Wednesday 26 November 2014

Green Smoothie

I admit I don't eat enough vegetables and/or fruit. I just don't have time between work and life in general to sit down and eat 2 salad bowls of greens.

Here's my solution. Make green smoothies. I could drink 3-6 of these a day if I had the time.

1/2 cup frozen spinach
1 ripe banana
1/2 to 1 cup of almond milk (depends if you like it thick or watery)

Blend blend blend and drink.

Saturday 15 November 2014

Gingered Brandy Fizz Cocktail

Here's an autumn season drink, brought to you by Edible Vancouver.

This is what you will need:


Ginger Syrup Recipe
1 c brown sugar
1" piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 pear, cored, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 c water

In a small pot, mix together the sugar, ginger and pear with water.

Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Cool completely.

Drink Ingredients
1 oz (30mL) pear or regular brandy
3/4 oz (25mL) ginger syrup (above)
1/2 oz (15mL) lemon juice
3 oz (90mL) sparkling wine
1 pear, thinly sliced

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake together brandy, ginger syrup and lemon juice.

Pour into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine.

Garnish with a slice of pear.

Sunday 2 November 2014

Chia Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cup milk of choice (soy, rice, almond, hemp etc)
1/8 cup chia seeds
1 cup frozen fruit
Agave nectar or honey for sweetener ( I don't use it, but those who like it sweet can use it)

Mix 1/2 cup milk and chia seeds together. Stir well and let it sit for 20 minutes till it has thickened. This is a great use for leftover cereals like oatmeal or quinoa.

Pour chia mixture into blender, followed by frozen fruit and 1 cup of milk.

Blend blend blend and voila.

Hope you enjoy this quick breakfast.

Lentil & Rice Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
4-6 medium sized harvest veggies chopped into 1" sized pieces
(This week I used; turnip, carrot, potato, celery, cherry tomatoes)
8 cups broth
2 cups water
3 bay leaflets
1/4 cup lentils
1/4 cup brown rice
2 tbsps olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot on medium high heat sautee vegetables with olive oil for 2 minutes and add bay leaflets, rice and lentils. Sautee for another 3 minutes. Stirring frequently.

Add broth and water. Bring to a rolling boil then turn heat down to low. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the rice and lentils doneness. The rice should have blossomed and appear fluffy. Lentils should be soft and the texture of cooked chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with garlic toast.

Monday 20 October 2014

GF Souvlaki

What's your choice of meat? You can make tempeh or firm tofu souvlaki as well. No matter what it is. The trick is to marinate for 6 hours or more.

For the marinate you will need a blend of olive oil, fresh minced garlic, oregano, lemon juice, salt and pepper. And for those who love more tangy-ness add the zest of a lemon.

Cut your meat, tofu or tempeh into bite size pieces.

Whisk all the marinate ingredients together.

Place meat, tofu or tempeh in a large ziplock bag. Pour the marinate in and seal it shut, pressing all the air out. Massage the meat or swish the tofu/tempeh around to evenly coat it. Repeat every other hour. Just to make sure the flavours are evenly distributed.

Soak your bamboo skewers in cold water for at least an hour before use. Skewer the meat/tofu/tempeh using veggies as dividers or you can just have all meat.

Grill until meat is cooked or when the center is warm. Serve with rice, pita, tzatziki sauce and greek salad.

GF Slow Cooker Adobo Chicken

This is a well-known Filipino recipe for chicken. It is a nice balance of sweet, savoury, bitter and spice.

6 skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1/2 cup GF Tamari
1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pickled pearl onions
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced potato
2 tbsps ginger powder
2 bay leaves

Place all the vegetables in the bottom of your slow cooker followed by th ginger powder and bay leaves. Place chicken thighs over the vegetables and pour liquids over top. Cook on high for 2-3 hours then on medium for 1-2 hour. Serve with steamed rice and salad.

Sunday 19 October 2014

GF Boeuf Bourguignon

This is my rendition of Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon sans gluten (gluten free version).

6 oz slab bacon, rind removed, cut into 1/4 x 1 1/2" pieces, 1 tbsps olive oil, 3 lbs stewing beef, such as lean rump pot roast, cut into 2" cubes, patted dry. 1 carrot, thinly sliced, 1 medium onion, sliced, coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. 2 tbsps gluten free flour blend,
3 cups red wine, such as Chianti, Shiraz, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. 3.5 cups beef stock or canned low-sodium beef stock, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 3/4 tsp dried thyme, 1.5 dried bay leaf, crumbled, 4 sprigs fresh parsley, plus more for garnish. 3 1/2 tbsps unsalted butter, 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 24 pearl onions, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, and peeled,
1 lb white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered.

After shopping for half a day to buy all the ingredients,  you yhen spend the remainder of the day cooking. 😆

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with oven racks set in the middle and lower half. In a small saucepan, bring 6 cups water to a simmer; add bacon and rind, simmering for 10 minutes. Drain; dry bacon and pot. Reserve rind.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch-oven over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon; set aside.
Increase heat to medium-high; oil should be just below smoking point.

Add beef in small batches and cook until well-browned on all sides. Remove meat, and set aside with bacon.

Add carrots and sliced onions; cook until browned.

Return beef and bacon to pot; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle in flour, tossing to coat.

Transfer pot, uncovered, to middle of oven; bake for 4 minutes. Toss meat and vegetables; bake for 4 minutes more.

Transfer pot to stove. Reduce heat to 325 degrees.

Over medium-low heat, stir in wine and enough stock to barely cover meat. Add tomato paste, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1 crumbled bay leaf, and bacon rind; bring to a simmer. Cover pot, and transfer to oven.

Bake, regulating heat so stew simmers, until meat is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Meanwhile, make a Bouquet Garni (herb sachet). In an 8 x 8" piece of cheesecloth, combine 4 sprigs parsley, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme, and tie using kitchen twine. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, combine 1 1/2 tbsps butter and 1 1/2 tbsps oil over medium-high heat. When butter is bubbling, add whole onions; sautée until browned, about 10 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup stock to pan; season with salt and pepper, and add the bouquet garni. Simmer, covered, until onions are tender and liquid has evaporated, 40 - 50 minutes. Remove herb sachet, and discard. Set aside.

Wipe out skillet; place over high heat. Add 2 tbsps butter and 1 tbsp oil; butter will begin to foam. As foaming subsides, add mushrooms; sautée stirring often, until lightly browned. Remove from heat; set aside.

Pour stew into a sieve set over a large saucepan. Rinse out Dutch-oven. Return beef and bacon to pot; add cooked mushrooms and onions.

Skim fat from sauce. Over medium-low heat, bring sauce to a simmer, skimming off additional fat, 1 to 2 minutes. Sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. If too thin, bring to a boil and reduce to correct consistency.

If too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables.

Bring pot to a simmer, covered, over medium heat, basting meat and vegetables with sauce, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley; serve immediately.

GF Crêpes

Bonjour mes amis! Bienvenue à la blog YourInnerGreek. Today I will share a french snack/simple dessert recipe with you.

For the batter you will need the following ingredients; 2/3 cup coconut, soy, almond, rice or cow's milk, 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1 egg, 2 tsps olive oil or melted butter and pinch of salt.

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Grease your frying pan with olive oil and heat the pan over medium heat.

Pour 2 tbsps of batter into the pan while swirling the pan to spread out the batter.
Continue to swirl the pan – OFF the heat! – until the batter begins to bubble and there is no longer excess batter to swirl.
Cook for 30-40 seconds; the first one is always not the nicest looking crepe. But it gets better as you go.

Carefully flip the crepe and cook and additional 15-20 seconds on the other side. Repeat until there is no batter left.

This recipe makes approximately 10 crepes depending on your pan size.

Serve the crepes with melted butter and sugar. Butter, sugar and lemon. Cinnamon apple compote and confectioners sugar dusted on top. Or have a savoury crepe a la Thon. Tuna salad and chopped tomatoes rolled in the crepe.

Bon apetit!

GF Pancakes Recipe

I thought I would post this recipe for those who love pancakes. Super simple and quick to make.

Here is what you will need; 1 cup GF flour blend, 1.5 tsp baking powder, 1 egg, 1 tbsp coconut oil, a pinch of salt & 1/2 cup coconut water give or take. You may need more or less coconut water. It depends on your flour blend; some like more liquids and some like less.

Whisk all the ingredients together till smooth without lumps. Grease your frying pan and heat should be at medium. Pour a laddle of batter in the center of the pan and watch for bubbles to form. Once the edges becomes solid and slightly translucent. Flip the pancake and press down lightly with your spatula. In about 20-30 seconds remove from pan and place on serving plate. Repeat till no batter is left.

This reipe makes about 6-7 mini pancakes or 2-3 large pancakes. Which is great for 1 person.

Hope you enjoy my recipe; let me know how you liked it in the comments below.

Cheers,
Vivian

Sunday 18 May 2014

The Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies

Here's a super easy recipe that I tried out in my test kitchen today. It is gluten free, dairy free, egg free and vegan. Sorry to those with nut allergies. You could try using a nut free spread. Let me know how that turns out. :)

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup coconut sugar, any granulated sweetener will do
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup gluten free steel cut oats
3 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all ingredients well. Let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes for the chia seeds to thicken.

Roll spoonfuls of dough into 1" balls in the palm of your hand. Place 1" apart from one another on baking sheet. Flatten with the back of a fork to 1/2" thickness, this makes them either striped or checkered pattern. You may also use your fingers to flatten them. Bake on parchment lined cookie sheets for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Let set & cool on baking sheet. Serve with milk or tea. Keep leftovers in an air tight container.

Cheers & Enjoy.
Vivian

Thursday 27 February 2014

Slow Cooker Chicken & Vegetable Stew

An easy and healthy meal for the family.

Ingredients:
6 pieces bone in chicken thighs
4 cups your choice of chopped veggies
[In this recipe I used celery, carrot, cherry tomatoes, onion, cauliflower, garlic]
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
2 cups water
2 tbsp Montreal steak spice
1 cup cooked pasta [macaroni, bows, shells or use fancy character pastas to make it fun for the kids]

Place all the ingredients except for the pasta in your slow cooker. Turn the temperature to high. If it doesn't all fit. You can either cook the chicken or the vegetables till they're soften first. Then everything should shrink and it will fit in a 6 quart slow cooker.

Once the chicken is cooked and the liquid is simmering. Turn the heat down to low and let it cook for 2-3 hours. The vegetables and liquid should thicken into a chunky sauce. Chicken should fall apart now. Remove the bones and add the precooked pasta. Mix well and warm up the pasta for about 30 minutes in the stew.

Serve hot with garlic toast or on its own.

Bon appetit!

Wednesday 26 February 2014

Montreal Steak Spice

Hello my fellow foodies:

Here's a recipe from my family friends in Montreal. It tastes rather different than the store bought variety.  Hope you will enjoy it as I did.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp dried onion flakes or granules
1 tbsp dried garlic flakes or granules
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tbsp crushed chilli flakes
1/2 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds

Place all the spices in a pistol and mortar. Or use a blender. Grind the spices to a nice coarse powder. Store in an air tight jar in a dry cool place when not used.

Enjoy!

Thursday 20 February 2014

Slow Cooker Mexican Bean Dip

Ingredients:
1 can mixed beans
1 can refried beans
2 cups white wine
1/2 white onion, diced
1 cup white mushrooms, diced
2 tbsps molasses
1 jalapeño, unseeded & diced (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil on high. Then turn down to low and let simmer for 3-4 hours. Then liquid should evaporate leaving you a thick sauce.

Turn off heat and let sit till it's cooled off a bit. You pour the mixture and blend till smooth. I personally like some texture in my dips, so I tend to blend half and mix it with the other half that hasn't been blended.

Option #1: Top with your choice of shredded cheese, sour cream and green onion. Serve warm if not hot.

Option #2: You can also put the mixture in a heat proof dish and bake it with the cheese on top. Bake till the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Serve with sour cream and green onions on top.

Easy recipe for game nights or family dinners. If you are serving children then substitute juice for wine. (Apple juice or white grape are good choices)

Hope you enjoy this recipe.

Vivian

Thursday 16 January 2014

Kimchi Recipe

One of my favourite things from Korean cuisine is all of the little appetizers and side dishes. One in which is kimchi. Here I will share my friend Jennifer Kim's family recipe.

2 heads of Nappa cabbage
1 carrot peeled and julienned
1 small daikon radish peeled and julienned
6 sprigs of green onion cut into 2" segments
1/2 cup Sea salt
2" piece of ginger peeled and minced
3 large cloves of garlic peeled and minced
1/2 white onion julienned
1/2 cup Red chilli powder
1/8 cup sweet rice powder
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fish sauce or tamari (vegan alternative)

Cut the cabbage into bite size pieces, soak in a large bowl of cold water for couple minutes and drain. Add salt to the cabbage and mix well. Let stand for thirty minutes. Mix the cabbage and salt mixture again. Let stand for another thirty minutes. Now rinse the salt out of your cabbage in the sink and drain. Repeat two more times.

In a sauce pan mix rice powder with water with a whisk. Bring to a boil and continue to whisk as the mixture thickens like porridge. Add sugar and whisk till fully incorporated. Remove from heat and place saucepan in an ice bath to cool.

Once the rice porridge is cooled, add ginger, garlic, chilli powder and fish sauce. Stir well. Add carrot, radish and green onions to the rice porridge mixture. Mix well.

In a large bowl, mix to large handfuls of cabbage with a handful of the rice porridge veggie mixture. Place this is a large jar or storage container. Repeat with the remainder of the cabbage and rice porridge mixture. Seal the jar or container with lid. Store in fridge for a savory kimchi or leave at room temperature for a sour kimchi. It's best to ferment for a week or longer before consuming.

Enjoy 😉

Tuesday 14 January 2014

Green Smoothies

Hello Foodies,

It's come to the time of year where I like to do smoothie detoxes in preparation to working out and doing more outdoor activities. That is if the weather holds up.

Here are some of my recipes, feel free to modify it as much as you want it's all about personal taste too.

Smoothie #1
1 cup of organic baby kale (I freeze mine, but you can use fresh as well)
4 cubes of pineapple (frozen)
1/2 a banana
1/2 cup water

Smoothie #2
1/4 cup diced carrot with skin
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 a banana
1/2 cup water

Smoothie #3
1/2 cup chopped apples (peeled)
1/4 cup chopped carrot with skin
1/2 block frozen spinach
1/2 cup water

Smoothie #4
2 tbsps Coconut Oil
6 cubes of pineapple (frozen)
1/2 cup coconut milk or substitute with your choice of dairy or non dairy products
1/2 a banana
A handful of greens

Smoothie #5
1/4 cup chopped carrot with skin
1 cm piece of peeled ginger
2 cups frozen kale
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tbsp flax seeds

Hope you a Blend-i-ful day!
Enjoy!

Vivian
May Day Designs

Friday 3 January 2014

Favourites of 2013: Food & Beverage Edition

Hello Foodies,

Here is a list of all my favourite foods and bevs for the year of 2013.

| Beverages |
Happy Planet Smoothies
Jugo Juice Smoothies
Arizona Green Tea - this one never gets old.
Tetley Raspberry White Tea
Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Tea - no joke, this tastes like cinnamon hearts
Lime Cordial with Carbonated water
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Soy Lattes, no whip cream
Chai Tea Soy Lattes
Hazelnut Cream coffee
Coffeemate Creamer in Pumpkin Spice & Cinnamon Vanilla Cream
Earl Grey Tea - loving the bergamot
Jasmine Green Tea - loving the floral taste

| Grains | Seeds | Nuts | Dried Fruits |
Diamond of California Macadamias
Pistachios
Chia Seeds
Golden Roasted Flax Seed Meal
Hemp Seeds
Dried Tart Cherries
Dried Apricots
Dried Blueberries
Craisins

| Candy | Chocolate |
Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses
Cinnamon Hearts
Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark
Lifesaver Gummies - YUM!!!

| Fruits | Vegetables |
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Peaches
Nectarines
Grapes
Pink Lady Apples
Grapefruit
Oranges
Persimmons
Pomegranate
Kale
Cauliflower
Zucchini
Celery
Carrots
Spinach

| Foods |
Spicy Salmon Roll
Kimchi Soup
Jap Chae (Korean Clear Noodle Stirfry)
Smoked Salmon
Spinach dip
Strawberry short cake
Prime Rib
Roasted Turkey
Duck
Caesar Salad - homemade dressing and all
Greek Salad
Pear & Goat Cheese
Olives - totally obsessed!
Pickled pearl onions - love these in the vindaloo
Lamb vindaloo
Butter Chicken
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino
Mushroom Risotto

What are some of your favourite foods and drinks for the year of 2013? Let me know in the comment box below. I hope I've spiked your attention to try something new and I'd like to try some of your favourites too.

- Vivian




Thursday 2 January 2014

Pear & Goat Cheese Salad

I've been in love with pears and goat cheese this winter. And now I'm here to share my recipe on how to make a simple pear and goat cheese salad. (Makes 2-3 servings)

You will need the following ingredients:

3 cups organic mixed greens
1 anjou pear thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
fresh cracked pepper
honey
toasted nuts (optional)

As simple as it will sound. You mix the greens with sliced pears in a large bowl. Crumble goat cheese over top. Drizzle with oil and vinegar as well as honey. Top with toasted nuts if you like. Serve.
Here's the salad without greens or nuts. Change it up however you desire.

Enjoy!

Vivian
from MayDayDesigns