Food Friday: Singapore Noodles

This past weekend I was craving a noodle dish but wanted something other than my usual spaghetti and with a handful of veggies and colour. Since I am gluten free, vermicelli noodles are the perfect option for a carb heavy dish but with less calories. This dish is very simple to make and takes no more than 20 minutes to cook. It serves about 4. I’ve added a little turmeric to the original recipe for its additional colour and anti-inflammatory benefits, as well as a few more veggies. Local source, Getaway Farms or any farmers markets is a great place to find your chicken in the HRM. For those vegetarians out there, I’d probably suggest substituting with tofu for a little protein. One warning - if you have never cooked vermicelli noodles before, you may be finding noodles on your floor a week from now as they tend to fly everywhere when you break them apart! 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of 250g package rice vermicelli 
• 1/2 of 424g package frozen uncooked peeled large shrimp
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 2 green onions
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1/4 yellow onion 
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tbsp Braggs or tamari
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 turmeric 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• handful bean shouts (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional of course)
• hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

1. Separate noodles as best you can, then soak in very hot water for 5-10 minutes (or according to package directions). If noodles soften before you need them drain and toss with a little vegetable oil to help prevent sticking. 
2. Meanwhile, rinse shrimp under cold running water to remove any ice crystals. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut chicken in half lengthwise, then into thin strips. Slice yellow onion into very thin rounds. Slice carrots into julienne strips (I use this, which works wonders), and thinly slice pepper. In a small bowl, stir lime juice with Braggs/tamari, 1 tbsp water and 1 tbsp oil. 
3. Heat remaining oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Stir-fry until light golden, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp, carrot, pepper, yellow onion, garlic and ginger. Sprinkle with curry powder, turmeric and salt. Stir often until shrimp turn bright pink, about 3 minutes. Add drained noodles, then pour in lime mixture. Stir often, separating noodles as best you can, until hot and noodles turn yellow, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in green onions, bean shoots and cilantro if using. Add a little hot sauce if you want a little more spice. Enjoy! 

Is there any recipe or food you want a healthy recipe for? Let me know in the comments below! 

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

(This recipe was adapted from my Chatelaine cookbook.) (Photo credit: www.seriouseats.com)

Food Friday: Salmon with Roasted Veggies

This dish is a great one for the whole family. It is packed full of colour and therefore packed full of a variety of nutrients. Getting a serving or two of fish in a week is a great way to ensure you are getting your omega 3s. Omega 3s are important for your joints, your heart, your skin, your mood, just to name a few benefits. Living in Nova Scotia, we should be able to get our hands on good quality fish as well. If you have never roasted beets before, you are in for a treat. I grew up only eating boiled beets but now I boil, roast, grate and even add them to smoothies. They are a fantastic food for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support.

Feel free to separate the components of this dish to round out a different meal. Last night I only made the salmon as I had a big green salad and a rice, quinoa and mushroom side dish prepped. However, I do love this dish all together as it is very nourishing with a slight sweetness to it. The recipe is adapted from nutritionist Mikaela Reuben.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

• Salmon, portioned into 2 inch pieces, skinned if possible (4 portions)

Marinade:

• 1/2 grated red onion 
• 1/4 cup Tamari/soy sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 maple syrup
• pepper

Vegetables:

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 3 beets, peeled
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 large handfuls brussel sprouts
• 1-2 scallions or 1 leek
• 1/2-1 tbsp dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. In a bowl, add all marinade ingredients and pepper and mix. Set salmon in marinade and place in fridge to marinate for 10-30 minutes.
2. Chop all vegetables (bite sized) and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Pour vegetables into a baking pan and put into the oven. Check after 10 min and stir. Check at 15-20 minutes, they will cook more with salmon so don't over cook.
3. Push veggies to one side and add salmon to the pan. Drizzle with a sprinkle of maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt. . Check at 10 minutes, once flakey it is done. (10 minutes/inch).
4. While veggies are cooking, slice Brussels sprouts thinly or shred in food processor. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Then sauté 1 clove garlic (or depending on how many sprouts) and scallions/leek for a few minutes.
5. Add Brussels sprouts and sauté, stirring often, until cooked. There should be some browned bits for flavour. Turn off heat and add a 1/2-1 tbsp of Dijon mustard (to taste), salt and pepper.

Enjoy! Remember to let me know what you think. 

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

(Photo credit - www.mikaelareuben.com)

Food Friday: Sloppy Joe Sweet Potatoes

www.skinnytaste.com (My dish looked a little sloppier...as it should!)

Don’t we all love food that reminds you of a childhood memory? This recipe brings me back to being a young girl at camp…oh wait…maybe I’m imagining myself in the movie It Takes Two as one of the Olsen twins. 😃  Whatever the memory is, sloppy joes are a delicious comfort food. This recipe is a healthy twist on the classic, filled with veggies and served on a flavourful sweet potato. This dish is gluten free, dairy-free and even Paleo. It is very quick and easy to make on a weeknight or Sunday, for week day leftovers. Be sure to get good quality ground beef, such as from Getaway Farm Butcher Shop in the Hydrostone or the Seaport Market. SkinnyTaste.com, where this recipe comes from, is filled with recipes that are healthy, delicious and lower calories. 

Ingredients: (3-4 servings)

• 2 medium-large sweet potatoes, washed and dried (or a few small ones)
• 1/2 lb lean ground beef 
• 1 tsp seasoned salt, such as Montreal Steak (or pinch of each: paprika, ground coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, red pepper flakes)
• 1/3 cup chopped carrots, small
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup chopped mushrooms
• 2 tbsp chopped red bell pepper
• 1 clover garlic, minced 
• 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 8 oz can tomato sauce 
• 2 tsp tomato paste (I freeze leftovers in tbsp portions)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 chopped green onion, for garnish

Directions:

1. Cook the sweet potatoes by poking holes all over with a fork, then cook in oven at 425F for about 45-60 minutes, or until tender. You can even pre-cook the sweet potatoes. 
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and seasoning to the pan and cook, breaking it up into small pieces. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, cook 4-5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, paste and water to the skillet, stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook until carrots are tender, about 15-20 minutes. 
3. To serve, cut sweet potatoes open, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and top each with 1/2 cup of meat and green onions for garnish. 

Enjoy! Remember to let me know what you think. 

Are you looking to get on track with your diet this year? Come visit me for the healthy way to cleanse. :)

In health & happiness, 

Dr. Karen

Food Friday: Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

Most of the time I do a lot of batch cooking on the weekends, as I am at work late or have activities to get to, leaving me little time to cook a nice dinner during the week. However, having quick easy meals for weeknight dinners that taste delicious and are healthy, really come in handy! Lucky for me (and you!) I came across this wonderful family friendly meal from my favourite nutritionist from Nourishing Meals.  The ingredients may seem a little unusual if you aren't used to gluten free cooking, but they are easy to find and come in handy for future baking. You can find arrowroot powder and coconut flour in the health food section at grocery stores or Bulk Barn. I had everything on hand and the whole meal only took me 15 minutes to prepare (and about 5 minutes to devour!). This dish obviously has a coconut flavour to it, which adds a little sweetness to the dish. I served mine with homemade honey dijon mustard, some sweet potato, and cabbage and brussels sprouts salad with a lemon-tahini dressing. Yum! I would advise eating these all at once, as the crispness is no longer there with leftovers, unless you sautéed again. Alternately you can bake these, creating a little less mess. They won’t be quite a browned but they are better for leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound organic chicken breast, pounded

• coconut oil, for cooking

Bowl #1:

• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder

• 2 tbsp coconut flour

• 1/2 tsp Herbamare, or sea salt

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram (or extra thyme or other spice of choice)

• 1/2 cup water

Bowl #2:

• 1/2-3/4 cup finely shredded coconut

• herbamare (or sea salt) and finely ground pepper)

Directions:

Pound the chicken breasts with the smooth end of a meat pounder to tenderize them. Then slice into strips. Whisk together everything for bowl #1 in a shallow, wide bowl. Place the shredding coconut into another bowl with a pinch of sea salt and pepper, and stir. 

Place half of the chicken strips into bowl #1 and coat well. Then toss each into the shredding coconut. Place onto a plate then repeat with remaining chicken strips. 

Heat a cast iron skillet for approximately 5 minutes on medium heat (wonderful tool to have in your kitchen - I ordered mine off Amazon but you can even find them at yard sales.). Add a couple tbsp of coconut oil to the skillet. Place some of the chicken strips into the skillet and cook for a few minutes on each side. Be sure not to overcrowd the chicken to ensure they cook properly and crisp up. Place cooled chicken strips onto a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining uncooked chicken, adding more coconut oil in between batches. Serve immediately with a dip of your choice and enjoy! 

*Alternatively, preheat oven to 400F. Lay chicken strips once coated on a parchment lined baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping 1/2 way through, until cooked through and slightly browned.

Let me know what you think. 

In health & happiness, 

Dr. Karen