Nutrition

Cranberry-Flax-Banana Oat Bars

I LOVE Elevate-Me bars, Lara-Bars, Quest-Bars....all those delicious, healthy, organic ingredients wrapped into a perfectly sized rectangle, easily transportable to all your daily life adventures. I find myself buying bars every week at the Healthy Planet or The Big Carrot, which has put a sizeable dent in my wallet. I wish I could have the financial luxury to eat a bar after every training session as a perfect recovery snack, however, such in life, not every idea is ideal. 

I've been experimenting with some bar and protein- powerball ideas as post-workout recovery snacks that are a fraction of the cost of store-brand products. Tonight I made these delicious cranberry-flax-banana oat bars. Only took about 5 minutes in preparation and 35 minutes to bake. 

Recipe:

1.5 cup of large oats

1/2 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup of dried cranberries 

2 medium organic bananas

1/4 cup of ground flax seed

2 tbsp of hemp hearts

1 tbsp of chia seeds

1 tbsp of vanilla/ or almond extract

1/4 cup of agave (or honey)

1/4 cup of brown sugar (or raw sugar cane)

1/4 cup of almond milk

1/4 cup of coconut oil

1/4 cup of whole-wheat flour

5 tbsp of cinnamon (because I LOVE it)

1/2 tsp of baking soda 

1/2 tsp of sea salt

Seems like a lot of things, but as you can see I use most of these ingredients regularly in my diet so it's handy to just always have them in stock in your cupboard. Ingredients such as hemp, chia, flax, agave, coconut oil, rolled oats and agave. If you're also a vegan or don't particularly enjoy milk, almond milk is a great alternative and in my opinion adds great flavour to any food item you pair it with. 

I mixed all these wonderful things together in a bowl, then packed it tightly into a non-stick pan, stuck it in the oven until it browned (approx. 35 minutes), let it cool for ~10 minutes before cutting into bars. I wrapped my bars up with wax-paper afterwards for easy transport, storage or even freezing for a rainy day.

Enjoy! More to come!

Namaste.

xo,

Julia

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Black-bean Brownies

These are friggen amazing! Surely this will cure your sweet tooth. 

Who new black beans could make such a delicious dessert?

- 15oz (1 can) of black beans (rinse well)

- 2 large "flax eggs" ....basically for every tbsp of ground flax add 3 tbsp of water = 1 "egg"

- 3 tbsp of coconut oil (or any other baking oil)

- 3/4 cup of cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder because it's delicious...and dark...and delicious)

- 1/4 tsp of sea salt

- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

- 1.5 tsp of baking soda

- 1/2 cup of raw sugar cane 

Instead of 1/2 cup of sugar, I used a 1/4 cup and added a bit of PROMASIL protein powder and agave. 

(the cocoa will make these perfectly sweetened)

Mix all these ingredients in a food processor until smooth. The batter will be extremely thick and not running whatsoever. Bake for 25 minutes. 

Some additional mixins:

- 1/2 cup of dried cherries

- 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

- garnish with carob chips 

Enjoy!

Namaste,

Julia

Quinoa Heaven

- 1 cup of organic quinoa

- 2 cups water

- 1 raw sweet potato diced

- 1 cup chickpeas

- 1/2 cup raw red onion

- 1 cup cilantro finely chopped

- 3/4 cup golden raisins

- 1/2 cup aged red wine vinegar

= delicious

Enjoy!

Breakfast Goodness!

Every morning I've been treating myself to a delicious bowl of oats. Typically (before 8am practice), I'll make just regular instant oats however, if I have 5 extra minutes to cook it on the stove, I'll add in steel-cut oats...my favourite. 

I add a different mixture every morning, but typically here's what I put in my oats.

- a little almond milk

- chia seeds

- hemp seeds

- psyllium

- wheat germ

- flax seed (or oil)

- maca powder

- PROMASIL (best protein powder out there, made by RIVALUS)

- golgi berries

- dried currents 

- raw almonds

- raw macedonian nuts

- raw walnuts 

The promasil adds a delicious chocolatey taste to my oatmeal. If you're big on flavour then add a touch of agave or almond butter too. I find the dried fruit sweetens my oatmeal enough for me to cut out my sweet-tooth cravings for the day :)

Enjoy the power-oatmeal!

Another Salad....

- romain lettuce 

- avocado

- green pear

- pink lady apple

- small red kidney beans

- chickpeas

- hemp seeds

- golden raisins

- dried cherries

- raw pumpkin seeds

- raw sunflower seeds

Dressing Recipe:

(this makes enough for 3 salads)

- 1/4 cup of olive oil

- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

- 2 tbsp lemon juice

- 1 tsp agave/honey

- 1 tsp dijon mustard

- 1 tsp fresh minced garlic

Enjoy!

Vegan Chilli

Quick little update on my diet. I turned vegan about 3 months ago, so enjoy the new recipes to try! I feel healthier, leaner and meaner....rawr?

Enjoy!

I made WAY too much of this vegan chilli. Enough to feed 10 people easily, but by far one of the more delicious and hearty meals I've cooked in a while. Super healthy, low-cal and fills you up!

I started off cooking about 10 roma tomatoes and 6 hot house tomatoes with a little coconut oil. Once they were soft, I added a half a can of crushed tomatoes, a sweet onion diced up to cook a little longer in this tomato mixture. 

Next, I added 2 yellow bell peppers, 2 orange bell peppers (locally grown), celery, a small head of broccoli, and green onion. Once that started to soften, I added chickpeas, a can of corn, small red kidney beans, and black beans. I seasoned with lots of cajun, chilli peppers, paprika, a touch of cumin, and celery sea-salt. Once the spice was good enough to taste, I added in a can of crushed pineapple....which was a GEM in the mixture. The blend of sweet and spice made this chilli a 10/10. 

Someone once told me my chilli was too spicy....so, here is my new alternative!

Enjoy!

My Salads are Ridiculous

Here's a new recipe for you kids to try.

The Greens: 

- Baby spinach, arugula 

The Veggies:

- Green, yellow and orange bell peppers

- Half a sweet onion, green onion

- english cucumber 

- grated carrots 

The Fruits:

- strawberries

- grape/cherry tomatoes 

- a large Bosc pear

Dice the fruits and veggies so that they are mince. Presentation is everything ;)

The extras:

- dried cherries

- unsalted sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds

- a dash of mozzarella 

THE BEST PART:

- no salad dressing

- 3 large avocados mashed, diced onion, diced green onion and a full lime squeezed into a mixing bowl. Blend that together to create possibly the best tasting guacamole. Boom! 

You are welcome friends.

Enjoy!

Namaste.

Julia

High Calorie Holiday Drinks

But....they just taste...sooooo....gooood: Alternatives to your Holiday Bevies

From the hundreds on photos on Instagram to the litter of red cups on the streets of Toronto, we all know Starbuck's holiday drinks are back. Hurray! They lure us in with the christmas cheer, even during the miserable midterms weeks of November promising Joy in a warm "hand-crafted" drink. Your barista will treat you as though you're at home calling you by name "Julia, your drink is ready!", as though it were your Mom or Dad calling you from the kitchen. Those warm fuzzy feelings as you take that first delectable sip, careful not to get too much whipped cream on the tip of your nose as a hot savoury liquid pours down your throat warming your belly and heart.

Clearly, I am not helping. However, I wanted to emphasize the fact that I get it! Really, I get the whole Christmas bevies, from peppermint mochas, to gingerbread lattes, to carmel brulee cremes, and salted-caramel hot chocolates...they are deVILious. Drinks are usually shared with friends and "grabbing a coffee" is quite the stereotypical "let's catch up over the holidays" routine. Here are some key tip when ordering your latte or holiday drink to decrease the calories without sacrificing the taste. First, choose your milk wisely. Many places use whole milk whereas you probably don't even drink whole milk in your own house. Try asking for 1% or even skim milk as a change. Second, certain flavouring such as "pumpkin spice" or "apple cider" or "peppermint" are all syrups where they use approximately 4-8 pumps. Try asking for 1 or 2 pumps of syrup...two pumps can equal to about 100 calories. Third, I am a tall girl and I consider tall to be BIG! So quit spitting out fancy words like grande or venti and stick to tall. Remember, tall is TALL enough. Lastly, I guarantee your drink will taste delicious with or without whipped cream. Try asking for "light whip" or no whip on your next holiday drink. 

Remember these drinks are high in sugar so hydrate with lots of extra water. Starbucks is quite gracious in providing customers with a glass of ice water on the side.

Apart from being an aspiring nutritional guru, I am a big penny-saver. Your average drink at Starbucks, Second Cup or Coffee Culture costs around $4 dollars (if you're sticking to the tall is tall business). Say you indulge in a drink or two a week, that's $8/week, $32/month, $384/year and that not including the extra scone I know you thrown in once in a while! Mind you, some people quite enjoy a daily tea from Starbucks which averages out to $740/year! Side note...

Here is my penny-saving, healthy-alternative to your holiday bevvies. 

Step 1: Boil Water (for instructions to do so please consult your mother for bad parenting)

Step 2: Pour hot water into mug and insert peppermint tea bag (Tetley is my choice)

Step 3: Add a tablespoon of hot chocolate mix (Any kind will do, Carnations is relatively low priced)

Step 4: Enjoy your NATURALLY flavoured peppermint hot chocolate with only 50 calories :)

Wishing everyone a blessed and merry Christmas!

Namaste.

Julia

Industrial-Style Muffins

Hearty Goodness

These are not your ordinary buttery, flakey, oooey gooey melt in your mouth fruit exploding type of muffin. No my dear friends, these weigh close to a pound each and are full of healthy hearty goodness. Apparently they smelled as good as they tasted as my roommate couldn't even wait a second longer for me to take picture of the final product before snatching one out of the tray. These muffins are a great meal-replacement for breakfast or a great as a filling mid-day snack. Here's the recipe I used but feel free to dress it up anyway you like to sweeten it to your desire. I chose not to use any sugar and loaded up on whole wheat flour and rolled oats. Enjoy!

This was my first time experimenting with my "industrial-style" muffins so I haven't quite established a true method to my madness. You can choose to mix all the dry ingredients first then add in the egg and "wet" ingredients second, but to be honest I just threw everything into one large bowl and it turned up just fine. 

Dry Ingredients:

1½ cups whole wheat flour

1 cup of whole rolled oats

2 tsp baking powder (this is to give rise to the muffins)

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

a dash or two of nutmeg 

Wet Ingredients:

⅓ cup of honey

⅓ cup of apple sauce (here you can substitute butter or oil)

1 cup of mashed bananas

⅔ cup of skim milk

Extras:

½ cup of unsweetened dark chocolate chips

¼ dried cranberries 

½ can of crushed pineapple from a can (this really helps moisten the muffins which is typically dried out from the heavy amount of oats; also helps provides a sweet kick since there is no sugar) 

¼ cup of pecans or walnuts

Bon Appetite! 

Namaste,

Julia

Butternut Squash Soup

Winter Warmth

There's nothing like a bowl of hot delicious soup to warm your belly on a cold winter's day. It definitely is easier to crack open a can of Campbell's Soup and heat it up or make Mr.Noodles, however these are high in preservatives, sugars and in sodium; all things you want to avoid when trying to maintain a healthy balanced diet. I've been experimenting with some various types of soup makings and lately this has been my fav. 

Ingredients:

2 Large butternut squash (or 1....unless you're trying to feed a small army which is the way I tend to cook)

1 vegetable bouillon

1 large onion

1 cup of skim milk

Boom! Easy.

First, chop the butternut squash into cubes, the size does not really matter as you'll be blending this all later. Dice the onion and throw it into a large pot (or two large pots...army style) along with your squash into boiling water. Add about a cup of skim milk for an extra creamier taste or avoid the milk all together, as it will still taste phenomenal. Let this cook until the squash is extra soft. 

Now, this is the fun part. Pour a few ladles full of this delicious squash, onion and broth mixture into a blender. Blend for about ten seconds (very quick!!) and then pour it into a bowl for serving. It took me about six rounds to finish all the blending of the squash but again, not a very lengthy process. Feel free to add some chilli's into the soup for an extra spicy kick and garnish with arugula and a dash of sour cream for added taste. 

In regards to the lovely photo above, as my father always tells me...does not matter how it tastes...you still have to make it look good! Feel free to get a little fancy with that sour cream.

Sincerely the Martha Steward Wannabe,

Julia

Namaste. 

Baked Apples

The Sweet Tooth

It's coming around to that time of the year where Halloween candy is 50-75% off, Christmas goodies are coming onto the shelves and hot tea or coffee just seems better with a plate of cookies. Balancing sugar intake in your diet can be a challenge with these colourful distractions. For me, my sweet tooth is always a death trap when it comes to sour candies, particularly orange or grape flavoured ones. Difficult for me to say no. However, if you just don't buy it, then you won't eat! Simple! Here are some healthy alternatives to curving your sweet tooth. 

Fruits are naturally high in sugar; the good sugars, unprocessed and not chemically modified. Eating simple carbohydrates like fruits or even some veggies are perfect for getting a healthy amount of glucose in your diet. Let's be honest though, it sometimes just isn't enough. We all want a little extra something to excite our palate. Try this! Take a few large apples, macintosh or golden delicious work really well. Core the apple with either an apple corer (duh!) or even a knife. Make sure you clean out all the seeds and stem. Now here's where the creativity kicks in. In a separate bowl mix in the delicious ingredients you'd like to have in your apples. I try to keep in simple with 1/4 cup of brown sugar, a few teaspoons of cinnamon, a dash a maple syrup and some large california raisins. If you want something more extravagant (or more delicious), try adding in some pecans, dried cherries, non-fat caramel, nutmeg or the real kicker...butter. When I'm broke (most often), I stick to just brown sugar. As you can see, there are many possible combinations so feel free to experiment! Once you mix all your contents, pour them into the cores of the apple and place them on a foiled pan. Boiled a 1/4 glass of hot water and let this sit on the base of the pan; this will ensure the apples are fully cooked. Set the oven for 350 degrees and wait 15-20 minutes for the apples to bake. Cook until they are tender but not soft for best results. If you're going for presentation points you can always use a doily, sprinkle cinnamon over it and remove the doily to have the stencil remain. Then place the baked apple in the middle of the design.  

Hello I am Martha Steward the Second, have a lovely evening!

Namaste,

Ju.

Mean Salad

You Are What You Eat?!

I just so happen to be a fabulous chef, and yes I will toot my own horn since my creations are 98% original and always healthy but delicious!

My go to meal is always my Mean Salad. This is not your regular "garden" or "caesar" restaurant style plain lettuce with 1 slice of a tomato, covered in dressing salad. No. This salad is mean, full of fresh veggies, fruits, dried fruits, seasoned chicken breast and a possible hint of some old aged cheddar. 

Ingredients you ask? Why, let me list them out.

1. You need your lettuce. My preference is a blend of arugula and fresh spinach. 

2. The basics: Tomatoes (I slice grape tomatoes in halves), Cucumber (sliced in quarters), carrots (chopped in small bits) and Mushrooms (thinly sliced). Presentation is everything.

3. The sweet: Pear (either Asian or bosc), Berries (preferably strawberries, some blueberries and a few raspberries), Grapes (optional). 

4. The substance: fresh grilled chicken breast, lightly seasoned with olive oil, salt/pepper, oregano, a dash of white wine and a few chilli peppers

5. The delicious perks: Avocado is a must. Once you shake your salad the avocado spreads to create a sort of guacamole paste that blends perfectly with the dressing I will teach you how to make. Other perks include, diced dried apricots as well as dried cranberries. In addition, I cube a few slices of extra-old aged cheddar for some extra flavour and different texture. 

6. The dressing: Now, buying a thing of Ranch is definitely something my American team would do but I prefer a light dressing with a hint of zest. With so many flavours it's safe to go with vinaigrette. I combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, a dash of honey, some horseradish and basil to create probably the best tasting thing on earth. Non-bias opinion.

Now in my opinion, that is a Mean Salad.

Feel free to throw some almonds or sunflower seeds on there too!

Cheers,

Julia