2g

The BEST Bagels

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BAE-gels

Cheddar & Herb

Before I made this recipe I was never crazy about bagels. Don’t get me wrong, I liked them, but it was not my first choice for any kind of bread. That was until I made my own bagels, and now it’s safe to say I am definitely obsessed.

I originally decided I would make bagels on a day when I had to discard my sourdough starter (if you have a sourdough starter you will understand what I am talking about). See my sourdough post here. I found a great bagel recipe using discard. I made the bagels and then looked up an everything bagel seasoning recipe. The 8 bagels were gone the next morning. And the rest is history. Lol. But honestly, these are heavenly.

Don’t worry though, you don’t need a sourdough starter to make these, I have made them without the use of discard as well, so you have both options!

Recipe

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin

I used the recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction and just made a few minor modifications. Then I tested out different kinds of bagels, which I will be listing how to make below.

Everything, cinnamon raisin, jalapeño cheddar, cheddar and herb. I know, sounds delicious already.

I also find the production of bagels super satisfying, and even though the process seems kinda excessive, it is sooo worth it. Believe me.

You start by making your dough and letting it rise. Then once you’ve formed the bagels you will boil them (yes, I said boiling bread) which helps them get that delicious “bagely” texture. Finally, you will bake them in the oven for 20 minutes. It will feel like the longest 20 minutes of your life, trust me.

Bagel fun facts

Because who doesn’t love fun facts?

Everything Bagel
  1. Bagels originated in Poland in 1683 (which came before the donut if you were curious).
  2. Bagels have traveled to outer space when astronaut Gregory Chamitoff brought 18 of the infamous Montreal bagels with him on his commute to work. Lol
  3. Lastly, when I looked up the most famous bagel flavour the answer was plain. I know, boring right? However cinnamon raisin was second which I can get on board with:)

Bagel Recipe

Yield: 8 bagels Prep time: 15-30 minutes Rise time: 1 hour Bake time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 C warm water
  • 2 3/4 tsp Yeast
  • 4 cups white all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar OR regular sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg white

*If you are using sourdough discard, simply reduce the amount of water to 3/4 cup, flour to 3 cups, and add 1 cup of sourdough discard. Follow all same instructions.

To boil

  • Around 4-6 C water
  • drizzle honey in a water bath, around 1/4 C.

Method

Prep

  1. Add water to a large mixing bowl and add yeast, whisk together.
  2. Let sit for 5 minutes, the yeast should become bubbly.
  3. Add flour, salt, and sugar and mix together. If you have a stand mixer knead on low speed for around 2 minutes. If kneading by hand, knead for 4-5 minutes.
  4. Lightly oil a mixing bowl and put the dough in the bowl, tossing to coat all sides.
  5. Cover with a towel and let the dough rise at room temperature for around an hour. (Don’t worry if it’s slightly longer)

Boiling / Baking

  1. Preheat oven to 425℉
  2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Fill a large pot with about 4-6 cups of water.
  4. Drizzle honey in the water, around 1/4 cup. Whisk into the water.
  5. Bring the water to a boil.
  6. Form your bagel by splitting the dough into 8 balls and forming bagel with a hole in the center. Place on parchment paper.
  7. Once water is boiling drop down to medium heat.
  8. Drop 3-4 bagels into the water and boil for 1-2 minutes. Then flip the bagels and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. (The bagels should float at the surface, however, I find whole wheat ones sometimes sink at first but then will eventually float to the surface.)
  9. Repeat for all the bagels.
  10. If needed once the bagels are cool enough to handle, you can reshape them if they lost form while boiling.
  11. Once you have all of the bagels boiled, and on parchment paper, add egg white to a small bowl with about a tablespoon of water.
  12. Brush egg white onto each bagel.
  13. Bake for 20- 25 minutes. (20 works perfectly for me every time)

Notes

  1. Your bagels should be dry enough that they don’t get all sticky while you are trying to shape them, but sometimes the batter will be slightly sticky when I try to form them. If this is the case, simply wet your hands before handling the dough and it will prevent it from sticking.
  2. When you are forming your bagel, take the dough ball in your hand and make a hole about 2 inches in diameter in the center of the dough.
  3. The bagels may lose their shape slightly while boiling. Once they’ve cooled down you can reshape them to your liking.
  4. If you want to make whole wheat bagels I definetly recommend giving it a try. Generally, recipes will recommend going half and half with regular flour and whole wheat. I’ve also made these bagels completely whole wheat and I personally really like the taste! They just have a tendency to be slightly denser than regular white flour bagels. (My favourite kind to make whole wheat are cinnamon raisin).

Customize

Cinnamon Raisin

Add 2-3 tbsp of cinnamon and 1/4 c of raisins to dough before your begin to knead the dough. The cinnamon and raisins will mix in perfectly with the dough. (Feel free to add more or less to your liking. I like to add a lot of raisins cause YUM!)

Everything bagel

Make bagel recipe above plain, then once you brush egg wash onto bagels, dip into everything bagel seasoning. I used this recipe. Pro-tip: Make extra everything bagel seasoning as it is delicious on top of eggs and avocado toast.

Cheddar Cheese and Herb

Before kneading/ mixing the dough, add in your desired amount, or approximately 1/2 tbsp of each; Rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley and oregano. Once you have boiled the bagels and brushed on egg wash, sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top of each bagel.

Jalapeño cheddar

Before kneading/ mixing the dough add two seeded and chopped jalapeños. (Or less if you’re worried about the heat.) Once you have boiled and brushed on egg wash, place grated cheese on each bagel.

Nutrition

Per 1 plain bagel

Calories: 224 Total Fat: 1g Sodium: 291 mg Carbohydrates: 45g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 1g Protein: 6g

Coconut Ice Cream

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This coconut ice cream recipe is one of my absolute favourite desserts. Not because it’s a healthier alternative to regular ice cream, but because it’s DELICIOUS. It’s creamy, sweet and perfect to top however you like. This recipe doesn’t require an ice cream maker either, all you need are some ice cube trays, a freezer and a blender. It is a great dairy free option if you are lactose intolerant, but we eat it because it is just sooo good!

Ingredients

To make this ice cream you need canned coconut milk (not the stuff from milk cartons.) The coconut milk gives the ice cream a natural sweetness, and makes it super creamy. A little added sweetness from maple syrup and voila!

Toppings

I love making this ice cream a plain vanilla flavour and then topping it with lots of goodies. Fresh fruit, like raspberries and strawberries are delicious and incredibly refreshing. I also love a few semi sweet chocolate chips or cacao nibs too. Almond butter or cashew butter are also a delicious toppings I like to add (I know shocking right?).

What Are Cacao Nibs?

Cacao nibs are an ingredient that I have been recently introduced to that I am obsessed with. I love dark chocolate, and chocolate tasting things. Cacao nibs are cocoa beans that have been fermented and crushed into little nibs. Aside from tasting delicious, they also contain lots of good nutrients including fiber and iron. As well as antioxidants, which are chemical compounds that “protect” your cells. Lastly, cacao nibs are one of the best sources out there for magnesium. We need this nutrient for chemical reactions in our body. So basically to sum up, they’re super good for you:p Here are the ones I buy.

How to Make the Ice Cream?

All you need to do to make the ice cream is mix the ingredients together and then pour the mixture into ice cube trays and throw them in the freezer. Leave them in the freezer for 4+ hours or until completely frozen. I would recommend eating it the same day you make it so it doesn’t get crystallized.

Once you are ready to eat your yummy dessert, throw the ice cream cubes into a food processor or blender and blend for a few minutes and let it get creamy. I like to add a few tablespoons extra of milk to help blend it and get the creamy texture we’re looking for.

Coconut Ice Cream Recipe

Serves: 4-6 Prep time: 10 minutes Freeze: 4+ hours

Ingredients

  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 1/3 C unsweetened almond milk*
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup
  • around 4+ tbsp milk to blend.

*I use almond milk but any kind of milk would work.

Method

  1. Mix all your ingredients in a medium size bowl.
  2. Once combined pour mixture into ice cube trays and put in freezer.
  3. When ready to serve, put ice cream cubes into food processor and blend for a minute.
  4. Mix the ice cream and add a few tablespoons of milk of choice if needed to get a creamier texture. Add a couple tablespoons at a time to reach your desired texture.
  5. Once you’ve reached the perfect consistency serve into your ice cream bowl and load it with all the toppings! Or enjoy it on its own. Both are delicious.

Nutrition

per 1/4 of the recipe without toppings

Calories: 208 Total fat: 14g Saturated fat: 13g Sodium: 331mg Carbohydrates: 17g Sugar: 16g Protein: 3g

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

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I always look forward to rhubarb being in season. My grandfather has a rhubarb patch at his place and makes a delivery of rhubarb when it’s all ready. Then the magic begins. There are so many delicious ways to use rhubarb for baking. Pies, crumbles, jams, chutney, and these amazingly tasty muffins.

What is Rhubarb?

Although it is used more like a fruit, rhubarb is a veggie. It has a similar texture to celery but has a very tart taste. Because of its sour taste, it’s usually prepared in some sort of baked good to compliment the tart with some sweetness. Although rhubarb stalks provide lots of health benefits, it’s important not to eat the greens because they are toxic. So I wouldn’t recommend it. Lol.

Muffins

These muffins are the perfect level of sweetness to match the tartness from the rhubarb. You can use fresh or frozen strawberries, however if you are using frozen I recommend thawing them out to chop them up.

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffin Recipe

Yield: 14 muffins Prep time: 15 minutes Bake time: 15 minutes Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 C Oat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 C mashed strawberries
  • 3/4 C diced strawberries
  • 1 C diced rhubarb

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉
  2. Start by making your oat flour by blending oats in a high speed blender.
  3. Add oatflour to a large bowl. Add baking soda, salt and cinnamon to bowl.
  4. In a separate bowl, lighty whisk two eggs.
  5. Add in mashed banana, honey, lemon zest, vanilla and milk. Stir to combine.
  6. Mix wet ingredients in with dry ingredients.
  7. Mash one cup of strawberries, or pulse in your blender quickly. Add the mashed strawberry to the mixture.
  8. Finely chop the rest of your strawberries and rhubarb and stir into the muffin batter.
  9. Spray muffin tins with non-stick baking spray and pour batter into 14 muffins.
  10. Optional: Chop up extra rhubarb and sprinkle on top with a few old fashion oats.
  11. Bake for 15-17 minutes.
  12. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes then let cool on a cooling rack if they last that long.

Nutrition

Per 1 muffin

Calories: 83 Fat: 2g Sodium: 103mg Carbohydrates: 15g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 6g Protein: 3g

Individual Barbecued Pizzas

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Who doesn’t love pizza! Exactly. Everyone loves pizza. The great thing about pizza is the endless variaties you can make. Veggie, donair, barbecue, greek and of course Hawaiian, because I’m team pineapple when it comes to the age old debate as to whether or not it belongs on pizza.

We all know that ordering pizza isn’t the most nutritous option out there. And while it’s still delicious, and should definitely be consumed on occasion; there are many delicious and healthy ways to make pizza at home. With that I give you these individual pizza flatbreads.

These pizzas are perfect for anyone, because you can customize them how you like, making everyone happy! We often make this meal when we have company and cut up lots of toppings to make a pizza bar. No more having to say “only mushrooms on half please”.

The best part is these pizza crusts are made with three simple ingredients; flour, baking powder and greek yogurt. My favourite crust is made with spelt flour, but all-purpose and/or whole wheat work really well too.

BBQ vs Oven

To make these pizzas there are a couple of options. Number 1 and my favourite is on the BBQ. They get nice and crispy on the outside, while staying fluffy and moist on the inside. Otherwise, you can make these just as easily in the oven!

To make them on the barbecue you will place your flatbreads without toppings and cook on one side for 1 minute. You’ll then take them off the BBQ and place the toppings on the side you grilled. Then when you put the flatbreads back on the BBQ the bottom (uncooked side) will get to the perfect crispiness while your cheese melts and your toppings warm up. Depending on how warm your barbecue gets, you can put them in the oven on broil for one minute to further melt the cheese if they don’t reach perfection. You don’t want to leave them on the barbecue too long or the bottom could burn.

If you are making them in the oven, simply place the flatbreads on a cookie sheet, top them how you like, and then bake in the oven oven for approximately 13 minutes. (I know that sounds way easier than the BBQ version and is still delicious but trust me the BBQ version is more fun and more delicious:)

Toppings

Now for toppings! You can make whatever kind of pizza your heart desires. One of my favourites is barbecue chicken. The details on my barbecue chicken pizza are down below. Use your favourite barbecue sauce, or make my simple barbecue sauce recipe.

Individual Barbecue Pizza Recipe

Servings: 4 flatbreads Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Flatbread

  • 1 C Spelt/ white/ whole wheat flour
  • 1 C plain lactose free greek yogurt*
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Barbecue Chicken Toppings
  • 2-3 tbsp barbecue sauce of choice
  • 1/4 C Grated mozzarella cheese
  • 2-3 ounces cooked chicken breast
  • Optional: Pineapple, mushroom, red onion

*I personally use plain lactose free greek yogurt, however you can use plain greek yogurt as well, just make sure it’s unflavoured.

Barbecue sauce Recipe

Ingredients
  • 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp molasses
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp yellow mustard
  • 2/3 c unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke*
  • 1 tsp cayenne (if you like a little heat!)
Notes

*Liquid smoke is an important ingredient that gives the sauce an authentic barbecue smell and a slightly smoky flavour.

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to boil.
  2. Reduce to simmer and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Prep Method

  1. To make your flatbread start by adding all dry ingredients in a bowl and mixing together.
  2. Add yogurt and use a fork to mix together as much as possible, then use your hands to knead the dough until the dry ingredients are fully combined with the yogurt.
  3. Divide your dough into four equal size balls.
  4. Flatten your dough onto a well floured surface and ensure both sides are covered in flour so it doesn’t stick.
  5. Take a rolling pin, (or I use a glass, as it’s smaller and easier) roll your dough until it is about 1/4 an inch thick.
  6. You can make these in advance, cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate.
Barbecuing method
  1. Turn your grill on high heat.
  2. Note that even though the flatbreads are really thin they will puff up and crisp together while on the barbecue.
  3. I also recommend oiling your grill to ensure the crust won’t stick (pour some vegetable oil on a rag and wipe on the hot grill)
  4. Once it’s ready cook one side of the flatbreads for 1 minute.
  5. Take them off the grill and top them however you like. (Try not to fight over pineapple belonging on pizza or not.) Make sure you put the toppings on the grilled side.
  6. Return your topped pizzas to the BBQ and cook for another 3-5 minutes until your cheese has melted and your toppings are warm.

*If the bottom of your pizza has reached your desired crispiness but the cheese isn’t completely melted (this will vary depending on your barbecue) then put pizza in the oven on broil for 1-2 minutes. DON’T try multitasking while they are on broil, trust me they will burn way too quickly lol.

Oven method

If you are making in the oven simply heat up your oven to 425℉ and place toppings on pizza. Then cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Nutrition

For 1 flatbread without toppings:

Calories: 145 Fat: 1g Sodium: 314mg Carbohydrates: 24g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 2g Protein: 10g

The Ultimate Jamaican Inspired Meal

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Chicken thighs
Mango salsa
Cilantro lime rice

This Jamaican inspired meal has quickly become one of my favourites. I love using Jamaican spices to give every bite a huge punch of flavour. This meal is so tasty you’ll feel like you are in the Caribbean! Well maybe not quite, but we can pretend.

Stars of the show

While every part of this meal plays its own special role, a few key ingredients that take you to Jamaica, and enhance the taste are allspice, lime and cilantro.

The chicken thighs marinated and seasoned to perfection give this meal delicious Jamaican flavours. The mango salsa along with the cilantro lime rice balance the spice and bring a refreshing taste. I also love making some barbecued veggies with jamaican spices as a side dish, but this is completely optional. My favourites are zucchini and eggplant.

Steps

For this recipe you are going to need to marinade the chicken thighs for at least 2-3 hours, but if you are ahead of the game I suggest leaving them to marinade over night.

Like I mentioned above, cilantro and lime are the star ingredients for the side dishes. You can make the salsa while heating up the grill and cooking your chicken. While you are doing this you can also prepare your basmati rice by cooking it how you normally would.

Jamaican Chicken Thighs Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Marinade: 2 hours-overnight Cook time: 15 minutes

Chicken thighs

Ingredients

  • 8 Skinless, boness chicken thighs*
  • 5 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 inch piece of minced ginger
  • 1 jalapeños pepper seeded and chopped finely
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1 tsp all spice
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon, cumin, coriander and dried thyme**

Method

  1. Prepare marinade by chopping and mincing garlic, ginger and jalapeños.
  2. Put chicken thighs into a bag along with all the other marinade ingredients.
  3. Put the marinading chicken into the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight.
  4. When you are ready to make supper heat up barbecue to high heat.
  5. Once barbecue is heated up, grill chicken for around 6-7 minutes on each side.
  6. After 15 minutes check the center to make sure it is fully cooked through.
  7. Serve with your delicious side dishes!

Notes

*If you wanted to replace the chicken thighs for chicken breast that would work as well but thighs are way juicier on the grill.

**To make the barbecued veggies, slice them into long thin slices like in the photos above, poor a light amount of soy sauce over them and sprinkle your desired amount, or approximately 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, cumin, dried thyme, all spice and coriander on top.

Nutrition

per 2 thighs

Calories: 321 Total Fat: 20g Saturated fat: 5g Sodium: 1 614mg Carbohydrates: 3g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g Protein: 30g

Mango Salsa

Serves: 4-6 side dishes Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 or 3 mangos cut into small cubes
  • 2 medium avocados cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Method

  1. Make your salsa by chopping up mango and avocado into small cubes and putting in a medium size bowl.
  2. Wash and chop 1 cup of fresh cilantro and add to the bowl.
  3. Squeeze juice of half a lime into the bowl and add all spices.
  4. Mix all the ingredients together and taste. Add more lime juice or seasonings to your liking!

Nutrition

Based on 1 of 4 servings

Calories: 174 Total fat: 11g Saturated fat: 2g Sodium: 297mg Carbohydrates: 21g Fiber: 7g Sugar: 12g Protein: 3g

Cilantro Lime Rice

Serves: 4 side dishes Prep time: 2 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • juice of one lime

Method

  1. We have a rice cooker so to prepare rice I just use one cup of rice with 2 cups of water and let it cook.
  2. If you are making rice on stovetop place 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
  3. Once the rice is done cooking all you need to do is mix in the cilantro and lime juice.
  4. Serve on the side of your chicken and mango salsa!

Nutrition

per 1 of 4 servings

Calories: 170 Total fat: 0g Sodium: 2mg Carbohydrates: 38g Fiber: 0g Protein: 4g