MUSHROOMS ON TOAST

Mushrooms are a great source of Vitamin D and Iron! They are also low in calories which is great if you are watching your weight! I really like mushrooms on toast its not only delicious but a great way to boost your immune system if you are feeling run down. Mushrooms also can boost your metabolism because they have Vitamin B which is vital for turning food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which the body needs/burns to produce energy. Not to mention they taste good! Enjoy!!!

Yields 2 Pieces of Mushrooms on Toast

INGREDIENTS:

4 Cups of Mushrooms (I used a mix of Shiitake (remember to take the stems off) and Oyster mushrooms)
1-2 TBSP of Olive Oil
1/4 Cup of Fresh Sage - chopped
1/4 Cup of Fresh Thyme - chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic - minced or pressed
Salt and Pepper - as desired
Bread (Gluten free or Vegan Crackers can be used too)
 

DIRECTIONS:

Olive oil the pan and let it heat up on medium heat. Throw in your mushrooms and let that saute. The water will come out of the mushrooms.

Once the water comes out it will start to evaporate. When the water is nearly gone, throw in your garlic, sage, thyme and salt and pepper. The mushrooms will start to absorb the flavors at this point.

Continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes on medium heat. As they start to get golden brown you can reduce the heat.

Put you bread in the toaster and do your thing.

Spread the mushrooms on the toast and drizzle some of the juices from the pan on top and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

GLUTEN FREE MAPLE SYRUP GRANOLA

This gluten free granola is delicious and can add a crunch to any breakfast or an amazing snack! The nuts you put in your granola are filled with plant based protein and omega 3 fatty acids that are great for heart health. The rolled oats are gluten free and filled with fiber that is essential for digestion. The dried cranberries I used for this granola and raisins are filled with antioxidants and natural sugars (carbs) as well as some vitamin C. Granola is a great thing to prepare on the weekend and eat throughout the week because it stores well, makes a great healthy snack and is great for kids. ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups of Gluten Free Rolled Oats
1/2 - 1 Cup of Walnuts (rushed roughly)
1/2 - 1 Cup of Almonds (rushed roughly)
1/2 TSP of Cinnamon
1/4 TSP of Salt
1/2 Cup of Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup of Vegetable Oil
1 TSP of Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup of Cranberries
1/2 Cup of Raisins
 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven on bake to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl mix the rolled oats, nuts, cinnamon and salt - mix it all together

In another smaller bowl add in your maple syrup, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Whisk together. 

Drizzle the maple syrup mixture over the rolled oats and nut mixture and mix all together till the oats and nuts is evenly coated and there are no lumps.

Spread the bowl of ingredients on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

Bake the granola in the oven for 25 minutes or until it starts to golden.

Once golden remove from the oven and let cool before adding in your dried fruit. Mix and store in a airtight container (It should stay good for apx 2 weeks).

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

BABA's MACEDONIAN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP - GLUTEN FREE!

After the holidays I was feeling rundown and definitely craved some of Baba's (Macedonian for Grandmother) Chicken Noodle Soup. She makes he broth from scratch so with her guidance I was able to replicate her soup. Since we will be makings everything from scratch you can control your salt and therefore your sodium level. Also I used rice noodles so that we can keep it gluten free. If you are not feeling well Baba's Chicken Noodle is definitely a good way to go because it is packed with nutrients from the vegetables used to create the broth. ENJOY

INGREDIENTS:

1 Whole Chicken
1 TBSP Salt (to wash the chicken)
1-2 TBSP White Vinegar (to wash the chicken)
3 Carrots (Chopped)
3 Celery Branches (Chopped)
3 Small Onions (Cut in quarters)
1 Whole Clove of Garlic (cut in half)
1 Lemon (you will need the zest and the juice)
2 Egg Yokes
Rice Noodles (use as much as desired)
Salt and Pepper as desired
 

DIRECTIONS:

Wash chicken in cold water. To wash further, rub with a bit of white vinegar and a bit of salt to kill any bacteria

Cut chicken in halves or quarters and remove any excess fat

Place chicken in deep pot and add cold water (about 3 litres per kg of chicken), and 1 tablespoon of salt

Bring water to a boil and then turn to medium heat uncovered

During the first 5 minutes of boiling, skim the excess fat and foam that rises to the top

After you have skimmed, add the chopped onion, celery, carrots and garlic

Cover and let boil on low to medium heat for 1.5 hours or until chicken is cooked

Remove chicken and set aside to cool

Remove carrots and set aside to cool

Remove onions, celery, and garlic to a strainer. Use ladel to mash this mixture through the strainer into the soup. Do this for 5 minutes and discard anything that doesn't go through strainer

Add zest of 1 lemon. Add a bit of salt to season, if necessary

In a medium bowl, mix 2 egg yokes, the juice of 1 lemon and a bit of cold water. Give it a good wisk for 2-3 minutes.

Add noodles to pot. As they are cooking, slowly add about 4-5 ladels of stock to the egg mixture, stirring as you do it. This will bring the egg mixture up to temperature of the stock and will make sure the yokes dont cook.

When noodles are half way done, slowly add the egg and stock mixture back into the pot, ladel by ladel

Remove skin off chicken and shred or chop chicken to your liking. Add back to the soup with the carrots

Remove from heat and cover to hang out for a few minutes or serve right away.

When serving, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some fresh cracked pepper make it perfect!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

AVOCADO TOAST - GLUTEN FREE VERSION, VEGETARIAN, VEGAN AND PALEO FRIENDLY

I ♥ Avocado toast! I seriously could eat it everyday. I was doing a plant based diet in the summer and this was one of my go-to breakfast options. Avocado is rich in oils and fat that your body needs on a daily basis. Yes avocado is full of fat but its good fat that keeps your hair shiny, healthy and stops it from falling out and your nails strong - believe me there are worst things I can eat. You can obviously eat this on toast as it is just as easy to make but I like to use rice crackers for their gluten free properties. I used to use gluten free bread and tried a bunch of different kinds but I like this better. Also its super easy to make when your in a rush in the morning.

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 Rice Cakes (depends how many you want)
1/4-1/2 and Avocado (I usually do 1/4 per rice cake)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 - 1/2 a lime (juice) I like lots of lime juice!

DIRECTIONS:

Mash and spread the avocado onto your rice cracker.

Salt and Pepper

Sprinkle Lime on top and serve.

*You should serve it or eat it right away because the rice cracker will absorb all the moisture and start to get soggy. 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

FRUIT SALAD

I like making fruit salad and keeping it in the fridge. Sometimes its hard to eat all the fruit you buy and this is a great way to get you reaching for them as a snack instead of chips or chocolate. I also find that if you take the prep out of it and all the fruit is already washed and cut kids/tennagers will eat more for it too. I also like to use it as topping on some granola and yogurt in the morning or even on pancakes as a substitute for syrup. It may seem like a pretty easy idea but some people add orange juice and liqueur but I dont think that's needed.

INGREDIENTS:

Berries - mix of any kind you like (I used blueberry, blackberry and raspberry)*
1 Can of Peaches slices in light syrup (796 ml) (Chopped Small but keep syrup)
1 Apple (Chopped Small)
1/4 Cantaloupe (Chopped Small)

*You can add any fruit you like, I would of added strawberries and pears as well but the ones at the stores weren't very good

DIRECTIONS

Open canned peaches and pour out the syrup into a large bowl - this will be your base.

Cut the peaches that remain in the can into smaller pieces.

Wash the berries and add them to the cut up peaches and syrup.

Cut up cantaloupe into small pieces as well as apple. Add it to the bowl - mix and serve.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!