Fresh Fruit Salad

Who doesn't like fruit salad, especially in the summer? It's so simple and easy to forget about but it's really refreshing and tasty! Sweet tooth be-gone!

















There's no limits and I could have kept buying more and more, like pineapple and strawberries today at the market but this is what ended up in my fruit cups!

Mango
Blueberries (fresh/local)
Green Grapes
Gala Apple











Slice! Dice! Done!
Perfect for summer picnic's :)

Sweet and Smokey Beef Chilli

Tis the season for chilli? Yes - if you're me and crazy-busy and meal planning to have good food handy so you don't grab the convient crappy alternative. It freezes nicely for a rainy day - whenever one of those comes around again!

I must start by stating that I used a LOT of spices and didn't measure. I just kept adding until it tasted good.

1 Package of lean ground beef
($7 - to give you a size to go by)
2 19oz cans of diced tomatoes (no salt added and drained)
1 19oz can of crushed tomato
1 Yellow onion diced
1 Large garlic clove minced
1 Green pepper diced
3 Stalks of celery diced
1/2 Red pepper diced
1 Smallish zucchinni
5 White mushrooms
1 Cup frozen corn
1 Can kidney beans
1 Can black beans
2-3 Tbsp italian seasoning blend
2-3 Tbsp chilli powder
1-2 Tbsp cumin
1/4 Cup brown sugar
Salt and pepper
Canola Oil


Directions:

Cook the meat separately - once it is really browned add in cumin and chilli powder with a little salt and pepper.

In a pot soften onion in olive oil with salt and pepper. Add garlic then the rest of the veg. Soften a bit and season as you go. Add in more oil if necessary. Once the tomato's are added then add the italian seasoning blend and the other softer vegetables like mushrooms and zucchini. Add meat and beans last.

Let the ingredients hang out at a light simmer for 30 mins or so. I added about 2 tbsp of brown sugar to balance the acidity. It gives it a sweet and smokey taste. I also added a little extra chilli powder to the pot at the end to richen the flavour.

Berry Banana Fruitscicles

Okay - the title might be a bit misleading that but that was my intention for the recipe! It turned into a batch of frozen yogurt because I couldn't get them out of the popscicle container and am wondering if there's a trick to it? I thought you just twisted and pulled but it has been a while, admit tingly.

Anyways - who cares it is delicious! I just blended fruit with yogurt and a bit of milk and froze it. Portions - smortions. Whatever tastes good.

Blend raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, banana with plain yogurt and a splash of milk. I dropped in some whole fresh blueberries too.

And… ta-daa!

Breakfast Nacho-Egg Muffin

Nach-yo regular breakfast! Ha? You know those staples you forget about? This is one. Tastes so delicious it can't possibly be healthy - but it is!


Ingredients:
2 Eggs scrambled
1 Whole wheat english muffin
1 Tbsp of shredded cheddar
1/4 Avocado
1/4 Cup of Salsa


Directions:
Toast the muffin then put cheese on it. Top with eggs, avocado and desired salsa. Simple!

Ginger Beef Stir-fry with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Throw out the bottle and make your own stir-fry sauce from fresh ingredients - taste the love :)

Sauce:
2 Cups of water

1 Cube of chicken stock (veg or beef)
1 1/2 Tsp corn starch
2 Inches of finely graded ginger root
1 Clove finely graded garlic
1/2 Tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 Cup of peanut butter
1 Tbsp of Tamari (or soya sauce)
Wisk and add veg to cook

Beef marinade:
1 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Finely graded garlic clove
1 Inch finely graded ginger root
Leave in fridge for a couple hours then thinly slice and cook in a little oil.

Veg:
1/3 Head of cauliflower
1 Carrot
2 Stalks of celery
3 Branches of kale
6 Mushrooms

Serve on rice with peas! I aded a chicken stock cube when cooking rice to add flavour. Add desired amount of peas after the rice is cooked.

Avocado Kale Hummus

This recipe is from an old blog I wrote "Live wheat free" but it'll fit in nicely here too! Plus, the presentation is so simple and attractive I thought the readers of this blog would enjoy the idea.

1 Can of chick peas
1 Ripe avocado
2 Cloves of roasted garlic
1 Tbsp tahini
1 Lemon juiced
1 Handful of kale
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 - 1/3 Cup of olive oil

Blend to a smooth consistency!
Add some warm water until it's smooth.

Roasting garlic: Chop the tips off, drizzle a drop of oil over open part and scrunch in tin foil. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. This will make your whole house smell lovely.

Chicken No-Noodle Stew

Aka "Sunday in a bowl!"

I've always wanted to make my own chicken stock but  found the idea of the task overwhelming so haven't until now! I bought one of those whole roasted chickens  from the grocery store for an easy protein addition to meals during my busy week. I googled how to make a simple stock - then did what I wanted.

Stock:
Chicken carcass that has with the meat picked off (mostly)
Canola Oil
1 carrot peeled
1 celery stalk
1/2 yellow onion
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp italian seasoning blend

Directions: browned the carcass in oil for a bit, added the veg chopped in big chunks, add seasoning and topped with enough water to just cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil then leave at a slight simmer for a half hour, check and let simmer for another half hour. Strain the liquid into a pot and throw away the rest. It should taste decent, I was nervous it was a bit light tasting but it all came together when I made the soup so trust the process!

Soup:
1 Small yellow onion finely diced
2 Peeled carrots thicker dice
2 Celery stalks thicker dice
1 Tbsp dried parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/3 Cup of green lentils cooked separately
Chicken - I added all the remaining chicken which ended up not really including the breast (because it's so good on salad)! Truth be told, grocery chicken darker meat can be a bit greasy so I guess it's good for soup!

Directions: Soften the diced onion in oil, salt and pepper until translucent and sweet. Add carrot and celery then cover with the homemade stock. Bring to a boil with seasoning but not for too long. Let the veg keep its integrity, it'll soften anyways but you're not making baby food! Add the lentils and desired amount of chicken. This ends up being not a huge pot but it's a hearty portion. You want to work with the amount of stock you made and don't try to stretch it out.

Happy Sunday!