Caramelized Onions

Caramelize onions in minutes to add flavour to your sandwiches, salads and more!

Prep Time:  2 min

Cooking Time: 5-8 min

Total:  10 min

Ingredients

1 large red onion (or yellow), thinly sliced

1 tsp. olive oil

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. sugar

Directions

1. On medium, heat oil in a frying pan.  
2. Add onion slices and saute for 5 minutes, or until onion rings come apart and are turning translucent.
3. Add sugar and balsamic vinegar, and cook for another minute or two.
4. When sauce turns into a glaze, remove from heat.
5. Serve in sandwiches, on baked potatoes or in a salad.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins

Serves: 12

Prep Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 15-18 min

Total: 25-30 min

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or oil)

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup natural peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour (whole wheat or white)

3/4 cup quick oats

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and line a muffin tin with paper cups.
2. In a large bowl, mix together apple sauce, sugars, egg, peanut butter, vanilla and yogurt.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt.
4. Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet.  Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Spoon into prepared muffin tin and bake for 15-18 minutes.  Check with a toothpick to see if muffins are ready.

Adapted from alwaysinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Asian Chickpea Salad

An Asian inspired chickpea salad that is bursting with flavour.

Serves: 3-4 as a side dish, 2 as a main meal

Prep Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 10 min

Total: 20 min

Ingredients

1 tin chickpeas (19 oz), drained and rinsed

1 tbsp. sesame oil or sunflower oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 large red pepper, sliced
1 can mandarin oranges (9 oz), drained
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

Directions

1. Place slivered almonds and sesame seeds on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400F and toast seed for 6-8 minutes, or until golden.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick pan over medium heat.  Add onions, garlic and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Add chickpeas and red pepper.  Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes or until pepper is tender.
3. Scrape into large bowl and add mandarins, almonds and sesame seeds.  Stir to combine.
4. Whisk together soy sauce and rice vinegar, and drizzle over the chickpea mixture. Toss well and serve immediately.  
5. If preparing salad in advance, add mandarin oranges, toasted almonds, sesame seeds and dressing just before serving.

Adapted from lcbo.ca

Welsh Rarebit (Rabbit)

Serves:  4

Prep Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 10-13 min

Total: 15-20 min

Ingredients

3 tbsp. butter or margarine
1-2 cloves of  garlic (optional)
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 cups beer or ale, room temperature or milk/soy milk
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated or 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
few drops of tabasco sauce
1-2 tsp. caraway seeds (optional)
pepper
paprika
6-8 slices whole wheat or rye bread, toasted

Directions

1. In a saucepan, melt butter. If using garlic, saute for a few minutes.  Add flour and mustard to make a thick paste.
2. Lower heat and add beer while whisking constantly.  It should become thick in about 8-10 min.
3. Add cheese, tabasco sauce, caraway seeds and pepper, stirring continuously.  When cheese is melted, pour about half a cup of sauce over a piece of toasted whole wheat or rye bread. 
4. Sprinkle with paprika and serve with salad.

Adapted from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook.

Healthy Snack Ideas

Try some of these health(ier) snacks!

Apple slices with cinnamon and honey

• Apple slices with peanut butter, or cinnamon and honey, or apple nachos
• Ants on a log or ants on a log II
• Fresh vegetable slices (red peppers, cucumber, celery, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes) with dip 
• Fresh seasonal fruit or a melon cube
• Dips: Hummus, tzatiki, baba ghanoush, roasted red pepper, vegan ranch dressing, dessert hummus, edamame spread, bean "liver" spread, Spanish tomato spread, tapenade, healthy chocolate spread
• Pita chips with dip
• Handful of roasted or raw mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews etc.)
• Handful of trail mix
• Yogurt with fruit and granola or quick raspberry sauce, or an apple cinnamon breakfast parfait
• Hard-boiled egg slices with mayonnaise, salt and pepper or a bell pepper ringed egg
• Strawberry shortcake popsicles
• Popcorn (natural)
• A handful of Animal crackers
• Steamed edamame beans
• A spoonful of rice or barley pudding
• A few dried fruits (cranberries, apricots, figs, pears, apples, peaches, mango etc.)
• Cottage cheese on whole wheat toast with freshly ground pepper
• Cottage cheese and fresh fruit (peaches, apricots, strawberries, blueberries, apple)
• Brown rabbit salad
• A baked egg roll
• Handful of pretzels
• Tortilla wraps filled with tuna salad or chicken salad with apple
• Whole grain crackers with various toppings
• Fruit salad
• Roasted strawberries and yogurt
• Sour cream stuffed strawberries
• Apple sauce
• Apple pie oatmeal or pumpkin pie oatmeal
• Corn chips with salsa and sour cream, or guacamole or layered Mexican dip
• A veggie quesadilla
• A mini veggie lasagna
• Rice cakes or rice crackers
• Fruit smoothie, best smoothie of the summer, mango lassi, apple pie smoothie or pumpkin spice smoothie
• Hot chocolate, spiced warm grapefruit juice or tummy warming tea
• Roasted pumpkin seeds
• Baked kale chips or apple chips
• Banana Nutella wraps
• Chocolate dipped frozen bananas
• Toast with egg salad or a bell pepper ringed egg
• Spinach balls
• Energy bites - apricot-sesame, lemon-date, cinnamon-spice, cranberry-chocolate, oatmeal-raisin
• Mini pepper bites
• A pita pizza
• A small salad with feta stuffed roasted mini peppers
• A bowl of apple sauce
• A slice of broccoli cheese crustless quiche or mini crustless quiches
• Healthy oat muffins
• Frozen banana bites
• Health banana "ice cream" or quick berry ice cream
• A mini breakfast parfait or apple cinnamon breakfast parfait

Tip: Aim for snacks that are high in protein (think nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, whole dairy and meats) and fibre (whole grains). Also, try to minimize the intake of highly processed carbs and sugars.  While they may give you a short burst of energy, you will be hungry again soon.

What are some of your favourite healthy snacks?

Chocolate Covered Almonds

Chocolate almond clusters, thanks e for making this recipe!

Serves:  2 1/2 cups chocolate covered almonds

Prep Time: 35-35 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Total: 45  min

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups raw whole almonds
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 lb semisweet chocolate, chopped


Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 F and toast almonds for 10-15 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Prepare an additional baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, toasted almonds, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar becomes golden and granular and almonds are completely coated and separated. 
3. Pour almonds onto prepared pans and chill in the freezer, for about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place chocolate in a medium bowl; place the bowl inside of a larger pot that has simmering water.  This is called "double boiling".
5. Once chocolate is fully melted, transfer half the chilled almonds into the melted chocolate. Stir until almonds are coated. 
6. Transfer almonds onto prepared baking sheet. If you want almonds to be separate pieces, simply use a fork to spread them out so that none stick together. If you want small clusters, spoon into clusters of 3 or 4 almonds. 
7. Place baking sheet with almonds in the refrigerator for an additional 20 minutes until chocolate has hardened. 
8. Repeat steps 5-7 with remaining almonds.

Recipe from marthastewart.com

Pomegranate Cluster

Pomegranate Cluster. Collage from tissue paper, 2010. (7"x9") Sold

Creamy Chicken Penne

Creamy chicken penne is an impressive dinner, yet easy to make.

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 15 min

Cooking Time:20 min

Total:  30-35 min

Ingredients

1 cup dry penne pasta (whole wheat)

1 clove garlic, diced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 large chicken breast, cut into small pieces

2 handfuls baby spinach

3-4 leaves fresh basil, chopped

4-5 mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. oil

2 tbsp. butter

2  tbsp. flour

1 cup milk
1/2 cup grated cheese or 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes

salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a pot, heat water.  When it boils, add penne and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.  Rinse penne to remove starch and return to pot.
2. While penne is cooking, make a béchamel sauce (white sauce).
3. In a frying pan heat oil on medium heat.  Add chicken pieces and stir fry until fully cooked.  Add onions and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms, cook for 1 minute, then add baby spinach and basil.  Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add chicken mixture and béchamel sauce to the pot of prepared penne and stir.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.