Making Healthy Choices

Watermelon “Cake”

Watermelon Car Cake

With all the fresh local fruit and hot days, this is the perfect cake for a summer birthday, or just for fun! Using a watermelon body, canteloupe bumpers, kiwi wheels, cherry blueberry driver and passenger, blueberry stripes, raspberry soft top and lights and you have yourself a healthy and tasty car cake! I used toothpicks to hold it together (please remember to remove them when serving).

Fresh, fun and kid friendly; it’s a great family project. Not to mention if you have a party coming up with guests that are on different diets (vegan, gluten free, nut free, etc) this one should suit everyone!

Depending on the size of car or train you want to make will depend on the size of watermelon you choose. I suggest choosing a large one, with an oval shape. Cut one end off so you can put the flat surface on the cutting board and “stand it up”. You can then “peel” it with a knife preserving the shape. Then carve away to make your shape. This car or train body is a large rectangular shape with a smaller rectangle for the “cab” on top. Have fun!

Artisan Bread meets Craft Beer

Beautiful Artisan Easy Sour Dough Bread pictured on a gorgeous cutting board — Artisan Bread with Craft Beer

If you have not heard about this incredibly easy recipe for Artisan Bread, here it is. It is one of the most popular recipes that was EVER published by the New York Times, The No Knead Bread. Thank you, Jim Lahey, this bread has improved our lives! So easy, my kids can both make it and I have made it many times, with many variations trying to add whole grains and healthy things into it, sometimes with epic fails. This time I tried it using beer to replace the water.

Beers adds something extraordinary to bread. Using a local craft beer instead of the water and the addition of currants and pecans results in a completely delicious gift worthy loaf. We have also tried it with hazelnuts, dried cherries and dark chocolate with a dark beer and it is awesome*! (It went so fast I couldn’t take a picture of it.) Beer adds terrific flavour to breads and with so many different styles and flavours in beer, there is an endless variety of options to experiment with. A dark porter or stout beer will yield a darker bread with more pronounced flavours. The bread will have all the flavours in the beer but will be much less intense. As tempting as it will be to save the whole loaf for the adults, the alcohol from the beer burns off during the cooking so bread made with beer does not contain alcohol.

One thing that is tricky about making bread is it can be difficult to tell when it is done. It is not like other baked goods where a finger press, slight nudge or toothpick gives us the information we need. A fool proof way to measure for the perfect loaf is to measure the internal temperature. I have started using my kitchen thermometer to test bread and even other baked goods when I’m just not sure. It turns out that I was slightly under cooking bread which explains why is was sometimes doughy inside. Using an instant read thermometer, stick it inside the middle of the loaf. You are looking for 190 degrees for a basic bread and 200 degrees for a bread with butter, milk or eggs.

Artisan Bread with Craft Beer (studded with pecans and currants)

Makes 1 loaf

1 1/2 cup beer (I used a lager)

3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup currants

1/2 cup chopped roasted pecans

1/2 tsp yeast

1 tsp salt

Directions: Mix everything together ( I used a stand mixer with dough hook but you can easily do this with a bowl and spoon). Cover and let rest over night or at least 12 hours. Sprinkle parchment paper with flour, bran or cornmeal and turn bowl upside down so that the dough will drop onto the parchment paper. Sprinkle with flour and gently fold dough over a few times to form a ball. Cover and let rest another 1-2 hours. Heat oven with dutch oven inside to 450 degrees. When hot, put dough (still on parchment paper) inside dutch oven, cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 10 minutes or so until crust is golden brown. Test with thermometer to be sure the bread is cooked in the middle. Your house will smell amazing and it will look incredible but try your best to wait at least 10 minutes before cutting.

*use a porter or stout beer, add 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate, 1/4 cup chopped dried cherries, and 1/4 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts

Have you tried the No Knead Bread recipe and what are your variations?

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies (with black beans)

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies displayed on a plate — Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

Filled with protein, fibre, low in sugar, no added oil or fat, high in antioxidants and incredibly delicious? You will never believe the main ingredient in these dark chocolate peanut butter morsels is…..BLACK BEANS! I was skeptical too when I read about black bean brownies on various blogs, but honestly if you haven’t tried them yet, you will be amazed at just how good they are. I have a lot of combinations, coffee, chili powder, candied ginger, but the family favourite is this recipe with peanut butter.

Simple and quick, these come together in about 10 minutes (with the help of the food processor) and they bake quickly too, especially these small size square ones. This dessert or treat is truly guilt free!

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies (with Black Beans)

Makes 24 squares

1 can or 1 3/4 cup cooked black beans (if using canned beans, rinse well and drain them well)

2/3 cup cocoa

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons milled flax

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup natural peanut butter (Natural peanut butter contains only peanuts and salt)

few tablespoons of chopped peanuts

Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flax with water and set aside while you put everything else in the bowl of the food processor, and then add the flax and water mixture. Blend well until beans are pureed and everything is well incorporated. It will look like hummus with an easy spreading consistency. Add a little water or milk to thin if necessary. Scoop into prepared pan and top with chopped peanuts or chocolate chips if desired. I used a silicone baking sheet with squares so no greasing was necessary. If using a conventional muffin tin, line with parchment cups or grease well. Bake at 350 degrees for 10- 25 minutes. My silicone baking squares made 24 and took just over 10 minutes but a conventional muffin pan would make 12 brownies and take about 20-25 minutes. They are done when the look dry on top and they have moved a little away from the edges of the pan. They should be moist in the middle. Let cool in pan before removing gently. Best enjoyed the day they are made.

The inspiration for this recipe came from many blogs, especially Minimalist Baker and My Little Celebration.

Zucchini Noodles with Lemon Balm Pesto

White bowl with zucchini noodles, lemon balm pesto, roasted peppers and fresh tomatoes, topped with goat cheese and pine nuts — Zucchini Noodles with Lemon Balm Pesto

Have you tried zoodles? It might surprise you how delicious zucchini is as a noodle! There are many ways to make them into a noodle; with a spiralizer, vegetable peeler, julienne peeler or a mandolin. Zoodles can be enjoyed raw in salads or cooked with water, lightly fried with oil or baked. Fun and flavourful, they are completely delicious combined with pesto, fresh or roasted vegetables, pine nuts and creamy cheese.

Zucchini Noodles with Lemon Balm Pesto

1-2 zucchini, spiralized or made into noodles with a vegetables peeler or julienne peeler

2-4 tablespoons lemon balm pesto or your favourite pesto blend

tomatoes, chopped

roasted peppers, chopped

pine nuts, lightly toasted

goat cheese or cashew cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place zucchini noodles in a single layer on baking sheets and bake about 10-12 minutes until tender. Add pesto to medium size bowl and mix well with zucchini noodles (silicone tongs work well). Add tomatoes and roasted peppers. Put into serving bowls and dot with goat or cashew cheese and garnish with pine nuts and fresh herbs.

Lemon Balm Pesto

Lemon Balm Pesto

Lemon Balm is a perennial herb from the mint family. It grows very quickly and is quite a beautiful plant. It has a refreshing light lemon aroma and flavour and many believe it aids digestion, and has a calming affect. It attracts bees, butterflies and birds and is a lovely addition to any garden.

It is probably most commonly used in tea or ice tea but it really can be used anywhere in cooking where you want a light lemon flavour. Mixed with butter it is wonderful to add to potatoes, asapargus, or any spring vegetable.

Lemon Balm can be used in many ways and here I have combined it with green garlic (the tender young shoots from planted garlic cloves), pine nuts, olive oil, and salt for a delicious light lemony pesto. (Please note that you can use garlic chives or garlic cloves to substitute for the green garlic. The green garlic or chives give a lighter garlic flavour whereas the cloves would be a stronger garlic flavour.) This pesto is incredible mixed with goat cheese or yogurt cheese, tossed with potatoes, pasta, rubbed onto salmon, chicken, or anywhere you would use pesto.

Lemon Balm Pesto

1 cup lemon balm leaves

1/4 chopped green garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

2 tbsp olive oil

1/8 tsp salt

Put everthing into small bowl of food processor and process until smooth.

Ranch Salad Dressing or Dip

Ranch Salad Dressing

Ranch Dressing has the classic flavours of chives, parsley, and black pepper. This one is simple to prepare and easy to vary. It comes together in minutes and can easily be a dip or a dressing.

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

fresh lemon or lime juice

finely chopped chives, parsley, garlic chives

fresh ground black pepper

Refridgerate to blend flavours

To make a thinner dressing use more buttermilk, to make thicker use more yogurt or a thicker greek style yogurt.

Variations – add feta cheese and oregano

– add cilantro and hot or smoked pepper sauce

Mexican Rainbow Salad Bowl

Large salad with carrots, cucumbers, corn, avocado, tomatoes, black beans and coucous with a dressing in the middle — Mexican Rainbow Salad Bowl from www.makinghealthychoices.ca

Bright and colourful, this Mexican Salad comes together quickly. Layer bottom of salad plate or bowl with romaine lettuce. In a rainbow pattern, add Mexican Spiced Whole Wheat Couscous, Mexican Spiced Black Beans, Cooked corn, chopped cucumbers, grated carrots, sliced avocado, and quartered tomatoes. Serve with pepitas and Ranch Dressing

Mexican Spiced Whole Wheat Couscous

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup whole wheat couscous

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons cilantro

1 tablespoon chives

salt and pepper

lime wedge

Add 1 cup boiling water and mix well.

While stirring add 1 cup whole wheat couscous, cover and let sit for 20 minutes.

Fluff with a fork and add olive oil, chives, cilantro,a spash of fresh lime juice, salt and pepper.

Mexican Spiced Black Beans

1 cup cooked black beans

1 cup homemade salsa or your favourite prepared salsa.

For this recipe I prefer a more sauce like salsa. Mix together and refridgerate for 2–3 hours for flavours to develop.

Raisins

Raisins bring back childhood memories for me. My Mom used them a lot, from snacks to baking and even in salads and savoury dishes. I especially remember her carrot coleslaw, topped with raisins, probably to trick us kids into eating more vegetables. These sweet little gems are delicious and flavourful, providing natural sweetness along with vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are a concentrated energy source of primarily sugar, so keeping portions modest is advisable.

For raisin inspiration check out these ideas. I’ve teamed up with some terrific ladies to bring you some new ideas and remind you of some old favourites too. I have updated my Mom’s coleslaw by adding super healthy kale, complete with kale massage to sweeten and tenderize it in my Kale Slaw with Apples, Carrots and Raisins. For a super healthy whole grain salad try this Indian Style Lemony Quinoa and Chickpea Salad from The Tiffin Box where raisins add sweetness to compliment the light curry flavours. It’s a delicious salad, I added 2 grated carrots, double the raisins and also chopped pecans. Make Ahead Breakfast Cookies from Kitchen Frau and Raisin Bran Muffins from Within the Kitchen are perfect to have on hand for a grab and go breakfast or snack. The cookies are substantial, filled with seeds, whole grain flours, and dried fruit including raisins to provide energy and sweetness. I made both of these recipes with less sugar than called for with perfect results. I also reduced the dried fruit in the Breakfast Cookies to 1 cup of each.

Recipes that work for breakfast, snacks or dessert are total wins for busy schedules. Swirls and Spice created this terrific Carrot Spice Granola, where the cardamom adds a sophisticated flavour. It would make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift. Creamy and delicious, the Brown Rice Pudding from Our Fresh Kitchen is so comforting! I subbed the rice with barley, which works equally well.

What are your favourite recipes with raisins?

Tropical Smoothie with Spinach and Mint

Leafy greens are just so important in our diet we should aim for 1 serving every day! Sometimes it is not easy to fit them in and an easy way is to include them is in a smoothie for breakfast, a snack or anytime throughout the day. Adding mint brightens the flavours and adds a refreshing energizing taste.

Tropical Smoothie with Spinach and Mint

1 frozen banana

1 cup frozen mango

2 cups fresh spinach

2 cups coconut milk

10 fresh mint leaves or to taste

Blend everything together until smooth, adding water or extra milk to thin it if necessary.

Spring Greens Layered Salad

Fresh Spring Greens highlight this beautiful layered salad! Blessed with an extra warm sunny spring, my garden has perked up early this year. I was delighted to pick some beautiful greens and herbs to create this gorgeous salad.

A simple salad, lightly dressed highlights the flavours of the herbs and tastes like Spring! Start with greens to cover the salad plate (tossed with dressing or spritzed with flavoured olive oil and balsamic, salt and pepper), layer or arrange other vegetables or fruits on top. I used tomatoes, grated carrot, sliced avocado, and grated beets. I love this salad platter from The Gourmet Warehouse which shows it off beautifully.