Healthy

Detoxifying Green Smoothie

January 26, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Today I’m sharing my favourite go to smoothie of the moment. I love to make smoothies for breakfast because they’re filling yet lights and I can pack them with vegetables. I like to get a good amount of nutrition in for breakfast. Then if I have to grab something quick for lunch that inst very healthy it’s not as important.

This smoothie is packed with vegetables. Spinach, cucumber and even some riced cauliflower. You can’t taste the spinach or the cauliflower and the fresh flavour the cucumber adds pairs really nicely with the fruit.

I like fresh oranges in this smoothie, it pairs so nicely with the cucumber. Plus the citrus really brightens your morning. This smoothie also has fresh ginger. I promise it won’t taste like ginger but it adds just a tiny zing that enhances the citrus flavour. If you like your smoothies sweet add a pitted date or two. I love to use them as a natural sweetener.

Ingredients

Oranges – Vitamin C
Spinach – Iron & Calcium
Cauliflower – Vitamin K
Ginger – Reduces Inflammation
Dates – Potassium
Chia Seeds – Omega 3 & Fibre
Almond Milk – Low Glycemic

If you are lucky enough to have a high speed blender (this one is on my wish list!) you should be able to get all these ingredients nice and smooth. Just blend on a medium to low speed for a few minutes. If you are like me and have a standard blender I’d recommend peeling your cucumbers before you blend. Just like a high powered blender blend the smoothie on a low to medium speed for a few minutes. The hardest item to blend is the chia seeds. Personally there so tiny that I don’t mind if they don’t fully blend into the smoothie, but I have a few tips if they bother you. My first tip is to hydrate your chia seeds with some water over night. About 1 cup of water to 2 tbsp of chia seeds. Then when you’re ready to make your smoothie blend the chia seeds on a very low speed before adding other ingredients. Then continue to make the smoothie as usual.

More Smoothies: Peach Mango Green Smoothie / Superfood Smoothie

I hope you enjoy this smoothie as much as I do.

Danielle xo

Detoxifying Green Smoothie

A delicious citrus flavoured green smoothie packed with nutritious vegetables. Perfect for breakfast.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 5

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 2 smoothies

Ingredients

2 oranges, peeled and quartered
1/2 cucumber, roughly chopped
1/2 cup riced cauliflower
2 cups spinach
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
1 cup water
1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 date, pitted

Instructions

Add all ingredients to the blender and run on low to medium low speed until smooth (about 2 minutes).

Keyword Breakfast, Chia, Drinks, Smoothie

Apple Cheddar Pecan Salad

September 11, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I’m not a huge salad fan. I like restaurant salads, but homemade salads aren’t really my thing. They often taste too earthy and they never seem to have the correct amount of dressing. There are a few exceptions… anything with arugula, Kale Caesar Salad and this Apple Cheddar Pecan Salad. This salad is my go to for the fall, I love the refreshing fresh crunch the apples give. I’ve been making this salad for years and everyone who has tried it loves it.

The homemade dressing on this salad really ties together the salad and really boosts the fall flavour. It has apple cider and pure maple syrup as two of the ingredients. I love to blend my dressings up in my magic bullet to emulsify the olive oil, but you can of course just use a whisk.

I like to serve this salad on the side of marinated chicken, or add a grilled chicken breast on top and take it to work for lunch. If you give it a try it will soon become your favourite fall salad.

Cheddar Apple Pecan Salad

Yields: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients:

Salad:

8 Cups Baby Greens
1 Apple, thinly sliced
1/4 Cup of Pecans
1/4 Cup of Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Dressing:

1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tsp Pure Maple Syrup
Pinch of Salt & Pepper

Directions:

In a blender, or small dish add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Blend or whisk until the dressing comes together and emulsifies.

Add baby greens, apples, pecans and cheese to a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Banana Nut Muffins

August 15, 2018 by Danielle 2 Comments

These are by far my favourite healthy muffins. They are moist and flavourful without any refined sugar. I love having snacks like this on hand during the week.

My grandma taught me to always make my muffin batter by hand so that the muffins don’t get tough. This is especially important since whole wheat flour has a tendency to make dry and tough baked goods. If you do decide to use a mixed be careful to mix just until combined.

Sometimes I will make these with chocolate chips instead of nuts or a combination of both. I also just use whatever nuts I have in the house, walnuts, pecans, almonds and cashews are all great options.

Whats your favourite type of muffin?

Servings: 15 muffins

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup Old-Fashioned Oats
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1 and 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Bananas, mashed
3 Large Eggs
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil, melted (or your favourite baking oil)
1/3 Cup Honey (maple syrup can also be used)
1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt (plain, vanilla or honey are best)
1/4 Cup Almond Milk (or your preferred milk)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Chopped Nuts (any kind)
optional: Additional chopped nuts for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray muffin pan with non stick spray or line with cupcake liners.

Whisk the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. Then whisk in the eggs, oil, honey, yogurt, milk, and vanilla together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir a few times, then add the nuts. Fold everything together gently just until combined and no flour pockets remain.

Spoon the batter into pan, filling them 3/4 of the way full. Top with chopped nuts, if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a tooth pick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes. Then remove from the pan and allow to fully cool in a cooling rack.

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Greek Turkey Burgers

August 7, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

These burgers are amazing! They are based on a burger served at a local gourmet burger restaurant. These have feta cheese, red onion and oregano. They are flavourful and juicy.

I serve these burgers on a wheat bun with arugula, cucumbers and tzatziki. I love the mix of a warm juicy burgers with the fresh crunch of the cucumber and the cool creamy tzatziki.

These are delicious on there own or served with lemony greek potatoes and greek salad.

So do you like a traditional burger or a twist on a classic?

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 Pound Lean Ground Turkey
1/4 cup Breadcrumbs
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
4 Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
Sliced Cucumber
Arugula
Tzatziki

Directions:

Mix together turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, feta cheese, oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Form mixture into 4 patties. Heat a fry pan or grill over medium heat. Cook the burgers 7 minutes per side until the centre of the patty reaches 165°

Place the burgers on the buns and top as desired.

Cherry and Dark Chocolate Frozen Yogurt

August 2, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I have been wanting to make frozen yogurt at home for years, but I don’t have an ice cream maker. It took a little work to figure out how to make it work, but I did it.

This frozen yogurt is flavoured with dark chocolate and sweet cherries. I sweetened the yogurt with honey and vanilla extract.

I used a hand mixer to churn the frozen yogurt, but you could use a spoon or spatula.

This recipe was the perfect sweet treat, but a little but healthier then traditional ice cream.

Have you ever made frozen yogurt?

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

500 ml 2% Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Honey (more or less to taste)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Dark Chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Sweet Cherries, chopped

Directions:

Mix yogurt, honey and vanilla extract. Pour into a metal loaf or cake pan, freeze for 20-30 minutes.

Using a hand mixer or spoon churn the semi frozen ice cream, return the mixture to the freezer for 15 minutes. Repeat the process of freezing and churning until the mixture is the consistency of soft serve.

Mix in the chocolate and cherries and freeze for another hour until firm.

You may need to let the frozen yogurt sit on the counter for 10 minutes before scooping.

The Best Chicken Marinade

July 24, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Boneless skinless chicken breasts are a staple in my house. There affordable, versatile and everyone likes them. The downside is that they can be quite bland, so I love to marinade and grill them. This recipe is for my favourite marinade, and it goes really well with these green beans.

This marinade has lemon and dijon mustard as the main flavours. The marinade also has garlic and chilli flakes in it which give an extra boost of flavour.

You can of course use this marinade on vegetables or another cut of meat, the flavours make it very versatile. I have also used this marinade and then baked the chicken in the oven. It is still delicious, but I love the charred smoky flavour that grilling gives.

Are chicken breasts a staple in your house?

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

Marinade:

Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

Mix marinade ingredients together. Pour over chicken and marinade for at least 1 hour, or a maximum of overnight.

Pre heat your grill to medium high heat. Grill chicken on each side for 7-10 minutes with the lid closed, or until the chicken reaches the internal temperature of 165°. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Inspired Taste

Healthy

Detoxifying Green Smoothie

Ingredients

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