Fattoush Salad with Za'atar and avocado

Have I mentioned how much I love visiting The Spice Merchant? Every so often I stop in to see if I can get inspiration from a spice I have never tried or sometimes I go in search of a spice with a dish already in mind. On the weekend I picked up Za'atar.

This salad is another great way to use the best summer ingredients you have in your garden or from local farmers. This dish is a typical lebanese salad that is served on hot days and since we are finally having some great weather in Calgary, this is a perfect side to grilled chicken, beef or lamb.

Typically Fattoush has pita bread in it but I left it out and added chunks of buttery avocado instead. It would also be great with raw flax crackers broken into chunks but I didn't have any. The ingredient that makes this salad so amazing is the addition of the Mediterranean spice Za'atar which includes a ground berry called sumac. Sumac berries grow in the Mediterranean and parts of the Middle East and are used in cooking just as we use lemon; to add acidity. The majority of the other spices are thyme and sesame seeds, as well as oregano and marjoram. This spice is magic added to this simple summer vegetable salad. The most important thing to remember when making this salad is to add a lot of parsley and mint; not just a sprinkle.

I made a small bowl but if you are feeding more increase the ingredients. 

Fattoush Salad with Za'atar and avocado
inspired by My New Roots

• 1/2 cucumber, sliced in rounds and then halfed
• 5 -7 small tomatoes, sliced in quarters
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1 bunch mint, chopped
• 3 - 4 green onions
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 avocado, cut into chunks

Dressing:

• 1 tsp Za'atar seasoning plus more to sprinkle on top
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 2 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
• 1 tsp raw honey
• sprinkle of sea salt
• a pinch of pepper

Start by making the dressing in a medium bowl. Mix everything in the bowl and taste seasoning.

Chop vegetables and herbs and add to the dressing. Fold in avocado and let sit for 20 -30 minutes before serving.

Baked eggplant with tomatoes and mint goat yogurt

This recipe is great when you have a lot of summer fresh tomatoes lying around waiting to be used. Eggplant is also in season right now and this dish makes a great summer side. This dish is best served warm and makes a great addition to grilled lamb or bison or on it's own with a big green salad and quinoa or rice for a vegetarian dish.

Eggplant is probably one of those ingredients that many people don't try because for one it looks like it would taste awful and secondly many people are unsure how to cook it. This recipe couldn't be easier and I promise you will love it.

Baked eggplant with tomatoes
adapted from A year in my kitchen by Skye Gyngell

• 2 small eggplants, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 5 - 6 fresh vine tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup raw Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• few springs of thyme
• 1/2 cup goat yogurt
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Slice the eggplant into rounds. If you have large eggplant you may need to sprinkle the rounds with sea salt and let them sit for 30 minutes. This helps the bitter juices seep out. Wipe with a paper towel before cooking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add olive oil to a saucepan and add in the garlic and tomatoes. Season with sea salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes until tomatoes are soft.

While the tomatoes are cooking you can prepare the eggplant. Drizzle eggplant slices with a little olive oil and grill slices of eggplant for a few minutes on each side or until they are lightly browned. You can also fry the eggplant slices in a frying pan with olive oil if you are not grilling meat already.

Meanwhile, grate raw Parmesan, set aside and prepare the minted goat yogurt by mixing chopped mint into the yogurt in a small bowl.

When tomatoes and eggplant are ready you can assemble the dish. In a small, shallow baking dish, lay eggplant slices to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer of tomatoes then repeat with eggplant and tomatoes again. Cover with chopped parsley and thyme and sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and let cool slightly. Sprinkle on a little fresh parsley. Serve with a dollop of minted yogurt.

Bee-Berry Smoothie

If you have never tried bee pollen there is a lot of research out there that suggests you should. Bee Pollen is a high-energy whole food and contains 22 amino acids. It is richer in protein than any animal source.  It supplies the body with almost every single nutrient needed to survive and is high in protein at 25%. These little morsels of pollen are packed with minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients.

Bee Pollen varies in color as you can see by the picture. Nearly every time I buy it I am amazed at the colour variation of each batch. The last bee pollen I bought was almost entirely blue. It should be soft (never crunchy) and dissolve on your tongue. It has a flower taste (duh) and when you place it on your tongue you taste the complexity of a single granule.

I sprinkle bee pollen on salads, add it to granola and smoothies and even sprinkle it on desserts. Remember never to heat it because heat destroys all the active enzymes. If you are first starting out take it in very small quantities and gradually increase. Bee pollen is full of live enzymes and why do we need live enzymes? To break down and digest food in our body. Raw food contains live enzymes and that is why it is so important to make sure you consume raw fruit and vegetables on a daily basis if not at every meal.

You can find bee pollen here in the fridge and it should be stored in the fridge as well. I believe in buying local whenever possible and The Light Cellar carries one from Vancouver. This is one super food that I cannot live without. I love bees, their hives and what they do for us.

Want to know more? Dr. Mercola has a great article on bee pollen and it is worth reading. Like any supplement research should be done by the individual taking it before consuming it. If you are allergic to bees I would suggest NOT taking bee pollen.

Bee-Berry Smoothie
Serves 2

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup almond milk or milk of choice
sprinkle of bee pollen (start out with a small amount and gradually increase over time up to 1 tbsp)
1 tsp raw honey
1/2 cup ice cubes
1/2 frozen banana

Place everything in the blender and mix. Serve immediately.

Granola Bars

I have been getting a lot of feedback from moms wanting kid friendly recipes that still compete with all the junky snacks that all the other kids have at school. I think the hardest thing about feeding your kids healthy is seeing their friends smashing back Oreo cookies and rice crispy squares from a package. My two do get these from time to time as well, no mother is perfect, all you can do is try your best to give them a healthy start. Ava never stops reminding me what her friends eat.

This is a granola bar that I make a lot for my two but tend to change it each time, depending on what I have around. Sometimes I use almond butter or sunflower seed butter and occasionally I add rough chopped almonds or pecans. Dried cherries would be great added to this granola bar. Chocolate and cherry go hand and hand. I like the goji berry because it is a superfood and I know my kids need more of that. The chocolate chips, well, they are extra insurance that they will get eaten by the kids.

Granola Bars
adapted from Anja's Food 4 Thought

2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup coconut butter or nut butter (I used coconut butter and macadamia butter)
3/4 cup seeds (I used sunflower, pumpkin, chia, flax)
1 cup gluten free oats
1/2 cup long shredded coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips (gluten free)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
few pinches of sea salt

Mash bananas in a mixer or by hand. If you are using coconut butter, warm it slightly. Add the coconut butter or nut butter to the bananas and mix thoroughly. Add the remainder of the ingredients.

Grease a 8 X 8 inch baking pan with coconut oil and pour the mixture in and smooth the top. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes and cool before cutting.

To All The Crave Cupcake Addicts

.

I have a group of friends that are addicted to Crave Cupcakes and I can understand why. They are fabulous, look so pretty and come in a wide variety of delicious flavours. Meet the new kid on the cheat day block, Jelly Modern Doughnuts. This box was brought to my house last night by a dinner guest and the first doughnut devoured by Aidan was Maple Bacon.

Now I have to say that I have been trying my very hardest to stay health bent the last few weeks and get back on track with diet and exercise but I could not resist sampling a few. Coconut was the first and OMG it was fantastic. Thankfully between four adults and Aidan we tried bites of everything and they are incredibly delicious. Ava insisted she couldn't have sugar before bed so I will HAVE to make a trip to Jelly soon so she can get in on the action.

What are you waiting for? Isn't it your cheat day today? Go NOW!!

Warrior Power Muesli

When I was in Switzerland and France I saw muesli a lot, Bircher Muesli to be exact. They love this muesli in Europe and I saw it the breakfast buffet tables at all the hotels. What you do not see in Europe at the breakfast buffet table is Fruit Loops, All Bran or Cheerios like we do in Canada. Huh?

Usually muesli is packed with oats, dried fruit, nuts and honey or some other sweetener which is all good unless you are not eating oats, nuts or sugar. Mark Sisson had a post yesterday regarding oats and to be honest I can take them or leave them. I do not consume a lot of oats but I still occasionally have a bowl of oatmeal with Ava. Ava has a serious addiction to oatmeal in the morning or for a bedtime snack. She loves thick cut oats that are barely cooked and loaded with cinnamon, a touch of honey, a scoop of ground flax and goat milk but she also loves eggs in the morning so I am not worried.

I wanted to come up with a muesli that didn't contain oats or nuts. I sometimes have a hard time digesting nuts but if you are fine with them, pecans or walnuts would be great added in. I did not sweeten mine at all and I found it to be perfect but a touch of raw honey would be great.

The base of the muesli is chia and flax. Chia was used by the Aztec and Mayan Warriors to sustain their energy for long periods of time but that's not all. They are loaded with Omega 3 fatty acids and unlike flax they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. The Chia seeds are also a great source of fiber and help clean out your intestines as well as they contain calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, cooper, iron, niacin and zinc. Sounds good to me.

Bircher Muesli is soaked overnight and the next day is blended with a little yogurt or milk. I used this recipe as a guideline. I soaked my version overnight and added a few things in the morning. I ate it cold, like muesli is meant to be eaten, and it was great. If you are tired of the same old eggs for breakfast and want to switch up your routine, give this a try.

Warrior Power Muesli

• 2 teaspoons chia seeds
• 1 tbsp ground flax
• 1 tbsp goji berries
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup almond milk or milk of choice

Place all these ingredients in a small bowl, cover and soak overnight.

When you are ready to eat, remove from the refrigerator and add the following:

• 1 tbsp hemp seeds
• 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes (I used a long shredded coconut)
• 1 grated apple
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp or more of natural goat yogurt (can use cow yogurt or milk of your choice)

Add the hemp seeds, coconut flakes, grated apple, cinnamon and vanilla. Fold in the yogurt and you may add a little more milk depending on consistency. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a handful of blueberries and a little raw honey if you must. Devour!

My version of N'oatmeal Cookies

The Primal Palate posted this recipe on their site a few days ago for the release of their new book. The book looks great and is full of great paleo recipes and their pictures are amazing. I wanted to make their N'oatmeal Cookies and I realized that I have been making a very similar version.

I adapted the recipe slightly by adding a banana and reducing the maple syrup. I also added a few extra things including cacao nibs. This tasty little cookie is pillowy and full of good stuff. Next time I will leave the recipe as is. Check out their site and their new book.

N'oatmeal Cookie adapted from Primal Palate

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup goji berries
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs
• 1 tbsp cinamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp goat milk or almond milk
• 1 small banana mashed
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (warmed)
• 1 tbsp vanilla

In your mixer bowl add the banana and using the paddle attachment mash the banana. Add the maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs and vanilla and goat or almond milk and mix until combined.

In another bowl add almond flour, coconut, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix to combine. Add this to the wet ingredients and mix. Stir in to this mixture the flax, chia, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raw cacao nibs, raisins and goji berries. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Let them cool on the pan slightly before removing to a cooling rack.

Beet and Quinoa Salad with walnuts and goat cheese

This salad is one of my favourites. I love beets and when roasted they become sweet and are the perfect match for the peppery arugula and creamy goat cheese.

I found a bag of baby beets at the farmers market so I brought them home, drizzled them in olive oil and roasted them until tender. When they cooled, I peeled them and made this salad. If you are not doing grains you can leave the quinoa out and it will be just as good. I used arugula in this salad but you could also use beet greens if you find beets with the tops attached. In this case sauté the beet greens first.

The walnut oil makes this salad extra tasty and I encourage you to seek it out if you don't have it. You will not regret it .

Beet and Quinoa Salad with walnut and goat cheese

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups beets, roasted, peeled and diced
• 4 cups arugula
• crumbled goat cheese
• toasted walnuts

1. Toss the quinoa with the beets in a small bowl. Drizzle a little of the dressing onto this mixture, toss.
2. In a large bowl add the arugula and toss with the remainder of the dressing. Lay the arugula on a plate and top with the beets and quinoa. Top with toasted walnuts and goat cheese.

Walnut Dressing:

• 1 shallots, finely diced
• 1/4 cup walnut oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• sea salt and pepper

1. In a small bowl add the shallot, red wine vinegar, dijon, salt, pepper and maple syrup. Stir to combine and slowly whisk in the oils.

Mango Gelato

It has been a while since I posted and I started to feel guilty with everyone asking where the recipes are. I know, I have been a little slack on the recipes lately but I have a few coming I promise. It is not for a lack cooking but I seem to be entertaining a lot and letting the posts slip. Not to mention that I am enjoying every bit of summer while I can. I think I felt an almost end of summer coolness in the air this morning at 6:00 am. 

I made this mango gelato on the weekend and took it to my parents for everyone to sample.  I originally bought the mangos for another dish but I ran out of time to make it and the mangoes required immediate attention. I love tropical fruit in the summer and this gelato hits the spot on a hot day.

If you are planning on making this gelato, do so the night before and freeze it the following day so that the base has ample time to cool. You want the base to be really cold when going in to the ice cream maker.

Mango Gelato

• 3 ripe mangos, pureed in a blender or Vita-Mix 
• 1 can full fat coconut milk 
• 1/2 cup palm sugar
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt

1. In a small saucepan add palm sugar and coconut milk and cook over medium heat until the palm sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
2. Peel and dice the mango into chunks. Add chunks of mango and lime juice to your blender and puree until smooth. Add the vanilla and sea salt. To this add coconut milk and blend until completely incorporated. 
3. Place this mixture in the refrigerator overnight and pour into your ice cream maker the following day.

Fusilli Puttanesca

I have been busy since my return from Europe with the kids so meals have been quick. Usually we are making a dish to take over to a friends house while making a quick bite to eat. This brown rice pasta dish takes minutes to put together and my kids like it although, Ava is not keen on olives, she eats around them.

Brown rice pasta is a staple in our house and although I lived without pasta for years when eating strictly paleo, I ate this with the kids yesterday. You can also use penne noodles because they hold the sauce like fusilli. There will be a name change to the blog soon as some have anticipated already. I have started to add gluten free grains back to my diet.

If you are serving this to young kids omit the olives. I shaved a raw milk parmesan over their noodles and sprinkles on fresh parsley for garnish. I added chopped fresh basil leaves to mine but it is great without it.

Fusilli Puttanesca
adapted from my father's daughter

• 3/4 pound brown rice fusilli noodles
• coarse sea salt
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• pinch of red chile flakes
• 5 olive oil packed spanish anchovies
• 1 heaping tbsp salt packed capers
• 1/3 cup pitted nicoise olives
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• parley for garnish
• parmesan for garnish

1. Bring a large pot of water to rolling boil and salt the water generously. Drop in the fusilli and cook according to the package directions. 
2. While the pasta is cooking, put the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and add the garlic and chile flakes, cooking for a minute or two. Avoid burning the garlic. Add in the anchovies and capers and cook for another minute breaking down the anchovies with the back of a spoon. Add in the olives and break them down with the spoon as well. Stir in the tomato sauce and let the sauce reduce over low heat for about 10 minutes. 
3. Drain the pasta reserving a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Serve the pasta and top each plate with parmesan, parsley, fresh cracked pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt.