Pecan Pumkin Muffins

Gluten Free Pecan Pumpkin Muffins
These muffins are moist with a taste of cinnamon, nutmeg and a crunch of pecans..
Mmmmmm


1 1/2 cups of gluten free flour blend

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt and black pepper

1 can (15 oz)
pumpkin puree( approx 1 1/2 cups)

2 eggs

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2-3/4 cup of maple syrup/ agave nectar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2- 3/4 cup pecans, chopped




Combine all of the dry ingredients. Combine all of the wet ingredients. Gently add the dry to the wet 1/2 cup at a time.

Bake in oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Servings: 12

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (2.4 ounces).


Calories
180.93

Calories From Fat (43%)
78.36

% Daily Value

Total Fat 9.04g
14%

Saturated Fat 0.98g
5%

Cholesterol 35.25mg
12%

Sodium 321.46mg
13%

Potassium 163.78mg
5%

Total Carbohydrates 22.76g
8%

Fiber 3.11g
12%

Sugar 9.14g


Protein 3.77g
8%

Smart lunches for back to school - Health - Living - Orléans Star

Smart lunches for back to school - Health - Living - Orléans Star

Top 5 Cancer Fighting Foods

Top 5 Cancer Fighting Foods
In honour of the breast cancer walk this weekend, I wanted to give you the top 5 cancer fighting foods so we can fight cancer- one bite at a time!

1. Cruciferous Vegetables
Eating more fruits and veggies can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer by 60 percent! Cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower, are rich in fibre and folic acid, both known to lower your risk of developing breast cancer.
How to Enjoy?
1 cup of cruciferous vegetables 3-4 x per week, sauté in a little olive oil and garlic


2. Green Tea
American Institute for Cancer Research has concluded that components found in green tea can help halt the development of cancerous tumours, and even prevent them from appearing in the first place. Green tea contains large amounts of the compound flavonoid—indeed, three times more than that found in other teas.
How to enjoy?
How to Enjoy?
Drink 2-3 cups daily of green tea sweetened with honey

3. Tomatoes
The anti-cancer compound in tomatoes, lycopene, has been shown to be especially potent in combating prostate cancer, breast, lung, stomach and pancreatic cancer. This compound appears to be more easily absorbed if the tomatoes are eaten-either as tomato sauce, paste, or juice.
How to enjoy?
Spaghetti sauce or drink a tomato juice at breakfast daily

4. Flaxseed
Flaxseed in the form of oil and meal contains phytoestrogens believed to reduce the risk of breast, skin, and lung cancer. These substances may have a role in preventing 'estrogen-dependent' cancers such as breast cancer. Lignans are also thought to be antioxidants (the free radical-fighting substances found in many fruits and vegetables).
How to enjoy?
Sprinkle 2-3 Tablespoons of ground flax on your yogurt or cereal daily


5. Garlic
Garlic contains a number of compounds believed to slow or stop the growth of tumours. The main cancer fighting compound in garlic is a chemical called allicin. Allicin is what gives garlic its distinct smell; it also protects the garlic plant from organisms that may attack it.
How to enjoy?
Add sliced or crushed garlic to your salad dressings or existing recipes to increase the cancer fighting ability of that meal.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Quinoa Tabbouleh
A refreshing side dish that compliments either fish, chicken, lamb or beef with it's bright colour and minty flavour!
1 cup quinoa
1 ½ tsp. sea salt
2 cups of water
1 cup green onions, finely diced
1 small carrot, grated
½ red pepper, diced
½ yellow pepper, diced
½ cup fresh, chopped mint
½ cup olive oil
2 cups parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup lemon juice



Wash and drain quinoa. Place quinoa, water and salt in a pot and bring to boil on medium-high heat. Cover pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Cool and add vegetables and dressing to quinoa and mix well.

Colourful Black Bean and Corn Salad
Adapted from the SMARTKitchen

SERVES: 4

Black beans are extremely high in protein and fibre. Just a one-cup serving of black beans provides 19 grams of fibre, 11 grams of protein and only .5 grams of fat. This salad is a tasty way to increase your fibre and protein.

Ingredients:
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 small can of sweet corn kernels, drained
1/8 cup of red onion, chopped
¼ cup of red pepper, chopped
1/2 avocado, diced
1 tablespoon of fresh limejuice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3 Tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Add all the above to a medium size bowl and mix gently.


Recipe Accolades

Dairy Free
Easy to Make
Gluten and Wheat free
Low in fat
Low Glycemic
No Added Refined Sugars
Vegetarian/ Vegan

Honey Banana Muffins

Honey Banana Muffins

The natural sweetness of the bananas combines with the honey to create a healthy back to school breakfast muffin or after school snack!



Ingredients:
• ½ cup honey
• 1 1/4 cup mashed and ripe bananas
• ½ cup of butter or coconut oil for vegan option
• 2 tablespoons soy, rice, almond or cow milk
• 1-teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 organic eggs
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour, spelt flour or
whole kamut flour ( If celiac use a GF flour blend)
• ¾ cup chopped favorite nuts ( I like walnuts)
• 1-teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ cup golden raisins
• 2 Tablespoons of liquid honey ( or agave nectar for vegan option)
• 1 teaspoon of butter ( or coconut oil for vegan option)


Directions:
• Heat oven to 325. Grease muffins tins with butter or coconut oil
• In a large bowl, blend the first 6 ingredients and for beat 1 minute at medium speed with a hand mixer.
• Blend together the remaining dry ingredients and then add dry ingredients to the blended wet ingredients in three stages, blending well after each addition until the dry ingredients are thoroughly blended.
• Bake muffins for 12-14 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• Melt together the honey and butter to create a glaze to drizzle on top of muffins while cooling.


Recipe Accolades:

Easy to Make
No Added Refined Sugars
High in Fiber
Low in Saturated Fat
Low Glycemic
Vegetarian/Vegan (if using coconut oil)
Kid Tested!

Flourless Apple Cinnamon Muffins

“Flourless” Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Adapted from the SMARTKitchen

SERVES: 12 muffins

Comment: This apple cinnamon muffin recipe uses no flour, making it a high protein snack or breakfast for anyone reducing their grains or intolerant to gluten!

Ingredients:

3 cups of ground almonds
1 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of sea salt salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 cup of peeled and chopped apples ( I like them chopped small)
½ cup of golden raisins
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ cup pure maple syrup
3 whole eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon of lemon zest (grated lemon peel)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 160'C or 325'F.
2. Line a muffin tin with large baking cups
3. Combine the almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt & cinnamon in a medium bowl
4. Combine the apples, raisins, vanilla, maple syrup, eggs and lemon in a large bowl

5. Add the dry ingredients cup by cup into the wet ingredients, stirring to mix thoroughly each time
6. Evenly fill each baking cup with the batter (fill to top of cup, muffin only rises about 1 to 1 1/2 centimetres beyond cup)
7. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Chef Tip

To all you cinnamon fans out there.....

I like to sprinkle cinnamon on the tops of muffins before putting them in the oven just to give that extra little hint of cinnamon ...

Recipe Accolades

Dairy Free
Easy to Make
Gluten and Wheat free
Low in saturated fat
Low Glycemic
No Added Refined Sugars
Vegetarian

Meetintg Tosca Reno!

For those of you who haven't heard of Tosca Reno, she is the amazing story of a woman who decided to change her life, lose weight and now at 51 years of age, poses for fitness magazines, writes Eat Clean nutrition books and gives motivational talks all around the world!
I had the honour of meeting with her in Toronto at the Canadian Fitness Professionals Conference and wanted to share my great experience!
Tosca spoke on making positive changes in our lives. Small positive steps to create great change!
To everyone out there that just dosen't know where to start with nutrition, start with small , positive steps...and watch your life change!

Honey Baked Curry Chicken

Honey Baked Curry Chicken
Serves One
This recipe is so simple and has been a childhood favorite of mine! There is just a hint of curry that is complimented nicely with the honey glaze! Enjoy!

4 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 teaspoons of butter
2 Tablespoons of liquid honey
¼ teaspoon of curry powder
pinch of sea salt


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all of the above ingredients, excluding the chicken in a small saucepan and heat on low heat until butter has melted.
Place chicken breast in a lightly greased casserole dish. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook covered for 35 – 45 minutes.

What is a curry powder?
Curry powder is a mixture of many herbs and spices, the combination of spices used in making curry powder is varies in different countries and regions, but the one ingredient that is present to all mixture is "tumeric" Curcumin is the substance that gives the spice turmeric its yellow color and is responsible for many of the health benefits of curried dishes.
Health Benefits of Curry:
• Curry powder can help reduce inflammation of the joints; this is due to the curcumin which acts as a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.

Filming in the Byward Market

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day and I was filming with Answermen ltd. in the Ottawa, Ontario Byward Marke for my online cooking show coming on gluten free cooking.
I am developing recipes for celiacs and gluten intolerant individuals using gluten free whole grains and whole sweeteners.
Happy Cooking!!

Dark Chocolate Coconut Banana Cookies

Makes 36 bite size vegetarian and gluten free cookies

How can you NOT love chocolate, banana and coconut!

Ingredients:

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut oil, olive oil or butter

2 cups quick cooking rolled oats- use gluten free Lara’s ots

2/3 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup shredded coconut

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 - 7 ounces or dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, butter/ oil. Set aside.

In another bowl stir together the oats, ground almonds, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.

Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.

Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a pre greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 - 14 minutes


Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/36 of a recipe (1 ounce).

Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.
Amount Per Serving

Calories 98.2

Saturated Fat 2.44g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Sodium

16.16mg <1% Fibre 1.81g

Sugar 1.78

I love to Run

We all have different ways of dealing of what life hands us. Stress comes at us in all of it's various forms. I have learned from a young age to run when feeling stressed. I can clearly remember the day when I was 19 years old and had gone for a walk. The stress I felt inside me made me feel like I was going to explode and I just started running. I ran and ran until that feeling of stress left me....I have been running ever since. That euphoric feeling of running to the beat of your favorite song, wind in your hair, feet pounding the pavement. No matter what kind of day I have had, I can always count on my run to make it better. Running is how I handle stress. When someone tells me some stressful news, or I am going through a stressful time, I put it in a file for later and take out that file and think it over as I run.
Healthy Eating is all apart of being able to preform for your runs. Enjoy this blog for all of you runners out there looking to feed your machine the fuel it needs to run even harder!

Spicy Hummus

Spicy Hummus
Adapted from the SMARTKitchen

SERVES: 3-4

Comment: Hummus makes a protein rich dip for baby carrots and celery. Serve as a snack or serve with whole-wheat pita and a salad for a complete meal!

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup of tahini
3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon of water
¾ teaspoon of ground cumin
½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste



Directions:
Add all the above ingredients to a food processor and puree together. Serve with fresh celery, baby carrots and wholegrain pita bread!
Serve with chopped fresh cilantro and a swirl of olive oil on top!

High Protein Dark Chocolate Muffins
Adapted from the SMARTKitchen

SERVES: 12-14 muffins
Comment: These muffins are a definite hit wherever you may serve them. The ground almonds and whole eggs give a protein punch!
Ingredients:

¾ cup of dark chocolate chips
½ cup of unsweetened apple sauce
4 whole eggs- separate the whites and the yolks
½ cup of pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of sea salt
1 ½ cups of ground almonds
5 Tablespoons of brown rice flour or whole wheat/ spelt flour( if not gluten intolerant)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
½ cup of butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Melt chocolate, butter and applesauce in a saucepan over low heat.
Beat egg yolks with ¼ cup of the maple syrup and set aside.
Mix the melted chocolate mixture and egg yolk mixture together. Stir in ground almonds, vanilla extract, baking powder, sea salt and flour.
Beat 4 egg whites with ¼ cup remaining of the maple syrup until stiff. Fold into the above mixture.
Grease a muffin tin and fill muffin tin with mixture till about ¾ full.
Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Amount Per Serving

Calories
254.13
Calories From Fat (62%)
158.17
% Daily Value
Total Fat 18.59g
29%
Saturated Fat 6.82g
34%
Cholesterol 77.86mg
26%
Sodium 187.68mg
8%
Potassium 172.81mg
5%
Total Carbohydrates 19.56g
7%
Fiber 2.71g
11%
Sugar 7.73g
Protein 5.89g
12%




HEALTH STATISTICS
Easy to Make No added refined sugars
Low Glycemic Vegetarian
High in Fibre High in Protein
Gluten/Wheat Free

I love to Cook

Have you ever had one of those days where you just seem so busy that you need time to think? That is when I go to the kitchen and quietly cook. There is something calming about the sound of chopping, the smell floating up to my nose, the sounds of the onions frying. Ahhh....cooking really is an art that I am so honoured to share with you all.

From my kitchen to yours....

Adding Fresh Dill to your Egg Salad

With the abundance of fresh herbs everywhere, I decided to try a suggestion my sister in law gave me. Adding chopped fresh dill to your eggs salad!Guess What? It works!

Egg Salad with Dill

Serves One

2 organic eggs, hard boiled

1 green onion, sliced thin

1 Tablespoon of Mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon of chopped, fresh dill

Salt and pepper to taste

Add all of the above ingredients to a bowl and mash together. Serve in a sandwich or on whole grain crackers!

Kathy Smart and Summer Time Cooking

Summer time is that favorite time of year when nature is bursting at the seams with endless bounty!

The Farmer's markets are full of fresh, ripe tomatoes, fresh greens, fresh herbs and spices! Healthy cooking couldn't be easier! Enjoy this easy salad dressing recipe using heart-healthy omega 3 flax oil.

From my Kitchen to yours!

Sunshine Salad Dressing

Generously serves 1

2 Tablespoons of Cold pressed flax oil

1 Tablespoon of pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

Stir all the above together and serve of fresh summer greens!