Monthly Archives: December 2011

Eggs Benedict – A lighter version

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My sister in law would probably love this breakfast, as she likes to drench everything in sauce. Mayo, ketchup, jalepeno jelly, you name it. She can’t eat meat if there isn’t a side of something to dip it in. I’m at the other end of the spectrum and dislike most condiments (except mustard) – even ketchup.  I loathe BBQ sauce on a cellular level. To me, there’s nothing worse than bottled sweet ‘n smokey goo. However, I quite enjoy butter-based sauces, but my arteries do not.

In my lightened version of eggs benny, the hollandaise sauce isn’t a major saturated fat bomb. Happy arteries. Happy tastebuds. Everyone wins.

Eggs Benny – A lighter version
Serves 2

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray a muffin tin.

Slice a tomato into 1/4″ slices and place into muffin tins. Note: I made a basil and goat cheese version a few days ago sans hollandaise sauce.
Add a thin slice of cooked ham or turkey (or omit- I made Court’s with deli meat)
Crack an egg into the pan and season with salt & pepper
Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of egg
Place pan into oven and bake for 15-18 minutes.

While the eggs are in the oven, prepare the hollandaise:

2 tsp butter
1/8 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt & pepper, to taste
pinch of paprika
2 tbsp tapioca or corn starch

In a sauce pan on medium low heat, melt the butter with minced garlic. Whisk in non-dairy milk, dijon, nutritional yeast and salt & pepper, stirring until heated through (don’t bring to a boil). Now add tapioca and whisk until sauce is thickened. Adjust spices if needed.

Remove eggs from oven, top with hollandaise sauce and enjoy!

Also, if you’re looking for ideas to use up leftover turkey – try a Waldorf salad!
Mix turkey with lettuce, apple, celery, dried cranberries, walnuts, and create a creamy dressing by using nonfat greek yogurt, lemon juice, honey, salt & pepper. Yum!

Skinny Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Court and I are heading to the mountains soon, and since restaurants are scarce this time of year (especially if you have dietary preferences), I’m playing it safe and bringing some healthy snacks and meal options.

I got a mini muffin pan for Christmas – perfect for baking ‘travel sized’ muffins! I made two varieties: cinnamon raisin walnut (boring, I know) and dark chocolate chip. We accidentally ate ALL of them for dessert last night and again for breakfast this morning.

‘Skinny’ Chocolate Chip Muffins (no one cares about the raisin-walnut muffins, right?)
Makes 30 mini muffins or about 12 regular size

Preheat oven to 350F, lightly grease a muffin pan

Mix together:
1 cup quick oats
1 cup buckwheat or all purpose flour (I used Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix – AMAZING! It makes them light and fluffy)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

In a separate bowl, whisk together:
1 cup non-dairy unsweetened milk
1 egg
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or butter)
1 tsp vanilla

Add dry to wet, then stir in a couple handfuls of chocolate chips. You can even get crazy like I did and mix raisins, chocolate and walnuts together. Living on the edge.

Spoon into muffin tins until 3/4 full, bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. And now, I’m off to the kitchen to bake another batch before our trip!

Did you do any Boxing Day shopping? I shopped online from the safety of my couch. I exchanged a pair of sunnies Court gave me for Christmas for some Lululemon gear:

Plus a really cute dress for my upcoming trip to Hawaii:

Full Tummies & Happy Hearts

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“This has been such a good Christmas, we’re so lucky!” I kept repeating throughout Christmas Day. It was the best Christmas Court and I have shared together so far. I feel very blessed and happy. And full. I’m also very grateful for sweat pants.

We decided to do things a little differently this year. Normally we’re bouncing between family get-togethers non-stop, from Christmas Eve right through to Boxing Day. As much as we love get-togethers, we also crave alone-time. The holidays are exhausting! This year we decided to visit our families on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, but stay home in the evening and cook our own dinner. Best idea ever….
Christmas Eve began with a light breakfast of baked eggs, tomatoes, goat cheese and Daiya (recipe coming soon) with brown rice toast.  Later on, while Court worked on renovations, I made Oh She Glows Pumpkin Pie with Gluten Free Pecan Crust,  and prepped most of the Christmas dinner food. 

Side note: I got bangs on Friday. I’m not sure if I like them. 
We headed over to my parents house first, where we snacked on sushi, veggies, vegan nachos, chocolate, and champagne. 
My sisters fiancé Brendan convinced my Dad and me to drink absinthe with him. It was really, really gross. 

We toasted to “Christmas & projectile vomiting”. Bad things are sure to happen when absinthe is involved. As far as I know, no one got sick.  Before heading home, we stopped by Court’s Mom’s house for more snacks (I ate about 500 dolmades) and wine.

On Christmas morning, after Court and I exchanged gifts (I didn’t get plane tickets to Bora Bora, or a private island – wah!),  I slipped on my running shoes and headed out for a quick run. It was dark, cool and calm – perfect running conditions.  I loved seeing peoples ‘Christmas Mornings’ through their living room windows as I ran by. I sprinted straight to my parents house (Court drove) and into the kitchen where I made gluten free waffles. Eggs, fruit salad, and mimosas on the side. My parents gave us some really fun gifts – my favourite was a sprouter and seeds so I can grow my own sprouts!

After we were done visiting with my parents and Court’s Dad, we headed out for a bike ride (!!!) then got to work creating our Christmas feast.

We made:

  • organic (local) chicken
  • roasted butternut squash & chickpeas
  • brown rice tofu ‘stuffing’
  • vegan onion gravy
  • broccoli
  • mixed greens and shredded beets with homemade pomegranate-mandarin dressing
  • plus a few glasses of pomegranate infused champagne

Court took care of cooking the chicken, while I made the sides. We ate dinner in our pajamas and slowly savoured each bite. Such a wonderful evening.  As for THE PIE, we loved it!  I topped it with coconut whipped cream – oh my gosh. I was in heaven, and we polished off nearly half the pan. Oops.

I crashed into bed that night with a full tummy, a happy heart and a smile on my face.

Fond (Cake) Memories…

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While Court and I were celebrating our one-year wedding anniversary in Canmore AB this past spring, something life-altering happened.

Something so profound I sat there stunned, speechless and making wild gestures with my hands. 
This cake:
Was worth every single calorie. (I’m sorry for what I did to you that weekend, pancreas) 
Dark chocolate cake, with salted caramel dividing each layer (four!) topped with chocolate ganache, chocolate chunks, toffee….then drizzled in warm salted caramel.  Be still my heart. 
Court and I now refer to it as “The Cake”, which means it’s a 10. 
Side note: This is “The Bed”, at Koa Kea on Kauai.

It was like sleeping in a fluffy cloud of marshmallows. Memory foam marshmallows. (A lot of guests praise Koa Kea’s beds in their Trip Advisor reviews)

What are some of your ‘life changing’ food or travel experiences? Have you ever ate something so delicious it left you speechless, or am I overly-dramatic (and crazy/food obsessed)? 

Banana Cream Crepes

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Never watch the Food network before dinner. Especially when chocolate crepes and dark chocolate cake are being made on a french cooking show.  Crepes are one of my favourite dishes – sweet or savoury. My favourite sweet crepe is probably fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Or classic butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.  For savoury, I love spinach, tomato, goat cheese and basil pesto.

I used to be scared of making crepes and didn’t realize it’s just as simple (if not easier?) as making pancakes. 
Banana Cream  Crepes
Makes 6-8. 
Ingredients/Directions:
1 cup buckwheat flour or all purpose flour of choice
1 cup non-dairy milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp melted butter 
1/4 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Filling:
2 bananas, thinly sliced
1 cup whipped cream (I used coconut whip)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tbsp cocoa
dash of cinnamon

Whisk eggs and milk together, then stir in vanilla and butter. Slowly add flour and salt, stirring until batter is smooth. 
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Lightly coat pan with oil/butter/cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan and tilt the pan in a circular motion until batter is evenly dispersed. Cook until crepe is just starting to turn golden brown, then using a spatula, gently flip crepe over and continue cooking.

How to fold the crepe: Place a few banana slices at “two o’clock”, followed by a dollop of whipped cream, almonds and a pinch of cocoa. Fold the crepe in half and add another layer of at “two o’clock”, then fold. Dust with more cocoa and cinnamon. 

*If you’re cooking for two, freeze the leftover batter, or use it to whip up some savoury lunchtime crepes. And invite me over for lunch please. 
Sweet or savoury crepes: Which do you prefer? 

Coconut Shortbread Cookies

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I’m one Steven & Chris’ biggest fans. Seriously. A couple years ago, CBC held a contest for viewers to win a trip to attend a taping of one of their shows… that I didn’t win. I’m still sad and I’ll probably never get over it. I’d love to meet them… and become BFF4E. Dear Steven & Chris: Marry/Adopt/Love Me!

I always look forward to their holiday shows, and last week one of their guests made Coconut Shortbread Cookies – naturally gluten free and so easy to make.
The first batch I made didn’t turn out – they were too buttery and literally ‘melted’ while they were baking.   The second time around I  used brown rice flour, added extra coconut and they turned out perfect. After the cookies came out of the oven, I drizzled agave and unsweetened shredded coconut on top. Not too sweet, but just right. I served them with Sunday brunch, and my taste-testers (Court and his Mom, haha) raved over the subtle sweetness and delicate texture. 

If you’re a shortbread fan, you will really like this recipe!

Ps. Steven & Chris – this could be us! Think about it….

Gingerbread Cookies (gluten free)

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Going gluten-free hasn’t been as difficult as I thought it would be. I was slightly worried about baking (it’s cookie season for heavens sake!) but I’m starting to get the hang of it.  My regular diet hasn’t really changed other than I bring my own soy sauce to sushi restaurants now, and I eat brown rice tortillas or brown rice bread in place of wheat bread.

Some other things I’ve noticed in the last three weeks:

  • My blood sugar has stopped crashing every 2-3 hours, and I’m not as hungry… or moody!
  • My complexion is  even-toned and the annoying blemish-rashes that were plaguing my face are clearing up.
  • Digestion has improved drastically – I thought my digestion was ‘good’ before, but now that I have something to compare it to, I feel amazing! I now understand what other gluten-freers mean when they say you ‘feel lighter’. My pants are looser too. 


Frosted Gingerbread Cookies
Makes approximately 18 cookies

2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
Sift together above ingredients

In a separate bowl or mixer, cream together:

1/2 cup cooking molasses (I have tried this recipe with blackstrap and nearly died… they turned out awful)
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup sugar (I used coconut sap) + 1/3 cup sugar, set aside
1 tsp vanilla extract

Slowly add dry to wet ingredients and beat until dough becomes stiff. (Add a tiny splash of water, if needed) Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap dough and form into 1-2″ cookie dough balls. Place cookies onto baking sheet approximately 2″ apart and lightly press with a fork. Sprinkle sugar on half the cookies (the remaining cookies will be frosted).

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch.

For frosting, I used this recipe, but used non-dairy milk. I scaled back the recipe to make about 1/4.

Traditional gingerbread cookie recipe, click here

Are you ready for Christmas? I am, but that’s because I don’t go crazy with gifts. Court and I set a $100 limit for each other, plus we only buy presents for our immediate family. Takes the financial stress out of the holidays!

White Chocolate Cranberry… Breakfast Bake

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Festive oats. Christmas in a bowl. An excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast….

White Chocolate Cranberry Breakfast Bake

Gluten Free, Serves 1
Preheat oven to 400F, lightly spray a ramekin dish
In a bowl, combine:
1/2 cup (uncontaminated) rolled oats
1 tbsp millet 
1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
handful of dried cranberries & white chocolate chips
Then stir in:
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
Pour into ramekin and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with a side of greek yogurt and Christmas tunes.
You might also like these varieties:

Decadent Holiday Fudge

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“Is this the best fudge we’ve ever had?” I asked Court in amazement.

“Yes, I think so!” 
This recipe might change your life, and it only takes 5 minutes to make.
Decadent Holiday Fudge
Makes about 15-20 pieces (I lost count, the fudge kept forcing its way into my mouth as I was slicing it)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup canned coconut milk (don’t use light)
2 tbsp coconut oil or regular butter (I prefer the butter version)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 dark chocolate Lindt bar, chopped (I used Intense Cranberry)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 unsweetened shredded coconut, set aside
Lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt coconut oil and milk. Let simmer until it starts to bubble. Reduce heat to low, and stir in vanilla and salt. Now add Lindt chocolate, stirring until melted. Add powdered sugar and cocoa, continuing to stir until all ingredients are combined. Pour into baking dish, sprinkle coconut on top and place in refrigerator to set for at least two hours.

We ate the entire pan within two days. Oops. 
In addition to making fudge, I decorated our Christmas tree last weekend. We get a ‘real’ tree each year – they’re only $40 from Save on Foods, and they last at least a month! I love coming home to the scent of fresh pine. 
These lazy guys watched me decorate:
Have you put up your Christmas tree yet?
Do you switch up your decorations/color combos each year, or do you stick with ‘traditional’ Christmas colours?

Mint Chocolate Chip Coconut… Breakfast Bake

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LONGEST RECIPE TITLE EVER.

Treat yourself to a warm, cozy and filling breakfast (or dessert!)

Mint Chocolate Chip Coconut ‘Cake’
Serves 1

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly spray a ramekin dish

In a bowl combine:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
handful of mint chocolate chips
pinch of salt
optional: 1 tbsp chia or flax seeds

Now stir in:
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 tsp vanilla

Pour oats into ramekin, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until ‘cake’ is firm. Turn oven on broil and brown the top (it makes the coconut all toasty, mmm) for a couple minutes.

On weekday mornings, when I have extra time, this is one of my ‘go-to’ breakfasts. I serve it with a side of greek yogurt or eggs. Carbs + Protein = BFF4E

I bought Court a chocolate advent calendar and he ‘saves’ his chocolate for later in the day. He’s crazy, right? Who does that…