Ellen’s Pecan-Crusted French Toast
July 16, 2009
from Skinny Bitches Kim Barnouin & Rory Freedman
Serves 6 (or 1-2 after a long weekend run)1-1/2 cups soy or rice milk
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons chickpea flour or brown rice flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, or more as needed for cooking
6 to 8 slices vegan whole wheat or whole wheat raisin bread
Pure maple syrup for topping
In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy or rice milk, corn starch and cinnamon. Whisk in the chickpea or brown rice flour. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl. Place the pecans in another shallow bowl.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Once slice at a time, dip the bread in the milk mixture, turning to soak both sides. Dip one side in the pecans, pressing to coat. Arrange the bread in the skillet (you might have to do more than one batch), pecan side down. Cook 2-3 minutes, until the pecans are well-browned. Carefully turn the bread, and continue cooking until the second side is browned, 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately with maple syrup.
Chocolate of the Gods!
May 21, 2009
Here is my all-time favourite chocolate recipe from one of my favourite cook book authors – Renee Loux, she is awesome!!
Check out her website, and a video of this recipe.
Renee shares tons of info on healthy green living and out of this world recipes. Her cook book The Balanced Plate is one of my go-to books.
Chocolate of the Gods
by Renee Loux
- 2 cups avocado (the richer, the better- Haas is a great varietal)
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2-4 tablespoons organic evaporated cane juice or organic sugar (optional- for the sweeter tooth)
- 2 tablespoons Omega Nutrition coconut butter (optional)
- 1-2 teaspoons non-alcohol vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (aged balsamic is best)
- ½ teaspoon shoyu (wheat free soy sauce)
- 1 cup pure cocoa powder (Green & Black is choice)
- 1 pint raspberries
- handful of fresh mint leaves
- sprinkle Scharffenberger’s cacao nibs (optional)
Procedure
In a food processor: Blend avocado, maple syrup, organic sugar (if choosing), coconut butter, vanilla extract, balsamic, and shoyu until smooth and creamy.
Add cocoa powder and blend until smooth. Sifting the cocoa powder before adding is a good idea so prevent lumps. A simple metal strainer works well.
Leftover Storage
Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container (sans berries and mint) in the fridge for 4 days or in the freezer for a month
Gluten-Free Groceries
May 14, 2009
A big thanks to Erin who participated in our latest 12-day Power Foods Boot Camp, affectionately known as ‘The Cleanse’ , for the following list of Gluten-Free products. Erin was diagnosed with Celiac 18 years ago (no gluten in her diet), and these are products that her whole family enjoys even though they don’t require a gluten-free diet.
Erin says she purchase the majority of her GF products at Natural Food Pantry. Natural Food Pantry also has fresh bread products available each Friday. They are also hosting a Gluten Free Day on May 24th with guest speakers and many samples.
Breads/Grains:
- Glutino Pretzels – Gluten free, milk free, egg free, casein free and really tasty! You wouldn’t know the difference with other snack pretzels. I grind them up to use them in recipes requiring bread crumbs
Presidents Choice Organic Pastas – brown rice fusilli is a family favourite - Gluten Free Pantry Mixes – cake and cookie mixes that are delicious. I shred loads of carrots into the spice cake mix to make a really nice carrot cake. My kids actually asked for it as their birthday cake! The brownies and coffee cake are great too
- Kinnikinnick Foods – gluten free bread products (usually frozen). I like the English muffins, bagels and PIZZA CRUSTS! Great for making healthy homemade pizzas – you can put loads of greens on a pizza too!
- Only Oats Products – all of them are good. I like the quick-cook oats. Probably less nutritious, but the QUICK fits!
Seeds/Nuts
- Bumble Bar – organic energy bars for you runners! Gluten free and vegan – Perfect for you Donna!
- Chia Goodness – Different Chia/Salba mixes – the Cranberry Ginger is great in yogurt
- JK Gourmet – GF grain free granola that is sweetened with honey. Several flavours, I like the Mission fig & apricot. Good on oatmeal or in yogurt
Sauces/Mixes
- The Mix Company – great little packets of spice blends/rubs that are gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, yeast free. My favourites include the cream sauce mix, taco spice mix and roast garlic & pepper sizzler. Each packet has recipes on the back of the label
- Devya Indian Gourmet Products – Vegetable curry sauce is vegan and GF. The GF organic pappadums are easy and really good!
- World Foods Indochina Stir-fry sauce – Cambodian Pineapple Lemon Grass – my family loves this stir-fry sauce
- Organic Ville Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce – GF, no sugar added, sweetened with Agave. Good but SPICY!!
Premier Japan Organic GF Hoisin Sauce - San J – GF Teriyaki Stir-fry and marinade
- San J – GF Tamari organic soy sauce
- Life Soy – GF Soy sauce (some flavoured ones like spicy garlic)
Treats
- Chapman’s Ice Cream – nut free and GF (yes, ice cream can contain gluten too!)
- Natural Food Pantry has a variety of fresh and frozen cakes and tarts
- Three Tarts on Wellington has a WONDERFUL GF chocolate torte ,,, hmmm I think I know how to celebrate the end of my cleanse!
Kale Salad
April 20, 2009
Green Goodness
Kale is very high in calcium and makes an excellent calcium alternative. There are many recipes and variations on raw Kale salads. . Here is one of my favourites
Salad
8-10 big kale leaves, de-stemmed, washed and cut into small pieces
1 orange or red pepper, diced
1 golden beet, grated
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
1- 2 cups assorted sprouts, roughly chopped
1 avocado, pitted and flesh cut into small slices
Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon, pinch Celtic sea salt
Put chopped kale in a big bow, pour the dressing over the kale and massage with your hands for 2-5 minutes until the kale ‘wilts’. It will reduce down to about half the size.
Add 1 tbsp pure maple syrup and stir it through the kale
Top with all the other veggies and voila, kale salad.
You can add in sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts etc.
Anti-Oxidant Smoothie
March 19, 2009
Here is a delicious smoothie my husband whipped up for lunch today:
1 frozen banana
1 cup soy or almond milk (approximate amount)
1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries
1 spoonful organic peanut butter or almond butter
1 – 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 squirt of agave nectar
Blend and enjoy, add water to thin if you find it too thick
This smoothie is filled with anti-oxidants from the blueberries and cacao, and has a good boost of protein from the almond butter. To make this a raw recipe, use raw almond butter and homemade almond milk.
I was searching around online for a the blueberry picture you see above and came across some great gluten-free recipes on Gluten-Free Goddess, Check it out
Cleanse Day 1 – Green Smoothie
March 16, 2009
Today is day 1 of our 12-Day Clean Eating Challenge- affectionately know as the ‘Cleanse’. We follow a Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Coffee-Free, Vegan Diet, and every morning we start with a Green Smoothie.
I made my smoothie last night and stored it in the fridge, for me this works really well as I am out of the house at 5:25am to teach our amazing Powerful Woman Yoga Boot Camp classes, and after that Jeanette (my co-coach in the half-marathon class), Ali (artist extraordinaire), and I went for a long run – I needed that smoothie to be ready when I got back!!
Here’s the recipe – double tested by Jeanette who gave it 2 thumbs up! This made 2 servings.
Post Yoga and Run Elation Green Smoothie
- 8 medium-sized leaves of Romaine Lettuce, chopped
- 8 leaves Dinasoure Kale, chopped
- 1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 cup frozen pineapple (maybe a bit less)
- 1/2 cup frozen mango
- 2 small bananas, chopped
- 1 tsp spirulina (a powdered green supplement)
- 2 tbsp hulled hemp seed
- 2 tbsp sprouted flax powder (got it at Rainbow Foods on Richmond Rd)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or raw agave nectar (optional)
- Water to thin to desired consistency
Blend until very smooth, this makes a huge amount – enough for 2 hungry gals after yoga and a run!
ENJOY
Have a favourite Green Smoothie Recipe – feel free to share it!
You can follow Kerry’s Cleanse journey right here
Root Vegetable Tagine
January 26, 2009
Here is another slow cooker recipe that is full of veggies and fruit. Perfect for those of us that are still cleansing this week! It is very tasty and a good introduction to Moroccan food.
- 3/4 lb parsnips, peeled and diced
- 3/4 lb turnips, peeled and diced
- 3/4 lb carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 12 dried apricots, chopped
- 8 pitted prunes, chopped
- 2 tsp ground tumeric
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp dried parsley
- 2 Tbsp dried cilantro
- 1 L veggie broth
- 1-2 cups chickpeas (optional)
Toss all ingredients in slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook for 9 hours on low.
Dino’s Baked Beans
January 22, 2009
One of my hubby’s favourite foods is baked beans. Here is his recipe:
- 1 lb. dried small white beans, sorted and rinsed (approx 2 1/4 cups)
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 cup molasses (use blackstrap molasses for extra iron)
- 1/8 cup brown sugar
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 dashes hickory smoke
Combine all ingredients in a slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low for 13-14 hours, stirring occasionally if possible. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Note: We haven’t tried yet, but I bet the beans would taste just as good if you replaced the sugar with maple syrup or honey.
Green Smoothie of the Day
January 22, 2009
Today’s Smoothie was delcious. Sylvie told me her favorite smoothie was Pear and Spinach so I added to that theme
2 pears, wahsed, cored and chopped
1 mango (I used frozen mango and I’m guessing the amount)
about 3 ounces of baby spinach, or 3 huge handfulls
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp un-pasturized honey (YUM)
2 tbsp hemp protein
1 tbsp green powder (I used Greens+)
water to thin
Blend and enjoy!!
Make sure to use organic ingredients, especially the pears and baby spincah, check out our top foods to choose organic list
Top Foods to Choose Organic
January 8, 2009
These are the most commonly and highly contaminated foods with pesticides and chemicals, even after washing and peeling. The research used to compile this list is from extensive independent tests run by the FDA and the USDA from over 100,000 samples of food. The chemical pesticides detected in these studies are known to cause cancer, birth defects, nervous system and brain damage, and development problems in children.
1. Meat: beef, pork, and poultry
2. Dairy: milk, cheese and butter
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Tomatoes
6. Potatoes
7. Spinach (and other greens including lettuce)
8. Coffee
9. Peaches and Nectarines
10. Grapes (especially imported grapes)
11. Celery
12. Bell Peppers (Red & Green)