A Plethora of Pesto!

I recently received my first basket of organic vegetables from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and there was a LOT of green.  I mean a lot.  Now, I love green stuff but I have to say, even with a healthy appetite for salads, my husband grimaced slightly.  I figured I should probably use some of it right away and get it out of sight. We still have plenty to eat all week!

Some of the green stuff is what everyone eats: lettuce, spinach, kale, mint..the usual stuff.  The face my husband was making was more at the beet greens, turnip tops and radish leaves.  I love to use them-but sometimes, even for me, there are just too many.  The perfect solution? PESTO!

I made four different pestos using four different leaves and nuts.  All are very user friendly...don't have pine nuts?  Use almonds! No radish leaves? Swap them for Turnip leaves. It works-trust me.  Use what you like and taste along the way. Here are a few recipes to get you started.  I immediately froze all of them and they are waiting for the perfect dish...

Garlic Scape Pesto:
Big handful garlic scapes...probably 10-15?
Big handful basil leaves
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
2/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1 oz parmesan
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper






Radish Leaf Pesto:
2 large handfuls of radish leaves (fresh and bright green), stems removed
1 oz (about the size of your thumb) parmesan
1 handful pistachios (shell removed!!)
1/2 cup fresh blanched peas, cooled
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper





Beet Green Pesto:
1 bunch beet greens, stems removed
4 garlic cloves
1 handful walnuts
1 oz parmesan
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper







Kale and Sweet Pepper Pesto:
BIG handful of kale leaves, stems removed
6 small sweet peppers, roasted
1/2 cup pecans
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

How does it all come together? Throw all the ingredients in a food processor and turn it on. I don't really chop anything up-that's what the machine is for. You could freeze it into ice cube trays too...that would probably be better. Or like me, just break off a big frozen chunk and use it when you need it, whatever!

And now there is slightly more room in my fridge and no waste of delicious organic green-y goodness. Yippee! Still have green leftovers? Mix them into soups, stews and stirfries. Add them to salads! And if you really don't think you're going to use them, chop them and freeze em.  And get excited to have some fresh stuff in the winter.

Oh...right...what do I use pesto for? Well, pasta obviously.  But also chicken and pork.  On a delicious veggie sandwich.  Add them to meatballs or top your pizza. Smother your baked potato (or sweet potato) and corn from the BBQ. Beans! Potato salad! Hummus! Oh man, the choices are endless.  Pesto is a delicious and healthy way to add flavour to almost anything.  Enjoy!

Five Myths about Holistic Nutritionists

As a Nutritionist, I have certainly come across a few stereotypes of who I am supposed to be. I think I surprise some people because I drink coffee and wine, pizza is on the menu (albeit homemade) and I have a major sweet tooth.  Oh-and I don't judge what you have in your lunch bag! For real. I don't care. If you want my advice, you'll have to ask for it because I'm not one to give unsolicited nutritional advice.  That's the worst.

So I rounded up my top five (with a "BUGS ME" bonus) myths about Holistic Nutritionists.  Hope this clears some things up.

MYTH #1: We are all Hippies
We are NOT all hippies (not that being a hippie is a bad thing).  I might be half-a-hippie (says my husband) but as granola as I am, this does not apply to all holistic nutritionists.  In fact, many nutritionists are very forward thinking, technologically savvy and quite modern folks.  Also typically not "fighting the man". We simply want to help people through the education of food encompassing lifestyles as a whole.  It's pretty great when you think about it, isn't it?

MYTH #2: We are all vegetarians
Some probably are.  But some of the population in general are vegetarians so...there you go. I eat meat. It's delicious and incorporated into a healthy day to day plan, it's a wonderful source of nutrients. We eat meatless meals occasionally, about once or twice a week.  My menu includes fish, eggs and lots of other non-animal sources of protein including beans, quinoa, soy, nut butters, etc. We like to change it up-we just like changing it up with meat as well.

MYTH #3: Nutritionists and Dietitians are the same thing
These are two separate professions. Although typically the same goal is in mind, the schooling and focus can be quite different.
Dietitians earn a Bachelor's degree in food and nutrition and then follow an internship program or master's practicum program until they register to practice. These are regulated health professionals that play a major role in government, industry and health care. Typically a large part of their nutrition information includes the Canada Food Guide.
Holistic Nutritionists earn a diploma in natural nutrition and are registered. The approach to health and nutrition is more integrated as we include the body, mind and spirit (There you go-thinking we're all hippies again!).  Basically, we look at all aspects of a person's lifestyle, not only food. We believe food is medicine and that the source of many ailments can be helped with the proper recommendations.
This, of course, is only the tip of the iceberg...but I digress.  They are not the same, that's all I'm saying.

MYTH #4: We eat healthy 100% of the time
This is true...next.


HA! Can you hear me laughing/scoffing? I'm a real person you know! With cravings and...tastebuds. I certainly try my best like most people, but I have my days when I want to go have an ice cream cone (REAL ice cream though, non of this "frozen dessert" shenanigans) or eat a cookie for breakfast (probably homemade because they're WAY better). Our family lives by the 80/20 principle.  Eat well 80% of the time and you don't have to feel guilty about the other 20%. We have fruit and vegetables every day. I drink a TON of water, but it's tap water because I'm not crazy and installing some silly water "system" into my house. Tap water works. My husband and I strive to eat well all week so we can have a treat meal and a bottle of wine on the weekend.  I'm REAL.  And I don't like to say no to delicious food if I go over to a friend's house and they serve me something unhealthy (but SCRUMPTIOUS). I don't stress about it. Enjoy life, eat well.

MYTH #5: We know everything there is to know about food, how to consume it, make it, what is in it, and what it heals
I don't. I wish I did-that'd be amazing!  I read up on everything possible, try to stay current with new trends and diets (which is hard...believe me...ever heard of oil pulling?) but sometimes I don't have the answer. If you ask me, I'll find out for you though-because that's my job. Sometimes I don't have a tried and true recipe for a certain vegetable...I KNOW CRAZY...but I'm also not going to be angry if you ask. Of course you're going to think I know, just as I would ask a paramedic about some sort of lump of bump. They SHOULD know, right? Well...give me a minute. I'll find out. Food is my passion, so if you're asking, I probably want to know the answer too!

THIS BUGS ME (BONUS!): Nutritionists are Judgey McJudgersons
I know I've stated this before, but I'm not going to judge you for what you eat or what you feed your kids. Honestly.  You do what you do and I'll do what I do.  It's not a big deal.  I'm not picking apart your sandwich or your grocery cart at the store.  You don't need to justify anything!  If you want help with anything, I'm here.  I'm happy to provide some insight or recipes professionally but remember, as a friend-I am NOT perfect. But don't worry-I'm not going to go home and tell my husband about the snacks you fed your kid.  Seriously, I have better things to do.

Just remember...sometimes the lessons we offer our children are ones we should listen to ourselves. Don't judge a book by its cover! We are who we are.  I chose this profession and I'm proud to be a Nutritionist.  I won't judge you if you don't judge me, cool? Awesome. Just wanted to be clear.

Quarky Lemon Blueberry bars (Gluten-free)

When I set out to make something, it's usually just to make a healthier version of a dish I already know how to make...this one just happened to ALSO be gluten free!  Woohoo-not my original intention, but I have some friends who will be VERY happy once they have a taste because these are DELICIOUS.

I'm sure a few of you are asking: " Why are they called Quarky bars? Pfff hello-SPELLING?" Well, it's correct, trust me. I used quark to make these.  I know-next question: "What is quark?". I asked that too.

Quark is all over Germany and pretty common in Europe. It's a fresh dairy product, kind of like a ricotta cheese. It is not however, like ricotta, because ricotta is cooked and quark is just warmed and strained. It's not like cottage cheese because that is made with rennet, quark is not. It's basically a great cheesy and silky low fat replacement for high fat creamy cheeses as it doesn't have a lot of flavour (so can be used in sweet and savoury dishes), no added salt and it's high in protein! Yes, I'll eat quark thank you.

I had picked wild blueberries with my kids so we had tons of them just waiting to be eaten-they're SO GOOD.  Tiny little pockets of sweet sweet goodness. And I had a couple of lemons, so naturally-these bars were born.

I have been wanting to come up with a healthier crust though, something that is not full of butter and flour or graham crackers...and well, I'm pretty sure I've done it! It holds up well to the topping and these bars can be cut up into tiny squares for a little bite of dessert without falling apart. Oh YES-did I mention no refined sugar in these either?  I should have because that's AWESOME.

Crust:
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup ground oats
Pinch salt
3-4 tbsp coconut oil, room temperature
3-4 tbsp date paste
(I whizzed up dates in my blender)

Filling:
375g 0.25% Quark (1 small container)
Zest and juice from two lemons
2 eggs
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup fresh wild blueberries

Pre heat oven to 350.

Grind up the almonds if you haven't bought them already ground.  As fine as you can, but not almond butter. Then pulse up your oatmeal too. Mix it together with a pinch of salt.
If you don't have date paste, just blend up some dates. That's what I did. I let mine sit in some water for about half an hour and used that water to help loosen up the process.

Add about 3 tbsp of coconut oil and 3 tbsp of the date paste to the almond mixture and mash around with a fork.  It will come together, but if you need a bit more, add the extra tablespoons.  You want to be able to squish it together with your fingers and have it hold together, but it shouldn't be wet.

Press into an 8 x 8 pan.  (I used a 7 x 11 pan, but they're both 2 quarts and I'm sure it will turn out fine).
Bake crust in pan for 10 minutes. Let cool. Ooo-this would make an awesome pie crust too...anyway...

While the crust is baking, whisk up the filling ingredients minus the blueberries.
Pour filling onto the cooled crust. Sprinkle with blueberries.

Bake for 35 minutes or until just the very middle is slightly jiggly and let cool.
Try not to eat the entire pan. Did I mention my kids loved these too? They did. It was sort of gross how much they shoved into their little mouths at once. But I'll take it as a compliment.

I found it was best after sitting in the fridge for a few hours and getting REALLY cold, but it's also really good after sitting at room temperature for a bit.  Although just try not to eat this immediately while it's sitting in front of you. Just try.

I would tell you it's good left in the fridge for a week but there's no way it will last that long. And it certainly didn't in my fridge so no guarantee.

There you have it! Go get quarky!

Chocolate Almond Bark

Well...sort of. It's a little softer than actual bark...but it is soooo melty and delicious I'm pretty sure you won't care what I call it. We can call it soft bark...or sark if that's better for you. Chocolate Almond Sark.

But guys!  I MADE chocolate!  I know what you're probably thinking...are you some sort of wizard?  How can you possibly create something so delicious from nothing? Well-I'm going to tell you, you lucky duck.

Oh-I'm also going to tell you it's good for you.  That's right.  Not broccoli good for you, but let's say this: Cacao nibs have fibre, magnesium and antioxidants.  They can also improve your mood (obviously..hello, chocolate!). Coconut oil contains lauric acid that can kill bacteria and viruses.  Maple syrup contains antioxidant compounds and is absorbed more slowly in the body than refined white sugar.  It's also the tastiest stuff around.  Oh-and it comes from a tree, how can that really be bad for you? Almonds lower cholesterol and lower the risk of weight gain.  Boom.  This snack just made you healthier...and probably more attractive.

So I had some raw cacao nibs.  Some WHAT? RAW CACAO NIBS.  These are what cocoa is made from everyone (the cocoa with no added sugar, not hot chocolate mix-that would be too amazing).  They don't taste good on their own.  Even though they sort of look like chocolate chips. They are not. Trust me. DON'T BE FOOLED. Certainly need some sweetness. Anyway, I knew I had to make something out of them and so I tried THIS:

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cacao nibs
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted.
1 cup real maple syrup
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups roasted almonds

First thing, I roast my own almonds.  I find the raw almonds usually cheaper, and roasting is ridiculously easy. Throw the almonds on a baking sheet and in the oven at 425.  Watch them closely.  If you smell them, or start to see them get dark and crack, take them out!  Usually about 8-10 minutes.
But if you have some that are already roasted, hooray!

How to do it:
Blend the cacao nibs in a food processor.  It takes a few minutes for them to really grind up.  You want them to be like coffee grounds, pretty fine.

Next, add the coconut oil. You don't need to be fancy and add it while it's running but if it makes you feel like you're in a cooking show, feel free. I do that sometimes.

Next the maple syrup.  Same deal.  And the vanilla....and the salt.  I know, this is a really simple recipe.


Stir in the almonds.  I couldn't even wait for them to cool so apparently that's not a big deal.

I threw some parchment paper in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan and poured the mixture in.  I stuck it in the fridge and let it set up...this happened pretty quickly!  You could put it in the freezer too.

And I'd say after about 30 minutes or so...you've got your almond sark!

WARNING: This WILL melt in your hands (although I ate it so fast it didn't really have time)...

P.S.  Chocolate can be good for you-this is just one example!  Enjoy and know you're doing your body good. It is possible to treat yourself and have it be good for you too. Just don't leave it on the counter...messy.