Carrot hummus

I am always willing to try something new. I love carrots but I think I take them for granted 🙂 This appetizer is easy, very good and different. I also make carrot jam which is also a bit out of the ordinary and delicious, I should try it with beet pancakes… I read recently that beets are one of the five most anti-aging food.

http://frugalfeeding.com/2012/12/09/carrot-and-coriander-hummus/

Beet pancakes

Last Sunday I got up early to cook couple of dishes before I go out shopping. I never feel to cook when I come back from shopping 🙂 As I was looking for my veal and navy beans recipe (which is very good) I saw this recipe in Pinterest. Well I tried it with raw beets, rye and spelt flour, flax seeds instead of chia and almond milk. I served it with Strawberry yogurt and it was delicious!!!

Red Beet Pancakes with Sweet Grape Sauce

Summery salad

I will definitely try this salad again in the summer, very refreshing and flavorful.

http://www.deboucheatable.com/2012/01/05/salade-de-quinoa-avec-vinaigrette-a-la-lime/

Black beans soup

Black beans don’t look very appealing but they taste good and are full of nutriments. They provide complete proteins when combined with whole grains, it is also a high source of iron. We should always eat food rich in vitamin C at the same time to maximize iron absorption. My daughter is vegetarian for over two years now, I am cooking more and more with beans. I am just coming back from Cuba so I have decide to try some black beans soup. I’m really bad at following recipes and I can’t even find which one inspired me.

I soaked 2 cups of black beans overnight. Cut up and fried an onion, 4 garlic gloves and one red bell pepper. Add 2 teaspoons cumin and 2 cups of diced tomatoes. Spiced up with hot pepper and added .5 cup of white wine. Let it cook for almost 2 hours. I had a good batch and want to try leftover with avocado on top but no luck…may be next time.

Beet salad

I love beet and just by the color we know its full of antioxidants. It cleanses your body as well so its one of the best anti-aging ingredients. I had a grapefruit and an orange in the fridge, I tried a bit of both and preferred the orange. So I grated couple of beets, quartered my orange over it to keep the juice, threw in some goat cheese and my daughter suggested to add sunflower seeds… et voilà. I added soya beans (edamame), there is a lot of soya controversy therefore I am using unprocessed fresh or frozen beans and don’t need to worry about it. The only problem, I haven’t found a recipe yet where I really enjoy them so I throw them anywhere. 🙂 As most people know, soya beans are a good source of proteins.

Nutritious cookies

I have a huge bag of chocolate chips in my cupboard. My brain short-circuited during last-minute shopping at Costco before Christmas. So last Friday I decided to look for an easy recipe to get rid of the beast. Of course, I couldn’t follow the recipe, I added orange zest, substituted the flour for rye and cut the sugar, it was very very good.

http://www.recettes.qc.ca/livre/recette.php?id=148156

Few minutes after my husband came home, the cookies were all gone. I made another batch with frozen cherries, chocolate chips and unsweetened coconut. This time I substitute coconut oil for butter. Delicious as well, I didn’t have a chance to take a picture of the finished product.

Have you ever heard that Cherrios reduces Cholesterol? Well, I don’t know about that but their secret ingredient to lower cholesterol is oat. I am always trying to eat a large variety of food but if I was to eat oat every day, I will increase my intake of calcium. Oat is very good for you but it contains phytic acid and eats up minerals. Coconut oil is a very good and healthy substitute for all fat. You can use it creamy or liquid. It is heat stable so it won’t transform into trans fat as you cook and also you can keep it in your cupboard for a long time. Coconut oil is also very good for your skin and it is often associate with weight loss. 🙂

Rice pudding

My daughter asks me to blog more often and write more about nutrition… She doesn’t feel good these days so here is a little something for her. It’s very good, hopefully I won’t eat it all before she comes home. 🙂

I’m reading a lot about nutrition and there is a lot of wheat controversy out there. I am always trying to find recipes with different grains. My first experiment with black rice is very successful and on top of it I found the perfect recipe to use my leftovers of coconut milk. Deep color in food indicates the presence of anthocyanin antioxidants, well it means that black rice can compete with blueberries… It’s also a good source of iron and fiber. It certainly won’t be my last try with this delicious and nutritious grain.

I made this recipe with dried plums.

http://cleancuisineandmore.com/the-healthiest-rice-in-the-world-makes-the-easiest-side-dish/

I put a cherry for decoration only but it’s so yummy I think I will add some frozen unsweetened cherries.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Today, I am trying to empty my fridge so I made this recipe, cauliflower contains many health benefits and I really need to eat it more often. Among other things, it protects you against cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza {Gourmet Vegetarian Style} | Your Lighter Side.

Well, I didn’t have time to add any toppings, it was all gone plain 🙂

Snack time

It’s late and I’m hungry, yogurt for my intestinal flora, blueberries for my brain and hemp seeds to get my daily requirement of omega-3. Yummy, it’s so delicious!!!

Rasberry napoleon

I’m telling you… This was good!!! and raspberries are loaded with antioxydants..

cbc.ca/bestrecipes/2012/09/raspberry-napoleans-with-tangerine-sabayon.html