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.

Muesli

As my husband and I were grocery shopping this weekend, he suggested getting some boxed muesli. But, I feel like I am getting ripped off when I buy it. So I told him I would come home and try to make it myself. It honestly took me 2 minutes to do! The ingredients can be swapped out for your favourite nuts/seeds/dried fruit, so experiment. I serve it either as a regular cereal with milk, or on top of yogurt.

3 cups steel cut oats
1/2 cup each sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, raisins and bran buds (or any other psyllium fibre)

Add all ingredients to a large ziploc bag, and shake well until it is mixed. It will stay fresh for a few weeks if the bag is sealed properly.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

We love chickpeas in this house. Seriously, we go through a few cans a week, and they go in just about everything we cook. They are a versatile bean that adds flavour and protein to a meal. So, to try something slightly different than I am used to doing with chickpeas, I roasted them. They were DELICIOUS! They get crunchy on the outside, and the spices add just enough flavour. We almost devoured an entire bowl in one sitting. Make extra of these, trust me, they won't go to waste.

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp paprika and cumin
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne
1 19oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

After the beans are rinsed and drained, place into a kitchen towel to get them as dry as possible. This is important. If the beans are still moist, they will not get crispy.

While the beans are drying, add olive oil, spices and salt to a bowl. Mix well. Add the beans, and stir until all the beans are evenly coated.

Place on a cookie sheet in an even layer. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the beans are crispy.

These will stay fresh in an air tight container for a couple of days...if they make it that long.

Salt and Pepper Almonds

My husband loves almonds, so I thought I would try this out for something different. They were surprisingly easy, and a great snack. We took them to a friends house, and they also agreed. Plus, they are in the slowcooker, so they are even easier!

1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups raw almonds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In a slowcooker, add all ingredients. Stir until all almonds are coated evenly. Cook for 1 1/2 hours on high, making sure to stir every half hour so that they don't burn. Remove from slowcooker and store in an airtight containger.

Tomato Stew

This is a very quick slowcooker/weekday meal. I think next time I will try it with fresh basil on top. The goats cheese adds just the right richness to the stew.

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup green beans, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn
1 19oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbsp goats cheese

Add all ingredients but goats cheese to the slowcooker. Cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3 hours. Add goats cheese, and continue to cook for 30 minutes.
I served it with toasted pita bread, but you can also put it on top of rice or pasta.