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Heart Healthy Omega Burgers

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Heart Healthy Omega Burgers with a green salad & sweet potato crackers

These burgers are pretty quick to make up and can be paired with many side dishes. Of course, you can use your favourite burger bun to make them into a burger, stuff it into a pita with veggies, hummus, and Dijon mustard, or use large lettuce leaves as your ‘bun’. Our favourite way to enjoy these is to eat the burgers on top of a salad, or pair it with roasted root veggies (like turnip, carrots, potato, & yam).

Salmon is known to be a high source of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Ideally, you would be using wild or sockeye salmon. We used canned here because that is what we have available year round, and because when we have fresh salmon, we like to enjoy it ‘as is’ instead of mixing it up into burgers. The walnuts are an added dose of omega-3 fatty acids, and if you are using pasture-raised free-range eggs, they are known to be a good source of omega 3 fatty acids as well!

Heart Healthy Omega Burgers
 
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The heart-healthy omega fatty acids come from the salmon, walnuts, and eggs. We have ground up wheat-free market bread for the bread crumbs, or you can use ground Mary's crackers to keep it gluten-free.
Cuisine: dairy-free
Serves: 6-7 patties
Ingredients
  • 1 can wild or sockeye salmon, drained
  • ½ cup gluten-free or wheat free bread crumbs
  • 1 cup of walnuts
  • 2 free range eggs
  • ½ cup peas, fresh or frozen
  • 1-2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼ tsp sea salt, and more to taste
  • ¼ tsp dried thyme (or ½ tsp if using fresh)
  • ½ tsp dried dill (or 1 tsp if using fresh)
  • black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Put canned salmon, walnuts, breadcrumbs & eggs and in a food processor and process for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Add peas and the rest of the ingredients and process for another 10 seconds.
  3. Divide into 6-7 patties.. filling heart cookie cutter is optional 🙂
  4. Place on a silicone lined or parchment paper lined baking sheet with a little bit of space in between each pattie.
  5. Bake 375 for 10 minutes, flip the burgers and continue baking for another 5 min.

 

Dairy-free Cashew Cream for Breakfast Parfaits & more!

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Dairy-free cashew cream in a breakfast parfait with raspberries & nutty granola

This is a nice option to have around for a weekend brunch, as it enhances a lot of dishes – topped on fruit salad, granola, pancakes, waffles, or made into a breakfast parfait or a fruit dip. It’s very easy to make, and only has 4 ingredients. I imagine that you could add flavours like cinnamon, ginger, lemon or orange zest to elevate the flavour of your sweet dish even more. I’m going to try it as a dairy-free substitute in recipes that call for yogurt! I’ll keep you posted on how that goes on our Facebook & Instagram pages.

Cashew Cream Parfait
 
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Layer cashew cream with your choice of chopped dried fruits, fresh or frozen fruit, nuts, seeds, or granola. We’ve also spread it on top of pancakes!
Cuisine: dairy free, gluten-free, vegan
Serves: 1 cup
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight (or at least 3 hours), rinsed & drained
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (plus 1-2 Tbsp more, if needed)
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to the blender and gradually increase speed to blend on high, adding more almond milk, as needed.
  2. Blend on high for a good 30-60 seconds, until it is smooth & creamy.
  3. Store in fridge for up to 3 days.

 

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

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Naturopathic medicine is a distinct primary health care system that blends modern scientific knowledge with traditional and natural forms of medicine. The naturopathic philosophy is to stimulate the healing power of the body and treat the underlying cause of disease. Symptoms of disease are seen as warning signals of improper functioning of the body, and unfavourable lifestyle habits. Naturopathic Medicine emphasizes disease as a process rather than as an entity.

Treating both acute and chronic conditions, naturopathic treatments are chosen based on the individual patient – their physiological, structural, psychological, social, spiritual, environment and lifestyle factors. In addition to diet and lifestyle changes, natural therapies including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, naturopathic manipulation and traditional Chinese medicine/acupuncture, may also be used during treatments.

In Canada, the naturopathic medical profession’s infrastructure includes accredited educational institutions, professional licensing, national standards of practice, participation in many federal health committee initiatives, and a commitment to state-of-the-art scientific research.

Please click on the images below to discover more about naturopathic medicine treatments & principles.

Creamy Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing (dairy-free, gluten-free)

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Starting your meals with a green salad helps to ‘prime the system’ for optimal digestion. Having bitters before a meal releases stomach acid and digestive enzymes so that your body is ready to digest and absorb the nutrients from your meal. Apple cider vinegar (1 tsp mixed with 2 oz water) before meals gives the same effect as having bitter greens (kale, arugula, baby swiss chard, mustard greens, endive, lettuce, etc). 

CREAMY APPLE CIDER VINEGAR DRESSING

Tangy & delicious!

Tangy & delicious way to get the digestive juices flowing!

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 3 tsp honey
  • 1 garlic clove
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for a 15-20 seconds.  

Enjoy over a big bowl of delicious dark leafy greens!

Here we have our Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing over a bowl of mixed bitter greens - arugula, spinach, black kale, baby kale and dandelion greens - all from the local Dieppe Market!

Here we have our Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing over a bowl of mixed bitter greens – arugula, spinach, black kale, baby kale and dandelion greens – all from the local Dieppe Market!

World Famous Glory Bowl Dressing

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This recipe originates from Hollyhock on Cortes Island, BC – many people actually call this dressing the “Hollyhock Salad Dressing”. You can also find it in their first cookbook called ‘Hollyhock Cooks’. The dressing is creamy, tangy and also has a cheese-like flavour which pairs well with a big luscious green salad. At Hollyhock, they also add edible flowers and sprouted chickpeas, adzuki beans, lentils, and sunflower seeds to their salad bar – a great way to add easy-to-digest protein to your salads!

GLORY BOWL DRESSING (Dairy-free)

Glory Bowl Salad Dressing

Nutritional yeast adds a creamy & cheese-like flavour as well as B vitamins!

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
  • 2 Tbsp tahini
  • 2 cloves garlic

Directions

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend for 15-20 sec. Enjoy mixed into a green salad, or poured over steamed veggies and rice.

Quick & Easy Healthy Homemade Meals: Warm Breakfast Cereal

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This recipe can be made up surprisingly quickly since you just have to get the grains started and add the rest of the spices and ingredients while it’s cooking. The more you make it, the easier it gets! Especially since you’ll find the combination of spices, fruit, nuts & seeds that tastes good to you (and as always… feel free to mix it up, add anything that looks tasty to you, and experiment as you see fit).

We initially wanted to call this recipe ‘Vega Vanilla Chai warm breakfast cereal’ but didn’t want people to pay no attention to the recipe if they didn’t have this Vega protein powder in their cupboard. But if you do have it, the Vanilla Chai flavour adds a delicious flavour!

WARM BREAKFAST CEREAL

This warming cereal is perfect for any day of the week

This warming cereal is perfect for any day of the week

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20-30mins

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

Grains:

  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • ¾ cup raw buckwheat groats (or short grain brown rice)
  • ½ cup amaranth (can also substitute with millet or quinoa)
  • 4 cups water
  • pinch salt

Spices (mix & match as you please! choose between all or some of the following):

  • 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon (or grate fresh cinnamon, break up stick and let cook in mixture)
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp cardamom pods
  • 4-5 whole cloves
  • 1 star anise
  • 4-5 slices fresh ginger

Other ingredients:

  • ½ – 1 cup original or vanilla ‘mylk’ (almond, rice, coconut)
  • 4-6 dried prunes
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  • ¼ cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds
  • 2 Tbsp whole flax seed
  • 1-2 scoop vanilla chai Vega protein powder

Directions:

  • Place grains in a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
  • Add a pinch of salt (and dried fruit, if using), and turn the heat down to simmer covered for 20-30 mins.
  • While simmering, get your selected spices together and add them to the pot, stirring the mixture occasionally. Add more water or milk alternative if the cereal looks like it will run dry.
  • When the cereal has reached the desired consistency, add fruit, seeds, and Vega protein powder if using. Mix everything together well, and then turn off heat.
  • Serve immediately, and enjoy this nourishing and delicious start to your day!

Quick & Easy Homemade Healthy Meals: Pita pizzas

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Pita pizzas are so versatile. You can switch up the veggies and sauce for a your very own personal pizza experience. And because they are so quick to make, they are great for an easy dinner, lunch or even a snack.

Prep Time: 15mins
Cook Time: 10mins
Serves: as many or as few as you make

PITA PIZZAS

Whole wheat pita

Sauce (choose one or mix a few together):

with pesto

with pesto

with pesto, spinach and tomato sauce reduction

with pesto, spinach and tomato sauce reduction

  • Salsa
  • Pesto
  • Quick sauce: A few scoops of canned or fresh crushed tomatoes (without liquid) put into a blender with Italian seasoning
  • Tomato sauce reduction: A few scoops of canned crushed tomatoes reduced to have very little liquid left, with added Italian seasoning, and blended (if needed)

Toppings (choose a few or all of the following):

with more veggies added

with more veggies added

with veggies added

  • Onion, sliced or diced (we like red onion)
  • Mushrooms, sliced
  • Spinach, chopped
  • Peppers, chopped
  • Broccoli, chopped
  • Cheese of your choice, grated or crumbled (feta, white cheddar, mozza)
  • chunks of cooked chicken

Bake at 350F for 10-15 mins. Serve immediately, with side salad or veggie dish for a complete meal.

baked to perfection

baked to perfection

Everybody’s Favorite Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

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EVERYBODY’S FAVORITE CHEWY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE RECIPE

Who took a bite of out a cookie?!

Who’s been sneaking cookies from the cookie jar?!

I’ve tried & tried again to bake the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie, modifying and improving on already very tasty recipes… and finally, I think I’ve found it!

Two tricks I use to making the best oatmeal raisin cookies are: 1) to soak the raisins, and 2) remove the cookies when the bottoms are slightly browned and the tops may still look raw (but not wet). Soaking the raisins will ensure that the raisins don’t burn or get crispy, and removing the cookies a little earlier than if they were golden brown makes for a chewy cookie.

One last little secret that I use is that I remove my rings, give my hands a good wash, and use my hands to cream together the sugar & butter – It’s way more fun & liberating than using an electric mixer.

Everybody's Favorite Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe (AKA the best recipe out there!) - not gluten or dairy free
 
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This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies, and is an especially nice homemade gift or treat during the holiday season.
Author:
Recipe type: baking
Serves: 44 - 48 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raisins (soaked for at least 20 mins)
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour (white or whole wheat)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp each nutmeg & all spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2¾ cups quick rolled oats
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Soak raisins in warm water & a few drops of vanilla extract for at least 20 mins.
  3. Mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Stir well.
  4. In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown and white sugar until smooth.
  5. Beat eggs and vanilla into butter & sugar mixture until fluffy.
  6. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture.
  7. Drain raisins.
  8. Stir in raisins and oats.
  9. Scoop up a generous tablespoonful of dough into a round tablespoon measure, and drop onto a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Flatten slightly.
  10. Bake for 6-8 mins, until bottoms are browned (*cookies will still look raw on top, but not wet – this is key for a chewy cookie!). Timing will depend on your oven's temperament.
  11. Remove from sheet to wire rack. Cool completely before serving.

 

 

2018 Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 List

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Choose organic veggies & fruits as much as possible… especially ones with high pesticide load such as apples, celery and peppers.

It’s important to choose organic produce, meat & dairy as often as possible to reduce pesticide exposure and toxic overload on the body. (more on this to come)

Follow this link to learn about which veggies & fruits on the ‘EWG’s 2018 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticide in Produce’

 

 

Foods That Help & Foods that Hinder Liver Detoxification

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Foods to Help Liver Detox

  • Lemon & water – add juice of ½ a lemon to 1 cup of warm water and drink in the morning. Helps stimulate bile production and gets digestion moving.
  • Garlic & onions – have sulfur compounds that are necessary in liver detoxification
  • Cruciferous veggies – brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts all have compounds that help neutralize toxins & make glutathione (antioxidant for the liver)
  • Asparagus, watermelon, brocolli – sources of glutathione
  • Beets – are purifying to the blood
  • Berries – blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries – all are high in antioxidants. Choose organic as much as possible to avoid pesticide intake
  • Apples – high in fiber and pectin, which helps liver detox & malic acid to strengthens the cell’s energy-producers, the mitochondria
  • Green leafys – think romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, etc – are all high in antioxidants and slightly bitter to stimulate digestion
  • Artichoke – increases bile production and is helpful in liver detox
  • Turmeric, dill, caraway – a great spice to add to cooking to help liver detox effects
  • Green tea– contains catechins to help neutralize toxins
  • Healthy oils – fish oil, flaxseed oil
  • Purified, filtered, or spring water – contains the least amount of potential toxins
  • Eat organic as much as possible – to reduce toxic load on the liver

Foods to Avoid

  • Saturated fats (meat, cheese, eggs) & hydrogenated oils (margarine, shortening) – obstructs the liver’s ability to function properly
  • Sugars & refined carbohydrates (white flour, sweeteners, dried fruit) – causes instable blood sugar levels which makes your liver work harder to keep it stable
  • Caffeine – interferes with liver enzyme activity
  • Alcohol, tobacco, food preservatives – all slow the liver’s ability to function properly