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Gourds & Goblins Menu … exhumed

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Gourds & Goblins Menu

I first posted my Gourds & Goblins Menu two years ago and my readers back then deemed it a treat. I’ve exhumed it this Hallowe’en in the hope that my newer subscribers will also find it a scream. If you are seeing this again, think of it as Hallowe’en and Groundhog Day all rolled into one.

My Gourds & Goblins Menu is a Jekyll & Hyde character.

The Jekyll version is served pretty much as described in the recipes. It’s a heaping harvest helping of carbo-comfort foods featuring a gaggle of gourds (namely pumpkin, butternut squash and zucchini). But with some sleight of hand and the spooky styling suggestions at blog-bottom, you can turn it ins-Hyde-out into a fiendish feast for your ghoul-friends! It’s double, double the fun without too much toil or trouble.

Served either way, my Gourds & Goblins Menu is devilishly good at disguising veggies.

Gourds & Goblins Menu

Apéritif: Classic Virgin Sangria (Served per the recipe, it is a harmless harvest cranberry cocktail. But we musn’t forget the word sangria means bloodletting in Spanish, so take a boo at the sinister sip tips below.)

Soup: Spider Web Pumpkin Soup (I’ve dusted the cobwebs off this one from a menu I put out in pre-pandemic times. For the harvest version, omit the spiderweb. But feel free to add curry powder or cayenne if you like it hellishly hot.)

Pasta: Vegan Mac n’ ‘Cheese’ (This is devilishly good served with a tempest-tossed “blood red radicchio and endive of the world salad”. The bitter leaves are a killer counterpoint to the richness of the pasta.)

Dessert: Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes (For some, the thought of zucchini in cupcakes is scary enough. But if you dig the demonic decorating ideas down below you can make these double chocolate delights even darker. If you wish to spike the suggested whipped cream topper, I recommend heavenly Frangelico or the Devil’s rum.)

Whether cooking up the Jekyll or Hyde version, feel free to reach out if you have any questions, comments or grave concerns. I hope you enjoy goblin’ these recipes up!

Join The Nutritional Reset Community here to receive the recipes in the Gourds & Goblins Menu (as well as the recipes to come).

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Habit Change – Your Personal Tour de France

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Habit Change - Your Personal Tour de FranceRecently I got hooked by a Netflix documentary called Tour de France: Unchained. It struck me as I watched it that the Tour de France is a great analogy for habit change. Analogies resonate with people. That’s why I used the analogy of climbing Everest in my post Sliding Down a Sugary, Slippery Slope.

The only thing I knew about the Tour de France beforehand was that the winner got to wear the famous yellow jersey. What I didn’t know was that different cyclists don the yellow jersey after each of the 21 stages in the Tour. The winner of the first stage dons the yellow jersey to wear in the next day’s stage. At the end of the second stage, the yellow jersey goes to the cyclist with the fastest time over the two stages. And then over three stages and so on, until, at the end of the 21st stage, it goes to the overall winner, the rider with the fastest cumulative time over all 21 stages. You might say they use a combination of strategy, strength and steely resolve to develop a yellow jersey-wearing habit.

So I thought it would be fun to apply some of the learnings from the Tour de France to habit change. Then why not think of something you want to change in your life and make it into your own 21-day personal Tour de France to win?

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Mondo Mint

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Mondo MintMy mom always warned me never to plant mint directly in my garden or it would take over. She was a fantastic gardener so I listened to her sage advice about mint and dutifully planted it in pots. However, over time (and admittedly due to some neglect this summer), my mint has jumped the pot and run rampant. And so my small garden is now in a state best described as mondo mint. I could invite every neighbour on my street for mojitos and I would still have great bunches of mint left over.

What, oh what, to do? Well, eat mint for breakfast, lunch and dinner, that’s what!

So this month I have included recipes to help do just that, plus a (non-mojito) libation…

  • Nigella’s Corsican Omelette (the recipe is Nigella Lawson’s but, due to copyright, the photo is mine; as you might expect, Nigella’s omelette, just like Nigella, is more attractive)
  • Beet, Grapefruit & Mint Salad (just add grilled chicken or your protein of choice and this makes a wonderfully satisfying lunch)
  • Cold Noodles with Pork & Cucumber (most Asian-inspired dishes are elevated by the addition of fresh mint and/or basil; both herbs are from the same family, Lamiaceae, also known as Labiatae)
  • Blackberry Smash Cocktail (I love blackberries as they are delicious, dramatic and not too sweet; this is a mocktail but I won’t tell if you add vodka or gin to it)

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipes. And then read on for more about my favourite ways to use mint and some of its benefits.  I  hope you enjoy how mint adds a refreshing flourish to each of these dishes!

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Dishing It Up for Autumn

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Dishing It Up for AutumnSummer sure seemed to zoom by pretty quickly, didn’t it?  Though it was marvellous to have such summery weather right through September 7 this year. As I write this, however, the mercury has decidedly dipped and the trees are showing hints of autumn colour. Yes, autumn is imminent with the autumn equinox arriving on September 23.

So my lead story in Dishing It Up for Autumn is about beating “autumn anxiety” for those, like me, who lament summer’s passing.  Enjoy!

 

 

This month in Dishing It Up for Autumn

  • Eight ways to beat autumn anxiety
  • New Research Reveals Why You Shouldn’t Add a Banana to Your Smoothies
  • 5 nutrition “rules” runners can forget
  • Boost Your Mood with These Healthy Snacks
  • Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones

Read on for a bite-sized summary and links for each story …

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Lemony Baked Cod with Zucchini & Mini Potatoes

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Lemony Baked Cod with Zucchini

Summer is in full swing. We want to be outdoors enjoying the sun, not slaving over a hot stove. I get it. But salads every night can get boring. That’s why I love this Lemony Baked Cod with Zucchini & Mini Potatoes. Just pop everything into a baking dish and it practically cooks itself. And it’s a delicious way to enjoy summer’s bounty of locally grown zucchini.

This recipe is easy enough for a simple weeknight dinner. You can use lemon juice only (as per the recipe, and I admit one of my time-savers is to use organic lemon juice from a bottle, like this Sicilian one). But when I want a more rustic, colourful presentation, I’ll add in some thin slices of whole lemon before baking. In fact, if I want a really quick meal, I’ll often do just that and skip the capers and dill altogether (as shown in the photo here).

But when you prepare the recipe as written, it is sophisticated enough to serve to guests, especially if you use a mix of colours of mini potatoes, include yellow zucchini (or a mix of yellow and green) and bake it in an attractive casserole dish that you can bring right to your (preferably al fresco) dining table. The combination of olive oil, fish, herbs, capers and zucchini has a sunny Mediterranean vibe and would pair beautifully with a crisp, cool sauvignon blanc or Chablis. 😉

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipe for Lemony Baked Cod with Zucchini & Mini Potatoes. And read on for more about the health benefits of zucchini as well as for a simply refreshing (yet refreshingly simple) dessert suggestion!

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Tips for a Hot Bod…revisited

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Tips for a Hot BodGiven the scorching temperatures, I thought it would be a good time to revisit Tips for a Hot Bod, originally posted on July 16, 2022. I hope you find these tips for healthy hydration and cooling off a hot bod helpful. And enjoy the trio of tasty no-cook recipes at the end…

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Grilled Chicken & Chickpea Kale Salad

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Grilled Chicken & Chickpea Kale Salad

I love a gorgeous salad in summer. Fresh and crisp, they are super nutritious, easy to put together and leftovers make a great meal the next day (just don’t add the dressing until you serve it). The key is to include a variety of tastes and textures and enough protein to make it a meal. This Grilled Chicken & Chickpea Kale Salad is a fantastic example, with nearly 50 grams of protein!

I chose it because it highlights the humble radish and Ontario-grown radishes are abundant now. I recently received a beautiful bunch of French breakfast radishes in my local food box and this salad was their destiny. That said, salads make great canvasses for all manner of veggies. No radishes on hand? Just use whatever you do have. As long as it’s colourful and crunchy, you can’t go wrong!

And I encourage you to shop your local Farmers’ Market where you will find a variety of stunning radishes that will transform every salad into a work of art!

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipe for my Grilled Chicken & Chickpea Kale Salad and read on for more about what’s ravishing about radishes!

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Dishing It Up – Timing is Everything

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Timing Is EverythingSince time immemorial, volumes have been written about how long to sleep and what to eat and how much exercise to get and so on. But it’s been only relatively recently that the focus has turned to when to do these things. The goal is to ascertain whether the timing of these activities makes a difference to our health. And, if so, to determine what timing is more (or less) auspicious when it comes to going to bed, waking up, eating our meals and exercising. In this month’s Dishing It Up – Timing is Everything, we’ll look at some recent articles on this timely topic. When it comes to optimal health, is timing everything or just one piece of the puzzle?

This month in Dishing It Up …

  • What is Your Chronotype & Why Does it Matter?
  • How Changing the Timing of When You Eat Can Make You Healthier
  • There is a best time of day to exercise and it may lead to better results
  • Unlocking Your Body’s Clock: A Saliva-Based Personalized Circadian Profiling

Lastly, while not related to chronotype or circadian rhythms, I thought I’d include this informative article on a topic where timing really is everything, and that is hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

  • Clearing the air on hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Read on for a bite-sized summary and links for each story …

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Spicy Shrimp & Black Bean Quinoa Bowl

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Spicy Shrimp & Black Bean Quinoa Bowl

Raise your hand if you like spending hours in the kitchen, especially once summer rolls around. Your hand isn’t up? Well, neither is mine. I’m all about healthy meals that are quick. Not to mention easy to scale up to serve as leftovers for my lunch (or even breakfast) the next day to minimize my time in the kitchen. This Spicy Shrimp & Black Bean Quinoa Bowl ticks a lot of boxes. As well as being quick to prepare, this recipe:

  • relies on staples I always have on hand (quinoa, canned beans, frozen shrimp),
  • uses a pre-made spice blend (read on for ideas) and
  • is high in protein and fibre (which most of us don’t get enough of) to keep you energized for hours.

It’s also super adaptable. Don’t like shrimp? Just sub in chicken, beef or pork. Or make it with tempeh for a vegetarian version.

And while it is simply delicious as is, you can layer on easy extras if you want to gussy it up. Read on for some inspired ideas and more on the beauty of black beans. I recommend serving this with an ice cold Partake Beer. It’s non-alcoholic but tastes just like the real deal. In summer, I love their Peach Gose! Enjoy!

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipe for my Spicy Shrimp & Black Bean Quinoa Bowl.

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Invest in Exercise for a Healthy Retirement

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Laurie McPhail Invest for Your Retirement ExerciseIn my former career, I worked in companies that managed investments for institutional pension funds. So I’m well aware of the importance of investing for retirement. It’s something I’m sure we all agree on. The idea is to save money (making wise investments to grow that money) so, when the time comes to retire, you have enough invested that you can live the way you want. Save money now so you have the money you want in retirement. Simple. Well, the same is true for your health. Invest in your health now, so you have the health you want in retirement.

And we all want the most bang for our buck, right? Well, in terms of return on investment, there’s not much that can beat regular exercise. So my advice is to invest in exercise for a healthy retirement. And just as any amount of nutritious, home-cooked food is an improvement on a junk food diet, any amount of exercise is better than sitting all day.

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