Festive and Refreshing Fruit Yogurt Popsicles!

The long weekend is quickly approaching and with everything else going on this time of year, I decided to put together some simple and healthy ideas for Canada Day - with some Red, White and Blue too.  Kid tested and approved! 

These popsicles are very easy to make and you can experiment with different fruit, flavours and variations. 

Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

• 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and left whole
• 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, washed and sliced into small pieces
• 500 grams (2 cups) plain Greek yogurt 
• 1 Tbsp vanilla infused agave nectar (substitute honey or pure maple syrup)
• 8 popsicle moulds (I found mine at the hardware store - they hold 1/4 cup yogurt mix each so you can adjust according to the size of your moulds)
  

Place yogurt, agave nectar and 1 cup of whole strawberries in blender.  Pulse mixture for a few seconds allowing contents to blend while keeping some strawberry chunks intact.

Place 10, or so, small pieces of sliced strawberry at the bottom of each mould.  Add yogurt mixture over the strawberry layer, filling to the top of mould.  Tap mould down a few times to allow yogurt mixture to fully settle into mould.  Take a few more small slices of strawberry and add to top of yogurt mixture pressing down gently.

Use plastic sticks provided with moulds or, as was done here, replace with traditional popsicle sticks (I was able to find red coloured popsicle sticks at the hardware - it turns out they are available in all colours now.  However.... I later discovered that they are a mess to work with - the colours ran all over my fingers - so stick to the natural wood!) - simply slip the sticks into yogurt mixture pushing down about 1 inch from the top.

Place strawberry yogurt popsicles in freezer and allow them to fully freeze overnight (give them at least 24 hours). 

Removing the popsicles from the moulds is the only tricky part of this whole operation.  Let the popsicles sit for 5 minutes or so at room temperature.  Invert the moulds over the sink and run warm water over the exterior of the moulds.  Keeping the moulds upside down, gently pull on the sticks to encourage the release of the popsicles.  If they won't budge, give them another couple of minutes and repeat the steps.

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Red White & Blue Yogurt Pops!  (strawberry, yogurt & blueberry)

• 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and sliced into small pieces
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)
• 250 grams (1 cup) plain Greek yogurt 
• 1 Tbsp vanilla infused agave nectar (substitute honey or pure maple syrup)
• 8 popsicle moulds (I found mine at the hardware store - they hold 1/4 cup yogurt mix each so you can adjust according to the size of your moulds)

Add 2 teaspoons of agave nectar to yogurt, mixing to combine.

Place 1/8 cup sliced strawberries in each mould.  Drizzle strawberry layer with a touch of agave nectar.  Tap mould down a few times to allow berries to settle to the bottom.  Place about 3 tablespoons of yogurt mix over the sliced strawberries in each mould, tapping mould to settle.

The blueberries are a little trickier to keep in place (for my first trial, I left the blueberries au naturel and watched them fall off the stick - one by one - and roll onto the floor where my golden promptly and happily greeted them).  To avoid this, the blueberries have to be mixed with a little bit of yogurt.

Place a few blueberries over the yogurt layer, pressing down gently, and then mix most of the remaining blueberries with all of the remaining yogurt by hand to form the "glue" that will hold blueberries in place.  Fill remaining portion of moulds with yogurt/blueberry mix and add a few blueberries on top of this final layer, pressing down gently.

Use plastic sticks provided with moulds or replace with traditional popsicle sticks - simply slip the sticks into yogurt mixture pushing down about 1 inch from the top.  Note: although popsicle sticks are now available in a variety of colours, best to stick with natural wood to avoid staining your fingers, clothes, etc.

Place popsicles in freezer and allow them to fully freeze overnight (give them at least 24 hours). 

When you are ready to eat the popsicles, allow them to sit for about 5 minutes at room temperature.  Invert the moulds over the sink and run warm water over the exterior of the moulds.  Keeping the moulds upside down, gently tug on the sticks to encourage the release of the popsicles.  If they won't budge, give them another couple of minutes and repeat the steps.

 

Happy Holidays to family and friends in Canada and the United States!

- Photos by Trinity Nutrition -

Grilled Summer Sirloin with Ancho Cocoa Rub

It's nice to be able to relax and enjoy a summer's evening with family & friends without having to spend hours in the kitchen.  This Mexican inspired rub will allow you to create a delicious main without the time demands.  Better yet, its deep, bold flavours, will knock your crocs off! 

Grilled Summer Sirloin with Ancho Cocoa Rub

• 2 tsp ancho chile powder (any chile powder will do)
• 2 tsp finely ground bold coffee (espresso works well)
• 1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (always optional!)
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pound sirloin, about 1 1/3-inch thick*

* If you have a relationship with a local farmer or neighbourhood butcher, you can pre-order your meat cut to size, which is handy.  On the other hand, if you're doing things on the fly - as I was on this particular occasion - you can simply pick up what's available at your local grocery store.  I'm working with two thinner sirloin pieces in these pictures (maybe 1/2-inch thick each).

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In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the rub

Moisten steak on both sides with a little bit of water before coating both sides with rub

 

Once grill is nice and hot, reduce heat to low and grill steak for approximately 3 minutes on each side (grilling time will vary depending on how well you like your meat cooked, the size of the cut and the temperature of the grill).  I tend to flip before the 3 minute mark, in keeping with best grilling practices.

Ancho Chile: Ancho chile is made from dried poblano peppers.  It has a deep red-brown colour with a smoky, sweet flavour reminiscent of raisin.  Ancho chile is considered mild to medium heat.

- Photos by Trinity Nutrition -

Millet Salad with Goji Berry, Avocado, Strawberry & Mango

I enjoy using ancient grains in salads for their taste, texture and diversity of nutrients.  These grains tend to be underrepresented in modern diets and, with the rising number of individuals suffering from celiac disease and gluten intolerance, their relevance is rapidly increasing.

Millet, a non-gluten grain, has a versatile texture that works well in salads and can accompany many different types of food.  Quinoa and rice are other excellent non-gluten choices that create similar results.  I have not had as much success with buckwheat in salads but find that it works beautifully as a warm cereal.  Next on my list of non-gluten grain trials are amaranth and teff.


Millet Salad with Goji Berry, Avocado, Strawberry & Mango

Salad
1 cup hulled millet
3 cups water
1/2 cup goji berries*
1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
2 dark plums, washed and sliced
1 avocado, peeled and roughly diced
1 mango, peeled and roughly diced
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp agave nectar (substitute honey)
sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Place millet and water in a pot on stove and bring to boil. Once mixture boils, turn heat to lowest setting, cover pot and allow millet to simmer for approximately 20 minutes (or until most of the liquid has evaporated and millet appears puffed).

Place cooked millet in a colander and allow excess liquid to drain.  You can assist this process by using the back of a spoon and pressing millet against colander.

Place drained millet in a large salad bowl and gather remaining ingredients.

Add fruit and almonds to millet mixing gently, taking care not to mash fruit.

Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a container with fitted lid.  Shake well and pour over salad, mixing gently to combine.

* Unfounded claims aside, goji berries are an excellent source of fibre, beta-carotene and vitamin C.  They have also been shown to have a high oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), a measure of their antioxidant (or disease fighting) capacity.  You can find goji berries at health food stores.

For more information on millet, see our May 31st post: Lemon Millet with Wild Blueberries & Caramelized Pecans



- Photos by Trinity Nutrition -

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Rosemary Honey Dijon Glaze

Some would say that skinless chicken is not worth grilling but I like to think that it has a charm all of its own.   

With enough basting, you can get a pretty wonderful result. 

I wanted to use skinless breasts for this recipe but oddly, the grocery store didn't have any at the time, so I picked up skinless thighs instead.  Although I prefer the taste of chicken breast, thighs are tender and economical, making them a good choice as well.

My approach to grilling is pretty much the same every time.  I get the grill good and hot and then turn in right down before putting the food on.  I flip and baste frequently and make sure the meat is moist at all times.

I also like to reserve some glaze to brush on to the cooked meat just before serving (making additional glaze if necessary).

Rosemary Honey Dijon Glaze

·         1/4 cup butter, melted

·         2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (the wet kind)

·         1/4 cup liquid honey

·         1 Tbsp dried rosemary sprigs

Whisk glaze ingredients together in a sturdy small pot on stove.  Heat glaze just to boiling point and then remove from heat. 

Place about 16 skinless, boneless, chicken thighs in a large glass dish.  Pour 1/3 cup canola oil over top and work into thighs ensuring they are fully coated with oil.  Add sea salt and ground pepper.

Once the grill is nice and hot, reduce to lowest heat. Place thighs on grill for approximately 6 minutes per side (this will vary depending on size of thighs and temperature of grill).  Flip and rotate thighs every two minutes or so.  In the last two minutes of grilling, generously coat one side of thighs with rosemary honey dijon glaze.  Flip the thighs and grill for one minute and then flip, coat and grill the other side.

Brush reserved glaze (ideally warmed) over chicken before serving.

Enjoy!

- Photo by Trinity Nutrition -

Marbled French Toast with Fresh Strawberry & Granola

We had a brilliant father's day weekend at the lake.

The sun was shining, the loons were... calling (?) and our golden retriever was in doggy heaven.

We bought our cottage in the spring of 2003.  A bare bones, post-war fishing cabin that appeared to be built on a permanent slant.  The structure on the hill came complete with a family of squirrels living in the roof and enough marauding mice to feed an army of cats.  Perfect!

I'll admit to feeling overwhelmed more than once during the patch-up journey, but tried to stay focused on the clean, quiet lake that brought great happiness to the whole family.  Besides, there was this fabulous vintage 60s, reclining, vibrating chair made of genuine vinyl that came with the cabin and had our name written all over it - an enduring beauty in its own right!

Much of the structural work accomplished over the past 8 years was done by my husband.  His enormous patience, boundless energy and skill are... infuriating - oops!  I mean inspiring :).  Little by little, we carved it into our own.

Along the way, we've been fortunate to have family & friends sharing the phases with us and helping us build some pretty wonderful memories.  

In many ways, it's still the same wonky old cabin we fell in love with - and we wouldn't want it any other way.

The cabin as it was then -

The cabin as it is today -

In honour of father's day, we kicked off the morning with some homespun café au lait for dad (mom may have had one too!)

Topped with cinnamon, dark chocolate and hazelnut shavings

Then we moved on to the main morning course. 

We got lucky and found some gorgeous marbled sour rye bread at the market and stopped in at a neighbouring ranch to pick up some farm fresh eggs.

With local strawberries in abundance, our topping choice was made easy. 

French Toast with Fresh Strawberry & Granola

• 8 pieces of whole grain bread (we used marbled rye)
• 4 Eggs
• Approx. 1 cup milk (or alternate beverage)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
• 1/2 cup granola
• sprinkle of maple syrup
• dollop of whipped cream

Serves 4

Place eggs, milk and cinnamon in a large dish

Whisk ingredients together until well combined

Place slices of bread in milk/egg mixture allowing them to saturate for a moment before turning them over

Fry battered bread in a skillet with some olive oil over medium heat, cooking until golden on both sides.

Place French toast on individual serving plates and top with fresh berries, a sprinkling of granola, maple syrup and whipped cream. 

Dad was delighted and particularly liked the "crunch" of the granola that accompanied the French toast. 

Cheers to a beautiful Father's Day Weekend!

- Photos by Trinity Nutrition -

Smokin' Raspberry Daiquiri

Photo by Trinity Nutrition

I have fun experimenting with warm weather drinks that our entire family can enjoy. 

Here's a bold twist on an old favourite.  If spice is not your thing, best to stay away from the cayenne (the drink is equally delicious without it).  But if you're up for a little heat, you might find this one fun.

Smokin' Raspberry Daiquiri

• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 + 1/4 cup carbonated spring water
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1 cup crushed ice

Place ingredients in blender and mix until smooth. 

The only tricky part about this recipe, if there is one, is getting the consistency right.  You may need to adjust by adding water.

Serves 2.

Minted Papaya Melon Salad with Coconut Milk

This simple summer salad is big on taste and nutrients

Papaya - Papaya is an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, folate and fibre.  It also contains carotenoids that are supportive of eye health and a naturally occurring enzyme - papain - that assists in protein digestion.

Honeydew Melon - Honeydew melon contains ample amounts of vitamin C, potassium and a number of B vitamins.

The water content in both papaya and melon make them excellent choices for warm weather hydration while their potassium content is supportive of healthy blood pressure.

Coconut Milk - The saturated fat in coconut is primarily made up of medium-chain fatty acids that our bodies metabolize differently than long-chain fatty acids.  Research demonstrates that coconut fat may have more influence on elevating HDL levels ('good' cholesterol) than LDL levels ('bad' cholesterol) than was previously thought.  The high lauric acid content of coconut oil has significant antibacterial, antifungal properties and the emollient nature of this fat has been used for centuries to relieve many skin conditions.

Minted Papaya Melon Salad with Coconut Milk:
1 medium papaya, peeled and roughly cubed (see pics below)
1 medium melon, peeled and roughly cubed (see pics below)
12 or so mint leaves, washed and chopped
1/2 cup natural unsweetened coconut milk

* Note on Coconut Milk: As with all whole foods, fat separation will naturally occur (coconut cream will rise to the top and separate from the water component on the bottom).  To improve texture, you can mix contents with a fork or whisk (small lumps may still be present - they won't hurt you).  You can also try shaking the can before opening it to encourage mixing.  Quality coconut milk should have a clean, white color and a mild, vaguely sweet coconut fragrance. 

Directions -

Place cubed papaya and melon in a salad bowl.  Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and chopped mint.  Toss and Serve.  Should be enough for 6-8.

Preparing melon & papaya -
There are some seriously huge melons out there!  Medium size will do.

The easiest way to prepare melon (for this recipe) is to cut away the smooth peel by using a sharp knife. 

Stabilize the melon with one hand while working the knife down the side of the melon with the other.

Continue this process until you the entire peel is removed.

Cut the melon in half and remove seeds with a spoon - they should come out easily in one scoop.

You can now cube or ball your melon (using melon baller), as you wish. 

Ripe papaya is very easy to work with.  You can use the knife technique illustrated above to remove the peel (a quality potato peeler might also work well) or simply cut the papaya in half, remove seeds and score.   

Run knife along edge of peel to release cubes.  

Thai Mango Salad with Avocado, Fennel and Chili Lime Vinaigrette

 

Photos by Trinity Nutrition

I get cravings for Thai food in the summertime. 

It's not the fragrant curry nor the soothing coconut milk.  It's not even the sweet basil.  Nope.  For me, It's all about (ok, mostly about) the spicy mango salad. 

I love the combination of sweet and savoury flavours, the contrast between the soft and crunchy textures and the chili lime vinaigrette that transports me to a happy place.

The following version of this summer salad incorporates avocado and fennel bulb; a couple of personal favourites. 

I hope you enjoy (but be careful, you might get hooked!):

For the Salad:

1 Fennel bulb (anise), washed and sliced (see pics below)

1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced

1 cup shredded carrots

1 red bell pepper, washed and sliced thin

1/2 cut purple onion, peeled and sliced thin
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, washed and chopped

1/2 cup peanuts

For the Vinaigrette:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lime zest

Juice of 1 lime (3 Tbsp lime juice)

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp 'Spicy Thai Chili' (I use Thai Kitchen)

1 tsp brown sugar

Cracked pepper to taste

Assemble salad ingredients and place them in a serving bowl or on individual serving plates. 

Place vinaigrette ingredients in a small container with a fitted lid.  Shake vigorously before incorporating into salad.  Should be enough for 4.

Some information about Fennel:

In addition to its delicious light licorice flavour, fennel is also full of nutrients.  A good source of folate, potassium, fibre and vitamin C, fennel is also a rich source of antioxidants.

When choosing fresh fennel, look for ones that have clean, firm, solid bulbs. Bulbs should be a pale green colour, while the stalks and leaves should be a brighter green.

To slice fennel, cut stalks along bulb line.

Remove leaves from stalks and slice into smaller pieces






Wash slices thoroughly before incorporating into salad.