Blog / Recipes

Tag Archives: recipe

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula

Posted on

 

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula

This colourful salad combines so many different flavours and textures - sweet beets, creamy goat cheese, crunchy walnuts and peppery arugula! Enjoy!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Salad, Side Dish
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

Salad

  • 6-8 cups arugula
  • 6-8 cooked beets, diced See note below to roast or boil beets. Or buy prepackaged cooked beets.
  • 1/2 to 1 cup goat cheese, crumbled
  • 3/4 cup toasted walnuts

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place arugula in a large bowl or serving platter.
  • Top arugula with beets, goat cheese and walnuts.
  • Place dressing ingredients in a jar, add lid and shake well. Or, whisk together dressing ingredients in a cup.
  • Toss salad gently with dressing just before serving.

Notes

To roast beets: For best flavour, roast beets. Trim the beet roots and stems, leaving about 2 inches of stem on each beet. Scrub beets clean under cold water and pat dry. Wrap each beet completely in aluminum foil. Place beets on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and roast in oven at 400 F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the beets are fork tender. Remove foil and allow beets to cool, about 10-15 minutes. When beets are still warm but cool enough to touch, peel off the skins. If beets are completely cooled, it will be more difficult to remove the skins. (Note that the beets will stain your fingers. You may choose to wear plastic gloves or use paper towels. )
To boil beets:  Trim the beet roots and stems, leaving about 2 inches of stem on each beet. Scrub beets clean under cold water. Place beets in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes (for small beets) or 45 minutes to 1 hour (for large beets) or until the beets are fork tender. Drain beets and rinse under cold water. Remove the skins while the beets are still warm. If beets are completely cooled, it will be more difficult to remove the skins. (Note that the beets will stain your fingers. You may choose to wear plastic gloves or use paper towels.)
 
Keyword Beet Salad, Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula, Goat Cheese

Quinoa Salad with Beets, Oranges & Arugula

Posted on

Platter of quinoa salad mixed with red beets, oranges and arugula

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This salad is just bursting with flavours – earthy beets, fresh citrus and peppery arugula! The beets give the quinoa a beautiful red hue! Add feta cheese for an extra hint of creaminess.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 4-5 cooked beets (about 1 lb)*
  • 1 orange
  • Optional: feta cheese

Dressing

  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 T red or white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste

*You can roast, steam or boil beets. Or use packaged, pre-cooked beets.

Instructions

  1. Rinse quinoa. Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan on high heat. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.
  3. Peel and dice beets. Peel orange and remove white pith. Cut each orange segment into thirds or quarters.

  4. In a large serving bowl, combine quinoa and arugula. Gently mix in beets and orange segments. Add dressing and toss lightly. Optional: Sprinkle feta cheese over salad before serving.

    Makes 6 servings

 

 

 

Shrimp & Pork Dumplings

Posted on

Golden browned dumplings on a plate with red wooden chopsticks beside them

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You’ll love these delicious dumplings made with ground pork and shrimp. Feel free to substitute the ground pork with any other meat and / or swap the shrimp for meat. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 lb ground pork (or any other ground meat)

8-10 raw, peeled shrimp, diced finely

2 cups spinach or other leafy green veggie, minced

3 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp sesame oil

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

30-40 dumpling wrappers

oil for cooking

hoisin sauce, soy sauce, chili sauce, or other dipping sauce

Directions:

  1. Mix all of the ingredients (except the dumpling wrappers, oil and dipping sauce) into a big bowl to make the dumpling filling.
  2. Keep dumpling wrappers covered with a damp towel to prevent the edges from drying out.
  3. Place about 1 Tbsp of the filling in the centre of a dumpling wrapper. (Don’t overfill the dumplings.)
  4. Dampen the edges of the wrapper with water.
  5. Fold the wrapper in half. Start at the middle and pleat half the dumpling. Turn the wrapper around and repeat the pleating. (See video below for the pleating technique.)
  6. Heat oil in a large pan on medium to high heat. Fry dumplings for a few minutes until they golden brown on the bottom. Flip the dumplings over and fry for another minute.
  7. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water into the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Steam the dumplings this way until almost all of the water has evaporated.
  8. Remove the lid and allow the dumplings to continue cooking until all of the water has evaporated, and the dumplings are dry and crispy on the bottom.
  9. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce – hoisin sauce, soy sauce or chili sauce.

Makes 30-40 dumplings

 

 

Easy Apple Strudel Recipe

Posted on

Apple strudel on a white platter with two white dessert dishes and forks in the background

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This easy and delicious Apple Strudel is made with flaky phyllo pastry.

The trick to working with phyllo pastry is to brush each layer with melted butter (or oil). If the phyllo pastry happens to tear, just press it back together.

Watch the recipe video here on YouTube

Ingredients

  • 3 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/8-inch thick (Royal Gala, Macintosh, or  Granny Smith)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 3 T flour
  • 8 sheets phyllo dough (9 x 14-inch sheets) , thawed
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 T turbinado sugar (or granulated sugar)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, add apples. Sprinkle in 1/3 cup sugar and toss to combine.
  • Mix in cinnamon and walnuts. Toss to combine. Add in flour and mix everything together with a spoon.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on the parchment paper. Brush lightly with some of the melted butter.
  • Keep remaining phyllo sheets covered with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out. Add another phyllo sheet, brushing with melted butter until you have a total of 8 phyllo sheets.
  • Spread apple mixture over the middle of the phyllo (about 3 inches wide), leaving about 2 inches along each short end of the phyllo sheets.
  • Fold the short edges of the phyllo sheets over the filling. Roll up the long ends of the phyllo sheets to make the strudel shape.
  • Brush with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
  • Cut 6-8 diagonal slits in top of strudel. This will make it easier to slice the strudel after baking.
  • Bake in the middle rack of the oven, until golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
  • Serve warm and enjoy! Perfect for afternoon tea or dessert!

Makes 6-8 servings.

 

 

By:  Sue Mah, Registered Dietitian

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Posted on

Big white bowl filled with roasted Brussels sprouts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Husband: I think we’ve OD’d on Brussels sprouts these past few months.

Me: No such thing! And I proceed to serve up a 15″ x 21″ tray of roasted Brussels sprouts! Haha!

Ok, to be honest, we HAVE been eating A LOT of Brussels sprouts, pretty much since Thanksgiving in October. Because I make a big batch all at once, we’re eating them a few times each week.

But can you blame me?

These little green gems are nutrition powerhouses – packed with fibre, beta-carotene, vitamin C, folate, potassium and even vitamin K!

Plus they’re sooo easy to make! Try it and let me know what you think!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

1. Cut Brussels sprouts in half or quarters.

2. In a large bowl, toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil, sea salt and pepper.

3. Place Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet. Bake at 400F for about  30 minutes or until lightly charred around the edges. (I bake them just a bit longer because I like the loose leaves to get crispy.) Enjoy!

[Image: Canva]

 

Diabetes-friendly Tacos

Posted on

tacos filled with meat and beans on a plate with tomatoes and red / green peppers

 

To celebrate World Diabetes Day (Nov 14 of each year), I’ve teamed up with my colleague Karen Graham who’s a dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and author of three diabetes cookbooks to share some easy and delicious diabetes-friendly recipes.

These tacos are so easy to make and fun to eat! For a change, you can make burritos by using a soft flour tortilla shell instead of a hard taco shell.

Here’s the recipe!

Bean and Meat Filling

Makes 5 cups (1.25 L) (enough for 20 tacos)

1 lb (500 g) lean ground beef

1 cup (250 mL) warm water

1 tsp (5 mL) each: cumin, oregano, paprika and garlic powder

2 tsp (10 mL) chili powder

1/2 tsp (2 mL) black pepper

28 oz (796 mL) can kidney beans or white beans, drained and rinsed

  1. In a medium pot, brown ground beef. Drain off as much fat as you can.
  2. Stir in the water and spice mix. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes. Add extra water if needed to keep moist.

Tacos

To make each taco, you will need:

1 taco shell

1/4 cup (60 mL) Bean and Meat Filling (see above)

1 1/2 Tbsp (22 mL) shredded cheese

Lots of vegetables

  1. Heat the taco shells in the oven at 350F (180C) for 5 minutes.
  2. Into each hot taco shell, put the meat and bean mixture, cheese and vegetables.

Enjoy!

Recipe printed with permission from Karen Graham, RD, CDE – Diabetes Meals for Good Health Cookbook

 

Grandma’s Favourite Cheese Biscuits

Posted on

A long white platter with 3 baked cheese biscuits

What’s tea time without a little biscuit, right? This one bowl recipe couldn’t be easier! Enjoy them warm, for melt-in-your mouth deliciousness!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
2 cups all purpose flour
1 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1 T garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
  2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Melt butter in a small microwave-safe bowl for about 35-45 seconds. Allow butter to cool while you prepare the dry ingredients.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder and salt. Mix these dry ingredients with a fork.
  5. Add shredded cheese to the dry ingredients and mix well with a fork.
  6. Add milk into the bowl with the cooled butter and stir. (It will look like it’s curdling – that’s OK.)
  7. Pour the milk / butter mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until it’s just combined.
  8. Pick up a “blob” of dough (about 1/2 cup) and drop it onto the lined baking sheet.
  9. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until biscuits begin to brown around the edges.

Makes 8 large biscuits.

Peach & Tomato Summer Salad

Posted on

white bowl with salad made from diced peaches and diced tomatoes, garnished with basil leaves

Celebrate Food Day Canada on August 1st with delicious, local peaches and nectarines! Prep time: 5 minutes

Peach & Tomato Summer Salad

Ingredients

2 peaches or nectarines (leave the skins on)

10 cherry / grape tomatoes or 1 small tomato

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt / pepper to taste

Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Directions

Dice the peaches and have the cherry tomatoes. Toss gently with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add salt / pepper if desired. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Makes 2 small servings

Strawberry Santas

Posted on

Strawberry Santas

Just in time for the holidays! These cuties are super simple to make and sure to put a smile on everyone’s face!

Ingredients
20 fresh strawberries
½ cup whipping cream
¼ cup icing sugar (more if you’d like it sweeter; less if you’d like it less sweet)
40 mini chocolate chips

Directions
1. Slice the stem off each strawberry so that you have a flat bottom. Turn the strawberry point side up. The wide side of the strawberry faces down and is the base of the Strawberry Santa.
2. Slice the pointed tip of each strawberry (about the top 1/3 of the strawberry). This piece will be the hat.
3. Use a small piece of paper towel to dab off the flat ends of each strawberry piece. This will help the icing stay on.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the whipping cream and icing sugar.
5. Using a piping bag* with a round tip, pipe a swirl of the icing onto the base of the Strawberry Santa. Gently place the hat on top. Pipe a tiny pompom on the tip of the hat.
6. Add two mini chocolate chips for the eyes.

*If you don’t have a piping bag, simply scoop the icing into a plastic re-sealable bag and cut off a small corner of the bag.

Makes 20 Strawberry Santas

Lentil Watermelon Summer Salad

Posted on

Lentil Watermelon Salad

Watermelon is one of my go-to fruits for the summer! Team it up with some lentils, feta cheese and mint – and you’ve got a beautiful, refreshing, protein-packed salad!

Here’s the Lentil Watermelon Salad that I featured on my TV interview with CHCH Morning Live.

Ingredients
6 cups 1-inch cubed watermelon
1 1/2 cups cooked black lentils (puy or Beluga)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
10 fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon white wine or champagne vinegar
salt and pepper

Instructions
1. In a large salad bowl, combine the watermelon, lentils, half of the feta and half of the mint.
2. In a small container, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour olive oil mixture over the watermelon mixture. Toss gently to combine.
4. Top with remaining feta and mint before serving.

Makes 8 servings.
Recipe source: www.pulses.org

Love to learn? Love to eat?

Sign up for my free nutrition news, tips, trends, recipes and fascinating food facts!