Healthy Pumpkin Bread with Whole-Wheat
An easy yet rich and warm pumpkin spiced loaf with molasses. It’s the perfect snack to serve with a tea, or an on-the-go breakfast.
Tag: healthy
Whole-Wheat Vegan Zucchini Muffin
A muffin that has it all – a warm cinnamon flavour, perfectly moist batter, crunchy topping and all healthy ingredients to boot!
Roasted Curried Cauliflower and Zucchini
Roasted Curried Cauliflower and Zucchini became one of our favourite anti-candida meals during our candida cleanse. It’s an excellent low-carb yet nutrient-packed dish. You can serve it as a side, or as an entrée when placed atop a bed of lettuce or rice. Plus, it’s effortless and fast to prepare.
- Wash and chop vegetables
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl
- Roast on BBQ (30 min) or in the oven (45 min)
- Sprinkle your favourite garnishes like hemp seeds, fresh herbs, or legumes on top for added flavour and nutrition.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a good source of vitamin C, folate (B9), and potassium. It has a mild taste when cooked but absorbs flavour, like curry, very well.
It’s a non-starchy, cruciferous vegetable, along with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale. They contain sulforaphane and isothiocyanates. Cruciferous vegetables boast of their position in the top three of Harvard Health’s Superfoods list. This is primarily because they are believed to have cancer-fighting capabilities. Thus, we should eat ’em up!
Zucchini
Zucchini, aka summer squash, is a liquid-heavy fruit containing up to 90% water. Therefore, it is an excellent food to eat in the summer months when the heat of the day tends to dehydrate.
Zucchini skins soften when cooked, so there is no need to peel them off. They contain impressive levels of anti-oxidants, most of which are concentrated in the peel. The Potential Role of Carotenoids as Antioxidants in Human Health and Disease has been researched. Carotenoids— such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, are antioxidants that seem to fight against chronic disorders such as cancer, cardiovascular or photosensitivity disorders.
Zucchini skins offer many health benefits. One cup of cooked zucchini offers up to 40% of vitamin A, which is necessary for your immune system and vision.
Curry
Curry powder is a combination of several spices, namely:
- Cardamom
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Dry mustard
- Turmeric
- Cayenne powder
- Ground ginger
- Black pepper
It has strong anti-inflammatory properties, therefore, it can lower triglyceride levels and may help to fight prostate, breast, colon, and brain cancers.
Roasted Curried Cauliflower and Zucchini
A flavourful blend of curried vegetables that can be served as an entrée on top of a bed of rice or greens, or a side dish.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat either oven or BBQ to approx. 400°F
- Chop and dice each ingredient as described, and combine in a large mixing bowl
- Place the contents on a parchment paper covered baking sheep or BBQ safe pan or mat. Roast for approximately 45 minutes in oven or 30 minutes on BBQ, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
- Serve hot or cold as a side dish, or on top of a bed of greens or rice as an entrée. Sprinkle fresh herbs and seeds on top to garnish and provide extra nutrients and protein.
Bon appétit!
Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Tart
A healthy, homemade ice cream tart that is the perfect snack or dessert for a hot summer day. Easy and fast to make, yet SO delicious.
Blueberry Banana Kale Shake
This shake is a powerhouse of plant-based nutrients. Similar to the other shakes on our site we focus on the nutritional content, because we want you getting your body starting off on the right fuel.
Apple Crisp
This nutty apple crisp has a fun citrus twist! It is fast, easy to make and very nutritious. If you love a topping-heavy crisp, this will be your dream come true. Make it a special treat by serving it in some dainty dishes, like the cute teacups we used.
It’s Fast
You’re often racing the clock when pulling apple crisp together, trying to beat the browning of the apples. Yet… isn’t peeling them precisely what adds time? Solution: don’t peel the apples!
If I’m honest, the first time I had unpeeled apples in a crisp I thought my friend was being kind of lazy. Who doesn’t peel the apples? BUT, by the end of the bowl I was in a new world. I simply loved the texture difference of a soft apple with the peel! It reminded me of one of my favourite desserts as a kid – baked apples. Yum.
It’s Nutty
Many people are surprised at the variety of flavour and textures when they munch on this crisp. The recipe calls for almonds, walnuts and pecans, although no is going to hold you to those three. If you have an allergy to nuts, try swapping them out with sunflower and pumpkin seeds. There will still be added protein and nutritional value to whatever nuts and seeds you have on hand.
It’s Nutritious
We’ve all heard the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Most of us have also heard that the bulk of nutrients are in the peel. But are they?
Flavonoids are a type of antioxidant, and apples contain them in the peel. Higher levels are generally found in darker, redder and bluer coloured ones. Quercetin is a type of flavonoid found in apples and is beneficial in reducing inflammation as well as strengthening the immune system. You can read a study on it here.
Apples contain bioactive phytochemicals, which is simply a fancy term that means there are elements in them that can help you be healthier. You don’t need them to stay alive, but don’t we all wish both quantity AND quality of life? Moral is, eat apples.
Apples are a source vitamin C, potassium and dietary fibre.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a large bowl, add and mix the dry ingredients for the topping, including lemon zest.
- Mix the oil in next until it has evenly coated everything. This is an important step as areas without oil will have a tendency to burn.
- Pour in the maple syrup. Note: if I am making this for my father-in-law (God bless him) I will add an extra 1/2 cup of maple syrup to satisfy his sweet palate preferences.
- Cut and core the apples into large chunks. The larger the chunks, the longer baking will take. I often cut different sized chunks for various textures within the crisp. The peel is packed with fiber and flavonoids, so why not keep it along with all those nutrients? This is a big time-saver when making a crisp, too. Read below for health information on apples.
- Add the lemon juice, maple syrup and cinnamon.
- Cover a 9X13 pan in parchment paper, spread the apple mix along the base and cover evenly with the crisp topping.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes. When entertaining, I bake mine during dinner and it’s usually finished and hot at just the perfect time. Serve as is, or with a healthy ice cream.
Bon appétit!
Read more about apple nutrition in these articles: