Month: August 2012

Simple Vegetarian ‘Meatloaf’

Until we decide to go on a grain free diet, we are pre-soaking our rice and lentils for 24 hours prior to cooking. Pre-soaking grains, seeds and nuts releases enzymes that are needed for digesting. Even though we still have grains in our diet we make sure to have a good portion of raw foods daily. Our recipes always consist of raw and cooked foods or simply raw! Our latest recipe is Vegetarian ‘Meatloaf’. We cooked our gluten free brown rice and lentils with some vegetables and topped it off with a new tasty raw tomato sauce! The loaf is tender and flavorful. See recipe below. Enjoy!

NEW– GRAIN FREE RECIPE!
Vegetarian ‘Meatloaf’ Recipe
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
vegetable loaf:
∙ 1/2 cup organic French green lentils (pre-soaked for 24 hours and drained) 
∙ sea salt
∙ 4 large organic garlic cloves
∙ 1/2 small organic red onion
∙ 2 organic shallots
∙ 1 organic eggplant
∙ 8-10 organic shiitake mushrooms
∙ 1 large organic carrot (or 2 small)
∙ bunch organic Italian parsley (or cilantro)
∙ 1-2 tbsp of organic coconut oil
∙ 1 tbsp organic sun dried tomatoes (chop to measure)
∙ 1-2 happy free range chicken eggs
∙ organic black pepper
∙ organic cumin powder

Homemade Tomato sauce recipe

Directions:
1. In a medium sized pan, bring water to a boil.
2. Add lentils and cook for about 20 minutes until lentils are ready. Set aside once ready.
3. On a chopping board, chop garlic, onion and shallots and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven at 325 degrees F.
5. Cut eggplant into slices, top off with salt and bake for about 5-10 minutes. Once ready, set aside.
6. Chop mushrooms and set aside.
7. Pulse chop carrots and parsley in a food processor and set aside.
8. In a small frying pan, at medium low heat, add coconut oil. 
9. Add mushrooms, garlic and onions (red, shallots )to pan and fry for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
10. Once lentils are ready, add them to a large mixing bowl. (Drain any remaining water first.)
11. Add eggplant slices, mushrooms, garlic, onions, salt, pepper, cumin powder, sun dried tomatoes, carrots and parsley into mixing bowl and mix well.
12. Using a hand blender, pulse blend all ingredients. Taste and make adjustments.
13. Add an egg to mixture and mix again.
14. Add mixture to a loaf pan and bake for about 10 minutes or until browned. (Make sure to flatten out the top of the mix before baking).
15. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. 
16. Cut into slices and place on a plate.
17. Top off with tomato sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Below: Updated vegetarian meatloaf (Eggplant version)

Learn About Yourself

‘Meditation is one of the greatest arts in life, perhaps the greatest, and one cannot possibly learn it from anybody. That is the beauty of it. It has no technique and therefore no authority. When you learn about yourself, watch yourself, watch the way you walk, how you eat, what you say, the gossip, the hate, the jealousy, if you are aware of all that in yourself, without any choice, that is part of meditation.’ – Jiddu Krishnmaurti
Below: Photos from the park. Enjoy!

‘So meditation can take place when you are sitting in a bus or walking in the woods full of light and shadows, or listening to the singing of birds or looking at the face of your wife or child.’ – Jiddu Krishnamurti

Spicy Kale and Mushroom ‘Cannelloni’

For our brunch, we prepared a dairy free and  grain free ‘cannelloni’, made with free range happy chicken eggs instead of pasta. Cannelloni is another one of our favorite pastas. This new recipe is very tasty with a touch of spice! The egg cannelloni is stuffed with fried onions, garlic, oyster mushrooms, raw pumpkin seeds and raw kale*. We topped it off with a spicy raw tomato sauce. Raw foods contain enzymes needed for a healthy immune system! See recipe below. Enjoy!

Spicy Kale and Mushroom ‘Cannelloni’ Recipe
Makes 2 large cannelloni
Ingredients:
Cannelloni:
∙ 2 or more large organic kale leaves
∙ sea salt
∙ organic black pepper
∙ organic chilli powder/pepper
∙ 1-2 organic leek leaves
∙ 1 large organic shallot
∙ 2-3 organic garlic cloves
∙ 1 cup of organic oyster mushrooms
∙ 4 free range happy eggs
∙ 1-2 tbsp organic coconut oil
∙ 2 or more tbsp organic pumpkin seeds
Tomato sauce:
∙ 1 large organic carrot
∙ 1 large organic tomato
∙ 2 tbsp organic sun dried tomatoes (chop sun dried tomatoes to measure)
∙ bunch organic Italian parsley
∙ sea salt
∙ organic black pepper
∙ organic chilli powder/pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven at 120°F.
2. Wash kale and place on parchment paper over top of a cookie sheet. Then add spices.

3. Place in oven and dehydrate for about 10-20 minutes (to soften kale) while you prepare other ingredients. (Make sure to leave your oven door open for air circulation.) This step is optional.
4. Chop leeks, shallot, garlic and oyster mushrooms. Set aside for 5 minutes.
5. Chop carrots, tomato, sun dried tomatoes and parsley. Then add to a container (for blending). Try to remove some water from the tomato.
6. Hand blend ingredients to create a puree/sauce. Add spices and set aside.
7. In a small mixing bowl, beat 4 eggs and set aside.
8. Line two 9″ round oven pans with coconut oil and pour egg mixture evenly across both pans.
9. Remove kale from oven. Set aside.
10. Turn oven heat up to 325 degrees F.
11. Place egg pans in oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
12. In a small frying pan, at medium-low heat, add coconut oil.
13. Add leeks, shallot, garlic and mushrooms to pan and lightly fry for about 5 minutes. Once ready, add about 1/4 of the onion mix to the tomato sauce and then set both aside.
14. When egg mixture has baked, remove from oven and let cool.
15. Using a spatula, carefully remove egg omlette from pan and place on a flat surface (plate or parchment paper).
16. Cut egg omelet on the edges to create a sqaure. Repeat for second egg omelet. (You can use the egg scraps for stuffing or discard them.)
17. Place egg squares on 2 seperate plates. Set aside.
18. Chop kale and add to onion mix. Then add pumpkin seeds and mix well.
19. Divide ingredients in 2 (this is your stuffing) and then evenly distribute to the top of the 2 egg omelets.
20. Roll your egg up and place the folded end down on the plate to keep the roll from opening.
21. Top off both plates evenly with tomato sauce.
22. Serve and enjoy!

*We dehydrate kale for only 10-20 minutes (at 120 degrees F, with the oven door open) so that we are able to keep the enzymes, but also to soften the kale. If you dehydrate longer, it will start to become crispier, but will also have it’s enzymes.

Check it out at Fastpaleo.com.

Grain Free Kitty – Follow Up

Back in May, we decided to change our cat’s diet because we became concerned about the grain content that is found in most cat foods. We decided to try an organic grain free meal that was made up of meats, not grains. We changed her food from ‘Science Diet’ to ‘Nature’s Variety Instinct’ dry cat food that is made with natural meat based products. Cats need animal based foods such as meats and organs, not plant based foods like whole grain! Check out Nature’s Variety Instinct website here.

Below: Photos of kitty taking in the late afternoon sun. Enjoy!

Yam Gnocchi With Kale

If you love gnocchi but are on a grain free diet, this new recipe is worth a try. The gnocchi is not cooked in water because we used coconut flour, which would break apart in water. We decided to fry them in a tasty rosemary, garlic and shallot butter. We also added raw kale with a side of tomato beet sauce that brought the dish together really well. Kale is high in vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. Vitamin K is a key nutrient in regulating our body’s inflammatory process. See recipe below. Enjoy!


Yam Gnocchi With Kale Recipe:
Serves 2
Ingredients: 
Gnocchi pasta
∙ 1 large organic yam (boiled and mashed, then cooled)
∙ 3/4 cup of organic coconut flour 
∙ 3 tbsp of organic chia seed powder
∙ sea salt 
Updated – Don’t heat the tomato sauce, tomatoes become acidic for the body if cooked. Try the sauce raw! New recipe here.
Tomato beet sauce
∙ 1 small organic shallot
∙ 2 organic leek leaves
∙ 1 small organic red beet
∙ 1 organic carrot
∙ 1 organic celery stalk (optional)
∙ 3 organic tomatoes
∙ 2 tbsp organic coconut oil
∙ sea salt
∙ organic black pepper 
∙ organic cayenne pepper
Rosemary butter
∙ 2 springs of fresh organic rosemary
∙ 1 small organic shallot
∙ 1 organic leek leaf
∙ 1/4 organic fennel (optional)
∙ 5-8 organic garlic cloves (depending on size)
∙ 4-5 tbsp organic coconut oil 
∙ sea salt
∙ organic black pepper (optional)
Other
∙ 2 cups organic kale (chopped, spiced and oven dehydrated for 20 minutes to keep enzymes)
Directions: 
Before you start, make sure you have prepared the mashed yams and have them in a container ready to use. Also, oven dehydrate your kale at 120 degrees F for 20 minutes.* You can do this at the same time that you are boiling your yams, before continuing to prepare this recipe. 
Start with tomato beet sauce ingredients.

1. Finely chop shallot, leeks, beets, carrots and celery in a food processor. Set aside.
2. Cut tomaotes into chunks and then add to a container. Blend tomatoes.
3. Add shallots, leeks, beets, carrots and celery mix to container with tomatoes and continue blending. (Or lightly fry shallots and leeks, then add to tomatoes, along with beets, carrots and celery.) This is going to be your tomato beet sauce. Set aside.
4. In a small pot at medium-low heat, add coconut oil and then pour tomato sauce and stir continuously for at least 2 minutes. Add spices, mix and let simmer.
6. In a large mixing bowl, add mashed yams, coconut flour, chia seed powder, and salt.

7. Using your hands, mix ingredients well and create a ball of dough. Set aside.
8. Begin to prepare your rosemary butter by using a food processor and finely chopping rosemary, shallot, leek, fennel and garlic. Set aside for 5 minutes.
9. Remember to occasioanlly stir tomato beet sauce while it simmers. Turn heat off after 15- 20 minutes.
10. Prepare your gnocchi by breaking off small pieces of dough and rolling it lightly in the palm of your hands (or a flat surface) to form thin ropes. Mold with your hands if necessary. Do this in small sizes (no longer than your finger) because the coconut flour and yams will break apart otherwise (this is where patience is required when using coconut flour for making pasta). You do not need to add any flour to any surface while rolling. Set pieces aside as you go along.
11. Once you have all the pieces of gnocchi pasta in short thin ropes, cut them in smaller, 1 inch pieces. Place them in a bowl and set aside.
12. In a medium sized frying pan at medium heat, add coconut oil and then rosemary mix. This is your rosemary butter that you will fry the gnocchi in.
13. Once pan is heated, add gnocchi pieces and fry for 10 minutes (or until edges are lightly browned). It is easier to shake pan back and forth occasionally, than to use a spatula to try to flip them around.
14. Once gnocchi is ready, divide gnocchi into 2 even portions on 2 plates.
15. Top off gnocchi with kale and add some tomato beet sauce on the side. (The kale balances the yam gnocchi really well because the yam and coconut flour is sweet in flavor. The tomato beet sauce seems to simply add more flavor and bring it all together.)
16. Serve and enjoy!

*We oven dehydrate kale for only 10-20 minutes (at 120 degrees F, with the oven door open) so that we are able to keep the enzymes, but also to soften the kale. If you dehydrate longer, it will start to become crispier, but will also have it’s enzymes.

Cauliflower ‘Rice’ With Fish

Cauliflower has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. It is an excellent alternative to rice and a great choice if you are on a grain free diet! We created a 15-20 minute recipe for fish and cauliflower ‘rice’ that incorporates raw foods. The fish and onion mix are the only food that has been cooked. The rice and corn are raw and energizing! It’s a tasty and simple recipe – give it a try. Enjoy!

Cauliflower Rice With Fish Recipe
Serves 2
Ingredients: 
∙ 1/2 small organic red onion
∙ 1/4 organic fennel
∙ 3 organic garlic cloves

∙ handful of organic cilantro (optional)
∙ 2 speckled trout* 
∙ 1 tbsp organic ginger (minced)

∙ 1/2 organic cauliflower  
∙ 2 organic corn
∙ 2 tbsp organic coconut oil (for frying)
∙ sea salt
∙ organic black pepper
∙ 1-2 tbsp organic coconut oil (melted)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Chop onions, fennel and garlic. Set aside for 5 minutes. 
3. Chop cilantro. Set aside.
4. Place trout in an oven pan and add ginger, onion, fennel and garlic. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. In the meantime, use a food processor to finely chop the cauliflower (you need to produce 2 cups of ‘rice’). 

6. Transport cauliflower rice to a large mixing bowl and add cilantro. Mix well.
7. Remove corn kernels from cob, using a knife, and then add to mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper and coconut oil (1tbsp) for flavor. Mix well. Set aside.
8. Once fish has baked, remove from oven.
9. Place fish on 2 plates and add salt and pepper.
10. Distribute rice mix evenly to plates.
11. Serve and enjoy!

*We buy our speckled trout/char from Kolapore Springs, a fish farm that harvests freshwater shrimp to be used as supplements for the fish they farm. Very healthy and tasty fish!

Rooibos Tea and Date Ice Cream

The benefits of Rooibos tea includes minerals and antioxidants! For our latest dairy free ice cream recipe, we created a ‘Rooibos and Date Ice Cream’ that is not only healthy but also sweet and refreshing. Dates contain nutrients and are rich in vitamins A1, B1, B2, B3 and B5! (Recipe is below.) Does not require an ice cream maker to create recipe. Enjoy!

Rooibos Tea and Date Ice Cream Recipe
Makes 4 scoops
Ingredients: 
∙ 1/2 cup of water

∙ organic rooibos tea (we used rooibos espresso shot)

∙ 2-3 organic medjool dates
∙ 1 tbsp of raw organic honey
∙ 6 tbsp of natural coconut cream or organic hemp seeds
∙ 2 large organic bananas
Directions: 
1. Boil 1/2 cup of water and make a strong rooibos tea. Turn off heat and steep tea until completely cooled (or make a rooibos espresso shot). Set aside.
2. Using an electric hand blender, blend dates, honey and coconut cream to create a butter/paste.
3. Add 1/4 cup of the rooibos tea and blend again.
4. Break bananas into pieces and add to ingredients. 
5. Continue hand blending all ingredients.
6. Once blended smoothly, place in a sealed container and freeze for 6-8 hours (or divide into 2 containers and freeze for about 4 hours).
7. Once frozen, break apart using a utensil (for a few seconds).
8. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out ice cream, place in bowls, serve and enjoy!!!

Raising Backyard Chickens

In January the city of Toronto ruled on banning the practice of raising chickens in your own backyard, on the basis that the chickens are a possible health risk and noisy! 
Does the city not pose a health risk due to toxins and pollution?! Is the city not noisy from people, cars and ongoing construction?! 
Hopefully the city will overturn their judgement on banning chickens in the city, based on more accurate information/facts that can be provided to them. Paul Hughes may be such a man – you can read about his story here. 
We want to live a sustainable life and one day raise our own chickens – for eggs. If you live outside the city, and are interested in raising backyard chickens, there is a website called Backyard Chickens.com that provides information on successfully raising your own healthy ‘backyard chickens’. Here is one great article we came across. Enjoy!

Image by Brett Gundlock/national post

Zucchini – ‘Spaghetti’ and Meatballs

Our latest zucchini pasta is ‘spaghetti’ and meatballs! We rarely eat meat, but when we found grass fed beef, we decided to buy some. We are still incorporating raw foods daily, so we combined raw zucchini with healthy and juicy meatballs (see recipe below.) This recipe is very tasty! You can feel energy from the raw zucchini. The meatballs were baked in the oven after marinating in an onion, spice and pepper mix for 20 minutes. It is a great choice for meat lovers who are on a grain free diet. Enjoy!

Zucchini ‘Spaghetti’ and Meatballs Recipe
Serves 2
Ingredients:
Meatballs
∙ 5 organic garlic cloves
∙ 1/4 organic fennel bulb
∙ 2 organic leek leaves
∙ 1/4 organic red onion
∙ 1 happy egg
∙ 1 organic red pepper
∙ 16 oz package ground beef (grass fed, drug free and from your local organic farm)
∙ organic black pepper
∙ organic chili powder (about 1/2 tbsp)
∙ 2 tbsp organic cumin powder
∙ a pinch or two of organic cayenne pepper
∙ organic red pepper flakes (about 1/2 tsp)
∙ sea salt (add according to your taste)
∙ bunch of organic cilantro (or parsley)
Zucchini pasta
∙ 2 organic zucchinis

Tomato sauce recipe
Directions: (Start with meatball ingredients)
1. Chop garlic, fennel, leeks, red onion and red pepper. Set aside for 5 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add ground beef. Set aside.
3. In a small mixing bowl, beat an egg and then add onion mix.
4. Using a hand blender, blend/purée egg, garlic, fennel, leeks, red onion and red pepper.
5. Add ingredients to beef in large mixing bowl. Then add spices. Mix well.
6. Cover the beef mixture and marinate beef for 20 minutes in fridge.
7. In the mean time, preheat oven to 325 degrees F (at bake).
8. Prepare your sauce. Directions are available here. Set aside.
9. Once beef has marinated, make medium-large size meatballs and place in an oven pan that is lined with coconut oil.
10. Bake meatballs for about 15-20 minutes, then turn oven from ‘bake’ to ‘broil’ and bake another 10 minutes. (This will cook more of the top of the meatballs).
11. Once meatballs are browned, remove from oven. Set aside.
12. Using a julienne peeler, peel 2 whole zucchinis (until you reach the seeds). 
13. Distribute evenly onto 2 plates.
14. Add meatballs on top of zucchini spaghetti and then pour your choice of tomato sauce over top.
15. Serve and enjoy!