Herbed Beet and Celery Salad

Herbed Beet and Celery Salad

So it’s been a while since I posted a recipe and it’s basically because I started a newish gig that involves some travel and lots of catered lunches.  All I can say is that I’m loving the job and maybe a little too much as some of my pants have gotten a wee bit snug (granted, I’m heavily invested in skinny jeans and have not said no to anything delicious in like 3 months).  With the weather warming up and the awesomeness of summer around the corner, I think it’s time to light up both my caloric intake and wardrobe palette of all black.

Herbed Beet and Celery Salad

A gorgeous salad inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty and Plenty More cookbooks, two of my fave vegetarian resources

I’m really craving a fresh springy salad and love this pretty green and pinky purple salad of beets, celery and fresh herbs.  A little goat cheese and a few pumpkin seeds add some tasty texture and all around this salad is both beautiful and satisfying.  It’s dead easy to prepare, mostly chopping veggies and boiling the beets. The dressing is super simple too which lets the flavours of the fresh ingredients take centre stage.

It would also be great with grilled shrimp or chicken breast for a heartier meal.

Beet salad ingredients

Celery is really one of the star ingredients here.  Like if this salad was the Oscars, the beets would be Julianne Moore and the celery would be Patricia Arquette.  Celery is so rarely a feature ingredient in anything.

Usually, it’s next to some chicken wings and ranch sauce or part of the flavour base of soups and sauces.  But not here.  Besides being low calorie, celery has many nutritional benefits including high in fibre, anti-oxidants, and vitamins K, A, C and folate and potassium.  Beets are superfoods too great for fighting inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and rich in nutrients among other things.  A double win here people.

Herbed Beet and Celery Salad

Herbed Beet and Celery Salad

A gorgeous salad inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty and Plenty More cookbooks, two of my fave vegetarian resources. Serves 2 as a main or 3 to 4 as a starter.
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: corn-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free
Servings: 2 Servings
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 large beets (peeled and cut into 1/2" wedges)
  • 6 stalks of celery
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1 cup parsley leaves
  • 1/4 red onion (finely sliced)
  • 6 to 8 radishes (thin sliced into rounds or matchsticks)
  • 2 ounces goat cheese
  • 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon sumac plus more for garnish
  • Pinch of fresh ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Bring a medium pot of water to boil on high heat. Add beets to boiling water and reduce heat to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until beets are tender enough to pierce easily with a fork.  
  • While the water is boiling, prepare a large bowl filled with cold water and a cup of ice.  When the beets are done, strain and immerse in the cold ice water to stop cooking. Drain beets and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, slice celery and red onions in thin slices. Tear cilantro and parsley leaves from stems. Make dressing - add all the ingredients together in a  small bowl and stir vigorously until combined.
  • Once the beets are cooked and everything is chopped, add the beets, celery, parsley, cilantro, red onions, and radishes and dressing. Stir gently to combine.
  • Top with goat cheese, pumpkin seeds and additional sumac and fresh ground pepper before serving.
Green Ginger Juice

Green Ginger Juice

I have a new addition to my home – something I’ve wanted and dreamed about for a long time.  Yup, I got a VitaMix.  It is AWESOME and I LOVE it.  Like LOVE LOVE it.  I was gifted this amazing piece of equipment by my generous parents for Christmas (thanks mom and dad).

I’ve always wanted one, longingly stared at them in stores or on friend’s countertops but held off due impart to the high price tag and also my limited kitchen storage space.  But I’m so excited to have this in my kitchen and I’ve used it almost every day since I got it – for sauce (chimichurri), soup (butternut squash), smoothies (fruit and coconut water), and my new fave green juice.

Based on its versatility and frequency of use, it’s more than worthy of taking up a piece of prime real estate atop my limited kitchen countertops.

Green Ginger Juice | Freshnessgf.comThis green ginger juice is actually a combination my husband shared with me – it’s pretty green, a bit sweet, and very refreshing.

The ginger adds a nice little kick too.  I feel uber-healthy with every sip and it’s a pretty great snack or breakfast drink to start the day.

The VitaMix is strong enough to blitz every last bit of pulp into a smooth and delicious drink. I totally get why the VitaMix is used in so many professional kitchens and homes alike and has a cult-like following.

Green Ginger Juice | Freshnessgf.com

Look how the whole pitcher just filled right up with the veggies and apples.  Let the detox begin.  I am hoping that if I continue to drink these on the regular that my skin will start to glow and my waistline will start to shrink.  I’ll keep you posted.

Green Ginger Juice | Freshnessgf.com

 

Green Ginger Juice | Freshnessgf.com

Green Ginger Juice

This green ginger juice is actually a combination my husband shared with me - it's pretty green, a bit sweet, and very refreshing. Serves 2 to 3.
Course: Breakfast, Drinks
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: apples, corn-free, egg-free, fruits, kid-friendly, nut-free, soy-free, vegetables
Servings: 2
Author: ness

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

  • Powerful blender like the VitaMix

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups spinach leaves (washed)
  • 3 stalks of celery (washed)
  • 2 medium sized gala apples (or other sweet apples, washed and cores removed)
  • 1 inch piece of ginger (peeled)
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons agave nectar (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Add the spinach, celery, apples, ginger, and water to the blender and blend until smooth.
  • For added sweetness, add agave nectar, one teaspoon at a time until a desired sweetness is reached.
Healing Soup

Healing Soup

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a lovely and restful holiday season and most of all, a healthy one.  I had a nice stay-cation full of food, chocolate, and other goodies and spent lots of quality time with my family.  It was all fun and wonderful until my sister started sniffling.  Then my mom and dad started hacking a lung coughing.  Finally, my husband had the chills and a fever simultaneously.

That influenza outbreak hit my family and man oh man, did it hit them hard.   I have no idea how I managed to stay healthy surrounded by all these sickos but I did thankfully.  Maybe it was my constant and tireless Lysol-wiping and intense hand-washing or just dumb luck.  Who knows, it’s a Festivus miracle.

I tried to make some food that was easy on their sensitive systems and what I made for them was this soup.  Typically, my go-to for cure-all food is congee, but in the case of stomach flu, even soupy rice porridge can be too much for the system.

This healing soup is the simplest of soups and as a result, it’s easily digested by the body. Plus, it’s made with healthy and flavourful ingredients so it’s actually pretty tasty too – which is a total bonus because being sick sucks and at least your tastebuds can have a little enjoyment. Even if you are the sick one, you can potentially throw this together and feed yourself for the day.  All you do is throw everything in a pot and simmer for an hour.

Make a big batch and feed the family or freeze some for a flu-y day. Stay warm and well.

Wishing you all the best for 2015 and beyond.

Healing Soup | Freshnessgf.com

Healing Soup: Just throw everything in a pot and boil for an hour.

Healing Soup

This healing soup is the simplest of soups and as a result, it's easily digested by the body. Plus, it's made with healthy and flavourful ingredients so it's actually pretty tasty too - which is a total bonus because being sick sucks and at least your tastebuds can have a little enjoyment. Makes 3 to 4 portions.
Course: Soup
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: gluten-free, kid-friendly, nut-free, pasta, rice & grains, vegetables, yeast-free
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger (finely minced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
  • 2 carrots (1/2" diced)
  • 2 stalks celery (diced)
  • 1/2 cup cooked rice (optional)
  • 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock (see recipe note)
  • Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Put all the ingredients into a medium sized pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour covered until vegetables are very soft. Season with salt to taste.
Obviously, homemade stock is ideal but I used bouillon cubes for the soup pictured here.  I love organic low-sodium chicken and vegetable bouillon cubes from Harvest Sun. They're gluten-free and yeast-free too.  For a vegan/vegetarian version, use vegetable stock. Also, I like to add sweet potato or other root vegetables like parsnips, but honestly, I just use whatever combination I have that's handy.
Lebanese Rice, Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujaddara)

Lebanese Rice, Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujaddara)

How often do you try something new? Like new new? We all get stuck in our day to day routines and dare I say, ruts. I’m guilty of just grabbing the same-ish groceries week after week and making my same go-to meals or going out to dinner at my usual spots and ordering my favourite thing.

It had been a while since I actually tried something that tasted new. And then, I went for Middle Eastern food and tried mujaddara, rice with lentils and caramelized onions, and my tastebuds woke right up.  They went ‘ZING. That’s new’ and you know what? I really liked it. I mean LOVED it. And then I became a little obsessed with figuring out how to make it so I could eat it all the time.

Mujadara spices

Mujaddara spices: allspice, cumin seeds, ground cumin, garlic powder, cinnamon stick, cayenne, black peppercorns

Somehow in a span of a couple of weeks, this dish has become my new favourite comfort food.  It has a lot of winning qualities that I look for, like being naturally gluten-free, healthy, flavourful, and easy to make. It’s got this amazing blend of warm earthy spices blended in carb-y good rice, and protein-packed lentils for a complete meal.  And can we discuss the merits of fried onions for a minute? Caramelized onions make EVERYTHING taste better. It’s universal. From French onion soup to biryani, those brown, slow-cooked, flavour-packed onions are definitely a thing. My mom always told me that was the secret to delicious food, and my mama knows what’s up. Just be patient and don’t rush the cooking of the onions. You need to get them deep, dark golden brown but not burnt. Trust me, it’s worth every minute.

Lebanese Rice with Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujadara)

Lebanese Rice with Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujaddara)

Oh yeah, this dish is also vegan and dirt cheap to make. Gluten-free grocery shopping can cost a pretty penny so meals like this can really help offset those $8 loaves of bread and $9 bags of cereal.  Seriously, a little rice and a few lentils go a long way. I like to have this dish with a green salad on the side and/or with grilled vegetables and some yogurt raita on the side. I made this over the weekend and will be enjoying throughout the week. I’m not a huge meat eater but my hubby D definitely likes meat and he said this dish was so tasty that he didn’t miss the meat at all. That’s kind of a big deal.

Fun wikipedia fact: mujaddara is the Arabic word for “pockmarked” because the lentils among the rice resemble pockmarks.  Sometimes the ‘ugliest’ food is also the tastiest.

Lebanese Rice with Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujadara)

Lebanese Rice with Lentils and Caramelized Onions (Mujaddara)

It had been a while since I actually tried something that tasted new. And then, I went for Middle Eastern food and tried mujaddara, rice with lentils and caramelized onions, and my tastebuds woke right up. They went 'ZING. That's new' and you know what? I really liked it. I mean LOVED it. And then I became a little obsessed with figuring out how to make it so I could eat it all the time. Adapted from Aarti Sequeira
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: corn-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, pasta, rice & grains, soy-free, yeast-free
Servings: 4
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup brown lentils (rinsed and debris removed)
  • 3 onions thinly sliced
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
  • 1 stick of cinnamon (about 3”)
  • 1 ¼ cup basmati rice
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • Sea salt
  • Chopped parsley and lemon to serve

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Add lentils to a small pot and cover with about one inch of cold water. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, covered. Lentils should be cooked, slightly firm and not mushy. Drain and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, heat a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil and let warm slightly. Add cumin seeds and black peppercorns and fry for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add onions, one teaspoon of salt, and stir to combine. Keep cooking and stir with a wooden spoon occasionally until onions are deeply browned and caramelized, about 25 minutes or so. Don’t rush this part and be careful not to burn the onions. Make sure to stir and scrape browned bits off the bottom of the pan. If onions stick, add a teaspoon of water and stir.
  • Once onions are browned, remove half the onions and set aside. Add ground cumin, allspice, garlic powder, cinnamon stick, and cayenne and stir, cook for about 1 minute. Add basmati rice and gently stir to coat with onion mixture, about 1 more minute being careful not to break the rice. Add water, lentils, 1 and ½ teaspoons salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 9 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for 15 minutes, letting residual heat continue to cook rice. The water should be completely absorbed and rice should be tender.
  • When ready to serve, gently stir rice and lentils together. Garnish with reserved onions and parsley. Serve with yogurt raita and a squeeze of lemon.
Adapted from Aarti Sequeira.
Hazelnut Chocolate Power Balls

Hazelnut Chocolate Power Balls

The past month has literally blown by in a sea of BBQs, pool parties, get-togethers, road trips,  etc. And all this socializing has left me a little behind on recipe testing/actual cooking – I’ve been surviving mostly on leftover BBQ, thrown together salads, and a few simple standby recipes like this and this. However, in the summertime spirit of eating light to keep it tight, I thought a raw, vegan snack ready in five minutes would be a good way to go. Perfect for post-workout/road trip/breakfast-to-go type snacking.

Hazelnut Chocolate Powerballs | freshnessgf.com

Now, these may look like truffles, but they are more like homemade Lara Bars in ball form. Thus the name ‘powerballs’ instead of ‘powerbars’. As per usual, D was my first taste tester and I may have forgotten to tell him that part. He thought they were chocolate truffles and was pretty shocked to discover that they were raw, vegan, healthy snacks after he popped one in his mouth. Also, I left one date pit in his by accident and he almost lost a tooth.  Oopsy.

Hazelnut Chocolate Powerballs | freshnessgf.com

Since my first taste testing was a fail, I brought some into the office for the team to try. And guess what? They were a huge hit. I wish I had brought more because I swear there were some serious sad faces going on. But the few who did get to try them had some great suggestions like adding different nuts, rolling the balls in shredded coconut, adding orange zest, nut butters, etc. Basically, the possibilities are endless. Also, this recipe is gluten-free, vegan, free from refined sugar, dairy-free, raw, and paleo.

Hazelnut Chocolate Power Balls | Freshnessgf.com

This recipe was adapted from a great blog called Cook Republic that features healthy, inventive recipes and stunning, inspiring photography. The original recipe called for pistachios, almonds, and orange zest and the combination made for most beautiful flecks of colour. I went for a Nutella inspired version with just hazelnuts and cocoa powder. What’s most exciting about this recipe is that they actually took 5 minutes to make. Quoting my colleague ‘it’ll take longer to clean the food processor’ – it wasn’t that bad cleaning it afterward but you get the point. This recipe is E.A.S.Y. and F.A.S.T.

Hazelnut Chocolate Power Balls | Freshnessgf.com

These pretty, truffle-esque powerballs would also be a great gift idea – specially packaged in a mason jar and a cute homemade tag. You’ll look like a hero because they would only take you five minutes to make and it’ll look like you slaved over them.

So voila, the easiest healthy snack recipe there ever was. Plus, now I know what to bring to the next work potluck.

 

Hazelnut Chocolate Power Balls | Freshnessgf.com

Hazelnut Chocolate Powerballs

These may look like truffles, but they are more like homemade Lara Bars in ball form. Thus the name 'powerballs' instead of 'powerbars'. As per usual, D was my first taste tester and I may have forgotten to tell him that part. He thought they were chocolate truffles and was pretty shocked to discover that they were raw, vegan, healthy snacks after he popped one in his mouth. (adapted from Cook Republic)
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: chocolate, cookies & bars, corn-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, kid-friendly, nuts, paleo, soy-free
Servings: 20 balls
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 cups pitted dates
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cups hazelnuts
  • 6 dried figs (stalks snipped (about 1/2 cup))
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • extra cocoa powder for rolling

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Combine first six ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are chopped and a crumbly dough starts to form. Scoop a tablespoon of the mixture and roll gently between two palms of your hands to form a ball. Place extra cocoa powder in a small dish and roll the ball so it's mostly coated in cocoa powder. Tap any excess cocoa powder off.
Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week (although I have a feeling they'll be gobbled up way before that). Recipe adapted from Cook Republic.

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