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/ 

Salmon with Blueberry BBQ Sauce

I came across this recipe on Pinterest by Caramel Potatoes and couldn't wait to try it. The best part of this dish is that it is SO quick to make and tastes amazing. I got this salmon from the local fish market and also cooked up some mashed sweet potatoes with this. The blueberry and bbq sauce works incredibly well with the salmon and can be used on many other things!

Ingredients:

• 2 salmon fillets
• 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsps balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsps worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsps brown sugar
• 2 tbsps maple syrup
• 2 tsps lemon juice
• 2/3 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Combine all ingredients (except blueberries) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until combined and sugar is dissolved. Stir in blueberries and let simmer for 10 mins or until thickened. 

For Salmon, I grilled each side in a frying pan with olive oil until slightly browned. I then baked in oven until cooked through. 

Enjoy!

 

Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos with Orange Ginger Slaw

About a year ago, I watched the movie Forks Over Knives (see trailer here) when my friend Terri suggested it to me. The movie focuses on eating more of a plant-based diet and less processed foods and meats. It doesn't say to cut out meat completely, it just talks about the benefits of eating more vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, etc. I found a recipe on Pinterest for Sweet Potato Tacos and thought it would be a good one to try for a vegetarian meal. The bonus is that I absolutely LOVE tacos. 

When we were making these back in Vancouver, we were making our own corn tortilla's from scratch. Our friend Amy bought us a tortilla press (you can get them off Amazon really cheap) and we loved making them ourselves. Since we haven't found somewhere close by to purchase Masa (corn meal), we have been buying them for now. 

The real name for the recipe didn't fit into the title, so below you will see what is involved. Feel free to modify as you see fit but I suggest you try this one out first :)

1. Cumin Roasted Sweet Potatoes
2. Orange Ginger Slaw
3. Spicy Guacamole
4. Mango/Mint Yogurt
5. Corn Tortillas

You can make all of the above parts ahead of time. The only one that tastes better right before eating is the sweet potatoes. The rest can be done the day before or earlier in the day if you are having a dinner party!

Salivating yet? Here are the ingredients for each part of the tacos... 

Sweet Potato:

• 1 large sweet potato, cubed into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt/pepper to taste

Toss sweet potato cubes in olive oil and lay on baking sheet and then sprinkle with cumin. Roast at 350F until tender. Season with salt and pepper if desired. 

Orange/Ginger Slaw:

• 1 small red cabbage, diced finely
• 1 large carrot (grated)
• 1 tsp ginger (grated)
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 fresh lime, juiced
• 1/2 fresh orange, juiced
• 1/2 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

Mix cabbage, carrot, ginger and green onions in large bowl until fully combined. In a small dish mix remaining ingredients for sauce. Coat the slaw with sauce and mix through. 

Spicy Guacamole:

• 1 Avocado, mashed
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (I like cherry tomatoes in guac)
• Handful of cilantro
• 1/2 fresh lime
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 tsp diced chili (if you like it hot) or chili flakes
• Salt/pepper to taste

Add avocado into bowl and mash with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and mix. If you are storing in fridge for later, make sure to put cling wrap on top of guac so it touches it. This will help you avoid the brown crust of death. Sorry that was dramatic... but it does really suck when it goes brown. 

Mango/Mint Yogurt:

• 1 cup natural Greek yogurt
• 1/4 mango (about 1 slice)
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1/2 fresh lime, juiced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup cilantro

Add all ingredients to small bowl and mix through. I used a hand mixer blender thingie like this to get the right consistency. You can also throw into a blender but that's a bit messy. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour. It tastes the best when it is in fridge overnight. 

Corn Tortillas:

• 10-12 corn tortillas

I bought these from grocery store and heated them up right before we ate. 

ENJOY! 

Adapted from Baba Ganuj's Blog

Quinoa Breakfast Patties with Thyme & Garlic

Last weekend we took a road trip down the coast to a little town named Fingal. We spent a beautiful sunny morning at the beach, Nathan surfing and me running along the sand. After working up an appetite, we decided to hit up one of the charming little beach side cafe's on main street. I ordered an amazing meal of corn fritters and poached eggs. They were delicious... and when I saw quinoa patties on Pinterest the next day, I decided that I had to try them.

The base of these is quinoa, cauliflower, egg and almond flour. But you can substitute lots of different things in and they will still taste great! We had them with fried eggs and some drizzled balsamic vinaigrette. Let me know if you have any good additions to the recipe! Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of cooked quinoa
• 1 cup of cooked cauliflower (chopped small)
• 1/2 cup of almond flour (or breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup of parmesean cheese
• 1/2 cup green onions 
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 eggs (I used 2 egg whites and 1 full egg)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• Optional: serve with spinach, eggs, sprig of thyme and balsamic vinaigrette (see pic below)

Combine everything in large bowl. Add more almond flour/breadcrumbs if they aren't staying together properly. 

Heat non stick frying pan to med heat. Add 1 tsp of coconut oil. Add in patties and cook each side until golden brown.