Apple and Berry Crisp

Juicy berries, apples (an apple a day keeps the doctor away!), and good-for-you topping of oats and flax makes this crisp one you'll make over and over!

Ingredients:

5 apples, thick sliced

2 cups mixed frozen berries

2 tbsps sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp cardamon

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups oats

2 heaping tbsps ground flax

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch salt

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

In a large bowl combine apples, berries, sugar, cornstarch, cardamon and cinnamon and stir to coat. Spoon into a greased 8 X 8" baking dish.

In that same large bowl mix the oats, flax, cornstarch, flour, cinnamon and salt together. Melt the coconut oil and maple syrup together, microwaving 10 seconds at a time until the coconut oil is melted. Add it to the oats mixture and combine well.

Top the fruit layer with the oat mixture and press down gently with the back of a spoon.

Bake at 375 F for 35-40 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Plain or à la mode with this berry frozen yogurt.

Sweet Chili Chicken Buddha Bowl

The latest trend in healthy eating is Buddha bowls. Well it's been around for a few years, but lately I'm seeing it all over the place.  Simply put it's a bowl full of colourful veggies, fruits, seeds and protein.

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut in strips
1/2 - 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce, store bought or homemade
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
brown rice, quinoa or noodles for the base of the bowls
1 - 1  1/2 cups chopped kale
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 carrot, shredded
1 celery stalk, shredded
1 red pepper, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1 mango, sliced  
a variety of seeds like sesame, poppy and sunflower

Begin by tossing 2 or 3 tbsps of sweet chili sauce with the chicken and let marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
If you'd like to try your hand at making sweet chili sauce check out this recipe, it's just like the real thing!

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2019/02/asian-sweet-chili-sauce.html 

Next squeeze the lemon juice over the chopped kale and massage in along with the olive oil. Set aside.

I used brown rice this time around and I love preparing it! Rinse and drain 1 cup of brown rice, then add 3-4 cups of water and let soak for 4 hours. Drain off any excess water, then season to taste and serve at room temperature or warm in the microwave.

As you can see I used about 3 tbsps of seeds in my buddha bowls, but the quantity and variety is up to you.

So once the chicken has marinated, heat vegetable and olive oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken strips until no pink remains. Salt to taste.

Then start building your buddha bowl your way! 
Place a serving of rice in the bottom of the bowl along with some of the softened kale then add vegetables (and fruit) along with the chicken and more sweet chili sauce on top! Oh and don't forget the seeds!

This makes 3-4 servings.

Carrot Apple Soup

"Beta" you're looking for ways to up your beta carotine intake. "Orangcha" glad you found this recipe?!?

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, cut in chunks
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsps fresh ginger, unpeeled
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp turmeric
12 large carrots, unpeeled and thickly sliced
1 apple, unpeeled and cut in wedges
6-8 cups vegetable stock or add a bouillon cube to water
1-2 tsps sea salt
juice of 1/2 lemon

Give the ginger, carrots and apple a good brushing to clean but leave the peel on for maximum nutritional benefits.

In a large pot heat the vegetable oil and add chunks of onion. Cook until onions begin to soften, then add the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and turmeric. Sauté 1 minute. 

Add the carrots and apple, toss to coat and cook 3-4 minutes.
Add the stock or water and bouillon cube and bring to a boil. Then lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until carrots are soft.

Add the lemon juice for a pop of flavour and sea salt to taste then whirl everything in a food processor. This texture was with 6 cups of liquid but if you want a soupier soup use more stock.

Bugs Bunny would love this!

Serves 6-8

Adapted from Jessica Victoria - NourishingMomsMtl.com

Sheet Pan Thai Salmon and Veggies

Tasty, quick to make, healthy and easy to clean up... what else can you ask for?

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets
2 red sweet peppers
1 onion
2 small white turnips
2 carrots
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp lime juice
pinch red pepper flakes
chopped greens to serve

Place the salmon on a parchment lined baking sheet and surround with the sliced vegetables.

Mix the chili sauce, soy sauce, ginger, lime juice and red pepper flakes together. Reserve 1/4 cup then spoon the rest over the salmon and veggies.

Cover pan with foil and bake in a 375 F oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and broil for 5-7 minutes.

Brush the reserved sauce over the salmon, add some greens like chopped parsley, cilantro, spinach or kale to serve.
(Yes the salmon is really in there, in that sea of veggies!)

Serves 2

Adapted from therecipecritic.com 

Loaded Chili

A warm bowl of chili loaded with lots of good stuff is just what we need with more snow expected tonight. 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground beef
2 onions, sliced or diced
3 celery stalks, sliced or diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 - 540 ml (19 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 540 ml (19 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup kernel corn
284 ml (10 oz) Rotel chopped tomatoes and green chilies
              or any canned diced tomatoes
680 ml (24 oz) tomato sauce
2-3 cups broth (beef, vegetable or chicken)
2-3 tsps chili powder (3 if you don't use Rotel tomatoes)
1  1/2 tsps cumin
salt and pepper to taste.

In a large pot brown the ground beef until no pink remains then add the rest of the ingredients. This was the first time I used Rotel chopped tomatoes and green chilies and I love them! Just a nice amount of heat.

Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

You could serve your chili topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese for an extra layer of flavour.

And these Flaking Buttermilk Biscuits were great for sopping up the juices!

Here's the link to the biscuit recipe:
https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2019/02/flaky-buttermilk-biscuits.html

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Warm biscuits right from the oven makes my mouth water!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2  1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsps cold butter, grated
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tbsps honey

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together, then add the butter. You can use a pastry blender or use your hands, but if you use your hands work quickly. You don't want the butter getting warm and melting. Whisk the buttermilk and honey together and add to the flour mixture. If you don't have buttermilk then milk with 1 tsp vinegar will work.

Flour your work surface and bring the mixture together. It's a little messy and crumbly at this point. Don't worry.

Gently gather up and roll out to roughly 9 X 5" and 1/2" thick.
Fold it in three and roll out again to 9 X 5 X 1/2".

Using a 2" round cutter press down and lift up each biscuit. Do not twist when cutting. Transfer to a parchment lined pan leaving 1" between each biscuit.

Bake at 400F for 11-13 minutes.

Makes 10 - 2" round flaky biscuits that go great with chili!

Check out my Loaded Chili here:
https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2019/02/loaded-chili.html
Biscuit recipe from: http://traceysculinaryadventures.com

Healthy Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

No one will even know it's good for them ; )

Ingredients:

1 cup dark sweet cherries (dried, frozen or freeze-dried)
1/2 banana
1 handful spinach leaves
1 heaping tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 - 2 cups your choice of milk

If using dried fruit, first re-hydrate by pouring hot water over for 10-15 minutes then drain and use. I used a mix of half cherries, half cranberries here.

Toss everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Adapted from Jessica Victoria NourishingMomsMtl.com

Light and Fluffy Apple Cake

A quick little snackin' cake!

Ingredients:

5 apples, peeled and sliced
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tsps baking soda
1/4 cup water

In a large bowl mix the eggs and sugars together, then add the oil. Add the apples and stir to coat. I used Cortland, but Gala or Fuji would be good too.

Mix the flour, baking soda and cinnamon together and add to the apple mixture. Add the water.

Grease 2 - 9" square or round pans (or one of each like I did)
and bake in a 350F oven for 50-55 minutes. 

One to serve and one to put in the freezer for another time.

Asian Sweet Chili Sauce

Like the sweet chili chicken sauce in your local Asian grocery store, except by making your own sauce the heat level and consistency can be adjusted to your preference. Great as a marinade, stir-fry sauce, glaze or dipping sauce!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 long red chilies, finely chopped with seeds
2 tbsps cornstarch
2 tbsps cold water

They might be a little awkward to use, but try wearing gloves when chopping the chilies. 

In a saucepan combine sugar, water, rice wine vinegar, garlic and chilies. Bring to a boil, then simmer rapidly for 10-15 minutes. Take about one third of the mixture out and blend with a stick blender then return to the pot.

Mix cornstarch and cold water together and pour into chili mixture while stirring through. Gentle boil 3 minutes.

Remove from heat for 5 minutes. In that 5 minutes you can sterilize your jars.

Stand a piece of cutlery in each jar to help disperse the heat then pour in boiling water. Remove the cutlery, give the sauce a stir and pour into hot jars. Pour boiling water over lids and rings then make sure the rim of the jar is clean and seal with the sterilized lid.

To process jars in a hot water bath:
Place jars in a pot of boiling water enough to cover top of jars. Boil 10 minutes then carefully remove the jars to cool on the  counter. The lids should pop down in the middle overnight. If they don't you'll have to start the process over again. That means putting the sauce back in the pot and heating it up, cleaning and sterilizing jars, re-filling and re-processing in a hot water bath. Or just keep refrigerated.

Note: This recipe is a pretty good copycat of the store bought sweet chili chicken sauce, but if you want to play around with it using hotter chilies will give you a hotter sauce and using more or less cornstarch will give you a thinner or thicker consistency.

Makes about 3 cups

Valentine Popcorn Hearts

Show someone you love them ♥

Ingredients:

1 - 400 g bag large marshmallows
2 tbsps butter
8-9 cups popped popcorn
sprinkles
melting wafers

The same as you would when making rice krispie squares, melt the marshmallows and butter in a large microwavable bowl, 20-30 seconds at a time until melted.

I used buttered popped corn, but you could use unbuttered too. Toss the popcorn into the melted marshmallows and stir to coat.  Then with buttered hands take a good softball-sized bunch and form into the shape of a heart...easier to do than you'd think.  Place on a parchment lined pan and add sprinkles.

Melt the wafers and pipe some pink over the top. Place in the fridge 10 minutes to set then package for gifting.

Makes 8-10 large popcorn hearts

Karma's Cosy Crochet Sweater

At long last... a sweater to fit my "big boned" girl !

So many patterns are for little dogs but this one is great for Karma at 50 lbs.

She has a wide chest and because this pattern can be adjusted through the chest and shoulders it was perfect!

Find the instructions here:

https://crochetitcreations.com/doggy-sweater-size-large/

Finished it just in time before a 40cm snowfall !!