Food Friday: My Go-To Summer Quinoa Salads

Oh She Glows Long Weekend Grilled Salad (my quinoa salad went too quickly to snap a pic!)

Happy summer! The warmer temperatures are finally here bringing along camping trips, picnics and beach days. Does your calendar look even busier than usual with all your weekends booked up with these activities? I am always surprised, but excited, when my summer is planned out as I always have something to look forward to. This weekend my sister is visiting from Ontario and it is turning out to be a perfect weekend! I love having visitors, especially her, because there is so much to explore and experience in and around Halifax. Some things on our list are a valley trip for some wine tasting, a big hike by the beach and some delicious dinners out. 😃 

3 silly sisters

Having weekends on the go also means I do not have much time to prep food for the week to ensure I am eating healthily. This is where my summer quinoa salad comes in. It is a go to for me! I can throw in all the delicious spring/summer veggies that are in season, dress it up how I like and take it to go. It is great for picnics with friends, a family camping trip and a quick and easy week lunch. It doesn’t get soggy or spoil quickly if you are careful what you put in it. The great thing is that the possibilities are endless! 

Here are two of my typical concoctions and one from OhSheGlows that I’ve made with great reviews from loved ones. 

Zingy cilantro-lime black bean quinoa salad:

• 1-2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dried yields about 2.5 cups cooked)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage 
• 1/2-1 red or orange pepper, diced 
• 1/4-1/2 cucumber, diced 
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large handful cilantro, roughly chopped 
• juice of 1 lime, about 2-3 tbsp 
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp olive oil, approximately (I just eyeball it when I drizzle it in)
• 1-2 tsp cumin 
• 1/2-1 avocado, diced

Directions: Mix all ingredients together except avocado. Adjust seasoning to taste. Let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving to let the flavours combine. You may need to add another squeeze of lime juice or olive oil before serving. Add avocado just before serving and voila!

Refreshing chickpea quinoa salad: 

• 1-2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dried yields about 2.5 cups cooked)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2-3 summer radishes, diced
• 1/4-1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1/4-1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1 large handful spinach, diced (to get my greens!)
• 1 large handful parsley, roughly chopped 
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 3 tbsp olive oil, approximately (I just eyeball it when I drizzle it in)
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (approximately 1.5 lemons)
• 1 tomato, diced 

Directions: Mix all ingredients together except the tomato. Adjust seasoning to taste. Let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving to let the flavours combine. You may need to add another squeeze of lemon juice or olive oil before serving. Add tomato just before serving and voila!

OhSheGlows Long Weekend Grilled Salad:

http://ohsheglows.com/2011/09/02/long-weekend-grilled-salad/

I only used 3 or 4 ears of corn, no wheatberries and 1 cup quinoa instead. I also add avocado before serving. So delicious! 

Let me know what you think in the comments below or what twists you come up with. :) 

In health & happiness, 

Dr. Karen

Food Friday: Spring Cobb Salad

This Food Friday post is inspired by Kelly Brogan's book "A Mind of Your Own," and her cob salad. I just put my usual spin on it. If you have not heard of this yet, and suffer from depression, anxiety or even just low mood, please check it out. It is such a refreshing read full of great ideas and resources. Her concept, focusing on diet and lifestyle, are what NDs have been focused on for many years, so I am happy to see it come to more a mainstream light. 

This is such a simple salad to make and a light alternative now that we are getting some warmer days. It is packed with nourishing protein and fats and you can check off your greens for the day (or meal). It is also gluten and dairy free, a great options for a spring cleanse (Join me for my annual Spring Cleanse in a couple weeks!). Mix in other options to your liking as well!

Ingredients:

• 2 large handfuls of mixed greens
• 1/4-1/2 shredded chicken breast
• 1 hard boiled egg, chopped
• 1/2 tin sardines or anchovies 
• 1 green onion, diced
• 1/2 avocado, cubed
• 1 tomato, large dice
• 1-2 tbsp toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• 1-2 strips local bacon (I like Getaway Form Butcher Shop), cooked 
• optional - 1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
• optional - broccoli sprouts
• EVOO + balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients in a bowl and toss together with a little EVOO and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Pretty simple :)

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

In health & happiness, 

Dr. Karen

Food Friday: Chai-Spiced Energy Bites

Coming into spring, I am typically craving lighter meals with lots of greens. This is great to help your body detox. As I have mentioned before, the spring is the time of the liver in Chinese Medicine and great time to detoxify your body and focus on that organ. We will have another Spring Cleanse coming up in a month or so as well, so get geared up for that. :) 

However, my craving for sweets never seems to go away so when I am hungry mid-afternoon at work, or doing an elimination diet with somebody, these little energy bites are a great snack option. This recipe makes a big batch that you can store in your fridge for up to two weeks. So when you are craving that 3pm chocolate bar, reach for one or two of these instead. Dates are a natural sweetener, full of fibre. Cinnamon helps to balance blood sugar. Finally, the sunflower seeds are a great source of vitamin E, the pumpkin seeds a source of zinc and they both contain lignans and good fatty acids. All in all, a nutritiously dense little bite. 

Chai-Spiced Energy Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
• 2 tbsp EVOO or coconut oil
• 1-2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• handful of shredded coconut (I sometimes just add the coconut into the mixture)

Directions:

1. Place seeds, spices and salt in a food processor and process until seeds are very finely ground. This only takes a minute or so.
2. Add the pitted dates and oil and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Process again until combined and sticky. Check to see if you can form a truffle by rolling some of the mixture in your hands. If it falls apart, then add more maple syrup and process again.
3. Roll the mixture by the large spoonful into balls. Roll the balls in the shredded coconut. Store leftover bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.  

* You can replace the pumpkin seeds with another cup of sunflower seeds for a slightly different taste. 

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

(Recipe adapted from The Elimination Diet book; Photo credit: www.nourishingmeals.com)

Food Friday: Coconut Paradise Bars

I have made these a couple times as a treat, then brought them into work, and every time they disappear just a quickly as I bring them in. They are that delicious! If you like Bounty Bars, but don’t like all the additives and extra sugar they have, you are in for a treat. These have only honey as a natural sweetener and filled with soothing and nourishing coconut. The bonus is the chocolate coating on top, and you can even make your own with cocoa powder, maple syrup and cacao butter if you are ambitious. These are adapted from one of my favourite cookbooks Hemsley and Hemsley. 

The Nitty Gritty

Coconut oil is becoming another hot topic these days and for some good reasons. It has a higher smoke point therefore great for baking at a higher temperature. It is also a saturated fat but mainly comprised of medium-chain fatty acids, including lauric acid and caprylic acid, instead of long-chain fatty acids. MCFAs can be absorbed directly into the circulation, for a quick source of energy. Coconut cream is similar to coconut milk but with less water content. It is higher in calories and saturated fat, therefore good to eat in moderation, hence don’t eat the whole pan. 😃 Cut these into smaller bars and you have a delicious, nutritious treat that won’t send your blood sugar levels flying high. 

Paradise Bars

(Makes 24 bars)

Ingredients:

• 1 package creamed coconut (just under 1 cup)(can be found at Sobey's or Pete's)

• 6 tbsp coconut oil

• 3 tbsp raw honey

• 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

• a pinch of salt

• just under ¾ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

• 7 oz (85% cocoa solids) dark chocolate (I use Bakers semi-sweet chocolate)

Recipe:

1. Line a 8 in square pan with parchment paper. In cold weather, place the unopened packet of creamed coconut in a bowl of warm water to melt it through (massage the packet to help it along). In warm weather, the creamed coconut will already be fluid enough.

2. When it’s soft all the way through, pour into a bowl and mix in the coconut oil (it will melt if it’s hard), raw honey, vanilla, salt and 2-4 tbsp water if you like a softer centre.

3. Stir in the shredded coconut evenly to create a doughy consistency.

4. Pour the dough into the prepared pan. Press the mixture down with the back of a spoon to make it level and set in the fridge for 15 minutes until hard.

5. Turn the pan of coconut mixture out onto a chopping board and slice into 6 horizontal slices by 4 vertical. Place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and keep in the freezer while you prep the chocolate.

6. Melt the chocolate in a glass or metal bowl over a pan of warm water – make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl and do not allow the water to boil or simmer – you may have to keep removing from the heat. This should take about 30 minutes. (Alternatively, melt chocolate in a pot on the stove slowly and let cool slightly.)

7. When the chocolate has almost melted, take the bowl off the heat. Leave it to cool as much as possible without it hardening to give a thicker coating to the paradise bars – stir occasionally.

8. Dip the frozen coconut bars into the chocolate using two forks, letting the excess drip off, and carefully place back onto the cold baking tray, leaving space between each bar. If the chocolate mixture becomes too cold, you may need to put it back over the simmering water again.

9. When you’ve finished dipping all the bars, place the tray back into the fridge until set. Once set, seal in a container in the fridge or freezer until required. They will keep in the fridge for a month – longer in the freezer (if they last!).

Enjoy!!

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

(Photo credit: www.getthegloss.com)