Healthy Turkey Burgers

I have been playing with Turkey Burger and Turkey Meatball recipes for awhile now and I think I have found a pretty good one here! My brother and I made them for my parents last month and they were a big hit. She wrote me asking for the recipe yesterday, so here it is mom!

Ingredients:

• 500g ground turkey or chicken
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 small onion, chopped very small
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp Mrs.Dash
• 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
• salt/pepper
• Garnish: avocado, tzatziki, grated carrots, pickles (if desired)

Directions:

1. Mix chia seeds with 1/4 cup water and let sit 10 minutes. It should form a gel-like substance that will act as the egg for keeping patties together.
2. Mix all ingredients (except turkey) in large bowl and stir to combine
3. Add turkey and combine
4. Form into patties and place in fridge for 1 hour
5. BBQ until cooked through
6. Serve with whole wheat thin bun or on it's own with no bun.

Healthier Spaghetti Bolognese

One of my boyfriend's favourite dishes in Spaghetti Bolognese. It is a great comfort food and right now since it is winter in Australia, it's the perfect dish. I made a few changes to the original recipe to make it a little healthier so it's not as heavy or full of fat. The measurements are only approximate so feel free to add or remove as you see fit.

We tried Brown Rice Penne with it this time and it was great. The pasta tastes very similar to normal pasta except it's a little lighter and you don't feel as tired and full after a bowl. You can get it at Bulk Barn in Canada and most health food stores in Australia. Although the healthiest way to go would be to try zucchini pasta or spaghetti squash of course.  Click here for more healthy options.

Ingredients:

• 1 package ground chicken or turkey
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 3 sticks of celery, diced
• 5 mushrooms, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 extra large can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons of red wine
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped (save some for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet and add in onions, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning and 1 minced clove of garlic and cook until tender.
2. Add in ground turkey and cook through.
3. Add in vegetables and 1 minded clove of garlic.
4. Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and simmer for at least an hour.

Moroccan Sweet Potato, Red Quinoa & Chickpea Salad

Photo borrowed from "Style at Home"

Last night we had our first backyard bbq dinner party since I got back to Australia last weekend. It's mid winter here in Brisbane so I wasn't sure if we could have an outside meal, but we pulled it off! We lit a fire in our patio fire pit and got bundled up in hoodies (they call them jumpers here) and Uggs and sat outside. I originally wanted to do S'mores since they don't know them here in Oz, but the stores don't have Graham crackers or regular marshmallows! Booo.

Backyard BBQ ready for dinner

I wanted to try out a few new salads for the meal, one from Pinterest and one from a "Superfoods" book I received from my boyfriends mom. Here is the final menu, I will post a few more of the recipes in the next few days.

Apps:

• Rice crackers with homemade guacamole (avocado, cherry tomatoes, garlic, lime, cilantro, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper)
• Carrot sticks with homemade curry yogurt dip (plain yogurt, madras curry powder, lemon juice)

Mains:

• Moroccan Sweet Potato, Red Quinoa & Chickpea Salad
• Coconut-roasted pumpkin and cauliflower with chilli, lime and cashews
• Homemade turkey koftas
• Homemade lamb and mint koftas 

Dessert:

• Sweet Potato/Ginger Pecan Brownies with vanilla ice cream, coconut chocolate sauce and toasted coconut (recipe here)

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3⁄4" cubes
• 1 540-ml can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1⁄2 cup black lentils
• 1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1⁄2 cup chopped toasted pecan halves
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves + more for garnish
• 1⁄4 cup dried cranberries
• 1⁄3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

For honey harissa dressing

• 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp honey mustard
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 2 tsp harissa paste or harissa spice
• 1⁄2 tsp sea salt
• 1⁄4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1⁄4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1 Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the honey harissa dressing.

2 Toss 1⁄4 cup of the dressing with the sweet potatoes and spread out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Toss another 2 tablespoons of the dressing with the chickpeas and spread out onto another parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place both baking sheets in the oven and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

3 In a small pot, bring the lentils and 4 cups cold water to a simmer. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Drain, rinse and place in a large bowl, along with the roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas.

4 Meanwhile, in another small pot, bring the red quinoa and 4 cups water to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Drain the quinoa and let dry in the sieve for 2 minutes. Add to the sweet potato mixture.

5 Stir in the green onions, pumpkin seeds, pecans, mint and cranberries. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and toss gently to combine. Place the warm salad on a large serving platter and garnish with the fresh pomegranate seeds and mint leaves. Serve. 

Healthy Indian Butter Chicken

Whenever I hear people say Butter Chicken, I can't help but think of a dish that is creamy, filling and very high in fat. (Oh and delicious of course!) I love Indian Food and have always loved Butter Chicken but wanted to try to make a lighter version. I decided to serve it on quinoa instead of rice to add an even healthier twist.

I found this version on Pinterest and wanted to give it a try. Thanks to Jessiker Bakes for the original post. (and her photos are way better!)

Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 tsp garam masala (available at grocery store)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp of curry powder
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 carrots,
• 1/2 cup diced sweet potatoes (optional)
• 1/2 cup diced eggplant (optional)
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 14 oz coconut milk
• 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces

1. In a large pan over medium high heat, heat the coconut oil. Add the onions, carrots and sweet potato and sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent.
2. While this is cooking, mix the 2 teaspoons of the garam masala, ground ginger, chill powder, and the curry powder together. Add this to the sautéed onions and cook for about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the coconut milk tomato paste and the whole wheat flour, stirring for about 15 seconds to incorporate everything.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook together for about 5 minutes, allowing the mixture to thicken.
5. Add the chicken, covering it with the sauce. The chicken will reduce the flavouring of the sauce, so add the remaining garam masala and salt and pepper.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil one more time, and then reduce to medium heat for 8 minutes until the chicken has cooked.
7. Reduce the heat to simmer when the chicken has cooked, and allow to sit in the sauce for 10 more minutes to allow the flavours to soak into the chicken.
8. Serve on hot quinoa.

Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas on Quinoa

The past six weeks has been an amazing and memorable experience. I had some time to spare between when my tourist visa was expired in Australia and when my permanent visa was granted to go back. I decided to spend it in my hometown of London, Canada with my family and friends. 

During this time, my mom was prepping for knee replacement surgery and had been struggling with health related issues for awhile. I decided to stay with them and work out a new food plan to get them on the right track. They weren't too eager for this at first, but after some time they realised that they needed a change and agreed to try my plan out. 

Mom and Dad enjoying a walk in the park prior to knee surgery.

My goal was to lower their fat, sugar, cholesterol, sodium, artificial sweeteners and processed foods and always keep portions small.  I switched them onto healthy breakfasts that included rolled oats, yogurt, fruit and smoothies. Lunch and dinners included tons of vegetables and we took out white rice, white pasta and white bread. We added in things like quinoa, chia seeds, good proteins and drank lots of water. We also ensured that the meats portions we were eating were small and included chicken, turkey and lean red meats instead of higher fat meats like ribs and lamb. 

I taught my dad how to make all these dishes so he could continue the healthy lifestyle after I moved back to Australia. He was an awesome sport and was always eager to learn how to make new dishes and was super positive when trying new things out. I left them with a binder of healthy recipes, most of which we have made together already. 

After 6 weeks, the results of this change in diet have been incredible. My mom has lost 20lbs and my dad has lost over 10lbs. My mom has also lowered her insulin intake for diabetes by about 30% and it is decreasing each day. Their blood pressure is lower and overall they are feeling and looking amazing. I'm SO incredibly proud of what they have done in these 6 weeks. It was ridiculously hard for them to change 20-30 yrs of habits overnight and that is exactly what they did. 

One of our favourite new dishes is called Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas and Quinoa. I adapted it from a great blog called Half Baked Harvest. You can see her recipe here. (her pics are way better than mine) Last week I made it with my dad and I have included some photos from our night of cooking. You can make this dish vegetarian by taking out the chicken and adding more veggies. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces (optional)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
• 2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup cauliflower, chopped
• 3 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced (found in mexican section of most stores)
• 2 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained if using canned)
• 1 lemon, zest + juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup natural yogurt, for serving if desired
• 2 cups cooked quinoa

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl toss together the paprika, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large high sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add some olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet and once hot add the chicken and half of the seasoning mixture to the skillet. Brown the chicken all over until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
3. To the same skillet add a little more olive oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, red pepper, cauliflower and carrots to the skillet, sauté 4-6 minutes. Add the remaining spice mixture and sauté another 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the chicken back to the skillet. Stir in the tomato paste, chipotle chile, chicken broth, and chickpeas. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, and simmer 5-10 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in the cilantro and lemon zest + juice. Taste and season with salt if needed.
4. To serve, divide the quinoa among bowls or plates.  Add the chicken/chickpea mixture on top. Top with a spoon of yogurt and some cilantro. Enjoy!

Healthy Banana Nut Oat Muffins

I'd like to say first off that I absolutely LOVE muffins. From home baked to Tim Hortons to Starbucks, they are my fav. But the main problem is the way they are usually made. When you get muffins from most coffee shops or bakeries, they are loaded with butter, oil, sodium and sugar. I know this because I once looked up the nutrition for a muffin from Tim Hortons and was shocked. It has more calories, fat, carbs, sugar and cholesterol than a McDonalds Cheeseburger. See below....

Nutrition Comparison

Banana Nut Muffin (Tim Hortons)
Calories: 390
Fat: 18g
Carbs: 52g
Sugar: 27g
Cholesterol: 35g

Cheeseburger (McDonalds)
Calories: 300
Fat: 12g
Carbs: 33g
Sugar: 7g
Cholesterol: 35g

Since we have been trying to eat healthy and cut down on the processed and "fast food", I decided to try to make some healthy muffins. I have made a few but these ones were the best! They used no butter, oil, salt or sugar. They came out with a great consistency and tasted amazing. Not too sweet but just enough to fill that never ending muffin craving. 

Ingredients

1 cup Rolled Oats (not quick oats)
1.5 cups Oat flour
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (not sweetened)
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
1/4 cup nuts (pecans, walnuts or almond slivers)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp Chia seeds or Flax seeds (optional)
1 tbsp vanilla
2 large ripe bananas (or 3 small)
Handful of nuts to sprinkle on top of each muffin

Instructions

- Preheat oven to 350F degrees
- Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray
- If you don't have oat flour, place oats in the food processor for about 10 seconds until they are a flour consistency
- Pour into a large bowl with dry ingredients (choc chips, nuts, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda)
- In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients (yogurt, eggs, honey, Chia, vanilla, mashed bananas)
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix with a spoon
- Pour into muffin tin about 3/4 for each muffin - should make 12 muffins
- Sprinkle chopped nuts on top of each one
- Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Let cool on wire rack 

ENJOY!

Someone on the original blog post below, calculated the calories to be about 130 per muffin.
Recipe adapted from: http://fitandhealthywithdebbie.blogspot.ca/2012/10/banana-oatmeal-breakfast-muffins.html 

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut and Pecans

Earlier this year I discovered Almond Flour and have been loving using it in recipes. You can even make it yourself by throwing a handful of almonds in a food processor and processing until it becomes flour consistency.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups almond flour (or almond meal)
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (I used baking soda)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (or substitute)
• 3 tbsps coconut oil (melted)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp chia seeds (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together almond meal, choc chips, coconut, pecans, baking powder, salt and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, beat egg until uniform in colour and doubled in volume. 
3. Whisk in the coconut oil and vanilla. Add chia seeds if desired. Add to dry ingredients and mix until combined. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F. 
4. Shape dough into balls and place on baking sheet. Flatten down slightly to form shape. Sprinkle a little bit of coconut and pecans on top of each.  
5. Bake until edges begin to brown, about 7-10 minutes.  

Adapted from here: http://minimalistbaker.com/almond-meal-cookies-with-chocolate-chips-and-coconut/