Chocolate Avocado Popsicles

Sometimes inspiration just strikes.  You weren't looking for her, but then all of a sudden, there she is.  What might have been some spicy guacamole, is now a fudgey popsicle.

Perfectly ripe avocados, extra coconut milk, and a blender still siting on the counter from morning smoothies inspired today's goodness!

I guess it is still winter... a bit chilly out there to be enjoying frozen treats, but the sun was shining and the ingredients were there and chocolate is delicious.

These popsicles were really an experiment of sorts. Amounts could easily vary: just blend, taste, and adjust: if you like it sweeter, add more honey, not enough chocolate?  Add another scoop of cocoa powder. Toss in a ripe banana or maybe some nut butter for a chocolate-peanut butter mash-up.

Pretty much whatever you throw in is going to freeze.  If need be, you can thin with more coconut milk.

I blended one can of full-fat coconut milk with 1 and a 1/2 medium, ripe, avocados, a 1/2 cup of cocoa powder and 1/3 cup of honey and blended until smooth.

I poured the chocolately goodness into my popsicle molds (I bought these at Winners and they work super-well) and almost instant fudgey-deliciousness awaits (minus the freezing time, of course!)

The result was thick and rich and tasted like a fudgesicle, but dairy-free and chock full of healthy fats.

Feeling inspired?  Check out the above clip for some super simple ice-cream with one main ingredient!

Don't forget the "Magic Shell!" Do you remember Magic Shell?! You can make your own chocolate topping that hardens on contact with cold ice-cream with 2 ingredients: chocolate and coconut oil. Mix, melt, pour; Magic!  You can find instructions here.  Add a heaping pile of sprinkles and this is serious fun.

Build A Perfect Salad

Building the perfect salad for dinner or lunch is really a simple meal that can be pulled together quickly and taste different each time you make it depending on the season or the variety of ingredients you have on hand.

A healthy take on a DIY meal. It is portable for lunches or it is a perfect dinner idea that accommodates a wide variety of tastes and preferences, and it is low on effort. Once you have your ingredients washed and chopped, everyone can get in on the preparation.

Step One: Pick your greens.  Make sure you include some dark, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, chard and arugula, along with your romaine lettuce and/or other leaf lettuces. The green stuff is where the nutrients are! Check out How to Choose The Healthiest Salad Greens at greatist.com.

Step Two: Add some protein. Toss on some hard-boiled eggs, broiled tofu, chickpeas, beans or lentils. Use leftover roast meats or tinned tuna or salmon. Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, walnuts, flax, chia, pumpkin, sunflower and hemp, all provide added protein and crunch.

Step Three: Top with a variety of colourful chopped veggies and/or fruits: peppers, cucumber, shredded carrots, radish, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, avocado, mango, peaches, pears, berries. The more variety and colour the better!

Step Four: "Add-ons." This is where you can get fancy: fresh herbs and spices, shredded or soft cheeses (goat, blue and feta are my go-tos), healthy grains, dried fruits, roasted beets, jarred red peppers, artichokes or other vegetables, olives, sun-dried tomatoes or pickled/fermented veggies.

Step Five: Keep it as healthy as possible by making your own dressing. Try a simple 3-to-1 ratio dressing:  3 parts healthy oil to 1 part acid (lemon or lime juice or vinegar) with whatever herbs and spices you like and a little honey, jam or maple syrup to sweeten.

Check out this Salad Dressing Infographic at foodnetwork.com for more inspiration.

The salad pictured above was dressed with my attempt to hack this PC Maple Balsamic Dressing at home.

I whisked 1/2 cup olive oil with a 1/4 cup of white balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (add more to taste), salt, pepper, and a squirt of dijon mustard.

Baked Upside Down Nachos

If asked to critique a meal, my kids have basically two categories: "make-again-dinner" or the "meatloaf/cabbage roll" category ( 2 things all 3 of them will not eat!)

These Baked Upside Down Nachos scored a make-again-dinner rating and they are definitely going to be added to the repertoire.

They are quick to prepare ahead, can be customized to your tastes and ingredients, and can be doubled to feed whatever size crowd you are feeding.  It can also be easily made vegetarian by substituting some Veggie Ground Round for the beef or by adding in some diced cooked sweet potatoes and/or more beans.  You could also replace the ground beef with ground chicken or turkey or with some left over roast chicken, shredded pork or grilled steak.

I sauteed 4 cloves of chopped garlic, a large chopped onion, and 1 lb of lean ground beef in a skillet until the beef was browned, draining any fat from the pan, although there was very little.

I stirred in a chopped sweet yellow pepper, a 19 oz can of drained black beans, 1 can of petite cut diced tomatoes, and half a cup of salsa.


I seasoned with a teaspoon each: sea salt, ground cumin and oregano and a generous sprinkle of chili peppers.

Pour the mixture in a casserole dish (I used a 9 x13 glass pan) and top with crushed tortilla chips ( I used about 2 or 3 cups of  spicy jalapeno tortilla chips for an extra kick!) top with the shredded cheese of your choice and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until the filling is warmed through and the cheese is nice and bubbly.

Serve with shredded lettuce, fresh cut tomatoes and green onions, olives, hot peppers, sour cream or Greek yogurt and slices of avocado, and let everyone dress their plate of nachos with toppings.

You can prepare the meat mixture ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake adding the crushed tortilla and cheese just before putting the nachos in the oven.

The filling (minus the crushed tortilla chips) could also be used to top corn tostadas or hard or soft shelled tacos along with your fresh fixings. A great meal idea for a crowd. For some more recipes and inspiration for your next taco night check out this fun step-by-step guide over at Bon Appetit.

Head on over to lifehacker to learn how to make your own  taco bowls using corn tortillas and an upside down muffin tin!

Mitchell's Soup Co. Review

I must admit, this Mitchell's Soup Company dry mix was a bit of an impulse buy as I was strolling the isles of Vincenzo's making a number of other impulsive choices! The attractive presentation of layered ingredients and spices caught my eye, and I picked up the Ginger Coconut Dahl and added it to my basket.  This gem has been sitting in my cupboard since before Christmas sometime, and I finally put it to the test last night.
Preparation could not have been easier, and the final result was a fragrant, hearty vegetarian meal that made 8 generous portions.  The dry mix was simmered with water on the stove top for about 2 hours total, adding tomatoes and some butter at about an hour and a half and simmered for another half hour more.  I threw in two giant handfuls of baby spinach just before serving, but it was not essential by any means. I served the dahl with basmati and roasted cauliflower. I think it would be fantastic over a baked sweet potato or just scooped up with some warm naan bread.  If you like curries and lentils, this is definitely worth a try.  It was mildly spiced, but flavorful and tasted very good simply following the package directions and easily made next level with the addition of some roasted cauiflower, raita, warm naan and chutney, if you want to get fancy.

The Mitchell's Soup Co. has many other soup, stew, and grain salad mixes to choose from both at Vincencos and online with varying amounts of extra ingredients needed to complete the final meal.

A well-priced product, handmade in Canada in small batches with quality, nourishing ingredients.

I like to give (and receive!) consumable gifts that can be shared and enjoyed, and this will definitely be a product I will buy again.

Of course, one could absolutely take their favourite soup recipe, handcraft their own mix, and package it up to give as gifts, or have on hand for later dinner inspiration, but for under 10 dollars, this is a really attractive, simple gift that is ready to give or make at home when you are not really feeling your inner Martha Stewart calling :)

Oma's Rhubarb Cake

I'm not sure who Oma is, but her cake is delicious!  I have had a bag of rhubarb picked from our garden staring at me in the freezer since late summer.  It's usually the first thing to fall out of the freezer door when opened, practically begging to be chosen.  I finally Googled cake recipes to find a worthy use for the very last of our prized, ruby stalks.
Figured Oma's recipe looked the best, and she certainly did not disappoint! I wasn't going for health food here. I was going for a warm, decadent dessert worthy of breaking out great-grandma's dessert plates and Nana's crocheted lace table cloth for afternoon tea and cake.

In a large bowl beat 2 eggs, a teaspoon of vanilla, with 1 cup of sour cream (many reviewers said they quite successfully substituted in Greek yogurt) and 1 and 1/4 cups white sugar.
Add 2 cups of flour, 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.  Fold in 3 cups, diced, fresh or frozen rhubarb.  Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan and top with crumble: 1/4 cup each flour and softened butter and 1 cup of sugar.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  Sprinkle with a fine dusting of icing sugar to complete your work.  Break out the fine china and linens and enjoy with a hot cup of tea and someone you love.
I think some grated lemon or orange rind would be a flavorful addition to the batter, and now that the rhubarb has run out, some apples or blackberries might work really well here, too.

Cheater Korean Beef

Bulgogi Beef, or Korean beef, is not difficult to make, but the meat is thinly sliced, marinated, and barbequed over a charcoal grill which does take time.  This cheater version over at Damn Delicious, is very similar in flavour and ridiculously quick to make.
I doubled the recipe and added chili-garlic hot sauce in place of the red pepper flakes. I also used a generous amount of fresh, grated ginger root in place of the powdered ginger.
I served the beef over rice, but it would also be good over noodles or wrapped in rice paper wraps with the marinated carrot, cucumber, and onions, or served rolled-up in lettuce leaves.
I topped the bowls with grated carrot, thinly sliced onion, and cucumber that I tossed with equal amounts of rice- vinegar and sugar and sprinkled everything with sesame seeds and more chili garlic hot sauce on the side.
Steam some broccoli of greens and drizzle with a little sesame oil for a quick side.
Head on over to Dinner with Julie for her version of the same dish and for a recipe for the marinated cucumber salad, which really makes this dish!

Grown-up Breakfast-For-Dinner

We often resort to a breakfast-for-dinner meal on a busy weeknight.  Eggs and toast with some beans or leftover roast meat. It's quick and filling and typically garners very few complaints from the peanut gallery.
Last night I stepped up my game (much to the kids' dismay!) They preferred my B-game and opted for pita pizza instead.  The grown-ups poached some eggs and served them over a warm lentil-veggie-bacony hash and it was fantastic!  Maybe lentils aren't your thing, but if you want a hearty, protein-rich breakfast/dinner option minus the bread, this is worth a try. This can just as easily be a meatless dish if you omit the bacon, but Jim Gaffigan's does make a pretty compelling argument for bacon in his stand-up routine which can be viewed here.
Dice 4-5 strips of good quality bacon and saute until starting to brown.  Add a finely chopped small red onion, 3 cloves of garlic, half a leek, a couple leafy stalks of celery and a couple of carrots, and continue to saute in the bacony goodness or olive oil (if you are going meatless) until the bacon is fully cooked and the veggies are tender, but not mushy.  At this point I threw in a generous splash of white wine, but chicken or veggie broth would work too.  You don't want too much liquid here, but enough that the mixture is moist, not soupy. A few big handfuls of baby spinach, stirring until wilted, followed by one 19 oz tin of rinsed, drained lentils (don't over-stir or your lentils will get mushy), and more broth if needed, salt and pepper to taste, spoon the desired amount on your bowl or plate and top with a poached egg, and voila! Grown-up breakfast-for-dinner.  For more breakfast-for-dinner inspiration, check out Buzzfeed's 31 Game-Changing Breakfast for Dinner Recipes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls

I wanted to use up the rest of my dates from Christmas, so I came up with these Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls. Sort of part peanut butter ball, part DIY Lara bar all rolled into one healthy little gem for some energy on the run, or to satisfy your sweet tooth. Packaged protein bars are like hummus to me... you can do this, people!  You can make A LOT of really yummy protein treats that taste superior to anything store-bought without a long list of ingredients, and once you make them, you will wonder why you never did it sooner.  I pretty much threw 4 basic ingredients - nuts, dates, cocoa and nut butter- into the food processor willy-nilly and rolled the mixture successfully into balls. These can easily be customized to suit your tastes with substitutions and additions as you please. 

Mix the following ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture starts to come together. Add a small amount of water (a teaspoon at a time) if the mixture appears too dry.  You may not need any.

1 cup of soft, pitted dates
1/2 cup each, almonds, walnuts and unsweetened shredded coconut
4 tablespoon of cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon of coconut oil (optional)
a splash of vanilla
a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper

Form into small bite-sized balls, roll in raw, shelled hemp seeds, and refrigerate. You can likely press the mixture into the bottom of a parchment lined square pan, refrigerate, and cut into bars if you prefer.

Experiment with different combinations of nuts, try almond butter in place of peanut butter, swap out a couple tablespoons of the cocoa powder for protein powder. North-Coast Naturals Organic Hemp Protein is my favourite brand for smoothies and such. It contains no ingredients other than pure powdered hemp.  Try some chai spice or cinnamon, roll them in toasted coconut, sesame seeds or cocoa, add some finely chopped dried fruit.  Sky's the limit here.

Atakilt Wat

This Ethiopian cabbage curry is a comforting, meatless dinner made with simple ingredients. It is traditionally served with injera, a spongy, sour, flat bread perfect for scooping up the saucey goodness.  I think the beautiful sunshine today had me thinking about summertime and this is one of my favorite dishes to eat at the Multi-Cultural Festival in June.
You can purchase injera at Kishki World Foods on Highland Road in Kitchener and there is a small Ethiopian Restaurant across the street that sells it as well, along with a few traditional spices used in many Ethiopian dishes.  I want to purchase some berbere spice and try my hand at making Misir Wat, a spicy red-lentil stew that tastes delicious with this cabbage curry and is also really simple to make.
I found my inspiration for this recipe here and followed things pretty closely.  I did not add the lentils, but the addition would morph this into a nice mash-up between the two dishes all in one pan.
I sauteed a large red onion, 3 cloves of chopped garlic, and a generous tablespoon of grated ginger root in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil (add more if needed), adding a teaspoon of tumeric and a teaspoon of cumin seeds to the pan, then stirring until everything was well-combined and fragrant.  I added about a half-a-head of chopped cabbage, a generous handful of quartered red baby potatoes, and two large carrots chopped about the same size as the potatoes.  I added a generous teaspoon of chili-garlic hot sauce (in place of the aleppo pepper), salt and pepper to taste and about a 1/4 cup of water and then let everything braise with the lid covering the pan for about 30 minutes stirring every once in awhile to ensure there was enough moisture to prevent the veggies from scorching.  At this point I threw in the remains of a bag of baby spinach just because and heated everything through until wilted.

This was very fragrant and full of flavor. The potatoes were soft and absorbed the warm, gingery garlic and spices, and the carrots and cabbage gave it a sweetness that tempered the heat.  Pull back a bit on the chili-garlic hot sauce and spices if you prefer a milder taste, but this combination was perfect for our palates that are comfortable with a bit of heat and lots of spice.