Autumn Pear and Butternut Squash Soup

This soup breaths cooler fall nights, it is THE perfect soup to get you connected to your local seasonal produce. The hazelnuts are ready to pick, the butternut squash are curing in the fields and the pears are freshly picked off the tree. The roasted rosemary and hazelnut topping is a big hit, it adds beautiful texture and enhances the flavours of the pear and squash. If you wanna get serious, you could always roast the pears first, this will give another depth of flavour and add some more sweetness to the end soup.

Ingredients

665 grams or 6 cups butternut squash (cubed)
1 ½  cups onions chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 can full fat coconut milk
1-2 teaspoons Red curry powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
2 yellow pears (ripe, halved and cored)
3-4 cups chicken broth or veggie broth (add more if needed after blending)
¾ teaspoon salt *You may need to add more salt at the end

Roasted hazelnut and rosemary topping
½ cup hazelnuts (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
⅛-¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method
Sautée the onion, squash and garlic in the oil until onions are translucent. Add the  spices, cook for 1 minute, add the rest of your ingredients, bring to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from the stove, allow to cool a bit before blending, season if needed

For the hazelnut and Rosemary topping, toss everything together in a bowl and bake at 325 °F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted.

Pear and Ginger Muffins

Pear and ginger go together like honey and vanilla, no shit! I have worked on this recipe for a week straight now to get them perfectly imperfect. I’m a recovering perfectionist so I will never say anything is perfect anymore.

These beautiful soft, moist babies are gluten free (always), very low sugar (1 TBSP honey added) and they are great for the gut. The apple sauce and pears actually help feed our good gut bacteria so, BOOM!

Ingredients
⅓ cup apple sauce
¼ cup coconut milk (room temp)
¼ cup butter (melted)
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs (room temp)
1 cup almond flour
½ cup tapioca starch
¼ cup coconut flour (sifted)
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt 
½ teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons ginger powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 cup fresh pear (diced small)

Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit
Combine all of the wet ingredients in one bowl and mix well
Combine all of the dry ingredients in another bowl and combine well
Add the chopped pear to the wet ingredients and fold the mixture into the dry ingredients.
Divide the batter into 8 muffin cups and bake for 15-18 minutes

*Make sure the baking powder is fresh or else these babies won’t rise as much as they should. Do not over mix so these babies are soft, moist and perfectly imperfect.

Blueberry Cardamom Scones

Scones are usually dry and full of sugar and i’m not down with that business.
These babies have only 2 TBSP of honey or maple syrup in them, they are soft, moist enough but not too moist, grain free, gluten free and sooooo delicious.
They are super easy to make, perfect way to teach your kids (if you have some) how to make “treats” that are not loaded with sugar. Oh, highly recommended you double this baby. They freeze well too.

Ingredients
1 ½ cups almond flour (sifted)
¼ cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon 
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 cup frozen blueberries
¼ cup cold butter (grated then freeze for 5 minutes)
1-2 TBSP honey or maple syrup
¼ cup coconut milk (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 egg (room temp)
2 TBSP sliced almonds (for topping)

Method

Preheat oven 375F. Shred the cold butter with a cheese grater and put it in the freezer while you gather the rest of the ingredients. 
Combine the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix until well combined.
In another bowl combine the wet ingredients and mix together well.
Add the frozen grated butter to the dry mixture to coat the frozen butter 
Add the frozen blueberries and the wet mixture to your dry ingredients and fold together. Do not over mix.
Butter or spray a  9x1 ½ inch round foil dish and add your mixture to the dish. I actually use leftover foil rounds from frozen gluten free pie shells. Smart eh?
Once you have spread the delicious mixture into the dish, use a pastry cutter and divide the dough into 6 by pushing straight down onto the pastry cutter. This is to make an imprint for each separated scones and it will be easier to divide once they are cooked. Sprinkle the slivered almonds over the top and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Gut Friendly Potato Salad

Who would have thought that delicious, creamy potato salad could actually be good for your gut microbiome. The reason why potato salad can be good for you is because you are cooling the potato before you eat it. By cooling the potatoes you are creating something called resistance starch and that helps feed your gut microbiome. Cool right? The reason why this baby is so much better for you than regular potato salad is because I am using raw fermented pickles by Bubbies which also feed your gut microbiome, and I am not using a traditional mayonnaise base for my dressing. Most commercial mayonnaises contain terrible inflammatory oils that just destroy the health benefits of potato salad. If you make your own mayonnaise with good quality organic cold pressed olive oil or avocado oil, then go for it. I hope you enjoy this healthy version, it will keep in the refrigerator up to a week.

½ cup red pepper (dice small)
1 cup celery (diced small)
¾ cup green onions (chopped thin)
½ cup *raw fermented dill pickles (chopped small)
5 cups cooked cooled potatoes (skin off, chopped medium)
1/3 cup parsley (chopped)
2 hardboiled eggs (peeled and smashed with a potato masher)

Creamy Dill Dressing
¼ cup fresh dill (chopped)
1 ½ teaspoons garlic (minced)
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons raw honey
½ cup grass fed sour cream (full fat)
¼ cup plain grass fed yogurt (thick Greek style version if possible)
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon
pepper to taste

Method
Peel and cut your potatoes, simmer for about 10 minutes or until they are tender and ever so slightly brake apart with a fork. While the potatoes are simmering prep the rest of your potato salad ingredients and add them to a large bowl and set aside. Next make your salad dressing, use a mason jar and hand blender, add all of your ingredients except the freshly chopped dill and blend together. Stir in the dill and add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the potatoes are done strain them and add them back into your pot. Add about ½ teaspoon of salt to the potatoes while they are still warm, put the lid on the pot and just shake the pot around to break up the potatoes a little and mix them with the salt. (This does make a difference in the final product)
Once the potatoes have cooled, add them to your bowl with the other ingredients and then toss with as much dressing as you would like.

Homemade Almond Mylk

Homemade Organic Almond Mylk

2 cups whole organic almonds
6 cups water
1 organic vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons raw honey  (optional)

Method: 
Soak the organic almonds overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Drain and rinse the almonds, place half of the almonds in the blender with 3 cups of the fresh water. Cover and process on the highest setting for about 1 minute. If you have a nut milk bag, pour the liquid into the bag and strain. I don't have a nut milk bag so I use cheesecloth. Place a large piece of layered cheesecloth into a fine sieve and place it over a bowl. Pour the almond milk through the cheesecloth. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth and, using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid from the almonds as possible. Repeat the process with the other half of the almonds and water.

Dry the leftover almond meal on a baking sheet in a 250 degree Fahrenheit oven, for about 40 to 60 min. Make sure the almond flour is completely dry before storing. After the almond flour is dry, I like to run it through the food processor to make it nice and fine. Note: I would probably refrigerate the almond flour after it has cooled and is dried. Great for gluten free baking and smoothies! Here is my gluten free apple and cinnamon muffin recipe made with leftover almond flour. I like to mix half of my almond flour with half of the store bought almond flour. It gives the muffins a nice fluffy texture.

This is my favorite part; flavor your almond milk with the delicious insides of the vanilla bean and the raw local honey. Use a whisk to separate all of those amazing little vanilla beans in the almond mylk, and to incorporate the raw honey. Pour the fresh organic almond mylk into a glass storage container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Cinnamon and Ginger Pumpkin Loaf

This baby is soft and moist and filled with flavour! Gluten free does not need to mean tasteless and dry, these days I am learning how to combine different gluten free flours together and learning how they take part in the end product. The other gem to this recipe is that is has NO added sugar and it’s so easy to make, I hope you enjoy. Revised July 2021

1 ½ cups banana (mashed)
1 cup canned pumpkin (puree)
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs (room temperature)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup tapioca flour/starch
1/2 cup coconut flour (sifted)
½ cup white rice flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (sprinkle before going into the oven)

Method
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place all of your dry ingredients in a bowl and place your wet ingredients into another. Blend the wet ingredients with a hand blender until smooth, then add your dry ingredients and combine with a spatula until the batter has come together. Spray a loaf pan with olive oil or coconut oil, place the batter into the pan, sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top of the loaf and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick test comes out clean.

*You can freeze this loaf but I highly recommend you reheat it by the slice or the whole loaf before eating it. The soft moist consistency will come right back if you do reheat it.

Gluten Free Rhubarb and Elderflower Crumble

FILLING:
1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil 
3 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb (chopped)
2 cups fresh or frozen organic berries
1 cup fresh or frozen organic cherries
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon St-Germain liquor (elderflower)
1 tablespoon maple syrup

After simmering add
*2 teaspoons organic cornstarch + 2 teaspoons water
*1 cup banana (chopped)

TOPPING:
½ cup pecans
1 cup almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded organic coconut
4 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
¼ cup almond flour
½ cup pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon almond extract

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Combine the filling ingredients (except for the banana and thickener+water) together in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes. Basically simmer until the fruit has broken down and liquid has emerged.

While this is cooking, chop your pecans and almonds into small pieces and add them to a bowl with the rest of the topping ingredients. You can use a food processor for this as well. Mix together with your hands and set aside. Once the berry mixture is done simmering, mix your water and thickening agent together, stir in and it will thicken up immediately, remove from stove and stir in banana.
Divide the mixture into 4-6 pyrex dishes and top each one with some nut crumble topping. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the nuts have browned. Serve with full fat coconut milk, whip or ice cream.

* You can replace the cornstarch with a grain free version, such as arrowroot starch.
* Frozen berries and rhubarb will produce more liquid than fresh. You can also just place the mixture into a large 8x8 pan instead of individual pyrex dishes. Freezes super well!!

Marinated Asparagus

It’s asparagus season and it doesn’t last long so get them while you can. Asparagus contains a beautiful fiber named inulin and it helps nourish your microbiome. If there is one thing you want to focus on to get to your optimal health levels, it’s working on your gut microbiome.

A bunch of asparagus (lightly steamed)
1 teaspoon dijon
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic (minced)
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Lightly steam your asparagus and make sure they still have a crisp to them, it probably takes 2 minutes to steam these babies. Place them in a cold water bath after they have been steamed to retain their colour.

Make your marinade in a small bowl and toss the asparagus with it. Let sit for a couple of hrs if possible and enjoy.
These babies will last in the fridge for a good 4-5 days no problemo.

Turmeric and Omega 3 Salad Dressing

This is my go to salad dressing on a weekly basis and everyone I introduce this recipe to absolutely love it. They can't believe how delicious it is and how nutrient dense it is. The turmeric gives a lovely earthy flavour and is packed with all sorts of anti-inflammatory properties as well as the flax oil. The fresh ground pepper and flax oil help with absorbability of the curcumin within the turmeric and the apple cider vinegar increases hydrochloric acid in the digestive system and helps bring alkalinity to the body instead of acidity. For real, this dressing is amazingly good for the body!
Note- Omit honey for low carb version

1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup organic flax oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1- 2 teaspoons fresh grated turmeric or 1/2 teaspoon dry turmeric
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons tamari (light)
2 teaspoons raw honey
2 cloves garlic (minced) 
Sea salt/ pepper

Method:
Now, you are going to want to double this recipe, it's that good and god for you. In a mason jar add the vinegar and honey first so that the vinegar melts the honey, then just add the rest to the jar and shake it up, or you can blend it all up in a blender and it gives a creamier consistency.

Garlic Scape Pesto

Oh goodness, these little babies only come around once a year for a couple of weeks, it's happening right now, get em while you can! You would think that this pesto would be so garlicky it wouldn't be palatable, but it's mild and delicious. It's filled with sulfur containing compounds that help reduce blood pressure, keeps your heart healthy and helps detoxify the body. This is another truly nutrient dense flavour booster that will please everyone. The best part is that it freezes super well, so make triple or quadruple the batch because it goes with so many things; pizza base, tossed into pasta, make a creamy garlic sauce for chicken, salmon or pasta, great on sandwiches ect....
For low carb version, omit honey

1 cup garlic scapes (Remove the tops and cut into pieces)
½ cup parmigiano Reggiano (grated)
¼ cup toasted cashews or pine nuts
Juice of 1 lemon +zest
½ teaspoon chili flakes
1/3 cup to ½ cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon local raw honey
 ¼ teaspoon sea salt and pepper

Method
Add your scapes to the food processor and pulse 5-6 times to break them down, then add everything else to the food processor except the olive oil and pulse 4-6 times. Turn your food processor on while adding an even stream of olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper.

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!

Gluten Free Pumpkin and Vanilla Muffins

These beautiful moist muffins freeze super well, so make two batches and freeze em for later. *Note I omitted the oil in my second batch while creating these and I really didn't notice a difference, the virgin coconut oil is beneficial to your body, but if you do not want to add it, it's not necessary. The pumpkin and mashed banana keep it real moist! 
These are not low carb but they are gluten free.

1 ¼ cup brown rice flour
¼ cup arrowroot flour
1 teaspoon true cinnamon (ceylon cinnamon)
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon baking powder (aluminum free)
1 teaspoon baking soda (aluminum free)
1 cup canned organic pumpkin
½ cup almond milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the caviar from 1 vanilla bean
2 ripe bananas (mashed)
2-3 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil * See note above
¼ cup raw, local honey

Method
Combine wet ingredients in one bowl with bananas and pumpkin and combine dry ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir together just until combined. Bake 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes. Check with a wooden skewer, with all gluten free muffins, they are best reheated after the first day.

Chimichurri

Everything is raw in this dip so the vitamin C from the fresh herbs is at it's most powerful, the raw garlic and onion has antibacterial properties and helps boost the immune system. The unfiltered raw organic extra virgin olive oil contains phytonutrients and heart healthy omega 9 oils. The importance of quality over quantity for the olive oil here is very important if you want to achieve a super nutrient dense chimichurri.

1 bunch Italian parsley
1/2 bunch cilantro
¼ cup onion
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin organic olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt and fresh ground pepper (may need to add more to your liking)
** Add an extra 3/4 cup extra virgin organic olive oil stirred into the chimichurri after you have blended the above ingredients.)

Method
In a food processor add your garlic and onion, pulse two or three times. Add your fresh herbs and pulse a couple more times, add the rest of the ingredients **except for the extra 3/4 cup of olive oil that you will stir in afterwards.
Pulse the ingredients together until you get your desired consistency, pour the chimichurri into a glass storage container and stir in the rest of the olive oil. You do want the chimichurri to have a coating of olive oil on top, if you need to add a little more olive oil, do so. This preserves it; which allows it to sit in the fridge for weeks, you can even freeze it in little ice cube trays if you would like.
Bon Appetit!

Think Outside the Box

You can do so many things with this amazingly healthy and tasty salsa; I love to grill vegetables and my local farmers sausage and have the chimichurri on the side. Delicious homemade bread loves to be lathered in chimichurri and my morning omelet seems to smile a little more when I add a dollop of chimichurri to it.

Homemade Kimchi

Homemade kimchi is easy and fun to make and the best part is that it keeps your gut friendly bacteria strong to fight off dis-ease in the body and keep your immune system healthy. Traditional kimchi usually has a "rice porridge" as part of the seasoning paste and shrimp paste, but I wanted to make this grain free so I did without the rice porridge and shrimp paste, because I couldn't find good quality shrimp paste.
*Note- when cutting your veggies up, think of how you would want them to fit into your mouth.

1 cup carrots (sliced thin)
2 cups daikon radish (peeled, sliced into half-moons or matchsticks)
1 kg napa cabbage (sliced into medium sized pieces)
Sea salt
2 green onions (add at the end)

Seasoning:
1/2 cup Korean red pepper powder
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup onion
1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger
2-3 teaspons raw organic sugar
Sometimes I add 1 Thai chill cause I like it spicy!

Method
Cut and wash your vegetables. 
In a large bowl add your napa cabbage and sprinkle about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of sea salt over the cabbage and lightly rub it into every piece of cabbage. Allow it to sit for about 45 minutes to an hour (until the cabbage softens but still has a crisp to it)
In another bowl add the daikon and carrots and toss them with 1 teaspoon sea salt and do the same process as above but only leave them for about 25 minutes.

While you are waiting for the vegetables to soften, make your seasoning mixture; I like to add all of the seasoning ingredients to a food processor with the small bowl attachment and blend it all together.
*Note- It will be a thick like paste. If you do not have a food processor be sure to mince your garlic and ginger and grate your onion then mix well in a small bowl with everything else.

Rince your carrot/daikon well (like 2-3 times) under cool water, squeeze out excess water and add to a large bowl. Do the same with the cabbage once it is ready.
Combine the veggies, green onions and paste, put on some rubber gloves (highly recommend) and begin to lightly rub the vegetables with the paste until a little liquid starts to form. 
You may think it isn't enough paste, but trust me, when they start to ferment they release liquid and begin to make a wonderful sauce.

Add your beautiful kimchi to mason jars, being sure to pack down the kimchi as much as possible in order to get out as much liquid as possible (this may take a while). Leave some room at the top of the jar and try to have some of the liquid covering the top. Cover the jar with a loose fitting lid/ finger tight. Write the date on the jars with a sticky note and allow it to sit on your counter for 2-4 days. Then add them to the fridge and begin enjoying the deliciousness.

Bon Appetit!
 

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.

Detox Fresh Herb and Red Cabbage Salad

1 1/3 cup kale (shredded)
1 1/3 cup carrot (shredded)
1 1/3 cup red cabbage (shredded)
1/8 cup fresh mint leaves (coarsely chopped) 1/8 cup fresh cilantro leaves (coarsely chopped)

Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt and pepper

Method:
Clean and shred your first 3 ingredients and add them to the bowl.
Chop your fresh herbs coarsely; you want big pieces of the herbs in your salad, treat them like a type of lettuce.
In a little mason jar, add all of your vinaigrette ingredients and shake them up in the jar.
Toss the salad with as much dressing as you would like and serve. 

Cook Outside the Box
Add freshly grated ginger and garlic to the dressing for a nutrient pump up and anti-inflammatory affect.
Make a wrap out of this nutrient dense salad.
Add some lightly toasted cashews or sesame seeds and give it an Asian flavour to it. Kale and Cabbage Salad

Orange and Oatmeal Smoothie

OH MY GOODNESS, this really is like a dessert and it really is such a treat. Don’t be fooled by the natural ingredients, this is on the higher side of sugar with the dates and oatmeal, but a great alternative to going through the dairy Queen drive through:)

1/3 cup whole oats to 2/3 cup water (you are only going to use half of the finished oatmeal)
1 1/4 cups almond mylk
2 dates (pitted)
1 teaspoon true cinnamon
1/2 banana
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 orange (peeled)
1 1/2 teaspoon orange zest (add more if you like)
3 ice cubes
*Add a handful of spinach, kale or parsley to this to increase nutrient density!

Method
Note- This is not low carb
Cook the oatmeal with the lid off, once it's done allow the oatmeal to cool.
Add half of your cooled, cooked oatmeal to your smoothie and the rest of the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.
Serves 2 or 1 big portion.
*You could add less oatmeal or more liquid to thin it out or you could add all of the cooked oatmeal for a thicker shake.

Wild Rice with Cilantro and Lemon

1 cup wild rice
5 thin slices bacon or ¼ cup pancetta (omit if vegetarian or vegan)
1 cup roasted butternut squash
1 tablespoon coconut oil
¾ cup onion (small dice)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
½ cup fresh cilantro (chopped coarsely)
1/3 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Fresh lemon to finish

Method:
Note- This is not strict low carb
In a medium size pot, add the wild rice and 2 ¾ cup water.
Bring rice to a boil with the lid on, then reduce the heat to low.
Simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. You will see the wild rice start to open up, and most, if not all of the water will be gone. Strain the rice after it is cooked, and set aside.

While the rice is cooking, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and peel the butternut squash, cut it in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, cut your squash into small to medium sized pieces, season the squash with sea salt, fresh ground pepper and a drizzle of coconut oil.
Bake the squash on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for about30-45 minutes, depending on how big your pieces of squash are. *Do not overcook the squash, you can pierce the squash with a knife after 30 minutes, if the squash is al dente, take the squash out.
You will need 1 cup for this recipe, freeze the rest of the squash or use it in an omelet in the morning, or make delicious squash quesadillas, or add it to your favorite salad. In other words, it won’t go to waste!

In a large sautée pan, heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, add the chopped pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes on low to medium heat.Add your onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper and allow the onion and garlic to get soft and fragrant.
Add your rice and chopped squash and cook on medium heat for another 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove the rice from the heat, add your cilantro, cashews and lemon zest
Season with sea salt and pepper and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on the rice for some LOVE.

Cook Outside the Box

Add a fried egg to the top of this rice and have a delicious and nutrient dense breakfast.
Instead of pancetta, add some chicken sausage into the mixture.
For my vegan crew, omit the pancetta and top the rice with a bunch of freshly steamed kale with virgin coconut oil.

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.