The Best Marinara Sauce

I never thought I would crave veggie marinara sauce until I created this baby. The secret is the port and/or balsamic vinegar. Choosing a good quality tomato base is key I use a good quality marinara sauce base ( I like ones that have a bright red colour to them with very little ingredients) and you will achieve 5 star ratings from the fam!

Ingredients
1060ml plain marinara sauce
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
1 ½  cups onion (diced small)
1 cup carrot (diced small)
3 cups mushrooms (sliced)
3 cups eggplant (peeled, diced small)*Don’t use really seedy part
2 ½ cups cauliflower (chopped small)
1 cup red pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seed
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili flakes
½ cup Port (not necessary but super delish!)

Method
If you do not want to chop all of the veggies by hand, you can use a food processor to chop all of the ingredients  separately, except for the eggplant, which needs to be cut by hand. Be sure to PULSE the ingredients in order to get the right texture. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the garlic and onion and sauté until onions are translucent. Add the rest of the veggies and sauté until veggies begin to release their water and soften a bit. Add the remainder of the ingredients along with the Port if you are using it. Simmer with the lid on for about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the stove and stir in 2-3 more tablespoons of olive oil, season if needed.

Turkish Inspired Chicken Wraps

O.K be ready to have your mind, blown!!! I originally wanted to call these chicken shawarma but after doing some research I realized that the word shawarma in Arabic literally means “turning” in reference to the rotisserie cooked nature of the meat, so with that said I didn’t feel comfortable calling it a chicken shawarma because we will not be cooking this rotisserie style. I found a short cut and it’s a super simple way of getting that tender, juicy meat without having to cook it for hours and have a rotisserie on hand.

Yield- 6-8 wraps

Ingredients
550 grams or 6 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin 
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Toppings and things
Creamy dill and cashew spread
Bubbies dill pickles
Chopped raw onion
Hot sauce
Fresh mint leaves
Chopped tomato
Chopped cucumber
Cassava tortillas (recipe here)

Method
Add all of the marinade ingredients into an 8x8 inch pyrex dish and toss the chicken in the marinade, cover and marinate for 4 hrs or overnight. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit, take out the marinated chicken from the refrigerator, remove the lid and place a piece of foil over the dish. Bake the thighs in the marinade for 40-45 minutes.

Once the thighs are tender, at this point you can cool them down and keep them for the next day if you want to prepare ahead. If you are serving them the same day, after they have cooked in the oven, you will want to grill them to give them a nice crust to finish them off. Once they have been grilled, chop up the chicken and begin to build the most delicious wraps you will ever have. Start with the cashew spread and be one with your wrap my friends.

Cassava Tortillas

Who misses soft and chewy tortillas when you went gluten free? ME me me!!! I can’t believe how easy these are to make and how delicious they are. They store quite well in a glass storage container and when you are ready to reheat them just pop them in the oven wrapped in parchment and foil for a couple of minutes.

Yield 6 wraps or 12 taco size tortillas
Gluten free, dairy free, grain free, paleo

Ingredients
¾ cup cassava flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons psyllium husk
1 tablespoon brown flax meal
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method
Combine all of your dry ingredients into a medium size bowl and stir together.
Add the olive oil to the warm water and mix it into the dry ingredients. You can stir with a spoon or use your hands. The mixture will seem wet at first but it will suck up all of the moisture quickly.

Form a cylinder and cut into either 6 or 12 pieces depending on what size you would like. Roll each piece into a ball (this does not have to be perfect) and place a dry dish towel over the dough. Meanwhile, warm up a cast iron pan on low/med heat. You don’t want your pan smoking, it will burn the tortillas. You may have to play with the heat depending on your stove top.

Line your tortilla press with either 2 pieces of parchment paper or a zip lock bag that you have cut in half. Place a ball in between the pieces of parchment paper or the zip lock bag. This is so you can peel off the tortillas easily and won’t stick. Press down with your tortilla press, rotate the paper or bag 180 degrees and press again to ensure you are getting a nice thin round tortilla.

Place the pressed tortilla and paper onto the palm of your hand, remove the top side of the parchment and flip the tortilla onto your other palm and peel off the bottom piece of parchment, place it into the hot cast iron pan by gently flipping it onto its back side so you don’t have to peel it off of your hand. 

Cook on each side for about 30 seconds to one minute. Press another tortilla while one is cooking. You don’t want them to be crispy. Once the tortilla is ready, place it onto a clean and dry dish towel and cover it until the next one is done. I like to place pieces of parchment paper  in between each tortilla within the dish towel so they don’t stick. By separating them individually and  covering them with a dish towel will help keep them soft and moist. Serve and love me long time.

Turmeric and Cinnamon Chicken and Rice

I mean, who doesn’t like chicken and rice? This is a treat for me and I accept it with loving arms when I do decide to make it. I don’t eat many grains but when I do, this dish is one of my favourites. I wanted to create something cost effective, familiar for all of you, easy to make and a one pot dish that would contain more veggies than we would expect in a chicken and rice dish. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Serves 4
Ingredients
1 lb/454 grams chicken thigh or breast
4 cups cabbage (sliced)
1 ¼  cups carrots (sliced)
⅔ cup onion (diced small)
1 cup white basmati rice (rinsed)
1 ⅔ cup bone broth
1 bay leaf
1 ½  tablespoons olive oil

Spice Mix
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Method
In a small bowl, make your spice mix and set aside
Cut up your chicken into bite sized pieces and toss with ½ of the spice mix, set aside.
Chop the rest of your ingredients and place them onto a large plate, set aside.
In a large soup pot (10 inch wide/about 12 cup pot) heat the oil on medium heat and brown the chicken- you may need to do this in batches, your choice. Remove the browned chicken and set aside, add the onions then the carrots and then the cabbage. 

Sauté the veggies for a couple of minutes, then add the rest of the spices, bay leaf and the rinsed rice. Stir together, add the broth, stir again and then place the browned chicken on top of the rice and veggie mixture. DO NOT mix the chicken in with the rice.
Cover with a lid and simmer on low for 15 minutes. 

Remove from the stove, remove the lid, place a dry kitchen towel over the pot then replace the lid. Let sit for 3-5 minutes. This helps soak up the rest of the moisture and then leaves you with fluffy delicious rice and veggies.

*Everyone's stove top emits heat differently, you may need to cook it a little less or a little more, practice makes perfect!!

Thai Red Curry Coconut Soup

I looooove a good Thai soup and I always thought it was complicated to make but low and behold, it is not. It does have a lot of ingredients but in my opinion they are all a must, that is what gives it that beautiful depth of flavour.

YIELD 4-6 bowls

4 1/2 cups chicken broth 
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
4 tablespoons red *Thai curry paste
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon tamari (Light and gluten free)
1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
2 Thai chili fresh (optional)
1 tablespoon honey
3” piece lemongrass (sliced in half)
2 cups shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
1 cup organic firm tofu (diced)
3 cups baby bok Choy (sliced)
1 cup onion (sliced)
1 lb or 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (sliced into 3-4 slices)
1-2 lime for juice (extra for serving)
¼ cup fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Ramen noodles

Method
Cut the chicken thighs into 3-4 pieces and toss with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of the Thai red curry paste and set aside.
In a large soup pot, melt the coconut oil and add the onion, sauté the onion until soft.
Add the chicken and brown for 2-3 minutes
Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, shiitake and the remainder of the Thai red chili paste. Sauté for a couple of minutes
Add the broth, coconut milk, honey, sesame oil and tamari.
Simmer for 25-30 minutes covered
Remove the lid and take it off the heat. Add the tofu, bok choy, lime juice and cilantro. 
Serve immediately over cooked ramen noodles and extra lime wedges
I love to pour my soup over cooked  millet/brown rice Ramen noodles. You can add whatever vegetables or protein you would like to this, I just wanted to make it as simple as possible. 

*I use Thai Kitchen Brand for my curry paste

Red Wine Meat Sauce

I loooove to eat this rich deep sauce over roasted butternut squash cubes, the sweetness from the squash goes so well with the rich flavours of the sauce. It freezes super well so double up! UPDATED FEB 2021

2 lbs ground pork OR 100% grass fed beef
2 cups mushrooms (sliced thin, optional)
2 cups onion (small dice)
2 tablespoons fresh garlic (minced)
1 cup local red wine or 1/2 cup Port (I use port)
1- 740m Marinara sauce
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
4 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup organic, extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chili flakes
1 tablespoon Montreal steak spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method
In a large sauce pot, heat your olive oil on medium/low heat, add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and mushrooms (if you are using them) and turn the heat up to medium, cook the mushrooms until their liquid has evaporated.
Add the ground meat, chili flakes, cinnamon, steak spice and fennel seeds.
Cook for about 5- 10 minutes. Add the Port or red wine and tomato paste and allow it to reduce for about 5 minutes.
Add the marinara sauce, and simmer (no lid) for a good hour or more on low heat.

Take it off the heat after it has reduced and turned into a beautiful thick and rich colour. I like to add 2 tablespoons of organic virgin olive oil at the end and season with sea salt and pepper. 
For a low carb version, serve this deliciousness over zucchini noodles!

Delicata Squash stuffed with Christmas Kale Salad

2 delicata squash or acorn squash
8 cups kale (cut very fine)
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts (toast at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes)
1 cup pomegranate seeds
4 Terra Nossa Farm chorizo sausage (optional)
4 tablespoons sheep feta (optional)
1 tablespoon organic, unrefined coconut oil

Pomegranate Molasses Dressing
¼ cup organic, extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon local, raw honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash the squash and cut them in halve lengthwise, remove the seeds and set them aside to dry.
Season the inside of the squash halves with alittle organic olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the squash halves flesh side down, bake for about 20-30 minutes. Pierce the squash with a fork after 20 minutes, if they are tender, remove them from the oven, flip them over and set aside.

Note: You can rinse the squash seeds, dry them off, season with some olive oil, sea salt and pepper and bake the seeds as well. They should only take about 15 minutes)

 Meanwhile the squash is cooking, remove the casing layer from the chorizo sausage and slice them into pieces. Heat a large frying pan to medium heat, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and crisp up your pieces of sausage (this may need to be done in 2-3 batches, be sure not to over crowed your pan or the sausage will not crisp up.) Remove each batch of sausage and place them on a plate lined with paper towel.

While the sausage is cooking, go ahead and wash your kale leaves, dry them, de-stem them. Layer a couple of leaves of kale onto your cutting board and begin to cut them very fine (the type of cut is actually called chiffonade, check it out- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiffonade)

Place the finely chopped kale into a large bowl, warm the tablespoon of coconut oil in your hands and begin to massage the oil into all of the kale; this allows the fibre in the kale to be more easily digested! Add all of your dressing ingredients to a mason jar, shake it up, season with seas salt and pepper if needed. Note: You can always double the dressing for future salads!

Toss your salad with the dressing, add your pomegranate seeds, toasted hazelnuts and sausage and toss everything together, season with sea salt and pepper if needed. Stuff each warmed squash with the salad and garnish each squash with 1 tablespoon of sheep feta.
*This is not a strict low carb recipe but it sure is delicious!

Did you know that squash is super high in vitamin A; which we need for proper vision and to protect out cells from daily toxins.  The delicious pork chorizo sausage contains vitamin B12 which is only found in high, absorbable sources in meat products; we need B-12 in order for our brain to function properly and to give us energy!

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

For the Sweet potatoes

4 small sweet potatoes
1/3 cup organic gouda cheese (shredded)
5 teaspoons fresh chives
1 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
2 teaspoon coconut oil

For the Mushrooms
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
4 tablespoons French shallots
3 tablespoons organic butter or ghee
1 cup button mushrooms
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Scrub the sweet potatoes and dry them off, then rub some virgin coconut oil and season each one with sea salt.
Bake them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for about 30-45 minutes. Keep checking them to see when they are tender to the touch.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking prepare the mushroom topping.
Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth and slice them into thin slices.
Chop your fresh herbs very fine and set aside.
Chop your French shallots into very small dice and set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter
Sautee the mushrooms in batches (so not to over crowed them) with the butter or ghee and allow them to brown.
Add some of the the shallots and rosemary/thyme to each batch of mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
Repeat with another batch of mushrooms until they are all beautifully brown.
Add all of your sautéed mushrooms back to the pan, and add the last tablespoon of butter and lather the mushrooms with it.
Remove the pan from the heat after it has melted.

Once your sweet potatoes are nice and tender, remove them from the oven, cut them in half and remove the insides, making sure you do not tear the skin.
Mash or whip the potatoes with the coconut oil, chives and tarragon in a bowl.
Season with sea salt and pepper and stuff the mash back into the sweet potato skins.
Add the mushroom topping to the top of the stuffed potatoes and then place the cheese on top.
Broil the potatoes under the broiler until the cheese has melted and has reached a golden colour.

Cook Outside the Box
These stuffed potatoes are not just for a yummy dinner, they are delicious for breakfast with scrambled eggs on the side.
Add some cooked organic chicken sausage instead of mushrooms if you prefer meat, or remove the cheese and just add the mushrooms for a vegan version.
These potatoes are great as an appetizer as well, serve one on top of a little green salad.

Lemon and Cranberry Stuffed Wild Salmon

3/4 cup onion (chopped small)
1/3 cup celery (chopped small)
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms (sliced thin)
1/4 cup +1 tablespoon gluten free breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon lemon zest
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons organic butter
4-150g pieces of wild salmon, trout or arctic char

Method:
Note- This is not low carb, remove the breadcrumbs, add almond flour instead and it will be.
In a sautée pan, melt the butter on medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and celery, season with sea salt and fresh pepper.
Turn the heat down to low/medium. *You don't want to brown anything
Allow the onions and celery to get somewhat translucent and soft, it will probably take 3-4 minutes.
Add your mushrooms and sautée for another 3-4 minutes. 
Turn the heat off and add the rest of your ingredients, except for the salmon of course.
The mixture will be soft and stuffing like. Taste the deliciousness and season with Sea salt and pepper, allow to cool.
Put the salmon pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Season each piece of salmon with salt and pepper.
Cover each piece of salmon with ¼ of the stuffing. You will need to pack it down with your hands so that it sticks to the salmon.
Bake 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. It really depends how thick your salmon is.
The picture shown above is 2 portions, I had a big piece, so I cooked it for about 25 minutes then separated it into two after it was cooked to perfection.

Cook Outside the Box:

Don't just limit this stuffing to fish, I love to stuff chicken breasts with it and mushroom caps with a little bit of organic gouda cheese.
Add a little truffle oil to the stuffing and it completely changes the flavour. 
Eat this stuffed fish with my delicious Kale Caesar Salad and you have an amazing, easy whole foods dinner. 

Zucchini Pizza "Crust"

You will notice that the title and method below have quotation marks around the word "Crust". That is because it really isn't a crust. A crust is a hard, crispy covering or surface, usually made from bread. This alternative pizza "crust" is not crispy or hard. It is delicious in it's own way, but I do not want to deceive you, it drives me crazy when people give you gluten free alternatives and they say "Oh it tastes just like the real thing." i call BS.

You could always cook these "crusts" at a much higher heat (425-550 degrees Fahrenheit) like every other recipe in order to get a crispier "crust", but then it would denature the nutrients in the delicious zucchini and any other vegetables that you add to your pizza. Check out Smoke points For Oils for more information.By paying attention to the temperatures at which you cook your food, can make your whole foods dishes that much more nutrient dense.

4 cups zucchini shredded
1/3 cup almond flour
3 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoons chili flakes
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup organic medium gouda
1 organic egg
Sea salt and fresh pepper

Method:
Preheat oven 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Makes 2- 7” pizzas

Using a food processor with the shredding blade, or a hand shredder, shred the zucchini and place it into a bowl.Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of sea salt over the shredded zucchini and allow to stand for 15 minutes. This helps remove excess water from the zucchini. Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredient except for the egg.

Super important part: After 15 minutes, squeeze all of the water out of the shredded zucchini and add it to the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk your egg and add it to the bowl as well. Toss everything together and let stand for 1 minute.

Divide the zucchini mixture into 2 round pizzas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 30 minutes. 

I am so happy to say that these freeze beautifully after they have been cooked. Once they have cooled, you can either build your own pizza and then freeze it or you can just freeze the patty's on their own. Layer the zucchini "crusts" between parchment paper and add them to a large zip lock bag, suck all of the air out of the bag and freeze. 
Basic cooking instructions for Pizza's with toppings; bake them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.  

Cook Outside the Box:
I do not give a recipe for the toppings purposely. You can add whatever you like to these gluten free zucchini pizza "crusts".
I love to add homemade pesto or chimichurri sauce, caramelized onions, organic cheese and some delicious pancetta, finished with a little drizzle of raw honey. Yum! 
Make little baby zucchini "crusts" and turn them into delicious appetizers for your next dinner party. Add some bruschetta on top and voila! A simple and delicious whole foods appetizer.
They would also be delicious in your kids lunch box with cooked organic sausage and yummy organic cheese. They could make their own little mini pizzas at school!
Serve the mini version of these at room temperature with a yummy spread, like Raw Cashew Dip or Homemade Yogurt Cheese.

Bon Appétit! 

Red Lentil Dahl with Roasted Vegetables

1 tablespoon organic coconut oil
1/2 cup onion (small dice)
1 large clove garlic (minced)
1 cup red lentils
2 1⁄4 cup vegetable stock or organic chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Madras curry paste
Season with sea salt
3 tablespoons organic sour cream (optional)

Method:
Note- This is not strict low carb
In a saucepan, melt the coconut oil and sautée the onion over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic, tomato paste and curry paste, sautée for another 2 minutes.
Add your lentils and stock, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
Take the dahl off the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
Top your dahl with sour cream, fresh mint or cilantro and season with sea salt.

Cook Outside the Box

As seen in the picture above, I served this delicious warm dahl over steamed kale, roasted sweet potato wedges and roasted cauliflower.
Clean and de-stem the kale, I like to steam about 1 1/2 cups of fresh kale per serving. Steam the kale for about 3-4 minutes or until tender, and then toss the nutrient dense steamed kale with a little organic coconut oil, sea salt and garlic powder.
I roasted the cauliflower florets and sweet potato wedges with a little coconut oil and Indian red curry powder.
Follow these directions on how to roast vegetables, Roasted Vegetables.
Put all of these delicious and powerful foods together and you have the above picture and a happy belly.

P.S The dahl freezes like a dream, so double up yo!

Bon Appétit! 

Fresh Mussels with Thai Green Curry Sauce

2 lbs fresh mussels
2 teaspoons organic coconut oil
1/2 cup onion (sliced thinly)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated)
2 teaspoons fresh garlic (grated)
3 lime leaves (optional)
1 can full fat organic coconut milk
1/4 to 1/3 cup chicken stock or water
2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 tablespoon local honey
1 fresh Thai red chili (if you like it spicy!)
Fresh cilantro for garnish 
Salt

Method:
Rinse mussels under cold water and let them sit in a bowl in the fridge, uncovered until sauce is ready.
In a large saucepan, heat the coconut oil on medium heat and add the onion and fresh Thai red chili (if you like it spicy). Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the green curry paste, ginger and garlic, cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the remainder of the ingredients, except for the mussels.
Cover the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the mussels from the fridge and add them to the simmering sauce and cover.
Turn the heat up to medium high and cook the mussels for about 5-6 minutes.
Discard the lime leaves, season with salt and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and fresh gluten free bread on the side! 

Note: If you find mussels that have not opened during cooking, discard them. Do Not Eat Those Ones, For Real!
You will probably have leftover lime leaves, don't worry, freeze the extra and use them as needed for future cooking creations. 
Here is a really great link for some tips on how to cook perfect mussels Discover Mussels

Cook Outside the Box
Double the batch of Thai green curry sauce and set half of it aside after you have allowed it to simmer for 10 minutes. Heat the sauce up the sauce the next day and our it over steamed vegetables and brown rice, yum!

Gluten Free Lentil Burgers

1/2 cup onion (small dice)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tablespoon organic coconut oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1-2 tablespoon sambal oelek
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 cups French lentils (cooked)
¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped fine)
½ cup ground almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup carrot (shredded)
1 cup sweet potato (shredded)
1/2 cup parsnip (shredded) 
1/4 cup gluten free tamari light
4 organic eggs
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup chickpea flour

Method
Note- This is not strict low carb
In a small sauté pan, heat up 1 tablespoon of organic coconut oil and sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
Allow to cool and set aside.
In a large food processor bowl shred your carrots, sweet potato and parsnip. Then combine your cooked onion and garlic and the rest of your ingredients except for the last four.
Pulse until well combined.
*Note: If your food processor only has a small bowl you may need to do 2 batches.
With the processor on, add your last 4 ingredients and pulse until everything is well combined.
Place parchment paper onto 2 baking sheets and evenly spread some coconut oil onto the parchment.
Form 12 patties and divide them onto the two greased baking sheets.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes.

These burgers freeze super well, once cooled, wrap individually in plastic wrap and place them into a freezer zip lock bag.

Cook Outside the Box:
I eat these yummy burgers with my cashew dip but you could use hummus, chipotle mayo, tahini dressing, pesto or sun dried tomato tapenade.
You could always add shredded beets, and omit either the sweet potato or carrots. 
Break the burgers up and make a veggie and lentil burger wrap, add some kale salad and you have yourself a delicious, nutrient dense vegetarian dinner.

Curry Cauliflower with spinach

4 cups cauliflower (medium florets)
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup onion (diced small)
1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Indian red curry powder
1 1/2 tablespoon organic virgin coconut oil
1/2cup vegetable stock
1 can organic coconut milk (full fat)
2 lime leaves (optional but highly recommended)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Method
Heat the coconut oil in a large pot and sauteé the onion for 2-3 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and brown the cauliflower for a couple of minutes on medium heat.
Add your , lime leaves, red curry powder, garlic and ginger.
Sauteé for 1 minute.
Add your chickpeas, coconut milk, seas salt and vegetable stock. Stir everything together.
Simmer with the lid off for 8-10 minutes. You want the cauliflower to be aldente. 
Turn the heat off, remove the lime leaves and add the spinach. Cover with a lid until the spinach has wilted.

Cook Outside the Box
Instead of chickpeas, you could always add cooked French lentils for a different texture ad flavor.
Serve this curry over brown rice or quinoa
Add cooked organic chicken or Ocean Wise approved shrimp
I love adding fresh cilantro at the end and a squeeze of fresh lime.
If there are leftovers, you could always cook some jasmine rice add it to the curry and then wrap it up in a whole wheat wrap and add some fresh veggies. Yum.

Bon Appétit! 

Gluten Free Rice Noodle and Raw Vegetable Bowl

For the Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup natural organic peanut butter
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons coconut milk (optional)
2 tablespoons local raw honey
1 large clove garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
2 teaspoons serrano pepper
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 tablespoon organic tamari light

My organic vegetables of choice
Red cabbage (Finely sliced)
Red pepper (finely sliced)
Carrots (shredded)
Cucumber (thin slices)
Kale (finely sliced)
Fresh cilantro, mint and basil (roughly chopped)
1/2 package Rice noodles (cooked)

Method
Note- This is not strict low carb but can be modified.
Add all of your peanut sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Add to a mason jar.
*Note, I would double up on the sauce, it is delicious and you can use it for other dishes throughout the week!
Put your rice noodles into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow the noodles to sit for a couple of minutes. Once tender, cool under cold water.
Mix some of the peanut sauce with the noodles and divide into serving bowls. Add your favourite vegetables and herbs to the top, and then finish your beautiful creation with a little more peanut sauce.

Cook Outside The Box
You could mix everything together and wrap everything up in a rice wrap
You could also add some cooked quinoa, organic chicken, organic beef or Ocean Wise approved shrimp to your bowl for extra protein.
Use brown rice instead of rice noodles, it does contain more fibre and is more nutrient dense than rice noodles
You could use almond butter instead of peanut butter for the sauce
Double the peanut sauce recipe and use it for BBQ chicken sate , roasted fish and even a dipping sauce for baked sweet potato fries.

Bon Appétit!

Vegan Chili

1 tablespoon organic, virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup onion (diced small)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon fresh serrano pepper (optional if you like it spicy)
1/2 cup celery (diced medium)
3/4 cup carrot (diced medium)
1 cup red pepper (diced medium)
3 cups kidney beans (BPA free can, rinsed)
3 roma tomatoes (cut in half and chard under the broiler)
2 cups vegetable stock ( I really like Harvest Sun vegetable cubes)
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (this is the LOVE)
1 cup fresh kale (Sliced thin and added at the end)
1 cup broccoli (cut into cute little pieces and added at the end)
1/2 cup organic frozen corn kernels

Spice mix
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon smoke paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon paprika

Method
Note- This is not strict low carb, omit the maple syrup and beans and it will reduce overall carbs.
Cut all of your vegetables up and portion everything out before you start cooking. Set the broccoli, corn and kale aside to add at the end. Measure all of your spices and set them aside in a little bowl. Cut your tomatoes in half, place them onto foil, season with salt ad pepper. Place them under the broiler in the oven and let most of the tomatoes skins turn black. Flip them over and do the same thing on the other side. After they have been chard, puree them in a blender and add the white wine vinegar, vegetable stock and maple syrup. Set aside. Heat your coconut oil in a large pot on medium heat add your onion, garlic, celery, carrots and red pepper season with sea salt and pepper, sauteé for about 5 minutes. Add the spice mixture and sauteé for another 1-2 minutes, add your kidney beans and blended tomato mixture to the pot stir until well combined, cover, turn the heat down to low and simmer the chilli for about 30 minutes. Once the chilli is cooked, turn the heat off and add the kale, broccoli and corn, cover the pot and let the kale and broccoli cook from the heat that is still in the pot for about 5-6 minutes. Taste, season if needed

This is the most important part, serve this vegan chilli with:
Baked potatoes, guacamole, salsa verde and pico de gallo.
If you do eat dairy I highly suggest topping your vegetable chilli with organic shredded cheese and organic sour cream

Cook Outside the Box

Reduce the chilli until most of the liquid is gone and add some cooked brown rice. Wrap that mixture up in a whole wheat tortilla, serve with a salad.
Use the leftover chilli as an appetizer. Make some crostini, spread Boursin cheese on the toasts and add some warm chilli to the top. Soooooo good! 
Cook some quinoa and serve the warm chilli on top
Top your morning omelet with some of this vegetable chilli 

Bon Appétit!

Chicken Spaghetti Sauce

I don't know anyone that does not love a nice big bowl of spaghetti every once and a while. When I make spaghetti sauce I use different types of meat each time; Ground bison, organic grass fed ground  beef or organic ground chicken. I also like to change up the type of noodles that I use. I really like to use quinoa noodles and soba noodles but I also love rice noodles and plain old semolina noodles too. 

454g organic ground chicken
739ml jar of red wine tomato sauce (Simply Natural brand)
398ml can diced tomatoes (BPA free)
1/2 cup white onion (diced small)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
3/4 cup sweet potato (large cube)
1/4 cup celery (diced small)
1/4 cup carrots (diced small)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 tsp oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil +2 tablespoons for finished sauce

Method
Note- Omit the maple syrup for a more low carb sauce.
Chop all of your ingredients according to specified size above.
Heat your large pot on medium heat and add 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil.
Once the pan is at medium heat add your ground chicken and brown until cooked.
Add your carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Season with a little salt and pepper.
Add your sweet potatoes, red wine tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, maple syrup, herbs and spices. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, remove lid and simmer for another 25 minutes. Remove from the stove, at this point you are going to use a potato masher to mash the soft sweet potato into the spaghetti sauce. You do not have to take the sweet potato pieces out of the pot to do this. Just mash them into the sauce, finish your sauce with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Bon Appétit!