Category: Healthy Eating

Into the Inky Blackness We Go

The days are getting longer, and yet it gives us an increasing perspective on the night. When we leave for work in the dark, and arrive home in the dark, it is hard to appreciate that time when the indigo sky highlights the trees and there is a time of beautiful contrast.

On the “official” first day of spring, we had the trifecta of indigo light, wind, and waving trees. In celebration, dinner consisted of an inky squid pasta, combined with the season’s veg…celery, carrot, onion, hothouse pepper, and some Altantic salmon. It was a great combo that fed our tummies and souls.

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Hen-chilada?

After putting in nearly an hour on the rower, we’ve earned our reward. We’re unsure what to call it – not quite an egg burrito, more like an omelette wrap – with slices of hothouse tomato that remind us what’s in store. Although it’s spring today in name only, seeds are being sprouted for the garden and we look forward to more fresh vegetables on the table.

Breakfast can get a day of healthy eating off to a great start, and this one is going to be grand.

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Spring Forward and Wake Up!

Adjusting to the time change? Start the day with a spicy breakfast that will wake up both you…and your taste buds. With a busy week ahead, we need to make sure we are fueled-up and energized to make the most of every opportunity.

On the plate, a healthy and budget-conscious combo – leftover olive, onion and mushroom whole wheat pizza is topped by a poached egg. We sprinkled two salt-free spice blends on top; one lemony and the other with a hint of chipotle. Sliced blood orange add a few extra vitamins and enhance flavour with a citrus note. After a week of “road food”, we’re especially grateful for a taste of home.

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With a salad, this would also be a great dinner time combination for those of you who have given up eating meat for Lent.

Rhymes with Orange?

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Last night we needed a fast, easy dinner that could be easily ignored while we decompressed and shared our day. The solution was this salmon – frozen fillets, oven poached in white wine with orange slices to keep the moisture in, and a sprinkling of chopped ginger and soy sauce.

On the side, garlic mashed red potatoes with the skin on, and some frozen peas. Quick food from the freezer that’s frugal, nutritious, and delicious – and the whole thing is ready, freezer to table, in about 30 minutes.

A Zippy Start for Your Day

After a week of wild weather, it appears the sun is making an effort to shine. We are definitely planning to take advantage of that. To get ready, a big mug of Full Steam coffee, and a delicious goat cheese-cranberry-lime panini. Here’s how we made it, for two:

Mix 2oz/60g goat cheese, zest and juice of 1/2 lime, 1T/15ml chopped cilantro. Spread on 4 slices whole grain homemade raisin bread. Add 2T/30ml cranberry preserves to each, spread, and assemble sandwiches. Our preserves came from a Nova Scotia business, Terra Beata.

Butter both sides and cook on a panini press, grill, or in the frying pan until golden. Enjoy!

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Poached Egg on…what?!?

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Eat what you have.

In our continuing quest to finish up things in the freezer or cupboard before automatically heading to the grocery store, we try to keep this in mind. This also means judicious use of leftovers. A couple of nights ago we made a delicious pizza – caramelized onions, olives and mushrooms on a wheat crust, topped with just a little shaving of cheese. With lunch appointments yesterday, the extra slices were still in the fridge, and made a perfect base for a soft-poached egg. Truly, it was a gold medal breakfast.

Start the Day with an Experiment

One of the most fun things about eating healthily is trying new and unusual fruits and vegetables. Yesterday we were shopping and spotted a granadilla, a semi-tropical, round, orange, shiny fruit. But what to do with it?

We made a use-it-up fruit salad that included a banana, chopped pear, chopped apple, a few walnuts (cleaning up the pantry) and a cup of fat-free plain yogurt. The fruit provided the sweetness. Spooning this mixture into bowls after stirring so the yogurt coated everything, we cut into the mystery fruit and scooped its seedy interior on top. The insides are reminiscent of passion fruit or pomegranate, with crunchy, gel-encased seeds. It makes a berry-ish, crunchy-sweet topping and a delicious way to start the day. Was it worth a buck-ninety-nine? As an everyday addition to the grocery budget, perhaps not, but layering that with the fun factor of discovering a new taste, I’d say it was great value.

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Fuel Up Fast!

Nearly an hour on the rowing machine and a long day’s work ahead calls for some serious energy. My grandmother used to start us off on cold winter days with a bowl of oatmeal, and she was right. But we don’t need instant oats or the long, slow cooking of her day. Large flake, old fashioned (or steel-cut) oats will cook nicely in the microwave in under 10 minutes.

We dressed ours up with some extra protein (walnuts), dried cranberries and cinnamon, and topped it with half a banana. And we’re off to race through another day!

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Nice Ideas from Nice

As February begins, we start to consider more springlike foods – the occasional bursts of sunshine and milder temperatures seem to mitigate the wintry desire for comfort and cocooning. The Niçoise salad seems to perfectly capture everything we look forward to – and this adaptation combines winter’s preserves, like capers and olives, with the local hydroponic lettuce and tomatoes that are appearing more frequently at the market.

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La Chandeleur is Crêpe Day!

Sure, we know that most Canadians may associate February 2nd with Groundhog Day…but it is also La Chandeleur, or Candlemas, commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. As with most celebrations, this fourth Joyful Mystery of the rosary has its own special food traditions. In France it is “Crêpe Day”, something we also try to carry on here in our house.

Lots of sweet or savory accompaniments are possible, lemon and chocolate among them, but for today we chose peaches, cinnamon, and yogurt sweetened with maple syrup.

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However you like them, enjoy some crêpes today. And lest you think we have completely pushed Groundhog Day from our minds, “ground hog” will feature prominently in the meatballs we’re planning for dinner.