Nutty Treat!

Nuts for Easter

It's Easter time and yes, everyone needs to indulge a little bit, but it doesn't have to be all bad. Try these little no-bake required macaroons that are yummy for everyone and if you want to have a little fun, shape them into some egg shapes and serve them up for Easter dinner dessert! Or better yet...pair them with your morning coffee...mmmm....macaroons.

Ingredients:

1/4 Cups Room Temperature Coconut Oil

1 Cup Coconut Flakes

1/2 Cup Sliced Raw Almonds (or you can toast them a bit yourself for some extra flavour)

1/4 Cup Macadamia Nuts, crushed into chunks

1/4 Cup Raw Honey

1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Sea Salt

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the coconut flakes, almonds, macadamia nuts, and a couple pinches of sea salt to taste. Stir the ingredients until well combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, vanilla, and raw honey.
3. Take the liquid mixture and pour it over the dry ingredient mixture and mix immediately together until well combined. The texture should be sticky and slightly stiff, just holding the ingredients together.
4. Take half of the mixture and put it into your food processor and pulse to break up the larger pieces. Then set it to puree to create a smooth paste, about 20 seconds should do it - do not go more than a paste texture or else it will be too runny.
5. Take your paste and mix it back in with the other half of the chunky mixture and stir together well.
6. Form into little 2" balls, packed tightly to hold together and place on a small sheet pan that is lined with parchment paper. Make sure they don't roll around.
7. Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours and they should be set and ready to serve!

Green Paddy's Day Chicken

It's St. Paddy's Day so why not mix things up and make some ... Green Chicken? It's not as bad as it sounds, it's just a different way of having chicken salad with some yummy greens mixed in - give it a whirl. This is great on its own or paired with some salad greens - or even in a wrap!



Ingredients:

2 x 4oz Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless, cooked, chilled and cut into chunks
1/2 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, washed and stems removed
1 Large Ripe Avocado, flesh scooped out into a bowl
Juice of a lime (just in case you need more or less)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Place the chicken chunks in a large bowl for easy mixing.
2. In your food processor, place the basil, avocado, about 2 tbsps of the Olive Oil, a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground pepper. If you wish, you can add a bit of lime juice to keep the avocado from browning, plus it gives it a little tang. Blend until smooth.
3. Coat the chicken with the avocado dressing and toss thoroughly; taste it and see if you need to add a bit more salt or pepper.
4. Eat right away with some salad greens or chill in the fridge for a bit. I would not recommend holding it for more than a day as the avocado will start browning.

Eat Your Greens ... On the Go!

Wrap It Up!

Here's a healthier way of making a wrap to take on the go! Collard greens are full of vitamins, so why not use it to wrap up a whole bunch of goodness? This is a "Clubhouse"-style version, but you can make a wrap of anything you want - try filling it with different proteins, maybe some quinoa, different veggies, the ideas are endless - get creative



Ingredients:

4oz Cooked Turkey Breast, sliced thinly or into strips
2 Strips Cooked Bacon
Roma Tomato, thinly sliced
Red Onion, thinly sliced
Avocado, thinly sliced
Homemade Mayo
Dijon Mustard
Collard Green Leaf - one large big leaf, ensure hard stems are removed.
Sea Salt & Pepper to Taste

1. Ensure your collard green leaf is thoroughly washed and patted dry.
2. Spread on the mayo and mustard directly on the leaf, and thinly.
3. Place the turkey first and build the ingredients on top. Season with sea salt and pepper if you wish.
4. Roll the leaf into a wrap form - if you put some mustard or mayo near the edges it will help seal the wrap a bit. 
5. Cut in half and eat up!

Paleo-friendly Chocolate Bark

Paleo Bark

Here is one of the most simple and easy "treat" recipes to make - Chocolate Bark! Use good quality ingredients in this one - and make them your favourite. This recipe gives you free range of what ingredients you want to mix into your bark to make it your own :)



Ingredients:

1lb Dark Chocolate (75% or higher the better), chopped into small pieces
1 Cup Favourite Nuts (I like cashews or pistchios - or mix them up)
1/2 Cup Favourite Dried Fruit
Sea Salt (Try Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving a little bit extra on the edges, this will allow for easy removal of the bark when it is done.
2. In a double boiler, or use a stainless steel bowl over a pot of boiling water (use gloves or a towel to hang on - it will get hot), melt the chocolate. Make sure you are constantly stirring (use a rubber spatula to help scrape the bowl) so that the chocolate melts evenly.
3. When the chocolate is melted, pour it onto the lined baking sheet and spread evenly using your spatula.
4. Sprinkle the nuts and dried fruit evenly across the chocolate, you may have to apply slight pressure to ensure that the pieces are sunken into the chocolate. Sprinkle a touch of salt over the entire pan - this will give it a sweet and salt taste, but the salt also brings out the flavour of the chocolate.
5. Place in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes until the chocolate has harden; remove and break into snack size pieces. Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for snacking :)

Banana Protein Cookies

Protein Cookies

Sometimes you just need to have protein in another form than a shake, so why not combine it with some bananas, oats, coconut, and cacao bits? Try this super easy cookie recipe that can be ready in less than 20 minutes!



Ingredients:

2 Ripe Bananas
1 Scoop of your Favourite Protein (Try a Progenex or Beyond Yourself protein!)
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut (Unsweetened)
1/2 Cup Cacao Nibs (or if you prefer, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Sea Salt

1. In your blender, add in the bananas, oats, coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt and blend until smooth. Then mix in the coconut and nibs (or chips).
2. Heat the oven to 350F.
3. On a greased baking sheet (use coconut oil), or super slick cookie sheet, dollop spoonfuls of the cookie dough, leaving about an inch or two space between. Lightly flatten the dough for better baking.
4. Place in oven and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the cookie is lightly browned on the bottom - don't over bake them!
5. Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack...then gobble them up!

Breakfast Sausages

Breaky Patties

Good quality breakfast sausages are hard to find, and sometimes when you do, they are quite pricey. Instead, make these simple homemade breakfast sausage patties that stack well if you want to make a breakfast sandwich or just have them on the side with some eggs, sliced tomatoes, and avocado-yum! The best part, you can make a bunch of these at once, then freeze them for future meals. If you shop at Longo's or Sobey's, you should dry duBreton pork - it's from Quebec and is organic, antibiotic free, and naturally raised pigs. Look for this logo:

 



Ingredients:

1lb Medium or Lean Ground Pork (a little fat is good to keep these juicy and not dry when they cook out)
Fresh Sage, Thyme, and Rosemary, stems removed, all finely chopped
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
 

1. In a large bowl, combine the pork with approximately 1 teaspoon each of the fresh herbs, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne (depends on how much spice you want), a teaspoon of salt and 3/4 of a teaspoon of pepper.
2. Form the patties into 2-3" size round patties, not too thick for even and fast cooking.
3. In a pan over medium-heat, cook the patties until brown on both sides and patties are cooked through.
4. Eat right away, or allow to cool and then pack the patties away in the freezer for next time!

Eat Your Sprouts!

Brussels Sprouts?!

Many people probably have had the challenge of getting down Brussels sprouts sometime in their life. Most of the time, they are not tasty, but if you add in some bacon...maybe some caramelized onions...I think things will change :) Brussels sprouts are a great vegetable to have in your diet since they are chock full of vitamins and nutrients that we need, and during the winter season, that is when you want to get them in!

 



Ingredients:

1lb Brussels Sprouts, ends chopped and cut into 1/4's, remove any tough leaves
6 Pieces Bacon, cut into bite size pieces
1 Shallot, cut in half and thinly sliced
Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt and Ground Pepper

1. In a large skillet, place the pieces of bacon and cook out over medium heat. Once the bacon gets crispy, remove and drain on a paper towel, set aside.
2. In the same pan with the bacon fat, turn the heat to high, and place the pieces of Brussels sprouts evenly over the pan in a single layer preferably. Allow the sprouts to cook for 3 minutes before starting to toss them and continue to toss them in the pan until they become tender and appear caramelized. The length of time will vary depending on the size of the sprouts. If they are on the larger side, after a few minutes, you can add in a 1/2 cup of water to help steam the sprouts to become tender. Remove the sprouts from the pan and set aside.
3. Add in a touch of coconut oil or reserved bacon fat if you have it and toss in the shallots for about 2 minutes until they become soft. Add in a tablespoon of 2 tablespoons of balsamic and cook until most of the liquid is gone. Add in the sprouts and bacon and toss thoroughly together. Season with salt and pepper and you're done!

NOTE* If you want to add a little sweetness, only add in 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and then add in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup!