Inspired Edibles

~ wellness, wonder, words ~

Hemp Hearts Avocado Salad with a Lemon-Delicious Pineapple Purée

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When I was a young girl and my parents had guests over for dinner, they would always serve the same appetizer. It consisted of a half avocado in the skin filled with my mom’s homemade vinaigrette.

My mom’s dressing was special. Not because it was fancy – with 10 kids at her feet, she was by no means a fussy cook. I liked her vinaigrette because it was mostly vinegar and I delighted in the sharp taste of this liquid and the shivers that ran through my body every time I tasted it.

Whenever I thought my mom wasn’t looking, I would dip my finger into her carefully filled avocados and revel in the taste of the sour acid (happily the guests never knew). I grew up with a penchant for vinegar and a great love for the creamy texture and delicious taste of avocado.

I’m doing something a little bit different with this version today.  I wanted to work in some delicious and nutritious hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds) and thought they would marry well with the sweet and sour lemon-pineapple purée I have put together.

Now, before you get too excited, keep in mind that the edible part of the hemp plant contains only trace amounts of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive chemical in marijuana – so, for good or for bad, you won’t be getting high off this recipe!

That said, hemp seeds are an excellent source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fibre.  Two tablespoons of hemp seeds contain about 11 grams of well-balanced, easy-to-digest protein.

The seeds also taste great – when compared to flaxseed and chia (which I use regularly), hemp has a more substantive, chewier texture and nuttier taste that is very appealing in a salad.

Hemp Hearts Avocado Salad with a Lemon-Delicious Pineapple Purée
    • 2 ripe avocados
    • A handful of lettuce leaves
    • 1/2 cup orange bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
    • 4 Tbsp hemp hearts
For the Lemon-Pineapple Purée
    • 1 cup pineapple, chopped (be sure to rinse thoroughly if using canned)
    • Juice of 1 lemon
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Notes: I have left the avocados mostly intact for this recipe. If you would like to work in more salad fixings, you can create room by scooping out some of the avocado flesh and reserving it for sandwiches, guacamole or your other favourite use. You can also surround the avocado with more salad fixings once plated, as desired.

The lemon in the purée cuts the sweet taste of the pineapple somewhat and gives it a mild sour flavour that I happen to love but if you prefer, you can diminish the amount of lemon or omit it altogether.

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Serves 4

Slice avocados in half and remove pits.  Line avocado cavity with a few pieces of lettuce and then add bell pepper and hemp seeds, dividing fixings among the 4 avocado halves.

For the purée, simply combine ingredients in a small blender and blend until smooth.  Drizzle over avocado and enjoy.

 

Black Dragon Cereal ~ warm coconut milk, wild rice, mango and dragon fruit {Gluten Free}

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Monday was a bumpy night – our boys have been struggling with various forms of cold and flu and our dog decided to get in on the fun sometime around 4 am.

I eventually came downstairs to start the day feeling a little less than myself.  My husband was already outside gathering the garbage for collection.  I shuffled into the kitchen to get myself a mug a java and discovered that a cup had already been poured.  I leaned over the cup to see that my Valentine had hand-drawn a heart in cinnamon… my eyes welled up.  The Buddhists would tell me that this joy was in me all along.  They’re right.  And yet, this small, brilliant gesture, illuminated my day.

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In celebration of the Chinese year of the Dragon, (and our own dragon baby), I couldn’t resist this little number.The coconut milk in this recipe is truly worthwhile and tastes absolutely delicious.  I like to warm it up for that extra toe curl.

The handsome dragon fruit (or Pitaya) is native to Central America and cultivated in many Asian countries including China. Reminiscent of kiwi with its dark crunchy seeds embedded in the pulp, dragon fruit is sweet, fleshy and extremely cool with its fiery red skin and green scales. This exotic fruit has notable amounts of vitamin C, phosphorus and calcium. It should give slightly when gently squeezed for ripeness.

Black Dragon Cereal (Gluten Free)
  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 1 + 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 mango, diced
  • 1/2 dragon fruit, diced
  • Handful of nuts for topping
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Notes:

You can cook the rice in advance of eating this cereal.  Simply reheat in the morning.

If you are concerned about the calories in coconut milk, you can substitute part of the coconut milk with cow’s milk, rice milk, almond milk or soy milk.  You can also cut the coconut milk with water if preferred.

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Serves 4

Cook rice on stove top according to package directions (generally 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice; allow water to boil and reduce to simmer for approximately 40 minutes).

 

In the meantime, warm coconut milk (or milk mixtures) in a small sturdy pot on stove.

 

Divide cooked rice among 4 bowls and top with warm coconut milk and diced mango and dragon fruit. Add nuts as desired.

Dragon Fruit

The interior of dragon fruit with crunchy black

seeds similar to kiwi in taste and texture

Slicing – or should I say slaying – the dragon

 

All Natural Frozen Banana-Lemon Cream

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If you’re craving ice cream but are looking for something healthier without the binders, fillers, emulsifiers, artificial flavours, trans fats and fake sugars, you will love this all natural frozen banana-lemon cream.

[insert: have you ever read the nutrition facts label on a low fat/sugar ice cream product?  Truly scary].

This is a gorgeous dessert, or snack, that has a creamy taste and texture similar to soft ice cream without all the non-foods.

I have prepared a non-dairy/vegan version today but you could easily substitute cow’s milk, as desired.

All Natural Frozen Banana-Lemon Cream
  • 3 frozen bananas
  • 1 – 2 cups almond milk
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Zest of 1 lemon + more for topping
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 Tbsp agave nectar
  • A few slivered almonds for topping
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Notes:

 

This dessert tastes best eaten freshly made.  If you make it ahead and try to freeze it, it will become rock hard.  If you refrigerate it, it will lose it’s cold ice cream texture and become more life a mousse (still good tasting but not an ideal texture).

The amount of almond milk will vary depending on the size of the bananas you are working with and your preferred consistency.

Frozen bananas do not release as much sweetness as fresh, ripe bananas.  You can work with this by adding naturally sweet tasting spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove or cardamon, or a touch of natural sweetener – such as: agave nectar, demerara, muscovado, palm, turbinado or stevia – as desired.

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Place peeled bananas in freezer overnight (allow 24 hours).  If you expect to leave the bananas in the freezer for more than 24 hours, it’s best to keep peels on to protect against freezer burn.

Remove bananas from freezer and place in the blender.  If bananas still have peels on, use a knife to carefully remove peel (you may need to let them sit out at room temperature for 10 or so minutes to be able to get through the frozen peel).

Add remaining ingredients to blender along with bananas – beginning with 1 cup of almond milk – blending until smooth and gradually adding more milk until desired consistency is achieved.

This recipe will make approximately 4 cups of frozen banana lemon cream.

Enjoy.

Oven-Baked Sweet Potato & Parsnip Chips

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So here I was, thinking that I was the only one who had a thing for parsnip.

Little did I know, there’s a whole world of parsnip lovers out there, including my good blogging buddy Charles over at Five Euro Food, who posted a dazzling post on fried parsnip chips within a few hours of my waxing philosophical about the little white root.  Who knew there was so much collective affection for this humble (yet extraordinarily tasty) vegetable?

Here’s some other exciting news.  I bought a kitchen gadget.  Need more?  It actually works.  I tend to shy away from gadgetry because I generally have a sneaking suspicion that I can do a better job with my hands, and that the gadget will just end up occupying space until I finally get around to putting it out at our annual garage sale.

But let me just say, this hand-held mandoline was worth every penny.  A mandoline is a fancy name for a slicer – but it’s the speed, precision and efficacy of the slice that will have your head spinning.

Just have a look at these paper-thin puppies.

C’est pas beautiful ca?  It took me about 10 seconds to slice these parsnip chips and there is no way in the good heavens that I could ever slice that quickly or thinly, with my hands.  So I am completely at peace with my purchase.

In case you’re interested: Good Grips Hand-Held Mandoline Slicer by Oxo – it cost me $23.99.  Worth all of it and more.

Ok, on to the recipe.

Oven-Baked Sweet Potato & Parsnip Chips
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 2 parsnips
  • 2-4 Tbsp olive oil
  • Seasonings as desired (I used sea salt, cracked pepper and chili)
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Heat oven to 275 F.

Thoroughly wash exterior of sweet potatoes and parsnips.  Leaving skin on (where plenty of nutrients reside), set your mandoline to the thinnest slice setting, and proceed to slice the 4 vegetables (it will take only a couple minutes).

If you do not have a mandoline, choose a nice sharp knife and aim for the thinnest slice possible.

The advantage of the paper-thin slice is that it ends up curling – much like a chip.

The disadvantage of the super thin slice, if there is one, is that the vegetable becomes almost translucent and loses some of its beautiful colour when baked.  If your slices are slightly thicker, you will retain some of this colour.

Place your potato and parsnip slices together in a large mixing bowl.  Add olive oil and whatever seasonings you like: cumin, chili, coriander, curry, paprika, pepper, rosemary, sea salt, thyme, etc.  Mix together with a spoon or your hands to combine.  You want to have enough oil on the veggie slices to prevent sticking but not too much such that it will give rise to sogginess.

Lay the slices out on a foil lined baking sheet such that they are not touching (if they overlap, they will remain soggy and they won’t crisp up).  You may need to use a couple baking sheets.

Cook veggie chips for about 35 minutes, or until they are nice and crispy, flipping them over around the halfway mark.  You will want to keep an eye on them to ensure that they are not over-cooking (oven temperatures and cooking times will vary depending on thickness and size of slices, etc.).

A perfect, all natural, game day munchy ~ enjoy!

Spicy Thai Coconut Soup with Ginger, Lime and Vermicelli

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Spicy Thai Coconut Soup with Ginger, Lime and Vermicelli_blog
You’re looking at my current obsession soup.

I can – and do – eat it days on end.

I have long been a fan of Thai cuisine with its vibrant colours, unparalleled flavours and warming properties.  Strangely, the one time I visited Thailand, I was so captivated by the beauty and serenity of the Buddhist Temples, that food played a secondary role (hard to imagine, I know).

Among my favourite Thai dishes are the country’s hot and sour soups – or Tom Yum (meaning boiled spicy soup).  There are hundreds of variations of tom yum, with Tom Yum Goong probably being the most well known (the version that incorporates shrimp).

The vegetarian version that I have prepared today is the one I make most often.  It has all the warming properties and flavours of the traditional broth with plant-based proteins.  I have also incorporated vermicelli in this recipe mostly in honour of my husband who introduced me to Singapore Style Fried Rice Vermicelli back when we first started dating in Montreal. Every time I come across vermicelli, I think of him.

Spicy Thai Coconut Soup with Ginger, Lime and Vermicelli
  • 2 large yellow onions, diced
  • 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
  • 2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce, optional for non vegetarians
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • Juice of one lime
  • Zest of one lime
  • 500 grams (or 1 large block) firm tofu, diced
  • 2 red bell peppers, sliced
  • 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
  • 100 grams vermicelli rice noodles
  • 1 cup or so cilantro
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In a large saucepan, sauté onion with some olive oil on low heat until translucent (about 3 minutes). Add chili garlic sauce and ginger to pan, mixing well with onion.

Meanwhile, run edamame under hot water, drain and set aside.

 
Add the next 8 ingredients to onion mixture: fish sauce (if using), coconut milk, vegetable stock, lime juice, lime zest, tofu, red pepper and edamame. Mix to combine.  Allow soup to come to a boil, add vermicelli noodles and mix while immersing noodles.  Reduce soup to simmer.

Add most of the cilantro to the soup (reserving some for topping), mixing to combine.  Serve soup with a sprinkle of cilantro over top, as desired.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos with Avocado and Arugula

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I’m delighted to report that I was invited to do a guest post over at The Three Little Piglets this morning on healthy eating. Thanks for the invitation Jen.

One of my biggest objectives as a nutritionist is to show people that healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.  Nor does it have to be tasteless or boring!

 

All you need is a few wholesome ingredients, and you’re well on your way.  These black bean burritos are a good example.  They are full of health-building nutrients and the entire recipe only calls for 6 ingredients. 

You’ll have a perfect weeknight meal – or game day meal – in less than 20 minutes.


Let’s have a closer look.

Nutrient Highlights:

Black Beans are rich in folate, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. They are also high in fibre and an excellent source of vegetable based protein.

Sweet Potatoes offer an outstanding source of beta-carotene (outranking virtually all other vegetables in this category), and are packed with disease fighting antioxidants.   They are also an excellent source of vitamin C, fibre, niacin and vitamin B6.

Avocados, for their part, are an excellent source of health-building monounsaturated
fat, as well as a good source of fibre, folate, vitamin K, vitamin E, and vitamin B5. Avocados are also rich in lutein, a carotenoid that operates as an antioxidant to help protect our eyes from disease.

Cooked Tomatoes are one of the best dietary sources of lycopene, a potent antioxidant with cancer-fighting potential. 

Arugula (or Rocket), like most green leafy vegetables, is rich in vitamin K and a good source of vitamin C, folate and magnesium.  Green leafies are also an outstanding source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that operate as antioxidants to help protect our eyes from age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

The best news is that all of these ingredients also happen to taste delicious – especially when they come together in a warming, satisfying burrito.  The peppery arugula really comes through in this recipe, making it especially delightful.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos with Avocado and Arugula
  • 1 cooked sweet potato, diced with skin left on preferably
  • 2 cups cooked black beans, well rinsed if using canned
  • 1 large ripe avocado, diced
  • 1 cup arugula
  • 1 cup natural salsa of your choice, or 2 large chopped tomatoes with a sprinkle of sea salt
  • 4 large spinach tortillas, or whole grain tortillas of your choice

Serves 4

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Notes:

I like to provide options in my recipe suggestions so that people don’t feel like it’s an all or nothing proposition. 

I tend to bake my sweet potatoes because I like the taste and texture that arises from the roasting process (including the skin where plenty of nutrients reside). I often toss vegetables in the oven in the morning while I’m preparing breakfast or making my sons’ lunches and simply re-heat when I need them later in the day. For the sweet potato, I suggest 400 F for about 20-25 minutes – just until al dente (sweet potatoes cook faster than white potatoes).


If you prefer, you can boil the sweet potato (being mindful that you will lose some of the water soluble nutrients), or prick the potato and cook it in the microwave (about 3 minutes on high – it cooks fairly quickly).

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15 minutes before serving time, simply combine beans and salsa in a medium size pot on the stove until the mixture just comes to a boil.  Reduce and simmer.

Meanwhile, if you cooked your potato earlier in the day and it has now cooled, simply toss the diced pieces in a skillet (dry or with some olive oil) or microwave and heat for a couple minutes.

Lay the four tortillas out on a flat surface and, using half the portion of arugula (1/2 cup), sprinkle a few leaves in the middle of each tortilla shell.

Top the leaves of each tortilla with roughly 1/2 cup mixture of beans and salsa and then add a divided portion of warm potatoes and avocado.  Finally, top each tortilla with the remaining arugula.


Beginning with outer edges of shell, tuck, pinch and roll tortilla before cutting it in half.
 

Here is a helpful illustration on how to wrap a tortilla

 

Enjoy!

Rich and Silky Dark Chocolate Truffles

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Inspired Edibles turns One Today!
This time last year, a friend of mine had just shared a melt-in-your-mouth apple muffin from a Martha Stewart recipe – I loved the flavour and unique presentation so much that I came home and starting playing around with it – you know, messing with the recipe the way foodies do. Anyway, on this occasion, I was pretty happy with the result (remember the recently featured Apple Buttermilk muffins? Those would be the ones – revisited).  The rest, as they say, is a small piece of history.
Over the past year, Inspired Edibles has been very fortunate to greet over 90,000 visitors (overall clicks to the site) with its most frequent guests coming from Canada, the United States, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.  Other familiar visitors include Australia, Germany and France with occasional visits from Russia, China, the Ukraine, Vietnam, the Maldives, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines – (as well as many others). 

It’s been an incredibly fun year and I want to thank each and every one of you for sharing this adventure with me and for your kind and continued support. 

What can you expect from Inspired Edibles in year two?  Well, in addition to more junk food (ha!), a detailed index is in the works along with proper recipe printing capacity (yay!). As always, I remain open to your comments and feedback.

You’ve been patient, so let’s move forward…
Those of you who follow my blog know that I have a deep affection for chocolate (I have never kept this a secret).  With this in mind, I thought it only fitting to whip up something a little special with my favourite antioxidant rich confection – these truffles are surprisingly easy to prepare and so impressive… you can dazzle your loved ones with these homemade delights on Valentine’s day ~ or any day!
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coconut, plain dark chocolate and chopped peanut
with peanut butter infused ganache truffles
Rich and Silky Dark Chocolate Truffles

Truffles are made from a ganache base – a simple combination of heated cream and chocolate (which I have further simplified).

For the Basic Ganache

200 grams (7 ounces) of 75% cocoa chocolate, chopped
1 cup whipping cream (35%)
1/8 tsp coarse salt
In a sturdy pot set to medium heat, bring cream just a boil.  Remove from heat and add chocolate and salt to pot but do not stir.
Let the chocolate sit with the cream and salt for 5 minutes undisturbed before whisking.  If you stir the ingredients too soon, the chocolate will cool too quickly and you will end up with grainy ganache rather than a silky, smooth ganache.
Once the 5 minutes have elapsed, whisk the ingredients together gently until the chocolate has fully melted and the mixture appears smooth and shiny (a thing of beauty). 
Place chocolate mixture in the fridge for approximately 2 hours or until it has hardened sufficiently to be rolled into truffles (but not too hard to manipulate).
 
Remove chocolate from fridge and spoon out like-size pieces of chocolate (a melon baller or spoon will do the trick) rolling them in the palm of your hand into little balls.  You can return the chocolate to the fridge at any time if you feel that it is getting too soft.
Once you have rolled your chocolate into little balls, you’re ready for your toppings. 
Topping Ideas
Coconut shavings
Chopped Nuts or Seeds (almond, peanut, hazelnut, flaxseed, chia, etc.)
Cocoa
Chopped dried fruit (cranberry, papaya, apricot, etc.)

Spread desired toppings out on a flat dish and simply roll chocolate truffles in mixture to coat, pressing into chocolate gently if necessary for fruit, etc.

Place truffles in a decorative miniature cup (you can find candy/chocolate cups at kitchen stores and bulk stores) and place truffles in a small box if you wish to present as a gift.

This recipe will make about 16-20 truffles.

Variations
Alcohol – If you wish, you can add 2 Tbsp of rum, brandy, cognac or triple sec to the cream at the beginning of the recipe described above for an alcohol-infused truffle.
Peanut Butter infused Ganache – To make the peanut butter infused chocolate, add 3/4 cup of smooth natural peanut butter to the ganache immediately after whisking the cream and chocolate together.  Be sure to integrate the peanut butter little by little, whisking as you go, to fully combine.  Refrigerate mixture as described above before rolling your peanut butter truffles and covering them in chopped peanuts, as desired.  You could also use almond butter or any other nut/seed butter of your choice.
This variation will create about 22-24 truffles.   

Sundried Tomato and Zucchini Bean Dip with Warming Chili-Garlic Sauce

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Hummus is lovely and I eat it frequently but every once in a while I’m looking to expand my repertoire and in the mood for something, well, different.
This is a versatile, nutrient rich white bean dip that’s been dressed up and seasoned with thermogenic ingredients – (for those of us who do not live in southern climates, warming spices can go a long way in the wintertime…).
Once the blender’s out, this dip will take you about 6 minutes to pull together.  You can enjoy it with an assortment of vegetables, on whole grain bread/crackers (I have Mary’s wheat free/gluten free crackers featured above), or as a spread in sandwiches, wraps, on burgers, etc.  There’s no end to the applications and it’s a simple and tasty way of enhancing the nutritive quality of everyday food.
 Sundried Tomato and Zucchini Bean Dip with Warming Chili-Garlic Sauce
  • 540 mL cooked white kidney beans (19 fl oz), thoroughly rinsed if using canned
  • 6 large pieces of sundried tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup fresh grated unpeeled zucchini, packed
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce, or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

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Place all ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth or desired consistency is achieved (I like lumps and bumps and discovering bits of colour in my dip, so I stop before the mixture is fully blended).