Tag Archives: healthy

Berries and Tofu Smoothie Bowl (Vegan)

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Over the past year, I have been trying to eat less meat and more plant-based proteins. I was never a big meat eater, so the transition was pretty easy. To me, the change has been beneficial, especially for my gut. I have a lot less indigestion and heartburn. Trying to cooperate these ingredients in recipes has been fun too. Tofu is my favourite, I mostly use it in savoury dishes or soups, but I can also make it into a simple and nutritious sweet treat, like this smoothie bowl ! You can use any berries and toppings of your choice. For a thicker smoothie, freeze some of the berries first. Look at the beautiful and vibrant colours ! It’s definitely a treat for your eyes and your tummy !  

Makes one serving

  • 150 g mixed berries (I used fresh raspberries, frozen blueberries and blackberries)
  • 150 g soft tofu
  • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to sweeten (optional)
  • Toppings of choice (other fruits, seeds and nuts)

Blend all ingredients together then add toppings 

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats 

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Happy New Year ! This is my very first post of 2018 ! Hope you all had a good winter break. So, what are your New Year’s resolutions ? I bet eating healthier is one of them. For someone who loves sweets like myself, it can be a little tricky. I don’t want to refrain myself from sugar totally, but yet feel guilty at times having too much sugar. Everything in moderation I guess…..I do cook and bake at home as much as I can, trying to avoid the unnecessary additives. Luckily my kids, especially my daughter, also enjoy cooking. One day during her winter break, her friend came over and they made lunch together ! Not just a simple sandwich, but some impressive cheeseburgers, fettuccine Alfredo and Caesar salad from scratch ! And they didn’t need much of my help, I was just the cleaning lady ! The food tasted fantastic and the girls had so much fun. That’s a way better activity than playing video games ! 

Getting back to my “trying to be healthy” recipe…..Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats ! It’s yummy and super easy to make ! See this picture……..

That’s all you need ! So enjoy ! (BTW, my daughter and I were so excited when we found out how to do this illustrative picture ! We learned something new again !)  

Makes 1 serving 

  • 1/4 cup quick oats
  • 2 teaspoons chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder 
  • 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter 
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup 
  • 1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
  • 1/2 banana
  1. Mix all ingredients, except banana, in a mason jar
  2. Refrigerate overnight 
  3. Place banana pieces on top just before serving 

Carrot Spelt Muffins with Maple Roasted Pecans (Vegan)

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I guess by now everyone knows I love to bake.  Not only do I like to eat sweets, but I also get intrigued by how different ingredients work or not work together and the Science behind it. Yes, baking is an edible Science experiment ! And I have so much fun with these “Science projects” !  Vegan baking is even more interesting ! You don’t have your eggs to bind things together, you don’t have your dairy nor butter for nice creamy texture and rich flavours.  But there are actually many great alternatives and I realize I have a lot more to learn. This is the first time I bake with spelt flour. It can be used instead of whole wheat flour. It has a finer texture and a milder taste which I like.  For the roasted pecans, you won’t need the whole batch for the muffins, save the rest for a healthy snack !

Makes about 12 muffins

For the roasted pecans 

  • 100 g pecans
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup 
  • 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Pinch of salt 
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Coat pecans with rest of ingredients 
  3. Bake for about 10 minutes, stirring once in between Maple Roasted Pecans

For the muffins

  • 225 g spelt flour
  • 1+1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  • 60 g demerara or brown sugar 
  • 150 g unsweetened apple sauce 
  • 120 mL vegetable oil 
  • 60 mL unsweetened almond milk 
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup 
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
  • 200 g grated carrots 
  • 30 g maple roasted pecans, crushed 
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon 
  3. Mix in sugar 
  4. Stir in other wet ingredients
  5. Stir in grated carrots 
  6. Spoon into lightly greased paper or silicone muffin cups (you can fill them up a little fuller, as they don’t rise as much)
  7. Sprinkle crushed maple pecans on top 
  8. Bake in muffin tins for 25-30 minutes Carrot Spelt Muffins with Maple Roasted Pecans (Vegan)

Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds

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After indulging myself over Christmas and New Year, I guess it’s time to make something a little healthier! Chia seed pudding has been on my “to make” list for quite a while, but I’ve been pushing it back. Somehow I associate the word “pudding” with something soft and creamy, not seedy and chewy.  So I ended up making this overnight oats.  It was really yummy, and to my surprise, my daughter loved it ! This is another recipe that can have so many variations. My ratio is roughly, 1 part oats, 2 parts milk and 1/4 part chia seeds, then add sweetener, and toppings.  It makes a great breakfast, or for me, a snack after my morning run !  

Makes 1 serving

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened milk of choice (I used almond and coconut milk)
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • toppings of choice, e.g. banana, berries, shredded coconut, almond slices, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc
  1. Combine milk, oats, chia seeds and sweetener in a bowl or a mason jar  
  2. Stir well, cover and refrigerate overnight
  3. Add toppings when ready to serveOvernight Oats with Chia Seeds

 

 

 

Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-free)

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Our family is very lucky. None of us have any food allergies, intolerance, special diet or restrictions.  I do have many friends or their kids who cannot eat nuts, shell-fish, dairy or gluten. Cooking or eating out can be very challenging for them.  These restrictions, however, have given me opportunities to try new ingredients. This is my first time using coconut flour to bake. It is gluten-free, high in fibre and protein, and low in carbohydrates. It is very absorbent, so you cannot make a cup-to-cup substitution with grain-based flour. For every cup of all-purpose flour, you only need about 1/4-1/3 cup of coconut flour. You would also need more eggs, about 2 eggs per 1/3 cup of coconut flour. These cookies are soft, chewy and much healthier than regular chocolate chip cookies. So we can eat more and feel a little less guilty! 

Makes about 12-14 cookies 

  • 40 g coconut flour (about 1/3 cup)
  • 60 g brown sugar 
  • Pinch of salt 
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten 
  • 60 mL coconut oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
  • 50 g semi-sweet chocolate chips 
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Mix together brown sugar, eggs, coconut oil and vanilla 
  3. Add coconut flour and salt, stir until dough is formed (Mixture may look very runny at the beginning, but as you stir, the coconut flour will absorb the liquid)
  4. Stir in chocolate chips
  5. Roll dough into one inch balls, place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, then gently flattened each ball (these cookies don’t really spread, they remain pretty much the same shape before and after baking)
  6. Bake for about 12 minutes 

Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

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 !

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