Posted in gluten free, Health, Recipe, Snack, Vegan on Jan 18th, 2012
There are many snacks out there that claim to be healthy, but in reality they’re not as virtuous as they seem. What’s a health-conscious snacker to do? Eat roasted chickpeas, of course! These delicious nibblies are crunchy, flavourful and full of beneficial nutrients.
Posted in Happiness, Health, Inspiration, Recipe, Wellbeing, Wellness, Whole Food on Jan 9th, 2012
I told you I had a Thai inspired New Years feast. This dish was the shining star of the night- next to me of course. (Joking. Only joking). Thai food had once been my extra super favourite in the whole world. It was also one of the first things I knew I couldn’t eat anymore. The last time I had Thai food from a restaurant, I was doubled over in such horrible toot cramps that I swore I would never eat it again. After doing the research I needed to do to create this recipe, I now know why. I knew that Thai food was loaded with sugar, but holly smokaroondles, I didn’t know there was that much sugar. Seriously. The combo of vinegar and sugar is a perfect recipe to create the biggest toot bomb to ever be ballooned in the belly… not to mention suspect fish sauce. Not to worry my Thai food lovers. I am here for you. I have you covered with this gem. Last week when we rocked the mango salad, I talked about my (now embarrassing) discovery of Sambal (seriously- how did you all know about it and I didn’t), so I thought I’d share some info on another ingredient that I have had before but never bought before. This one will for sure be knew to a few of you… at least I hope so.
Posted in Health, Holistic, Recipe, Salad, Smart Choices, Wellbeing, Whole Food on Jan 5th, 2012
My sweet mango pies! It seems like eons upon eons since I offered you fresh off the skillet (or in this case, fresh out of the spiral slicer) recipe for you. It actually has been. Well the next few that I have for you are uber awesome treats. For New Year’s eve, the man was feeling a tad under the weather and the yoga evening I had wanted to join was all full up. Instead I decided to cook up the best ever from scratch dinner. The inspiration started with these treats we had on Kauai- tofu potstickers. I’ll get to those next week. In order to fill out the meal- there needed to be more. So I scooted along the Thai theme until I came up with two other dishes. Green mango salad was one of them. As I was researching recipes and dressings, I came across an ingredient I had never heard of before. I love when that happens. Even after doing this for five years, I love that I still get to keep exploring and discobering. It’s a bit like being a painter and discovering a new colour exists and then you want to go back to all of your past paintings and splash it on. The ingredient that kept popping up was sambal oelek. You know it? When I first read it, I was all negative nelly thinking I was going to have to run around the city trying to track this down. Sambal is really just a blend of chili peppers. I never actually use is a chilis because of the time I nearly exploded my whole face.
Posted in Cleansing, Health, Inspiration, Nutrition, Recipe, Smart Choices, Wellbeing, Wellness on Jan 3rd, 2012
We’re busy bees in the kitchen today- or more accurately, on our computers as we manage your Q’s with our A’s and all the deets and registrations for our Fab Detox. Yep. It goes on sale today at 10:00am EST and we have just 45 spots available. We sold out on our pre-registration in just 24 hours and we expect the same to happen today. Remember- $79 when you buy today, up to $89 if you hum and haw and wait until tomorrow (and there may not even be any left). Back in November we sold out in a crazy five hours! Now, on with the show. I cooked up a storm for our New Year’s eve dinner with three amazing brand new recipes that I will be sharing soon. For now, though, I will share a little post-holiday detox juicing loving. This drink is a treat and a half whether you are in post-holiday recovery mode, ready to get started on your Fab Detox adventure or just want some new smoothie or juicing inspiration.
Posted in Dips, Happiness, Health, Holistic, Raw, Smart Choices, Wellness, Whole Food on Dec 14th, 2011
After reading Meghanʼs blog post, Iʼm sure you all want the dirt on what us CNEʼers made. Iʼm up first! Since Iʼve been Fab Detoxing the past couple of weeks, I figured it was only appropriate to tie that into my presentation. So here you have it, my Detox Guac. I make this all the time, actually Iʼm pretty much famous for it. My friends call it my signature dish. In university I would eat it every other day for lunch with a toasted whole wheat pita or even right out of the bowl with a spoon. I believe that it is probably one of the best things that you can eat to detoxify and boost your immunity. That must be why I never get sick! Really, I donʼt. It must be all the super powered ingredients I use…
Posted in Event, Health, Inspiration, Recipe, Wellbeing, Wellness on Nov 29th, 2011
About a year ago, as the demands on my time grew, and grew and the waiting lists for my classes began to stretch, I realized that I couldn’t do this on my own. There needed to be more people teaching this style of cooking classes- to extend the goodness far and wide. I put out the first notice for the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program last May and within four weeks we were full. After three months of loads of chopping, washing, cooking, reading, writing and delicious eating, these amazing eight people- Odelia, Alexa, Dominic, Vicky, Miranda, Joanne, Kristin and Kim will be the very first to call themselves Certified Culinary Nutrition Experts. And experts they are! After reading their assignments, seeing their presentations, chatting with them, dining with them each week for the last ten weeks, and listening in on their conversations with each other- I have a confidence a thousand times over that these women and man are fully qualified to create the most amazing health promoting recipes, teach AwesomeTown classes, counsel, coach and entice people that fresh, whole, real foods cooking is the VERY BEST way to go to get a kick start on achieving not just our health goals but personal goals as well.
Posted in Bread/Cracker, Raw, Recipe, Vegan on Nov 21st, 2011
If you have ever eaten at a raw restauarant and ordered a sandwich, is was likely served to you on this bread. It’s not overly exciting to look at but bow chica bow does it pack an awesome flavour.
What I’m talking about here is Raw Onion Bread. I’ll be the first to pass on anything that includes raw onion- but somehow, this goodness cooks, though at a low temperature, for long enough that the onions become sweet and mild. Be prepared though, you may have to don the old onion goggles to get this one prepped and ready.
Posted in gluten free, Health, Nutrition, Recipe on Nov 14th, 2011
We’ve had loads of interns and extra special helpers pass through this here fair kitchen of ours over the last three years. What I have come to discover is that each and everyone is special in her own unique way (yes, they have all been women). They each have their own area of expertise and interest and all seem to develop a fixation on a certain thing. I feel sad to say that I passed along my secret crush on rice cakes to Jill. I hear her crunching all the time even though we all know they should be just a once in a while thing.
Posted in Health, Marilyn Denis, Recipe, Smart Choices, Snack, Whole Food on Nov 2nd, 2011
Wasn’t I just as excited as could be when I got the email from the fine producers over at the Marilyn Denis show asking if I would come in and make some healthy treats. Healthy treats are kind of my speciality.
Watch the show live streamed or check back after 1:00pm EST for the segment under the cooking category.
We threw a few ideas around and settled on my top two lovers:
Kale Chips and Raw Chocolate Clusters.
Posted in Health, Healthy Treats, Nutrition, Recipe on Nov 1st, 2011
Everyone who spreads a little of my All Purpose Edible Body Butter on their hands, lips, cuticles, or face is always so excited by it- declaring it good enough to eat. I, of course, remind them that they can. That it actually is good enough to eat, meaning everything contained within it is 100% edible. Then I suggest they get an extra jar to keep in the boudoir. Everyone has a bit of a nervous giggle and then they get a second jar.
At my recent Edible Beauty Care workshop (next one, sad for you, isn’t until April), I decided to impress my guests by whipping up, on the spot, without first testing it, a warm smoothie latte that would, in fact, taste just the same as my Edible Body Butter, and using nearly identical ingredients.
Posted in gluten free, Health, Healthy Treats, Recipe on Oct 31st, 2011
Friends and lovers. It’s that sweet, sweet time again.
That time where my dad comes over to the kitchen, we paint cat whiskers on our face as we dress up as Halloween Cats.
In the past, you have seen us as Cat Burglars, Cool Cats, and Jungle Cats. This year we went for a Mexican Cat theme makes almost no sense at all but since my dad and I have this ability to take an idea and run with it- we ran and no one caught up with us to tell us it made no sense. In fact, even my dad and I didn’t notice that it made no sense until we actually started filming- wondering what cats had to do with Mexico and what Mexico or cats had to do with brownies or pumpkin. Love us simply for our stream of consciousness and creativity.
Posted in Dessert, Health, Healthy Treats, Recipe on Oct 25th, 2011
It’s my birthday today. Oh me, oh my. As of today I am a whopping 32 years old. Yep. I always thought by the time I was 32 I’d be all grown up, with a grown up job, maybe running my own little biz, travelling the world, have a sweet man-panion by my side and enjoying other such lovely indulgences as coffee-like dairy-free ice cream, and hopefully not looking a day over 30… maybe even 28.
And by golly gee me, I think I have done it. The abundance is sweetness. And to celebrate my birthday, my besties over at Hamilton Beach Canada are helping me, help you celebrate. We’re giving away an ice cream maker!
Posted in Announcements, Happiness, Health, Recipe, Weekly Recap on Oct 21st, 2011
Oh the joy. The fun. The writing I will be doing with a whole weekend free. Sort of. In my imagination, I booked this weekend off so that, I would have it free and easy to travel the globe, leading up to my 32nd birthday coming on Tuesday (yep, the 25th). I was going to go to New York, or LA, or Fiji (in my dreams anyway)… And then decided that instead I would check in with reality because this mamasita has a book to write. And write like the wind I will.
Another great week over here in the nutrition front. We ran five classes in eight days which made this kitchen a mad, mad house.
Posted in Health, Healthy Treats, Raw, Recipe on Oct 17th, 2011
You would think this would be totally sick-ass disgusting. A couple weeks ago, I was kicking it at Dufferin Grove with my delightful intern Alexa when she told me that kale chip inspiration had been dropped on her. She said her idea was so good that she actually had to turn her light on while in bed at night and write it down.
Her brainwave: Kale Chips!
I instantly imagined a head of kale shaped light bulb go on over her head, and then it went over the both of us. I thought this was brilliant. We ran off to get our heads of kale and bunches of dill. We were inspired.
Posted in Happiness, Health, Inspiration, Recipe, Video on Oct 14th, 2011
We work our patooties off around here- as you may have noticed, but we also cook a little here and there, and do our best to laugh until we cry once in a while. It’s part of our creed really. Up there I am rocking the awesome onion goggles Alexa introduced to our kitchen. Speaking of Alexa, I am pretty sure she never wants to look at cauliflower again.
And Jill, she is so over squash.
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