family health advocacy

Cauliflower Dijon Dish

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This cauliflower dish with dijon sauce is a great way to convert any haters who steer away from this healthy veggie into lifetime lovers!  Try it for yourself.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cauliflower cut in bite size pieces
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you prefer)

Directions:

  1. Steam cauliflower util they are al dente. You don’t want it too hard or mushy, then drain.
  2. Mix sour cream and mustard. You can add more of each till you get the right Dijon flavor for you.
  3. Stir in sour cream mix and cheese. You can use an avocado oil based mayonnaise in place of the sour cream if desired.

ENJOY!!

Looking for a healthy dessert to pair up with this meal?  Click here for raw collagen cacao bites.

Matcha Cookies

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Matcha cookies, also referred to as green tea cookies, are full of powerful antioxidants as matcha is just the powder form of green tea.  This recipe was makes approximately 9 cookies, is a great way to treat yourself while also doing something good for your health.

Ingredients:

  • 150g flour (75g Almond flour – not almond meal / 75g whole wheat flour
  • 30g tahini
  • 50g maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp almond milk (unsweetened)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp matcha powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 360°F

2. Combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients into another

3. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated

4. Scoop the dough in lined baking tray

5. Bake for 15min

Note: You can add 1 cup of chocolate chips to give more “crunchiness”

Scrumptious Sweet Potato

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This sweet potato recipe is a perfect dish to serve at your next holiday meal.  It’s not only great for your health but great tasting too!

Ingredients:

  • 1 sweet potato (or however many you need to feed your family)
  • ¼ c butter or coconut oil
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ginger
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)

Directions:

  1. Peel potato and cut up into bite size pieces.
  2. Place in crockpot and add butter, seasonings, orange juice, and syrup.
  3. Cook on low for about 4 hours
  4. ENJOY!

Looking for the perfect recipe to pair with this?  Click here to cook a perfect roast every time!

Mediterranean Dip With Lentils

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Another instant guest favorite is this Mediterranean dip with lentils.  Easy to make ahead of time and can be easily served with veggies or pita chips.

Ingredients:

  • 150g red lentils
  • 120g cooking juice
  • 100g dried tomatoes
  • ½ lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Place lentils in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil
    Cover, reduce heat and simmer 12-15 min or until tender
  2. Drain well and KEEP the water
  3. After draining, combine with remaining ingredients (dried tomatoes, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper) in a food processor and blend until smooth

Keep the dip in the fridge until you are ready to use.  Serve with veggies, pasta, pita or crackers.

Note: Store well in the fridge up to 7 days

Breakfast Muffins

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These breakfast muffins are a great way to start your morning off right!  Not only are they super easy to make but also great when you are hosting a breakfast as this recipe makes 12 small muffins AND you can also customize to suit specific dietary needs.  What more can you ask for in a breakfast muffin!

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 3 tbsp soy milk (unsweetened)
• Spinach, mushrooms, ham, cheese, tomatoes… (ingredients of your choice)
• Spices, herbs, salt & pepper
• Avocado oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F
2. Oil the muffin tin if you don’t use a silicon muffin tin
3. Whisk 6 eggs, 3 tbsp milk, salt, pepper and all the spices/herbs to taste
4. Divide your ingredient evenly into tin
5. Pour the egg mixture in each well to come to the top
6. Sprinkle with cheese if you want
7. Bake for 20-25 min

Note: Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat

Veggie Dip Recipe

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Add some festive flare to an old classic and have some fun with this easy to make veggie  dip recipe.  Want to add some extra holiday spirit?  Try displaying the vegetables in a shape of a tree and line the dip as tinsel separating each section.  Sprinkle sliced chives on top to add even more magic to this perfect and healthy appetizer.  Or, how about making a festive wreath?  Be creative, the possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 Tbsp dried onion flakes
  • Veggies of your choice
  • 1 tsp Redmond’s Real Salt Season-All Salt

Directions:

Mix the first 3 ingredients and chill for at least an hour for best flavor.  Remember to have some fun when displaying this dish and find vegetables in vibrant colours!

Egg Salad

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This easy egg salad would make a great appetizer.  Scoop it on to a lettuce leaf for a healthy wrap idea or use it as a spread on crackers.  The possibilities are endless.

Egg Salad Ingredients:

  • 3 boiled eggs
  • 1 ½ Tbsp sour cream
  • ¾ tsp Dijon mustard
  • Sea Salt, pepper, kelp granules to taste

Directions:

To make the egg salad, being by peeling and chopping the eggs.  Next, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  You can add more sour cream and Dijon if desired.  For a more personalized touched you can add bacon, shredded cheese, guacamole or anything else that suits your fancy.  Sprinkle with paprika and some sliced green onions or cilantro for a little Christmas flair.

Recipe Serves 1.

Healthy Chocolate Truffles

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Looking for a dessert that is sure to please everyone including the health nut in the family??  Surprise your guests by making these healthy chocolate truffles using my secret ingredient, avocado!  Your guests will never know that these are a healthy alternative to the traditional truffle, only that they taste great.

Ingredients:

Makes 15 truffles

• 100g dark chocolate (I used 85% cocoa)

• 1 avocado (~100g)

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp cocoa powder (raw – unsweetened)

• 1 tbsp grated coconut

 

Directions:

1. Place the avocado in a food processor and pulse a few times into a smooth puree.

2. Melt the chocolate and let it cool down 10-15 min.

3. Pour melted chocolate into food processor with the avocado and maple syrup and pulse until mixture is completely combined and avocado is no longer visible.

4. Pour the mixture in a bowl and cover it.

5. Refrigerate for 2h.

6. Fill a bowl with cocoa powder and another with grated coconut

7. Shape the truffles with your hands

8. Roll each truffles into the coating

9. Place it in a food container and store in the fridge for min 1h before eating.

ENJOY!!

Note: Store well in the fridge up to 4 days

Raw Collagen Cacao Bites

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Cacao bites are extremely addicting and are sure to satisfy anyone’s snack craving.  Try them for yourself, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

INGREDIENTS:

White chocolate

  • 1 cup of cacao butter
  • 1/2 cup of raw soaked cashews
  • 1/2 organic maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp of vanilla
  • 1 tbsp of water
  • 1 scoop collagen powder

Chocolate:

  • 1 cup of coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup of cacao powder
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 scoop collagen powder

Directions:

1. Mix coconut oil, cacao powder, maple syrup, and collagen powder together and place in a flat dish.  Refrigerate until it hardens.
2. Drain the soaked cashews and place them into a blender with all white chocolate ingredients, excluding the butter.  Blend until smooth.
3. Melt the butter with a double boiling method.
4. Once cooled, add it to the white chocolate ingredients.  Blend until smooth.
5. Add the white chocolate mixture to the top of the frozen chocolate layer.  Refrigerate up to an hour and then store in the freezer.

 

ENJOY!!

Top 5 Natural Flu Busters!

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It’s that time of year when the weather keeps changing with fluctuating outside temperatures.  When our immune systems tend to be more run down and can have a hard time fighting off colds and flu.  Thankfully, there are many natural, fun, and effective ways to support the immune system that can start in the comfort of your home.

On that note, here are my top 5 immune boosters for families!

Kick That Flu To The Curb With Vitamin D with K2

It is extremely difficult to get sufficient amounts of vitamin D naturally if you are living in a northern continent or colder climates.  This is no surprise, as Vitamin D deficiency affects almost 50-60 percent of the population worldwide.  So, it’s important to supplement!  Here are the vitamin D intake levels recommended for patients at risk for vitamin D deficiency:

Infants: 400–1,000 IU/day (Upper Limit: 2,000)
Children: 1 -18 years: 600-1,000 IUs/day (Upper limit 4,000)
Adults: 19 +: 1,500-2,000 IU’s/day (upper limit 10,000)

Vitamin K2 is the latest and greatest vitamin that aids vitamin D (Not to be taken if you are on a blood thinner).  Learn more about the importance of vitamin K2!  Click here to read – Calcium without Vitamin K2 is a Heart Breaker.

Essential Oils For Tubby Time

Adding 1-3 drops of an organic essential oil such as tea tree or eucalyptus while the tub is filling allows for the lungs and sinus to stay open and get rid of any stubborn mucus.  Have you heard of this miracle oil? You should be using it! Click here to learn more.

Coat That Throat!

Elderberry syrup ½ tsp/day taken as a tea or added to a shake, or on its own is a delicious way to ward off bacteria, even strep!

Tea Time

There are so many wonderful teas that help strengthen the immune system—my all-time favourite is gingerbread tea→2 inches of ginger chopped, 2 cinnamon sticks, and the rind and juice of 1 organic lemon.  Add these to 4 cups of water and simmer covered for 20 minutes.  Add 1 tsp of unpasteurized honey* to your mug for a warming lovely tea.

Soup It Up!

The collagen that is extracted from chicken or beef bones while making soup still stands as an important flu-fighter.  Use cooked bones and add to a slow cooker full of filtered water. Add lemon or lime juice (this helps extract the goodness of the bones).  Do this for 12-24 hours for the best soup stock.

Use 1 or all of these suggestions in rotation.  I strive to make soup 1/week, have the gingerbread tea 1/week and do the essential oil tubbies, elderberry and vitamin D/K daily.

*Avoid unpasteurized honey in anyone under the age of 1 years old.

Click, Immunity and you – How to boost your Immune System Naturally for long-term protection for further reading.