Resolve to Eat Breakfast…Breakfast Cookies

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Happy New Year everyone!

Right about now, many of you might be launching into some healthy eating resolutions. January 1st never really works since after the party, what you really want is to sleep in and have a big, rich brunch. Then you might need a couple of days to focus on what you want the New Year to bring…which leads you to the weekend so you can prepare to make it happen. Personally, I love the ‘blank slate’ feeling of January. In reality, you can vow to evolve and change on a daily basis but there is a lot of tradition and cultural support for making a fresh start at the turn of the year.

So Heather and I thought we would share our slightly different spin on New Year’s resolutions. To us, dietary change as a whole works better when it is focused, concrete and sustainable. When you focus on building new, positive habits you avoid the deprivation trap and eventually the less positive habits get crowded out. It might not be as dramatic as a juice cleanse but it is sustainable!

So for the first weeks of 2013, we would like to offer our suggestions on healthy eating resolutions that will not only make you healthier but will actually be possible to maintain long term. Because of course, a resolution that you pick up every year in January and drop every year by February 1st doesn’t exactly spell real change.

For this week, we are taking our mother’s advice and advocating that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Here’s why…

1. You need to break the fast: As you sleep, your body has to switch from storing energy to liberating it to keep your organs and brain fueled with glucose. In order to do that, hormones such as glucagon and cortisol (the stress hormone!) rise and help convert stored energy into useful forms. When you eat breakfast within 2 hours of rising, the morning meal sends a signal that the fast is indeed over and the balance of hormones can shift into a fed, relaxed state. If you don’t, your hormones continue to work hard to keep your body running, which can lead to cravings, crabbiness and sluggishness.

2. You will set a good example for the kids (and for your future self!): In the morning we tend to have stronger willpower (there’s that old ‘fresh start’ again!) than at the end of the day and consciously eating a very healthful breakfast helps set the eating tone for the rest of the day. Bolstered by a good meal, you just might choose another good meal at lunch. For those of you with kids, modeling healthy eating behaviours pays off!

3. It will help you stay trim. There is some evidence that breakfast eaters weigh less than those who regularly skip it. This probably has to do with hormonal and metabolic response to prolonged fasting but the evidence is still a work in progress.

Convinced? Great! So…what should you actually eat for breakfast? Anything is better than nothing but certain foods are clearly better than others.

A medley of white flour, fat and white sugar will send your own blood sugars soaring and keep you on a blood sugar rollercoaster for the rest of the day. What you want is a meal that will help provide a slow, steady rise in blood sugars to hit the ‘reset’ button on your metabolism. Whole, intact grains, nuts, seeds and lean proteins, along with some fruit or veggies are a nice combination.

Here are a few options to try, some of which you can prep the night before for those who can’t think straight before 8:00AM:

- Scrambled eggs and spinach with a slice of sprouted grain toast. Bake the egg mixture in muffin cups for a make-ahead option.
- A smoothie with silken tofu, Greek yogurt or plant-based protein powder and fruit. Bonus marks for throwing a bit of kale or spinach in with your blueberries!
- Hard-boiled eggs and a piece of fruit for those in a super rush!
- Cottage cheese layered with berries, a bit of high fibre cereal, chopped nuts and ground flax seeds
- Our Brilliant Breakfast Cookie…ta da!

breakfast cookies - round & stacked

Brilliant Banana Breakfast Cookies

Makes 15 cookies.

Why are these cookies so brilliant? Because they are made from whole foods, with all their fibre, protein and slow-burning energy intact. Make them on the weekend and have an on-the-go breakfast ready when you are. Enjoy them with a skim milk or organic soy latte or crumble them over Greek yogurt to add vital protein to help you stay energized all morning long.

3/4 cup oat flour - if you can’t find oat flour, you can make it yourself by pulsing oats in a food processor until they are fine as flour
3/4 cup large flake oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

If you want to toast the walnuts, roast them in a preheated 375°F oven for 4-6 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together oat flour, oats, coconut, flax and salt. Stir in toasted walnuts and dried apricots.
In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork and stir in coconut oil, agave syrup and vanilla. Add banana mixture to flour mixture and fold until combined.
The dough for these cookies is pretty easy to handle so we recommend getting your hands dirty!

Run a little coconut oil on the inside of a 3 inch square or round cookie cutter so dough doesn’t stick. Place cookie cutter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add a small handful of cookie dough into the cookie cutter and lightly press the dough down with your fingertips. Aim for about a 1/2 inch thickness. Repeat until the baking sheet is full and cookies are about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Allow to cool 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

These breakfast cookies are perfect for freezing. They will keep for 1-2 months in the freezer. Simply remove from the freezer the night before and grab’n go for a quick breakfast in the morning.

Turkey Leftover Idea – Thai Pizza

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pizza thai turkeyThe holiday turkey dinner may be scrumptious, but there is nothing like the yummy leftovers re-created into more family meals in the lazy days after Christmas. My dad loves to make a basic turkey sandwich for breakfast the next day and my aunt loves to take the bones home to make a hearty turkey soup. My sister loves to create mashed potato turkey bowls with all the leftovers. Oh ya, I live in foodie heaven when I’m at home with my family.

There always seems to be a little bit of turkey left and we’re not quite sure what to do with it. That’s when I step in and spice up a pizza with colourful Thai flavours and leftover turkey. This is one of my favourite standby meals that’s super quick and easy to make and uses up leftover turkey, chicken or tofu – whatever you’ve got in your fridge. Whole wheat pitas make a tasty thin crust that’s crunchy and requires no prep work. This is a lovely fresh flavoured pizza thanks to its colourful vegetables and peanut sauce. It’s delicious piping hot from the oven or slightly chilled for breakfast or lunch the next day.

pizza thai turkey uncooked with cilantropizza thai turkey unslicedThai Turkey Pizza
Makes 4 small pizzas

4 whole wheat pitas
4 Tbsp peanut sauce - I like to use spicy peanut sauce
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup leftover cooked turkey - you can substitute chicken or tofu
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
handful of fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place whole wheat pitas on a baking sheet. Spread 1 Tablespoon of peanut sauce on each pita. Divide vegetables between pitas. I like to start with grated carrot, red pepper and then green onion. Divide turkey on each pita. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted and starts to turn golden brown. Cut each pizza into 4 pieces. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro stems and leaves.
This pizza is delicious served cold for breakfast or lunch.

Salted Rosemary Chocolate Cookies

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rosemary choc cookies - stacked close upIt’s been awhile. Life has definitely gotten in the way this month. It’s sad when you’re so busy you haven’t had time to bake those famous family holiday cookies. But don’t you worry. It all changes today. A little time off and to the kitchen I go to whip up those tasty family treats.

Nothing beats those holiday goodies that grandma or mom bake for you. They add that little something extra that makes them so delicious and special. My grandma always said it was love and good cheer that she added to make them extra scrumptious.

I’ve been experimenting with chocolate cookies the last couple of years. They have become the cookie that everyone asks me to bring to a party, potluck or just because they have a craving. It’s such a great feeling when something you created becomes the special cookie that friends and family crave. The combination of rosemary and chocolate with a touch of salt has become a real favourite. While you might not think that rosemary and chocolate go together, dark chocolate seems to bring out the cool evergreen flavour of rosemary for the perfect wintery cookie.

rosemary choc cookies

Salted Rosemary Chocolate Cookies
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
fleur de sel or good quality salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
In an electic mixer, cream butter, sugars and fresh rosemary together over medium speed until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well combined. Add vanilla and combine.
Over low speed, stir flour mixture into creamed butter mixture until combined. Stir in dark chocolate chips.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Press cookies down slightly with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup powdered with cocoa powder. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of fleur de sel or other good quality salt.
Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until just set. Cool slightly and transfer to cooling rack.

rosemary choc cookies2
The rosemary in these cookies adds a wonderful aroma to your home while baking. And they are absolutely scrumptious while still warm. They entice both your tastebuds and sense of smell when you eat them, which I think gives off a little zen feeling or maybe that’s just me. I like to keep a batch of this cookie dough in the freezer so I can bake a fresh batch or maybe just 2 cookies whenever someone’s got a craving. To freeze cookie dough, simply prepare cookies and roll into 1 inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze in the freezer until frozen solid. Transfer to a freezer bag or container and save up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove the amount of cookies you want from the freezer, preheat oven, flatten cookies, sprinkle with salt and bake as above. Enjoy!

Some Cold Weather Comfort…Homemade Mac and Cheese

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I have a confession to make…I grew up on Kraft Dinner. There was plenty of vegetables and real food lovin’ at home but from time to time, I loved my KD. I loved the very orange-yness of it, which I would make extra creamy with lots of butter. Amazing how I never wondered why milk was white but cheese was orange!

So the first time I tasted homemade mac and cheese, it was pretty underwhelming. Nature can have a hard time pushing the manufactured flavour buttons that processed foods set off in your tastebuds. If you just put a bit of cheese in a white sauce and call it mac and cheese, it will taste more like mac and white sauce. Not exactly worth the calories!

In my university years, my tastes became more sophisticated and I started eating Annie’s macaroni and cheese. Somehow it never occurred to me to make my own until a few years ago. I have tried several recipes but never found one that exactly suited my tastes. Since I can’t leave well enough alone, this recipe of course has beans and extra veggies so I can think of it as a ‘real meal’. Let’s just say that this one falls into the ‘sometimes foods’ category. Enjoy it with something nice and green, after a long, rainy day at the park (or the pumpkin patch!).

Mac and Cheese and More
Adapted from Spilling the Beans by Julie Van Rosendaal and Sue Duncan

Serves 6-8

250g macaroni, I used Tinkyada Brown Rice macaroni
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup white wine or water
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups sharp white cheddar, I used L’Ancetre raw milk cheddar.
1/2 tsp salt
385ml can of white beans such as navy or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 head of cauliflower, florets crumbled with a knife and stalks cut into 1/2 cm cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions, undercooking by 1-2 minutes. Add cauliflower stems to pasta 1 minute before its done. Drain, rinse and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Whisk in milk, white wine and mustard. Add garlic and rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, whisking the entire time, letting the sauce thicken. Turn off heat and stir in cheese until melted then add salt.

Place pasta, cauliflower and beans in a 9×13 baking dish and pour sauce over it and mix through. Bake for 15 minutes and enjoy.

October Unprocessed…DIY Nut Butter

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My mom loves peanut butter. She loves it so much that as kids we gifted her with a peanut butter maker. It was a two foot tall peanut character with arms and legs. When you turned its arm, it churned out crunchy or smooth butter made from fresh peanuts. Besides the fact that it was so cool to make your own nut butter, the freshly churned peanut butter was oh so delicious. It’s a wonderful food memory that got me excited to tackle this DIY unprocessed challenge to make my own nut butter again.

I really have no idea why I haven’t tried making it again. Even for such a foodie as myself, it’s easy to forget how simple it is to make some of our most basic everyday grub. Not only is it fairly easy to prepare, making your own nut or seed butter also allows you to be creative with flavours and to try out a variety of different nuts or seeds. After all, variety is the spice of life!


For this spreadable task, we decided to bring together some of our favourite flavours. Chai tea spice pairs sweet cardamom, spicy cinnamon and cloves with a bold hint of white pepper. We swirled this well loved spice mix into almond butter. Rather than blend up good old peanut butter, we added some BC grown hazelnuts to the mix for a unique new favourite.  

DIY Nut or Seed Butter
Just a few notes to help you get started. Doing it yourself means you’re in control of everything – the ingredients, how it’s made and how it’s flavoured. After all, this is the whole point of going unprocessed anyway. You can really choose to use whatever nut or seed your taste buds desire. You also have the option of going with a raw or roasted butter. Raw butter has a milder earthy flavour, while roasted butter has a bolder rich flavour. You can also choose how much you’d like to make. I recommend starting with 2 cups of nuts or seeds to try it out and then building your butter from there. Smooth or crunchy? Naked or flavoured? The answers are up to you.

Roasting Nuts and Seeds
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spread nuts or seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Roast nuts for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Roast seeds for about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Keep a close eye on roasting nuts or seeds as they can go from golden brown to burnt really quickly. I usually like to check them every couple of minutes.
Allow roasted nuts or seeds to cool slightly.


Churning Nuts and Seeds into Butter
If you prefer a crunchy butter, save a small handful of nuts or seeds and chop or pulse in the food processor to create small pieces to add crunch to the smooth butter.
Place raw or roasted nuts and seeds into a food processor and blend until nuts or seeds become finely ground. If desired, you can add a little mild or neutral flavoured oil such as coconut, grapeseed or nut oil to help smooth out the butter. Start with 1 tablespoon for 2 cups of nuts or seeds, blend and taste before adding a little bit more. At this point, you can add any flavourings you would like such as a little sweetness, vanilla or spices. Continue to blend until nut or seed butter is smooth.

Scrumptious Flavours: Using the ingredients listed below create these nut butters following the instructions above. 

Hint of Hazelnut Peanut Butter
1-1/2 cups raw peanuts
1/2 cup raw BC grown hazelnuts

Almond Chai Butter
2 cups whole raw almonds
1 Tbsp mild flavoured oil such as coconut oil, grapeseed or nut oil
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1-1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground white pepper


October #Unprocessed…DIY Fresh…Lunchables

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I remember when Lunchables first came out. I think I must have been 5 or 6 years old. They were, like, the ‘coolest thing ever !!!’ As with all the bright, shining foods advertised on the Saturday morning cartoons, I had to have them (what’s that about the nag factor?). Unlike the sugary cereals I simply dove into for the toy and then threw into the cupboard uneaten, I really liked Lunchables. They were made for kids! They were packed so none of the food touched! I could make a cheese cracker or a cheese and ham cracker, or just a cracker! A-may-zing!

Never mind that my favourite snack was already a plate of cheese, pickles, olives, meats and crackers that I simply cut myself. Because Lunchables were pre-packed, they were BETTER. Oy…how my opinion has changed. So have Lunchables! Not just “cheese” and “meat” anymore: they contain sandwich cookies, BBQ chicken “shakers” and Kool-Aid. The cheese is processed and the meat is light on actual meat. Not exactly the lunch of champions. In addition, buying these individually packed meals is incredibly expensive and generates plenty of waste.

You know what is easy to make at home? Lunch-ables! As a kid, I appreciated being in command of ‘making’ my lunch. As an adult, the concept appeals to me because it is an easy lunch to graze on…for the (not so) rare occasions that I work through lunch. So as our focus on going unprocessed and homemade this month draws to a close, refresh your lunchtime menu and keep it simple with homemade lunch-ables.

Lovely Lunch-ables

A key strategy for helping kids enjoy their lunch is to involve them in making decisions. No, this doesn’t mean that you need to let them eat candy for lunch! Kids can customize their Lunch-ables by choosing from an assortment of healthy options that you purchase and pre-cut. Let kids (and adults!) choose at least one item from each category for a balanced lunch. If you are looking for a lunch box that will work nicely for this type of lunch, look no further. 

1. Proteins: Leftover turkey, chicken or other lean meat; canned light tuna or salmon mixed with a bit of real mayo or lemon and oil; hard-boiled eggs; baked tofu; chick peas, plain or roasted; hummus or white bean dip; nut butters, cheese.

2. Veggies: My favourites include snap peas, carrot sticks, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, sliced kohlrabi or jicama, cherry tomatoes. As the weather gets cooler, you could bake up big batches of yam or squash and slice for snack-sized treats.

3. Fruit: Sprinkle apples and pears with lemon juice to help prevent browning – or try plums, blood oranges, banana, satsumas, grapefruit, berries or summer fruit (while they last!)

4. Healthy Grains: 100% whole grain crackers, pita bread or tortillas. Choose options without hydrogenated oils, preservatives or MSG.

5. Healthy Extras: dried fruit, raw nuts and/or seeds, milk or organic soy milk, plain applesauce, plain yogurt with honey and chopped fruit, homemade muffins or trail mix bars.

October #Unprocessed…DIY a Better Bean

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This is a bean house. I eat beans daily. Tofu, every once in a while. Eggs, pretty regularly. But my heart belongs to beans. Why? Because there is no food more satisfying, versatile and oh yes, economical. Beans and rice, that staple of traditional food cultures the world over, got me through my unpaid internship year. Since Heather and I are going #unprocessed this month, we thought it would be a great time to talk about making beans from scratch. Just for good, old-timey sake!

There are plenty of convenient legume options that will pass the October Unprocessed kitchen test – sprouted, dried beans; frozen beans and canned (withOUT the BHT or EDTA please!). However, the most economical and delicious way to enjoy beans is to soak and boil them yourself. They have a truly wonderful texture when you DIY. Properly soaked and rinsed beans are also easier on the ol’ digestive tract as you wash away some of the resistant starches.

I know you are busy. So am I. You can still soak beans. Here’s how:

The key is to take the assembly line approach and think ahead. Don’t try and cook soak the beans for a recipe the night before. After you boil them, you still have to make dinner. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have 2 hours to get dinner on the table on a Tuesday!

Start at night. When the house is quiet and you aren’t rushing around like mad. Choose a couple of varieties of beans you use most often – for me, this is the white cannelini bean and the black bean. You will need two large pasta pots. Economize prep time by soaking large batches: at least 3-4 cups of each dried bean topped up by enough water to at least give you 4 inches of water above the beans. Soak overnight or for a day.

The next day, once dinner is made and the dishes are done, drain and rinse those beans a couple of times and then fill the pot up with clean water and put those suckers on the stove. Let them boil as you sit back and watch a movie. See how easy this is? Once the beans are fork tender – about 45 – 55 minutes, you can let them cool and portion them into recipe-sized servings (1-2 cups, depending on how many you usually cook for) and toss them in the freezer. Date the bags. Voila! Beans as you need them.

There are plenty of delicious things to do with beans – add them to salads, soups (puree white beans in soups to make them creamy – delish!), mash for dips and sandwiches or add them to pasta. However, as the weather has made a sudden turn for fall, I was looking to cook up some serious comfort food.

Copyright Desiree Nielsen

White Bean, Pumpkin and Cauliflower Gratin

Give the potatoes a rest and up the nutrition quotient by layering cauliflower and pumpkin. You can take this recipe and lighten it up further by substituting light cheddar and evaporated skim milk. But the cream tastes really good…this serves 4-6 as a main course over your favourite whole grain or is sized just right as a side dish for a holiday meal.

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large leek, white and light green part only
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lb sugar pumpkin, peeled and diced into 1 cm cubes
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
2 cups light 10% cream, full fat milk or evaporated skim milk
1 tbsp organic cornstarch or flour
salt and pepper to taste

4 cups cooked cannelini or navy beans (about 2 small cans for those in a rush)
1 large cauliflower, trimmed
2 cups of shredded aged white cheddar or gruyere

Prepare the veggies: thoroughly wash the leek and then slice lengthwise; cut halves into thin slices resembling half moons. Place the cauliflower on the cutting board stem side down and start slicing into very thin, 1/2 cm (1/4 in) slices. Much of the cauliflower will start crumbling but you will end up with enough thin cauliflower steaks to line the bottom of the baking dish.

Cauliflower Copyright Desiree Nielsen

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large, 9 x 12 baking dish, arrange a layer of cauliflower “steaks”. Sprinkle beans over cauliflower and set dish aside.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add leek and sauté until soft and glossy, about 5 minutes. Add pumpkin, garlic, cumin and thyme and turn up the heat a bit. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is soft, about 10 minutes. Add remaining cauliflower crumbles and sage.

Pour the cream over the veggies and heat through. Then, in a small cup, measure out the flour or cornstarch. Add a couple of tablespoons of the hot cream to the flour and whisk with a fork until there are no lumps. Pour the mixture back into the pan, stirring constantly. Allow the cream to thicken slightly and then turn off heat.

Carefully pour the veggie cream sauce over the baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Feel happy.