June 29, 2011
Light and fluffy, these blueberry muffins are hiding a secret, good for you punch… brown rice and bran! They are a wonderful way to make sure you are getting complex carbs in your diet. They give you energy that lasts, and help you to feel full in between meals.
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cooked short grain brown rice (though medium or long would work too) cooled, and ground up in a food processor or blender until a fine grain
1 TBSP baking soda
1/2 TSP salt
2 large eggs
4 TBSP maple syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup wheat bran
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line a muffin tin.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, rice, baking soda and salt. Separately beat together eggs, syrup, sugar, oil and milk. Stir egg mixture into the flour mixture. Add berries and bran. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before removing from the pan.
Makes 12 large muffins
Posted in Other Fruit and Vegetables, Whole Grains |
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June 22, 2011
This is a spin off Anna Olson’s Turkey Divan – same idea but no meat!
Ingredients
2 cups broccoli, cooked half way and then chilled in cold water to stop the cooking
3 TBSP butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cloved garlic, minced
2 carrots, shredded
2 spoonfulls all purpose flour
1 TBSP minced fresh oregano
2 cups veggie broth
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup white wine
2 TBSP mustard
1/4 cup un-cooked quinoa
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (I used cheddar), divided
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup bread crumbs
2 TBSP minced chives
In a non stick pan, melt butter, saute onions, garlic and carrots until soft. Add flour and stir to coat. Add liquid, mustard and quinoa and reduce until quinoa is soft and it is a thicker consistency.
Melt in 1.5 cups of cheese, add chickpeas and cooked broccoli.
Transfer to an oven safe dish, top with bread crumbs, left over cheese and chives. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Posted in Calcium, Green Leafy / Yellow Vegetables, Other Fruit and Vegetables, Protein, Vitamin C, Whole Grains |
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June 9, 2011
Here is another great salad recipe that takes your thinking out of the box! Light and refreshing this salad offers grains, protein and some veg! Have with a glass of milk and you have got yourself a balance meal.
Ingredients
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 sweet yellow pepper, diced
1 cup whole wheat couscous
2/3 cup each cooked or drained canned chickpeas and red kidney beans
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive_oil
1/2 TSP grated lemon zest
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 TSP Dijon mustard
1/2 TSP each dried oregano
Pepper and salt to taste
Cut green beans into 1/2-inch pieces. In saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil; boil green beans, carrots and yellow pepper for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving water; set vegetables aside.
In large bowl, stir couscous with 1 cup reserved water; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Add cooked vegetables, chickpeas, kidney beans and green onion; set aside.
In small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon rind, lemon juice, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over couscous mixture and toss to combine.
*Recipe courtesy of Canadian Living Magazine
Posted in Green Leafy / Yellow Vegetables, Other Fruit and Vegetables, Protein, Vitamin C, Whole Grains |
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June 2, 2011
Last night I made the most fab roasted veggie dish – it’s a variation on one from Moosewood (a great series of vegetarian cookbooks). Theirs they make in the oven, but with BBQ season I figure why not roast over a flame?!?
Ingredients
1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick circles
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch thick semi-cirlces
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick semi-cirlces
1 red pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can (15.5-ounces), drained
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 1/2 TSP turmeric
1 1/2 TSP ground cinnamon
1 1/2 TSP paprika
1/4 TSP cayenne
2 teaspoons salt
Optional rice for serving
Add all ingredients to a very large bowl, stir to combine.
Wrap mixture in two large foil packets while your BBQ is preheating over medium high heat.
Cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Carefully open the packets, stir contents, re-seal and cook another 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through. The sweet potato will take the longest so use that as your guide.
Serve on its own, with rice or another grain for a great meal! Also awesome with nuts, raisins or other dried fruit sprinkled on top.
Posted in Green Leafy / Yellow Vegetables, Other Fruit and Vegetables, Protein, Vitamin C, Whole Grains |
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May 4, 2011
Quinoa is a perfect first grain to get your baby eating textured food. It’s light taste packs a real nutritional punch. Full of protein, fiber, potassium and folate – quinoa is often called a ‘super food’. Introduce this to babies 7 months and older. If they prefer the consistency a little smoother, just add the recipe to the blender with a little bit of water.
Ingredients
1 cup homemade vegetable broth or water
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup shredded zucchini
2 TSP canola oil
In saucepan, bring broth to boil over medium-high heat. Stir in quinoa, carrot and celery; return to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until no liquid remains, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in zucchini; cover and let stand until quinoa and vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
Drizzle with oil; fluff with fork. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in air tight container in fridge for up to 3 days.
Source: Canadian Living Magazine: March 2009
Posted in Baby Food, Green Leafy / Yellow Vegetables, Protein, Whole Grains |
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April 27, 2011
Another day down, another day closer to the royal wedding! Why not celebrate with a fancy tea sandwich?!? This one is based on a recipe from Royal Prince Apple but tweaked to be friendly to those expecting their own little prince or princess.
Ingredients
2 Red Prince Apples
1 TBSP Lemon Juice
3 TBSP Dijon Mustard
3 TBSP Honey
16 slices of whole grain bread
5 oz cream cheese – a flavour like herb and garlic is really tasty here too
2 cups of watercress
In a medium bowl, toss Red Prince apple slices with lemon and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix Dijon mustard and honey. Cut crusts off 2 slices of bread. Thinly spread Dijon on one slice. Spread cream cheese on second slice and top with 4 to 6 Red Prince apple slices and 1/4 cup watercress. Top with first slice and cut sandwich in half to make 2 triangles.
Repeat steps with remaining ingredients to make 8 sandwiches.
Source: www.redprinceapple.ca
Posted in Calcium, Green Leafy / Yellow Vegetables, Other Fruit and Vegetables, Whole Grains |
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April 19, 2011
With the Royal Wedding coming up Red Prince Apple is going all out with recipes to get you in the festive mood! Here is their recipe for Scones with Clotted Cream – a real british treat!
Ingredients
2 Red Prince Apples, cored and finely diced
2 TBSP Lemon Juice and brown sugar
1/4 TSP cinnamon
2 cups flour
2 TSP baking powder
1 cup milk
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup butter, frozen, salted
Optional sugar for sprinkling and clotted cream
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
In a medium-sized bowl, combine apples with lemon, sugar and cinnamon and let sit.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and baking powder, set aside.
In a small bowl, add milk and apple cider vinegar; let sit for a few minutes.
Grate frozen butter and add to flour, stirring to combine.
Drain the Red Prince apples and mix into flour and butter to coat. Pour milk into dry ingredients mixing with a fork until just combined being careful not to overwork the dough.
Roll dough to 1-inch (2.5 cm) thickness and with a cookie cutter cut into 1 ½” (3.5 cm) rounds. Sprinkle with sugar (if desired) and bake for 15 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown.
Serve with clotted cream and good quality tea.
Makes 25 scones.
Source: www.redprinceapple.ca
Posted in Calcium, Other Fruit and Vegetables, Whole Grains |
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April 5, 2011
Risotto is something that many think is hard, but really it can be a quick and simple meal in a pot! This recipe does call for a splash of white wine, the alcohol in which cooks off with the heat of the pan. If you have any reservations about using wine in your cooking while pregnant feel free to skip it – though it does add a depth of flavour to the dish.
This recipe is adaptable and just the blue print to any kind of risotto you would like to make!
Ingredients
Olive oil
Onion – finely chopped
1 clove of garlic
Veg of your choice – I’ve used mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, zucchini the list goes on!
Arborio rice – about 3/4 cup per person
White wine
4 cups stock – your choice veggie, chicken or you can even use water. Warm it up so it is warmer than room temperature but not boiling
Parmesan Cheese (I’ve used other kinds of cheese before too and it works out well)
Butter
In a large pan heat a splash of olive oil and cook onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes until they soften. Add veg of your choice and cook 2-3 minutes longer.
Add rice – coat it well with the oil in the pan and allow it to toast a bit. This will bring out the flavour of the rice itself. This should take 3-5 minutes. Then give it a good douse of wine. About 1/4 to 1/2 a cup will do. Let that absorb into the rice.
Here is where the free forming begins. The next step is to add the warm liquid 1 ladle full at a time. Let it absorb into the rice then add another. Continue until the rice is soft. It will depend on the amount of rice you are cooking. Make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of your pan. If it is, you either need to stir it more, or turn down the heat. Either way you will need to stir it regularly, but not continuously.
Once your rice is soft it is time to mix in the cheese and a knob of butter. Just add to taste, it give it a bit more creaminess.
Enjoy!
Posted in Calcium, Green Leafy / Yellow Vegetables, Whole Grains |
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March 21, 2011
There is a lot of talk about what you should and should not eat when you are pregnant. And a big no no on the list is raw fish. Thus sushi may seem out of the question. But there are many different kinds of veggies that work well in sushi and it’s very simple to make on your own! The big plus, when you are at home you can control the sodium levels, the ingredients and use brown rice for added whole grains.
Ingredients
Nori – seaweed paper
Sushi Rice – a sticky rice that is usually white. Use brown if you like but make sure it is ‘sticky’ so that it will hold the rolls together
Rice vinegar
Vegetables cut into thin strips such as carrots, celery, zucchini, avocado, red peppers or anything your family likes that will add a bit of flavour and crunch
Cook rice according to package directions, adding 2 TBSP of vinegar when it is finished.
On a piece of wax paper lay out a piece of nori and cover it lightly with rice.
Add a layer of vegetables in any combination you like, then roll sushi into a tight spiral. Pack it tightly and the rice should help it to stick.
Slice the roll in to several pieces of sushi. Serve with optional soy sauce, wasabi paste or pickled ginger.
Posted in Green Leafy / Yellow Vegetables, Other Fruit and Vegetables, Whole Grains |
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March 15, 2011
This is an amazingly simple dish to prepare – but it is a touch time consuming. Worth every minute though I promise. Best part, though it takes time it doesn’t need you to babysit it. It is inspired by a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce by Chef Michael Smith. Mine just contains a bit more veg that I sneak in there. The more the merrier I always say!
Ingredients
3 red peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 large sweet potato, cut into 2 inch pieces
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Baby spinach
1 pound whole wheat pasta, cooked and drained
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peppers, onion, sweet potato and garlic cloves into a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper and toss well. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until all veg is fork tender.
Pour vegetables into a blender and puree, adding a splash of water to help it along. Add pureed sauce to a pot and put over medium heat. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Add one handful of spinach for every person being served. Add hot, cooked pasta and toss well.
Posted in Green Leafy / Yellow Vegetables, Other Fruit and Vegetables, Whole Grains |
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