Keto Kimchi Tuna Cakes

Keto Kimchi Tuna Cakes

Makes 12 cakes

Tasty tuna fish to fulfill lunchtime protein wish

 Photo Instagram @LadyRice44

Equipment  

Sharp Chef's knife

Cutting board 

Measuring spoons

Measuring cups  
Can Opener

Fine cheese grater

Large mixing bowl

Muffin tin X 1

Large baking sheet

Non-stick cooking spray

Kitchen safe rubber gloves (optional) OR rubber spatula

Wire cooling rack 

Ingredients
4 Cans chunk tuna in water, drained

2 Green onions, finely chopped
1 TBSP Italian parsley, cleaned and finely chopped
1/4 Cup kimchi, finely chopped (SEE NOTE A)
2 Large free-range eggs
1/4 Cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/4 Cup almond flour
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 Tsp salt OR to taste
1/2 Tsp pepper OR to taste

 

 

 

Instructions

- Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray and set it on a larger baking sheet (this prevents moving around in the oven) 

- Prepare Ingredients. Grate the parmesan cheese, wash/chop the parsley, green onions and kimchi. Open and drain water from cans of tuna. 

- In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. (If you choose to mix with you hands I recommend using a pair of kitchen safe rubber gloves to prevent contamination)

-  Once thoroughly combined, using a 1/4 Cup dry measuring cup, portion each tuna cake individually into each hole of the muffin tin. 

- Bake in the oven at 375F for 20-25 minutes, until the cakes have browned and easily pull away from the side of the muffin tin.

- Remove from oven and allow the muffin tin to cool for at least 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing the cakes. They should just slide right out, or use a butter knife or small spoon to gently remove if necessary.
- Once removed, allow cakes to cool completely. Store them layered with parchment in an appropriate sized container.  These cakes are great for weekday lunches with a side salad.  Reheat two cakes for 1 minute in the microwave. They can also be individually frozen and later defrosted.

Notes
A -Kimchi is a spicy fermented cabbage that can be found in Korean grocery stores. It can also be found locally made at farmers markets, specialty grocery stores or the health food section of some grocery stores.  You can also make it yourself, check out this recipe from my favorite Korean cooking show Maangchi -> https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/easy-kimchi

A word from me

I was very happy how well this recipe turned out! I wanted a recipe that used both the tuna in my pantry and the Kimchi I had leftover in my fridge. The Kimchi gives these cakes a fun flavor that just brightens up your taste buds at lunch time. These cakes are gluten free, high in protein, cost-effective and quick to make. The only thing to beware as they do have a light fishy smell when you reheat them so hopefully your co-workers wont mind! I really hope you enjoy this recipe! Be sure to like, share or comment and follow me. See my bio for other Social Media you can follow.
 

All the love, 

Brittany 

Keto Inspired Chicken Meatballs

Keto Inspired Chicken Meatballs
Serves 2-4 

For dinner or lunch these are fun to munch! 

Photo: Instagram @ladyrice44

Equipment  

Sharp Chef's knife

Cutting board 

Measuring spoons

Measuring cups  

Fine cheese grater

Large mixing bowl

Mini muffin tin X2

Large baking sheet

Non-stick cooking spray

Kitchen safe rubber gloves (optional) OR rubber spatula

Meat thermometer

Wire cooling rack 

Ingredients

1 Pound free-range ground chicken

1 Large free-range egg

1/4 Cup almond flour

1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

1 TBSP cleaned and finely chopped Italian parsley (SEE NOTE A)

1/2 TSP fresh ground pepper OR to taste

1/4 TSP salt OR to taste (SEE NOTE B)

Instructions

- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray two mini muffin tins with non-stick spray and set them on a larger baking sheet (this prevents them moving around in the oven)

- Prepare Mise en Place (SEE NOTE C). Grate the Parmesan cheese and chop the parsley.

- In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. (If you choose to mix with you hands I recommend using a pair of kitchen safe rubber gloves to prevent contamination)

-  Once thoroughly combined, using a rounded tablespoon, portion each meatball individually into each hole of the muffin tin.  (If there is extra mixture divide it to any balls that appear "smaller")

- Bake in the oven at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165F is reached

- Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing the meatballs from the muffin tins. They should just slide right out, or use a butter knife or small spoon to gently remove if necessary

- Serve with any recipe that calls for meatballs, eat them on their own as a fun snack or as a side protein for lunch!

Notes

A - For the parsley: to not have the mixture look and taste "green," remove the parsley from the stalks onto a clean dish cloth or tea towel. Bring the corners of the towel together and form the parsley into a loose ball within the towel. Rinse the parsley in towel under cold water and rub off as much of the green onto the towel as possible. The parsley will become clean and more dry. After this step proceeded to finely chopping.

B - Parmesan cheese can be salty! Added salt should be limited. 

C - Mise en Place: A culinary process in which ingredients are prepared and organized before cooking (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mise%20en%20place)

    A WORD FROM ME
With my recent social media posts, I have been asked if I am following the Keto Diet and the answer is NO! I have been experimenting with the recipes as I needed to increase my protein and fat intake while reducing sugars which is what Keto eating focuses on. The recipes are easy to follow, straight forward to make into my own and have a clean eating/whole foods approach.
These Keto Meatballs are about 3 different recipes I studied and made into my own to accommodate what ingredients I had available. They are gluten free, made with local ingredients and turned out very tasty.

I really hope you enjoy this recipe!  Be sure to like, share or comment and follow me! See my bio for other Social Media you can follow.
                             All the love,
                            Brittany

The BLOG is BACK

The BLOG is BACK

That's right folks!

I am back to my old ways with fresh ideas and I will be working very hard to dedicate time to publish content. I hope for this blog to not only include my recipes but other things I love and find passion in.

So... STAY TUNED!! 

All the love,
Brittany

Chickpea Shawarma

Chickpea Shawarma 

Serves 4

To make dinner with ease, choose chickpeas!

Equipment 

Sharp chef's knife

Cutting board 

Measuring spoons

Measuring cups 

Large bowl

Potato masher

Ingredients

3 Cups cooked chickpeas, smashed

1 Small red onion, small dice

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1/2 Tablespoon cumin

1/2 Teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 Cup vegan mayo

1/2 Teaspoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Agave nectar to taste

Instructions

- In a large bowl, smash the chickpeas with a potato masher or your hands

- Prepare all other ingredients and add them to the large bowl. Mix well to evenly combine.

- Taste the mixture. Add extra seasonings, agave  or mayo if necessary

- Serve in a wrap, in a sandwich or with salad greens

Notes

- For maximum flavor, allow the mixture to sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving 

- Adapted from Chef Lauren Marshall (https://www.facebook.com/HealthyChefLauren?ref=br_tf)

Sweet Potaotes for Smoothies

Sweet Potatoes for Smoothies

Sweet potato rounds

I  love my daily smoothie! I am always looking for new recipes and hacks to make the smoothie process go smooth (ha!). When I first started having a smoothie everyday, I was always going for banana as my thickening substance. I started to think of other tasty ideas so I could have some variety. I began to incorporate sweet potatoes as they are cheap and quite nutritious.  The issue with sweet potatoes became properly storing them. As a puree in the fridge,  they go bad quite fast and freezing them whole  or even in halves was not a good idea, as they took forever to blend. I then came across an article that sliced up the bananas and froze them on a sheet pan, and the little light bulb appeared above my head!! This has become the perfect way to store sweet potatoes and enjoy them in my smooties!!

What to do:

Choose smaller sweet potatoes for smoothies. Preheat the oven to 350F. Wash the sweet potato skins and set them on a baking sheet. Bake the sweet potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes. Check them and see how cooked they are. If they are still hard leave them in for another 10 minutes. If they are starting to become soft ,   flip them and cook them for another 20 minutes.  Check them again, if they are not cooked yet keep going in intervals of 10 minutes. Once they are soft, but not mushy  remove them from the oven. Sweet potatoes may take up to an hour to cook. Allow them to cool for about an hour. Once cooled,  carefully peel them with a paring knife. Carefully slice the potatoes into rounds and set them on a baking sheet. Freeze them overnight. When the sweet potatoes are frozen they are still somewhat wet feeling, that it okay, you can still freeze them in a zip lock bag. If they get somewhat stuck together, they are easy to separate. Add a couple of sweet potato rounds to your smoothie  to make it delicious, filling and slow-burning!

Sweet potato nutrition facts: -High in fiber-Lower in carbohydrates then white potatoes-High in beta-carotene-Slow burning-Good source of potassium-Good source of magnesium-Source of iron- High in B6- Source for vitamin D, C, E, folate and calcium.

Fun Fact: Sweet potatoes are high in carbohydrates that initiate production of the brain chemical serotonin . Serotonin helps fight depression.

Peeling Sweet Potatoes

Frozen sweet potato round

Stored in Zip Lock

Nutrition facts source: Balch, Phyllis A. Prescription for dietary wellness. New York: Avery, 2003. Book.

Mediterranean Salad with Sprouted Quinoa

Mediterranean Salad with Sprouted Quinoa

 Yield: 6 servings

 Eat Mediterranean to be a healthy Canadian!

Equipment
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Large bowl/container
Box grater
Carrot Peeler
Wooden Spoon
Dry measuring cups
Liquid measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Medium sized pot
Large baking sheet


Ingredients
For Mediterranean Salad:
1 English cucumber, medium dice
1 Red pepper, small dice
1 Pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 Red onion, small dice
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar
1 Teaspoon celery salt (or to taste) 
Salt and pepper to taste

For Sprouted Quinoa:
2 Cups organic quinoa, soaked for 4 hours or until sprouted
2 Cups vegetable stock
2 Bay leaves
1 Tablespoon vegan margarine


For Serving:
1 can of Mixed beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 Tablespoon black olives per plate
Nutritional yeast to taste
Hemp hearts to taste
Fresh black pepper to taste


Instructions
For Mediterranean Salad:
- Prepare all vegetables into a large bowl or container
- Stir in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and season with celery salt and salt/pepper. Combine well.
- Set in fridge to marinate for a few hours for best flavor

For Sprouted Quinoa:
- While the salad is marinating, begin soaking your quinoa in filtered water. Let it soak for about 4 hours or until you can see it has sprouted (see image below)
- To cook sprouted quinoa, bring  2 cups of vegetable stock  with the 2 bay leaves to a boil. Drain and rinse the quinoa and add to the boiling water.  Reduce heat and cover. Sprouted quinoa  requires a lot less liquid and time to cook, so you want to keep an eye on it and cook it on low heat until it is soft and most of the liquid has absorbed (about 10 minutes). If there is any leftover liquid drain it. Once cooked, remove the pot from heat and stir in margarine.
- Spread out the quinoa onto a large baking sheet for faster cooling

For Serving:
- Serve by placing quinoa on bottom of plate, then a handful of mixed beans (optional), then the salad mix, then olives, hemp hearts, nutritional yeast and fresh black pepper.

                                            Sprouted Quinoa                  Prepared Vegetables

Slow Cooked Lentil Bolognese

Hey Everyone !!

So it has been a very long time since I have posted a recipe and I apologize for that!! I hope to keep up with blogging as I am now a RHN- Holistic Nutritional Consultant and will be helping people achieve healthy plant based lifestyles.
This recipe I am sharing today is a great to cook for guests that are meat eaters and weary on trying plant-based food. This sauce provides all the flavors and textures  of a meat sauce but it is 100% vegan!
Hope this recipe makes up for the long while of not posting!!

Slow Cooked Lentil Bolognese

Yield: 8-10 servings

If it’s meat you choose to resemble, go for lentils! 

Equipment:

4 qt slow cooker

Sharp chef’s knife

Cutting board

Dry measuring cups

Liquid measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Wooden spoon

Large sauce pan

Can opener

Rubber spatula

Cheesecloth

Butchers string

Scissors

Ingredients:

In large pan:

Cooking oil

1 medium cooking onion, small dice

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 stalks of celery, small dice

3 carrots, small dice
1/4 red pepper, small dice
1/4 green pepper, small dice

8-10 button mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1/8 Teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 Cup  wine (red or white, see notes)

In Crock Pot:

1 1/2 Cups brown lentils, picked and rinsed

1 5.5 Oz.  can of tomato paste

1 28 Oz. can diced tomatoes

Up to 3 cups vegetable broth

Sachet:

2 bay leaves

1 Teaspoon Italian seasonings (basil, oregano , thyme, rosemary)

To Finish Sauce:

Salt and Pepper to taste (start with 1Tsp salt 1/2 Tsp pepper)

Agave nectar to taste (1-2 Tbs Max)

Nutritional yeast to taste (start with about 1/4 Cup)

6-8 leaves fresh basil, chopped

Instructions:

- Prepare all vegetables to be cooked in the large pan. Heat some cooking oil in the pan and saute the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the rest of the ingredients except the wine. Saute until mushrooms are Cooked down and somewhat golden. Add the wine and simmer until most of the liquid has absorbed. Transfer this mixture to the crock pot .

- Add the lentils, tomato paste and canned tomatoes to the crock pot, stir well. Stir in vegetable stock until the crock pot is max filled. Turn the crock pot on low.

- To make the sachet, cut a square of cheesecloth and place the bay leaves and dry herbs in the center. ball and tie up the cheesecloth with another piece of cheesecloth or butchers string so the herbs can’t escape. This will give the sauce herby flavor but not leave the small herby bits in the sauce. Add to the sauce (see notes)

- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until  lentils are soft. Once cooked, add to taste the seasonings and stir in some freshly chopped basil

- Serve with choice pasta or vegetable noodle. Enjoy! 

Notes:

- The original recipe called for red wine, and I only had white wine on hand, sauce was still amazing!

-For more info on how to make a sachet see the following link: 

http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/recipestepbystep/ss/StockSachet.htm

-Recipe adapted from Begin with Nutrition