hiphealthymama-blog

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A perfect way to use up that leftover #almond pulp from making #nutmilk

Chocolate Almond Crisps

Okay, so you just made my almond milk and you’ve got leftover pulp? These totally cured my after-dinner chocolate craving and went perfectly with a glass of vino. These even got my husbands stamp of approval.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Almond Pulp

4 Tbs Maple Syrup

2 Tbs Coconut Oil

2 Tbs Cocoa Powder

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

Pinch Cayenne (optional)

Himalayan Sea Salt for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together and spread 1/4inch thick onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a knife to pre-cut squares. Sprinkle sea salt and bake for 30 mins. 

#nutmilk #cleaneating #vegetarian #vegan

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I made a Vegan Cesar salad the other night that my husband raved about. Which is kind of a big deal because I'm known for making the best Cesar salad around (secret family recipe, no I won't share). This is a terrific alternative if you're out of eggs or are looking to incorporate more vegan meals into your week. What You Need: 1-2 heads of washed, dried and torn romain 1/2 ripe avocado 1lrg clove mashed garlic (more if you like) 1 tbs dollop of Dijon mustard 1 tbs red wine vinegar 3-4 drops Worcestershire sauce 2-3 tbs lemon juice 1/3 cup olive oil Garnish 1/4 cup diced sundried tomatoes (to replace bacon) If you are like me and can't live without the Parmesan you can sprinkle nutritional yeast over the top To Make: Blend dressing ingredients in the order listed, adding the olive oil as you blend Mix everything together when you are ready to eat

#salad #Cesar #vegan #cleaneating #momblr

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Peach & Carrot Roll-Up's

Stella devoured these and they couldn't be easier to make. They are a super healthy alternative to fruit roll-ups and a great on the go snack. You can get really creative with the flavoring and sneak in some vegetables. Tomorrow I'm going to try apple & kale, which will require the addition of 1/4 cup of water to the cooking process and different seasoning. I'm thinking cinnamon raisin.  Make these adjustments based on which fruit you choose. You want to have a saucy consistency, but not too runny.  I find that frozen fruit will have more liquid than fresh, which is the reason for draining.

In the summer I froze some very ripe organic peaches that we just couldn't eat. Just check your freezer and get creative.

What You Need:

2 cups peaches or fruit of choice (can be fresh or thawed from frozen with juices drained) 1 cup steamed carrots or vegetable of choice 1 tsp vanilla (optional)

How to Make:

Heat oven to lowest temp (190/200)

Steam carrots until tender

Cook carrots and peaches over med heat until very soft (drain excess juices if necessary) purée, add vanilla Spread evenly over parchment paper lined cookie sheet - not too thick but not thin enough that it's transparent

Cook for 5-6 hrs until not sticky (start checking at the 4hr mark) Remove and cut into strips with parchment paper attached and store in ziplock or Tupperware.

If you overcook this will turn into crisps, which taste just a delicious!

#clean eating #toddlerfood #toddlersnacks #fruit #healthysnacks #snacks #mom meals #momblr

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Seared tuna over Asian slaw I was feeling super lazy after having my sister in town for a week and indulging in all kinds of comfort food and vino. I was about to settle for a grilled cheese when my conscience got the better of me. I picked up two wasabi crusted tuna steaks this afternoon so I really had no excuse! I threw this together in 20 mins and it was totally satisfying. Serves 2 What You Need: 2 tuna steaks 4 cups shredded red cabbage 1 julienned yellow pepper 1 orange segments (reserve juice from ends and rind for dressing) 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms 3 green onions 3 tbs grapeseed oil 1 tbs soy sauce 1 tsp miso 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup almond or peanut butter 1tbs miso 1/4 cup orange juice To Make Combine cabbage, pepper, orange, pomegranate and cilantro. Mix apple cider vinegar, miso, almond butter & orange juice from rind and toss with salad. Sauté mushrooms, soy sauce and miso in skillet over medium heat adding the tuna streaks and green onion once mushrooms are soft. Turn up the heat to med-high, sear the steaks in each side for 3-4 mins (this should get you pink in the center) Serve over salad mixture

#tuna #cleaneating #fish #dinner #mommeals #fitblr #fitspo #salad

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Auntie Janes Dutch Rye Bread

When I was a little girl I remember visiting my Auntie Jane and Uncle Bill at their country home in Northern Canada. It was always so much fun playing dress-up with her jewelry or tobogganing in the frigid winter for hours on end and then coming in to be greeted by the delicious smells coming out of her kitchen.  Soups, stews. breads. It makes me nostalgic to remember her comforting meals. And after all, isn't that the beauty about food, it can connect you to a time and a place, even a person that no longer exists. It can help you reconnect with your past and honor those you miss.  With her in mind, I thought it was time to finally try one of her staples, Dutch Rye Bread. My mom passed me the recipe a few years ago, but I was always afraid to try it, I didn't want to mess it up. I modified it slightly based on what I had on hand and also to make it a little more moist (sorry mom!).  Once this was baking in the oven I felt like Auntie Jane was right there with me.

This recipe is also for all my Canadians, I love you, but also the main ingredient of this recipe is hearty Red River Cereal, remember this when you were a kid?  It doesn't seem to be available in the US. Don't worry Americans, you can recreate this cereal with many of Bob's Red Mill grains from your health food store.

What You Need

3 cups red river cereal (or 1 1/4 cup cracked wheat, 1 1/2 cup rye meal, 1/4 cup flax seeds)

3 cups flour of your choice (I used 2 cups buckwheat, 1 cup brown rice. You could use whole wheat or spelt)

1/4 cup wheat bran or wheat germ

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 2/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup dark molasses 

1/4 maple syrup

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

2 tsp salt

4 cups water

To Make

Preheat oven to 400F 

Grease 2 bread loaf pans

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon in the order listed above

Pour evenly between the two baking pans

Bake until firm and dark golden brown and when toothpick comes out clean from the center. Aprox 45-60 mins. This bread will not rise very much.

Cool on rack for 1/2hr before removing from pan

Serve with butter and gouda cheese

#dutch #breakfast #bread #cleanfood #mommeals #homemade

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Buckwheat Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Muffins are such a great breakfast or snack for busy days. They can be made ahead, stored in the freezer and warmed up quickly as you need them. We are so busy this fall, with both of us trying to get to the gym every day and juggling work and Stella we need easy meals.  Unfortunately, most store bought muffins aren't healthy at all, they are usually loaded with questionable oils and processed sugar and a bunch of other stuff that has no business being in there. Do yourself and your family a favor and make some up over the weekend. I promise these are healthy and guilt free, so much so that I've been making these weekly for the last month. Oh, and a happy plus, they are vegan and gluten free - woo!

What You Need

1can pumpkin or flesh of 1 small baked pumpkin

3/4 cup maple syrup or xylitol

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1 tsb vanilla extract

2 cups buckwheat flour or any other gluten free flour (bob's red mill has a good one) 

1 tsp xanthan gum or tapioca starch (if your flour doesn't contain it, a mix would)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tbs pumpkin spice

1 tbs Chinese five spice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup yellow raisins 

To Make

Preheat oven to 400F 

If you are baking a pumpkin, cut the top off, gut and cut in half. Place on a baking sheet, skin down with a sprinkle of pumpkin spice. Bake until flesh is very soft, apron 45 mins.

Grease muffin tin with coconut oil

In large mixing bowl mash pumpkin flesh along with maple syrup, coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla extract.

In separate bowl mix all dry ingredients together, reserving the nuts and raisins for the end.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until combined (avoid over mixing) add in nuts and raisins.  

Spread evenly in muffin tin.

Bake for 20 to 25 mins until toothpick comes out clean. 

5 minutes before they are done baking brush tops with some maple syrup and continue baking.

#muffins #pumpkin #buckwheat #gluten free #vegan #clean eating #coconut #mom meals #momblr #fitblr #fitmom

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Smokey Turkey Chili

Fall is my favorite season. For me it’s the season of resolutions, I can set intentions this time of year and actually stick to them. I also feel that we naturally become busier and are in greater need of comforting meals that can be made ahead and eaten throughout the week. One of my favorite ‘one pot meals’ is chili. I like to make up a large pot on Sunday which will carry us throughout the week.  It’s also a very economical family meal! I think this cost about $30 and we got 3 dinners and two lunches out of it.

I’ve perfected this recipe over the years and my husband now prefers this over beef chili. You can make this recipe on the stove or in a slow cooker, but the key to the flavor here is in the initial sautéing of the spices. So if you choose to do it in the slow cooker, please do not skip that step!  You’ll see I’ve done it here in the slow cooker so the quantity of the ingredients are enough to fill it. You can always cut the recipe in half if you are making a smaller pot.

What You Need:

2Tbs Coconut or Grape Seed Oil (or any oil with a high temperature tolerance)

1 Jalapeño Pepper diced (seeds removed)

1Tbs Smoked Paprika

3Tbs Chili Powder

Juice from 1 lime

1 Yellow Onion diced

1lb Ground Turkey Thigh

1 Can Tomato Paste

2x15oz Black Beans, rinsed

2x15oz Kidney Beans, rinsed

3x280z Diced Tomatoes

2 Cloves garlic diced

1 Can corn or corn from 2 cooked cobs

2 Large Peppers (any color you like, I used green and yellow)

Salt & Pepper

Cilantro, shredded cheese and greek yoghurt for garnish

To Make:

Heat oil over medium heat in your slow cooker pot or large pot on the stove. Note if you have a ceramic insert for your slow cooker you can’t heat it on your stove. You will have to start it in a pot and then transfer it over.

When oil is hot add 2tbs chili powder, 1/2tbs smoked paprika, chili pepper and sauté for a few minutes until nice and fragrant.

Add juice from 1 lime and then add onions and ground turkey, stirring to coat with spices, sautéing for a few more minutes.

Stir in tomato paste and then the tomatoes, remaining chili powder and paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Once thoroughly mixed then you can add the beans and vegetables.

At this point you can move your pot into the slow cooker and cook over high for 4hrs. Or you can continue cooking on the stove for the afternoon at a low simmer.

Garnish with chopped cilantro, shredded cheese and a dollop of greek yoghurt. 

#chili recipe #chili #mom meals #momblr #mommeals #cleaneating #fitblr

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Stella's Breakfast: soaked steel cut oats, prunes, banana, coconut oil & maple syrup. #toddlermeals #lickthebowl

#toddlermeals #lickthebowl

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Minty Chocolate Protein Smoothie It's rare that I can actually sit down and eat a balanced healthy lunch these days. Stella is BUSY! Most days the Vitamix gets a ton of action and a protein shake has become part of my daily routine. I like to use a vegetable/grain protein powder as anything with whey tends to make me bloated. If you do go with whey please ensure it's organic. Right now I'm using unflavored Vega (which is working on getting their organic labeling) as I like to get creative with the flavoring myself. The other thing I always add is green powder. I recommend that everyone have a high quality green powder in their fridge/pantry. It's an excellent way to ensure you are getting the recommended daily amount of greens. I find I have more energy, I rarely get sick and I crave less sugar when I take it. I like Raw Reserve Superfood which includes probiotics and is easy to mix into a smoothie or fruit juice. Here is the shake I had for lunch today. What You Need Banana 1 cup almond milk - unsweetened Large handful fresh mint Scoop protein powder - vega plain 1tbs Green powder - Raw Reserve Superfood 1tbs Cacao Powder Few cubes of ice Blend all ingredients on high speed in blender until smooth

#proteinshake #cleaneating #momblr #greendrinks #fitblr #fitness

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Before you do your shopping this weekend, check out this great visual reminder from the EWG of what to buy organic and what you can buy conventional.

#dirtydozen #organic #healthymom #healthykids

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Eggs, avocado and spelt toast with almond butter & honey for our 14 month old

#toddlermeals #toddlerfood #mommeals #family #healthykids #healthymom #foodie #healthyeating

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GOOP Style Breakfast

Gluten free toast with veganaise, avocado and crushed chilli

#goop #vegan #breakfast #avacado #gluten free #vegetarian #healthymom #foodie

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Miso Salmon Nestled On Bed Of Wasabi Mashed Cauliflower

Oh my gawd! Is the only way I can describe this dish.

This is a version of my favorite dish at a local restaurant, Bazins, we sometimes go to. A rich, comforting mix of flavors and textures. Their version obviously includes loads of butter, cream, white potatoes and is probably 1000 calories. I don't care, it's good.  The combination of the sweet miso with the spicy wasabi is heavenly.

Since I like to see just how healthy I can make things while keeping the flavor integrity, I thought I would challenge myself.  Replacing the potatoes for steamed and mashed cauliflower was the key to getting this dish healthy. You wouldn't even know there aren't potatoes, butter or cream. I added in some chick peas to give the mash a heavier texture. 

For Stella I made everything the same but cut a small portion of my fish off and separated a small amount of the cauliflower/chickpea mash before I added the wasabi, I then blended in some greek yogurt for her.  She loved it! Not a bite left.  Don't be afraid to give your toddlers unique things to try. We normally just give Stella what we are eating. She will pick and choose what she likes from that but more often than not she eats everything and she seems to enjoy that we are eating the same food.

You can make this in about 30 - 40 minutes

What You Need:

2 6oz salmon or sea bass filets

1 head cauliflower

1 cup frozen spinach or 2 cups fresh

1/2 cup chick peas (drained/rinsed)

3tbs miso paste (any color you prefer)

2tbs maple syrup

1tsp soy sauce

3tbs wasabi paste (prepared with wasabi powder and water)

1 clove garlic grated

1tsp ginger grated

1 scallion diced

salt

How To Make It

Preheat oven to 350

Prepare a medium pot with water to steam cauliflower over high heat

Clean and chop cauliflower into chunks and place into steamer

Mix together miso, maple syrup, soy sauce and spread evenly over fish fillets and put them in the oven to cook for 20 minutes

Put frozen spinach aside in bowl to thaw while cauliflower is steaming

When cauliflower has steamed place into food processor with 1/2 cup chickpeas, pinch of salt and wasabi paste. You may need a bit of the steaming water to help get the mixture moving. *keep the remaining water to steam the spinach

Blend until smooth, transfer to a small sauce pan and keep warm on low heat

Steam spinach and toss with grated ginger and mashed garlic 

When salmon is cooked plate on a bed of cauliflower mash and steamed spinach

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

#salmon #cleaneating #dinner #fitblr #fish #momblr #fitspo #wasabi #cauliflower #dairyfree #glutenfree #maplesyrup #miso #healthymom #foodie #fitmom #toddlermeals

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Next day Maple Miso Salmon with fried Shiitake Mushrooms + Millet

This meal is all about leftovers. You can pull this meal together in 10 minutes if you have a precooked grain in the fridge that needs to be eaten. In my case that's millet, you could use quinoa or even brown rice. I'm all about easy these days, I really need an easy button! I made this for myself but you can double or triple this recipe to serve more people

What You Need

2 cups arugala

Large handful sliced shiitake mushrooms

2tbs olive oil

2tbs soy sauce

1tbs lemon juice

Maple Miso Salmon 

1/2cup precooked grain (millet)

Salt + pepper

Make It

Heat olive oil in large sauce pan.

Add sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper and 1tbs of soy sauce

Saute until mushrooms are almost cooked through

Add 1/2cup of millet and remaining soy sauce

Fry until the millet is heated through

Immediately toss with arugula and lemon juice and serve with a side of fish

#salad #fish #salmon #arugula #shiitake #mushrooms #clean eating #cleanfood #fitblr #mom meals #momblr

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Yummy fall treat!

via (willcookforfriends)

1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree

1 frozen banana 1/2-1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk

1 scoop unflavored (or vanilla) protein powder* - optional

2-3 TBSP agave or maple syrup,

to taste 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/8 tsp. ginger

Small pinch of cloves

Small pinch of salt Ice - optional

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15 Minute Mac + Cheese

This is so good you will never buy the packaged stuff again, and why would you when this takes virtually the same amount of time and only includes simple, whole ingredients and vegetables.  My husband was almost as excited as Stella for this.  If you've got the time and want to really impress you can make this fancy by following the directions below and then baking it in the oven for 20 minutes topped with cheese and panko. Yumm!

What You Need

1/2head broccoli

1pkg pasta of your choice (we used brown rice rotini because that's what we had in the pantry)

3tbs Organic butter

1/4cup flour (again we used brown rice here, but you can use whole wheat, white, whatever you have)

2 1/2cups Milk (I used whole grass fed from Organic Valley because that is what Stella is drinking, 2% is fine too. 1% will require more flour/butter)

2 cups grated white cheddar

1/2tsp paprika

1/4tsp salt

How To Make It

First up, get a large pot of water on the stove and boiling so you can add your pasta.

Rinse and chop broccoli into spears and place in a steamer over boiling noodles. Checking occasionally and removing when just tender.

In a separate sauce pan we are going to make a basic béchamel sauce. Melt butter over medium heat and then add milk and continue to simmer over medium heat, do not let milk boil.

Sift the flour into the the milk with a fine mesh strainer or gently sprinkle it over the milk, avoiding pouring it all in at once. Whisk to remove clumps. You should start to see it thicken up after a few minutes.

Add cheese, paprika and salt. Stirring until you get a nice smooth creamy consistency. Lower heat.

If your pasta is not ready, watch your sauce carefully to ensure it doesn't thicken up too much (you can always add more milk). You want more sauce then you do pasta, otherwise it will end up dry.

Drain pasta when ready and stir into cheese sauce with broccoli.  Add in some crushed red chills for the adults.

Eat it up!

#family meals #mom meals #momblr #mom blog #toddlermeals #cheese #maceroni and cheese #organicvalley

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Choosing 'on the go' Toddler Snacks

Making the right 'on the go' snack choice for your toddler can be a difficult one.  Sure, when you are at home it's easy to provide a nutritious snack but do I really want to let stella get crazy with a snack pack full of raspberries and banana in the back seat? NO! I really don't have the time to clean her version of a Van Gogh off the back seat.  Sometimes you just need to grab something quick, fun and easy to eat while rushing out the door.

So began my journey. As you all know I'm already a health nut and could spend all day reading ingredients, so when I started shopping for diaper bag ready snacks (think baby mum mum or cheerios) I was SHOCKED at the inclusion and even the amount of refined sugar in prepared baby foods along with ingredients I couldn't even pronounce.  I know some of you are all like "what the hell's the big deal with a little sugar?" and that's cool. But if you are reading my blog then I am pretty sure you also care about what you and your kids are eating.  Now sugar isn't bad per se, it provides calories to keep these babies moving. Even breast milk is naturally sweet. There are a lot of healthy sugar options out there, whole fruits and vegetables being the best options. 

Not all experts agree on how bad refined sugars are for kids when consumed in moderation.  But I have had my own personal experience growing up with a sibling who was highly reactive to even the smallest amount of sugar from a young age and I got to see the affects first hand; hyperactivity, mood swings, attention problems.  Needless to say we never had sugary drinks or snacks available.  Dr. Sears has a great article about sugar in your kids diet: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/family-nutrition/sugar/harmful-effects-excess-sugar

Our choice as parents is to try to limit the amount of needless sugar in Stella's diet. That's not to say she will never experience the joy of ice cream or smores by the campfire. But we want to set her tastebuds up with good daily habits before we can't always monitor what she eats.

Moving past my frustration at these companies, I set out in search for alternatives that have natural sugar substitutes (or don't include it at all) and have simple ingredients I have in my own pantry.  Boy, was I lucky! 

Check out my stash which we replenish every few weeks (ya, we go out a lot!):

Here are my picks:

HappyFamily is like the gerber of the organic baby food world, they have a wide array of products meeting your needs from the introduction of solids to sending your kids off to school. Everything is organic, non-GMO, balanced and only includes what needs to be in there. Their recipes are creative, sneaking in vegetables in the most unlikely places, like their green happypuffs or the carrot rice cakes (two of my favorites) that only have fruit to slightly sweeten them. 

The puff's look just like cheerios and are a perfect first finger food, the small size helps with fine motor skills.

The rice cakes are big enough for a healthy treat but small enough that the child can easily hold onto it. They dissolve really well and I've even caught myself snacking on them!  We've eaten them all so I don't have a photo to show you.

We also love their pouches for 'on the go' meals. 

Ella's Kitchen is another one we buy a lot of stuff from. Stella loves their Nibbly fingers and their teething cookies. Which are sweetened with fruit puree.

Plum Organics do include organic cane sugar in their rice teething cookies. We've still bought them because at the end of the day they are the only healthier alternative to baby mum mums. They've recently sold out to Campbell Soup co. So, I'm sure the quality will go down hill as their bottom line will take priority (remember Kashi?). For now, these are fine.

The most important thing to do, no matter what product you choose, is to read the labels on any prepared foods you buy your kids. Unfortunately you can't rely on food companies to always provide the most nutritious ingredients. They've got a bottom line just like any other business. And remember, just because it's organic doesn't make it healthy, I've encountered plenty of organic baby foods that include unnecessary sugar or ingredients.

If you find any other healthy prepared 'on the go' snacks I'd love to know! 

#momblr #toddler #toddlermeals #toddlersnacks #onthegomom #fingerfood