Mango Micro-Green Salad with Spicy Sesame Vinaigrette (vegan, Paleo)

November 19, 2016 - Emma Leave a comment

I have a passion for creating beautiful, nourishing foods. I love spending a gray Saturday in the kitchen, not keeping track of time, allowing my hands and palate to transform whole ingredients into a flavourful dish. Unfortunately, with homework, chores, and to-do lists, I don’t always have the time anymore for such relaxed cooking, but when I do get the chance, I savour it as much as I do the finished plate.

Today, after yoga class, my dad and I went to the grocery store and picked up some staples for the week. I saw a package of four Ataulfos mangoes on the reduced rack and had to scoop them up – how could someone let those little golden gems go to waste?! We also got some tiny, locally-grown sunflower micro-greens. I wasn’t planning on combining the two until I got home and sliced the buttery mangoes. They seemed destined to be together with the micro-greens in a spicy salad! Hence, this recipe was born as I added macadamia nuts to give some crunch and drizzled on a homemade sesame vinaigrette for a flavour-packed, whole food salad. Yum!

Ginger-Coconut Butternut Squash Soup (Paleo, Whole30)

October 16, 2016October 16, 2016 - Emma 2 Comments

Butternut squash soup is, to me, a big hug in a bowl. Fall is abundant with squashes of all sorts – acorn, spaghetti, kabocha, butternut, delicata – and they’re all very unique in both flavour and texture! There’s so much variety to be grateful for, especially for the gluten- or grain-free eater. Squash is a great source of carbohydrates while being easy to digest and a vegetable (well, really, a fruit), to boot! During the fall and winter months in our cold Canadian weather, squash is very comforting and warming. I love roasting various types of squashes at the beginning of the week to have on hand for any meal of the day. Butternut squash soup is perfect to make on the weekend to heat up during the week – for a little bit of prep, you can have bowls and bowls of homemade soup ready to serve & nourish!

Orange-Basil Salmon and Crispy Potatoes (Paleo, Whole30)

October 2, 2016October 2, 2016 - Emma 2 Comments

There is little more comforting in the fall months than a one-pan meal full of flavour and nourishment. Make that a one-pan meal of salmon and crispy new potatoes, served alongside a green veggie, and you’ve got a winner that the whole family will love! I believe that food is a love language, and cooking a comforting dinner like this is a way that I show love to my parents and little sister (though she doesn’t always appreciate seafood. 😉 ) Show some love to your family – and to yourself! – by sharing healthy, delicious food.

Raw Peach & Fig Tarts

September 13, 2016September 13, 2016 - Emma 6 Comments

Raw Peach and Fig Tarts!!! Can I get a cheer or at least a double-thumbs-up?! Guess what, friends: I’m featured on my lovely friend Sadie’s blog… and that’s where you can find the recipe for these tarts! I’m sure you’ve heard on GoodiesAgainstTheGrain.com, the Paleo recipe site created by Sadie, a fellow teenage blogger. I’m honoured to be posting this recipe on her amazing website!

When I think of Sadie, I think fun and cheery, just like these tarts. I also wanted to make a treat for her site (hence its name!). Here are some sneak-peak photos, but for the recipe, head on over to GoodiesAgainstTheGrain.com and check it out!

Heirloom Tomato & Pork Roast (Whole30, Paleo)

August 28, 2016September 13, 2016 - Emma Leave a comment

Pork tenderloin > chicken breast.

People seem to love chicken breast as a perfect blank canvas protein; however, I’d beg to differ and say pork tenderloin is the best! It lends beautifully from Greek flavours to Asian flavours to Italian flavours. When cooked properly, it’s tender and delicious, but it is easy to overcook. Roasting the tenderloin with heirloom tomatoes allows the juices of the tomatoes to penetrate the pork, keeping it juicy and moist. All the flavours in this dish blend together, creating a super flavourful, seasonal one-pan meal.

Cookie Dough Nice Cream (Paleo, vegan, fruit-sweetened, dairy + gluten-free)

August 26, 2016August 28, 2016 - Emma 5 Comments

Yum. Yum. YUM!

I’m still in a banana-induced state of yum after making this Cookie Dough Nice Cream. Wow. I think the pictures speak for themselves – look at that creamy banana goodness laced with gluten-free cookie dough made with almond flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)! My little sister (who is very anti-real food) and I couldn’t stop eating it. This is definitely a sweet treat. Though bananas are fruits and considered quite healthy, they can still raise your blood sugar and contain a lot of fructose. Therefore, this is best enjoyed for special occasions or when you need to treat yo self. 😉

Lemon Raspberry Jam (Refined Sugar-Free)

August 21, 2016August 26, 2016 - Emma 6 Comments

Who else is a huge fan of jam? I definitely am. I think that it’s more to do with the memories I have of making homemade jam, in huge batches with my mom and grandmother, than the jam itself. We’d fill a ginormous pot with blueberries and sugar, and I’d get to stir as we added pectin to let it set. Both of my grandmothers’ make mean strawberry jams, too! A favourite breakfast of mine would be toast slathered with vegan margarine (no butter, since I’m allergic to dairy!) and sweet berry jam.

“Got Kraut?” Recipe + Ferment Facts!

August 15, 2016August 15, 2016 - Emma Leave a comment

Have you heard about the amazing benefits of fermented foods?! I sure have, but at first I thought that fermenting would be a confusing, complicated process. Though I still haven’t tried making my own kombucha (it’s a very delicate process… and I don’t have a SCOBY 😉 ) I make my own homemade sauerkraut as a staple food in our house. I can eat it at every meal: it’s perfect with eggs and greens for breakfast! Sauerkraut provides a tangy and crunchy bite – full of flavour, yet made with whole ingredients and Whole30 and vegan approved – and is great for gut health. In case you haven’t heard about some of the healing properties of raw fermented foods, here is a nice little list to get you started!