Category Archives: Healthy recipes

Strawberry Banana Quinoa Smoothie (Vegan)

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Quinoa (pronounced as “keenwah”) is a seed that is harvested from the goosefoot plant. It is a great source of protein, fibre and many vitamins and minerals. You can eat it like a grain, use it in salads, stuffing, burger patties, or in this recipe, a smoothie! You have to first cook it, but it’s very easy to do.  

To cook quinoa

Makes about 2 cups

  1. Rinse 1/2 cup of quinoa under water (to remove bitter taste)
  2. Add 1 cup of water, cook on medium heat over stove
  3. Bring to boil, then turn heat down to low, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes
  4. Remove cover, let sit for about 10 minutes
  5. Fluff with a spatula, let cool

To make smoothie

Makes about 2-3 servings

  • 2 ripe frozen bananas (cut in chunks and freeze)
  • 200 g fresh strawberries
  • 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup sweetened almond milk or other non-dairy milk

Blend all ingredients together until smooth,serve immediately. Enjoy !

Dates Bars

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Dates are sweet, delicious and nutritious. They are a good source of fibre, vitamin B, iron and many more. Medjool dates are of better quality but I just used regular dried dates from the bulk section of a grocery store, and it came out fine. I actually prefer eating medjool dates on their own to fully enjoy the goodness. I got a box of Trader Joe’s medjool dates for X’mas from my friend and I munched them all within a week!

Makes about 16 squares
Total time = 75 minutes

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup demerara or brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 120 g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
  • 400 g pitted dates, diced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. In a mixing bowl, mix together oats, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt 
  3. Rub in butter with hands until resembles coarse crumbs
  4. Place half of crust in a 8 inch x 10 inch baking pan (or pan of choice) lined with greased parchment paper
  5. Press firmly and evenly
  6. Bake for about 15 minutes, let cool
  7. Meanwhile, cook dates and water in a non-stick pot over medium heat about 15 minutes until thickened
  8. Turn heat off, stir in vanilla and let cool slightly
  9. Spread dates paste evenly on top of baked crust
  10. Sprinkle remaining crust mixture (just a thin and even layer)
  11. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden
  12. Cool completely before cutting into squares

Homemade Granola

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Granola is so easy to make, even my eight year old daughter can almost do it all by herself (except using the oven) ! You can make it as simple as ours, or you can add more of your favourites. Eat it with milk, yoghurt and fresh fruits as a healthy breakfast or snack.

Makes about 2 cups
Total time = 30 minutes

  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 2 tablespoons demerara or brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup blanched almond slices
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 300°F
  2. Mix together oats, sugar, raisins and almonds
  3. Add oil, maple syrup and vanilla, mix well
  4. Place a thin and even layer on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
  5. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden, stirring once
  6. Cool and store in air-tight container for up to 2 weeks

Easy Raspberry Trifle

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Trifle is a dessert that usually consists of pound cake, fruits, jam, custard and whipped cream.  I changed it to a healthier and easier version by using yoghurt. For the cake base, I used a microwaved mug cake. You can bake your own cake or use a store-bought one.

Makes 3-4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes

For the mug cake

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 60 mL milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup self-rising flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  1. Coat inside of  mugs with 1 tablespoon melted butter
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter, vanilla extract and egg until blended (butter may still be warm, add egg at the end to prevent curdling)
  3. Add flour and salt, whisk until smooth
  4. Pour into mugs, no more than half full
  5. Microwave for about 90 seconds

For the trifle

  • 300-400 g mug cake or store-bought cake
  • 100 g fresh raspberries
  • 1/4 cup pure raspberry jam
  • 200 g vanilla flavoured Greek yoghurt
  1. Coarsely mash raspberries with fork, add jam, mix until blended
  2. Layer cake, raspberry mixture, yoghurt in desired container…..Dig in!

Honey Buns

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I made these buns last week and my parents absolutely love them ! My mom said they are much better than the ones she bought from a store. Thanks mom !  Actually, bread making is very easy, even if you don’t have a bread machine or a stand mixer. I actually find it easier to knead the dough with hands. It may be messier, but that’s the fun part, isn’t it? And the best part for my kids ? Punching the dough! Well, I like it too….especially when I need to release some stress ! These buns taste best when fresh out of the oven. Or you can keep them in an air-tight container for about 5 days, just toast them before serving.

Makes about 12 rolls

  • 4 g instant yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 3 cups bread flour (white or whole wheat or a mix of both)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs (1 slightly beaten for egg wash)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  1. Dissolve sugar in warm water, add yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes until frothy
  2. Put flour and salt in a big mixing bowl, gradually mix in 1 egg, yeast mixture, honey and oil with hands until dough starts to form
  3. Transfer to a floured surface, knead until smooth and stretchy
  4. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise for about 60 minutes or double in size (You can speed up the process by putting it in an not-preheated oven with a small pot of hot water on the lower rack. The moist and warm environment makes the dough rise quicker)
  5. Punch air out, cut dough into 12 equal pieces (about 80 g each)
  6. Shape pieces into balls, then place on a slightly greased baking dish
  7. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for another 60 minutes until double in size
  8. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  9. Brush top with egg wash
  10. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden

Sweet Potato Honey Muffins

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One of my goals this year is to use less sugar in my recipes without compromising flavours.  Japanese sweet potatoes have red skin and light yellow flesh.  They are a good source of vitamin A, C and dietary fibre. They taste very sweet, so you don’t really need to add much sweetener.  I only added some honey and they came out super tasty ! They are very healthy too !   

Makes about 10-12 muffins

  • 240 g mashed Japanese sweet potatoes
  • 1+1/4 cups cake and pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 240 mL milk
  • 100 g plain Greek yogurt
  • 6 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To prepare the sweet potato

  1. Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks
  2. Prick with a fork a few times
  3. Bake in an 400ºF oven until soft, about 45 minutes to 1 hour
  4. Peel and mash, cool and set aside

To make the muffins

  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside
  3. Blend mashed sweet potatoes, milk and honey to make a puree
  4. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until fluffy
  5. Mix in eggs, yoghurt, vanilla and sweet potato puree
  6. Add flour mixture, mix until just blended, do not over mix (it is fine if mixture is slightly lumpy)
  7. Pour batter into muffin tins lined with slightly greased paper or silicone muffin cups
  8. Bake for about 20-22 minutes

Cheesy Biscuits

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My daughter and I love sweets, and I have been posting mostly sweet treats on my blog, especially during the winter holidays. But my son has a salty tooth instead of a sweet one. He sometimes complains that I don’t make anything for him. So, this recipe is specifically for him! I haven’t forgotten about you, dear!

Makes about 15
Total time = 20 minutes

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt (or season to your own taste)
  • 2 stalks green onions,  finely chopped
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  1. Preheat oven to 450 °F
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder
  3. Add salt and green onions
  4. Pour in milk and vegetable oil, mix until blended, dough is quite sticky
  5. Stir in cheese
  6. Drop about 2 tablespoons each of dough on to cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart (just shape them roughly, don’t have to be smooth)
  7. Bake for about 10 minutes
  8. Serve warm with butter or cream cheese spread

Honey Roasted Cashews

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Cashew has always been my favourite nut. Whether is roasted or fried with chicken, I just can’t have enough of it. It is a good source of magnesium, iron, vitamin B6 and many more. However, it is also quite high in calories, so don’t eat too much at a time ……Well, it’s pretty hard with this recipe……

Total time = 10 minutes

  • 8 oz raw cashews
  • 1 + 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Toss cashews with oil, honey and salt
  3. Place  on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
  4. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden brown, stirring once in between

It can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

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There are so many recipes you can do with pumpkins, sweet or savory. They are not only for carving and making jack-o’-lantern ! Freshly made pumpkin puree tastes much better than canned and it costs less.  Use it to make your muffins, pies, cheesecakes, soup, etc.  You can also save the seeds and roast them with olive oil and salt for a healthy treat !

Makes about 2-3 cups puree

  • Two medium-sized pumpkins
  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF
  2. Wash pumpkins, cut stems off, scrape out seeds and fibre
  3. Cut pumpkins into large pieces
  4. Bake on baking sheets lined with parchment paper for about 45 minutes until fork-tender
  5. Remove skin, puree with blender

It can be stored in the fridge for up to one week.

The Climbing Bars (Healthy Granola Bars)

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I started doing indoor rock climbing with my 7 years old daughter about 4 months ago.  It is a wonderful sport for both kids and adults.  Not only does it get you physically active (very active indeed!) , it also helps to boost your self-confidence and perseverance.  Often after I climb or after any other kind of exercise, I get really hungry, but I don’t want to eat something too heavy. Granola bar is an excellent choice.  It gives you all the energy you need, and of course, homemade is always the best !

Makes about 30-40 mini bars
Total time = 40 minutes

  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup blanched almond slices
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup fancy molasses
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all dry ingredients 
  3. Add oil, molasses, egg and vanilla extract
  4. Mix all ingredients together using a wooden spoon or hand
  5. Pour into 7 inch x 11 inch baking pan (or any appropriate size you have) lined with parchment paper
  6. Press firmly and evenly 
  7. Bake for about 30 minutes, until edges start to turn brown
  8. Cut into bars when completely cool