The festive season can be somewhat stressful with lots of gatherings and endeavouring to make things extra special.  Sometimes, however, less is more. These Four Festive Party Starters are just that, simple-to-prepare appetizers that are full of flavour and wrapped in holiday red, white and green. The key is selecting the best quality ingredients. With quality ingredients, you don’t need to do much other than let the flavours shine through.

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipes for these Four Festive Party Starters and read on for a few tips on each of the recipes.

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I don’t think I’m alone in craving sweet treats once the weather gets chillier. And it’s been a while since I’ve shared a recipe for something decadent, so I’m posting a dessert treat this month. I always have bananas on hand for my pre-run snack but last week I overbought and had a few extra-ripe ones left over at the end of the week. That was enough of an excuse to get baking. The recipe for these Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins calls for three bananas which, by serendipitous coincidence, was exactly the number of mushy bananas I had on my counter. The recipe is flourless too, also providential since I pretty much never have flour in my pantry. So, besides being delicious, these muffins are great for anyone with gluten sensitivities.

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipe for these yummy Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins. And read on for more about why the colder weather might give rise to sugar cravings and why it’s always better eat homemade treats when cravings strike.

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When the chill of autumn sets in or a rainy day dampens spirits, there’s nothing quite like a warm, hearty soup to lift your mood and nourish your body. This month I’m sharing recipes for two soups that suffonsify. While you won’t find the word in the dictionary, my mom used suffonsify frequently, usually after serving one of her famously delicious meals. “Are you sufficiently suffonsified?“, she would ask, and of course we always were! So when I say these are soups that suffonsify, I mean they are satisfying, wholesome and comforting.

These are truly one-pot meals as each serving of soup offers up 19 grams of protein and a hefty helping of gut- and heart-healthy fibre (15 grams in one and 25 grams in the other). They are both vegetarian and so call for vegetarian broth. But you could also use chicken broth and/or add some chicken, white fish, shrimp or ham if you wish to amp up the protein content.

The quality of the broth can make or break your soup. Homemade is always best (here’s a simple and fast Pressure Cooker Bone Broth) but store-bought stock is fine too. Just read the label carefully and choose one with the fewest additives. I prefer low-sodium broths as I find the regular versions are far too salty for me. Always be sure to taste before adding salt.

The other bonus with soups is they freeze so well. Make a big batch and you’ll always have some hearty soup on hand for a rainy and/or chilly day when you want a fuss-free, suffonsifying lunch or dinner!

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipes for Soups that Suffonsify. And read on for more about the nutritional benefits of each soup.

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Clients often ask me for time-saving tips to prep healthy meals fast. Personally, when it comes to lunch, I rely on canned fish and canned beans. This Salmon & Mint Chickpea Salad, which uses both, is just one of the recipes in my rotation. Why canned fish and canned beans? Besides being quick to prepare, they are:

• minimally processed,
• easy to keep on hand in the pantry,
• relatively inexpensive,
• excellent sources of protein and
• very versatile.

This salad’s a cinch to whip up, is easily portable and keeps in an airtight container for up to three days. There is no meal faster than a leftover salad – you don’t even need to reheat it!

And if your garden is currently overgrown with mint like mine, this is a delicious way to use up some of it. No mint? No problem. Just sub in parsley or another favourite fresh herb such as chives. As with any salad, feel free to add other veggies you like too. Bell peppers, green onions and radishes are all tasty, healthy and colourful additions.

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the Salmon & Mint Chickpea Salad recipe. And read on for more about the health benefits of this simple and delicious salad.

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To say that it’s been hot here in Toronto this July is, as usual, a gross understatement. And when the temperatures soar like this, hydration is key. Water gets boring so this month I’m highlighting a collection of Five Fruity Aguas Frescas to keep you cool and refreshed. Aguas frescas are essentially fruit blended with water, so they are perfect thirst-quenchers when you find yourself feeling parched.

They’re also a tasty way to enjoy locally-grown fruit in season. And I ask you, who hasn’t bought a huge watermelon and then not known what to do with half of it?  My Watermelon Mint Agua Fresca provides a delicious solution to this dilemma.

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipes for these Five Fruity Aguas Frescas.

And read on for more on aguas frescas and how they:

• make excellent electrolyte beverages when summer gets sweaty,
• are perfect patio/party sippers.

I’ll sign off for summer with a link to my previous post, Tips for a Hot Bod, for my other suggestions for keeping cool. I wish you a ton of fun in the sun this summer and I’ll see you in September!

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Last month I delved into the health benefits of prebiotic foods, highlighting in-season asparagus as one delicious example. So this month I’m featuring one of my favourite probiotic foods, kimchi. I’m calling this recipe collection Kimchi x Three because I’m serving it up three ways:

1. Kimchi & Cheddar Omelette
2. Kimchi Peanut Noodles
3. Chicken & Kimchi with Quinoa

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive Kimchi x Three. And read on for more on:

• what it is,
• why it’s good for your gut health and
• how to make your own at home.

Never tried it? That’s all the more reason to add it to your shopping list! Because when it comes to keeping your gut microbiome happy, eating a diverse array of plant foods is the name of the game. And eating fermented plant foods is like winning bonus points.

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Locally-grown asparagus is finally available here in Ontario! As an asparagus afficionado, I’m super-excited. My parents used to grow asparagus in their garden and I have fond memories of my mom making the most scrumptious asparagus tarts with béchamel sauce and Swiss cheese. I’m too lazy a cook to make pastry and béchamel myself but I do enjoy dining on asparagus as often as possible while it is in season.

And one of my favourite ways to serve these verdant spears is grilled and drizzled with a garlicky dressing chock full of fresh herbs. This recipe for Grilled Asparagus & Sweet Potato with Chimichurri fits the bill.

If you aren’t a fan of sweet potato, feel free to omit it or use any other vegetable suitable for grilling.  Bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini or eggplant work well. I also really enjoy grilling bitter wedges of radicchio and cauliflower “steaks”. If you don’t have a grill, this can be just as easily prepared with a grill pan over the stove or roasted in the oven.

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipe for Grilled Asparagus & Sweet Potato with Chimichurri. And read on for more about…

• how awesome asparagus is for the health of your microbiome and gut, and
• the gazillion ways you can use chimichurri and turn this recipe into a full meal deal.

But first, I thought you (and any of my family reading this and nostalgic for my mom’s cooking) might also enjoy the recipe for my mom’s Asparagus Tarts with Béchamel Sauce. Let me know if you make them. I can be over lickety-split. 😉

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Coconut and lime is a classic flavour pairing. The acidity of the lime balances the fatness of the coconut milk beautifully. Consequently, with just two simple ingredients you can truly elevate your meal. A few decades ago I bought a book called The Flavor Bible. It chronicles the flavour pairings and other tips top chefs use to make food taste great. The entry on limes describes how acidity awakens flavours. And among all the pairings listed, the strongest recommendations included coconut/coconut milk, chili peppers and cilantro. All of these are included in this recipe for Creamy Coconut Lime Chicken, so no wonder it tastes so good!

Fish was also strongly recommended as a flavour pairing, so feel free to substitute fish or shellfish in this recipe (just be sure to adjust the cooking times). Ginger pairs beautifully, too. If you have fresh ginger on hand to grate into this dish, I’d go for it. To make the dish vegetarian/vegan, swap in chickpeas or tofu.

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipe for Creamy Coconut Lime Chicken. And read on for what to look for when purchasing coconut milk and for these bonus recipes to round out the menu:

• Roasted Curried Cauliflower
• Cucumber & Lime Fresca

I hope you enjoy the recipes! And I highly recommend you have a look at the book as well. It includes “Flavour Matchmaking Charts” that are extremely handy. As the authors write, “understanding what herbs, spices, and other seasonings will best bring out the flavor of whatever it is you’re cooking is some of the most important knowledge any cook can master.”

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Feeling ravenous and want dinner presto pronto? Then this recipe for Pesto Pasta with Scallops is for you! If seafood just isn’t your thing, you could certainly substitute chicken, although it will be a little less presto pronto (given chicken takes longer to cook). The recipe calls for chickpea pasta which is much higher in protein than regular pasta. So vegetarians can simply omit animal protein altogether and add extra veggies to the pasta and pesto to boost flavour.  Cannellini or navy beans work well too.

Pesto is my saviour when it comes to getting a tasty meal on the table in a timely manner with minimal fuss and muss. You can make your own and keep it in the freezer, ready to thaw as needed. Or make your life even easier and purchase a high-quality pesto from your local market. There are so many varieties out there that you can make this with a different pesto every time to change up the flavour profile. So it’s never boring. And I love that this recipe serves three, making enough for my husband I for dinner and leftovers for my lunch the next day.

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipe for Pesto Pasta with Scallops. And read on for more about:

• my favourite pesto varieties, including a nut-free basil pesto you can make yourself
• why I highly recommend you try chickpea pasta, and
• the nutritional benefits of scallops.

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Did you know that heart disease is the second leading cause of death for both men and women in Canada? February is Heart Month. It is “a time to raise awareness about the importance of cardiovascular health and an opportunity to focus on what we can do to improve our heart health” says The Public Health Agency of Canada. According to the World Health Organization, “the most important behavioural risk factors of heart disease and stroke are unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol.”

So in honour of Heart Month, this recipe for Spice Crusted Salmon & Beets serves up a heaping helping of heart-healthy nutrients. And if you are time-pressed or don’t know your way around a kitchen, take heart, because it’s super simple to prepare!

To make this dish even more heart-healthy, serve it with farro either on the side or mixed in with the beets. The high fibre content of this whole grain helps reduce LDL cholesterol in your blood, lowering your risk of heart disease. You can read more about the many health benefits of farro in this previous post of mine (and here’s the link to view the recipe it features: Farro & Beet Salad).

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipe for Spice Crusted Salmon & Beets. And read on to find out more about how including salmon and beets in your diet can help keep your heart in tip-top shape.

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