LOW FAT WALDORF SALAD

Since I will be having a lot of tropical fruit this weekend with my family, as we celebrate my son Dylan's 17th birthday and I've decided to have a Jamaican theme, today I wanted something raw to eat that was still sweet but a little more towards a Canadian climate.

I definitely wanted an apple, so I began there.

I love, love, love Waldorf Salad.

I first discovered it and made this salad during my high school years while attending a Home EC. class. ( basically a class where you learn how to cook and sew )

My salad was sooo good, I made it every day for the next 3 days at home.

As years have gone by I've learned many new and exciting ways to make this delicious salad.  I've made the dressing with sugar, honey, mayo, yogurt, sour cream, lemon, lemon zest, to list just a few and not used all  of the ingredients at once of course.
But what has mainly stayed the same was the use of the salad ingredients themselves.
Apple, grapes, celery and walnuts.  Although, I have used pecans in the past as well, or whatever nut I happened to have at the time and in any style, sliced, slivered or chopped.

I made this salad a few weeks ago as part of a dinner with my in laws.  My father in law, Joe, has never in all of his years had a Waldorf salad.  So I made one.  This salad had the usual apple, I used mutsu, a sweet and crisp apple, red grapes, celery, walnuts (lightly toasted) and a dressing made with yogurt, mayo, honey, and lemon juice and zest.  Well I am happy to say that Joe loved it and had two helpings for himself.

Today, was different though.  I didn't feel like being bogged down with a lot of fatty dressing.  I need energy!  I kept things as simple as possible and here's today's version of my EASY low fat Waldorf salad..... maybe too easy, since I only used 3 ingredients!!!



EASY WALDORF SALAD

INGREDIENTS


1 apple ( I have organic golden delicious in the fridge)
2 organic celery stalks
12 red grapes



INSTRUCTIONS

Chop the apple and celery and toss them together in a bowl.  Cut the grapes in half and add them in the bowl. Grab a fork and dig in.
Enjoy!!!  Make this super easy salad for a filling snack or a light lunch.  You can use another apple, more celery and more grapes if you are not full yet.

I did have an orange standing by in case I felt like squeezing on some fresh orange juice, but I didn't feel like it today.  Maybe next time!

This salad is sweet, crunchy and tasty.  I know it seems too simple,  but you'll be surprised, this salad is good!  The bonus is... its raw, gluten free, and vegan and packs vitamins and nutrients all in one neat little package.

A variation for you if the simplicity is too much for you is to add that squeeze of orange or lemon and stir in some nuts and some vanilla yogurt.  Also why not add a little fennel or incorporate some cous cous to make a salad with some added grains.   Mmmm sounds good.

Eat Well
:)

BERRY DELIGHT

I just recently purchased a birthday gift for my niece, Becka.  She had asked for a blender, as she didn't have one yet.  This post is dedicated to her to give Becka some ideas for the use of her blender. I'm sure, you, the reader will get plenty of ideas on your own too.

Here's some ideas...
salad dressing
smoothies
"ice cream"
milkshakes
daiquiris
pina coladas
margaritas
and fruit sauce,
among many other ideas, these are obviously just a few.

After a Zumba workout today I needed something to eat to get my energy levels back up.  I had a couple of packages of berries in the fridge to use up, so I came up with this yummy Berry Delight. It's all raw and totally delish.  This dish can be used for a meal for one or dessert for two. Double the ingredients and use for a dessert for a gathering.  Oh, and by the way, this is super easy.

BERRY DELIGHT


INGREDIENTS

1 lg pkg raspberries (about 12oz or 340g)
1 lg pkg blackberries (about 12oz or 385g)
2 medjool dates
1/4 cup or so of frozen mango
splash water


INSTRUCTIONS

In a blender, blend up a handful of the raspberries with the dates, frozen mango and the water.  You can add more or less of the water to reach desired sauce consistency.  I like it quite thick, so I only used a splash of water.  Blend until smooth with no more lumps.
Wash and pour all of the fresh berries into a bowl.
Pour your fruit sauce over the top of the berries.
Done!!! Easy and yum, yum, yum.
Enjoy.

Any berries can be used for this recipe.  Only have strawberries and blueberries, try those. I'm sure any berry combination will turn out just a tasty.  The colour might be a bit different but the taste will still be there.
You can also use a combination of fresh and frozen berries for the sauce.  No need to use the mango.  I threw in the mango for the extra creaminess to the sauce.  Feel free to use frozen and fresh raspberries for the ultimate raspberry delight.  Mmmm.  If you happen to not have any dates, they can easily be substituted with honey, although more fruit or frozen fruit may need to be added so the sauce doesn't turn out too runny.  And heck to make this recipe even easier, throw all of the ingredients in a blender, add a little more water and make the berry delight smoothie. Wow!

I had forgotten to take a picture.  I was so excited to be eating this creamy berry creation, that I had forgot, so in the pic, the bowl is already half empty. It was quite a full bowl of yumminess.  I didn't even get a chance to give you a pic of the ingredients, I ate is so fast!  Oops:}

Eat Well.
:)

YOUNG THAI COCONUT

young Thai coconut

OMG!!!! If you like coconut, or even if you don't like coconut, you've got to try a young Thai coconut.
They look like this.....





Kind of spongy on the outside but yummy coconutty inside.
I will explain....

whole coconut

In the picture above is a whole coconut that you would see growing on a coconut tree.  Green on the outside.  A Thai coconut basically is the green part cut away.  The hard "brown" coconut shell is the next layer and finally the coconut meat and the coconut water.  

In a young Thai coconut, the meat can be in a very thin layer almost jelly like or it can be a little bit more meaty as the coconut could have a nice layer of coconut meat inside.  It all depends on how young the coconut is.  You can't tell by looking at one when purchasing.  

They are soooo incredibly tasty.  Full of flavour.  Not like a normal hard mature brown coconut.  Yes the meat is tasty too, but most of the coconut water has been absorbed by the coconut itself and the meat tends to be quite thick and hard and difficult to get out of its shell.  Still tasty, but not the same as a young Thai coconut. There is a ton more coconut water inside a young coconut too.  It's pretty much full to the top, where in a mature coconut you could probably get about a 1/4 the amount of water in them.  Not only do they taste good but coconut water is excellent for hydration.  So after a night out drinking with friends, have a sober person open up one of the young coconuts and down the water.  No hangover in the morning.  Bonus!! Also, these coconuts contribute to our bodies good HDL cholesterol, as per popular belief years ago saying that coconuts are all bad fat. In fact they have very good and healthy fat.  

This is how to open a young Thai coconut.....

I open mine on my kitchen counter on a big cutting board.

The first time I bought one here at my local grocery store (I paid $2.49 for it), and opened it and tasted it, I couldn't believe how yummy it was.  Go and try one for yourself.  Really good!!!  I can't tell you enough how tasty they are. You really have to take my word for it and try for yourself. 

The first one I opened I drank the water and scooped out all of the meat and just devoured it all.  Mmmmmm.  I did share a bit with my husband.  He is very anti-healthy food, but he really thought this coconut was very delicious too.

I have since bought  more and have made a pineapple and coconut smoothie, a coconut berry smoothie that I went crazy with and added everything but the kitchen sink including gogi berries, cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, cashews, frozen strawberries, frozen raspberries, bee pollen, maca root powder and greens powder and i also made a green smoothie using the coconut water and meat, spinach, greens powder and frozen mango.  I can just taste it now. Mmmmmm.
I'm planning on buying many more of these young Thai coconuts and making lots of  tasty meals and desserts with them.  

Try one and let me know what you think.

Eat Well.

BRING A SALAD

You're invited to a dinner with family or with friends and you were asked to bring a salad. You don't have a lot of time so are ready to go to the store to pick up a prepared salad ready to go.  That's fine and dandy, depending on what kind of salad is purchased.  I prefer a salad with some cheese or nuts or both in them.  My favorites are a Greek salad with feta cheese, cucumbers and olives  and a goat cheese salad with mandarin oranges and almonds. Yum! But they can be costly and the dressings that are provided are high is fat, sodium, and sugars. In case funds are short, I've got a couple of salad ideas here that are quick, easy, using foods you probably already have in your cupboard or fridge and they actually taste good. But here's the kicker... they are healthy too.  Low on calories, fat, sodium and price. Minimal effort are all they take and they make a nice presentation.  Use one of your fancy bowls and you're set.  It'll look like it took you all day to prepare.
Since I've been on this raw kick lately, the first salad is all raw, the second salad is about half raw.  Also they are vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.  For all of the skeptics out there, just because a recipe says raw or vegan or vegetarian, doesn't mean it tastes bad or different or "healthy".  Give these a try, I guarantee you'll like them.

I made this carrot salad one evening last week when I wanted something light but filling for dinner.  My husband loved it and couldn't say enough about how good and fresh it tasted. We had a little bit left over from our meal so the next day I added a handful of pecans, some chia seeds and flax seeds to the salad for some extra protein to fill me up as there just wasn't enough salad on its own.  The veggies had not gone soggy sitting overnight in the fridge either, which is an extra bonus.  I've seen other versions of carrot salad out there made with jello. I just don't want to be eating artificial colors in my salad, no matter how good it may taste!!! This one has fresh ingredients. Nothing artificial here.  Any of the ingredients can be easily adjusted to your liking. If you don't like tomatoes, don't add them in!  A little bit of grating and chopping and your done. This is a nice alternative to the many lettuce based salads out there.

CARROT AND BROCCOLI SALAD


INGREDIENTS 

1 broccoli crown, cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 carrots, grated (good for you if grating by hand,
 but using a food processor is wayyyy faster)                                              
1/2 of a red onion, finely diced
handful of grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 apple, cubed  (i used a mutsu apple,
 use your favorite sweet apple)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS


Place the broccoli in your desired serving bowl.

Toss in the salt and oil to soften broccoli a bit, while you are preparing rest of fruit and veggies.

Add in all other ingredients and toss together.

Now, wasn't that easy?

Salad serves 2 to 3 for dinner or up to 6 as a salad/side dish.
Enjoy.



I ate this nappa salad for the first time a few years ago at a neighborhood barbeque.  This bowl of salad was the one that was empty first.  I, along with everyone else,  liked it so much, I had to have the recipe.  I prepared this salad for many dinner parties after that. Never failed to come home with an empty bowl. The only downfall is that it's LOADED with fat and sugar.  The original recipe called for 1cup of sugar in the dressing and 1/2 cup of butter in the topping. Becoming more health conscience over the years, I've since cleaned it up to be a little more hip, belly and thigh friendly.


NAPPA SALAD
My cleaned up version

INGREDIENTS

1 head nappa sliced into thin strips
2 snack containers mandarin oranges (one for the dressing and I drink the juice from the other for a treat)
1/4 red onion thinly sliced
3 green onions thinly sliced

topping ingredients
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp or so of sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tbsp honey

dressing
juice from 1 snack size container mandarin oranges
1 tsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp. honey (enough to thicken dressing a bit)
2 tbsp or so light olive oil
splash maple vinegar
salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Whisk the mandarin orange syrup, soy sauce, and 1 tbsp. honey and vinegar together in a fancy serving bowl.  Whisk in olive oil. Whisk in more  honey to emulsify and thicken up dressing if needed.  Whisk in salt and pepper to taste.

Place all salad ingredients on top of dressing, BUT don't toss.

Place all topping ingredients in a small fry pan on med heat and stir occasionally until pecans are fragrant and lightly browned.  Cool slightly and place on top of salad.  BUT do not toss.

About 30 minutes before serving you can toss the salad.  Tossing too early will cause the nappa to wilt a bit.
Enjoy.


Eat Well

FOOD MATTERS

What we eat really matters.  Our good health is our only way of living disease free. How we get and stay healthy is all up to us. These videos are such an inspiration to me and what I want my life to be all about.  I have always thought that the skinny model look was the way to be, but today that outlook of myself has totally changed. Today's women don't need to be skinny, we need to be healthy.  And when we are healthy, we radiate with glowing skin, shiny hair, a thin body that's toned and we emanate happiness and purity.  That would be the ultimate woman of today's world in my eyes. Therefore I had no choice but to post these videos here in my blog for everyone to see.
This first video is the trailer from the movie FOOD MATTERS.  Very inspiring.

David Wolfe is a true inspiration in the Raw Food world.  This video is about optimal health and wellness and  how to achieve it all by ourselves.  By the choices we make in life and especially how we eat.

This second video is an interview with David Wolfe. 

There are many more videos about this movie and several interviews that were done with different doctors and health gurus, just go to foodmatters.tv  and you can see a 40 minute preview to the movie FOOD MATTERS.  You just need to type in your name and email address and your set. 

Interesting and again inspiring.  Especially to hear all about the pharmaceuticals. 

I'm planning on going to the library to borrow this video so I can see the movie in its entirety.

Also I'm wanting to check out the 7lbs in 7 days book by Jason Vale. A book all about juice cleansing.  I love making my own juice in my juicer and I love making my own tasty smoothies in my blender. I'm sure this book will come in very handy and inspire me with new delicious creations.

I'll let you know how it goes......

An example of one of Jasons juices is in the second video below. The first video is about why juicing is so good for us. Jason Vale is very enthusiastic about juicing because it has cured him of asthma, psoriasis and his weight problem.

Eat Well.

NATURALLY HEALTHY FROM START TO PRESENT

Welcome to my blog to EAT WELL NATURALLY

Even before my teenage years I have always focused on body image, weight loss and healthy eating.

I began my 'natural' life journey by first cutting out pop.  I only drank commercially bought fruit and vegetable beverages.  I made most lunches as healthy as possible by incorporating all four food groups according to Canada's Food Guide and on Friday's, the end of the school week, I would "treat" myself to a cafeteria lunch. If only I knew then what I was actually eating.  Yikes!

Along the way, I tried several diets, (Atkins, weight watchers) pills, (hoodia, shape)  protein shakes and meal plans.  The weight would come and go. No diet plan ever seemed to work, and stick. As time went on I ate less and less meat. Slowly but surely making my way to today. Healthy, I exercise, keep my weight under control and I've become a huge FOODIE. I am mostly vegetarian, (much to the dismay of my father) part vegan, and part raw foodist.   I have actually eaten the pepperoni on a piece of pizza when I was very hungry. And of course I have to take a bite of each of the sausage making contestants creations during our annual Figliomeni Family FIG FEST, sausage making competition.

The more I read and researched the more I became aware of what food should be.  Real, unprocessed and full of nutrients. I had taken two general interest nutrition courses and that was the last draw to eating non-organic meat.  Watching the videos of animals walking and living and eating amongst their own feces and farmers who spray poisonous chemicals on their crops did it for me.
No antibiotics, pesticides and other man made chemicals in my body.
I eat as much organic as possible, cut out white rice, flour, sugar and pasta and find healthier alternatives as much as I can.
 As  a mom (who loves to cook) to a picky eater of a teenage son and wife to a meat loving butcher,  healthy food is always on my mind, and so is my mission to be sure my family and I stay healthy and EAT WELL NATURALLY.

Thanks for visiting my Blog,
Eat Well,
DORIS:)