Saturday, September 15, 2012

Moving On...


I have been missing for far too long! I'm currently on a new adventure, building my holistic nutrition business! You can find me at my website www.intuitivenutrition.ca, where I will be starting a blog very soon! You can also find me on Facebook!

I look forward to seeing you there! 


In health and happiness,

Ashley

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Pineapple Not-So-Fried Rice.

I sort of thought the Cheesy Broccoli Soup was going to be my favourite recipe from Chloe Coscarelli's cookbook, Chloe's Kitchen. I was wrong. I already have another favourite.


The Pineapple Not-S0-Fried Rice brought me back to my most recent trip to Thailand in 2011. Almost one year ago to the date. I went with my sister to the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok, where I ordered pineapple fried rice. It was amazing and served in a pineapple which was pretty amazing. Today, I put my serving in a pineapple too! So much fun - it's the small things.


Pineapple Not-So-Fried Rice (adapted from Chloe's Kitchen)


Ingredients:


3 cups cooked rice (I used brown rice but she recommends jasmine)
1 pineapple or 1 1/2 cups diced pineapple
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
sea salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. chili-garlic sauce (or if you're me, you will use WAY more)
3/4 cup cashews (I didn't have any so I used macadamia nuts)
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/4 cup vegetable broth


Directions:


In a large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions until soft and lightly browned. Season with salt. Add garlic, curry, coriander, and chili-garlic sauce. Stir and cook for another minute or two. Add the pineapple, brown rice, vegetable broth, carrot, and cashews. Cook until heated through and adjust salt to taste. If you want to be super fun, serve it in a pineapple shell!


If you're me, you don't read directions well. Clearly. As I was writing this out, I discovered why mine was stodgy - I used 3/4 cup vegetable broth instead of 1/4. Whoops! I still think it's amazing though but don't mind my photo. I'm excited to try it again and do it the right way. Also, the original recipe called for tofu, frozen peas, and raisins but I'm not a fan so I omitted. Delicious recipe! It's a must try.




(Ridiculously excited to finally use my chopsticks from Japan!)

Friday, April 6, 2012

Buckwheat Hot Cereal.


I ventured down to Pro Organics Saturday market with my mom this past weekend and picked up some Buckwheat Kasha along with an amalgamation of vegetables. I have never cooked with buckwheat before so I was excited for a new experience! (Super huge shout out to my mom for soaking her quinoa she bought at the market prior to cooking - love this!!!)

Buckwheat Hot Cereal

Ingredients:

1 cup buckwheat groats {soaked}
3 cups water
2 cups almond milk
2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Bring the above ingredients to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cooking time will depend on how thick you like your cereal. I added two Tbsp. of organic maple syrup and 1/4 cup of butter. Cook until melted, stirring.

If you like a thicker cereal, I would recommend reducing the amount of water. You could also add some fruit or sliced banana which would be delicious!

PS. I have a confession. I will continue using butter throughout this month. I don't have positive feelings about artificial vegan spreads, etc. so for health reasons I'll continue using it! I will substitute for coconut oil where I can though!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Quinoa Salad.

I made copious quantities of quinoa the other night. This happened to be the same night my parents got home from a holiday in Hawaii and brought me back raw macadamia nuts. I knew the two had to be combined. This was the result.

Miss Ashley's Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa, cooked
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. organic extra-virgin olive oil
6 organic lemons, juiced
small amount of lemon zest
1/2 cup organic cranberries
1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts
salt & pepper to taste

red pepper flakes {optional}

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, mix room temperature quinoa, red onion, cranberries, macadamia nuts, and spices. Add in the liquid and mix.

I'm sure adding cilantro or parsley would only enhance this recipe but my taste testers approved as is!


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Cheesy Broccoli Soup.

Oh dear, vegan broccoli soup is absolutely delicious. You need to try it. I served it with some roasted garlic bread from A Bread Affair and some delicious quinoa salad {recipe to come!}. The soup was so "cheesy" and filling! Perfection!

Cheesy Broccoli Soup by Chloe Coscarelli

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
Sea salt to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups almond milk
1 bunch broccoli, florets cut, stems trimmed, peeled, and chopped
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tsp. lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat, and sauté onions until soft. Season generously with salt, add garlic, and let cook a few more minutes.

Add broth, nondairy milk, and broccoli. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes un
til broccoli is tender.

Spoon out a small amount of broccoli florets and reserve. In batches, transfer the remaining contents of the pot to a blender an
d puree. Return pureed soup to the pot and add the reserved broccoli florets. Over low heat, stir in nutritional yeast until incorporated. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

The Month of Veganism Begins!



April has finally arrived and I couldn't be more excited! I have been anxiously anticipating it's arrival since I decided to go vegan for the month back in early March!

You might be wondering why I want to do this? It's really out of curiosity and experimentation. I want to know how how my body feels without animal products, how difficult it is when you're out for dinner, and have fun experimenting with different recipes. We'll just have to wait and see if I fall in love with it by the end of April. I have already started experimenting with recipes, so you may be bombarded this month with vegan friendly eats. I hope you're excited too.

Today's recipe is from Chloe's Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli.

Thai Chickpea Burgers

Ingredients:

1 15oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained {If you aren't up to cooking your own chickpeas, the best canned brand to use is Eden organics - but try to cook your own when possible!}
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 small jalapeño or green chill, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted

Directions:

Place chickpeas, onions, garlic, ginger, jalapeño, cilantro, bread crumbs, lime juice, and salt in a food processor and pulse until just combined, stopping frequently to scrape down sides. Using the palms of your hands, form mixture into six burger patties.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and pan-fry patties, letting them cook about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Once patties are nicely browned, remove from heat and drain on paper towels.


These patties were good, but they were very crumbly. I didn't end up putting them onto buns and instead mixed them with a sautéed red onion, a few celery stalks, and a yellow pepper as well as a cup of quinoa and an amalgamation of different spices. It turned out great! These patties definitely didn't lack flavour in the least!

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Vegan in April?

I have not been so great with posting the latest recipes I've been trying, but I will get better. (I'm thinking we will see improvement in April?...more on that in a second.)

My classmates and I had a potluck last weekend which was SO amazing and filled with healthy, delicious food! I made flourless chocolate cake for dessert (come on, dark chocolate is healthy!) and it was delicious! I didn't take a photo, so I'll just send you over to the blog of the fabulous 'Gluten Free Goddess!' I was super concerned when I saw it's gummy sort of consistency on the outside, but don't let that fool you. I might just need to make a whole one to freeze in slices. I highly suggest you make it if you're a chocolate lover.

I recently ordered the vegan cookbook Chloe's Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli and I cannot wait for it to be delivered early next week. I am inspired to go vegan for the month of April. What do you think? I'm totally on board with this! So, expect to see some vegan recipe posts in the next couple weeks!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Coconut Oil & An Update!



I've been seriously absent from the blog world lately. Especially in a personal sense. I check in once and awhile to share a bit of nutritional wisdom, but don't offer up an update. I guess it is time.

I'm busy. Very busy but loving every moment. I'm over half way through my holistic nutrition program which is exciting! We're full swing into case studies now, which is exciting, yet scary all the same.

Dan is home now, for good. He got a fabulous job a month or so ago. It's night shift, but he adores it and with my hectic schedule, I barely realize he's not around. (Until he creeps in at 6am and I wake up! Thankfully, I've adjusted to this!) I'm loving having him home and getting back into a routine.

Now, you didn't think I'd give you an update without some nutritional advice did you?

I have been using the wonderful coconut oil for years now as my primary oil. Look out olive oil! Did you know that when you heat olive oil, it actually goes rancid? Due to its chemical structure, when you cook it, it actually becomes suseptible to oxidative damage. That isn't the only reason that I would recommend coconut oil though. There are many other fabulous benefits such as:


- Promoting heart health

- Promoting weight loss if and when you need it

- Supporting your immune system health

- Supporting a healthy metabolism

- Providing you with immediate energy

- Helping to maintain youthful, glowing skin

- Supporting proper functioning of the thyroid gland


Coconut oil even removes make-up! Why use a commercial brand that costs you the Earth AND contains alcohol and other not-so-good-for-you ingredients? If put on your skin as a lotion, it even helps prevent free radical damage. It also helps exfoliate the outer layers of your skin as well as strengthen the underlying tissues as it penetrates.

This oil is so great that I know I could go on about the benefits all day. I'm pretty sure neither of us have the time to hear all that. If you have any questions about quality fats or oils, please talk to me! All fats are not equal!

Wishing you a fabulous, health-filled weekend!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Spice Education.

There is more to spices than what meets the eye. Have you ever considered the quality of the spices you purchase in your local supermarket? Probably not. I know I didn't. I mean, if I was at Whole Foods or another natural grocer and needed a spice, I'd buy it there but I didn't exclusively buy organic spices. The key to buying spices is to buy non-irradiated. It likely won't say on the package but I can bet most supermarkets are selling irradiated spices. What is irradiation you ask? I'll fill you in.

The bottom line is irradiation damages the quality of any food in order to kill microbes, pests, and bacteria. The ionized radiation process breaks up molecules and creates free radicals. While the free radicals have the ability to kill some bacteria, they also bounce around in the food causing damage to vitamins and enzymes. The free radicals also combine with existing chemicals, like pesticides, forming new chemicals called unique radiolytic products (URPs). What are examples of URPs? Benzene and formaldehyde are two of them, but there are some URPs that exclusively pertain to irradiated foods as well.


The number one reason why companies are irradiating spices is to increase the shelf life of their product. While that may sound good to some (most importantly the government and the Canadian Nuclear Association), all it leaves us with is a degenerated food product since most of the valuable qualities of the herb or spice are killed off.

If you would like to get the most from your spices, choose organic, non-irradiated spices. If you're wondering about spices you currently own, just e-mail the company or research online! As soon as I found this out, I threw away all of my spices. That may sound dramatic, but I don't want to eat potentially carcinogenic and essentially dead food. Today, my collection of spices from Simply Organic were delivered so I can now enjoy my organic, non-irradiated food!




 
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