Inspired Edibles

~ wellness, wonder, words ~

Lemony Kale Bites with Ricotta and Almond

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Many years ago, when I first discovered that I was pregnant, I found myself in a Sunday afternoon yoga class.  It was one of those overly warm and muggy Toronto days with the sun filtering orange through the windows of a peaceful second floor studio.  It happened to be mother’s day.  The instructor had us come to a seated position with our eyes closed and our bodies quiet.  Once everything was still, she spoke one sentence: 

We are all born of mothers. 
She didn’t instruct us absorb the grandeur of her words nor counsel us to spend five blessed moments in non-judgement of our mothers and every other mother on earth – past, present and future.  She didn’t need to.  Instead, she simply offered silence. We got it. And it was pretty wonderful.

So, with mother’s day upon us, I thought it might be nice to feature a celebratory brunch bite or dinner appetizer.

These nutritious lemony bites are also a delicious and elegant way of working in some of those underutilized power greens into the diet.

They are rolled in a mixture of ricotta and sunflower seeds and finished with a dusting of ground almond.  You can serve them simply on a singular tray with toothpicks or, for a slightly fancier look, on individual serving spoons with a dollop of plain yogurt and lemon zest as shown in the picture. 

(By the way, I bought the serving spoons at a dollar store – an inexpensive and fun way to dress things up a bit for guests and special occasions).
Lemony Kale Bites with Ricotta and Almond
    • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 6 cups kale, chopped (you could also use spinach, swissh chard or bok choy)
    • Joice of one lemon
    • Zest of one lemon
    • 1 cup ricotta cheese
    • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
    • 1 egg
    • sea salt & coarse black pepper to taste
    • 3/4 cup ground almond
    • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt and some extra lemon zest for serving
 ———————
Notes:
Make Ahead: You can make the kale bites in advance and simply store them in the fridge prior to baking.  You can also freeze the bites once baked.  Transfer them to an airtight container and freeze for up to two months.  Reheat at 375 F for 15 minutes or until hot.

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Heat oven to 400 F.

Sauté onion and garlic over low heat in a large skillet with olive oil until translucent (about 5 minutes).   Add kale and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes or until wilted and soft.  Remove skillet from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Place kale mixture into a blender or food processor along with lemon juice, lemon zest, ricotta, sunflower seeds, egg and a touch of seal salt and black pepper.  Blend until the kale has broken down into small bits and the mixture appears relatively well combined.
Remove kale mixture from blender and place in a plastic container to be stored in the fridge.
While the kale mixture is chilling in the fridge, grind the almonds (I use a coffee grinder for nuts/seeds).
Place ground almonds on a flat plate or bowl.  Scoop 1 tablespoon or so of the chilled kale mixture and place it on top of the ground almond.  Cover kale mixture with almond and gently form into a ball with your fingers – the mixture will be soft and somewhat mushy but you should be able to form a ball with it that is mostly coated with almond.
Gently transfer the coated balls to a foil lined and gently greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 15-20 until the bites are achieving a golden colour and beginning to crisp.
Remove from oven and allow them to cool fully before serving with some yogurt and lemon zest.
Makes approximately 20 lemon kale bites.

 

 

We are all born of mothers ~

Ancient Grains Granola Cups ~ sensible nutrition on-the-go

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I think what amazes me most about homemade granola is how much goodness you can pack into such a small area.

(Yup, I actually get excited about these things).

Each of these muffin-sized granola cups contains more health building nutrients than the average North American consumes in an entire day.  And then some.

Sounds pretty worthwhile to me.

A simple and quick make-ahead option for breakfast or snack, full of delicious nutrients and wonderfully portable too.

If you’ve not yet tried blackstrap molasses, you’re in for a real treat.  It’s not only delicious but highly nutritive. With a robust flavour reminiscent of black liquorice, it boasts an impressive nutrient profile that puts it in an entirely different class than its highly refined cousin ‘fancy‘ molasses.

2 Tablespoons of blackstrap molasses contains an amazing 40% of an adult’s daily requirement of potassium; 30% daily requirement of iron (ideal for vegetarians/vegans); 20% daily requirement of calcium; 20% daily requirement of vitamin B6 and 16% daily requirement of magnesium.  Pretty impressive stuff for a sweetener.

You can play around with this recipe and incorporate whatever ingredients suit you and your family best.  Experimenting with different seasonings will also bring about a whole new taste experience every time.

yup, that would be chili powder…

Buyer Beware: Another reason why I love homemade bars… Despite clever and creative labelling, most commercial granola bars are more about sugar than anything else.  There are a few pre and post workout specialty bars on the market that have their place under very narrow circumstances (most of us do not have activity levels that warrant those circumstances), and Kashi brand granola snack bars contain a good amount of protein and fibre relative to sugar.  Beyond that, most common commercial brands are about as nutritive as a candy bar.

I hope you enjoy making these granola cups at home – It’s really hard to go wrong with them so have some fun and bring small hands on board if you have them at home. Nothing more health empowering for a child than getting them involved in food choices at a young age.

Ancient Grains Granola Cups
  • 1 + 1/2 cups whole grain oats
  • 1/2 cup quinoa flour
  • 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnut
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup sliced dried apricot
  • 1/4 cup sliced dried and pitted prunes
  • 1/4 chopped 75% cocoa chocolate
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
  • 2 heaping Tbsp blackstrap molasses
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or olive oil
  • 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
  • handful dessicated coconut
———————-
Heat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, stir together: oats, quinoa flour, ground flaxseed, walnuts, apricots, prunes, chocolate, chili, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat egg and add maple syrup, blackstrap molasses, oil and vanilla.

Add wet ingredients to dry mixing until everything is moist.

Divide mixture among 12 medium-sized paper lined (or greased) muffin cups.

(I topped these cups with an additional sliver of apricot and a few sprinkles of dessicated coconut that I wanted to use up).

Using the back of a spoon, pack granola down tightly to allow ingredients to stick together after baking.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Allow granola cups to cool before unmoulding.

Enjoy!

Sprouted Spring Salad in a Jar

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sprouted spring salad in a jar

Last year for Mother’s Day our youngest son, then 10-years-old, surprised me with a salad made from sprouted greens that he grew in his bedroom window.

He followed the directions on a package of seeds that his Grand-Maman gave him and patiently grew the greens in a mason jar on his sunny bedroom ledge.  On Mother’s day, he chopped the greens and tossed them into a bowl with a few other odds and sods he found in the fridge and then proceeded to look up a vinaigrette recipe in one of my cooking magazines (could you die?)…. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything quite as fresh or delicious in my life (except for everything else my boys make…).

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Lemon Thyme Roast Chicken

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Now that I am firmly back in a Spring state of mind, I’m ready to post this luminous lemon thyme roast chicken.
This simple idea came to me in the middle of a workout the other day – (I’m all about living in the moment, provided that moment includes food).  The sun was shining, spirits were high and visions of luscious lemon began seeping into my consciousness.
The dreamy possibilities seemed endless. 
It’s not easy being held captive.  I hope you enjoy this one.
Lemon Thyme Roast Chicken
  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Juice of two lemons
  • Zest of two lemons
  • 1/2 cup fresh chopped thyme plus a few sprigs for decorating
  • Sea salt & coarse pepper
———————-
Notes:

Roast chicken is one of the easiest and most economical meals you can make. Add in a couple of key ingredients and it may also become one of the tastiest.

Place chicken on a rack set inside the roasting pan to get it up and away from the juices on the bottom – this allows the bird to brown along the sides.

I like to start with an initial burst of heat, followed by a more moderate oven temperature. This allows the skin of the chicken to crisp up nicely and lends a delicious roasted flavour.

Oven temperatures and birds will vary but here are some general guidelines to cooking times by weight of bird.

Chicken Roasting Times:


Weight of Bird            Time
2 ½ – 3 lbs                   1 – 1 ¾ hrs
3 ½ – 4 lbs                   1 ½ – 1 ¾ hrs
4 ½ – 5 lbs                   1 ½ – 2 hrs
5 – 6 lbs                       1 ¾ – 2 ½ hrs
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Heat oven to 450 F  
In a small bowl, mix chopped onion, a 1/4 cup chopped thyme and pinch of sea salt and black pepper together.
Place onion mixture in cavity of bird.
Drizzle or brush olive oil over bird, using your fingers to spread the oil and massage it into the skin.
Sprinkle the bird with some sea salt and pepper and top with a couple sprigs of thyme.

Place chicken in oven for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine lemon juice, lemon zest and remaining chopped thyme.

Remove chicken from oven, reduce heat to 375 F and cover chicken with lemon mixture
Return bird to oven to roast in accordance with size/time guidelines set out above. Check on chicken periodically to ensure that it is not over-crisping. If you find that the skin is getting too dark or crisp, loosely tent foil over the chicken.

Allow chicken to settle for 10 to 15 minutes out of oven before carving. Serve with remaining fresh thyme and warmed reserved marinade as desired.


Mexican Black Bean Casserole

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Mexican Black Bean Casserole

I had planned on posting something entirely different today.

Something light and luscious and spring fresh.  Something downright inspiring.

But with the second coming of winter, the temperatures hovering around minus 2 last night, and a flat tire to cap off an unusually bizarre (read bad) day yesterday, I just couldn’t put it out there.  I wasn’t feeling it.  I hope you can forgive me….

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All Natural Almond Butter and Banana Ice Cream

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almond butter banana cream

Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do
                                                                 ~ John Woode

Today is Earth Day – a celebration of nature and an opportunity to enhance our awareness and appreciation of Mother Earth. 

Pan-Canadian events include earth day planting, litter clean-up & recycling (more affectionately known as a “Trash Bash”), meatless Monday challenges, tree talk & tours, local food challenges and, a personal favourite, earth day yoga in the park. 

One of the best ways to honour Mother Earth and support planetary sustainability, is to enjoy foods that are as close to nature as possible: whole foods found on the farm, in the orchards and in our gardens. 

Natural foods provide the greatest concentration of nutrients for our bodies – vitamins, minerals, fibre, enzymes and antioxidants. These same foods also tend to be easier for our bodies to break down, digest and metabolize. Whenever we start tinkering with nature, we begin whittling away at the vital elements that help keep us healthy and whole. 

Food doesn’t have to be complicated (nor flavourless) to be good for you.  The recipes featured at Inspired Edibles tend to be simplistic – sometimes embarrassingly so – but the focus is on whole foods that have been minimally processed and refined.  Tasty, Achievable, Healthy. 

Here is an example of a yumilicious snack/dessert that took me about 7 minutes to pull together (I exaggerate.  More like 5 minutes ;-). 

almond butter banana cream

All Natural Almond Butter and Banana Ice Cream
  • 2 fresh, ripe bananas, peeled
  • ¾ cup almond butter, smooth or crunchy
  • 1 + ½ cups milk, or alternate milk beverage
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Handful of chopped almonds for garnish
——————–
Place bananas, almond butter, milk and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth. 

Transfer liquid (it will be the consistency of a smoothie – and could also be enjoyed this way) into a container and store it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours. 

Note: Because this ice “cream” does not actually contain cream, if you freeze it for more than 1 or 2 hours (depending on the temperature of your freezer) it will freeze like ice and become rock hard.  To avoid chipping your tooth, best to freeze the mixture for a shorter duration, until desired consistency is achieved.
Scoop almond butter and banana ice cream into serving bowls and top with scattered nuts. 

Enjoy! 

almond butter banana cream

Chirashi Sushi (Scattered Sushi Bowl)

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I snuck away on a brief tryst to Montreal last week.  

No, not that kind!  A play date with my sister.  Just a 24 hour thing, but a great break from the ordinary and well worth the trip.  Being in Montreal, quite naturally, there was food involved.

We went out for dim sum at one of these massive cafeteria style Cantonese joints that happened to serve up some of the freshest seafood and vegetable dishes I’ve had in a long time (there were plenty of other goodies on hand but we kept away from the thigh enhancing deep fried gems).  It was lip-smacking good and no matter how much food you order, the bill never seems to exceed $12 per person (not sure how that works).
But I do love that style of eating – lots of fresh vegetables and assorted proteins with a mix of yummy dips and sauces to choose from.  It reminds me of one of my favourite Japanese preparations, chirashi sushi. 
Chirashi simply means ‘scattered’ – a scattered bowl of assorted fresh ingredients that typically comprise sushi.  Chirashi’s most common preparation includes a bowl of rice with fresh fish or seafood and an assortment of vegetables.  The garnishes can be quite elaborate, colourful and decorative. But there are no fixed rules when it comes to sushi bowls.  You can toss in whatever ingredients you like (substituting tofu or tempeh for a vegetarian version) and the great news is, you don’t have to wrap or roll anything!  You get all the taste and health benefits without the fuss. 
This is such a simple meal to throw together and, depending on how you mix it up, you can enjoy it as a light lunch or heartier dinner.
As for topping, I most often enjoy my sushi bowls with a fresh squeeze of lemon or a splash of soy sauce but you can play around with different dips, dressing and sauces as you like.  The classic pickled ginger and wasabi are nice flavour mix-ins here as well.
 Chirashi Sushi ~ Scattered Sushi Bowl
  • 1 cup or so, coleslaw
  • 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1/2 cup shelled edamame (I simply run frozen edamame under hot water)
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrot
  • 1/2 avocado, sliced
  • 6-8 large shrimp, sautéed
  • For Garnish: sesame seeds; chopped toasted nori or dulse (seaweed); chopped green onion
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Serves 2
Place coleslaw in a medium size salad bowl.  The coleslaw should come at least halfway up the height of the bowl.
Simply add in the rice, carrot, edamame and avocado section by section over the coleslaw.
Meanwhile, sautée shrimp in a skillet with some olive oil over medium heat and, once cooked, place shrimp in centre of bowl.  Sprinkle sushi with lemon, lime, soy sauce, or other flavourings as desired.

Garnish sushi bowl with sesame seeds, green onion and chopped nori or dulse. 

Enjoy!

Brown Rice & Cannellini Bean Sliders with Fresh Parsley, Peach and Honey

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For those of you who may have missed our big news, (it was covered by most of the major Canadian broadcasters but sometimes these things get overlooked), we bought a rice cooker.

Yes, it’s true.

And we have been making rice daily. That’s: every. single. day. Nothing new to our Asian friends we understand but entirely new, in frequency, to us.

And I don’t remember the last time we had this much fun for $9!!

After enjoying variations on stir-fries and burritos, we’ve expanded into blender territory this week to play around with some delightful vegetarian sliders (which can also easily be made vegan).  I’ve come to realize that my blender is a little bit like how some people view their crockpots – a life saver and food transformer.

The combination of rice and beans makes these easily assembled sliders a complete vegetable protein and ideal meal choice for vegetarians and those of us looking to vary our dietary intake.

If you prepare the rice and beans ahead of time (super simple and both store well in the fridge), you can have this meal on the table in 15 minutes.

Brown Rice & Cannellini Bean Sliders with Fresh Parsley, Peach & Honey

  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cups cooked cannellini beans (any beans will do), well rinsed if using canned
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 2 eggs (substitute 1/3 cup olive oil for vegan version)
  • 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (simply omit for vegan version)
  • 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder or to taste (substitute regular chili powder or other seasoning as desired)
  • Sea salt & coarse black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 ripe peach or nectarine, skin-on and sliced into wedges
  • Honey or pure maple syrup for topping
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Notes:
I usually makea double batch of beans on the weekend and store them in the fridge for the week.  Canned beans are always an option but I like the meatier texture of homemade beans when they are cooked al dente.

BPA:
More concerning from my perspective is that Bisphenol A (BPA) – a known toxin – continues to be used in the lining of many food and beverage cans – including canned beans.  Studies have shown that this industrial plastic is absorbed by canned foods and, when ingested by consumers, can give rise to significant spikes in urinary levels of BPA.

Canada was the first country in the world to declare BPA a toxic substance after reviewing a substantial body of evidence that linked BPA, and its estrogen mimicking effects, to a variety of troubling diseases and disorders including prostate disease, breast cancer, fertility problems and neurological issues, including fetal and infant brain development.

Health Canada has banned the industrial chemical from plastic baby bottles (as has the European union), but has not extended this ban to include food and beverage cans, which critics continue to argue is necessary to ensure public safety. Until more studies are conducted, I continue to take a cautionary approach by reducing our exposure to BPAs as much as possible.

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Sauté onion with some olive oil in a skillet on stove over low-medium heat until translucent (about 5 minutes).  Set aside.

Add onion, beans, brown rice, eggs (or olive oil), parsley, cheese (if desired) and seasonings to blender and blend until ingredients are combined and desired texture is achieved (I still kept the odd chunky bean piece in mine).

Using your hands, assemble mixture into patties in desired sizing.  I made sliders (slightly smaller than traditional ‘burger’ size) but you could also make minis and serve them as an appetizer.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, adding olive oil.  Place sliders in heated skillet and sauté for about two minutes on each side or until desired doneness is achieved.

Add a dollop of yogurt to each slider and top with a peach wedge and a drizzle of honey.

Vanilla Infused Banana Cream Pie with a Whole Grain Graham Crust

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There are some definite advantages to staying home during a holiday long weekend.

No traffic, no lineups, no packing or unpacking, no doggie separation and, most of all, no time pressure.  Leisurely walks in the sunshine, a highly anticipated viewing of the Hunger Games, hanging out in bare feet and PJs on the deck and… this banana cream pie.

The creamy texture of this pie is actually derived from whipped milk and egg that is firmed into a pudding-like consistency with the help of a gelatin slurry.  It has a delicate sweetness and delicious biscuit crunch that comes from the graham crust.

I had plenty of helpers on hand this weekend to pull this delicious dessert together and I want to thank all of the boys in this family for their excellent hand modeling (!).

Vanilla Infused Banana Cream Pie with a Graham Crust

 

(recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger’s Banana Cream Pie)
  • 1 1/2 cups natural graham crumbs (preferably derived from 100 % whole wheat)
  • 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
  • 3 Tbsp boiling water
  • 1/3 cup golden demerara sugar
  • 3 Tbsp whole wheat flour
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 cups almond milk (or alternate milk beverage)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla essence 
  • 2 cups sliced banana (about 3 medium bananas)
  • Whipping cream for topping, optional
——————————

Heat oven to 350 F.

 

To make the Graham Crust:

 

Place graham crumbs and 1/4 cup melted butter together in a bowl.  Using a fork, mix graham crumbs and butter together until little balls of grain-like texture is achieved.

 

Lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate with olive or canola oil.  Place graham crumb mixture into the center of pie plate and, using your fingers, pat down on mixture pressing it into the plate and up along the sides about 1/2 inch.
Meanwhile, place gelatin in a small bowl.  Add 3 tablespoons of boiling water and whisk until gelatin is dissolved.

In a medium size saucepan, whisk together demerara sugar and whole wheat flour. 

In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and milk together. Add the egg and milk mixture to the saucepan and whisk such that the flour and sugar dissolve. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil and has thickened. Stir in the vanilla essence and gelatin slurry. Remove saucepan from heat.
Arrange the sliced bananas on the graham cracker crust and pour the somewhat cooled pudding over top, coating the entire pie.

 

Place banana cream pie in the refrigerator until the pudding has set, about 3 hours. 

Slice pie into pieces and top with a dollop of whipped cream, as desired.

 

 
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a couple of other sides we enjoyed making this weekend…

Roasted Sweet Potato Garlic Chips
(on their way into the oven…) 

Radiant Roasted Beets sliced thin with mandoline
(our youngest son adores fresh beets – who are we to deny him?)
And, for the pièces de résistance on our

Sunday night table…

Gorgeous Yorkshire Pudding thanks to Charles over at Five Euro Food

my British blogging buddy who taught me how to make a proper popover!

Also keeping us company this weekend were these beautiful

floral water gel beads that my brother gave us for Christmas

We had a great holiday weekend and we hope you did too!

Flourless Salmon Dill Brunch Bites

By 50 Comments

If you’re anything like me, the Easter long weekend has snuck up on you from out of nowhere and you’re completely disorganized and utterly unprepared (oops, didn’t mean to be quite that confessional…).

But things have been a little busy.  Contrary to popular belief, Spring – and not January – is the busiest time of year in the nutrition world so I’ve been spending lots of time with some great clients and we’ve also been preparing for year-end piano exams, a big school play, winding down the hockey season and ramping up for soccer season.  Excitement abounds.

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