Inspired Edibles

~ wellness, wonder, words ~

Fresh Blueberry Salad with Chèvre Medallions and Champagne Vinaigrette

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Nothing remains as it was.
If you know this, you can begin again
with pure joy in the uprooting.
 
                                               ~ Judith Minty
~~~~~

Everyone moves from time to time and in terms of life injuries, well, it’s just not that significant.

But when you’re preparing to leave the city where you’ve raised your children from infants to teenagers and every corner of every street flashes a memory, the task takes on a different weight.

Sure, there are plenty of good reasons to be attached to this city. Consistently ranked among the best communities to live in Canada and one of the cleanest and highest quality living cities in the world, there’s no doubt, Ottawa is a gem.

But that’s not what I’ll miss most about home.

No. My heart is breaking leaving this city because there isn’t a corner of this well-traveled neighborhood that doesn’t remind me of the fifteen years we’ve spent living it.  From the crawling stage to the dirt eating stage to the mound of grass where our youngest found his first four-leaf clover, to the epic meltdown on Bank street that saw a certain three year old boy strip down to his bare skin one painstaking item of clothing at a time until he stood there planted in his resolve, his thirty pound frame shivering in the wind, casting a look back at me that let me know, we had just begun.

And the funniest things are occurring to me too. The thought that our phone number will never ring to us again; the idea that we are deserting the ash tree we planted in our backyard when it was only three inches tall — how long will it live and will I ever see it again? The fact that I won’t get to say goodbye to everyone including all the so-called strangers I run into every single day (is it weird that I am now possessed with an urgent need to meet them?) and the stretch of wall in our kitchen (the great wall) where our boys – and every guest, friend and family member – who entered our home measured themselves – a collection of graduated marks and honors, now covered over in builder beige.

Whenever I feel like I’m going to lose it, which happens a fair bit, I find myself holding on to Dr. Seuss:


We are so blessed to have spent fifteen incredible years in this beautiful city with its spirited inhabitants.  I am now intimately acquainted with every tree-lined dog walking path, soccer pitch and hockey arena scattered across eastern Ontario (in fact, I can even tell you the mean temperature inside each of those arenas — yup, I’m even going to miss freezing my butt off!).

So we move forward, with open hearts and optimism.  And we have so many people to thank for supporting us both while we lived here and during our warp speed transition out of the city. Family, friends and neighbors who have extended their hands and celebrated our final days — thank you for making us feel so well surrounded and loved. That’s what we will remember most.

Fresh Blueberry Salad with Chèvre Medallions & Champagne Vinaigrette

Fresh Blueberry Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette 

For the Salad:
  • 4 cups (1 L) baby spinach or fresh greens of choice
  • 1 cup (250 mL) arugula (rocket)
  • 1 bundle seasonal white asparagus, gently steamed and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 cup (250 mL) fresh blueberries 
  • 1/4 cup (62.5 mL) toasted pine nuts or nuts/seed of choice
  • 8 ounces (225 grams) chèvre (goat) cheese log, I used one seasoned with herbs

For the Champagne Vinaigrette:

  • 4 Tbsp olive oil (60 mL)
  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL) champagne vinegar
  • 1 tsp (10 mL) fresh lemon zest
  • 1 tsp (10 mL) honey 
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) grainy dijon mustard
  • sea salt and coarse pepper to taste


Serves 4

Nutrition Notes:

Rich in fibre and low in calories, blueberries rank among the highest in antioxidant value by weight in relation to other fruit.  These dazzling blue gems obtain their color from a group of phytochemicals called anthocyanins that help guard against cataract, glaucoma, ulcers and even certain types of cancer.  

Studies have also shown that blueberries may reduce LDL cholesterol levels and blood pressure.  And there’s more.  Research suggests that eating blueberries regularly may protect brain cells and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by combating free radical damage, reducing inflammation and increasing the clearance of toxic proteins that accumulate with age.  

 

All this from a brilliant berry that is bursting with flavor – talk about a great deal!

 

Directions:

Place spinach (or other greens), arugula, cooled asparagus pieces and blueberries together in a large bowl.

In a small dry skillet, sauté pine nuts over lowest heat just until they are gently browned and fragrant (be sure to watch carefully to ensure that you don’t burn the nuts — pine nuts are expensive!).

Add toasted pine nuts to salad bowl.

Meanwhile, in a small container with fitted lid, combine vinaigrette ingredients and shake vigorously before drizzling over salad.  Taking care not to mash fruit, mix salad ingredients together until well integrated with vinaigrette.

Divide salad among 4 plates and top each plate with 3 slices (medallions) of chèvre.

© Inspired Edibles

 


the majestic ash tree we planted in our backyard 12 years ago

I was 7 months pregnant, the tree was only 3 inches tall

a warm greeting for baby brother

moments after arriving home from hospital

A slice of the great wall

(a tough thing to capture in all of its sacredness ;-)

our first summer at the cottage 10 years ago…
(we are not selling our cottage!! in fact, it is my covert plan to return to Ontario

every summer for most of the summer — shhhhh… don’t tell a soul ;-)

~~~~

Dear friends and faithful supporters of Inspired Edibles, please bear with us as our family settles in to our new home and life in California — we can’t wait to reconnect and share our new adventures with you!

 

~~~~

Healthy Lunch Series: Quinoa Zucchini Bake ~ served warm or cold (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)

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healthy lunch series - quinoa zucchini bake_blog

As part of Inspired Edibles’ ongoing Healthy Lunch Series, I’m excited to share this seasonal zucchini and quinoa bake that you can serve up warm and comforting from the oven or cool and refreshing from the fridge.

Many of us are experiencing mercurial weather this summer — cold and rainy one day, uncomfortably humid the next.  This simple, nutritious meal will accommodate either end of the spectrum nicely.

Made ahead, these cooled squares pack up beautifully into lunch boxes and picnic baskets and you can easily vary the contents and flavor accents with different fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices as desired (see suggestions in the Cooking & Nutrition Notes section below).

I hope you have fun with it and enjoy adding the recipe to your lunch repertoire!

Healthy Lunch Series: Quinoa Zucchini Bake

Quinoa Zucchini Bake ~ served warm or cold (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)

  • 2 cups (500 mL) cooked quinoa
  • 2 cups (500 mL) packed and drained shredded zucchini (I used a combination of yellow and green zucchini)
  • 3 green onions (scallions), sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) mushroom pieces
  • 1/3 cup (80 mL) shredded Parmesan
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)  lemon zest
  • 2 heaping Tbsp (30 mL) fresh dill
  • Sea salt & coarse pepper seasoning
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 
  • 4 eggs


Makes 12 Squares

Cooking & Nutrition Notes:

  • Variety is the spice of life and in this case, there are many gorgeous combinations you can play around with.  I worked with mushroom, Parmesan, lemon and fresh dill but consider some of these variations: chopped apple and nutmeg; tomato and fresh basil; garlic, walnut and parsley; crunchy anise and tarragon; chopped pear and sage; blueberry and mint; cheddar, corn and chili pepper. 
  • Dubbed the “mother grain” by the Incas, quinoa’s nutrient profile has earned it star status. Rich in plant protein, quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids making it an important staple for vegetarian/vegan diets. It also contains B vitamins and a number of minerals including, notably: magnesium (a natural muscle relaxant), manganese, phosphorus, copper and iron. Quinoa’s low glycemic index also makes it a good choice for blood glucose control in diabetics (and those wishing to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes).
  • If you are making this recipe for youngsters, you can cut the quinoa zucchini bake into fun and interesting shapes — squares, circles, long stick shapes, triangles, any cookie cutter shape you have on hand etc.  You can also provide dipping sauces – tzatziki would work beautifully here – but any bean dip as well.  (Or, as one of my sons might advise, hot buffalo wing sauce!)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 F.  

  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions (generally 1:2 ratio quinoa to water) and allow it to cool somewhat.  Quinoa increases about 4 times in volume when cooked. A 1/2 cup of dry quinoa should generate about 2 cups of cooked quinoa. Use 1 cup of dry to be safe and store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.
  2. Meanwhile, place shredded zucchini in a colander set over a bowl or sink.  Press down on the zucchini to squeeze out excess moisture.
  3. Place cooked quinoa, shredded and drained zucchini, green onions, mushrooms, Parmesan, lemon zest, dill, salt & pepper in a large bowl and mix to combine.
  4. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together yogurt, olive oil and eggs.  
  5. Add wet ingredients to dry mixing only until combined.
  6. Line a baking pan (roughly 6 1/2 x 10) with parchment paper such that the paper hangs over the sides of the pan. Pour quinoa zucchini batter into the pan.  Add a final sprinkling of cheese and mushrooms to the surface.
  7. Place pan in oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until set (slightly golden and just firm to touch).
  8. Remove pan from oven allow it to cool.  Elevate the quinoa zucchini bake slab from the pan by pulling up on parchment (if you can) or with the help of a large spatula and slice slab into squares or desired shape.
© Inspired Edibles

 

I must have eaten a pound of heirloom carrots with malt & salt
while making this recipe…
Ready for the oven
so simple and packed with goodness
perfect picnic food
you just know I want to break into Seals & Crofts right now

healthy lunch series - quinoa zucchini bake_blog

Homemade Orange Creamsicle Popsicles ~ All Natural, Vegan

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vegan orange creamsicle_inspired edibles
Well, I have to agree with my son on this one.  These may be the tastiest popsicles I’ve made to date. 

He didn’t quite put it that way though. 

In fact, he said it precisely like this: “Wow, Mom, these actually taste like popsicles.”  In teenage parlance I knew exactly what he meant.  I finally managed to create an all natural popsicle that wasn’t rock hard and entirely devoid of flavor.

This is the same teenage son who, upon sampling one of my first versions of low sugar cookies, chose to break it to me gently this way: “Oh Mom, you don’t know what you’re up against.”

He said it with such a calm assuredness and sincerity that it had me laughing tears. We both knew he was right of course and he managed to synthesize the battle of the century into one simple sentence.  (He can be infuriatingly smart that way).

 I still find myself laughing about his comment at the strangest times – in the middle of the night, driving my car, brushing my teeth.  It reminds me of all the times I almost certainly embarrassed my boys in their younger years by insisting on real food and refusing to buckle under pressure.  Handing out apple baskets instead of loot bags at their birthday parties, making fresh fruit birthday cakes, sending them off with veggie platters to school parties and the coup de grace, introducing a healthy lunch program at their elementary school (let’s just say it didn’t have the same momentum as pizza day).  Yup, moms can be downright distressing at times. Ah well, better to stand for something, right?  Besides, it builds character and there are plenty of those around here.


Homemade Orange Creamsicle Popsicles

Homemade Orange Creamsicle Popsicles ~ All Natural, Vegan
  • 1 cup (250 mL) fresh squeezed orange juice (or any quality mixed orange juice)
  • 1 cup (250 mL) coconut milk
  • 3 Tbsp (45 mL) pure maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL) orange zest (I also like adding small chunks of fresh orange pulp)
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract

Makes approximately 4 half cup (125 mL) popsicles

Notes:
  • The combination of orange and coconut is positively swoon-worthy. The lime adds a note of tartness while the zest/pulp emphasize the delicious and refreshing orange.
  • I used coconut milk here not only because it’s a dairy free alternative that happens to taste delicious but also for its health properties. Although most of the fat in coconut milk is saturated fat, this plant based saturated fat is made up of a unique blend of medium-chain fatty acids (most fats in our diet are long-chain fatty acids) which appear to have a positive effect on cholesterol levels, notably raising HDL (good) cholesterol.  These same medium-chain fats also appear to increase calorie burning in the body through their action of direct delivery to the liver for energy.

vegan orange creamsicle_3_Inspired Edibles

Directions:
1.     Simply mix ingredients together, by hand or in a blender/food processor, and pour into individual popsicles molds. 
2.     Add a popsicle stick in the center of the mold and place in freezer for approximately 3 hours.
3.     Remove popsicles from freezer 5 or 10 minutes before serving.  Run exterior of popsicle molds under hot water for a few seconds and then gently pull on popsicle stick to release popsicle from mold.
© Inspired Edibles

vegan orange creamsicle_1_Inspired Edibles
Fill an ice cube tray (or two) with any remaining popsicle mixture
and enjoy orange-coconut infused water for days ~
vegan orange creamsicle_2_Inspired Edibles
A Brilliant Happy Hour by the Lake
Celebrating 10 years of Cottage Living & 17 Years of Marriage!
(my prince charming taking the photo)

kelly water

  our bathing beauty and constant companion
dogga cottage

Strawberry Chia Overnight Oats (Vegan, Gluten Free)

By 40 Comments

And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, 
I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again 
with the summer
                                                                                             ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
~~~~~~~~~~~~
We welcomed the first day of summer up at the lake this past weekend.  We didn’t see much of the sun but it didn’t matter.  
 
Unplugged (no internet, not even a phone) we built camp fires, played multiple contentious rounds of boggle and worked in some mandatory family poker: five card draw, Kings and Little Ones, is my game.  There was plenty of swimming too — our golden won’t have it any other way.

…

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Healthy Lunch Series: Vegetarian Taco Salad with Homemade Seasoning

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Have you got a dishwasher reorganizer in the family?

We do.

And it seems there’s no easy cure.

No matter how carefully I place the plates, pack the cups or hang the knives, our resident reorganizer sneaks back to the dishwasher, quietly opens the door and proceeds to refile all of the dishes I’ve just loaded (!).

It’s been going on for about 20 years now.

Can anyone else relate?

(So what do we think… is it a nature or nurture thing? A confluence of influences thing? Any hope for reform?)

~~~~
Mexican food is in my top three all-time favorite cuisine types (if you must know, Thai, Indian, Mexican, generally in that order).  I adore the breadth of flavors and ingredients that typically characterize Mexican food and tacos are a family favorite.

The pre-packaged taco seasonings are convenient (and often yummy) but when you investigate the contents of these packages you begin to wonder: MSG, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, silicone dioxide (an “anticaking” agent), ethoxyquin (etho who? a preservative) and enough sodium to fill your daily quota and then some. On balance, I’d much rather spend the extra 5 minutes creating my own mixture and I think you’ll find the taste worthwhile too.

Healthy Lunch Series

Healthy Lunch Series: Vegetarian Taco Salad with Homemade Seasoning

For the Taco Salad:

  • 2 cups cooked black beans, thoroughly rinsed if using canned
  • 2 cups fresh whole corn kernels or thawed from frozen
  • 2 cups coleslaw or lettuce of choice
  • 16 cherry tomatoes cut in half, or any variety of  tomato chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 1 large orange bell pepper, chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 1/3 cup sliced Kalamata olives
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese or cheese of choice, grated
  • 2 green onions/scallions for topping, finely chopped
For the Taco Seasoning:
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes, optional heat
  • pinch sea salt + black pepper


Serves 4

Notes:

  1. You can make your taco seasoning ahead of time and triple the batch to create enough seasoning for 3 meals.  Simply store the seasoning in an airtight container.
  2. I like to make a double batch of beans on the weekend for weekday meals. In addition to superior taste, I have ongoing concerns about the BPA content in lined cans.
  3. If you wish, you can season most or all of the ingredients in this recipe, as desired, by placing them in the skillet with the beans.
  4. Any plant protein can be used in place of the beans – diced tofu/tempeh, lentils or any other legume of choice.

Directions:

  1. In a small dish, combine taco seasoning ingredients together, mixing to integrate.  Set aside.
  2. Wash and chop vegetables as required and grate cheese.
  3. Warm a medium sized skillet over low heat and add black beans.  Sprinkle the black beans with half of the taco seasoning using a wooden spoon to help coat the beans and toss.  Add a little bit of water to the bean mixture (start with a quarter cup or so) and then add the remaining taco seasoning coating and tossing.  If necessary, add additional water to the mixture – you want the beans to be well coated with the seasoning but not dry and clumpy. The mixture should be mildly liquid. Remove beans from heat.
  4. If eating at home, you can plate the ingredients as illustrated in the photos adding the seasoned beans to the center.  Top the beans with a quarter cup of yogurt and sprinkling of green onion. If preferred, you can also cool the seasoned beans before serving.
  5. Salsa and guacamole also make delicious accompaniments.
  6. If bringing this lunch on the road or to the office, simply layer the ingredients into a container and seal well with lid.  Bring yogurt, salsa and guacamole in separate small containers as desired.
© Inspired Edibles

 

I enjoy my taco salad with yogurt, fresh guacamole and plenty o’ salsa!

Bon Appétit

Flourless Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

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These cookies are probably the most unusual love bites I’ve ever made.

Unusual, in part, because they are not only grain free but also flour free – no dehydrated chickpeas or coconuts here! But what amazes me most is that despite their lack of flour, baking soda/powder, butter and refined sugars, they turn out as though they were… yes, almost a customary cookie, with such a yummy flavor!

…

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Healthy Lunch Series: Baked Egg Cups over Lime-Tahini Spinach

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This simple and rather scrumptious lunch idea was inspired by a ballerina.

I was catching up on some on-line news the other day when a video caption flashed across my screen: “curious about the eating habits of Canada’s top ballerinas?” Immediate seduction.

And surprise.

I guess I’ve always feared that the pressure put upon these individuals is so grave that they are required, for their own professional survival, to follow a diet of deprivation.  I’ve also come across heartbreaking documentaries on the eating disorders that can run rampant in similar professions.  So, when I watched the clip of the talented and beautiful Heather Ogden, I was not only surprised but also delighted to see the quality and expansiveness of her diet as well as the clarity of her views on it. “I like to focus on all the things I can eat to build a healthy body rather than what I should be excluding. Calories are not my focus.”

There’s also something about that six hours of daily exercise thing that has a way of keeping the body slim and trim (!). Among some of Ogden’s favorite foods as showcased in the segment, were the most delicate and seductive looking eggs I’ve seen in a long time.  I suspect they may have been poached but no matter, the flash image was enough to launch my vessel. I knew where I was going with this one.

Although I am not new to baked egg cups, there was just something about this presentation with the yolks standing at attention, clear and radiant in the center, that reminded me of sunlight.

Healthy Lunch Series

Baked Egg Cups over Lime-Tahini Spinach

For the Egg Cups & Spinach Salad:

  • 90 grams (about 3 cups) fresh baby spinach
  • 70 grams (about 1 cup) sliced mushrooms of choice
  • 6 dried apricots, sliced
  • 1/2 avocado, cubed or sliced
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 large (25 g) green onion/scallion, finely chopped


For the Lime Infused Tahini Dressing

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 6 tsp tahini
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tsp lime zest
  • sea salt & cracked pepper to taste


Serves 2

Notes:

  1. Make-ahead option: These baked eggs store beautifully in the fridge for 3 days (or longer) so you can make them at a time that is most convenient.
  2. I recommend using silicone muffin cup liners for the eggs to facilitate release.  I purchased my silicone liners at a very reasonable price at a hardware store (Canadian Tire).
  3. You can easily scramble these eggs (and toss in veggies and cheese if you like).  For instructions, have a look at the link above under “baked egg cups”.
  4. The baked eggs travel well in office lunch bags as well as school lunch boxes with ice packs.  Even though identical in content, my boys found these egg cups more interesting and novel than the usual boiled eggs.
  5. If packing the spinach salad for the office, best to bring the lime-tahini dressing in a separate small container and pour over spinach just before eating (otherwise, you will have a heavily wilted spinach salad by lunchtime).

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 F

  1. Crack eggs directly into silicone (or paper) cup liners that have been gently sprayed with olive oil.
  2. Cooking time will vary depending on the heat of individual ovens and how well cooked you like your eggs.  I’m one of those weirdos who likes my eggs well done (I know, how gauche.  Also explains why there are no oozing egg shots ;o) but by all means, rescue yours before they turn to rubber. Place eggs on top rack of oven and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes or until well done.  If you like your eggs runny (like most people!) cook the eggs for approximately 10-15 or until desired doneness is achieved.
  3. Place spinach, mushrooms, sliced apricot and avocado in a bowl.
  4. Assemble lime-tahini dressing by simply combining ingredients in a dish and whisking together.  If the dressing is too thick, simply add a touch of water incrementally until desired consistency is achieved.
  5. Pour lime-tahini dressing over spinach salad and mix gently but thoroughly to combine.
  6. Divide the lime-tahini spinach between two plates.  Place two egg cups over or beside the spinach and top the eggs with some green onion.
© Inspired Edibles

 

(I always make extra)

A perfect little egg cup emerges from the mold

 

Et voilà! Sun-kissed Spinach ;o) c’est jolie, non?

 

Healthy Lunch Series: Vegetable Rotini with Flaked Tuna in a Light Lemon-Yogurt Dressing

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healthy lunch series - vegetable rotini with tuna_blog
I’m very excited to introduce the first recipe in a series of healthy lunches at Inspired Edibles!

We all struggle with occasional lack of inspiration and not-so-occasional lack of time, so the goal of this initiative is to generate ideas for simple, wholesome meals that you can pack for the office or enjoy at home. A delicious excuse to skip the food court and head outside for some cherished vitamin D.

The recipes that I will be featuring in this little segment can be adapted to suit any particular dietary need and/or preference which means that they should ideally be used as a starting point and not necessarily and end point. Be sure to have a look under “Notes” for substitution ideas where applicable.

From a nutrition perspective, one the most helpful suggestions I can make is to encourage the incorporation of protein at all meals and snacks — including lunch where it often goes missing.

Protein is not only vital for all structural components in the body (muscle, bone, connective tissue) it also forms the basis of our neurotransmitters (the brain’s communication channels), which means that it is also critical for mood, memory and cognition.

A green salad with tossed vegetables may be a great start but on its own, it will leave you feeling hungry again in about 20 minutes (the time it takes to digest and convert into a sugar).  Adding protein to the mix will create satiety, allow you to feel fuller longer and diminish the pesky desire to graze endlessly on carbohydrates. Protein also requires more work and energy to digest, increasing our metabolic workout and keeping our blood sugar levels and mood more stable over a longer period of time.

Ready to rock your lunch box?

Healthy Lunch Series

Vegetable Rotini with Flaked Tuna in a Light Lemon-Yogurt Dressing

For the Tuna Pasta:

  • 300 grams (or about 4 dried cups) tri-color vegetable rotini
  • 250 grams (two tins or about 1 cup) drained light skipjack tuna
  • 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
  • 1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 tomatoes (or 16 or so cherry tomatoes), chopped
  • 2 Tbsp slivered almond
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon thyme, finely chopped

For the Lemon-Yogurt Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp honey or agave nectar
  • Sea salt & cracked black pepper


Serves 4

Notes:

  1. Make-ahead option: It will only take you about 15 minutes to prepare this meal once you have the ingredients in place.  You can do so the night before if you prefer and simply store in an airtight container in the fridge (to be transported to work the next day if applicable). The tuna pasta can be enjoyed cold or warmed up as desired.
  2. I chose vegetable pasta because it’s a great way to work in some fibre and a host of vits/mins — notably: iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
  3. You can substitute any vegetable of choice here.
  4. If you are a vegetarian, swap out the tuna for tofu, tempeh or seitan.  I recommend these protein sources over lentils/beans (which are typically 50% carb/50% protein) because the pasta is already providing carbohydrate content.
  5. If you are pregnant and have concerns about the mercury/toxin levels in tuna or fish/crustaceans generally,  you may wish to substitute a different protein in place of the tuna.
  6. What’s with the chopsticks? I love using chopsticks whenever possible.  It focuses attention, requires us to slow down and assists in improving digestion.

Directions:

  1. Boil pasta in a large pot of salt water until al dente (for about 6 minutes). Drain and allow pasta to cool as you prepare the lemon-yogurt dressing.
  2. Add tuna, broccoli, bell pepper, tomatoes, almonds and fresh lemon-thyme to the cooled pasta.
  3. Assemble lemon yogurt sauce by simply combining ingredients in a dish and whisking together.
  4. Pour lemon-yogurt dressing over pasta and mix gently but thoroughly to combine.
© Inspired Edibles

 

healthy lunch series - vegetable rotini with tuna_blog

Quinoa-Crusted Sole in a Chili-Lime Marinade (Oven Baked, Gluten Free)

By 26 Comments

I planted my herb garden this past weekend.

The sun was shining, it was warm and I loved being outside.  In addition to my usual roster of aromatic favorites (lavender and lemon thyme being right up there), I found a pineapple sage plant that I thought was rather unusual in a delightful kind of way.  Have you ever come across pineapple sage? It smells amazing.

Anyhow, I always like to throw in a garden reference here and there on my blog because it somehow makes me feel like I know what I’m talking about.

Some of you might recall my little garden villain in the form of this girl:

(Never mind the innocent look.  You all know what she’s CAPABLE OF).

But here’s the truth, although she’s a wonderfully convenient excuse for my garden woes (and a certified pain in the tuckus), I am not a gifted gardener.  Not even close.  In fact, I may be the only person I know who manages to kill cacti on a regular basis.  Growing plant life is something I have to work really hard at but it’s important to me so I try and keep my little herbs alive through the summer — be sure to keep an eye out for some delightful inclusions!

~~~~

I’m really excited about today’s recipe.  If you like the idea of crispy breaded fish but are looking for a healthier, gluten free alternative, this might be your new go-to. But possibly more exciting is the lip-smacking chili-lime undercoat…oh my… *so* delicious! Even my boys (who would readily admit that fish is perhaps not their top, top, choice) gobbled these up without restraint.  I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do!

Quinoa-Crusted Sole in a Chili-Lime Marinade

Quinoa-Crusted Sole in a Chili-Lime Marinade (Oven Baked, Gluten Free)

For the Chili-Lime Marinade:

  • 8 fillets of sole, or fish of choice* (using thicker fillets may affect cooking time and amount of liquid needed for the marinade)
  • 2-3 Tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil, melted
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Zest of one lime
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp palm sugar
  • 1/4 (or to taste) cayenne powder — it’s hot!
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt


For the Quinoa Coating:

  • 1 + 1/2 cups quinoa flakes
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Sprinkle of sea salt

Serving: Makes 8 Quinoa-Crusted Sole Fillets

Notes:

  1. You can make the chili-lime marinade ahead of time and allow the fish to soak up the flavor of the marinade in the fridge for up to 24 hours.  This leaves you with only the quinoa coating to assemble at show time.
  2. I am often asked about the difference between refined vs. unrefined coconut oil and why some coconut oils have a delicious coconut taste while others are virtually tasteless. Expeller-pressed coconut oil is a high pressure, high temperature extraction process that destroys the volatile aroma of the coconut.  You will pay more for the cold-pressed coconut oil but you won’t regret it! The taste is unmatched. Refined coconut oil undergoes a process of bleaching and deodorizing which unrefined oil does not.  So if you have a choice, ideally opt for cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil.

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 F

  1. In a shallow dish or pie plate, combine: melted coconut oil, lime juice, lime zest, chili, paprika, palm sugar, cayenne and sea salt, whisking to combine.
  2. Place fillets in the chili-lime marinade, immersing to coat.
  3. In a separate pie plate or regular flat plate, combine quinoa flakes, onion, garlic and sea salt, mixing to combine.
  4. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with gently oiled foil or parchment paper (if you don’t brush the surface with oil, my experience is that the quinoa coating will stick).
  5. Dredge each chili-lime marinated fillet through the quinoa coating, making sure to coat both sides, and then place each coated fillet on the lined baking sheet.
  6. Bake fillets in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until fish has cooked through and quinoa has achieved a nice crispy surface. (The fillets will not crisp up entirely like bread crumbs but pretty darn close).
© Inspired Edibles

 

Chili-Lime Goodness

Dredging the fillets

Ready to pop in the oven!

My garden girl (with Monsieur Black in the background)

quinoa crusted sole with chili and lime_blog

Blueberry Bliss Breakfast Bars (No-Bake, Vegan, Gluten Free, Naturally Sweetened)

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Even under the least desirable conditions (rain, snow, sleet, ice, and let’s not forget those – 40 C wind chill temperatures), I always come back to thinking that walking my dog first thing in the morning is pretty much the best possible way to start the day.

An ideal opportunity to welcome the new and rinse out the old before the chaos of the inevitable takes over and the monkey mind sets in.

And this time of year, well, it’s hard not to be in love with the outdoors. Everything is lush, fresh and inviting. Flashes of life and color on every corner.

Even our cat is getting in on the action!  Our frolicking feline will actually walk to the park with us (au naturel) and hang out while we throw balls with our dog. Then, unprompted, he makes the pilgrimage home, several blocks, turns and obstacles away. Since most cats have a brain the size of an edamame bean anatomically, I find it remarkable.  The sense of direction, desire to socialize, ability to navigate; mysterious and kinda miraculous, too; cats are utterly cool creatures.

Here’s to your morning glory!

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