Red Thai Chickpea Curry

This is a delicious and nutritious comfort curry that’s great to make before a call shift or a long day at work. It will last for awhile in the fridge and tastes even better the next day. If you wanted to cook with chicken, pork, shrimp or beef, they would also work very well in this dish!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of chick peas
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 bag of pre-cut stir fry vegetables (or 1 cup snow peas, 1/2 cup carrots, 1 cup broccoli all chopped)
• 1/2 onion (white)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 package of red curry paste (I got mine at sobeys for $1.50 in the Asian food section)
• 1 lime
• 2 cans of coconut milk (light)
• 1 tsp salt (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne or chili powder, or more if you like heat (optional)
• cooked basmati or jasmine rice

Directions:

1. Add the olive oil to a large frying pan or wok and saute all the vegetables over medium-high heat for around 5 minutes, until the veggies are just approaching tender but still a bit crunchy.
2. Add in the coconut milk, chick peas, red curry paste, salt, and cayenne/chili powder. Cook for approximately another 5 minutes until the vegetables are at their desired tenderness. Brace yourself for how good this is going to smell.
3. Serve over rice and top with lime juice and chopped cilantro.
4. Enjoy!

Summer Drinks!

Here are two of my current favourite refreshing summer drinks – one is a milky iced tea and the other is a green juice.

Choco-coco Iced Tea Latte

Serves 1

• Chocolate Macaroon Tea (from davids tea – but any other coconut and chocolate tea would do the trick)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup milk of your choice (I used vanilla almond)
• Honey, agave or maple syrup as a sweetener, to taste

1. Make the tea as directed and cool in the fridge/freezer or with ice cubes (though less preferred since it will dilute it).
2. Mix all ingredients together and shake it up.
3. Pour over ice and enjoy!

Pineapple Spinach Juice

Serves 1-2

• 1-1.5 cups spinach
• 1 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 a lemon
• 1-2 tbsp of cilantro (if you like it)
• 1-2 tsp ginger
• 1 whole banana
• 3 ice cubes
• water (I place all the other ingredients first and then fill until about half way up to where the top of the fruit/veggies are, you can always add more if too thick).

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender or in a container to use with a hand blender and blend until smooth. Makes one large juice or 2 smaller servings.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Mint Lemon Yogurt

This is a really nice and light dish for the summer, especially with the heat that finally decided to show up in Halifax. I got this recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs (www.skinnytaste.com) and I have made it once a week for about 5 weeks in a row now. It is really quick, filling, and so healthy! It keeps well and is great for lunch.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Mint Lemon Yogurt

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower chopped (or a bag of pre-cut cauliflower)
• 1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne or chili powder, or more if you like heat (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

For the yogurt:

• 1 cup plain yogurt (I used 2%), you could also do greek yogurt if you wanted it to be thicker
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 lemon’s worth of zest

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F, and spray 1-2 baking sheets (depending on how much cauliflower and chick peas you have) with cooking spray.
2. Toss the cauliflower florets, chickpeas, olive oil, spices, salt and pepper together and then spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing 1-2 times while cooking, until golden brown.
4. In the meantime, chop the mint and zest the lemon, and mix into the yogurt. If you find it isn’t sweet enough, you can add sugar to taste.
5. Serve warm or cold, and top with the yogurt.

 

Falafel Arugula Salad

Ok I lied, it’s not really falafel. But it tastes like it! My friend introduced me to these yves kale and quinoa bites, and they are so delicious. I’ve been dipping them in everything I could find in my fridge – from hummus to plum sauce. All good. This is a really simple salad that you can throw together in 3 minutes with basically no effort. And it’s healthy!

Yves Kale and Quinoa Bites Salad (doesn’t sound as good as falafel)

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package of yves kale and quinoa bites
• A few handfuls of arugula
• 1 tbsp feta cheese
• 1/2 tbsp of your favorite salad dressing (I used lemon garlic), or just plain olive oil with lemon juice.
• pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. You can either broil the bites or pan fry until warm.
2. Toss the arugula with desired dressing.
3. Top with crumbled feta, pepper and the bites.
4. I think this is the least number of steps I’ve ever written.

 

Deeelish!

 

Scallops and Kale

This is a delicious and indulgent appy or snack. I like to make it a little on the salty side so that there’s an excuse to have beer with it, but you do you. With only 3 ingredients (plus two optional) and around 5 minutes to make, really there is no reason to not try this one (unless you don’t like scallops or kale)!

Scallops with Sauteed Kale

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 3-4 handfuls of kale
• As many scallops as your heart desires
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 green onion (optional)
• salt to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. It’s best if you can use two pans for this so that the cooking time is reduced. I used my mini cast iron grill pan for the scallops and a regular frying pan for the kale.
2. Heat the scallop pan over medium-high heat. Pat the scallops dry. Use 1/2 tbsp of oil. Put the scallops on once the oil is hot, in a single layer, and cook on each side for 1.5 minutes.
3. Heat the kale pan over medium. Put the remaining oil in. Chop the green onion finely. Saute the green onion for around 1 minute, then add the kale. Cover and cook for around 4-5 minutes. Add desired salt.
4. Put the scallops on the bed of kale, and preferably enjoy with beer.

Roast Turnip/Squash, Kale, and Quinoa Salad

I have gone full force with the kale and quinoa. I was in the grocery store this weekend and saw a bag of pre-cubed turnips and another bag of butternut squash for 50% off, and I was inspired. You could use sweet potato or even regular potato in place of those two in this recipe. I also recently impulse purchased a mini cast iron grill pan that has really changed my chicken/quesadilla/french toast cooking life. I made all of those things immediately after purchasing it, and the quality is so much better than with the crappy pans I had before. I keep putting off getting real adult cooking ware because there is a chance I will be moving next year. I got this pan on amazon, but if you wanted to up your stove top grilling game you could probably find something similar at walmart or even in a thrift shop if you’re lucky!

Roast Turnip, Squash, Kale and Quinoa Salad

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 bunch of kale, chopped (or a bag/box of pre-chopped)
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 chicken breast
• feta cheese
• turnips (1 pre-cubed bag)
• butternut squash (1 pre-cubed box)
• vinaigrette of your choice (I used lemon garlic from farmboy that my boyfriend kindly brought from Ontario).
• olive oil
• 1 tsp rosemary

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you didn’t get the turnips/squash pre-cubed, chop them into bit size pieces.
2. Coat the squash and turnips with a drizzle of olive oil and toss with the rosemary. Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper and roast in the oven for ~ 30-40 minutes (every 10 minutes give the pan a shake). They are done when you can easily put a fork through them.
3. In the meantime, finely chop the red onion.
4. Bring a pot with the quinoa (1 cup quinoa per 1.5 cups water) to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat (to about 3), cover and cook until light and fluffy. It takes about 15 minutes.
5. Heat a grill pan of your choice on medium heat with a dash of olive oil. Put the chicken on, it will need about 7 minutes on each side.
6. When there are about 5 minutes remaining with the roast veggies, heat up another frying pan on medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Put 4-5 large handfuls of kale in, mix around to coat with the olive oil, cover and let cook for about 3 minutes.
7. In a large bowl, combine the kale, quinoa, red onion, and roast veggies. Toss with your dressing. Top with the chicken and crumble feta over top.

Yum!

Smoothies Smoothies Smoothies

During the winter I don’t usually make very many smoothies, and then as soon as the snow melts and I start to make them again I always wonder why I went so long without drinking them. They are so good, and such an easy way to get in yo fruit and veggies! I’ve seen online some ideas to freeze mini muffin tins with yogurt and then add each one to a ziploc bag filled with different fruits/veggies, store in the freezer, and then you have smoothies ready to go for the week. Personally, I would probably forget about them, but it is a good idea in theory.

Here are two smoothies I have been making all week. One is inspired by a smoothie at a grocery store in Halifax called Pete’s, and it is so good that I have been having it in place of dessert. The other my friend made me (well she tried and then packed it in a glass mason jar in her bag and it broke during our bike ride, so we shared hers) and it was so good I immediately purchased the stuff to make it when I got home from March break!

Cantaloupe Raspberry Smoothie (aka Dessert Smoothie)

Serves 1

• 1.5 cups cantaloupe (about 1/4-1/3 of a whole cantaloupe)
• 1/3 cup raspberry yogurt (I used activia)
• 1/3 cup mango kefir yogurt (this is the liquid kind, I used Librete)
• 6 frozen black cherries (optional but delicious)
• 2-3 ice cubes

 

Green Ginger Smoothie

Serves 1

• 1.5 cups spinach
• 1/3 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 small apple
• 1/2 naval orange
• 6 frozen black cherries (optional)
• 1-2 tsp ginger (depending how much you like ginger)
• 1/2 cup mango kefir
• 2-3 ice cubes

Note: If it is too thick either add a little more kefir, water, or some fresh squeezed lemon + water.

Alternative to the smoothie is to make it a Green Juice by substituting the kefir yogurt for water (+/- lemon, lime and mint).

Embarrassing garnishes are optional.

 

Chicken, Apple, and Feta Kale Salad or Sandwich with Butternut Squash Croutons

I have officially started my family medicine rotation, and I am loving it so far! The night owl in me can finally stay up later and not worry about only getting 4-5 hours of sleep. This was a salad that I made a few weeks ago after popping in to this cute little grocery store in the Queen’s SUB. They had really great pre-marinated chicken; this one was called “smoked applewood”. I was in Kingston for the week visiting my boyfriend and studying for the surgery exam, so I had lots of time to cook which was nice. The idea for the butternut squash croutons came from a pub in Halifax called Henry House that used to have this awesome salad with them, but is no longer on the menu 😦 I liked this salad so much that we had it in sandwich version the next day with delicious bread from Pan Chancho.

Chicken, Apple and Feta Kale Salad/Sandwich with Butternut Squash Croutons

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 bunch of kale, chopped (or a bag/box)
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 gala apple
• 1 chicken breast (either plain or marinated with what you like)
• feta cheese
• dressing – the first time I made this I used a rosemary vinaigrette, the second time I used a lemon garlic vinaigrette. Both were delicious!
• 2 ciabatta rolls if making sandwiches

Butternut squash croutons

• 1 package of cubed butternut squash
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp flour

 

Directions:

1. Boil a medium pot of water (big enough to fit the butternut squash)
2. In the meantime, chop the kale, onion and apple, and heat a pan to grill the chicken in (use a grill pan if you have one) with oil or pam.
3. Once the water is boiled, toss the butternut squash in and let cook for 2 minutes. Immediately drain and put in a different bowl, and dry with a paper towel. Toss with the flour, thyme and garlic powder. Heat another pan with the 2 tbsp of oil.
4. Begin to cook the chicken. Cook on each side for ~5 minutes, until the center is no longer pink.
5. Once the oil is hot, toss the squash in. Cover and cook for approximately 3 minutes before flipping to the other side, and cook for three minutes more. Continue until the squash is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
6. Toss the kale, onion, apple, and dressing together.
7. Plate and top with the croutons, chicken and feta (or put all into a delicious toasted ciabatta).

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Kozy Shack Inspired Overnight Oats

If you like rice pudding at all, you know Kozy Shack. It is definitely mediocre, but not bad for the grocery store. I recently hopped on the overnight oats train (I know I am really behind on the trend), and wanted to make one that tastes like rice pudding.

I was pleasantly surprised by how this turned out. It really does taste like Kozy Shack, but way healthier. Overnight oats are so great for when you have to be at work really early, but also good for when you want to wake up to a tasty breakfast with very little effort. They take two seconds to put together the night before, and it is so much nicer/comforting in the morning than a granola bar (which I had for like, 20 breakfasts in a row during surgery).

Rice Pudding Oats

Servings: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt of your choosing (I used IOGO)
• 1/4 cup milk (I used skim cows milk)
•  1/3 cup large-flake rolled oats
• as much cinnamon as you like (1/4-1/2 a tsp is reasonable)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp raisins

 

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in desired container (mason jar, tupperware, re-used yogurt container, or if you are feeling fancy and not taking it to-go, a wine glass!).
2. Stir.
3. Put in fridge and eat in the morning!

 

Really there is no excuse to eat crappy granola bars for breakfast when overnight oats are a thing.

 

 

Semi-Healthy Baked Pumpkin French Toast

I have officially finished 9 weeks of surgery, which is cause for a celebratory breakfast! Props to all the surgeons out there, getting to work in the OR is a very unique and fascinating experience, but I will openly admit that I do not have the stamina for the surgery lifestyle. It’s especially difficult having friends and family on the other side of the country with so little free time, the time change made it almost impossible to have any contact with them. They wondered if I was still alive!

Over on the east coast we are in the midst of a blizzard, so comfort food it is. I’ve never actually made baked french toast, so I googled a few recipes and tried to make a healthy-ish version of it. I really tried to eat healthy during my surgery block, but eventually it went out the window. This is me attempting to get back into it, but I feel as though it needs to be a gradual process, so I present a healthy-ish recipe.

Healthy-ish Pumpkin Baked French Toast

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 353 • Fat: 11.6 g • Saturated Fat: 4.1 g • Carbs: 52.3 g • Fiber: 3 g •Protein: 11 g • Sugar: 21 g • Iron: 22 % • Vit A: 115 % • Calcium 15%

Servings: 4 large servings

Ingredients

Filling:

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup almond milk
•  2 eggs
• cinnamon and nutmeg as you see fit
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large slices rye bread (I used stone hearth bakery, my fave)

 

• 6 tbs light cream cheese
• 2 tbs icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light margarine
• cinnamon
• 2 tbs peacans or walnuts (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 11 x 7 inch rectangular casserole dish (or a square or round cake pan would do as well).
2. Beat the eggs with the milk, pumpkin, spices and vanilla extract. Cut three slices of the bread into cubes and evenly spread on the bottom of the pan. Cover with 3/4 the pumpkin mix.
3. Beat the cream cheese with the icing sugar and cinnamon. Try to evenly distribute over top the bread + pumpkin mix (it won’t be perfect).
4. Cube one more slice of bread and sprinkle over top. Top with remaining pumpkin mix.
5. Combine the ingredients for the topping and spread evenly.
6. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with some maple syrup!