Ice Cream for Breakfast

No, not really; that's pretty gross, but more than that it's not exactly the healthiest breakfast option. I was pretty intrigued by this magazine clipping recipe, though, when it claimed that this breakfast item was almost like having ice cream for breakfast. Healthy ice cream :)

Berry Oatmeal Parfait (from Glow Magazine, September 2011)

2/3 cup quick oats
1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp almond milk
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 bananas, peeled, chopped and frozen
1 tbsp peanut (or almond) butter
1 cup mixed berries, chopped

1. Whisk together oats, almond milk, chia, and maple syrup in a medium sized bowl. Pop that in the refrigerator, overnight.
2. Peel and chop the bananas, and pop those in the freezer, overnight.
3. In the morning, add the frozen bananas, 1 tbsp of almond milk, and the nut butter to a food processor and process until smooth. 
4. In a bowl/parfait glass/breakfast receptacle, layer the oat mixture, with the banana "soft serve" and chopped berries. 

No pictures this time around because I need a glass bowl/jar to make a parfait :|

Immunity Boosters From Your Kitchen

Last time I mentioned a few tips to help give your immune system a leg up in it's fight against all those infections this winter season, so today I thought I'd share a couple of recipes that I've found and tried out, which source out those essential immune-boosting compounds that I mentioned last time. 

This smoothie has been dubbed the "Virus Slaying Smoothie" by holistic nutritionist, Rachel Hynd. It's smooth and fruity, with a hit of vanilla flavour. You can whip it up in a jiffy before heading out in the morning, or when you come home and need an afternoon snack. I like to pair it with a handful of trail mix for that late afternoon boost of energy. 

To make the smoothie:

1/2 frozen banana, sliced
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
1 tbsp flaxseed
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup kefir (or a low-fat probiotic yogurt, makes a slightly thicker smoothie)

The recipe also calls for 1 scoop of vegan protein powder, but I omit this and eat trail mix instead, or add in a 1/2 tablespoon of almond butter. Put all the ingredients in your blender/Magic Bullet/other fancy dancy smoothie maker and puree until smooth.This will make a single serving.

Some other healthy snack ideas:

Trail mix: mix together pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, raw almonds, Brazil nuts/cashews, chopped dates, and store in an airtight container.

Kale chips: Take one bunch of kale, wash, pat dry and remove the stems. Tear the leaves into small pieces, add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp sea salt and coat the leaves. Bake in a 300 F oven for about 20 minutes (they should be crisp). You can add some cayenne to spice things up, or some sesame seeds for a unique flavour.

The prodigal blogger returns...

 (I swear I'm not doing this!)

I suppose I should explain my prolonged absence. I did not win the lottery, purchase and move to a secluded island. I am not hanging out with the aliens. It's a pretty mundane reason: I'm swamped by schoolwork; and when you've got papers at every turn, you loose your groove. Your pots and baking dishes develop a thin film of dust, and those berries you wanted for a cheesecake, are frozen for smoothies. 

I've also been moving; e-moving anyway.  You'll notice that there's a lot of blank pages with titles only. Ah, the wonders of cluelessly moving from one blogging platform to another. These will gradually be integrated into this new home, time permitting. 

Lastly, to mark the start of this new year, I thought it might be fun to add in the occasional health/lifestyle related tidbit every now and again, just to make things interesting (no, this is not my attempt to keep a single online record of interesting health items I find. Really!)

Let's get the ball rolling, shall we?

Seeing as we're still in the middle of cold and flu season, I though it proper to suggest a few tips to keep your immune system strong and keep the sniffles at bay. 

1. Your mom wasn't just being a nag when she told you to eat your veggies!
Diet is an important component of a strong immune system and colourful veggies are the best weapons to have in your arsenal against illness this winter. Look for oranges and yellows (peppers, carrots, yam), an excellent source of beta-carotene, a potential immune enhancer. The leafy greens (kale chips, anyone?) are jam packed with antioxidants, which scavenge out those nasty free radicals that damage body systems and affect immune functioning. Lastly, grab a tic-tac and include veggies from the allium family in your diet (leeks, garlic, onions). Like the leafies, these are also rich in antioxidants, which benefit the body as a whole.

2.  I'm sure you've seen the Activia commercials, and there's a lot of commercial hype surrounding probiotics, but it's not just hype. These babies not only improve your digestion and enhance nutrient absorption, they might also play a role in immune functions by increasing the production of some kinds of T-cells (these are your front line defenders against infection!). Probiotic enriched yogurt, and kefir are good sources, as are kimchi and sauerkraut. 

3. This might seem like overkill, but, take your vitamins! A multivitamin to be precise. We've all heard about vitamin C's amazing powers, but did you know that the B vitamins (B2, B5, B6, B9. B12) also play a role in boosting immunity? Vitamin D is also a major player; there is a potential link between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of cold/flu. Want some extra protection? Scientists have found that echinacea may serve as an immunity booster and reduce the duration of colds.


Source: Glow Magazine, 2011.

Happy New Year!! Ham and Cheese Buns

Boozy Charlotte

sugar cookies

Chicken Hand Pies

1 package Tenderflake puff pastry (or alternative)(this is a real time saver!)

Filling:

¼ cup red pepper, finely chopped

¾ cup onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 ¼ cups cooked chicken, chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

½ cup ketchup

2 tbsp olive oil

¾ cup peas (canned)

1 beaten egg

¾ cup sugar (optional)

  1. Add oil to pan, add onions, garlic and red peppers. Cook over medium -high heat until onion is translucent.  Add chicken, carrot, ketchup, and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to coat chicken, cover and leave over heat for 15 min. 

2. Remove mixture from heat. Add peas and stir to mix (not too vigorously, or you’ll get pea mash J). Set aside.

3. Roll out pastry dough and using a 4” round cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as the dough will yield. I usually get about 36 rounds from a package.

4.  Brush beaten egg around edges of circles. Spoon about 1 tbsp filling into center of each round, place another round to cover, and press together edges to seal.

5. Place pastries in preheated 400^o oven for 15 min, at which point you can pull them out to brush surfaces with egg and sprinkle sugar on surface, if so desired, and pop them back in for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool and enjoy!