Fish Tacos

I recently saw a picture of fish tacos that looked great and I have been wanting to recreate them. So today when the sun finally decided to come out I thought it would be a perfect celebration dinner. Plus I happened to find some wild cod that I thought would work well.

There are basically three steps to making these fish tacos. First I marinaded the fish, second I made a roasted pepper salsa and third a quick avocado cream. The combination of these three things together made these fish tacos amazingly unforgettable. The taco "shell" was a big romaine leaf but to be honest I think the leaf got in the way. Either way, you decide.

The Fish

• 2 big pieces of cod fillets or halibut
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• zest of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil

1. Place cod in a shallow pan. Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the fish. Allow to marinade for a few hours if you have time.
2. Grill over medium heat for 3 - 4 minutes a side depending on the thickness of the fish.

Roasted Pepper Salsa

• 3 - 4 mixed peppers, roasted (I used yellow, red and orange)
• 2 jalapeno peppers, roasted
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 4 - 5 mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil (I used a spicy pepper infused olive oil)
• juice of one lemon
• juice and zest of one lime
• salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

1. Rub both types of peppers with olive oil and roast on the grill over high heat until black. When they have been blackened on all sides remove to a large bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the peppers cool down for 10 minutes. Remove, and using your fingers, peel the black skin from the peppers. Slice the peppers, remove the seeds and dice.
2. Add the chopped peppers to a medium sized bowl and add the remainder of the ingredients. Set aside.

Avocado Cream

• 3 ripe avocados
• juice of one lime
• 1/4 cup sheep yogurt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• sea salt and pepper

1. Mix all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. I found an amazing sheep yogurt that is out of this world but goat or cow yogurt would be fine as well.  You could use a food processor to blend for a smoother consistency.

Killer Caesar Salad

Killer Caesar Salad

I remember eating at a fine dining restaurant one night with some friends and one of the guys we had dinner with ordered the Caesar salad. When the salad came to the table and was placed in front of him by our server, he looked very unimpressed. His response was "This sums up my life." The ceasar salad was a few leaves drizzled with a flavourless dressing and a few croutons thrown on for good measure.

Well, my fellow paleo lovers and non paleo people this is not that Caesar salad. This is the OMG Caesar salad. The one where the first bite is amazing and you close your eyes and hope that the salad never goes away. I never order Caesar salad when I'm out for the simple fact that I have never had one that I love and I cannot be sure what is in the dressing. This one I love.

A friend of mine introduced me to the most amazing nut crackers.  They are out of this world mixed into a ceasar salad as a paleo crouton. The ingredients include brazil nuts, almonds, chia, carrots, nutritional yeast, olive oil, chickpea miso and a few spices. Everything that I would consume without cheating.

I put this salad together with what I believe should be in Caesar salad: romaine leaves, that I left whole, cajun marinated chicken breasts, bacon, "The Big Cheese" nut crackers, mushrooms fried in bacon fat and garlic and a wicked homemade dressing. Here you go, sink you teeth into this beautiful salad.

Warm Caesar Salad Dressing

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 egg 
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp or more warm bacon fat
• fresh cracked pepper

In a VitaMix or a blender add the garlic, egg, lemon juice and parsley leaves and pepper. With the blender running slowly drizzle the olive oil and bacon fat in. Let blend for a few seconds to incorporate.

Here is a photo of the crackers. You can find them at one of my favorite places, The Light Cellar in Calgary, or visit the basic roots website for more distribution locations. Thanks Kathleen for introducing me to these crackers with your amazing salad this past weekend!

Pink Smoothie AKA Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Ava requests a Pink Smoothie almost every day. She is going through a growth spurt at the moment and this morning this smoothie was her third breakfast. She is an early riser so she usually has eggs with me in the morning. After her eggs she is looking for her smoothie; Ava is all about routine. Her smoothies have to be the same: pink. Her eggs have to be the same: basted. And if I mix that up by giving her scrambled eggs I have to be prepared for the fall out.

It is important to have frozen fruit for your smoothies. The frozen banana makes the smoothie thicker like a milkshake. The coconut oil gives this smoothie richness so try and get full flavoured coconut oil.

Ava's Pink Smoothie

• 1 banana, frozen in chunks
• 4 - 5 frozen strawberries
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk
• 1 tbsp protein powder (I use Dream Whey)
• 2 tsp warmed coconut oil (full flavour)

1. In a VitaMix blend the fruit with the almond milk until smooth. Turn to low speed and add the protein powder and coconut oil. Serve.

Ava with her smoothie and pink blanket not too far away.

Beef and Broccoli

Here is another simple recipe that my kids love. Aidan never really gets tired of broccoli and Ava has her days. Sometimes she prefers cauliflower and sometimes broccoli but she devoured this dish.

I started with thinly sliced sirloin steak and marinated it quickly before frying. If you have more time you can do this in advance and let it marinade longer. I steamed the broccoli in the same pan before frying the meat. This is a super fast and healthy meal that takes the same amount of time as making a box of macaroni and cheese so make this instead. The kids had this in their lunch the next day.

Beef and Broccoli

• 1 head of broccoli, cut into small pieces, blanched for a minute
• 1  or 2 sirloin steaks, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp coconut oil 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 2 tbsp wheat free tamari
• 2 tbsp braggs liquid aminos
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup beef stock

1. In a small bowl add garlic, tamari, braggs, pepper and sliced steak. Mix to combine and add in the arrowroot powder and let marinade quickly while the broccoli is steaming.
2. Blanch broccoli for one minute in boiling water or steam very briefly and set aside.
3. In a saute pan add the coconut oil and marinated beef and over medium heat. Let the meat cook until browned. Add the beef stock and cook until thickened.
4. Add in the broccoli and let cook for a minute or two longer.

Yum!

Coconut Cream Bananas

Sunday morning waffles and bacon.

Breakfast if my favourite meal of the day so I spent my Sunday morning working on a Paleo waffle recipe. This version was so delicious I think I said "yum" after every bite. A very good friend of mine gave me a new waffle maker, and not just any waffle maker. I am now the proud owner of the All Clad waffle maker from Williams Sonoma so of course I could hardly wait to start using it.

I took a Thai cooking class years ago and I remember making sauteed bananas in coconut milk and caramelized brown sugar. I recreated the recipe using coconut sugar and it was fantastic served over these Paleo waffles. These bananas would be great over pancakes or coconut ice cream as well. This is the type of recipe I love; a few simple ingredients that enhance each flavour in a perfect combination.

So the recipe I am going to share with you is for the bananas. The waffle recipe is going to my cookbook pile but if you would like it please become a follower of my blog and then send me an email and I will share it with you.

Coconut Cream Bananas

• 2 tbsp coconut oil, or organic butter
• 2 tbsp palm sugar or maple syrup
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• toasted pecans for garnish

1. In a medium non-stick skillet melt coconut oil or butter over medium heat.
2. Add to the skillet the palm sugar and let cook for a minute stirring a few times. Add in the bananas and let cook for a few minutes.
3. Add in coconut milk and vanilla and bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately. You don't want to cook this for too long as the bananas will start to break up. This should only take 5 minutes total.

I served the bananas on top of Paleo waffles and topped it off with toasted pecans. Delicious! I know what my kids will be requesting for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next week, and it's not kale salad.

Kale and Cabbage Salad

I adapted this recipe from the Hail-to-the-Kale Salad in the Planet Organic Cookbook but I don't follow the recipe exactly. I change it up a little and I never measure so it's different every time. This salad is crunchy much like a coleslaw. Here is the recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Kale and Cabbage Salad

• 1 bunch kale, washed and torn from stems
• 3 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/2 head of purple cabbage, finely sliced
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup cold pressed olive oil
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 2 tbsp hemp oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup braggs liquid aminos
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

1. In a large bowl mix together kale, cabbage, carrots, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.
2. In a measuring cup add olive oil, hemp oil, balsamic vinegar, tamari, braggs aminos, sea salt and pepper. Whisk to combine and pour over the vegetables. Toss to combine everything.

I served this salad as a side to a grilled citrus marinated flank steak. I will post the recipe for the steak soon.

Another Night Out

Another restaurant review and this time let me just say that this place is a carnivore's paradise. CHARCUT Roast House promises rustic urban cuisine and it is just that. The funky restaurant located in downtown Calgary has a modern vibe but it is warm and inviting. Carb lovers move on over, this place is all about the meat. The food is uncomplicated and the quality of the ingredients shines through.

My friend and I shared appetizers including bone marrow with gluten free toast. The last time I had bone marrow I was in Vienna where it is very much a traditional European dish. Now, bone marrow may sound strange, but it really is fantastic and I urge you to give it a try. We also shared our main course and it was served family style on a big cutting board. Our server suggested the prime rib, 1/4 chicken, and broccolini, and we ordered the squash with walnuts as another side. All I can say is that this was one amazing meal. The chicken was done to perfection and the prime rib was out of this world. It is evident that they care about the quality of produce they are bringing in and the quality of meat that is served. They grow their own herbs and use local farmers and ranchers which is great to see.

The service was fantastic and they had one of my favourite wines, bonus. Their menu changes daily so your always in for a surprise every time you go back. One of the chefs came by our table to make sure we were happy with our dinner. I thought this was great and a sign their heart is in it.

If you are thinking about going out for some good food, give CHARCUT a try. As you can see there was not a lot of food left at our table, we totally devoured it.

Have a great weekend everyone.

St. Patrick's Day Greens

Mixed Kale

I am a huge fan of Kale. It is by far my favourite green leaf and it's so nutrient dense. At the moment there is a great selection of green kale, purple kale and black kale available in various grocery stores; Planet Organic has a fabulous selection.  I made this braised kale to go with bison burgers and any leftover kale is great with morning eggs.

Braised Kale

• 2 large bunches of kale
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• lemon wedge
• salt and pepper
• pine nuts (optional)

1. Wash and tear kale from the stems and set aside.
2. Add garlic and coconut oil to a large pot and cook for a minute over medium heat. Add to this the washed kale leaves and chicken stock. Cover and cook until the kale is tender.
3. Remove from the heat and squeeze a lemon wedge over the kale and season with salt and pepper. If you have pine nuts toast a few in a small fry pan and toss on the kale when it's finished cooking.

Happy St. Partick's Day everyone!

Goodbye Snow... Please come on Spring!

Spring has to be here soon, it has to. I made iced tea today in hopes that I would see the sun, the snow would melt a little more and I could sit and bask in the warm rays. Yes, I am pleading with nature.

I love iced tea and it's so simple to make. On my recent trip to the Okanagan I picked up Wild Flower Honey for the kids and I decided to use it in the tea. I used two tablespoons for eight cups of tea so it is not overly sweet. I use a loose leaf Papaya Mint Tea from Planet Organic but you can use whatever tea you have on hand. I make a big pitcher to have for a few days; its perfect after hot yoga when you are dying for a cold refreshing drink.

Mint Iced Tea

• 2 - 3 tablespoons loose leaf mint tea
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 8 cups hot water
• lemon slices

1. Place tea leaves in the bottom of an 8 cup glass measuring cup. Add honey and stir in hot water. Let this steep until it cools and place the strained tea in a pitcher. Refrigerate until cold and serve over ice with lemon slices.

Speaking of sweet things, Aidan wrote this for me in the melting snow.  He took a picture so when uploading my images I had a surprise. I smiled from ear to ear and to see the tips of his boots in the bottom of the picture, so sweet.

Chocolate Coconut Stacks

Chocolate Coconut Stacks

Do you remember eating Haystacks when you were a kid? I made them a lot in the summer when it was too hot to turn the oven on and they were delicious. I wanted to recreate my childhood cookie by replacing the peanut butter, white sugar and a few other non Paleo ingredients. I used coconut instead of oats and maple syrup instead of white sugar. These little babies are fudgie goodness in every bite and highly addictive so watch out. Even if it is a Paleo cookie, a cookie is still a cookie.

Chocolate Coconut Stacks

• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coconut butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 1 cup sliced almonds

1. In a small saucepan add the coconut milk, coconut butter, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and almond butter. Stir all the ingredients together until smooth and warmed through. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.
2. In a medium bowl add the coconut and sliced almonds. Pour the chocolate mixture over the coconut and almonds and stir to thoroughly combine. Drop on a parchment lined cookie sheet and cool in the fridge until set.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ava and I have been baking up batches of cookies for my cookbook and we have a winner in the chocolate chip cookie category. I debated saving this recipe for the cookbook but I decided to share it now. We used almond flour and coconut flour and there were little chunks of coconut butter embedded inside each cookie. Yum.

If you have not experienced coconut butter before then YOU MUST; if you ask me its pure tropical bliss. Aidan loves it on apples and bananas instead of the usual cashew butter. I broke up the coconut butter with a whisk when I mixed it into the eggs. I left the coconut butter in chunks almost like chocolate chips for texture in the cookie.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup honey, raw
• 1/4 cup coconut butter 
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. In a medium bowl add the eggs, honey, coconut butter (break up the butter with a whisk), oil and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly combined. 
2. Add shredded coconut, coconut flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt. Mix together until everything is combined and stir in chocolate chips.
3. Drop onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. I like mine a little darker on the bottoms so check at 15 minutes. Let them rest on the cookie sheet before removing to cool completely.

**The coconut butter is hard to get out of the jar, it is really solid, unlike coconut oil, so when I add the coconut butter to the other ingredients I break it up with a whisk into tiny bits.

Ava is usually the taste tester as you can see by her chin.

Time to Reflect

I took a little trip this weekend to a place very close to my heart, Kelowna. It is a place with a lot of warm memories for me. Aidan learned to wakeboard here, Ava fell in love with the beach here, we brought the kids here every Easter, long weekend, and spent our summers here. I think of it as Canada's California. Kelowna has so much to offer with beaches, fruit orchards, amazing organic vegetables at your fingertips and gorgeous vineyards that produce beautiful wines. Even though it has a small town atmosphere the restaurants serve up the most amazing food.

The weather this weekend was above freezing and that was very appealing to me as Calgary is ridiculously cold. I felt like I needed some time to reflect and find my center. I have started yoga practise with a very talented yoga instructor Jennifer from Sukha Yoga. She is teaching me great things and at a time in my life when I deeply need it. She is a talented yoga instructor and I would encourage you to check out one of her classes.

When I go somewhere for the weekend the first thing I do when I get to my destination is find a great local market. Kelowna has one of the most amazing markets I have ever been to outside of Whole Foods in the US.  So Choices Market was my first stop. I picked up local fruits, nuts and great salmon jerky while wandering through every aisle, twice. I already knew the resturaunts I wanted to visit and I am happy to say that I hit them all including brunch at Summerhill Winery's Sunset Bistro which is the only wild and organic bistro in the valley.

I am returning to the cold of Calgary with sore calves from a lot of running, a less heavy heart, a clearer mind and looking forward to spending the week with my kids. I am thankful for the memories and time spent with Aidan and Ava in Kelowna when they were small and am excited to start new memories with them this summer.

Aidan, age 4, at the beach in Kelowna

Ava, age 2, at the beach in Kelowna

Gyro Beach sunset this weekend.

Ginger Chicken

Ginger Chicken

Last night was a great night in the gym for me. I push jerked and overhead squatted 120 pounds like it was 90 and it felt great. This is not normally something to get excited about except I have not done an overhead squat at this weight in over 8 months and it is only five pounds off my previous personal record. I have taken a very long break from lifting heavy and I forgot how much I love it.

It was a late night in the gym and I needed to make a quick meal. This ginger chicken took me literally 10 minutes to put together and only a few more to cook it. I served it with a mound of broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini and onions with a green curry sauce. It was phenomenal. If you have the time marinade the chicken in advance.

Ginger Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 tbsp wheat free tamari
• 1 tbsp fresh ground ginger
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 tsp sambal oelek (more if you like it hot)
• 3 tbsp coconut flour
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• sesame seeds (brown or black), cilantro and chopped green onion for garnish

1. In a small bowl add diced chicken, tamari, ginger, garlic, sambal oelek and stir to combine.
2. Sift the coconut flour into the chicken mixture and stir to combine.
3. In a medium skillet heat the coconut oil and add in the chicken. Cook over medium heat until all sides of the chicken are browned, approximately 10 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken and garnish with sesame seeds, green onion and cilantro.

This makes enough for two or three servings depending on your protein intake.

Blueberry Crisp

Blueberry Crisp

This crisp is so fast and easy to put together. It takes hardly any time at all. You can use frozen blueberries. This is by far my favorite dessert. I love blueberries and have frozen organic berries on hand for crisps, smoothies, and muffins.

I make my crisp in little ramekins so I can portion control a little easier but you can make this in an 8 x 8 baking dish as well if you have more self control than I do.

Blueberry Crisp
Fill four to five ramekins with blueberries. You can fill the ramekins almost to the top as the blueberries cook down in the oven.

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1 cup long shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup organic butter, or coconut oil, warmed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together and add in the wet ingredients. Add the topping to each ramekin and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Chicken Fajita Salad

Chicken Fajita Salad

If you have been dreaming of getting on a plane and heading somewhere warmer like I have, it is perfectly normal. After all, we have been living in a deep freeze for the last four months and it's not looking as though it's going away anytime soon. The winter is getting to all of us.

There are a few things that I do to brighten my spirits other than drinking copious amounts of red wine. I try socializing more with friends and family and spending time around the people in my life that I enjoy being around. This is not the time to come home from work and get into your pajamas and curl up day after day until the cold goes away.

Call your friends and go out for a casual dinner. Go to a resturant that you have been dying to get to but there is never a reservation available. Chances are that you will get a table because everyone else has not braved the freezing cold.  Eat the healthiest comfort food on the menu that does not have a bun wrapped around it. A good friend and I went to Una, a funky pizza place on 17th, and we had a heaping plate of meat balls with the freshest tomato sauce and sauteed brocollini with a big glass of red wine. That is my idea of clean comfort food. Now I am not saying drink every night, but if a glass of wine is going to brighten your spirits and help you make it through an ugly winter then go for it.

What you do not want to do is order the macaroni and cheese. Don't even think about grains. Consuming them is not going to make you feel better but actually worse.  No burgers and fries. Stay on the path of clean eating. Feeling good comes from the inside.

Here is a Mexican inspired salad to help you kick those winter blues. 

Chicken Fajita Salad

• 3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
• sea salt
• ground pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• fresh cilantro
• 4 scallions, chopped
• avocado, sliced
• salad greens

1. Heat a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat and add your oil and onions. Let the onions soften and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sliced peppers and continue to cook another minute.
2. Season chicken with spices and add to the onions and peppers. Let the chicken cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until it is no longer pink inside. Squeeze in the lime juice. Add in fresh cilantro.
3. Arrange a handful of salad greens on each plate and top with chicken fajita mixture. Top this with avocado slices and a little more cilantro and green onions. Add a lime wedge on the side. Serves four.