Spaghetti squash is NOT spaghetti lol!

It’s a winter squash that resembles spaghetti when cooked, but it’s not the same taste as real pasta;) I don’t make this to replace pasta, (mainly because it’s not super filling) so I make this as a side-dish. My background is Italian and so spaghetti is spaghetti and squash is squash;) This is tasty way to enjoy this variety of squash along with garlic and olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 1 spagetti squash
• 4-5 cloves garlic
•  1 cup minced kale (any variety)
•  olive oil
• sea salt
• 1 tsp organic butter
• grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. slice squash vertically, remove seeds and bake faced down for 40 min. at 400f
2. place aside and let cool
3. in a pan over your stovetop, sauté 4-5 cloves of minced garlic in 2 tbs olive oil
4. add 1 cup minced kale and all spaghetti squash into your pan of garlic
5. top with salt and pepper (to taste)
6. add 1 tsp butter and sauté well for a few minutes (add more olive oil if you wish)
7. place everything in your dish and top with grated parmesan cheese

A perfect breakfast or afternoon snack, this cake loaded with goodness! I use oats for a lot of my baking because not only are they economical, but they are loaded with fiber and taste great in baked goods. This cake can be made into muffins and so it’s really a matter of preference. This cake is vegan, gluten-free and school-safe.

Please note: It’s not very sweet, but if you prefer to make it a bit sweeter please add more maple-syrup;)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten-free organic rolled or quick oats
• 1 cup arrowroot flour/powder
•  3 ripe or overripe bananas
•  3 flax eggs (flax-meal + water)
• 1 tbs cinnamon
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or liquid honey
• 1 tsp baking soda (aluminum-free)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 2 apples (golden delicious preferably) sliced and 1 pear for cake topping

Directions:

1. in a bowl create 3 flax-eggs by mixing 1 tbs flax-meal to 3 water (stir well and let sit 10 min)
2. using a blender/food processor blend 2 cups of oats into a flour
3. add 1 cup arrowroot flour
4. add 1 teaspoon baking soda and cinnamon
5. add ripe bananas
6. add 1/3 cup either honey or maple syrup
7. lastly, add the jelly-like flax-meal and continue blending until ingredients are well mixed
8. Stir in 2 sliced apples and place in glass baking tray
9. top with sliced pears down the center and bake no more than 30 minutes at 350f and set aside 10 min. to cool before serving

Here’s my take on a veggie chili. A nutritious, iron and fiber-rich and filling dinner for the family! I love to sneak in greens where I can, and since there’s so much tomato sauce along with the burst of corn,  the kids don’t even notice the greens;) Make this in batches and freeze for future use. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do:)

Ingredients:

• 3 cup lentils
• 3 cups tomato sauce
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup frozen organic corn
• 2 1/2 cups fresh OR frozen organic kale
• salt/pepper/chili powder
• olive oil

Directions:

1. 2 cups lentils boiled in water + 1 tbs salt and 1 whole clove garlic. Boil and reduce to medium heat for 30 min.
2. in a separate pot sauté one whole finely chopped onion and 2 cloves garlic. Once golden, add 3 cups fresh jarred tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Lower to medium heat and simmer for 30 min.
3. once ready, add cooked lentils to tomato sauce
4. add kale and corn
5. add 4 tbs olive oil (salt/pepper/chili powder to taste)
6. stir well and allow all to simmer another 10-15 min. and enjoy!

Farro is an amazing ancient grain from the wheat family thats high in fiber, protein and trace minerals. It has an awesome taste and is absolutely delicious for any salad base. It’s pretty simple to make, and I sort of feel like it’s a cross between rice and wheat berries (although not gluten-free).

If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend you do because it’s THAT delicious!!

Ingredients:

• farro
• arugula
•  cheese of choice
•  olive oil
• salt and pepper
• balsamic vinegar (optional)

Directions:

1. add one to two cups farro, 1-2 tbs salt and cover with water and bring to a heavy boil
2. lower to medium heat and let boil for a minimum of 30 min. or until it reaches your preferred texture
3. add cheese of choice
4. salt/pepper and olive oil/balsamic vinegar to taste

Roasted butternut squash soup is one of my favourite soups of ALL time!

This Fall/Winter soup is perfect to have on hand for lunch or dinner along with your favourite bread,  so I always recommend making a big batch of it.

Butternut squash provides an ample source of vitamins that aid in boosting our immunity. It’s important to add these rich  coloured veggies consistently in our diet and get our kids used to eating the rainbow. This soup is easy to make, so deliciously warming during the colder months, and just plain good for you!!

We all make roasted butternut squash soup differently, and I can’t say there’s a wrong way, but I’m sharing how i’ve always made it in this simple recipe below. It may seem odd for some you to see that I do add fruit to this soup, but I think it compliments the squash well, making it even more flavourful.

I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do;)

Ingredients:

•  4 cups filtered water (to boil)
• 4 tbs olive oil
•  2 cloves garlic
•  1 or 2 apples (any variety except granny smith) peeled cut in 4
• 1 small onion (cut in 4)
• 1 tbs salt
• pepper (taste)
• 2 medium sized butternut squash (to bake)

Directions:

1. in a medium size pot, add 4 cups water, 1 tbs salt, 2 apples, 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic
2. bring all the above to a boil and lower to medium heat until apples are completely soft (10-15 min.)
3. leaving the rind on, wash and slice 2 butternut squash vertically (making 4 halves), remove seeds and place facing down on your baking tray
4. while apples are boiling, bake your squash at 400f for 45min or longer until a fork can easily push through the squash
5. once baked, scrape out all 4 halves of squash and place in your food processor (or large pot if using a hand blender instead)
6. slowly add the boiled water along with the apple/onion/garlic to the large pot with the squash or to your food processor
7. whichever small appliance you choose, be sure to blend all contents well until the soup is a smooth and slippery texture
8. garnish with rosemary/thyme/parsley or add your favourite roasted nuts/seeds overtop

Delicata squash is my new fav squash to make! Ever since I tried it, I was hooked! It’s soooo delicious and super simple to prep.

The interesting thing about this type of winter squash is that it has a delicate rind unlike the other varieties which means you can eat it!! This makes life a lot easier because you literally just have to slice it, remove the seeds and place it on your baking tray. This squash can be seasoned with either sweet or savoury toppings (all depends what you’re in the mood for).  Squash in general is naturally on the sweeter side so it’s nice to contrast it with some salty flavours.

Squash is a great source of Vitamins A & C so it’s essential to your immunity to load up on coloured veggies like these during cold and flu season. I used protein and antioxidant-rich nutritional yeast and Vitamin E rich wheat-germ (think healthy hair and skin during these dry Winter months) to make this dish even more nutritionally dense. While I am not a vegan, nutritional yeast can be used as a great substitute for parmesan cheese. If you’ve never tried nutritional yeast before, I promise you’ll enjoy it in this dish!

Here’s my super simple recipe below and there is no way you can mess this up! Add a little more or a little less of any of these ingredients and it will still taste so good!!

Ingredients:

• 1 delicata squash
• dried thyme
• wheat germ (about 4 tbs)
• nutritional yeast OR (parmesan cheese) (4 tbs)
•  olive oil
• sea salt & pepper

Directions:

1. wash and slice squash (remove seeds)
2. place on baking tray
3. drizzle olive oil over all slices
4. add salt & pepper to taste
5. sprinkle wheat germ (about 4 tbs)
6. sprinkle nutritional yeast OR parmesan cheese (being sure to sprinkle over each slice)
7. add thyme throughout
8. bake at @400f for 35-40min.

The minute the weather changes here in Canada, is the minute my salads change to soups! I love hearty (and pun intended) heart-healthy and filling soups during the colder months. Soups are simple to make and easy to re-heat. There isn’t much prep that goes into this soup, however, all good food requires a bit of effort;)

As I’ve mentioned in some other recipes, I always prefer to purchase dried beans and soak them over night prior to cooking. Not only is this a necessary step when using dried beans, but it’s much healthier for your body to digest them this way. Apart from spit-peas and lentils, all other dried varieties need to be soaked.

Beans do take awhile to cook, but if you make big batches you can use them throughout the week for multiple recipes that you can later freeze. If you want to totally skip the bean-prep step, of course you can buy canned or jarred (more preferable).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pearl barley to 6 cups water
• Salt + pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 carrots finely chopped
• 1 whole small white onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 3 cups chopped kale
• 2 cups navy beans (canned or jarred)

Directions:

• Bring 2 cups pearl barley and 1 tbs salt to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 25-30 min.
• In a separate pan drizzle olive oil, adding garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat until slightly brown
• Add 2 carrots and kale and drizzle more olive oil
• Add salt and pepper
• Sauté until carrots are softened and kale is cooked
• Once barley is fully cooked add kale and carrots and beans to barley
• Add 1-2 cups of water or veggie broth if you prefer more liquid
• Stir and enjoy!

Breakfast, lunch or snack…here’s a quick and yummy protein packed muffin!

This recipe is lacto-ovo vegetarian not vegan, meaning it contains both eggs and dairy.  I always prefer to use organic eggs and dairy products when I need them for a specific meal.  If you are dairy-free just swap the same serving amount of cheese and milk for your dairy-free preferences that best suit your needs. This recipe is gluten/wheat-free.

I’ve baked these in both paper cups and re-usable silicone cups, and they came out to perfection in the silicone cups!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup organic whole milk
• 1 cup aged cheddar or swiss cheese (grated)
•  5 organic eggs
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 white onion chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped kale (any variety)
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. crack eggs and pour into a medium size bowl
2. add milk and beat with a whisk or fork until blended
3. add cornmeal and continue to whisk
4. add oil/salt/pepper
5. add all veggies
6. stir everything well
7. line muffin tray with silicone cups
8. pour mixture in each cup
9. bake @350f for 30min. let cool and enjoy!!

Tuna is usually something I crave during the warmer months, however, it’s such an easy and quick way to get a great dose of protein, vitamin D and heart/brain healthy omega-3 fatty acids. All essential nutrients during those long winter months!

When it comes to prepared tuna, I really prefer high-quality tuna thats prepared in jars versus the canned variety. If you only have canned tuna available in your local grocery store,  be sure to find one that’s packaged in extra virgin olive oil or water versus soybean and or other oils. Cans contain aluminum and since tuna sits on shelves for a long period of time, try to minimize your exposure and by limiting the number of canned foods you ingest.

Here’s a great simple kale salad with all the Italian flavours!

Ingredients:

• green curly kale
• fresh cherry tomatoes
•  black dried Italian olives
•  red onion
• jarred Italian tuna
• olive oil
• sea salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. wash, pat dry and remove stems from kale
2. lay on a flat baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and fine salt
3. bake @350f for 12 minutes until crispy
4. add to serving plate
5. slice onion and cherry tomatoes and add sparingly
6. add desired amount of tuna
7. drizzle olive oil and add pepper (tuna and the kale is already salted and so extra salt isn’t necessary)
8. serve with your favourite bread (warmed)

I’ve used chickpeas in recipes before to make cookies and bites, but i’m now using chickpea flour in some of my baked goods as an alternative to other flours.

Please note that chickpea flour has a mildly bitter aftertaste which differs from using cooked chickpeas which are naturally sweet tasting.  That being said, if you need this recipe to be sweeter, add a bit more honey or maple syrup (see below in directions).

I’ve made these muffins a few different ways, experiementing with coconut oil, olive oil,  applesauce or using two bananas and no oil at all.  This recipe is pretty forgiving and so with or without oil the change in taste wasn’t drastic at all! I’m pretty sure the chocolate chips help with that;)

The only thing you MUST do, is let the chia seeds sit for at least 10 minutes in water for them to form before adding/blending it into your mixture. These muffins are great for breakfast on-the-go, snacks for yourself or your kids or even as a healthy dessert. While they are delicious on their own, they are also great warmed with a nut-butter of your choice overtop.

This recipe is vegan and school-safe

 Ingredients:

• 3 tbs chia seeds to 9 tbs water
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free organic quick or rolled oats
• 1 cup organic chickpea flour
• 1 OR 2 overripe bananas (depending if you’re adding oil or not)
• 1/3-1/2 cup liquid honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp organic baking soda
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil OR 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup vegan chunky chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand)

Directions:

• in a small bowl mix the chia seeds and water well and set aside for a minimum of 10 minutes
• in your blender or food processor blend: oats, chickpea flour and baking soda until oats become a flour-like texture
• add one ripe banana (the browner the better) or 2 if you’re deleting the oil and or applesauce
• add applesauce or coconut oil and the honey or maple syrup (please note if you prefer this sweeter, use 1/2 cup instead of a 1/3 of a cup. Personally 1/3 of a cup was fine for me since the chocolate chips add ample sweetness)
• finally, once the chia-seeds have formed into a gel-like texture, add them to your mixture and blend all
• fill muffin cups with the batter and add 4-5 chunky chocolate chips in each muffin (be sure to push them into the dough) OR you’re welcome to stir in your desired amount of chocolate chips beforehand.
• bake at 350f 10-12 minutes (do not over bake)
• this recipe makes 12 muffins