Kale Chips

I have heard of these so many times before, but assumed that they wouldn't be something I liked. I was wrong! Within 30 minutes of making these, they have all been devoured! My daughter thinks that they are the best treat, and they are great for satisfying a craving for something salty.

The ingredients for this aren't exact because it really depends on the size of your bunch of kale

1 bunch kale, washed,stems removed and chopped into about 2 inch peices
Olive oil, maybe 1 1/2 tbsp?
Sprinkle of sea salt

Preheat your oven to 375.

Wash and cut kale. Make sure that the kale is fully dried. I found using a salad spinner works best. Also, make sure you remove all the stems and discard. They won't get crispy in the oven, and will just get soggy once you cook them.

Place the kale onto a large cookie sheet. Add olive oil and salt. Mix around with your hands until the kale is evenly coated. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the kale is crispy.

Wait a few minutes for the kale to cool, and then dig in!

Dark Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

These granola bars are quite crunchy. They are not the chewy type bar that you get in grocery stores.
In our household, we could not get enough of them! They are absolutely delicious! You can always substitute the chocolate chips and coconut for other ingredients, such as seeds, dried fruit etc. Be creative.

2 cups oats
3 tbsp spelt flour
¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
½ cup dark chocolate chips
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup agave syrup

Preheat oven to 325 F.
In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, coconut, chocolate chips and sea salt. Stir until combined. In a small bowl combine oil vanilla and agave syrup. Mix well.
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Press into a 13x9 pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool for about 10 before removing from the pan. Cut and serve.

Green Goddess Dressing

This is great on a salad, or just as a dip with veggies. It is very light and fresh. It is unbelievably easy to make, and I don't think I will ever buy one out of a jar again. Try it with different herbs, but make sure they are fresh. Dried herbs won't give it the same flavour.

1 cup fresh herbs (I used parsley, basil and dill)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic

In a blender, combine all ingredients. You're done!

Crunchy Granola

In our household, granola is a must! We eat it for breakfast with milk, on top of yogurt, as a snack by itself – you name it. So I thought I would experiment with some ingredients that I had in the pantry, and I think I’ve found a great combination that is really tasty, and super crunchy – which I love.
This recipe makes about 4 cups. But next time, I would double it because it will be gone before you know it.

Dry ingredients
2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup uncooked buckwheat (can be found near the dried beans in the grocery store)
1/3 cup each sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sliced almonds

Wet ingredients
5 tbsp each agave syrup and maple syrup (can substitute honey if you want)
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup oil
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt

1 cup coconut - added at the end of cooking

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
Place onto a lined cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Once it has cooled, add the coconut, and store in a large container.

Pizza Muffins

I am always looking for quick snacks for my daughter, and this is such a great solution. They are packed with veggies, full of whole grains, and very filling. I made them into mini-muffins, so I put them in the oven for a couple minutes less than the 20 minutes that are recommended. Just keep an eye on them because I find mini-muffins burn fast.
My daugter's response when I gave her one, was "more"! And when I gave her another one - "more"! Needless to say, they were a hit in this house.

3 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup egg whites (or 2 whole eggs)
1 1/3 cup skim milk
5 tbsp olive oil
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 10oz package frozen spinach, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped
3 basil leaves, finely chopped
¾ cup your favourite marinara sauce
½ cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk and oil. Add to the flour mixture. Mix in spinach, red peppers and basil. Pour evenly into a 12-cup muffin tin. Top each muffin with a spoonful of marinara and mozzarella cheese (before baking the muffins).
Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cauliflower Soup

One of my daughter’s favourite foods is soup. I could put anything into a soup, and she would gobble it down. So I thought I would try to make a healthier version of cream of cauliflower soup. She couldn’t get enough of it!

6 cups cauliflower, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tbsp olive oil
1 litre vegetable stock
½ cup red lentils
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parmesan or Asiago cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, bake the cauliflower, onion and garlic for about 40 minutes.
Add cauliflower, onion and garlic to the stock, and add the red lentils. Cook for approximately 15 minutes more. When the cauliflower is soft, it is done. Puree until smooth. Top with fresh asiago or parmesan cheese.

Black Bean Tacos (similar to fish tacos)

When we were on a recent vacation, my husband fell in love with fish tacos. I came home, and tried to replicate these for him, but in a vegetarian version. They turned out really good, and were so simple and easy to make. To be honest, they took about 10 minutes to make (and even less time to eat)!

6 soft corn taco shells
1 19oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp cumin
4 cups cabbage, finely sliced
Juice of one lime
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 avocado, sliced
1 cup salsa

In a medium bowl, combine beans and cumin. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, combine cabbage, lime juice and cilantro.
To assemble tacos, do a layer of black beans on a taco shell, followed by some of the cabbage mix, and top with the avocado and salsa. Enjoy!

Tortellini Soup

This soup is so good! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the end result was fantastic! When getting a pre-made tortellini, have a look at the ingredients. Make sure that it is whole grain, and that there aren’t any ingredients on the package that you can’t pronounce. If possible, get an organic brand, but if that isn’t available, there are plenty out there that work well. Fresh tortellini can usually be found in the deli section of your grocery store.

1 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 litre vegetable stock
1 19oz can diced tomatoes, liquid included
5oz fresh, whole wheat tortellini, cheese flavoured (these come in different size packages, so choose one that is about 5oz)
5oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
8-10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Fresh Parmesan cheese for topping

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add stock, and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook for half the cooking time stated on the package. Add in all other ingredients, and continue cooking until the tortellini is cooked. Top with fresh parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Dip (for apples)

My daughter loves apples! She also loves dips. So, I thought I would combine these two favourites of hers into a pumpkin dip for apples. This is very smooth, and great for a quick snack. It does make quite a bit of dip, but don’t worry, it won’t last long...

1 15oz can of pureed pumpkin
½ cup each light cream cheese, plain yogurt and agave syrup
1/8 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well. Serve with apples or any other fruit.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are flourless, and unbelievably good! Next time I will probably try almond butter instead of peanut butter to change it up. They are so easy to make!

2 cups all natural, unsweetened peanut butter
1 tsp baking powder
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar cane (I used a little less, but 1 cup is what should be used)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chocolate chips. Place in balls on a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 18 minutes.

Makes approximately 18 cookies. If you want smaller cookies, then take a few minutes off of the cooking time.

Mixed Berry Lemonade

When it is hot out, as it has been here, this is a perfect drink! My daughter can't get enough of it either.

Juice of 2 lemons
1/3-2/3 cup agave syrup (or to taste)
2 cups frozen mixed berries
1 litre cold water
Extra ice if desired

Combine all ingredients in a blender, puree and serve. It's that simple!

Summer Sangria

This recipe doesn't have a huge amount of alchohol in it. You could certainly add more of the liqueur if you want. This is a great summer drink for sitting on the patio at a bbq. Very fruity and easy to drink!



1 Bottle of red wine (any will do)
Juice of 2 oranges
1 cup peach juice
1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup Agave nectar
3 cups sparkling water or club soda
½ cup orange flavoured liqueur (optional)

Combine all ingredients into a large pitcher, and stir. Let it refrigerate over-night at least, 24 hours is ideal.

Bean and Rice Fiesta Salad

1 cup brown rice, cooked according to package directions
1 19oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced tomatoes
3 green onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice
¾ cup frozen corn, thawed
Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well. Let it refrigerate for a couple of hours so that the flavours really come out.

Cottage Cheese Gnocchi

I was surprised at how easy this was to make. I was inspired by a cooking show I watched, so I tried it out, adding my own twist to the ingredients. It has a lot of protein in it, so it is very filling.

3 cups cottage cheese, strain out as much liquid as possible.
2 cups spelt flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg
2 egg whites
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp olive oil

Leave the cottage cheese in a strainer for a couple of hours to get out as much liquid as possible.

After the cheese has been strained, boil a large pot of salted water.
In a food processor, blend cottage cheese. Add all other ingredients but olive oil. Do not over-mix, as the gnocchi will be chewy.

Place blended ingredients into a Ziploc bag, as you would in a pastry bag. Squeeze the dough into one of the corners, and then cut the corner of the bag with scissors. Squeeze one centimeter pieces of dough through the corner and cut with a paring knife, directly into the boiling water. Once all the gnocchi have been cut, cook for 3 minutes. Strain, and add the olive oil so that they don’t stick together.

Top with a marinara sauce and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Tomato Soup with a spicy twist

This isn’t really my recipe. A friend of mine brings it to work all the time, and so I tried it at home, and it is so good. It has just enough spice and flavor to satisfy your hunger.

24oz can of diced tomatoes
19 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup dried red lentils.
6 cups fresh spinach
1 tbsp cumin, cinnamon and paprika
1 litre vegetable stock
1 diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced

In a large pot, sauté onions, garlic and spices for a few minutes. Add all other ingredients. Cook for about 20-30 minutes. Puree and serve.