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.
:)

BRING AN APPETIZER

Your going out to a get together with friends or family.  They've invited you for dinner.  You are asked to bring an appetiser.  This one I've come up with I have been making for a few years now.  My father in law loves them.  Wraps filled with colourful crunchy vegetables, feta cheese and creamy Greek dressing all wrapped together in a rice paper wrap.  Best of all they're low cal, and full of vitamins from all of the fresh raw veggies.  Although these are a little time consuming, they are so worth it.  Get the husband involved, the kids. Why not?  When they've been part of the creation, they enjoy the food more.  If there are any leftover, they make a great lunch for the next day.

RICE PAPER WRAPS

INGREDIENTS

A variety of straight cut veggies. I use......
red pepper
yellow pepper
carrot
cucumber
sometimes I use jicama too. (its a vegetable that looks somewhat like a potato with light brown skin, white inside and tastes a little like a pear)
feta cheese (cut into strips)
arugula or other fresh herbs of your liking
Renee's creamy Greek salad dressing
rice paper (found in the international section of your
grocery store)
water (for soaking the rice paper)


INSTRUCTIONS


Set up your station like an assembly line.
I use two plates for soaking my rice paper in water until it is pliable enough to roll, but soft enough to eat.
I set up my filling ingredients and have a plate ready for completed wraps.  Also i have some extra water standing by in case I run short. The dish towel is used for my wrapping to absorb excess water from the rice paper.

So, now that we are all ready, let's go!
First lay your rice paper in the dish of water. You can get a second one soaking as well once you get going and are comfortable enough.

Let the rice paper soak for about 30
seconds or so. You can check to see
if it is pliable enough by touching  it                                                
with your fingers. Once it is soft enough, gently pick it up with two hands and spread onto the dish towel.

Now, fold it in half, so it looks like a
half moon.












Start adding your filling ingredients one at a time.
First add the Greek salad dressing.

Then add the feta cheese making sure
some of it is placed beyond the folded
rice paper wrap.                                                          









Continue adding all of the vegetables and arugula.
Making sure to place them beyond the rice paper only at one end, and as evenly as possible. No worries about the veggie ends inside the rice paper wrap, they will be covered and no one will see them.

Once finished, fold the bottom of the
wrap over the fillings.

Then fold over the left side of the rice
paper wrap.

Now, holding the bottom of the wrap in toward the filling, roll the wrap together towards the right side. You may need to add a little bit of pressure to make sure everything stays in place.  The wrap my be a bit sticky, but that's what you want.
The wrap would fall apart without the
stickiness.  Continue to roll to the end of the rice paper.

Oh, they're so pretty.  Now layer on a brightly coloured plate and your done.  You might want to eat one to "test" it.
Be sure to cover tightly with plastic wrap until ready to serve as these can dry up easily.
Enjoy.





You can try any variations you like.  For example Thai wraps with Thai garlic chili sauce and peanut butter and coconut. Or Chinese wraps using bean sprouts and nappa cabbage and I don't know.... maybe plum sauce.  Have fun and experiment.  Leave me a comment and let me know your creations.

Eat Well.
:)

EASY CHOCOLATE TOFU CAKE

This will be your next favourite cake.
It's super easy to make and only requires 3 ingredients.
It's become my favourite in a pinch recipe.
I made it for my nieces birthday cake.  No one in the family knew it had a "secret ingredient" in it.
It's soo good.  You'll be surprised at how not tofu-ee it really tastes.  Just regular chocolate cake. I promise!!
You will not need to add in any oil, or eggs.  The tofu covers all that. You'll be missing out on the cholesterol filled egg yolks and fattening oil. Although I haven't tried it yet, I'm sure any flavour of cake mix will work just fine. This recipe is vegan and vegetarian.

EASY CHOCOLATE TOFU CAKE


INGREDIENTS

1 box any brand chocolate cake mix (i used super moist devil's food)
1 300g pkg silken tofu
1/2 to 3/4 cup water


INSTRUCTIONS

Remember this is EASY.
Spray your desired baking pan or line cupcake pan with paper liners.

Pour contents of cake mix into food processor.
Add in tofu.

Process until combined.

Add 1/2 cup water and process again.

Continue to add a bit more water in between processes until desired consistency is achieved.
Pour into baking pans or cupcake pans.

Bake according to box directions.

This is the end result. Now take out of pans and let completely cool on a wire rack.

At this point, you can turn these cakes into a birthday or other occasion cake or if making cupcakes eat one warm to make sure they are "okay" for your family to eat.
I made an Oreo cookie cake for my nieces birthday.  I used the recipe from the Kraft Kitchens cook booklet. The filling is tasty but terrribly fattening and calorie loaded.
Next recipe I will probably look for a vegan/vegetarian filling. The chocolate glaze is just butter and chocolate melted and spread on top layer. Then put in fridge to harden.

Oreo Cookie Cake

Do you have a favourite cake/cupcake recipe you'd like to share? Leave a comment.
I'd love to hear from you.
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

NATURALLY COLOURED EASTER EGGS

Whether you scramble them, beat them or color them, eggs are actually beneficial for you. They've gotten a bad rap in the past for their bad cholesterol, but eggs also contribute to your bodies good cholesterol.
Being a lacto-ovo vegetarian myself,  I do eat eggs and reap the benefits from them.

Benefits

Eggs are an excellent source of protein.
They contain B vitamins, including vitamin B12 (essential for proper nerve function),
vitamins A and D, zinc and iron.
They are also a source of  the antioxidant lutein (linked to a reduced risk of macular degeneration - leading cause in blindness in older adults)
They contain lecithin which is a good source of choline. Choline helps metabolise fat, is an essential component of cell membranes and nerve tissue.  It helps rid the accumulation of fat in the liver and even helps repair some types of neurological damage. Good for early brain development and memory later in life.

The Cholesterol Issue
A large egg contains about 70 calories.
6 grams of protein
5 grams of fat (less than 2g is saturated fat)
190 mg cholesterol
In most healthy people, it is the total fat that has the most affect on cholesterol levels. These include the saturated fat (found in fatty meat, chicken skin, full fat dairy products, coconut and palm oil) and trans fat (found in processed and snack foods).
Those people who already have high cholesterol levels it is suggested to limit egg yolk consumption to 3-4 a week max.  Only the yolks of the eggs contain the cholesterol.  The egg whites don't need any restriction.  The egg whites can replace a whole egg, with a 2 to 1 ratio.  2 egg whites to 1 whole egg.  These can be used in baked goods and omelets. Egg whites instead of a whole egg can be beaten  to coat fish or meat for breading before frying or baking.

Omega 3 eggs (the ones I eat) come from chickens who are fed a high flax seed diet.  The yolks are rich in omega 3 polyunsaturated fats associated with lower risk of heart disease and stroke. These eggs are a better source of vitamin E than regular eggs.  Great for beautiful glowing skin.

There is a myth in the grocery world stating that brown eggs are more nutritious than white shelled eggs.  This is exactly that, a myth.  The only reason the shells are different colours is that different breeds of chickens lay different coloured eggs, that's it!

Speaking of coloured eggs.  Easter is fast approaching and I would like to share some information I found regarding colouring eggs naturally.  Follow this link         http://chemistry.about.com/od/holidayhowtos/a/eastereggdyes.htm
 and the information is yours.

Add about 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cups of natural liquid dye.  The Paas Easter egg dye kits that  I've been using for years recommends 3 tablespoons of vinegar to 1cup of water/dye.  So I guess depending on how vibrant of a color wanted for your Easter eggs depends on how much vinegar to add.  Also, I wouldn't recommend boiling the eggs and natural dye ingredients together.....

For the perfect hard boiled egg,
The eggs need to be put in a pot and covered by about 1" of cold water.  Bring to a boil.  Turn off heat and put a lid on the pot.  Let stand 15 minutes and then rinse them in cold water.  This will result in the perfect hard boiled egg.  Perfectly soft in texture and a bright yellow yolk, no grey edges around the yolk, and cooked through.

.....Therefore if the dye and eggs are boiled together.  The eggs will either be overcooked from continuous cooking for maximum colour absorption or the partially absorbed dye will be washed off, when the eggs are being cold rinsed.
I recommend boiling the eggs first and then letting them sit in the natural dye in the fridge until desired colour is achieved. Maybe a day or two is possible.
If you are going to attempt the beet colour, I don't recommend boiling the beets with the skin on.  This will result in a dirty pinky red colour.  Not very attractive.  Try boiling skinless beets instead and let the water cool.  Then add the vinegar and boiled eggs and let the colour absorption begin.
Here is another awesome site I found,  http://radmegan.blogspot.ca/2012/03/natural-egg-dye-rainbow-of-options.html

I will be trying some more colours on my own.
I'll keep you posted........

These are the eggs still in the beet dye I tried earlier.  Colour looks pretty here.

Colour on the eggs is not so pretty here. These have been in the dye for about 24 hours or so. Unfortunately turned out more brown than "pink".

By the way,
One more quick tid bit about eggs.
They are considered a "complete protein". Protein is made up of 20 different amino acids.  9 of these acids our body cannot make and need to be obtained from food and so called essential amino acids.  Foods that contain all 9 essential amino acids are called "complete protein" foods.
This is especially important to vegetarians who only get their protein from plant sources and only sometimes eggs.

Eat Well.

PINA COLADA MOCK ICE CREAM

What?  Did I read that right?  Pina Colada Ice Cream?
Yup, you sure did!
The only ingredient missing is the rum!  Oh well, it's really tasty anyway.
I created this recipe trying to use up the last bit of coconut milk I had leftover in the fridge. I suppose the proper term for this 'ice cream' should really be 'frozen yogurt', but ice cream makes it sound much more decadent.

I asked three grown, beer drinkin' men (including my husband) to be my Guinea pigs, to try my mock ice cream and tell me what they thought about it.
The response was unanimous.  They all said it was really good.  One of the guys even had to "TRY" it three more times until he said that he liked it.  Ha, ha.
No milk is used in this recipe and it's super easy. This ice cream is gluten free and  vegetarian.  Soy yogurt can be replaced with the Greek yogurt to make a vegan variation.  Try putting a little thawed mock ice cream in a blender with protein powder and banana for a pina colada smoothie.

PINA COLADA MOCK ICE CREAM


INGREDIENTS


4 cups frozen cubed pineapple (buy in freezer section of grocery store or purchase fresh pineapple, cube and freeze yourself)
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 can coconut milk (put in fridge to get cold)
1 tsp. or so of grated nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla sugar

INSTRUCTIONS


Process the frozen pineapple in a food processor until broken down into pea sized bits.

Add in rest of the ingredients.

 Process until the consistency of ice cream.
 You may need to scrape down the sides a few times as needed.

Scrape into a freezer friendly bowl or dish. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and freeze until ready to eat.

 Or have a treat now if you wish, the consistancy will be like soft ice cream.  The mock ice cream won't take long to be ready, the frozen pineapple speeds up the process.  So yummy ice cream sooner.  Yeah!  Enjoy.

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:)