Healthy Life Lessons

More recipes for you today! I always like to explore new recipes for Passover, because...well the ol' traditional stuff is pretty yucky (I am looking at you matzo!). So I made 2 things using this basic macaroon recipe, a macaroon topped fruit crisp, and macaroon cookies. Take your pick, they are both scrumptious! As always, I didn't use sugar, just a combination of Vitafiber and stevia, and since the base is almond flour and coconut, they are gluten-free. Macaroons traditionally use egg whites, so this recipe isn't vegan. You could try using flax eggs, but I have no idea if that would work. If you just want to make cookies, go for it. Its a big recipe so it will bake a lot! You can add in other things besides chocolate chips, such as dried fruit, if you wish. Macaroon Recipe 1.5 Cups almond flour 1.5 Cups medium shredded, unsweetened coconut 2/3 Cup finely sliced almonds 1/2 Cup Vitafiber powder 1 tsp Pure stevia powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp Pure vanilla extrac...

Good morning and welcome to Wednesday! Lots of recipes for you this week. Though a kugel is a traditional Jewish dish, and often one served at Passover, this is something that you can make any time of year, regardless of your background. This recipe is healthy and only moderately sweet, so it makes a great, nutritious breakfast, brunch dish, or side dish for dinner. Most kugels contain a lot of eggs and many contain cheese, but this one is entirely vegan, as well as sugar-free and gluten-free. You can add in nuts and/or other dried fruits if you wish as well. It came together because Little A wanted to make something with me for our sedar at my in-laws and I didn't want to make another dessert, but also wanted to try and find something that would appeal to the kids. Apples and cinnamon is always a good bet! Apple Carrot Raisin Quinoa Kugel 1 cup quinoa 946ml carton unsweetened plain or vanilla coconut drinking milk (or almond milk) 2 apples, chopped 1 lb bag shredded ...

Its the Tuesday after a fun-filled long weekend.  Know what that means? It means Little A is going to be a bear when I drop the girls off at school today.  She never enjoys going to school, but she's particularly resistant after having extra 'home days' as she calls them.  Wish me luck, I'm going to need it! I hope you had a nice holiday weekend.  We had a great time and ate very well!! You don't have to celebrate Passover to appreciate this recipe.  Its super healthy and yummy and perfect if you are trying to follow a raw, low-carb or grain-free diet.  You could make it a complete meal by adding chickpeas, if you aren't following traditional Ashkenazi Passover rules which forbid legumes as well. This was one of the salads I brought to our sedar. Passover Tabouli 1 cauliflower, cut into florets 1 English cucumber, seeded and diced 6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced 2 cups parsley, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbls shelled hemp seeds 2...

Big A is, once again, attempting to keep Kosher for Passover this year.  She did amazingly well last year, cheating only once to eat pizza at Little A's birthday party. So I have been baking up a storm this week to make some relatively healthy eats she will go for.  I am, of course, making Adam's favorites , but also a few new recipes, like this one. These are perfect for a snack or part of breakfast.  If you want to make them dessert, you could up the ante by adding chocolate chips and/or frosting them, but they are really yummy as is. Passover Banana Bread Squares 1 cup cashew butter (or other nut/seed butter) 1/2 cup coconut sugar 2 tbls ground flax 6 tbls water 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 mashed bananas 2 cups whole wheat matzo meal 1/2 tsp salt Optional: 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries (or raisins, dates, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.) Melt cashew butter over medium-low heat in a pot, along with sugar, flax, water, vanilla and bananas....

Sorry, but I have to say it every year: DO NOT BUY PACKED PASSOVER FOOD! While all processed food is basically crap, the stuff they make specifically for Passover is often even worse.  Not only that, but its ridiculously expensive and tastes like shit. Do yourself a favour and make your own Passover eats.  We only buy the whole wheat matzo and whole wheat matzo meal and that's about it! If you like cereal or granola for breakfast, I know that it can be hard to just eat matzo.  I don't recommend it anyways, its just empty carbs that will leave you feeling famished and sluggish in a few hours. This granola is filled with fibre, protein and nutritious seeds and fruits.  Pair it with some Greek yogurt and maybe some fresh fruit and you'll be sailing through your morning with energy and vitality. Passover Power Granola 1/2 cup coconut oil 1 cup apple sauce 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp pure, uncut stevia powder (or other sweetener, to taste) 1/2 tsp ...

This coming Friday is the first night of Passover...and its Good Friday! We've got a big celebration planned as my parents are coming here and we are all, my brother and his family included, going to my in-laws' for a big sedar. I am glad its a short week.  It's Monday, but I can't really say we had a relaxing weekend around here.  It was busy.  Good busy, but busy.  And Adam caught a bad cold and lost his voice and has to give a big talk today.  He's pretty down in the dumps. Our little pre-Passover party on Saturday was a hit though, and my charoset was an even bigger hit!  I am thrilled since (1) I've never bothered to make it before, and (2) I didn't, as usual, use a recipe, I just made up my own. The photo shows just the tiny amount that was left afterwards, and Adam polished the rest off yesterday.  Even if you don't celebrate Passover, its a yummy little treat and you don't need to eat it with matzo by any means.  It would actual...

Finally, after several days of indulgent Passover treats, here is a savoury recipe for you. This one basically adapts one I make all the time to be for Passover.  Having to avoid wheat and other grains isn't even the hardest part of Passover for me, it's actually having to also avoid legumes.  This means I can't even use soy sauce!  Thankfully, most health food stores now offer alternatives to soy sauce like coconut aminos.  I subbed coconut vinegar in for the rice vinegar I would usually use, but Adam wasn't overly impressed with that.  I agree, it's definitely better with soy sauce and rice vinegar, but for 8 days of the year, this will do.  It's still very tasty. For all you not celebrating Passover, this is still a yummy recipe that is great for people eating gluten-free, low-carb, etc. This is a big recipe, because it was served at our family sedar, so feel free to half it if you don't want to make as much. Sesame Ginger Shirataki Noodl...

Most folks who know food, know that the best Passover desserts, are those that never had flour in the recipe to begin with.  So when I found Nigella  Lawson's Olive Oil Chocolate Cake , I knew I had to make it for this year's sedar. It was definitely the show-stopper.  My picky father-in-law had multiple servings and there were nothing but accolades from everyone else (including the kids). Unfortunately, its not super healthy.  I thought about using something other than white sugar, and might do that next time I'm making it for us, but since I was making it for a crowd not always keen on healthy substitutions, I left the recipe as is. Actually, I kind of gilded-the-lily on this one and used almond milk instead of water to make it even richer, and instead of just dusting the top with icing sugar, as Lawson does in her recipe, I poured a chocolate fondant over the top. I also did the lazy woman's version and skipped all the sifting, electric beat...

I saw this recipe on The Detoxinista blog and instantly thought it looked perfect for a Passover dessert. I didn't think baking soda was okay at Passover, but when I did a bit of research, a lot of sources claim it is.  I guess you can decide for yourself.  I kept it in because I am not that experienced baking with almond flour, so I didn't want to mess these up. The original recipe uses maple syrup, but I don't like baking with maple syrup unless I want the flavour to be the focus (otherwise it's a waste of liquid gold!), so I opted for agave, and it worked perfectly.  These are super yummy even if you aren't celebrating Passover.  Adam described them as tasting like a cross between a macaroon and a cookie.  The kids love them too! Passover Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free) (Adapted from this one ) Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of blmond flour 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened 1/2 teaspoon vanill...

Happy Passover, and happy birthday to my dad! Since I invented this recipe for Passover about a dozen years ago, they've been a favorite of Adam's.  The original isn't very healthy, using 2 full cups of brown sugar, but several of my attempts at making them with substitutions failed.  The recipe I posted last year is the original, but the photo is actually of the ones using coconut sugar, which ended up too crumbly.  This year, I finally mastered it!  Just a very small change in proportions and they turned out perfectly: sweet, caramel-y, crispy, chewy and amazing. The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (for Passover) 2 large eggs 4 tbls egg whites (or whites of 2 large eggs) 2 cups coconut sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups whole wheat matzo meal 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips Whisk together eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined.  Scrape batter into greased 8x8 squar...

Happy Hump Day!  So what if it's only Wednesday, today is probably the nicest day weather-wise of 2014 so far!  I have another yummy, healthy Passover recipe for you. I know I say this every year, but I think it's worth repeating: Please do not buy any of those processed Passover foods at the grocery store!   They are full of total crap.  I read the ingredients on a box of the 'cereal' and it was basically nothing but potato starch and sugar.  Mmm!  If you think that can power you through your day, I think you'll be disappointed. This, on the other hand, is not only delicious, but sugar-free, gluten-free and high in protein. I hope it will help ease Adam's suffering over the 8 days of the holiday this year.  I'll just watch.  While I am contemplating fasting for Yom Kippur next year, I have no desire...probably ever...to keep Kosher for Passover anytime soon. Even if you're not part of the tribe, if you need to avoid gluten, this is a g...

So the count down to Passover 2014 begins!  Our big sedar is at my mother-in-law's next Monday.  So I have for you a yummy Kosher for Passover recipe! The only time I ever hear Adam complain about too much chocolate is Passover.  In order to make up for all that he is missing out on for 8 days, I usually bake up a whole slew of rich, chocolate-based desserts.  Although he is usually enthusiastic at the beginning, eventually it all becomes too much for him. I will be making some chocolate Passover recipes, but I decided to make one that includes one of his other favorite dessert flavours: apple!  It also contains no quinoa.  Adam is not a huge quinoa fan, but because its been deemed kosher for Passover, I tend to make it a lot every year.  Don't worry, I will still be posting some chocolate and quinoa recipes for Passover, but this one is first on the list. Gooey Caramel Apple Slice (for Passover) 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, cooled a bit 1...

Okay, yes this was a Passover meal for us last weekend, but honestly it's so good, I won't be waiting until next year to make it again.  You could use chickpeas or lentils to make it vegan if you wish, but since it was Passover I was restricted from making any legumes. Creamy Curried Chicken and Quinoa 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets 1/2 tsp olive oil Salt and pepper 1 onion, diced 3 tbls fresh ginger, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp kosher salt 2 tbls madras curry powder (hot or mild) 1 tsp garam masala 1/2 teaspoon asafetida seeds 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1.5 cups unsweetened plain almond (or other non-dairy) milk 1 lb ground chicken (or 1 can/1.5 cups cooked chickpeas or lentils, drained and rinsed) 1 can tomato paste 1.5 cups quinoa Season cauliflower and broccoli and toss with olive oil.  Lay on foil or parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 350F for about 30 minutes. Cook quinoa according to packa...

Okay, last day of Pesach for 2013 and the last Passover recipe for the year. This was such a hit with the girls, they made me take pictures of them enjoying it for dessert (still in their bathrobes with wet hair from their bath).  This worked out perfectly since they make much prettier photos than do the jellyroll.  Or perhaps it's just my abysmal photography skills that made it look like a big turd. Pictures aside, this tastes amazing and it's suitable for Passover.  Also, the recipe is sugar free, gluten free and vegan.  No shit! Chilled Chocolate Raspberry Jellyroll 1 ripe avocado 1 cup xylitol, erythritol or stevia baking blend 2 flax eggs (2 tbls ground flax + 6 tbls hot water) 1 tsp vanilla extract A few drops liquid stevia, to taste (optional) 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1 cup almond meal or almond flour 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1/4 cup sugar-free, seedless raspberry jam or spread Puree avocado, apple sauce, sweetener, flax eggs and vani...

Happy Easter Monday!  Wouldn't you know it, the last day of what has been a lovely long weekend and I woke up this morning with a cold.  Blech!  I guess I should be grateful that it's the first one I've had in months. Anyways, I made these for an end-of-Passover event we are attending next weekend.  I had another recipe in mind using almond meal, but then realized it isn't smart to bring products with nuts to big gatherings.  No worries, these are nut-free and A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  Really chocolatey and fudgy, but not too sweet.  Oh, also gluten-free too.  They are so good, they don't even need icing, and I don't say that too often. Fudgy Passover Brownies 250g bag dark chocolate chips, melted 1.5 cups boiling water 1/2 cup apple sauce 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup coconut flour 1/4 tsp kosher salt Whisk together chocolate with water, apple sauce, eggs and vanilla.  Stir in flour and salt.  Scrape batter into a greas...

Happy Good Friday!  I have a delicious discovery to share with you today. I wanted to make Angela's No-Bake Double Chocolate Torte for Passover last year but never got around to it.  After all, she claims, "I’m often asked what my favourite vegan dessert is, the dessert that is a dazzler, crowd pleaser, and would fool even the toughest vegan dessert skeptic." And skeptics there are in Adam's family, so I was eager to test it out at a seder.  It also contains avocados which everyone, except Adam's sister and I, claim to hate.  I suspected this would be one dish with the little green fruit that would win everyone over. So I made it this year.  I made a few adjustments, but kept the recipe pretty similar overall.  I swapped out maple syrup for agave because I think it's a waste to use maple syrup when you are not showcasing the flavour and for this dessert, it's the chocolate you want shining through.  I also swapped the peanut butter for almond ...

Macaroons are such a classic Passover treat.  Although what I remember from my childhood are those yucky store-bought Manachevitz ones: These are so much better. Better for you and way, way better tasting.  Oh, and honestly they're simple to make.  No reason to reserve them for Passover either.  Gluten-free and perfect for Easter too! Chocobanana Macaroons 2 egg whites 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup agave syrup 2 heaping tbls cocoa powder 1 ripe banana, mashed 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 tbls coconut oil, melted 250g bag unsweetened coconut Whip eggs with salt until stiff peaks form.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until it all comes together.  Pack mixture firmly into ice cream scoop and drop balls onto parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350F for 20-22 minutes.  Let cool completely and then remove from pan.  Store in air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

I'm currently obsessed with sweet potatoes.  I've always liked them, but for some reason I just wasn't making them very often.  That's changed my friends.  Any way you roast them, they are guaranteed to be candy-sweet and delicious.  You can tinker with the seasoning, but garam masala goes perfectly with them.  This was one of the side-dishes I brought to our sedar last night. Orange Spiced Sweet Potatoes 6 medium sweet potatoes, cut into thin wedges Zest and juice of 1 large or 2 small navel oranges 1 tsp garam masala 1/4 tsp kosher salt Toss sweet potatoes with juice and seasonings.  Place in single layer on parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake at 400F for 35 minutes, rotating sheets and switching from top to bottom rack half way through. This recipe has been submitted to Diet, Dessert & Dogs' Wellness Weekend .

This is so yummy it doesn't need to be just for Passover. Or for individuals who avoid gluten.  Or for people who like healthy food.  It's good for anyone, anytime. When it was baking, Big A ran into the kitchen to find out what I was making because it smelled so good. Even picky-pants Little A liked it and had a tantrum when I told her we were waiting until Passover to start eating it.  Well, Passover's now here, so dig in! Enjoy a handful as a snack or serve with milk or yogurt. Vanilla Cherry Almond Quinola 180g bag puffed quinoa 1 cup chopped almonds 1-2/3 cups unsweetened dried cherries 1/4 cup almond butter 1/4 cup agave or coconut nectar 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup apple sauce 1/4 tsp sea salt Place quinoa and almonds in a large bowl.  Whisk together almond butter, agave and vanilla in a small sauce pan over medium heat until smooth.  Remove from heat and pour over quinoa and almonds.  Add apple sauce and salt and toss...

Since Adam usually eats oatmeal for breakfast, I thought I would create a quinoa porridge for him this year for Passover.  After all, it's still freakin' cold here, so I know he will appreciate something hot to eat in the morning. A few years ago I bought him quinoa flakes to make porridge with and it was a big failure.  The smell made both of us gag, and he thought the texture was awful too.  In contrast, using the quinoa intact produces an absolutely delicious hot cereal.  If apple cinnamon isn't your thing, you could do orange zest and cranberry, cherry and almond extract, apricot and ginger.  The options are endless! What's nice, is you can make this ahead of time and reheat as needed for a quick, satisfying breakfast. Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Porridge 1-946 ml carton of unsweetened, plain or vanilla almond or coconut milk 1/2 cup xylitol, coconut sugar or liquid stevia, to taste 1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped out 1/4 tsp ground ...