The Good Food Bully

Doggy Biscuits Delicious

2012-01-18T20:43:00.000-05:00

Peanut Butter-Nana Treats
If your dog has wheat allergies you can substitute rice or quinoa flour. You may need to add more to adjust consistency. The dough should be simple to roll out or into balls without being to sticky or too crumbly. Add water if necessary or extra flour to adjust. If you have a food processor it makes this recipe even easier. Process the apple, banana, maple syrup or honey and peanut butter until smooth. Then add flour and oats, pulse until a ball forms. Add water if necessary.

1-2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 apple, shredded
1 carrot shredded (optional)
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/8-1/4 cup raw honey or pure maple syrup
1-2 cups whole wheat, rice or quinoa flour
1 cup large flake oats, uncooked

1. Preheat oven to 350F with rack on bottom.
2. Mix bananas, apple, carrot, peanut butter and honey/maple syrup in a large bowl or food processor.
3. Add flour and oats, stir or pulse until a large ball of dough is formed.
4. You can roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut out individual cookies or roll small balls in between your hands and press down with a fork on a cookie sheet. Shape according to your dog's size.
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn off oven and let cookies sit in oven for a few hours to get crunchy.

Chicken Cheesie Crunchies
Whenever we have leftover cooked chicken or turkey pieces from a roast or scraps off the bone that you would normally throw out, keep it. Chop it up finely or process in your food process until smooth.

1 cup shredded/processed leftover cooked poultry
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 shredded carrot
1 cup cooked and pureed/finely chopped kale
1/2 cup grated cheddar/parmesan
1 cup whole wheat, rice or quinoa flour
water

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Rack on bottom of oven.
2. Mix all ingredients together well, adjust with flour and water if necessary.
3. Place small teaspoon drops onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, press down softly with a fork.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
5. Let cool and then place in a tupperware container and keep in the fridge.

Vegan Coconut Curry

2012-01-18T20:41:00.002-05:00

Vegan or Veggie Coconut Curry
Once you have purchased all the staples you can make this recipe for 4 under for under $10. Buy your spices in bulk it saves a ton of money and your Basmati Rice in the 8lb bags. No Frills in Toronto sells premium Indian Basmati Rice for 9.99 for 8lbs. That works out to .20 cents per cooked cup. Ghee is in grocery stores now but by shopping in ethnic stores you may find an even better price. Pure Indian Foods sells a premium grass fed ghee online. If you have the time, buying chickpeas dried and cooking them yourself will save even more money. Once you add in the salad, rice and whole wheat naan this meal for four is still under $20 and full of all your essential dietary needs. Enjoy.

Serves 4
Using *ghee in place of sunflower oil makes this dish vegetarian and much more rich and authentic in taste.

1 can organic chickpeas, drained
1 can coconut milk
1 28 oz can organic whole tomatoes
2-3 tbsp sunflower oil or 1/4 cup *ghee (adjust to own preference)
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced (optional, but important for flavour)
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 jalapeno pepper (optional: with seeds=spicy, 1/2 with seeds= medium spice, 1/2+seeded=mild)
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
2-3 teaspoons garam masala powder
2-3 teaspoons ground cumin
2-3 teaspoons turmeric powder
sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

1. In a large heavy bottomed pot heat oil or ghee. Add carrots and saute 5 minutes. Add onions and saute 10 minutes more until soft.
2. Add garlic, ginger and jalapeno pepper. Saute 5 minutes, careful not to burn the garlic, reduce heat if necessary.
3. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Stir in well.
4. Add coconut milk and chickpeas.
5. Add the curry powder, garam masala, cumin, turmeric and salt and pepper. Stir well. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let cook for about ten minutes. **Check the flavour and adjust the spices to your own preference.
6. The curry is ready to eat but letting it simmer for a while enhances the flavours.

* Ghee: is a savory, delicious alternative to butter or oil. It is clarified butter and adds a rich, authentic taste to any South Asian dish. Read more about it here: www.pureindianfoods.com

Serve this curry with basmati rice, some naan bread and a fresh side salad for a filling and delicious meatless meal.

Kale, Rapini, Spinach and Squash Recipes and Ideas

2012-01-18T20:39:00.000-05:00

Kristi's Kale/Spinach Salad

1 head of kale or spinach, washed and torn into bite sized pieces

1 tbsp olive oil

125 g of pancetta, chopped into small cubes

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 red onion, sliced into small rings, then halved

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced or diced

1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts

*your favourite blue cheese dressing

* I like to take my caesar dressing recipe and stir in a block of blue cheese crumbled, juice of one lemon and some sour cream, adjust to desired consistency.

1. Make the dressing and toss the kale with it well, massage it into the leaves even. Set aside.

2. Place oil in frying pan over medium high heat and add pancetta. Cook until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels and cool.

3. Place nuts on a cookie sheet and set under broiler, tossing and watching closely until browned, remove and cool.

4. Slice mushrooms, eggs and onion and place in a bowl.

5. Toss kale and dressing with cooled pancetta and onion and place in refrigerator for an hour or more.

6. Just before serving, layer mushrooms and egg over salad, sprinkle with nuts and serve.

*If using spinach just keep the dressing on the side and toss everything just before serving.

Kale Caesar: make your favourite Caesar recipe and use kale in place of the romaine, toss with the dressing, let marinate for 1-2 hours. I recommend homemade croutons, Parmesan Reggiano and fresh creamy homemade dressing. I can't give you mine, it's top secret and spectacular!

Kale Crisps: This recipe is under the Krazy for Kale blog I did in May, I think. A delicious, healthy substitute for chips. Check it out.

Rapini with Roasted Garlic

*this recipe is great with Brussel sprouts too!

one head of rapini or two cups of brussel sprouts

one head of roasted garlic

sea salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

olive oil for cooking

1. Wash, trim and blanch the rapini in a large pot of boiling water for approximately 3 minutes. Set in an ice bath, then blot dry.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add rapini and fry gently for a few minutes or until tender, taking care not to over cook.

3. Remove from heat. Squeeze cloves of garlic from their skin and add to the rapini along with the salt and pepper. Toss well.

4. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top, Serve immediately.

*other options are:

- fry the rapini in olive oil with chili flakes(or a favourite spice) and salt and pepper.

- toss the blanched rapini with butter, salt, pepper and toasted pine nuts.

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

Roasting broccoli and cauliflower give them a sweeter flavour. Try sprinkling them with sharp cheddar right after they come out of the oven to elevate it to a decadent level. Kids will finally eat their veggies now.

1 head of broccoli

1 head of cauliflower(try using a purple or yellow one for a beautiful presentation)

olive oil

sea salt and pepper

two cups grated sharp cheddar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Wash and cut broccoli and cauliflower into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl.

3. Drizzle olive oil over veggies and toss to coat, adding more until all the pieces are lightly covered. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper over, toss well.

4. Spread veggies on a large baking sheet.

5. Place on bottom rack and cook for 10 minutes. Stir, toss, flip the veggies around and then cook for approximately 5-1o minutes more.

6. Remove from oven when they are slightly crispy on the edges. Sprinkle with cheese, if using. Serve immediately.

More ideas for...

Carrots

- cut into bite sized pieces, toss with honey, roast at 400F on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan for 45 minutes, turning a few times.

- grate over salads

- make a carrot coleslaw, add grated beet to it and toss with a tangy vinaigrette.

Squashes

- Butternut squash: cut in half, place flesh side up in a rimmed baking dish, place 1/4 inch on water in the bottom, cover with foil. Roast at 375F for 45 minutes or until a fork pierces it easily. Scoop out flesh, mash it with butter and salt and pepper.

- Spaghetti squash: use it in place of noodles with your favourite pasta sauce

-Pumpkin: cut the flesh of the pumpkin up into small pieces. Save the seed. Toss with olive oil and roast on a baking sheet for 45 minutes at 400F. Remove from oven. Mash with butter, sea salt, pepper and cinnamon.

*Pumpkin seeds are highly nutritious. You can dry them and eat them raw or toss them with olive oil and sea salt and roast in the oven until golden brown. Delicious!

Mac'n Cheese: Angus Style

2012-01-18T20:36:00.000-05:00

Mac n Cheese Angus Style

*note Pecorino and Reggiano cheeses are made from whole raw milk that comes from untreated cows, so never worry about them.

8 tablespoons of unsalted butter (1 stick)

5 1/2 cups of organic whole milk

1/2 cup all purpose organic flour

4 cups grated extra old cheddar cheese

1 cup grated gruyere cheese

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

2 teaspoons of sea salt

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (this will not make it spicy but will bring out the flavour of the cheeses only)

1 pound, 454 g, of elbow macaroni (you may use rice pasta here if necessary)

6 thick slices of Belgian or French bread cut into 1/2 inch chunks.

1. Heat oven to 375F. Butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish. **Make sure not to miss this step or your macaroni will stick and it will ruin the dish.

2. Cook macaroni in a large pot of salted water. **Make sure to cook it 2-3 minutes less than the manufacturer's directions, make sure to do this or your baked dish will be overdone and the pasta will be mushy.

3. Once the pasta is done, drain and rinse well under cold water. Set aside.

4. Place the bread in a large bowl. Melt two tablespoons of the butter and pour over the bread, toss to coat. Set aside.

5. Grate and measure all your cheeses. If you have a grating attachment on your food processor, use it, it's wonderfully quick.

6. Place all the cheeses in a large bowl and combine them well. Remove two cups of cheese from the mixture and set aside with the breadcrumbs.

7. In a saucepan over medium heat, gently heat the milk. Stirring occasionally.

8. Once the milk is almost simmering, turn off the heat.

9. In another saucepan, heat the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat, when the butter sizzles, whisk in the flour. Continue whisking for one minute.

10. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk, continue whisking until the sauce is smooth and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and begins to bubble.

11. Remove milk from heat and whisk in the salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Add all the cheeses except the reserved 2 cups. Stir well until fully incorporated into the sauce.

12. In a large bowl, combine the cheese sauce with the pasta, stirring well, pour into the buttered casserole dish and top with the remaining cheeses and bread crumbs.

13. Bake on the lower rack for 30-40 minutes or until bubbling and the breadcrumbs are browned on top.

14. Take your belt off or loosen the top button to your pants and dig in. Yummy decadence!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple and Sweet Potato Soup

2012-01-18T20:34:00.000-05:00

I love this soup. It's delicious and full of vitamins, minerals and fiber. And it's so easy! Fall is the perfect time to make it since most of the ingredients are in season. You can use homemade vegetable stock or buy low sodium organic stock. A dollop of sour cream on top takes it to the next level of dee-lish. I hope you love it.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple and Sweet Potato Soup

1 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cut into small chunks

2 onions, peeled and quartered

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

3-4 tart apples, peeled, and quartered

3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled

5 cups of veggie stock

extra virgin olive oil

salt, pepper and chili powder to taste

sour cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. In a large roasting pan toss all the apples and vegetables with enough olive oil to coat.

3. Season with the salt, pepper and chili powder.

4. Roast for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. They are ready when a fork pierces the pieces easily.

5. In batches, place the vegetables with some stock in a food processor and puree into well blended.

6. Return the pureed mixture to the pot. Adjust consistency with stock if needed.

7. Adjust to taste with the salt, pepper and chili powder, you could also add a pinch of nutmeg, if you like. Make it your own.

8. Heat to a simmer.

9. Serve with sour cream and crusty 12 grain bread for a perfect fall meal.

*picture courtesy of Justin spying on me while making this soup.

3 Soul Warming Soups: Split Pea, Chicken and Roasted Tomato

2012-01-18T20:30:00.000-05:00

Some Savory Soups

Split Pea with Ham

note: can be made vegetarian, just omit the ham and use extra vegetable stock for flavour

1 ham hock

2 cups dried green split peas, rinsed well

8 cups of water

2 cups of veggie stock

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 potatoes, cut into small cubes

2 cloves garlic

1/2 lb cooked ham, cut into bite sized pieces

1 bouquet garni * (see below)

sea salt and pepper to taste

Bouquet Garni

Note: Bouquet Garni is basically any kind of combination of fresh herbs and spices wrapped in a cheesecloth and added to soups, stocks and stews to add flavour without making a mess. They can vary in the spice combination to compliment whatever dish they are flavouring)

2-3 sprigs of thyme

2-3 sprigs of parsley

white part of one green onion, split

peppercorns

*Wrap all ingredients in a cheesecloth and tie tightly.

1. In a large soup pot combine the water, veggie stock, split peas and ham hock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for one hour.

2. After one hour add carrots, onion, garlic, celery, salt, pepper and bouquet garni and simmer for 1 hour more.

3. Remove ham hock to cool, add potatoes and more water/stock if necessary to adjust consistency. Bring to a boil one again, then reduce and simmer 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cooked cubed ham pieces to warm and if desired, remove the skin, fat and bone from the ham hock and pull away pieces of meat to add to the soup.

4. Adjust to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the bouquet garni and discard.

5. Serve with warm toasty bread, yum!

This soup makes about ten good sized servings and will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. It also freezes beautifully. A tasty and hearty meal for little money. That's what I like.

Chicken Soup For a Food Bully's Soul

This recipe is sooo easy, especially if you already have stock made. You can also use store bought organic stock, but it'll cost ya.

Another option is to buy a chicken that has already been roasted, just pull off all the meat and make the stock from the leftover carcass, use the meat for your soup)

6 cups homemade chicken stock

2 carrots, cut into bite size pieces

2 ribs of celery, diced

1 onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic (optional, but if you want to kick the crap out of your cold, use it!)

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped finely (optional)

Bouquet Garni (2 sprigs each of rosemary, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, sage)

2 cups cooked chicken chunks (leftovers from the night before)

300 g of whole wheat spaghetti noodles, broken into 2-3 inches pieces (optional)

sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the stock in a large soup/stock pot over medium heat.

2. Saute onions, celery and carrots in olive oil for 5 minutes, add garlic and jalapeno pepper if using, saute 5 minutes more, careful not to burn the garlic.

3. Add vegetables, salt, pepper and bouquet garni to the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender.

5. Add chicken pieces to warm through and then add the noodles for approx. 10 minutes, checking to see when they are al dente.

6. Remove bouquet garni, adjust to taste with salt and pepper and serve with crackers, delish!

You can always adjust the stock or water amount if you like a thinner or thicker soup. Spice it up if you like or throw in a dollop of sour cream. Instead of noodles, you could add potatoes or rice. Sometimes I'll throw in some white wine too, why not. Make it your own and love it!

Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

Tomatoes and are in abundance right now, fresh, juicy and delicious. My basil in the garden is growing out of control so, after making a bunch of pesto to freeze, I'm using the rest in soups and sauces before the frost comes.

4 cups of homemade or organic vegetable broth

3 lbs of fresh tomatoes

4 large red bell peppers

2 shallots

1 head garlic

2 cups fresh basil

sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Wash, core and slice bell peppers in half, place on a baking sheet, skin side up, brush with olive oil.

3. Slice the tops off the shallots and garlic head and place in a small baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, cover dish with foil.

4. Bake the garlic/shallots and red peppers for 30-45 minutes. (Garlic and shallots should be golden brown, red peppers: slightly blackened)

5. Wash and slice tomatoes in half and place on a large baking sheet.

6. Remove peppers, shallots and garlic from oven, let cool

7. Place the tomatoes on the bottom rack, cook for 30 minutes.

8. While the tomatoes are cooking, heat the vegetable stock in a large pot gently over medium heat. Peel the shallots and garlic and add to the stock. Peel the thin skin off the bell peppers and add to the stock.

9. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and scoop into the stock. Add the basil, salt and pepper. Stir well.

10. Using a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches, setting aside each smooth batch in one large bowl until finished.

11. Return pureed soup to soup pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

12. I sometimes peel, seed and chop 2-3 tomatoes and add them in for some chunkiness if you like. Do it before the last 30 minutes of simmering

**Optional: you may also add 1 cup of organic heavy cream with a pinch of nutmeg to make this an irresistible Cream of Tomato soup

Serve with freshly shaved parmesan cheese, sour cream and a toasted buttery baguette. Magnifico!

I will be posting a different soup every 1-2 weeks over the fall so check back for new ones. Remember, you can freeze all of these and they all make multiple meals. Enjoy

Jerk Chicken

2012-01-18T20:26:00.002-05:00

Fired Up Jerk Chicken

Scotch Bonnet and Habanero chilies are extremely hot peppers from the same species. Scotch Bonnet peppers are cultivated from Habaneros and have a distinct flavour that give jerk dishes their unique taste. They are the traditional chilies to use with jerk chicken but you can use Habaneros if necessary. The peppers range in colour from green to orange, yellow, red and even stripes of all these colours. They are exceptionally hot, ranging from 100,000-350,000 Scoville Units. These units were designed, by a botanist of the same name, to measure degree of heat of different peppers. By comparison a Jalapeno pepper has an average Scoville Unit of 4000. So we are talking some Habanero heat, baby!

**Plan ahead so that the chicken can marinate overnight and up to 24 hours. Make sure to take care when handling the peppers, if possible, wear gloves when chopping and rubbing the chicken with the marinade. Wash everything throughly that touched the seeds and take care not to touch your face until you've washed your hands well. My nose burned for three hours one time after gently scratching it, seriously.

Serves 8

5 fresh Scotch Bonnet or Habanero chilies, seeded and finely chopped

2 small yellow onions, chopped

8 cloves of garlic, minced

8 green onions, chopped

1 large bunch of thyme, leaves peeled off and chopped

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons of ground allspice

2 tablespoons of kosher salt

2 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup of soy sauce

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil

freshly ground pepper

5-6 drumsticks, 2 chicken breasts, bone in, 2 chicken legs, thigh attached

I like to use a mortar and pestle to grind the chilies, garlic and thyme together to release the oils and bring out a richer flavour. You can do that first, then add to the food processor with the remaining ingredients. But for convenience, just throw it all into a food processor.

1. Make marinade: Process onion, green onion, garlic, chilies and thyme in a food processor until they form a rough paste. Add brown sugar, allspice, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, pepper and oil and process until smooth.

2. Save some marinade for brushing chicken while grilling, about a cup. Transfer marinade to a large bowl. Add the chicken and cover with the marinade. Put on latex gloves and rub the chicken well, trying to get the marinade under the skin and all over. Cover tightly and refrigerate over night and up to the following day.

3. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before grilling, about an hour. Remove extra 1 cup of "clean" marinade from refrigerator to come to room temp. as well.

4. Heat charcoal grill to low (for the best flavour, you must use a charcoal grill). Place chicken, skin side down and discard old marinade. Grill chicken, brushing occasionally with the reserved cup of fresh marinade, until the skin sides are well browned and not charred, about 25-30 minutes. Turn chicken and continue cooking and basting for about 20 minutes more. Wrap in foil and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serve with grilled pineapple, a crisp salad and rice and beans.

*picture of Scotch bonnet peppers courtesy of flickr.com

The Best Burgers Ever!

2012-01-18T20:23:00.002-05:00

Blue Angus Burgers

**You should know by now that when I talk meat, I'm talking the best cuts you can get, organic, naturally and humanely raised, free to roam and root, fed food that nature designed for that animal, blah, blah, blah...plus, have it ground the same day and don't freeze it. Be gentle when tossing it, handle it like a pair of sensitive testes, haha.

1 pound ground chuck
1 pound ground top sirloin

1 onion, minced finely (or roasted with garlic)

1 head of garlic, roasted (optional)

1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

2 tbsp BBQ sauce (homemade) or Kozlicks Rib-E-Que Sauce

1 pkg blue cheese or unsalted butter cut into small cubes

freshly cracked pepper
kosher salt

1. Throw everything in a bowl, with clean hands mix the ingredients gently.

2. Shape the patties. Make an indentation in the middle.

3. Press the blue cheese or butter cube inside, then close the patty around it.

4. **After cooking, loosely tent/wrap with foil and let stand 5-10 minutes to get a nice juicy burger.

5. The buns and topping are just as important to elevate your burger to levels of perfection.

I like fresh portuguese buns, Fred's Brioche Buns or homemade. Caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, bacon or pancetta, guacamole and fresh heirloom tomatoes are some of our favourites.

A charcoal grill will give the best flavour, period. So, if you have one, please use it to get a superior burger and only ever use natural lump charcoal. Treated charcoal has chemicals on it that burn off and seep into your food, eww, gross!

Quinoa Fresh Herb Salad

2012-01-18T20:19:00.000-05:00

Quinoa Fresh Herb Salad

Quinoa is cooked similar to rice. 1 cup of rinsed quinoa to 2 cups of water. Bring water to a boil, add 1 tsp of sea salt and the quinoa. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork. Let cool. I am always guessing with the exact amounts, because I usually cook by taste, just throwing ingredients in and tasting, so you may have to tweak the recipe below to your own taste.

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 tomato, diced

1 orange pepper, diced

1/2 cup cucumber, diced

6-8 sun dried tomatoes in oil, sliced thinly

1 clove garlic(optional)

1 tbsp finely minced onion

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

handful of fresh basil chopped

handful of fresh mint, chopped

juice of one lemon

a drizzle of olive oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

Toss well. If you can have dairy, a little fresh feta or chevre would be nice crumbled on top. Enjoy.

*picture courtesy of myself

Fantastic Fish Tacos

2012-01-18T20:17:00.001-05:00

*Make sure that you purchase fresh, organic, wild caught pacific white snapper, catfish or tilapia. I prefer catfish for this recipe, it's meaty and moist.

www.monteraybayaquarium.com is a great link to research what fish is sustainable and safe to eat.

Here's what you'll need. Recipes are below. Serves 4

4 filets of catfish, snapper or tilapia

Kristi's Dry Rub

8 small La Tortilla Factory wraps (*read note below)

Black Bean and Mango Salsa

Guacamole

Organic sour cream(optional)

Raw milk mild organic cheddar (an option is rice cheese if you are lactose intolerant)

Fresh pineapple, 4 rings, core removed

*note about wraps: many wraps out there are touted as healthy, but they have a lot of corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and additives in them. Buy ones that are made from whole grains or brown rice if you have gluten problems. Read the labels. See that they contain expeller pressed canola oil, not palm oils, and as many natural ingredients as possible. La Tortilla Factory makes great ones for tacos.

Kristi's Dry Rub

I love this multipurpose rub. I give it as a gift in Christmas baskets. It's so easy to make and can be used on so many things. A quick sprinkle, add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime and you've got your meat spiced and ready to cook.

1/2 cup of paprika

1/4 cup ground cumin

1/4 cup chili powder

1/4 cup organic cane sugar (may be omitted or reduced, but it will change the flavour, it helps caramelize the meat)

4 tbsp mustard powder

1/4 cup kosher salt (*must be kosher, otherwise it will be too salty and dry the meat)

3 tbsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder (*powder, not salt)

1 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients well in a big bowl. Transfer to a glass jar with lid or tightly sealed tupperware container. Lasts up to six months.

Black Bean and Mango Salsa

I like to dice everything roughly the same size

1 can organic black beans (*make sure you rinse the beans)

1-2 ripe mangoes, diced

1 organic tomato, diced

1 orange, red or yellow bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, chopped

one quarter of an onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

juice of one lime

1 hot red chili pepper, minced finely

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

sea salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and taste. Add more spices to suit your own taste. You may need to add more lime juice or a splash of hot sauce. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to blend the flavours then try again. Make it your own.

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados, diced

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)

1/4 cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 tsp sea salt

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mash together with a fork, mixing well. Adjust to desired taste with more salt, lime juice or hot peppers/hot sauce.

Freakin' Fantastic Fish Tacos

1. Take your fish filets, place in a large baking dish and squeeze some fresh lime juice over them.

2. Sprinkle both sides with the rub and let stand for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, grate the cheese and set out with sour cream, salsa and guacamole in dishes.

4. If using a charcoal grill, heat coals.

5. Preheat oven to 200F.

6. Set a plate with a tea towel in oven on lowest rack. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in frying pan over medium high heat.

7. Lightly brown tortillas in oil then wrap in the tea towel in the oven until ready to eat.

(*this is optional, you may just eat the tortillas cold, but the browning gives a really nice

texture)

8. Grill the fish and pineapple slices. Wrap in foil and let stand for 5 minutes.

9. Cut the fish and pineapple into small pieces, place on the centre of the tortillas and then pile on all the toppings however you like. Fold and eat them open ended, don't try to wrap them. Delicious!

Krunchy Kale Chips

2012-01-18T20:12:00.000-05:00

Kristi's "Krazy Sexy Cool Kale Krisps"...Yeah Baby!

1 big bunch of organic curly kale

1 handful of cashews, walnuts or almonds

(these should be ground in a food processor or chopped and mashed very finely and buy in bulk at health food stores, it's much cheaper)

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1/2 tsp of red pepper like cayenne (optional)

1 tsp sea salt

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Wash and dry kale.

3. Pull the curly leaves away from the center stem. Discard stem. Rip pieces into small bite size bits, rolling between fingers if desired.

4. Place kale bits in a large bowl and drizzle olive oil over to coat.

5. Wash hands and then using hands rub olive oil over all the leaves, making sure to coat well.

6. Sprinkle ground nuts, parmesan cheese, sea salt and cayenne pepper over kale.

7. Using hands once again, rub and work all the oil, nuts, cheese and spice over the leaves.

8. Place the leaves on a baking sheet, side by side and not piled on top of each other, and bake on the bottom rack for 7 minutes. Remove from oven, toss kale and return to oven for 8 minutes more.

9. Check to see if desired consistency has been reached. Let cool for 15 minutes. You can eat right away or store in a tight plastic container or sealed bag.

10. Feel free to experiment and add whatever you think would be a yummy, all natural flavouring to your krisps. Have fun and enjoy.

Curried Lentils (Dahl)

2012-01-18T20:10:00.000-05:00

Kristi's Dal-ling Dinner

Serves 4

1 cup mung or moong green lentils (washed, soaked overnight, and cooked according to package directions)

2 cups uncooked Indian basmati rice (washed and cooked according to package directions.)

Masala:

Masala can mean two things. First it means "spice," both individually or when a dry spice mixture is made. So cumin is a masala and so is garam masala, which is a blend of spices. Second, masala also means spices added to an onion, garlic, ginger, tomato mixture which you prepare before adding to your meats, vegetables or legumes. The following is a masala to add to the lentils.

1/3 cup of ghee or *3 tbsp canola oil (you may substitute oil for ghee, but it won't taste the same)

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes plus 2 tbsp of juice from can (if using canned, remove tomatoes from the juice and rinse)

2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced

2 tbsp fresh garlic, finely minced(optional but will lose some flavour if omitted)

1 tbsp fresh jalapeno pepper, finely minced (optional)

2 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp garam masala

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp turmeric

sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

1 cup organic veggie broth

1 bunch of fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

pinch of cayenne

1. Have the lentils already cooked before you start the masala. Have all the ingredients washed, chopped, peeled and ready to add to the masala as you cook. The rice can be started then as well.

2. In a heavy bottomed pot or large frying pan, heat the ghee over medium high heat until completely melted.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook 8-10 minutes.

4. Stir in ginger and garlic, saute for 2-3 minutes then add tomatoes and jalapeno pepper, cook for 5 minutes more.

5. Reduce heat to low and add the cumin, curry, garam masala, turmeric, pinch cayenne, salt and pepper.

6. Add veggie stock, 2 tbsps of tomato juice and stir well. If using a large pot, add lentils to the masala and stir or place lentils in a pot and pour masala over top, stirring well.

7. Let cook gently for 5 minutes, now taste it to see if it needs more salt or spices.

If it's too thick you can add more veggie stock or some more of the reserved tomato juice.

8. Stir in cilantro.

9. Just before serving, stir in the spinach until it's just wilted.

Serve in big bowls with hot basmati rice and warm naan bread.

**My recipe for fresh baked whole wheat naan bread will be coming soon.

It tastes better the next day, you can make ahead then just gently warm. Or, if you have leftovers, you can add enough vegetable stock to make it into a lentil soup. Enjoy!

Honey, Lemon and Ginger Tea for Your Health

2012-01-18T20:07:00.000-05:00

The Food Bully "Kickin Up Yo' Health" Tea

1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 lemon

2 tsp raw honey

1 tsp cinnamon

organic white, green or herbal tea of your choice

1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)

Fill the kettle, boil water. Meanwhile divide ginger into two tea cups. Place 1 tsp of raw honey, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, juice of half a lemon and a tea bag into each cup. Pour boiled water over and let steep 2-3 minutes. You may filter or strain tea but the chunks of ginger are good for you. If using the garlic, stir in at the last minute to preserve nutrients. Have this once a day if healthy, but if you are sick, drink 3-4 times a day.

Spanish Tapas and Sangria

2012-01-18T20:02:00.000-05:00

Guacamole

2 large ripe avocados, diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (adjust to taste)

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1-2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mash together with a fork. For a smoother consistency, place in a food processor. You may add some chopped red onion or fresh tomatoes if you like. Serve with organic whole wheat or corn tortilla chips.

Fresh Salsa

3-4 organic vine ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced finely

1 red pepper, diced finely

1 green pepper, diced finely

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 small onion, diced finely

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

juice of half a lime, or to taste

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp of sugar

sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and gently toss. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes for the flavours to marry. Serve with tortilla chips.

*Note: storing tomatoes in the refrigerator ruins their flavour. Always store tomatoes on the counter or in your fruit bowl.

Chorizo Salsa Crisps

4 large whole wheat, spelt, brown rice or kamut tortillas

1/2 lb of organic chorizo sausage (preferably Beretta Farms or handmade and nitrate free)

1 lrg organic tomato, seeded and finely diced

1/4 red onion, finely minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 avocado, minced

1/3 cup of thick(preferably Greek) yoghurt

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

Remove sausages from casing and cook over medium high heat until browned well.

Remove from pan with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Saute garlic and onion in sausage fat 1-2 minutes or until onion is translucent. Remove garlic and onion and add to sausage. Cool.

Meanwhile dice the tomato, onion and avocado, place in a small bowl. Add balsamic vinegar and toss.

In a separate bowl place yoghurt and cilantro together and stir. Set aside.

Add sausage mixture to tomato mixture, stir well, add salt and pepper to taste.

Take the large tortillas and cut into small triangles or use a round cookie cutter to make small, bite sized discs.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add tortillas, working in batches, browning on each side. Place on crumpled paper towels in a warm oven.

When finished cooking set the tortilla crisps on a platter place a spoonful of chorizo salsa on top of each and then finish with a small dollop of the yoghurt mixture.

*The tortilla crisping stage is optional but it's worth the effort. If you chose not to do it, just serve the salsa on an assortment of tortilla chips, toasted bread or crackers and the dollop of yoghurt.

Ceviche

*Note: you can any firm whitefish, squid, octopus, prawns or scallops but please make sure you check my link, www.montereybayaquarium.com , for information on the best fish to buy and what to avoid.

1 lb of wild caught Pacific white snapper or tilapia

1 cup lemon or lime juice

2 mild red chilies, chopped

1/3 cup of fresh cilantro

2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

juice of one lime

drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

Place fish in a glass or ceramic bowl and cover with the lemon/lime juice.

Cover with plastic and set in fridge for 2-12 hours or until the fish turns opaque.

In a bowl combine the chilies, cilantro, basil, garlic, juice of lime, olive oil and salt and pepper. When he fish is ready, remove from the juice, rinse and chop into tiny chunks.

Toss the fish with the chili sauce.

Refrigerate for 4 hours more.

Serve with crackers or lettuce cups.

Spanish Style Beef Kebabs

1 lb of organic grass fed beef tenderloin

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup of lemon juice

2 tsp paprika

large pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

sea salt for sprinkling

wooden skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes

Cut tenderloin into 3/4 inch pieces.

Combine the steak, garlic, parsley,lemon juice, paprika, cayenne pepper, vinegar, olive oil and pepper in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Marinate the steak in the refrigerator for minimum 2 hours and up to overnight.

Before cooking, remove steak from fridge and let come to room temperature, about an hour. Meanwhile soak skewers.

When ready, thread skewers with the tenderloin pieces and cook over a *charcoal grill (or gas) for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked.

When the meat is done, wrap loosely with foil and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

* a charcoal grill will always give a much tastier and richer flavour to your grilled food. Make sure you use natural lump charcoal, untreated, as briquettes will release some of the chemicals used to treat them into your meat.

Red Sangria

1 peach, pitted and sliced

1 apricot, pitted and sliced

5-10 organic strawberries, sliced

1 seedless orange, sliced thinly

2 tbsp superfine(castor or instant dissolving) sugar

1 bottle of Spanish red wine such as a Rioja or Bordeaux

1/4 cup of orange liqueur, Grand Marnier or Cointreau

1/4 cup of peach schnapps (optional)

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Combine fruit and sugar in a pitcher and toss. Let sit for one hour.

Add wine, orange juice, orange liqueur, peach schnapps and 5 ice cubes. Stir well.

Chill in fridge for one more hour.

*If the peaches and apricots are not in season, use a mixture of organic berries to make a berry sangria, you can even buy frozen, just let them thaw and drain in a colander before using.

White Sangria

1/2 of a honeydew or cantaloupe melon, cut into chunks

1 peach, sliced into wedges

5-10 strawberries, sliced

5-10 green seedless grapes, sliced in half

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tbsp superfine sugar

1/4 cup of Grand Marnier

1/4 cup Peach Schnapps

1 bottle chilled white Spanish wine

Combine fruit, sugar and lime juice in a pitcher and toss. Let sit for one hour.

Add wine, Grand Marnier and Peach Schnapps, stir well.

Chill for one hour more.

Chili Con Carne

2012-01-18T19:59:00.001-05:00

Here's your chance to get in one last comfort food meal before the barbeque is pulled out. Spring brings lots of rain and what better way to fight it than with a big pot of yummy chili. I gave a carnivore version and a herbivore version so everyone can get along just fine. You can even split it up into two pots and add the meat or extra beans later for those families with Carnies and Herbies trying to live in peace under one roof.

*Note: To be made vegetarian, just omit the meat and add extra beans or pre cooked lentils. I also would prefer if the beans used were bought dried and cooked at home. This eliminates any preservatives that may be added and the potential harm of bisphenol A leaking from the cans into your beans. I do understand that time is a concern, so if using canned beans, please rinse the beans well in a colander before adding to the chili.

1 lb of organic grass fed ground beef

1 lb certified organic hot italian sausage(can be beef or pork)

1 large onion, diced

2 tbsp olive oil

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

3-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 28 oz can organic, preservative free, tomatoes

1 can peaches and cream corn ( optional, it's hard to digest for some people)

1 can organic black beans

1 can organic white navy beans

1 can organic beans of your choice or pre cooked lentils

2 jalapeno peppers, sliced in half, seeds removed, minced (amount of peppers can vary to taste)

2 tbsp cumin powder

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper(optional)

15 dashes of worchestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Over medium high heat in a large heavy bottomed pot or large frying pan, begin to brown beef. Remove sausage from it's casing and add to beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Once meat is browned, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, set aside. Drain fat from pan.

(Sorry Herbies, please ignore prior instructions)

Heat olive oil over medium high heat, add onions and saute for 1-2 minutes.

Add carrots, celery and jalapenos and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add some salt to the vegetables to help release flavour.

Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes longer.

Add the can of tomatoes with their juice and break up the pieces with a wooden spoon.

Add the beans, corn and meat, stirring everything together, you may need to transfer to a big pot if using a frying pan at this point.

Add the cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, worchestershire sauce, bay leaves and salt and pepper. Stir well.

Bring chili to a boil, then reduce to low and cook for 2-3 hours, stirring often. You may add some water or stock if it's too thick, wine works too if you don't mind sharing.

*If you decide to add the lentils to the chili do so during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

After the chili has had some time to simmer the flavours together, taste and adjust the seasonings to your own preference. I sometimes add a pinch of brown sugar or nutmeg with a dollop of cream to make it a bit savory. Add some good hot sauce, like Grace, if you like to spice it up baby!

Options: Serve with grated organic sharp raw milk cheddar, some salsa, guacamole, organic meadows sour cream, stone ground wheat tortillas, multigrain bread, or a salad. You can serve it with all, some or none, whatever you like. Enjoy

This makes a big ole' pot, good for a big family meal or 2-3 meals for a couple. Freeze the leftovers in small containers, you'll have a quick meal for a later date.

Pesto Genovese

2012-01-18T19:54:00.002-05:00

“The Best” Pesto Genovese

*I prefer to use whole wheat pasta for this recipe, the nutty flavour compliments the sauce and it’s healthier for you. You can substitute spelt, kamut or rice pasta for people with wheat sensitivities, though the rice pasta is safest since spelt and kamut are still wheat.

1 450g box or bag of Penne, Rotini or sturdy ridge filled pasta

2 cups of fresh basil leaves, washed dried and loosely packed

½ cup extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (you can do this under the broiler, keep an eye on them, they toast quickly)

4 large cloves of garlic, minced (try to buy Ontario grown, it has much better flavour than the dried out bulbs from China)

1 teaspoon sea salt

*½-1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus extra for sprinkling on pasta(depends on level of cheese love, mine is 1 cup, oh yeah baby!)

2 tablespoons Pecorino Romano

3 tablespoons *unsalted butter, softened

Put basil, olive oil, pine nuts garlic, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until smooth, I prefer a blender to get a smoother sauce. Transfer to a bowl. Cook your pasta according to package directions. Just before tossing the pasta with the sauce, stir in the cheeses and butter into the sauce then add the pasta. Serve with a nice leafy green salad. Serves 4

The Best Pizza Dough and Sauce

2012-01-18T19:48:00.000-05:00

*Preheat oven to 500F. Place the pizza stone in the oven while preheating. Let it heat for at least 30-45 minutes. Have a bowl of olive oil, a brush and oven mitts close by.

Pizza Dough

**Make sure to check the expiry date of the yeast you buy. If it's expired, it won't rise. Find a warm, draft free area in the house to rise the dough, but not too hot. A sunny window ledge is good. Do not put the bowl over some heater thinking it's a good thing. I like to place the bowl on top or beside the stove while I roast the garlic for the tomato sauce. The warmth from the oven helps activate the yeast.

Makes 3 large pizzas ( feeds 4, really hungry people)

1 envelope active dry yeast (* do not by quick rising yeast)

1 tsp sugar (can use raw or cane sugar if desired)

1 1/4 cups warm water

3 1/2 cups unbleached organic white flour or whole wheat flour (or whatever substitution you desire, just make sure to make the proper adjustments to measurements. If you have any questions, place it in the comment section and I can give you the proper substitution)

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp olive oil, (plus more for brushing on crust)

1. Combine the yeast, sugar and water in a large bowl, whisking to mix. Cover with a tea towel and let stand for 10 minutes. After, it should look foamy.

2. Place the flour and the salt in a food processor and pulse to mix.

3. Add the yeast water mixture and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and run the machine in short pulsing bursts until a dough comes together.

4. The dough should be moist but not sticky, if so sprinkle more flour on top.

5. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead by hand for a few minutes. Forming a soft, smooth, beautiful dough.

6. Lightly coat a bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat, then cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel and let rise in a warm area for approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes.

7. Punch dough down and let rise again for 1-2 hours, until doubled in bulk.

8. When ready to assemble pizza, take dough out of bowl, place on lightly floured surface, knead gently and then form a long roll. Cut the dough into 3 even pieces.

9. Take each piece and lightly knead to form a smooth round ball. Press down with the heel of your hand to make a nicely shaped disc. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel until ready to use.

10. When ready, roll out each disc, one at a time, to the circumference of your pizza stone. Then fold into a square package to easily lift onto the pizza stone and then fold out over the stone.

11. Pull the stone out of the oven, on the rack. If you can place the stone on a heat proof surface or wood cutting board, then do so. If not, do not remove the stone or rack from the oven, just pull the oven rack out with the door open and then pick up the dough and carefully fold it over the stone. Brush the entire pizza with olive oil, then ladle pizza sauce over it. Add your cheese choice and then the toppings.

12. Bake for 10 minutes, check, then if the crust isn't golden and the cheese bubbling, cook a few minutes more.

13. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Pizza Sauce

1 28 oz can of San Marzano, organic or the equivalent of home grown tomatoes

(about three cups, seeded, peeled and chopped)

1 head of roasted garlic

1 roasted onion

1 cup fresh basil leaves

2 small red chili peppers, minced (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place garlic and onion, both with tops cut off and olive oil drizzled over, in a baking dish, and cover with foil. Bake on the bottom rack for 45 minutes. Then...cool.

2. Meanwhile place tomatoes in a saucepan over medium-high heat.

3. Add 1 cup of loose, washed basil leaves.

4. Squeeze garlic and onion into the sauce.

5. Add hot chili peepers, if desired, to the sauce.

6. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat. Let simmer for about an hour.

7. Then, pour the sauce into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return to the pot.

8. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

9. Return to a simmer and cook over low heat, for one hour or more, with no lid. Stirring occasionally. Adjust to taste.

Roasting Garlic and Onion

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2.Take the garlic head and carefully cut the top off so that the tops of the cloves are exposed but the rest of the skin is intact. Cut the very top and the very bottom off the onion, leaving the rest of the skin on. Then place in a baking dish and drizzle both with olive oil. Cover with foil.

3. Cook garlic and/or onion for 45 minutes.

4. Let cool. Remove from skins. You can squeeze the excess garlic out straight out of it's skin.

Go crazy, have fun, have a pizza party this weekend, it's soooo good. And the wonderful thing is, you can control what you eat, pizza can actually be healthy, crazy notion, isn't it?

Traditional Greek Food: A Food Geek Learns Greek

2012-01-17T21:05:00.001-05:00

Kristi: "Tony, can you please turn up the heat?
Tony: "You no need heat, ees Greece."
Kristi: "It's 5C and raining."
Tony: "Neh, neh."

Tony waved me away with a flick of his hand. He then lit up another one of his beloved Camel filter cigarettes, chugged back a Heineken Beer and resumed watching his soccer match.

"Neh" was his answer to everything. I was told it meant, "okay/yes," but I think it actually meant,

"Maybe...I might do it, if I feel like it, but probably not."

Tony never turned up the heat. Ever. This was my first time living in Athens, Greece. I was staying at a place called Tony's Pension. It should have been called Tony's Prison. Tony was the warden and the cheapest man on the planet. He would sit as his little desk with this dirty curtain hanging behind him. The curtain was the door to his evil lair. A place to for him to hide when he didn't want to deal with resident complaints. I had rented an "apartment" through the agency I was working for. This apartment was barely 200 sq ft. It had a small fridge that was never cold and a shelf that held a pair of socks. The bed was a piece of foam so thin that it would regularly fall through the wooden slats supporting it. Many a night I would wake with my knees in my face and splinters in my butt while lying on the cold floor. The bathroom was a tiny closet with a toilet and a sink so close that you could pee, brush your teeth and shower at the same time. The "shower" was a nozzle that hung out of the ceiling above the toilet. It sprinkled some lukewarm water for about two minutes until it turned to cold for 1 minute more, then shut off. I would literally cup my hands to get enough water to splash over my head to try and rinse out the shampoo. It never really worked, I had a bad hair day for 90 days.

I would imagine Tony, like some evil Wizard of Oz, controlling all the hot water and heat with giant levers behind his dirty curtain. According to my agency, the $600 a month included a kitchen. This "kitchen" was a communal one downstairs. It had a counter with a sink, that was always plugged, and a hot plate. The hot plate was so useless that I would come home, turn on water to boil, go upstairs, try to rinse my hair from the day before, get changed, go back downstairs, chop my vegetables, read a few chapters of a book and the water would only be tepid. I would sometimes get so frustrated I would go to the bakery down the street and buy these delicious little pastries stuffed with feta, nuts and olives and a Heineken. Damn, those pastries were good. But I was poor and pastries, though cheap, were still a luxury. Tony loved his Heineken. He would drink it all day, chain smoking and screaming...

"GOOOOOAAAAALLLLL GREEEEEEECE!"

...whether his team would score or not. He would eventually pass out at his counter and I would sneak past him to the blanket cupboard he guarded to steal some warmth for the night.

Kristi (angry): "Tony, I swear to God I will use my one towel as toilet paper if you don't go buy some, NOW!"
Tony (lazy and drunk):"Neh, Neh...shhhh."

Tony flicked his wrist, shooing me away from his counter. The FIFA World Cup was on. This was like The Stanley Cup playoffs of soccer. He peeled off some Drachmas and handed them to me. I was in shock. He was trusting me with his tight wad?

Tony (soccer obsessed): "You go store, Camels, Heineken...you get stuff."

Soccer had taken control. Now I must figure out how to use this to my advantage? (insert evil laugh here)

The great thing about the store I shopped at was the women that worked there. They were lazy, bored and consumed with Greek tabloids. That meant I could walk the aisles and change prices on food items. I figured that since I was still paying for it, I wasn't really stealing. And if they didn't notice a problem while manually ringing in a giant bottle of olive oil for $0.99, well, pay attention then.
This is how I started to feed myself, by Tony being drunk and giving me money and by me, "Rolling Back," the prices at GreekMart. I could get everything he needed, some toilet paper and dinner for the same amount he normally spent. I was careful though. Believe me, he knew about every penny that went in and out of Tony's Prison. I would dream of him sitting at his little counter, machine gun in hand, counting his money and snorting tzatiki. A Greek Tony Montana. Greekface.

One night I was making myself some pasta. I had yet to meet another person in the prison's gourmet digs. I had managed to get some garlic, olive oil and noodles at a "steal" from GreekMart. While I was struggling to chop garlic with the only dull kitchen knife, I met Newt. Newt was an American photographer that had been living in one of Tony's "premium apartments," which meant 3 minutes of hot water. He sauntered over to me and leaned against the counter. He did this trick, (which I guess he thought was really cool), where he placed a cigarette in the palm of his hand and smacked it so it flipped in the air and landed in his mouth. He smiled at me, lit his smoke and took a long drag, never removing it from between his teeth. He exhaled and squinted at me through the haze.

"Hey slick, I'm Newt, who are you?"
He was referring to my soapy hairdo. I self-consciously touched it.
"Kristi"...and you must be The Fonz? I thought.

He then pulled a butterfly knife out of his pocket and expertly flipped it open, stabbed it into the counter and jutted his chin towards it.

"Use that and make a little extra for me."
Who the hell was this guy? Greekface's sidekick, Manny Ribera.

He ran his eyes over my body. I stared back at him and frowned.

"Don't worry, you're not my type. I like 'em skinny with small boobies."

Skinny? I pulled the knife out of the counter with my newly labelled fat arms and finished chopping the garlic with my pudgy fingers. Newt grabbed my beer off the counter and took a swig.
"Got any more of these?"

He leaned against the counter, really close to me, blocking my way out of the tiny kitchen. I had two more, upstairs, but I was hoarding them since I had no more money until the end of the week... or until Tony got drunk again. He stared at me then drained the rest of my beer.

"What are you doing?" I yelled and aggressively tried to grab it from him.
"Easy...Jesus! I'll buy you some more, calm down."
I felt a little silly, then self conscious, so I became irritable.
"Can you please get out of my way and let me eat my dinner?"
He looked at my pathetic plate of pasta noodles and garlic and laughed.
"That's your dinner, you forgot the sauce, Chef Boyardee."
I pushed past him and sat down. He lit up another smoke and watched me eat. After a few minutes of me pretending to enjoy my dinner, Newt grabbed my plate away.
"I can't let you do this. You're coming with me tonight. We're going out for a free dinner at Bo Club."

Bo Club was the second time in my life that I had ever had eaten out at a place that had cloth napkins. (I know, small town girl, what can I say?) The first time was with my boyfriend, Rene, when I was 19. He had taken me to a fancy French restaurant. I was busy talking (surprise) and set my linen napkin down on a candle. It almost started the table on fire. We wasted a couple of very good glasses of wine trying to put the fire out. We were not successful. The waiter was not impressed with us, to say the least.

Bo Club was gorgeous. Set on the water it had a sweeping deck covered in plants and flowers with big couches to relax on. You could step off the deck onto soft sand and go for a dip in the ocean if you were too hot or too drunk. The restaurant was set up on an open air platform with billowing white curtains flowing in the breeze. I know, it sounds like a romance novel, but it's all true. I think I did see Fabio eating grapes off Costa's nipples once, but it also could have been too much Ouzo on my brain. (Ouzo is the Greek national liqueur)

Bo Club was in Glyfada, which was about 45 minutes from Athens. Glyfada is very popular in the summer, with trendy clubs and restaurants and a gorgeous beach. Bo Club was owned by Costas, an attractive, older man with a big, thick head of silver hair swept back off his face. He was tanned to a rich, deep, dark leather and always had a gorgeous woman, or two, on his arm. Costas liked to send a limo to pick up models in the city and bring them out to Bo for dinner then dancing. It worked well for him. He was surrounded by young beautiful woman and beautiful women always attracted men to the club. Men spent money on the girls, the club made money and Costas got some action too.
The only action I was interested in was food action. How could I get it, how good was it and could I get it for free?
I loved being treated like I was something special, when in reality, I was living in a dump on $1.50 a day, sneaking money and blankets from a drunk landlord and price swapping at a convenience store.

A little black dress, some makeup and a cocky photographer "friend" and I was in the in club. Bo Club.

This was my first dinner out in Greece. Dinner out at a great restaurant. Like any city, there is always good and bad food. Never judge an entire city or country based on a few tourist trap restaurants. Most of the restaurants that cater to tourists are awful, everywhere. For example, in Toronto, the restaurants on the King St. strip from Peter St. to University Ave. are horrendous, with a few exceptions. This meal at Bo Club made me want to learn how to cook these delights so I would never be without them. We had all the typical Greek dishes like souvlaki, keftedes, calamari, tzatiki, salad, saganaki, taramosalata, domaldes...but nothing like you usually get in Greek restaurants here in Canada. Most of it is a fast food version. These were delicious, authentic morsels of perfection. Oh man, were they good.
The first dish I was served was some tomatoes with feta cheese crumbled on top. It seemed simple enough but when I tasted it, I was convinced that there was some secret sauce or possibly a drug sprinkled on it that made me think I was eating heaven. Seriously. I asked my server, (I actually had my own server for the table, we all did, 12 in total, I know...ridiculous!), what was in this tomato salad. She looked at me strangely and said, "Tomatoes, olive oil, feta...period."

I couldn't figure out how it tasted so good, it was so simple after all. I finally got it eventually. My server explained that every ingredient used was the freshest possible, made from scratch, grown on site or bought from small farms. This was 1996. It's taken us about 14 years to start to "get" the natural, local, slow food movement. Something that has always been normal food in Europe, is trendy food now. A tomato is not just a tomato. When I pick one out of my garden and slice it open, no store bought tomato can compare to the flavour, colour, juiciness, aroma and nutrients my home grown one contains. That goes for all foods. I became friends with my server that night. Her name is Petroula. While the rest of the dinner party went dancing I kept asking her about every dish I tasted. I know...food geek. We drank beer on the beach after her shift and she told me about her family and how they raise and grow all their food. Costas bought most of his food from her family, that's how she got the job there. She invited me to dinner at her parents for the next weekend. It was one of the best meals I've had in my life. We sat outside in a beautiful garden at a long table. We devoured freshly baked bread dipped in olive oil from her Uncle's farm. Fresh figs with goat cheese made by her father from the family's own goats. Dandelion salad her Grandma, (Ya-ya), made. Keftedes, little crispy meatballs, dipped in tzatiki. Grilled octopus her brother caught that day. Olives, fresh sheep feta, wine, ouzo, strong Greek coffee...wow, it was so fantastic. The meal lasted three hours. Eating, laughing, drinking and enjoying the warm night air, delicious food and wonderful people. I spent the night and slept like a log. The next morning we had Greek yogurt drizzled in honey and nuts with fresh fruit and strong thick black coffee that tasted like spicy hot cocoa. I had gone from a freezing, sleepy, cranky, hungry, soap-soaked thief to a blissful, well-fed, happy babe. Thanks to Newt for dragging me out of that kitchen and showing me a whole new Greece.

Try to always buy the best ingredients you can get. Not only will it drastically improve your meal, it will usually result in the food being higher in nutrients and you'll be supporting small businesses that actually care about their product and you, the consumer. Large corporations care about shortcuts, mass production and how to make massive amounts of money for as little expense to them as possible. That results in an inferior product.

Tzatziki

*you must use Greek yogurt to get an authentic tzatziki here. You can get it in Toronto on the Danforth, at St. Lawrence Market or HolyLand on Roncesvalles, to name a few.

1 1/2 -2 cups real Greek Yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled and grated
6 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
juice of one lemon
1 tbsp vinegar
sea salt to taste

1. Peel and grate cucumber and place in a colander to drain, sprinkle with some sea salt and let sit 15 minutes.
2. Mix yogurt, garlic, vinegar and lemon together in a small bowl.
3. Squeeze excess water out of the cucumber. Squeeze well. Add cucumber to yogurt mixture. Stir. Taste. Add more sea salt if necessary.
4. Adjust with lemon juice, pepper or more yogurt to suite individual taste.

Tomatoes and Feta

This seems like a really simple recipe. It is, but to make it sublime you must use the best tomatoes, olive oil and feta and then prepare for taste bud take off.

The Olive Pit on Queen Street West, right across from Trinity Bellwoods Park has an incredible selection of fantastic olives, oils and tapenades. The Cheese Boutique also has a wonderful selection.

Feta cheese can be really bad. Salty and rubbery with no flavour, that's pretty much any grocery store chain feta. It kind of reminds me of a salty sole of a running shoe. I'm not kidding, it's really bad. You will be shocked at the difference between good feta and dairy aisle feta. It's kind of like comparing freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano to that imitation Kraft sawdust in that green container away from any refrigeration (every wondered how it doesn't go bad?) So, buy good feta. Greek and Bulgarian Sheep Feta is great, but still find out where it's from, who made it, ask for a taste, they should give it to you.

Tomatoes: Choices:

1. picked from your garden, in season, is best

2. local, certified organic heirloom and in season

3. local and in season

4. fourth is...have some broccoli instead.

So, cut up some tomatoes, drizzle olive oil over and toss, sprinkle some sea salt and fresh pepper over. Then crumble some creamy good feta on top. Serve with warm crusty bread to mop up the oils and tomato juices. Yum.

Keftedes ( Greek Meatballs)

I have perfected this recipe over many years. I originally got it from Petroula's mom and have since changed a few things to make it my own. Every time I make these I get the same response from people, how they are the best mini meatballs they've ever had. This is a very special recipe to me and I don't want to just give it out. If any one reading this truly wants it, post a comment with your e mail address and I'll send it to you.

Greek Salad

The freshest veggies will always make your salad taste great. Traditionally this salad is just tomatoes, onion, cucumber, feta and kalamata olives. You can add diced bell peppers or shredded romaine lettuce or iceberg(not as nutritious though).

* a good dressing is key, most store bought dressings have too much salt, preservatives and corn syrup in them. Take 5 minutes and make one fresh, it will taste much better and be healthier for you.

4-5 large organic tomatoes, cut into small wedges

2 english cucumbers, cut into cubes

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

assorted bell peppers (optional)

1 head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces (optional)

1 small block of good quality feta, crumbled

1 cup of kalamata olives

Place all the veggies and olives in a large bowl and toss with a Greek Vinaigrette. Let sit and marinate at room temperature for about an hour. Top with crumble feta before serving.

Serves 4

Greek Vinaigrette

The key to a great vinaigrette is a good oil and vinegar and the ratio should always be about 3:1. You will need an emulsifier,(something to bind the two), like a dash of mustard or lemon juice. Once you have this base you can add your own herbs, spices and even a touch of honey to make it suite your own taste.

3 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil, from Greece, preferably

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1/4 wedge of lemon, juice of

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

pinch of sea salt

fresh cracked pepper

I tsp each of chopped fresh oregano and mint

1. Use a mortar and pestle if you have one to crush the salt, pepper, garlic and herbs together to make a paste. If not, use a small bowl and the back of a spoon.

2. Stir in dijon.

3. Using a small whisk or fork, whisk in the oil, then add the vinegar and squeeze of lemon.

4. Adjust according to taste.

5. Pour over vegetables and toss well. Let marinate for awhile.

A Stale Food Bully

2011-10-21T20:52:00.003-04:00

No Food Bully For You!

Hello,
I am very sorry for my absence from my site for so long. I have been preoccupied with some post graduate education in regards to nutrition. I have also been preoccupied with babies. Say hello to my sweet baby niece, Corrigan May Angus, pictured above. Isn't she adorable? I love her so.
There have been a lot of babies born to my loved ones in the last couple of years, which makes me want to bully people even more into healthy eating practices. Your kids learn from you, especially when it comes to eating. Set a good example. This is the key to a life of good eating habits. I am, at present, learning, in depth, about food, nutrition, health and science so I will be even more adept in my bullying techniques. Please have patience while I update this site, study my butt off and organize all my recipes so they are easier to access. I want to learn how to heal you even further with food, love and nature. I will be completely renovating this blog as soon as possible. In the meantime, please backtrack the blog and peruse the site, read what you missed, have some laughs and go make some delicious food. It's fall, so go to the fall months, click on a blog and make some comfort food. Love and health to you all,
Kris

Red Wine for Your Health: To Drink or Not to Drink?

2011-02-24T23:34:00.003-05:00

"The history of civilization, in many ways, is the history of wine." Dr. Patrick E. McGovern

Ahh...that is the question, for some people, I suppose. For me it is yes, to drink, yes! My partial defense is that we have about 7000 years of history that seems to support drinking wine and using it as medicine. But the key here is moderation, which always seems to be forgotten whenever we hear that something we like is supposedly good for you.
"Wine is good for you, yippee give me a bottle!"
"Dark chocolate is anti-aging, terrific, I'll eat a pound!"

Even pharmaceutical companies jump on the band wagon and start actively trying to make what nature has given us into a pill they can make billions on. Before I get into what the proper amount may or may not be, let's look at a bit of history and some interesting research first.

At this time, Dr. Patrick E. McGovern is the foremost expert on ancient wine and spirits. He is the scientific director of The Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages and Health at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Museum. He discovered pottery containing wine in the northwestern Zagros Mountains of Iran that date back as far back as 5400BC. His research covers thousands of years of wine being used as medicine, an integral part of religious traditions and its relation to our health via fermented foods and digestion. If interested, please read more below:

www.penn.museum/sites/biomoleculararchaeology

Wine has been found all over the world at many archaeological sites. During the excavation of Pompeii we had a glimpse into Roman life in the first century. Wine jars were discovered and the wine was named Vesuvinum, a combination of Vesuvius, the volcano that covered them in ash, and vinum, the latin word for wine. It is the oldest documented man made medicine and even in Islamic cultures where it is forbidden to drink, we discover that Iran and Afghanistan, both Islamic countries, once had a thriving wine industry. I think the problem with alcohol over the years has been, like most desirable things, the abuse of it. I get that and agree that too much alcohol is bad for you, but this blog will be about why I believe a small amount is good. If you are opposed to drinking any alcohol at all then you should just stop reading and go have a cup of tea.
(p.s. some people think too much caffeine is bad too, so...)

Some people may turn up their noses and scoff when I mention alcohol as a medicine but if you read any label of cough syrups, cold remedies or flu medications, you'll find alcohol in the list of ingredients. Why are these cold remedies, along with prescription drugs and painkillers, considered okay to take but a glass of wine to unwind and relive stress is frowned upon? I can't see why my grandmother's hot toddy recipe for a bad cold could be worse for you than Neo-Citron. Her recipe of fresh lemon juice, grated ginger, raw honey, a splash of scotch and hot water seems much more healthy than a chemically rendered powdered version of pretty much the same thing. Nana's hot toddy always puts me to sleep. Neo-Citron has me sweating, fidgeting and grinding my teeth all night. Maybe if I was at a Rave instead of my bed I wouldn't mind so much. While I'm on the subject of what's "bad" for you I find it ridiculous that people are on this whole "alcohol is bad for you" kick while they stuff down processed, sugar soaked, fat riddled, chemically, additive dowsed food, chug caffeine, pop prescription pills, anti-depressants, antibiotics and anxiety pills like candy and sit on their couches watching hours of television, surfing the net, not exercising or being present with their loved ones. Whew, that sure was a rant-on sentence. But a couple glasses of wine or a beer is bad for you? Come on, let's get serious about what's bad for you. Of course excessive drinking is bad for you, I know that and I'm not supporting that. I'm supporting moderate amounts of red wine (*not white wine, you need the dark grape skins to get the benefits) and beer. The benefits of beer will come in a later blog, so hold on to your steins. I am supporting the enjoyment, not the abuse, just to be exceptionally clear, and the benefits of red wine using my personal opinion, as well as scientific research, and the phenolic compound resveratrol, polyphenols, anthocyanins and lifestyle as back up.

Resveratrol is an anti fungal agent found in approximately 70 plants worldwide. The leading expert on Resveratrol at the moment is Dr. David Sinclair PhD of Harvard University. Dr Sinclair discovered that,
"A red wine molecule, resveratrol, mimics what fasting does. Resveratrol, a small stealth molecule that can get into genetic machinery, activates a gene switch and up-regulates the production of an enzyme (histone deacetylase) that promotes DNA repair. Living cells then have more time to repair broken DNA."
Apparently fasting does something similar, but I'll have to get back to you on that one in a later blog.
The gene is called SIRT-1 and many biologists believe it plays a fundamental role in regulating the life span of mammals. Increasing the activity of SIRT-1 slows down aging and postpones or eliminates the diseases of old age. Well, this seems promising and apparently GlaxoKlineSmith, one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world, think so as well. They, so far, have spent 720 million dollars to develop drugs that target the SIRT-1 gene or, as the media calls it, "The anti-aging" gene. There are tons of supplements now for sale. Go online and you can find thousands of resveratrol pills, all claiming to be better than the next. One selling feature is that their resveratrol is concentrated in a pill and in order to reap the same health benefits you must drink a thousand litres of wine. Um, ya, okay that's a realistic comparison.
Arguments against red wine consumption and it's health benefits are that some believe there isn't enough resveratrol found in the grape skins to be beneficial and there has only been tests done on mice, rats and fruit flies and not for long enough. Well, okay, but the majority of testing of any product or compound is done on laboratory animals and thousands of new drugs/supplements and health products are put on the market with barely any long term testing every year. I think as far as long term testing for red wine goes, how about 7000 years of history? I think that may be sufficient enough.
Clearly if these big, money hungry, drug companies are all over resveratrol, there must be something to benefit from. But here's the thing, and there is always a thing, it's not just about resveratrol that makes red wine good for you. Wine contains resveratrol, polyphenols, anthocyanins and something I've made up and like to call community. You can find resveratrol in the skins of red and purple grapes, all berries, peanuts and japanese knotwood to name the top contenders. Resveratrol is also concentrated in the vines, leaves and twigs of grape vines which are all used in the fermentation process while making wine.
Red wine also contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants. Other foods that contain polyphenols are dark, richly coloured foods like leafy greens, turmeric, coffee, tea, cocoa, berries, legumes, vibrantly coloured veggies and even beer. Anthocyanins are antioxidant flavonoids which create the pigment in plants. They protect the cells against oxidative damage and are anti-inflammatory. They help dampen allergic reactions and repair damage to proteins in blood vessel walls. So once we combine all of these components then add in community, we've got a pretty good thing here in terms of a healthy potion. My idea of community is what a glass of wine can give you that maybe a bowl of red grapes can't. People will argue that why not just eat all those above mentioned food items to get your nutrients and avoid alcohol all together because alcohol, by itself, has no real health benefits. And they are right, it doesn't, really, unless you take in a couple of things. One is that red wine is far more concentrated than a bowl of berries, so you are taking in higher levels of the beneficial compounds. It is fermented which is beneficial to the digestive system as well. The other is community which encompasses a few things. Many studies have revealed that people who drink red wine tend to live a healthier lifestyle to begin with. They eat better food, exercise more and socialize more. Eating, socializing and exercising usually lead to gatherings of people, the releasing of endorphins and hopefully a better state of well being.

My great grandmother lived to 99 and her recipe for health was a long walk every day to clear her head, a good home cooked meal to satisfy her belly and a generous glass of scotch to relax her muscles and give her a good night's sleep. Justin's grandmother just celebrated her 100th birthday in September and has invited us down to Florida for her 101st already. She needs no help, lives on her own, looks like a million bucks, has a wicked sense of humour and recently went out to dinner and the theatre with a gentleman friend, though she informed him she wasn't his girlfriend and to not go getting any ideas. Her secret is similar to my granny's: A drink or two at cocktail hour, always eat real food, walk every day, laugh as much as you can and celebrate with loved ones. Community is the gathering of family and friends to celebrate. Whether it is a great dinner, a wedding, birthday, graduation, funeral, birth of a child, your feet up after a long day, or job promotion, we get together with loved ones to spend time, laugh, eat, love one another and essentially relax and forget about our regular day to day stresses. A toast, a speech, a heart to heart, or just sitting quietly over a glass of wine or beer can help to relax someone whether it's psychosomatic or not, which reduces stress which, in turn, is far healthier for you than any pill, I think. Stress is one of the leading causes of sickness in the world today and if a glass of red wine relieves that then you truly are doing more for your health than from abstaining. I know some of you will argue that you can do all of that without a glass of wine, you can do it over a cup of tea or coffee, but guess what, your caffeine fix is working the same as the glass of wine so tuck your judgment away. Okay, well then we can do it over a glass of pop, now we're talking about a sugar fix and there are no studies that reap any health benefits in that arena, sorry. My point here is that with all the research, history and now proven health benefits of red wine, why not sit back and have a glass, I'm doing that right now.

**An important note on breastfeeding
There is a lot of conflicting literature on whether it is okay or not to drink alcohol while breast feeding. Some books and sites say absolutely not while others say it is okay. It can be confusing and misleading. After spending many hours reading and researching there is one thing that I found is a constant. Even if drinking moderate amounts of alcohol while breast feeding is said to be okay the amount that is considered reasonable is one glass every two hours and that means at least two to three hours between feedings. What I mean is that it takes the average 130 pound woman two hours for one alcoholic beverage to leave her bloodstream. So, you feed, have a drink and do not feed again for two-three hours. You must time it properly because if alcohol is in your blood it is in your milk. Which means you are feeding your baby alcohol. You should never, ever, feed your baby while you are drinking alcohol. Feeding alcohol to your baby can result in developmental problems, weight loss, sleep problems, motor skill development delay and even brain damage. Mother's who drink a lot will find they produce less milk as well. If you have to have a drink, pump your milk before or feed your baby formula for that evening. Make sure you only have a maximum of two glasses in an evening and at least 4 hours apart. Having a drink or two as an adult is fine, giving it to your baby, whether intentional or not, is abuse. There is nothing wrong with having a drink, just be responsible.

Dog Gone Good Biscuits

2011-02-22T20:38:00.001-05:00

I love my Bernese Mountain Dog, Brando, soooo much. It's a little obsessive. I think he gets about a thousand kisses and snuggles from me everyday. Justin tells me that I spoil him with too many biscuits. He's right, I've created a drooling monster. Every time I put my hand in a pocket, open the treat cupboard, tell him to sit, stay, lay down or do any basic command...drool city. He expects and always gets a biscuit from me. Cesar Milan would not be impressed. Bad Mama, I know, but in my defense, he really is still a very good boy and he is so cute, I mean come on, just look at that face, how could you resist? I know... excuses.

One of the problems of my excessive treat distribution, aside from soaking wet socks, is cost. Since I'm The Good Food Bully I can't help but be,"The Good Dog Food and Treat Bully," which means natural treats only. That also means expensive. My Brando is 130 pounds of canine hunk and a bag of twelve, peanut-sized treats at $8.99 just ain't gonna cut it. So, I make them for him. It's cheap, easy and I know exactly what goes into them. He loves them and so do my friend's dogs. We've been walking our neighbour's bulldog named Maude recently. We learned quickly where they get their stubborn reputation from when we tried to get her to come for our first walk. There was no amount of coaxing, squeak toy taunting or food bribes that worked. It wasn't until I baked and brought over my peanut butter banana cookies that would she get her out of her bed, seeing Brando helped too, what a stud!
I have many recipes, I'll give a couple for now, but you can experiment with some of your dog's favourite ingredients. It's pretty easy, you don't have to make them soft and chewy and they don't have to rise perfectly. They can be hard and crunchy, just like our babies like them. You can throw everything together and mix until it seems like a pretty good cookie consistency. Drop them on a cookie sheet, whatever size suits your pooch, bake at 350F for about 20 minutes and you're done. I figured out that it costs around $1.50 for four dozen cookies. So many for my sweet baby to be spoiled with!

Peanut Butter-Nana Treats
If your dog has wheat allergies you can substitute rice or quinoa flour. You may need to add more to adjust consistency. The dough should be simple to roll out or into balls without being to sticky or too crumbly. Add water if necessary or extra flour to adjust. If you have a food processor it makes this recipe even easier. Process the apple, banana, maple syrup or honey and peanut butter until smooth. Then add flour and oats, pulse until a ball forms. Add water if necessary.

1-2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 apple, shredded
1 carrot shredded (optional)
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/8-1/4 cup raw honey or pure maple syrup
1-2 cups whole wheat, rice or quinoa flour
1 cup large flake oats, uncooked

1. Preheat oven to 350F with rack on bottom.
2. Mix bananas, apple, carrot, peanut butter and honey/maple syrup in a large bowl or food processor.
3. Add flour and oats, stir or pulse until a large ball of dough is formed.
4. You can roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut out individual cookies or roll small balls in between your hands and press down with a fork on a cookie sheet. Shape according to your dog's size.
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn off oven and let cookies sit in oven for a few hours to get crunchy.

Chicken Cheesie Crunchies
Whenever we have leftover cooked chicken or turkey pieces from a roast or scraps off the bone that you would normally throw out, keep it. Chop it up finely or process in your food process until smooth.

1 cup shredded/processed leftover cooked poultry
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 shredded carrot
1 cup cooked and pureed/finely chopped kale
1/2 cup grated cheddar/parmesan
1 cup whole wheat, rice or quinoa flour
water

Vegan Coconut Curry on a Budget

2011-02-11T15:01:00.001-05:00

Recently Oprah had a challenge for all her employees at Harpo Studios to eat vegan for one week. Everyone who wanted to sign up did so and many also decided to cut out some other bad habits like too much coffee or soda. One guy lost eleven pounds. Eleven pounds! That is fantastic and pretty crazy. It just goes to show how many unnecessary calories people are taking in. Everyone commented on how great they felt, how much energy they had and how well their digestive tracts were working. I'm not saying that you have to go vegan in order to lose weight and be healthy, it's just that eating vegan forces you to avoid most food that can be really bad for you. Eating vegan means eating no food that comes from an animal. That means no dairy, eggs and obviously no meat.That eliminates a huge amount of fast, junky food and many baked goods. While a week isn't really that long, for the meat, sugar and fat loving majority of the population, it is long enough to start weaning yourself of your food addictions. It also is long enough to get your poop flowing properly. Yup, I said poop. Whether you do a vegan, vegetarian or even a "reduce the meat and dairy" challenge, I guarantee you'll have big healthy poops coming out. And a good poop makes everyone happy. Really it does. Some call it "Pooh-phoria." It feels like you are completely emptying your colon and afterwards you want to run and jump for joy, like my dog does after a good poop. My mom is probably cringing reading this because, in our family, the woman were very private about that part of their lives. As far as I know, my mother and grandmothers have never, ever gone poop. But I figure if Oprah can talk about poop then so can I. I think it is important because of the amount of colon cancer that is devastating North America and being silent will never make a difference. Our modern day diets of high fat, high fructose corn syrup, high meat, high dairy, highly processed food along with food additives and preservatives are wreaking havoc on our digestive systems. We need to stop ruining our bodies with excess. While I'm supporting trying a vegan, vegetarian or "reduce your meat and dairy intake" challenge, I want to point out that I am not a fan of the processed vegan products on the market. Full of wheat gluten, bean and rice flours, flavourings and sodium, they not truly natural and they cost a lot of money comparatively to other forms of plant and whole grain proteins. That being said I also don't think that factory farming excessive amounts of animals for us to indulge in is natural or healthy either. I still believe that we were designed to function efficiently with what nature gives us and if we had to fend for ourselves without factories producing "meatless burgers and to-furkey," then what would we eat for protein in the wild?
I know, we don't live in the wild anymore and can make whatever we want because we are at the top of the food chain, blah, blah, blah.
My point is, just because we can manufacture a product, doesn't always make it okay or good for us. We need to be aware of what we are really eating, where it comes from, what is in it, how was it made? Soybeans as a whole food is a good protein source but by the time most of the soy products get to our tables we've lost most of the good stuff. Plus, the majority of soy grown in North America comes from genetically engineered soybeans and there hasn't been a sufficient enough time for research to be conducted to test the safety of GMO's yet. So, with that in mind, if you go vegan or vegetarian for a week (or forever, good for you!) choose whole foods as a protein source like sprouted whole grains, beans, quinoa, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, nut milk, nut butters and non-GMO, traditionally fermented, whole soybean products like Tempeh. Look closely at your labels when drinking soy milks. It should be made with non-GMO soy beans, water and sea salt. That's it. Also keep in mind that the amount of soy that is considered healthy is dramatically less than what is consumed by the average person. One other thing to consider is the amount of controversy surrounding whether soy is good or bad for you. When issues like this come up I wonder why so many studies have to be conducted on whether it is healthy for you or not. You don't see numerous studies being done on apples or carrots, they are real, natural and we know they are good for us. Stick to what Mother Earth provides us or a close, minimally processed version of it, something you could process yourself. Soy is big business and that means big marketing to persuade you to buy it. Remember, everything in moderation people, moderation. If you go vegetarian for a week you can add in organic eggs, rennet free, unpasteurized cheeses and fermented milk products like Kefir. And if you absolutely cannot give up any meat, even for one day (which is ridiculous by the way), you can help your body, your colon, your heart, the environment and save some animals by choosing to, at least, make your meat consumption, at most, one meal a day. Choose ethically raised, organic meat from farms you know. Eat some fish for a meal, eat less red meat, ban all deli meat (processed, additive and preservative riddled yuck) unless you know how it is made and contains only natural ingredients, like salt, to cure it. I would bet that once you start eating this way you will find it easier and easier and feel so much better. And you will save money. Meat costs a lot! Substituting one cup of uncooked lentils for your protein source costs about 50 cents. Try feeding four people with meat for 50 cents, it's impossible. Cook those lentils, make a stew, add some rice and a salad and you've fed four people for around $10. You can eat cheap and healthy. We have doubled our consumption of meat in the past 50 years and it is not necessary. People didn't eat meat everyday throughout history. Because of our greed and self indulgence we have helped to destroy the environment through mass production of fertilizers and pesticides to grow the grain to feed the animals which in turn produce more carbon dioxide and waste that continue to pollute the waterways and so on...it's a vicious cycle. I am only just barely scraping the surface of the true destruction of factory farming, more to come in a later blog. You can make a difference by eating one less meat meal a week. Then two, then three. Be a flexitarian, some days you eat organically raised, small, family farmed meat, the next day you go veggie, the next day, vegan. Switch it up, it'll be fun. Think of all the new recipes and foods to try. That's really not a lot to ask and I can't believe that we could be so selfish to not even try it. Paul McCartney and Oprah are promoting Meatless Mondays. If they are are board, why can't you be? The Environmental Defense tells us that if we eat one less meat meal a week it is the equivalent to taking 500,000 cars of the road along with their emissions, we save 70 million gallons of oil a year, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40% and save millions of animals...just by eating one meatless meal a week. It's about your health and your world and doing your part to keep you and it healthy for your grandchildren. Meatless Mondays, just do it!

Vegan or Veggie Coconut Curry
Once you have purchased all the staples you can make this recipe for 4 under for under $10. Buy your spices in bulk it saves a ton of money and your Basmati Rice in the 8lb bags. No Frills in Toronto sells premium Indian Basmati Rice for 9.99 for 8lbs. That works out to .20 cents per cooked cup. Ghee is in grocery stores now but by shopping in ethnic stores you may find an even better price. Pure Indian Foods sells a premium grass fed ghee online. If you have the time, buying chickpeas dried and cooking them yourself will save even more money. Once you add in the salad, rice and whole wheat naan this meal for four is still under $20 and full of all your essential dietary needs. Enjoy.

Serves 4
Using *ghee in place of sunflower oil makes this dish vegetarian and much more rich and authentic in taste.

1 can organic chickpeas, drained
1 can coconut milk
1 28 oz can organic whole tomatoes
2-3 tbsp sunflower oil or 1/4 cup *ghee (adjust to own preference)
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced (optional, but important for flavour)
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 jalapeno pepper (optional: with seeds=spicy, 1/2 with seeds= medium spice, 1/2+seeded=mild)
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
2-3 teaspoons garam masala powder
2-3 teaspoons ground cumin
2-3 teaspoons turmeric powder
sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

1. In a large heavy bottomed pot heat oil or ghee. Add carrots and saute 5 minutes. Add onions and saute 10 minutes more until soft.
2. Add garlic, ginger and jalapeno pepper. Saute 5 minutes, careful not to burn the garlic, reduce heat if necessary.
3. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Stir in well.
4. Add coconut milk and chickpeas.
5. Add the curry powder, garam masala, cumin, turmeric and salt and pepper. Stir well. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let cook for about ten minutes. **Check the flavour and adjust the spices to your own preference.
6. The curry is ready to eat but letting it simmer for a while enhances the flavours.

* Ghee: is a savory, delicious alternative to butter or oil. It is clarified butter and adds a rich, authentic taste to any South Asian dish. Read more about it here: www.pureindianfoods.com

Serve this curry with basmati rice, some naan bread and a fresh side salad for a filling and delicious meatless meal.

Chia or Salba? Getting Your Day Started Right

2011-01-11T19:03:00.001-05:00

Justin and I normally have a smoothie first thing in the morning. We use bananas, berries or whatever fruit we have available, coconut water, Kefir or Greek yogurt and blend away. Then we head out for a 90 minute brisk walk with our big Bernese Mountain Dog, Brando. We are usually so hungry by the time we get home our stomaches hurt. We'll then have some hard boiled eggs or head straight into lunch. My brother Jeff, who's a personal trainer, the owner of Cardio Core Fitness, www.cardiocorefitness.com, and in superior shape, told us that we needed more protein and nutrients in the morning to have enough energy to, "Get your day started right." I took his advice and looked into what else we could eat with our smoothies or add to them to increase our nutrient intake. One choice was a delicious homemade granola that is full of whole grains, healthy nuts, dried organic fruits and quinoa. I'll post the recipe below. The other choice was to add Chia or Salba seeds to our smoothies. Simple, easy and really easy, did I mention easy? I had seen them in the health food store and was intrigued, so I did a bit of research on them. Chia, Salvia Hispanica, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family. Salba is a strain or variant of the same plant, Salvia Hispanica, but some claim it to be even more nutritious than Chia. Both plant supporters claim their seeds to be the richest form of Omega 3 fatty acids that you can obtain from a plant source. Both are grown for their nutritious seeds and many studies have been conducted on the effects of these Superseeds on human health. Whether one or the other is slightly higher in nutrients is debatable. The main point here is that they are both whole foods, superior in nutrition, unprocessed, don't go rancid like flax seeds, have 25% more fiber than flax seeds, are tasteless, odorless, pesticide free, sustainable, environmentally friendly, non GMO, Kosher, Vegan and Gluten Free. Another wonderful thing about them is they don't gel up like psyllium husk or Metamucil when you add them to liquid. If you leave them for a long time they'll eventually bulk up the smoothie but not as yucky as the other fiber choices. The Nutritional Science Research Institute has given the seeds a seal of approval and studies have been conducted to show how they can help to reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol, help people lose weight, improve brain function, make hair and skin healthier and generally improve health overall. Please read more below:

www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article798295.ece
www.stmichaelshospital.com/research/profile.php?id=vuksan&
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20087375

Here's the best part: In one 15 g serving of these seeds, so approximately a tablespoon, you get all the following nutrients in comparison to what you'd have to eat to get the same:

Omega 3 Fatty Acids = to 250 g( 1/2 lb of salmon)
Antioxidants = to 15 grams of blueberries
Fiber = to 17 grams of bran
Protein = to 44 grams of kidney beans
Calcium = to 3 oz of whole milk
Magnesium = to 73 grams of spinach
Iron = to 103 grams of spinach

Doesn't it seem so much easier, and cheaper, to add some seeds to your drink, sprinkle it on your oatmeal, cereal, salad or whatever you want? I figured out that the bag of Certified Organic Chia seeds I bought for $6.89 at the health food store will end up costing Justin and I $0.49 cents a day, for both of us to be nutritionally complete. That's way cheaper than a pound of salmon, a cup of blueberries, 3/4 cup of whole milk, 1/3 pound of spinach, a pile of beans and a bunch of bran for the two of us. Besides, who wants to eat all that for breakfast, ugh! Chia is wonderful because one little tablespoon allows us to dismiss worries about the expense, toxins, mercury levels and sea lice wild salmon may have. It is great for vegetarians, people that have allergies to or dislike fish and children that just don't get fish yet. To read more about these wonderful little seeds go to:

www.salba.com
www.chiacanada.net
www.superseeds.ca
www.pranana.com

Who knew that you should have been eating your Chia Pet all along. Cha, cha, cha...CHIA!

Getting Your Day Started Right Granola

Preheat oven to 225F.

2 cups large flake rolled oats
1 cup raw almonds, chopped
1 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup raw honey
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried organic cherries
1/2 cup dried organic blueberries
1/2 cup dried organic cranberries
1/4 cup Chia or Salba seeds

1. Mix oats, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut and quinoa in a large bowl.
2. Combine maple syrup, honey, vanilla and cinnamon in a small bowl, whisking throughly. Pour over nut mixture and toss to coat well.
3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread granola over it evenly.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and turn the granola with a spatula. Return to the oven and bake 30 minutes more.
5. Remove from oven and let cool.
6. Dump cooled granola back into a large bowl and toss with cherries, blueberries, cranberries and Chia or Salba seeds.
7. Store in a sealed container for up to 4 weeks.

If You Like Pina Coladas...

2010-12-15T14:43:00.000-05:00

My parents 40th wedding anniversary was on December 5 th and we decided to celebrate it in style. The entire family spent a week in a beautiful Mexican hacienda (Casa Fortuna) on the ocean in La Penita. The picture to your left is my bedroom terrace view and our front "lawn" is below, not too shabby eh?

http://www.lapenita.net.

La Penita is a quaint town about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta. There is one main street with shops along each side and we were fortunate to have access to fresh seafood, naturally raised chicken and beef, fruits, vegetables, delicious coffee and coconut water straight from the source. Check out my blog on coconut water and how fantastic it is for you:

http://www.thegoodfoodbully.com/2010/03/she-puts-lime-in-coconut.html

Justin would stand on my brother Jeff's shoulders to hack down coconuts for us to drink the water and snack on the sweet meat. We would buy our coffee, freshly roasted, from the local plantation's coffee shop in town. It was fantastic. Did you know that coffee is an antioxidant and one cup of coffee a day is good for you? This is true if you are drinking good quality coffee that has been freshly roasted and ground. Once it's been ground it begins to loose its health benefits, so no Folgers or Nabob for you! There is a terrific website that is dedicated to studying and reporting the health benefits of good coffee. It's www.cosic.org and this quote below from the website will give you an idea of its authenticity:

"This website covers only those medical conditions for which there are published scientific data available. It does not comment on unsubstantiated links between coffee and health for which there have been no properly conducted published trials, nor where there it is a question of individual sensitivity to caffeine, which varies considerably."

Remember, everything in moderation, everything real and from the earth and you should be alright.

The fisherman would set up on the street with bins full of their daily catch for us to take home to grill over charcoal. The men in the family went out fishing one day and came back with a big red snapper. From the sea straight to the grill, you can't get much fresher than that. We were treated to an extra special present by a family of Humpback whales splashing and playing each day, along with their new calf, right out in front of the house. The men got to see them up close while fishing, a truly amazing experience. The house even had it's own pineapple plants, how local is that! The first day we went shopping my 11 year old niece, Accalia, and I were standing in a little fruit and veggie store and she looked down and pointed at a box of strawberries. She asked me why they were so small. I told her it was because they were real strawberries. She just looked at me a little perplexed. I didn't bore her with a bully session, her mind was on swimming and ice cream, but I was sad that she was so used to seeing those big, flavourless, chemically drenched, "perfect" ones in the grocery store, that real ones looked weird to her. I then turned to pick up a fruit that sort of looked like papaya but I wasn't sure. I smelled it, it sure smelled like papaya. I poked it, turned it over and over, still unsure. I decided to just buy it and find out. The next morning Justin brought me a bowl of the mystery fruit, cut up with fresh lime squeezed on it and it was glorious! And it was papaya, just not genetically modified papaya, that's what confused me. Unfortunately, 90% of the papaya we get in Canada and the U.S. is GM papaya. Unless it's certified organic, you're eating a mutated form of what papaya is supposed to be. You may not care if your foods are GMO's (genetically modified organisms) and that's your business, but for those of you who do care or just want to know why GMO's have the potential for future health problems, allergies, environmental damage, antibiotic resistance, autism in newborns, super viruses, cancer and more, you can start by checking out the following links:

www.gmo-compass.org

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/features/the-scent-of-ge-papaya/

http://thebigcarrot.ca/index.php?id=106

Okay, back to some fun stuff, like the bananas. Wow, were they delicious! They had this sweet tang to them and were so yummy I had to add them to everything, like our pina coladas. The strawberries were fantastic. I made Justin a smoothie and he commented on the burst of flavour so he decided to start adding them to our margaritas. Hmm, seems like a theme here. One thing that we did not do was to use any pre-made mixers for our tropical drinks. I have such sensitivities to bloating that I have to be really careful. We tried to find plain coconut milk but all there was coconut cream. I took a gamble and tried some...bloat city. If you read the labels of all these convenient mixers you'll see that they are full of excess refined sugars, preservatives and artificial flavours. When you use real lime, strawberries, pineapple juice, coconut milk etc., you not only cut some calories but you have a delicious and much healthier drink. I'll put some recipes at the bottom of the page. In fact, that was the only time I was bloated the entire trip, until I came home and ate airport food. I am so in tune with my bloat now that I know exactly what is going to cause it. Processed food, preservatives, artificial flavours and food additives will 100% of the time have me looking eight months pregnant. While we were staying in Florida with Justin's family I had a terrible bloat night. A member of the family took me aside and condescendingly told me that,"in her humble opinion," my stomach problems were due to my wine intake, not the greasy processed Florida food I had eaten in town. With a smirk she said it will lead to severe problems in my future. I found that interesting and irritating, especially since my bloating began long before I had ever even had a drink, say around 8 years old. I bloat when I've had no alcohol for a week, I bloat immediately after eating food I haven't prepared or don't know exactly what is in it. I've drank glasses of wine on an empty stomach, many times, with absolutely no stomach problems in the least. Of course excessive amounts of alcohol is bad for your stomach, I know that, and vacation drinking is not even close to what I normally consume, which is significantly less. But, my point is that if I can knock back a truckload of booze on vacation with no bloat...it's clearly the food. So, for those of you with stomach problems, start keeping a journal of everything you eat and drink and really pay attention to food additives, not just gluten and dairy. Speaking of food additives, have you checked out what's in your "healthy wraps?" I bloat if I don't eat a specific kind, but in Mexico, no problemo. All the tortillas were made with flour or corn, salt, water and a bit of oil. Simple, delicious and no bloat.

The prawns we bought from the market in Mexico were caught that day and sold as is. We peeled and deveined them, well Ally, my sister in law did, she spent and hour deveining 2 kilos and they were fabulous. My Mom asked what I had marinated them in, which was nothing. Charcoal grill, garlic butter, done and holy crap were they good and with no preservatives.

Unfortunately most of our store bought seafood now is treated with a preservative called STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate). Take a look at the label on the package next time you buy prawns. I dare you to find some that don't have it on the label. The majority of STPP is used as a component of commercial detergents such a laundry detergent, dish soap, toilet cleaner and household cleaning products. It is also used in the tanning of leather, as a flame retardant, in rubber manufacturing, textile production, antifreeze AND as a food preservative. It is used to retain moisture and specifically plump up meat to increase sale weight. Seafood manufacturers use it in practically every piece of seafood they sell. It is used in meats, poultry, animal feeds and meat tenderizer. It is used in many, but not all, inexpensive canned foods, soy products, toothpaste, milk, fruit juices and pet food. The widespread use of it has led to severe environmental problems associated with eutrophication:

http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/eutrophication.html

The FDA lists STPP as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) because, "no mutagenic or carcinogenic effects nor reproductive effects have been noted"...yet. Even though they also state that, "STPP is not intended to be ingested or directly inhaled by humans or animals." Huh? Doesn't that contradict the statement before? I'm confused. Maybe if you ingest only a small amount it's okay, but look at how many food items it is in, along with how many household products you are cleaning yourself with, your clothes, your dishes and your home with? It adds up. It really does.

The Mexican diet in it's purest form is a very healthy diet. Beans, whole grains, locally grown fruit, vegetables and meat and fresh fish. We did see many processed food products in the grocery stores and it seems that many Mexicans may be afflicted with the same corn-syrup-addicted- sweet-tooth that North Americans are. If they were to stick to what nature gave them, you'd probably see slimmer Mexicans strolling along, same goes for us. And don't argue that processed food is cheaper there because it wasn't. The fresh food in town was way cheaper. Maybe fresh food isn't cheaper in North America but the costs of drugs to treat the sicknesses caused by poor eating habits far outweigh a few extra dollars for good food. You can find cheap healthy food, it just takes a few extra steps. It's laziness that costs you money and your health in the end. One thing that the Mexican people do have that is key to longevity is a simple celebration of family and life. We walked past tiny homes with simple amenities and everyone had smiles on their faces, the kids were playing, music was on and stress seemed nonexistent. Stress is such a cancerous affliction. Once we figure that out and stop eating crap, we'll be a happy healthy society.

We had a wonderful time, enjoying the beauty of the country and the love of our family. The wonderful food, all the laughs, swimming, surfing, walking, fishing, sleeping well and soaking up vitamin D was the best medicine anyone could ever take. I prescribe it for you all. Do it with your family, a partner, by yourself, with group or whomever, just go explore, relax and love life!

Why not have a Mexican Fiesta in January and make some Pina Coladas and Margaritas for your friends. Ole!

Pina Coladas

You'll need a bottle of dark rum, a fresh pineapple, 2 cans of premium coconut milk, fresh pineapple juice, bananas(optional), agave syrup(optional), ice.

I usually adjust to preferred taste, you'll have to do the same. Some people like them sweeter, you could add a tiny bit of agave syrup if necessary to sweeten, but go easy, it's very sweet.

1 Full Blender=3 servings

3-6 oz dark rum (depends on taste)

1 half can of coconut milk, shaken well

1-2 cups pineapple juice

1 cup chopped pineapple

1-2 bananas if using

squeeze of agave syrup if using

crushed ice

Blend away, take a sip, add more of whatever you like, drink, repeat. Enjoy.

Strawberry Margaritas

Same instructions as above, adjust it to your taste. For these you'll need a bottle of fairly good tequila, a bottle of Cointreau or Triple Sec, freshly squeezed lime juice(about 12-20 limes juiced), agave syrup, fresh or frozen organic strawberries, ice.

1 Blender=3 servings

3 oz tequila

3 oz Cointreau

1 tbsp agave syrup (adjust to preference)

1 cup lime juice

1 cup water

1 cup strawberries

crushed ice

Blend, taste, adjust to your liking, blend, taste, drink, repeat.

Why I Love The Biggest Loser

2010-11-25T23:37:00.000-05:00

I love The Biggest Loser because it is actually making a difference. The Biggest Loser is a t.v show that is helping people all over North America lose weight. It is teaching people how important it is to be fit and healthy. It is making communities get out and get involved in supporting one another in the big challenge of losing weight. It's sad that it takes a reality show to do this. Personal trainers, athletes, exercise gurus, fitness classes, gyms, people who naturally live healthy life styles, etc., have all been trying for years to get everybody on the fit train. But in our sedentary, reality t.v., social media obsessed culture it seems everyone is glued to some screen somewhere. At least this is one reality show that is getting people outside and active, talking to these experts and asking for help...after they watch the show first, of course.

The majority of reality shows are about a bunch of self indulgent, narcissistic, idiots that most people cannot relate to in any way. At least I hope they can't. The popularity of these shows seems to be in that we like to laugh at how stupid and pathetic the "stars" on them are. But The Biggest Loser is different. It's about people working their asses off, literally, to make a better life for themselves and the people that love them. These people are saving their own lives and many others lives through hard work and inspiration. It's not about a bunch of real losers sitting around in a house talking about who screwed who or who got the most drunk the night before. Nor is it about about a bunch of Ken and Barbie dolls pretending to have a clue about love and how they've met their soulmate after three weeks of competing with a bunch of other mannequins in a completely unrealistic setting. While I understand the escapism allure, it really does get boring quickly.

The Biggest Loser, after nine seasons, has proven that there is no "secret" to losing weight. No magic pill, no sweat lodge, shaman potion, special cream or poopie pants laxative powder to magically make you skinny. It's about hard work and eating well, that's it, solved, finished, answered! Eat healthy, eat less, exercise your bloody butt off, that's how you do it. That is the secret people. I know, it is a hard pill to swallow because we all want something simple in the form of a pill to swallow. We all want to stuff our faces with sugar and fat and then for one week just eat and drink it a little bit less of it and believe that we'll just drop the weight off. Well, I'm here to be a big party pooper and tell you that it ain't happening that way. We need to completely re-define what healthy eating and proper working out is. Throwing a Lean Cuisine in the microwave, washing it down with a diet soda and walking to the corner store does not count as a workout/diet day, no way. Here's a wake up call for you...one pound equals 3500 calories. So you need to burn roughly that many calories over and above what calories you've eaten that week in order to lose one pound. But it also is dependent on what type of calories you are eating because they are stored differently. You're level of fitness is a factor as well. If you are already out of shape, eating a diet high in refined sugars, bad fats, processed foods and "diet foods," then you will have to burn a lot more calories per pound of fat just to lose one pound. Am I making sense? Maybe not, but I'm not going to get into a science lesson here, save that for the experts. My main point is that it is really hard to lose weight. On average you may only lose about 4 pounds a month with working out 5 days a week and cutting out a minimum of 500 calories a day. So for those of you that want to lose 20 pounds and think you'll just start next week because it's easy, well, you're looking at about 5 months of working hard. You might want to get started, soon. These people on The Biggest Loser that are starting at 400 pounds and losing half their body weight in three months, are working their freaking bodies to the core! They are exercising hard for two hours a day, pushing themselves to their absolute limit. They are eating real, healthy food. Food that is naturally low in good fats. They are not eating processed foods that claim they are low fat. All of those so called "diet foods" will thwart any weight loss. The body has no idea how to metabolize fake foods, so stop eating them. And the reason any of them might gain weight once they quit the show is only because they go back to their old habits. For those of you out there who to try a diet for one week to a month and then give up because you think it isn't working are being ridiculous. Of course the diet isn't working...because neither are you. None of the people on The Biggest Loser have great metabolisms or good genes. And, apparently, none of them have over active thyroids that are keeping them fat either because they all lose weight. You have to work really hard at it, period. I cry when I see how happy the people are after losing so much weight. I cry at how most of them go off the medications they were on. I cry at how wonderful they feel and how proud they are of themselves because they should be. I cry at how they pretend they were happy before but, when they actually reach their goal and feel so amazing, they then admit to how they had been lying to themselves and everyone else for years. I cheer them on from my couch but after my afternoon workout. And while I would love to be eating a big bowl of ice cream while watching, I sip my water and snack on some almonds. Ice cream should be an earned treat.

I'm sure I'll get some nasty comments on what I'm going to say next, but I don't care.

It is not okay to be obese. It is not okay for overweight people to walk around and claim they love being fat and there is nothing wrong with it. What's wrong with it is that they are slowly killing themselves. It's wrong to have to take medications and put a strain on the health care system because of all of the weight induced illnesses. It's wrong for friends and family to watch someone they love risk a heart attack just because they can't stop eating McDonald's burgers. It's an addiction. It's wrong to enable it. It needs to be treated.

I love that The Biggest Loser has drawn attention to this obesity epidemic through reality t.v. and proven that we can all be healthy. I'm not sure this shift would have happened otherwise. The majority of obese people sitting on their big butts, scarfing down a bag of chips at home while watching their favourite reality shows, probably would have never gone down to the local gym to find out about diet and exercise. Sorry for the tough love guys, but it's true. And Jillian and Bob would back me up on this one. But they might scream it in your face instead while making you drop and give 'em 50.

All the information and literature on proper nutrition and exercise is out there. Eat natural. Eat good fats. Eat real sugars from maple syrup, honey and fruit. Stop making excuses. Stop eating diet foods. Stop taking diet pills. Stop killing yourself. Get out there and be a big loser. Literally work your freaking ass off. Do it now.

Some substitutions for healthy eating

Instead of...

1. Mayonaise: use avocado slices

2. Processed Peanut Butter: use all natural peanut, almond, macadamia or pumpkin seed butters

3. Anything made with White Flour: use *whole stone ground grains (not to be confused with whole wheat which is much better for you than white flour)

4. Yogurts filled with sugar/aspartame/jellied fruits/etc.: use all natural plain Kefir or Greek yogurt.

5. White or Brown Sugar: use, in small amounts, raw honey, agave syrup, maple syrup.

6. Salty Snacks: use raw seeds and nuts sprinkled with sea salt, toss in some dried berries, dark chocolate chips and plain shredded coconut for a nice homemade trail mix.

7. Pop: use carbonated water with a splash of real fruit juice or plain soda with fresh lemon and lime.

8. Energy or Sport Drinks: use coconut water

9. Factory farmed red meat: use organic grass fed beef or organic chicken (grass fed beef is just as lean but higher in protein than chicken. Farmed beef is much fattier, higher in cholesterol and full of antibiotics)

10. Fried or scrambled eggs: use hard boiled organic eggs

11. Ice Cream: use real gelato or all natural sorbet (*read your labels)

12. Sweets: use dates, figs, dried fruits, dark chocolate(70% cacao or higher)

13. Sugary cereals or packaged oatmeals: use steel cut oats with fresh fruit

14. Energy bars: use Lara bars

15. Canola Oil: use extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil or ghee.

Movember: Grow a 'stache, eat your veggies

2010-11-08T09:03:00.000-05:00

It's Movember! A time for many of us to see what our men would look like if we traveled back in time to the 70's or if they had chosen a career in porn, like Justin does in that picture, um...eww. Seriously though, for those of you that don't know what Movember is, it's the month, formerly known as November, to raise awareness for prostate cancer and one of the ways men are doing this is by growing a mustache. There may be some ladies that can grow a 'stache too, but I'd suggest stick to waxing and donate money instead. To learn more, go to www.movember.com.

Numerous studies have been done on the correlation between the consumption of fruits and vegetables with the reduction and decreased incidence of certain cancers. Cruciferous vegetables such as kale, broccoli, rapini, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts along with vegetables rich in carotenoids such as carrots, beets and the squash family are extremely important in the fight against numerous cancers. Some include non-hodgkins lymphoma, liver, cervical, lung and gastrointestinal tract cancers AND our guest star this month...prostate cancer. It seems very fitting to me that November/Movember is the month where all of the above mentioned vegetables are at their peak here in Canada so, we can buy local, celebrate these wonderful men in our lives and cook them the veggies that will help keep them healthy, us too of course. Now, I realize that cruciferous veggies aren't the most popular, especially with meat and potato kinda guys, but I will give you some recipes that I promise you'll find at least one that you'll love. Or hopefully be inspired to try something of your own.

I'm now going to ramble on and give you some interesting research, you may want to skip to the recipes, but the following information really brings up some food for thought on the whole "nature giving us what we need to heal ourselves" belief. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I really believe that we already have the tools we need to stay healthy. I believe that Nature, the Universe, God, all three or whatever you believe in, has provided us with them. Many scientists are working hard to discover how we can utilize these gifts to heal ourselves. In the meantime, please, I beg you, stop eating processed and manufactured food. Stop taking prescription drugs to mask the problems that can be helped with a good diet and exercise. Anything you put in your mouth should only have ingredients in it that you know what they are, where they come from, you can pronounce them, do not come from a lab and are truly natural. Natural meaning exactly that. "Natural flavours," are not truly natural flavours. If they were they'd say, "strawberries or vanilla bean," or whatever the actual flavour added is! Geesh! Natural flavours means a flavour that is chemically derived from a natural source, so...not natural then.

Whew, my bullying started early. Let's get started then and talk isothiocyanates, I know, I know, I just lost 95% of you but, for the remaining nerds, here we go...

http://www.molecular-cancer.com/content/9/1/189

Isothiocyanates are the components of certain plants and vegetables that have selective biological activities and functions that fight against carcinogenesis. And carcinogens suck dudes!

Sulforaphane...

http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals/sulforaphane.php

...is a potent cancer fighting agent, kind of like James Bond but more Daniel Craig than Roger Mooore, so it seriously kicks ass! This sulforaphane is a dietary isothiocyanate compound found in cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, rapini, blah, blah, blah, I already said this like twelve paragraphs ago. In a study done through the American Association for Cancer Research it was found that,

"Isothiocyanate sulforaphane targets pathways of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and oxidative stress in human cells."

So, this is good stuff. And so are cruciferous vegetables. Like Kale, in case you haven't been paying attention.

Kale has been proven to lower cholesterol. It is full of flavonoids which are antioxident, anti inflammatory, anti cancer fighting noids. In only one little cup of kale you get...

1200% of your daily intake of Vitamin K

200% of your vitamin A

80% of your vitamin C

10% fiber

manganese,

calcium,

vitamin E,

omega 3 fatty acids,

B1, B2, B3, B6

folate

phosphorous

iron

magnesium

potassium

Basically, an exceptional level of nutrition. Did you know that vitamin K is necessary to metabolize calcium properly in the body? If you are taking calcium supplements and not getting enough vitamin K, well then, your supplements just get flushed down the toilet, so to speak.

Brussels, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and rapini are a few more that are extremely high in nutrition. Try incorporating them into your diet more, but be careful, they are gassy. Lightly steaming, roasting or grilling helps. Just do small amounts to start. Justin and I made the mistake of falling in love with kale and then going crazy by having it for dinner, then lunch, then as a crispy snack and let's just say we could be a couple of characters called Toots McGassy and Bum Farts McGee. A day later it felt like we were pooping out cactuses, ouch.

Cruciferous veggies are linked to the squash family and some root vegetables like carrots and beets in that they also have carotenoids such as lutein, alpha carotene and betacarotene.

You need alpha and beta carotene to manufacture vitamin A in your body. Vitamin A has been shown in numerous studies to, aside from retinal cellular repair (improving eyesight), slow the aging process, reverse skin damage from the sun and work as an anti inflammatory, specifically in lung cancer studies. A Chinese study that followed 60,000 participants of heavy smokers over ten years found that the control group that received a diet high in vitamin A had a reduction in their lung cancer by 27%. Carotenoids prevent cell damage and improve bladder function. Recent lab studies on cancerous human tumour cells of the colon, stomach, nerve, lung, breast, prostate and testes that were treated with extracts of lutein and carotenoids resulted in the inhibition of growth through anti inflammatory enzymes. Specifically, squash extracts were used to help reduce the symptoms of a condition called BPH- Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy. In this case the prostate gland becomes enlarged, which can cause difficulty in urinary and sexual function, but when treated with the extract, the swelling is reduced and function returns to almost normal.

Vegetables high in carotenoids include carrots, beets, pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut squash, even some tomatoes. Think orang-ish, think carotenoid. These vegetables are very high in iron, zinc, vitamin C, E, fiber, potassium and magnesium. And their seeds are even better. Full of healthy fats, protein and fiber, you can roast them, dry them or eat them raw with a bit of spice or sea salt, yum!

There seems to be so much cancer around us and I'm sure everyone one of us has been touched by it in one way or the other. Chemotherapy, radiation and drugs seem to be most commonly prescribed to patients. There are homeopathic remedies and alternative therapies, but they are still predominately treated like they are avant guard. We treat the disease after we have it and desperately try to fight it with toxic drugs. When I was being treated for Leukemia, my nurse would wear protective googles, gloves and a suit to administer my chemo drugs to me. The same drugs that were being pumped straight into my arm. Maybe its time to start being more proactive and treating our bodies properly so we can avoid sickness? Stop the disease before it comes, try to prevent it with what nature has given us. And it has given us everything that we need to live healthy. More and more studies are proving the healing powers of nature and it seems so simple to me. Whatever we believe individually in how we came into in existence, we have to agree to at least marvel in the magic of how we are all suited perfectly to our environments. Environment meaning the earth, sun, animals, plants, water, fire...life. Let's try to keep it and our bodies clean, fresh and healthy naturally.

I'm going to put a few suggestions down first then some recipes to follow. I hope you enjoy them.

Kale

Kale is a great substitute for romaine or spinach in a salad. I like to make a kale caesar to switch things up now and again. Kale needs to "marinate" to tenderize the leaves, so you can make the dressing in advance, toss it with the leaves and let it sit for a few hours. You can even eat it the next day and there isn't any wilt, take it for lunch. Make sure to rip the leaves off the center stem and discard it, it isn't very good and quite bitter.

Kristi's Kale/Spinach Salad

1 head of kale or spinach, washed and torn into bite sized pieces

1 tbsp olive oil

125 g of pancetta, chopped into small cubes

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 red onion, sliced into small rings, then halved

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced or diced

1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts

*your favourite blue cheese dressing

* I like to take my caesar dressing recipe and stir in a block of blue cheese crumbled, juice of one lemon and some sour cream, adjust to desired consistency.

1. Make the dressing and toss the kale with it well, massage it into the leaves even. Set aside.

2. Place oil in frying pan over medium high heat and add pancetta. Cook until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels and cool.

3. Place nuts on a cookie sheet and set under broiler, tossing and watching closely until browned, remove and cool.

4. Slice mushrooms, eggs and onion and place in a bowl.

5. Toss kale and dressing with cooled pancetta and onion and place in refrigerator for an hour or more.

6. Just before serving, layer mushrooms and egg over salad, sprinkle with nuts and serve.

*If using spinach just keep the dressing on the side and toss everything just before serving.

Kale Crisps: This recipe is under the Krazy for Kale blog I did in May, I think. A delicious, healthy substitute for chips. Check it out.

Rapini with Roasted Garlic

*this recipe is great with Brussel sprouts too!

one head of rapini or two cups of brussel sprouts

one head of roasted garlic

sea salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

olive oil for cooking

1. Wash, trim and blanch the rapini in a large pot of boiling water for approximately 3 minutes. Set in an ice bath, then blot dry.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add rapini and fry gently for a few minutes or until tender, taking care not to over cook.

3. Remove from heat. Squeeze cloves of garlic from their skin and add to the rapini along with the salt and pepper. Toss well.

4. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top, Serve immediately.

*other options are:

- fry the rapini in olive oil with chili flakes(or a favourite spice) and salt and pepper.

- toss the blanched rapini with butter, salt, pepper and toasted pine nuts.

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

1 head of broccoli

1 head of cauliflower(try using a purple or yellow one for a beautiful presentation)

olive oil

sea salt and pepper

two cups grated sharp cheddar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Wash and cut broccoli and cauliflower into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl.

3. Drizzle olive oil over veggies and toss to coat, adding more until all the pieces are lightly covered. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper over, toss well.

4. Spread veggies on a large baking sheet.

5. Place on bottom rack and cook for 10 minutes. Stir, toss, flip the veggies around and then cook for approximately 5-1o minutes more.

6. Remove from oven when they are slightly crispy on the edges. Sprinkle with cheese, if using. Serve immediately.

More ideas for...

Carrots

- cut into bite sized pieces, toss with honey, roast at 400F on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan for 45 minutes, turning a few times.

- grate over salads

- make a carrot coleslaw, add grated beet to it and toss with a tangy vinaigrette.

Squashes

- Spaghetti squash: use it in place of noodles with your favourite pasta sauce

*Pumpkin seeds are highly nutritious. You can dry them and eat them raw or toss them with olive oil and sea salt and roast in the oven until golden brown. Delicious!

French Comfort Food: J'ai aime Claire

2010-10-26T17:04:00.000-04:00

Every fall, right around this time, when almost all the leaves have fallen and the temperatures are getting chilly, I start to think about tourtiere. Tourtiere is a delicious French comfort food made up of savory meat, spices and potato and cooked in a flaky crust...oh ya baby! It obviously isn't a diet dish but it is a warm, belly filling treat on a cold day. If you serve it with a salad you won't feel as guilty. The first time I tasted tourtiere was in the fall of 1990. My parents had to move to Vancouver due to my Dad's job promotion, so I was homeless. My boyfriend (Rene) at the time had generous parents that kindly opened up their home to me until I finished up my semester at college. Marie Claire was Rene's mom, she had been born and raised in France and always let us know how much she dearly loved and missed it. Claire was an elegant, beautiful woman who loved to laugh at life and at herself. In the few months I spent in her home, I learned many things about French cooking and, more importantly, how to appreciate the small things around you every day.

Claire met and fell in love with Rene's father while he was serving with the Canadian army in France. She eventually left her family in France to move to Val-d'Or, Quebec with her new husband. They had two beautiful sons and years later, sadly lost their father to Multiple Sclerosis. Claire had been working full time to support her sons and she always managed to make them three home cooked meals daily. She believed in healthy, real food. I remember her being upset with me one time when she saw me dumping a packet of Sweet n Low into some tea. I was very young and cared about only calories at the time. I didn't understand how nutrition and a proper diet worked yet. She picked up the empty packet and in her soft French accent said to me,

"This is made from saccharin, which was given to us during the war. We were on rations and good food was scarce. It is not real, it is a chemical, we ate it because we had no choice...you do. Why would you eat something fake and unhealthy if you have a real, healthy choice? I have never seen people sicker in my life than when they were living off canned food, processed food and chemicals. You don't realize what you have until it is taken from you."

Her words stuck with me. What if we had all our fresh food taken from us? What if all we had to eat was junk food, fast food and fake food? I think we'd be some terribly sick people. Claire knew that many years before we knew that.

Claire was the kind of woman who would suddenly gasp and you'd turn quickly to see what startled her. There she would be, gazing at a flower or the moon, and she'd just smile and look at you with wonder. She would cry over a beautiful story. She'd find the beauty in any story, even when we couldn't see it. I vividly remember one afternoon while we were watching the Flintstones, just for fun, and laughing at Fred when she came in and sat with us. Soon she was tearing up and when we looked at her perplexed she explained to us what the true meaning of the episode was...it wasn't just about his Brontesaurus burger. She taught us how important subtext, understanding and awareness was.

She also taught me how to make a perfect classic vinaigrette, something so simple yet so delicious. She taught me how to use what you have in the fridge and to always be inventive. She taught me how to find greens in your yard to make a salad, like dandelion greens. She taught me that fat isn't bad for you, if it's in moderation and a good fat. She taught me that you can never, ever, ever make a classic cream sauce with anything less than a full fat cream and a ton of butter...amen, mon cherie! She taught me that no good chef would ever shun garlic, it is a staple, no matter what. And most importantly she taught me that a good glass of wine while you cook is non negotiable.

I loved Claire so much. I loved her love for life, food, her family and her country. She was such a beautiful, classy, warm and giving woman. When Rene and I parted ways due to nothing more than being young and wanting different things in life, I sent her a letter to let her know how much she meant to me. She was, as always, understanding and elegant about the whole situation.

This year my Auntie Bev called my mother to let her know that she had seen an obituary for Claire in one of the local newspapers. My mother, knowing how much I cared for her, called me. I immediately tried to track down Rene, who was living in Australia. I needed him to know how sorry and devastated I was to hear the news and how much she meant to me. He shared with me that she had died from Alzheimers. It broke my heart to know that a woman that found so much joy in the memories of her family and everyday experiences would be forced to spend her remaining days on this earth confused and unsure of what was going on around her. Rene told me that he and his stepfather thought that a last trip to France would be something very special for her. She wasn't completely lucid all the time or aware of who everyone was, but the woman who found joy in every taste, smell, touch and vision in this world was still there. Her memories of the love of her country, her life, her family and her food were still there in fragments. I think fragments of love and joy are better than none. I just wish that everyone on this earth could have spent a fragment of their time with Claire, she made this world a better place.

Below are a few of Claire's recipes. They are all delicious, all natural, all comforting and, as long as they are all done in moderation, you can eat the crap out of them! Go for it! Just remember to give a toast to Claire and all Alzheimer's victims whenever you eat one of these recipes. But more importantly, raise awareness and donate whenever you can.

Tourtiere Quebecoise

1 lb lean ground organic beef

1 lb organic ground pork

1 cup(about 2 baking potatoes) cooked riced potatoes (mashed with a fork is fine too)

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper

pie pastry, top and bottom, homemade preferred.

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Melt butter over medium/high heat.

3. Saute onions for about 5 minutes, then add garlic, saute a minute or two more, careful not to brown garlic.

3. Add beef and pork, cook until browned well.

4. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and mix well.

5. Add potatoes, blend well.

6. Set aside. Meanwhile prepare pastry. If using store bought pastry, follow package instructions and fill with above mixture. Bake according to package instructions. But if using my pastry...read below

Kristi's Kick Ass Flaky Pie Pastry Recipe (Nana's recipe actually)

This pastry can be used for pies, turnovers, butter tarts, chicken pot pies and all things delicious. Boo ya baby!

2 cups all purpose, organic, unbleached white flour

1 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup *cold Tenderflake, non-hydrongenated lard

ice water, 5-6 tbsp

1. Pre heat oven to 400F. In a large mixing bowl, place flour and salt and whisk together.

2. Cut Tenderflake into small chunks and add to flour mixture.

3. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut lard into flour until it resembles a coarse meal.

4. Add ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking with fork until dough comes together. Approx. 5 tbsp should do the trick.

5. Form dough into a ball, then divide into two balls. Flatten into two discs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

6. Roll dough out on floured surface. Fold into a four piece square.

7. Lightly grease a pie plate with butter and then gently lift pie dough up off the floured surface and place in the middle of a pie plate.

8. Fold out pie dough over bottom of pie plate. Pour filling inside and brush water along outside edges of bottom pie filling. Top with remaining rolled out pie dough. Crimp edges together and make a decorative pattern to your liking. Brush top of crust with milk and cut slits to allow steam to escape. *(if you are making a dessert pie, sprinkle sugar over the milk as well)

9. Bake for approx. 40-50 minutes or until golden crispy brown. Let cool for 10 minutes.

10. Serve with a salad and maybe some organic ketchup if someone likes that sort of stuff.

French Onion Soup

4 oven proof bowls/ramekins

6 tbsp unsalted butter

2-3 onions, sliced thinly

1 tbsp raw or cane sugar

2 tbsp unbleached organic flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

4 cups homemade or organic, low sodium beef stock

4 slices good quality french bread, toasted and cubed

1-2 cups grated gruyere cheese

1. Melt butter in frying pan. Add onions and sugar. Saute until medium brown in colour.

2. Once onions are slightly browned, sprinkle flour, salt and pepper over top and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

3. Heat stock over medium heat. Once heated, stir onions into stock.

4. Cover bottoms of bowls/ramekins with toasted bread cubes.

5. Pour stock with onions over bread, equally between 4 bowls.

6. Top each bowl with equal parts of shredded gruyere.

7. Place under broiler and heat until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Classic Vinaigrette

1. Place a pinch of sea salt in on a wooden cutting board or in a mortar with pestle.

2. Crush, chop or mince a fresh garlic clove and add to salt. Crack fresh pepper over top.

3. Add a pinch of tarragon, if you have it.

4. Add 1/4 tsp dijon mustard.

5. Grind, blend or crush all the ingredients together into a paste.

6. Place all of the above into a bowl(or leave in mortar, if using, and grind with pestle into a paste) and drizzle about 1-2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil , a squeeze of half a lemon and a dash of white/red vine vinegar over top. Whisk well with a fork or small whisk.

7. Adjust flavour to taste. Add more salt, lemon, oil, dijon, etc. whatever you want, make it your own and love it!

The Mack Daddy of Mac n Cheese

2010-10-04T12:08:00.000-04:00

That's me making my Mac n Cheese dressed up like Amy Winehouse. We had a Rockstar party where indulgence was the theme, so Mac n Cheese was on the menu. I think I found pieces of it in my wig the next day. I'm proud to brag that this Mac n Cheese is the best I've had so far. I've played with the cheese choices and amounts over the past few years and I think I finally got it. My friend Tattiawna had it this weekend and she summed it up like this,

"I've been trying to find a recipe that gives you that creamy, salty, tart, cheesy bite and this is it, this is the sh$t!"

This isn't low fat, heart healthy, or necessarily good for you but it's still made with all natural ingredients and we're allowed to cheat every now and then, right? And if you're gonna cheat, your gonna want to do it with this recipe man! You can use all organic cheeses and milk, it'll be expensive but it does feed 10 people. At $5 bucks a head, that isn't too bad. If not, try to buy Canadian cheeses at least, there will be no antibiotics or hormones in it. That's one great thing about Canada, it is illegal to give them to the cows.

Serve this with a nice side salad so at least you're getting some good stuff and you've got a cheesy, gooey piece of comfort food to warm you up on a cold day. It can be easily divided in half for a smaller crowd. Enjoy!