Monthly Archives: June 2012

My New Favorite Sandwich

After four days in Las Vegas, you know what I was anticipating the most about coming home?

Plants. Lots and lots of plants, fruit, water and a little support from my best friend Kombucha.

I headed down into the desert for my BFF’s 30th birthday. She wanted to celebrate with her Blondetourage in Vegas and we all enjoyed a weekend full of sunshine and… Vegas activities.

With my life being hectic this week (my sister is getting married this weekend!) there is no LMG meal plan that I’m following. Most meals are in the form of fresh greens from our garden, handfuls of fruit, dips from the peanut butter jar and eggs.

Plus this sandwich. Chicken & Waffle. Sweet and savory fans will love this.

Sometimes I buy Nature’s Path frozen waffles as a treat, with their Chia Plus being my favorite. They smell like vanilla cupcakes while toasting!

Using two toasted waffles and half a reheated chicken breast, I pulled the chicken, topped it with dijon mustard, thinly sliced red onion, tomato and spinach.

Court doesn’t believe me when I tell him how mind blowing this sandwich is. But then again, he also didn’t believe me when I introduced him to another weird combo: peanut butter, banana slices, cinnamon and spinach, wrapped in a brown rice tortilla.

Do you have any ‘weird’ sandwich creations?

What’s your favorite sandwich or wrap?

G&B’s Strawberry Yogurt Parfait

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Favorite fruit combo right now. Strawberries, kiwi, banana. I just discovered how awesome this trio is and I probably deserve a Nobel prize now.

I based a minted pea potato salad on this recipe and loved the result. I hate sloppy, mushy, overly-dressed potato salads and in this recipe, the peas and herbs take the stage. In my version, I used just greek yogurt, added basil, extra mint, goat cheese and parmesan. My mom also makes a killer potato salad that isn’t drowning in mayo. I will get the recipe from her and share it this summer.

When I was in Hawaii, I ordered a purple yam and sweet potato salad that was annihilated with Miracle Whip. I’ll probably never get over it. Haven’t had a good nights sleep since then.

Lately, my bedtime snack has taken the form of fresh berries and yogurt. With Green&Blacks dark chocolate shavings.

It was almost too pretty to eat! I used the chocolate squares as a spoon. Best idea ever.

Into the mason jar went:
3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
80 4 squares Green&Blacks 70% dark chocolate + shavings

Have you tried/Do you love Green&Blacks chocolate? It’s what gets me through life. They have a crazy good white chocolate vanilla bar that I’m obsessed with. I ate two bars last week. Plus an espresso bar. Can’t stop. Won’t stop. (Said in a Diddy voice. Is his name still Diddy?)

Peanut Butter & Apricot Jam Stuffed French Toast + Meal Plan for 6/18-6/24

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Sometimes if I’m up extra-early, I’ll make Court breakfast. Partly because I’m trying to break him out of his usual breakfast-rut (an oatmeal pancake and eggs – EVERY.SINGLE.DAY) but mostly because I love making food for people.

PB&J Stuffed French Toast
Serves 1

Ingredients/Directions

Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking dish with parchment paper.

2 slices thick cut bread
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon

1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tbsp apricot jam
1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup + 1/2 tbsp, reserved

In a bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Place the bread into the bowl and let it soak up all the moisture.

Preheat a frying pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tbsp of butter. (Are we still afraid of butter? If so, use coconut oil) Place the saturated bread onto the frying pan and cook until golden brown, flipping once.

Now, create a PB&J sandwich – spread peanut butter and jam on one side of the french toast, place into the baking dish and drizzle the entire sandwich in 1/2 tbsp of maple syrup. Place into the oven for 7-10 minutes. Top with the remaining 1/2 tbsp of maple syrup before serving.

And now I’m craving one.

Here’s the meal plan for this week – it’s a short and simple one because I’m going to be out of town over the weekend.

Monday: Grilled chicken salads with strawberries, blueberries, basil and goat cheese. (I know, it’s similar to last week, but I have a ton of produce to use up!)

Tuesday: Tempeh burgers with oven roasted carrots. (I bought yellow baby carrots last weekend – I’m SO excited to eat them! I haven’t had any since Hawaii)

Wednesday: Black Bean Burrito Bowls. Check out this awesome tutorial on how to make a tortilla bowl. I typically fill my bowl with: mixed greens, diced tomato, sauteed black beans & onion, roasted corn, avocado, cheddar and salsa. Plus lots and lots of jalapeno Tabasco.

Thursday – Sunday: Out of town. I asked Court if he wanted me to create some meal suggestions/shopping for him and he said no. I have a feeling he’s going to order sushi everyday.

You should try this recipe though. It’s life changing.

“Breaded” Chicken Strips with Apricot Dijon Dipping Sauce

Favorite x 238492035. Court and I don’t even speak or look at each other when we’re eating this meal. It’s our cats favorite dinner too. If I don’t share, he resorts to desperate measures by eating the scraps off the baking sheet. (Court, not the cat.)

Mountain Detox – photos from the weekend

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Last weekend was filled with so many great things. Fresh mountain air. Girl talk. Tons of great eats: Dinner at crazyweed. Lunch at Nourish. An exciting internship meeting in Banff. Wine and homemade appetizers. Long sleeps. Yoga. Walks. More wine. An impromptu road trip to Lake Louise (I’d never been before!) A crackling fire.

Cherry tomatoes + basil + olive oil + salt, along with dates + honey goat cheese

Here’s an easy lunch I’m currently loving: Ultra thin crust margarita pizza. Using a (brown rice) wrap as the ‘crust’, I topped it with homemade pizza sauce, fresh spinach and basil, cheddar, sliced tomato and goat cheese. Pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400F until cheese is bubbly and the crust is crisp. Steamed asparagus on the side.

Make this.

Where’s your favorite place to ‘detox’ and unwind?

LMG Meal Plan 6/11

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Oh hi!

I’m wining and dining in Canmore with some of my favorite ladies – my mom, sister and aunt in law. Court’s Aunt Pat let us invade her home for the weekend and we’ve been enjoying an indulgent girls weekend. Lots of good food, conversation and wine!

I drove us ladies to Canmore on Friday afternoon, and when we arrived, Pat was already in the kitchen creating salad and Paella.

Pat holds the key to my heart – not only did she serve up a fabulous seafood dinner and red wine, she placed a brand new jar of almond butter in front of me at breakfast. *Swoon*

As promised, here’s my meal plan for the week! Court is on grocery shopping duty while I’m out of town. He’s good.

Monday – Strawberry & Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salads (One of my favorite summer salads. I’ve never tried with bacon before and I’m sure Court will love the addition)

Tuesday – Chickpea Salad Wraps + Side Salad

Wednesday- Baked Honey-Tamari Glazed Salmon + Steamed Asparagus + Wild Rice. If you’re not sure how to prepare salmon, here is a helpful tutorial. Prior to placing the salmon in the oven, drizzle on 3 tbsp of tamari (or soy sauce) followed by 1 tbsp honey, and a dash of ground pepper. While salmon is baking, prepare the asparagus and rice.

Thursday: Sushi Salads <– How amazing do these look?!

Friday: Tex Mex Chicken & Rice Casserole

Saturday: Wing It

Sunday: Cauliflower Crust Pizza – Court will be all over the Hawaiian (his fave) while I’ll probably make a margarita pizza (my fave)

If you’d like to contribute a recipe link to the meal plan, send me an email – joannagregson(at)live(dot)ca

Rainbow Pasta Salad

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On Instagram, I follow a user called ‘love_food’. They post photos of the most amazing comfort dishes – mainly desserts but sometimes a savory dish makes it’s way into the mix. Last week, some type of rotini salad loaded with veggies and cheese inspired me to drop EVERYTHING I was doing (literally) so I could make myself a version.

I had visions of chilled edamame beans, peas and zucchini mixed with creamy spirals of pasta, but once I opened the fridge and saw my produce was low, my plans changed.

Here’s what I came up with instead:

Rainbow Pasta Salad
Serves 4

1.5 cups cooked rotini (I used a blend of leftover brown rice and organic corn noodles)
2 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup corn
1/3 cup quartered cucumber slices
1 small tomato, quartered, with seeds and juice removed
2 grated carrots (pulsing carrots in a food processor is better, but in the event that you don’t have a processor, grated is fine)
handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped (use scissors!)
1 tbsp grated parmesan, set aside

Steam the broccoli and corn together, then plunge into an ice water bath to stop cooking. Set aside and allow veggies to dry.

Prep the remainder of the vegetables and place them into a bowl with the pasta.

Tip: Pat the cucumber slices and broccoli with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Prepare the dressing.

Creamy Dill Dressing:
In a bowl, mix together:

1/2 cup plain yogurt (greek or goat)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 – 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dill
2 green onions, chopped
fresh ground pepper

Pour the dressing on, and stir. Adjust seasoning if needed. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Serve immediately.

The leftovers keep for about a day or so, but because I used goat yogurt (which is lighter and thinner than greek) it wasn’t as creamy the next day. Still tasted great, though!

Dinner idea:

Seared ‘Whitefish’ with Cilantro Salsa

I pulled the fish recipe from Chatelaine’s website but now it’s gone! It was really simple, though. The recipe called for halibut, I used snapper. In a food processor, puree: 2 cups cilantro, juice of 1 lime, 1 jalapeno (seeds removed) salt, pepper, chili seasoning.

I squeezed the juice of 1 lime onto the fillets, seasoned with salt & pepper and seared them on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes on each side.

Don’t forget – if you’re looking for dinner inspiration, I’ll be posting a meal plan this Sunday, June 10. Have a great weekend, friends!

Introducing: LMG Group Meal Plans!

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Veggie Scramble

One thing that has helped me stay on track with my wellness goals is to create a weekly meal plan. Not only has it prevented me from having a nervous breakdown in the grocery store (not knowing what to buy or make) it saves time and money. I put an end to mindless wandering around the store, filling a shopping cart with impulse purchases that may not serve a purpose. (Although that can be fun at times!)

My goal is to create a wellness community on LMG with a somewhat-structured weekly meal plan where we can share our favorite recipes. You don’t have to prepare each meal on the specified night, but with ‘the plan’ in place, at least you will have 5-7 options to turn to during the week. Submissions are always welcome – recipes don’t have to be your own creation – a link to an online recipe is perfect. It doesn’t even have to be something you’ve made before – lets keep an open mind and try some new dishes!

Mixed greens with strawberries, apples, pecans and avocado dressing

Creamy Vegan Spaghetti

Black Bean Quesadillas, Roasted Corn Salsa & Spicy Guacamole

Here’s an example of my meal plan I’m following this week:

Monday: Thai Chickpea Burgers + Sweet Potato & Yam Fries + Greens
Tuesday: Avocado Shrimp Spring Rolls + Spicy Peanut Sauce
Wednesday: Homemade Margarita Pizza + Greens
Thursday: Roasted Rosemary Chicken, Wild Rice, Roasted Asparagus & Parsnips
Friday: Spaghetti & (Bison) Meat Sauce – for Court. (I’m out of town)
Saturday: Eat out (both of us)
Sunday: Organic (local) Beef Burgers + Greens – for Court

Before I get into the first weeks meal plan, I want to discuss the importance of having a kitchen that is stocked with staples. Life is so much easier when you have options readily available for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Before grocery shopping, I do a quick inventory to see if anything needs to be restocked. I’ve created a list of what I regularly have in my kitchen.

Gluten Free Jalapeno & Cheese Tuna Melts (Mayo-free)

Bison Portobello Burgers + Oven Baked Yam Fries

I don’t expect anyone to rush out and purchase everything on the list, but rather to use as a guideline.

Please try to purchase organic produce whenever possible. There are ways to fit it into your budget. Are there things in your life you can cut back on or eliminate? Tim Hortons? Buying lunch everyday? Magazines? Start small and build a savings strategy from there. Use that money towards a health investment: higher quality, sustainably farmed produce that isn’t heavily sprayed with pesticides.

Veggies & Herbs

Spinach
Mixed Greens
Carrots
Celery
Sweet Red Onion
Green Onion
Yams or Potatoes
Frozen Corn (buy organic!)
Frozen Shelled Edamame (only purchase if it is organic)
Frozen Peas
Sliced Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Basil
Broccoli Slaw
Broccoli or Cauliflower
Minced Garlic

Fruit
Apples (whatever variety is on sale)
Bananas – I buy 2 or 3 bunches at a time. Once ripe, slice and freeze for smoothies!
Lemons & Limes
Avocado (when in season)
Fresh seasonal berries, or frozen
Frozen tropical fruit (mango, pineapple) – if on sale

Canned/Jar Goods

Chickpeas
Black Beans
White Beans
Crushed Tomatoes
Plain Tomato Sauce
Tomato Paste
Unsweetened applesauce

Meat & Dairy
With farmers market season in full swing, now is a great opportunity to meet and connect with local farmers. Again, please try to purchase local and organic meat and dairy products whenever possible.

Eggs
Egg Whites
Chicken Breasts
Ground Bison or Extra Lean Ground Beef
Wild Salmon
Plain Greek Yogurt or Plain Goats Milk Yogurt
Soft Goat Cheese or Feta
Mozzarella, Cheddar, Havarti – whatever is on sale
“Milk” consider switching to non-dairy milk. It’s less expensive. I use unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk, Organics almond, Good Karma flax and on occasion, Natura soy.

Grains & Flour & Baking Supplies

Whole Grain Wraps (I buy regular wraps for Court, brown rice for myself)
Whole Grain Bread (I buy sprouted grain bread for Court, and Udi’s gluten free bread for myself)
Whole Grain Pasta (I alternate between organic corn, quinoa and brown rice)
Brown Rice
Wild Rice
Quinoa
Rolled Oats
All Purpose Gluten Free Flour (or spelt, all purpose whole wheat)
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Pure Vanilla Extract & Vanilla Beans
Pure Chocolate Chips (Enjoy Life is a favorite brand)
Dates
Raisins

Nuts, Seeds, Oils & Spreads
Chia seeds
Hemp Hearts
Flax seeds
Raw Almonds
Raw Pumpkin seeds
Walnuts
Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Peanut Butter
Almond Butter
Fruit Juice Sweetened Jam or Reduced Sugar Jam (avoid anything artificially sweetened or flavored)
Raw Honey
Pure Maple Syrup
Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coconut Oil

Spices & Herbs
I use these ones the most:

Sea Salt & Pepper
Fresh Ginger (store it in the freezer – just grate as needed and place it back in)
Chili Spice
Cinnamon
Basil
Cumin
Dill
Oregano
Turmeric
Medium Curry (for times when you don’t have eight hours to mix spices)
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme

Condiments & Dressings

Dijon Mustard
Reduced Sodium Tamari (an organic, gluten free alternative to conventional soy sauce)
Jalapeno Tabasco
Salsa (Herdez is my fave brand)
Tomatillo Salsa
Organicville Island Teriyaki Sauce (gluten free & no sketchy ingredients)
Balsamic Vinegar (Williams Sonoma has THEBEST aged balsamic vinegar)

To submit your recipe link, email me: joannagregson(at)live(dot)ca

Lastly, at the bottom of this post, there’s a print option in case you want to use my kitchen staples as a shopping reference.

If you have any questions or ideas, please leave them in the comments section!

Look for the first meal plan post this coming Sunday, June 10.

Mango Chia Popsicles

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It’s supposed to be warm and summery in Southern Alberta today – lets treat ourselves to a popsicle! Creamy yogurt mixed with sweet mango makes for a refreshing breakfast, snack or dessert.

Mango Chia Popsicles
Makes 3-4

In a blender or food processor, combine:

2 cups frozen mango chunks
1/2 cup greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp chia seeds
optional: sweetener of choice

Blend until smooth, pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

For a dairy free alternative, you can omit the yogurt and add more mango (sorbet pops!) or sub with So Delicious coconut milk.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls

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