Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Stew

If you live in Canada you'll know the price of fresh vegetables has sky-rocketed! I bought a butternut squash for $15 the other day! Then I found diced butternut squash in the frozen vegetable section for $3 per bag! Not only did the frozen squash save me $12 but it also saved me the hassle of peeling and dicing the squash! From now on if I can't source a locally grown butternut squash I'll be buying the frozen variety!  I like the President's Choice brand (from Loblaws) because their frozen vegetables come in handy resealable bags - isn't that kind of genius? Why aren't all frozen vegetable bags resealable!

This stew uses both canned and frozen vegetables to make it extremely convenient and really cheap! Just combine the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and have dinner ready when you get home! I've included protein, fibre, healthy carbs and vegetables packed with Vitamin A to make sure you'll stay full throughout the day without an energy crash. You can serve it on top of brown rice or in a whole-wheat tortilla for more of a burrito experience.

This recipe is 21-Day Fix friendly and gluten-free. To make it easier with the 21 Day Fix containers don't mix the chicken back into the crock pot then portion the chicken into the red container (protein), put the veggies from the crock pot and brown rice in your yellow container. Add in some spinach (green container) to get more greens in!

Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Stew           Makes about 8 hearty servings Ingredients  4 Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless) 2 Cups Vegetable Broth (1 Bouillon cube with 2 Cups of boiling water) 1 Onion, Chopped 3 Cloves Garlic, Diced 1 Cup Frozen Corn 2 Cups Cubed Frozen Butternut Squash 1 Can Black Beans (drained) 1 Can Diced tomatoes (or salsa) 1 Tbsp Chili Powder 1 Tbsp Cumin 1 Tbsp Chipotle Spice 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper 1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro 2 Cups Brown Rice 4 to 5 Cups Water Directions Combine all ingredients except the cilantro, rice and water in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Cook the Rice according to the directions. After chicken has cooked remove it from the slow cooker and pull it apart on a large cutting board. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker and add the cilatro and combine everything. Serve over brown rice for a meal balanced with healthy carbs, vegetables and protein.

You also might like: How I lost 15 Lbs in 60 Days or 11 Ways to Actually Complete a Workout Program

Vegan Superfood Mocha Latte Recipe

Guys, I have to admit to you I used to have a bad Starbucks addiction. I worked at Chapters and my treat for every shift was a latte or London Fog. I willfully ignored the nutrition information but when I finally checked it I was shocked. Back then they were still making their lattes with whole milk and with the whipped cream on top drinking a latte was more like eating a Big Mac but without the protein! 

Because a latte is so high in calories but provides very little nutritional value I would put it in the "empty calorie" category along with pop! Empty calories are calories that provide no vitamins or protein - things that keep your body going - along with the calories. Empty calories may provide a spike in your energy from sugar but you'll soon experience a "crash" and feel more tired and hungry than you started leading you to eat more and crave more empty calories. This is why you should avoid empty calories in the first place! 

The Starbucks website uses some sly tactics like making their list of small treats in the biggest font which leads the reader to go their first and assumes their treats are healthy. When you see the "mini scone" they advertise in person though it's flippin tiny! I would never just eat one single mini scone. They also list the smallest drinks first on the menu and make the large drinks hard to read in a giant chart. They also don't include the whipped cream in their calorie calculations. 

Nowadays, the odd time I'll go to a Starbucks, I'll order an Americano and add my own milk. I've also sworn off any sweetener in my coffee. It was hard at first - I used to take double sugar in my coffee but now I can't stand the taste of a double double. It's amazing how our taste buds adjust. I first switched to stevia to replace the sugar and then slowly reduced the stevia until I was used to no sweetener! Why did I remove the stevia too? Studies show that even artificial sweeteners like stevia cause people to crave more sweet things and therefore people don't lose weight when they switch to artificial sweeteners. 

Instead of a latte filled with empty calories I have concocted this latte filled with a balance of protein, healthy carbs, vitamins and even hormone-balancing maca root. This is a perfect drink in the morning because the variety of plant-based protein (eg. rice, quinoa and amaranth) in the Shakeology provides long-lasting energy throughout the day unlike other protein powder that are whey-based. I also find whey-based protein powder bothers my stomach - especially early in the morning. You can drink it in the place of breakfast which is what I do if I'm in a rush and what my dad does every day! 

When you're feeling full and energized you'll be more likely to stick to your healthy diet and feel more energized for your workouts! 

Vegan Superfood Mocha Latte Recipe           Makes 1 Serving Ingredients  1 Scoop Chocolate Vegan Shakeology 1 Cup Almond Milk 1 Cup Freshly Brewed Coffee 1 Tsp Vanilla 1/2 Banana Directions Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until the ingredients are combined and the almond milk is frothy. Drink warm!

You also might like: How I lost 15 Lbs in 60 Days or 11 Ways to Actually Complete a Workout Program

Paleo Asian Naked Potsticker Mini Meatloaves Recipe

I love asian gyoza but I dread tasks that require monotony like folding all those wonton wrappers! I save that for chefs at Japanese restaurants and always order gyoza when I go out for sushi.

 I wanted to make gyoza at home without the wrapper so I came up with this recipe. Instead of wrapping the gyoza just pop about a third of a cup into a muffin tin hole (not sure what else to call the spot where a muffin goes) and bake it! This takes all the monotony out of the process and also turns the recipe into a paleo diet recipe because it excludes the wrapper! These are also perfect for make-ahead meals and meal planning because each meatloaf is a perfect portable meal to take to work or portion for the upcoming week.

I also made this recipe gluten free by using almond flour. If you don't have almond flour on hand you can leave it out or use regular flour. Almond flour can be found at Costco or the Bulk Barn. You could also try skipping the cabbage draining if you wanted to speed things along but the meatloaves were crumbly enough so I would drain the cabbage the best you can.

 I had some chipotle yogurt dip left over from the Best Turkey Burgers Ever so I tried it on these and it actually went perfectly! It's even better than the soy sauce dip that's intended for the gyoza. Next time with this recipe I'm going to try adding grated carrot or sweet potato. If you try adding other veggies let me know how it turns out in the comments!

Paleo Asian Potsticker (Gyoza) Mini Meatloaves Recipe  Makes about 20 hearty servings Ingredients         For the Meatloaves 2 Cups Grated Cabbage 1 Tbsp Salt 1 Chopped Onion 2 Cloves Diced Garlic 1 Pound (500gr) Ground Pork 1 Can Water Chestnuts 1 Cup Diced Cilantro (fresh) 3 Spring Onions 2 Tbsp Minced Ginger 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce 1 Egg 1/3 Cup Almond Flour 1 Tbsp sesame oil For the dipping sauce 6 Tbsp Soy Sauce 3 Tbsp Rice Vinegar 1 Tsp Sesame Oil 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper 1 Tbsp Diced Garlic Directions Grate the cabbage using a box grater or pop into a food processor or Vitamix until finely grated. Transfer to a mesh colander and add the salt. Let the cabbage sit for 15 minutes to drain and then put it in a tea towel and squeeze out as much water as possible (this will help the meatloaves stick together). Combine all of the ingredients for the meatloaves (except the oil) in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Oil a muffin tin using the sesame oil then using an ice cream scoop transfer one scoop to one muffin hole. Bake for 30 minutes at 350F While the meatloaves are baking mix together the ingredients for the dipping sauce and let the flavours infuse while you wait Remove the meatloaves from the oven and serve with salad or sweet potato fries and the dipping sauce.   The meatloaves also go great served with the yogurt sauce from  The Best Turkey Burgers Ever Recipe

You also might like: How I lost 15 Lbs in 60 Days or 11 Ways to Actually Complete a Workout Program

Best Turkey Burgers EVER

I got the inspiration for these turkey burgers when my mom made meatballs from the Jerusalem Cookbook. She got the cookbook "for my dad" but probably a bit for herself too. They turned out SO GOOD. Who knew turkey and zucchini were made for each other so perfectly? The zucchini makes the turkey more moist and tasty. The burgers are flavoured perfectly with mint and cilantro. 

Ideally I would use fresh mint and cilantro but my mom actually ripped open a packet of mint tea and threw it in the mix and it actually worked great! 

If you can't find any fresh cilantro (sometimes in the winter the city seems to have a mass cilantro shortage - the downside of living in Canada where the climate isn't so favourable to growing herbs in January) you can try dry coriander seed or - better yet - the coriander paste that comes in those weird tubes. 

The Jerusalem Cookbook

The book suggests making the turkey into meatballs or sliders. Instead, I made them into 8 burger patties by using a ladle to portion them so every burger was even (which also means they cook evenly). I also added some almond flour and green pepper. If you don't have any though you can leave it out and it will still work.

For the burgers I top them with avocado, tomato, lettuce, red onion and 3 year old cheddar - it was an amazing combination and made me want to eat more than just one for dinner. I talked myself down though and held off eating the second one until the next day!

This recipe is really something I can eat every day without complaining. I will probably experiment more with adding more veggies to make it even more packed with nutrition. Maybe spinach for more vitamin A?

The best turkey burgers ever!

Each burger is only 136 calories and packed with 12 grams of protein! It's definitely being added to my regular recipe repertoire. Better yet, these burgers are paleo, 21 Day Fix friendly and great on the PiYo diet. These are good if you're trying to lose weight because each burger is pre-portioned so you can't take just "a little more" burger.

Recipe Time Saving Tips: 

1. Food Processor:  To make the prep super easy grate both the zucchini and green pepper with a food processor using the grating attachment. I used my KitchenAid Food Processor which grated an entire zucchini in a  matter of seconds. Then I drained and salted the zucchini and green pepper and let it sit in a  mesh colander  for at least 10 minutes (this will help the burgers stick together). I squeezed out the zucchini a bit but I didn't focus too much on really drying them out. The drier they are the more the burgers will stick together. If you don't mind crumbly burgers though you don't have to drain the zucchini at all.
   
2. Spiralizer: You could also spiralize the zucchini using a  Vegetable Slicer . I've tried this method and it works great too. I just chopped up the zucchini noodles into smaller chunks before mixing it with the turkey.
   




3. Cheese Grater: The lowest tech option - a good ol' fashioned cheese grater like my very favourite one from Ikea here .
   
4. Mini Muffin Tin Burgers: If you don't have time to sear them you can also make them into mini meatloaves. This saves a lot of time and is great for kids that might not eat a whole burger. First spray down your Muffin Tin with cooking spray. Then take an ice cream scoop and portion 1 scoop of the burger mixture into each muffin spot in the muffin tin. Then bake for 20 minutes at 350F. Serve them with potatoes, salad or pasta like meatballs or meatloaves. The recipe will fill one muffin tray (12 servings) to the brim or two muffin trays (24 servings) about halfway full depending on how mini you want your mini meatloaves.

These burgers are great on hamburger buns or just on their own - they're that good!

Best Turkey Burgers Ever Makes 8 Burgers (or 12 mini meatloaves) Ingredients  For Burgers 1 Lb (500gr) Ground Turkey 1 Large Zucchini, grated or spiralized (about 2 cups). Let sit in a colander to drain for at least 10 minutes. 1 Egg (large) 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Mint (or use mint tea) 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Cilantro 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced 1 Tsp Salt 1 Tsp Pepper 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper 6 Tbsp Sunflower Oil (or substitute canola oil)  1/4 Cup Almond Flour 1 Cup Green Pepper, diced 4 Green onions, diced or sliced 1 Tbsp Cumin  For Sauce 1/2 Cup Sour Cream 2/3 Cup Greek Yogurt (look for a brand that doesn't contain whey protein or milk protein... to avoid gas) 1 Tbsp Freshly squeezed lime juice (or the juice of about half of a lime) 1 Glove Garlic, minced 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 Tsp Salt 1 Tbsp Chipotle spice (or try za-tar if you can find it - it's a Lebanese spice mix). Directions Combine the ingredient for the sour cream sauce in a small bowl. Stir well. Refrigerate (you can make this in advance).  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs except the sunflower oil Mix and use a ladle to make even portions. Then shape into burgers. Pour sunflower oil in a large frying pan (I use a cast iron pan that has been heated over medium high heat for about 5 minutes so it becomes non-stick). Sear about 3 burgers at a time about 2 minutes per side until they are browned and transfer to a baking sheet.  Once all the burgers are seared pop in the oven for 7 minutes. Serve hot with the sauce for dipping or serve on hamburger buns with the sauce instead of mayo. These are great with avocado too!

You also might like: How I lost 15 Lbs in 60 Days or 11 Ways to Actually Complete a Workout Program

Moroccan Stew - My Weight Loss Secret

My favourite healthy food is from my dad’s celiac repertoire Moroccan Stew from Crazy Plates. It’s a great health recipe because it’s full of fibre, the chickpeas add some protein plus the sweet potato contributes some vitamin A! Better yet the peanut butter makes it hearty. I believe this is my first post which I took the pictures with my new 50mm prime lens. It takes much brighter and crisp pictures than my stock zoom lens plus it focuses much quicker! If you’re planning on getting an SLR I would recommend getting the body-only option and buying a 50mm prime separately - much better value for money than the stock zoom that most SLR’s come with!

Vegetarian Award-Winning Lentil Curry Poutine

Curried Lentil Poutine…

Update: This post was featured in Canadian Lentils Recipe Revelations as the Grand Prize winner. Thanks for all the support!

Vegan Curried Risotto with Lentils

Curried Risotto: In an effort to be healthy and incorporate more vegetarian protein into my diet I came up with this recipe using basmati rice, red lentils and broth.

Power Balls (DIY Cliff Bars)

Since starting P90X (and figuring out I was allergic to whey protein powder) I’ve been looking for whey-free ways (ha!)  to get my protein into my diet. Since Clif bars have about 10g of protein per bar I had been eating them obsessively - not the most frugal obsession (they’re cheapest at Costco if you were wondering). I was already lamenting the preservatives and various other unpronounceable ingredients in the bars when a friend informed me of the concern over hexane used to extract the soy protein they used in Clif bars. Serendipitously I stumbled upon an Energy Ball recipe from the Healthy Foodie - a fellow Canadian! I used Vegan protein powder like Vegan Shakeology because it contains a balance of different plant-based proteins.

Curried Lentil and Chickpea Dip

Curried Lentil & Chickpea Dip

Inspired by finding lentil chips (pictured above - they were tasty but not as good as rice chips) at the Bulk Barn one day I took on the challenge of making some lentil hummus. It turned out to be a tasty change from our normal hummus experiments. Any excuse to add lentils to a recipe is a good thing in my mind.

Make-Ahead Butternut Squash Frittata

Butternut Squash Frittata makes an awesome make-ahead brunch.

This make-ahead vegetarian Butternut Squash Frittata will save you time on weekday mornings (something I eternally need more of!) and is 21 Day Fix friendly, vegetarian, paleo and gluten free. Make it on Sunday and then eat it throughout the week. I microwave it for about 30 seconds and eat it with whole grain quinoa toast.

It's packed with protein and incredibly simple to make. Frittatas are also super versatile - you can serve it for breakfast lunch or dinner! Each serving (1/6 of a pie) is 206 calories, 10g of fibre and a whopping 126% of your recommended intake of Vitamin A. If you don't have butternut squash you can use sweet potato which has a similar taste and is also packed with vitamin A. Vitamin A is great for your skin, hair, bones and eyes. It can also help with your immune system which is why it's great to eat vitamin A rich foods in the winter when colds and flu are rampant and your skin is dry.

Faux-Cheese Vegan/Paleo/Gluten-Free Kale Chips Recipe

Homemade Kale Chips - so addictive!

Just in time for the Christmas season I present: Something red and green! This recipe is vegan, gluten-free paleo and dukan diet friendly. It's an awesome substitution for chips when you want to eat healthier or need to lose weight. I also love using up kale because it grows really easily in Ontario and I like to eat local whenever I can. Kale keeps growing into the fall when other leafy greens get bitten by the frost. Kale contains tons of nutrients like other leafy greens and the nutritional yeast provides extra B vitamins which are essentially if you're a vegan or vegetarian. Vegetarians don't get B vitamins from meat so if you're vegetarian consider adding nutritional yeast to your daily diet. It has a cheesy buttery taste so is great to add on to popcorn or make your own vegan cashew cheese.

The Joy of Spiralizing - Zucchini Noodles (aka. Zoodles)

Spiralizing is fun!

Why did I title this article the Joy of Spiralizing? Because I actually find it really fun to spiralize.

After I bought my spiralizer on impulse I could not wait to show all my friends how much fun it was. Seriously, I brought my spiralizer to everyone's house to show them the amazement. They were really confused why I was so excited. My excitement was met with "Um, okay, I guess you can bring it over". Once they saw how it worked though - and how easy it was - they were converts to my way of thinking. This device is a world-changing food invention! "You can spiralize it" ... I started saying that about everything. It makes eating your veggies really fun - which is awesome if you're doing a gluten-free diet like paleo or dukan.