Tag

healthy

Browsing
Italy

Marinara Stuffed Round Zucchini

By
Marinara Stuffed Round Zucchini

A homemade Marinara Sauce served in a lightly roasted Round Zucchini topped with a smooth Bechamel and served on olive oil spaghetti to have a different twist to your next pasta dish. When the season comes again for those lovely little round zucchini/courgette, I’m the first one in line to buy them! They are fantastic; you just fill them up with any kind of fillings and set them on top of rice, quinoa or in this case pasta, so adaptable! For this Marinara Stuffed Round Zucchini, I thought it would make a nice little bomb of flavour to have the Marinara sauce hidden in the roasted zucchini. It’s a kinda ‘Ratatouille’ type of sauce in the end. The format is different, but the idea is the same, and the only difference is… I’ve added a thick béchamel on top to make it extra smooth. Homemade Marinara Sauce For this recipe, I’ve done…

View Post
breakfast

Vegan Banana Oatmeal Cookies

By
Vegan Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Easy Vegan Banana Oatmeal Cookies are made with a splash of maple syrup, walnuts and coconut oil—an excellent snack for a busy morning on the go or the kid’s lunch box. Ultra easy and moist Vegan Banana Oatmeal Cookies are done in no time, the perfect lifesaver on a busy day or to fill up your kid’s belly at school. Plus, who doesn’t like cookies? Easy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies with Bananas is a fun recipe to do with the kids, a great way to make the kids learn to cook, and impossible to miss! It’s also an excellent way to eliminate those old bananas that nobody wants to touch on the counter. The darker the banana, the tastier the cookie! Maple Syrup vs. Other Sweeteners Ok, I must say… coming from the land of Maple syrup; Canada, I’m not unbiased here, but I’ll try anyway. Maple syrup is known to…

View Post
Appetizers

Zucchini Carpaccio

By
Carpaccio de zucchini

Highlighting the zucchini at its best! Zucchini Carpaccio is thin slices of zucchini complimented with cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. Simply divine! I’ve first tried, Zucchini Carpaccio, not in Italy, but in Spain! In a small Catalan village called Montblanc, right next to Barcelona. Such a simple, elegant and delicate appetizer. I would never have imagined that raw zucchini could taste something… Was my first try at raw zucchini… and I’ve got pleasantly surprised! First of all, there is a really nice crunch to it and it’s got a super delicate taste that allows the extra-virgin olive oil to shine through. Cut Finely is the Secret It’s such a light and beautiful appetizer. All you’ll need is a mandoline or a talent to cut really fine slices. You would think the protagonist’s food here is the zucchini, but it’s also the olive oil! So bring out…

View Post
Main Meals

Beetroot and Quinoa Burgers

By
beetroot and quinoa burgers

These baked beetroot and quinoa burgers are gluten-free, making them ultra-healthy. The earthy patties are made with chickpeas, onion, garlic, strawberries, pistachios and an egg. Those red fritters will go in any bun perfectly. Red beetroot, red quinoa, red pepper and why not a few strawberries to make it extra red and tasty? Those red patties are a great alternative to falafel or meat. They go where you like them to go, whether it’s a veggie burger, a wrap, a salad or a snack. Since I’ve used the famous buckwheat flour, these beetroot and quinoa burgers are gluten-free. Depending on what you intend to do with them, you have to do different shapes. To Serve with Serve them with various vegetables on the table, and everyone does their mix. You can add excellent tzatziki, mayo or an avocado-tahini sauce (check my recipe here). A few recommended sidekicks would be;  avocado, goat…

View Post
Appetizers

Avocado Coleslaw

By
avocado-coleslaw-with-cilantro

Avocado coleslaw with cilantro and lime perfectly combines classical mayo slaw with Mexican guacamole. A healthier and yummier version of coleslaw! Super fast and easy recipe to make in the food processor, plus ultra healthy. This green avocado coleslaw with lime and cilantro side dish is perfect for anything grilled on the BBQ! The recipe is a standard coleslaw with extra fresh cilantro, lime and creamy avocado. So simple! Healthier than Mayo A healthy and creamy avocado coleslaw Everyone likes a creamy mayo coleslaw… but your heart, not so much. This coleslaw contains none of the saturated fat from mayo. Only the ‘good type of fat’ from avocados lowers your LDL or bad cholesterol. This avocado dressing is an excellent alternative to the classic mayo coleslaw; it adds this bright Mexican flavour. How can you resist? Forget about this old, outdated version of coleslaw and make this version your new…

View Post
Fish & Sea Food

Salmon on quinoa and bean salad

By
Salmon on quinoa and bean salad

Salmon on quinoa and white bean salad is a great summer dish. The beauty about salmon; it doesn’t contains Mercury like in tuna, swordfish,etc. Mercury as we know is hazardous for our health. Wild salmons on the other end, they eat mainly krill or underwater vegetation, which contains no mercury.  That is when they are coming from the wild, but most of salmon you’ll find in markets comes from fish farms and eat soy and corn. Salmon is also fully packed with vitamins, omega-3 and so much more, to keep our brains and nerves on a good path. Salmon is considered a “fatty” fish, do not worry… the “good” kind of fat; meaning, it’s way easier to cook, it will keep moist more easily than a lean fish, which make the fish suitable for high heat cooking methods like BBQ, grill, searing in a pan, oven, etc. The salad is a delicious lukewarm red quinoa, white…

View Post
Appetizers

Caesar Salad with Chicken and Caperberries

By
Cesar Salad with Chicken and Capers

Caesar Salad with Chicken and Caperberries is an healthier version from the traditional one. It doesn’t contain as much sauce, nor too much olive oil. Also, I’ve cut on the bacon bits, back in Canada, some people could crucify me for this…sorry. And finally, I took off the anchovies, which I learned while researching for the recipe, was not in the original Caesar Salad. Actually the creator, Caesar Cardini, an Italian restaurateur living in San Diego and also working in Mexico, apparently didn’t like anchovies at all. So, this time, I’ve exchanged all those “side” ingredients and add caperberries instead.  It contrast perfectly the creamy dressing and give the salad that extra touch of savory it needs, without saying… it’s way healthier than bacon… Another fact about Caesar Salad, which I didn’t know is, that the original recipe contains Worcestershire sauce. Surprising to learn that; an Italian living in the USA, working in Mexico, add a British ingredient…

View Post
Desserts

Strawberry crumble

By
Strawberry crumble

This is the healthiest alternative to a conventional crumble, and obviously it’s equally delicious! Is there someone on this earth who doesn’t like strawberries? All you’ll need for this recipe is a bunch of those “ruby jewels” that is strawberries and some good old friend: oat. It’s such an easy and simple dessert, that nobody should be able to resist. I, personally, am a big fan of fruity dessert, although I try to cut on the sugar, with this recipe though, I get to eat a fruity and crunchy bite in a healthier way. So let’s get those oven proof ramekin or small pot you own and let’s get that fruity bite ready! Strawberry crumble Makes 1 portion Ingredients 8 sliced strawberries 3 tbsp oat 1 tbsp melted butter 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 tbsp flour 1 tbsp of maple sirup (or honey) 1 tsp white sugar pinch of salt Directions Bring the…

View Post
Main Meals

Cauliflower Mornay

By
Cauliflower gratin

Cauliflower Mornay is basically a cheesy béchamel sauce covering cooked cauliflower with some aromatics to give it un ‘Je ne sais quoi’. So simple and impossible to miss, a great way to make the kids eat their veggies. What is Mornay? First of all, a Mornay sauce is basically the same as a béchamel sauce but with cheese to it, making this lovely golden gratin finish on top! A perfect sauce to make your kids fall in love with any type of veggies. Cauliflower Mornay comes without using a crazy amount of cheese or butter. Yes, you’ve heard me, it’s mostly milk in there! There is a spoon or two of butter, some flour and cheese amount is up to you again, if you prefer a lighter meal go lower… but in the end, compared to the famous Hollandaise this Mornay sauce is a tad healthier. A great sidekick to…

View Post
Side Dishes

Indian Cauliflower

By
curry cauliflower

Cauliflower have such delicate taste and texture, why not give it an edge and spice it up a bit. Last week, I saw that nice recipe cauliflower-paneer-kofta-curry on the exquisite “Curry trail” blog, and I felt inspired, only problem is the balls are fried and since I’m on an eternal diet… I should cut out the frying, so I did a simplification and healthier version. I’m not an “extra spicy” kind of person, I like it in moderation… So I used only 3 tbsp of Garam Masala spice (which is spicy), but it’s totally up to you, just add 2 more of those spoons of Garam Masala spice and you’ll get a rock n roll cauliflower! I saw other recipes and mix it to my taste, for exemple, I add a little green cardamom seeds, and a squeeze of lime at the end, it end up being a success. Also you can make…

View Post
EN
FR EN