Inspired Edibles

~ real food, balanced living ~

Cleansing Winter Salad with a Maple-Ginger Vinaigrette

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 cleansing winter salad_blog_4
We’re smack in the middle of it.

The season of abundant indulgence.

So I say, enjoy every moment…

moderation does not have to mean deprivation

and when you’re looking for something to balance out those heavier hitting

sweets & treats

or prop up the symptoms of a cold/flu

 consider this antioxidant rich, cleansing winter salad

 full of flavour & good for you nutrients

~ vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, enzymes and fibre ~

and ready to go in just 15 minutes!

 ~~~~~~
Winter Salad with a Maple-Ginger Vinaigrette

For the Salad:
    • About 4 cups shredded* cabbage, I used a mix of green and red
    • 1 cup arugula (rocket)
    • 2 Golden Delicious apples, skin on and roughly cubed
    • 1 cup broccoli florets, roughly chopped
    • 1 persimmon, skin on roughly cubed
    • 1 cup dried cranberries
    • 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
    • 1/2 cup natural sliced almonds
For the Maple-Ginger Vinaigrette
    • 6 Tbsp olive oil
    • 3 or 4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
    • 2 tsp ground ginger
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 heaping tsp grainy Dijon mustard
    • 1 tsp pure maple syrup
    • Sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste
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Notes:

Serves 4-6
You can make your vinaigrette ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.  It will keep well for up to two days.

I do not use a food processor or blender to shred* cabbage.  I simply use a large chopping knife – I find it works very well.  It’s easy, time efficient and not as much clean-up.

Persimmon, a native Chinese fruit known for its many medicinal uses, is best between October through December (when it is most likely to be found in grocery stores in North America).  The brilliant orange fruit has a soft, juicy interior and is rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C and fibre.  If you can’t find it, clementine slices would be a nice substitute here.

You can turn this salad into a main dish by adding animal or vegetable protein – smoked salmon, sliced chicken, grilled steak, beans, cubed tofu/tempeh…

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Directions:
Assemble all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.

In a small container with fitted lid, place vinaigrette ingredients.  Cover lid and shake vigorously before pouring vinaigrette over salad.  Mix salad ingredients with vinaigrette to combine.

 
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Now, one more matter of business before I leave you today….
Our GIVEAWAY WINNER!!
Drum roll please…
This Year’s Winner of the beautiful Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook according to a Random Number Generator is….
Enter a lower limit:
Enter an upper limit:
Random Number:

Lucky Number 41 which corresponds to MJ over at MJ’s Kitchen!

Thanks to all who participated and Congratulations MJ! ~ I will be in touch shortly with the details.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Red Pear and Gorgonzola ~

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brussels sprouts with pear cranberry and blue cheese_blog

I caught the greatest moment the other morning when I was out walking the dog.

A mother escorted her young son across the street and onto the big yellow-orange school bus where her son made his way into a window seat.  Mom then walked back across the street and onto the sidewalk at which point I expected the bus to start moving forward.  But it didn’t.  Instead, I saw mom and son exchange a series of hand and face signals, slowly and deliberately, ending in the ‘eye heart you’ sign. The bus driver sat patiently while mom and son exchanged their parting ritual, until all seemed right and the driver slowly proceeded on his way.  I stood quietly observing as my body filled with a flush of nostalgia for all the goodbyes – happy and horribly sad – that I had exchanged with my sons at that tender age and so very grateful to the bus driver who apparently understood their significance too.

—————–

I’m not sure how it happened exactly but it seems we are now into the fourth week of November.  In my books, that can only mean one thing: time to start getting our holiday groove on.

So as the holiday momentum gathers, and all the craziness that can represent, I will be showcasing a number of simple and delicious recipes to help with your menu planning and organization – including today’s lovelies.

Now before you dismiss Brussels sprouts as a mean and bitter green, (I saw those judging eyes), you have to try this appetizer on for size.  Even before the pear and blue cheese are added, the roasted sprouts in tandem with olive oil and sea salt are a stand-alone star.  (You could literally snack on them all day – they are *that* good).  Add some garnishes and you’ve got a festive appetizer that is all dressed up for the holidays.  So simple too!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Red Pear and Gorgonzola ~

  • 15 or so fresh Brussels sprouts, cut in half
  • 2 red pears, skin-on sliced
  • Small chunk Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 oz or 60 grams), or other cheese of choice, sliced
  • 30 or so dried cranberries
  • Olive oil
  • Sea salt & coarse black pepper

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Notes:

If you haven’t tried roasted Brussels sprouts before, you are in for an extraordinary experience. I cannot emphasize enough the transformative nature of this process for diminishing the bitterness that can accompany this cruciferous vegetable and drawing out it’s delicious flavour.

And there are plenty of reasons for making them more edible. Brussels sprouts are replete with nutrients including vitamin K, manganese, folate, fibre and vitamin C.  In fact, gram for gram, Brussels sprouts contain nearly fifty percent more vitamin C than an orange!

Brussels sprouts – along with other cruciferous vegetables including cauliflower and broccoli – are also known for their exceptional concentration of cancer-fighting compounds.

Make-Ahead & Reheating:

Roasted Brussels sprouts should be eaten the same day they are made.

However, you can roast the sprouts and assemble the appetizers in the morning and store them in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.  When ready to serve, you can either bring the appetizers to room temperature (give them 20 minutes or so) or you can warm the appies in the oven before serving – I suggest 350 F for about 5 minutes – if you heat them for much longer than that, the blue cheese will melt into a pool of water.  We did experiment with re-heating and it worked very well.  They were delish!

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Directions:

Makes about 30 appetizers

Heat oven to 400 F.

The Brussels sprouts will shrink as they roast, so don’t be concerned about the size you start out with (some of them can be quite robust!).

Place cut Brussels sprouts in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Toss to combine.

Scatter seasoned Brussels sprouts on a foil lined baking sheet.  If the sprouts are not able to stand upright, trim the very tip of the sprout to create a ledge to steady them.  Add a sprinkle of cracked pepper over the sprouts.

brussels sprouts with pear & gorgonzola
Bake sprouts in the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes or until they begin to open up and take on a delicious golden colour.  Be sure to check in on the sprouts somewhere around the half-way mark to give them a shake, stir or flip.

roasted brussels sprouts with pear & gorgonzola

Remove sprouts from oven and allow them to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, assemble sliced pear and cheese.

roasted brussels sprouts with pear and gorgonzola

Once sprouts are cool enough to handle, add a slice of pear to the cut side top of the sprout, followed by a slice of Gorgonzola (or cheese of choice) and top with a cranberry. Hold the layers together with a toothpick and do a little happy dance!

brussels sprouts with pear cranberry and blue cheese_blog

Popcorn Trail Mix ~ Sensible, Portable Snacking

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For me, eating popcorn has always felt a little bit like eating air.

There’s just not a whole lot going on there.

And although I’ve recognized for some time that popcorn is a whole grain that is a perfectly healthy snack (particularly when not slathered in copious amounts of fake butter), still, it has never managed to grab my attention for very long.  Not until now that is. …

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Roasted Butternut Squash & Coconut Curry Soup with Cinnamon Toasted Seeds

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roasted butternut coconut curry squash

I had the uncommon pleasure of a lunchtime visit this week from an out-of-town childhood friend whom I don’t get to see very often.

Since I knew that we were heading out for dinner later in the evening, and since we’ve never been ones to deprive ourselves on such occasions, I decided to keep lunch on the lighter side opting for a warming, full-flavoured seasonal soup.  (We also enjoyed a simple salad which, at my guest’s request, I will be featuring on the blog sometime in the not-so-distant future).

I made this soup the day before our visit, and while the squash was roasting in the oven, I busied myself with other kitchen chores.  I like to set it up that way so that I don’t feel like I’m waiting on the oven.  I especially like to roast vegetables in the morning while I’m in the kitchen preparing breakfasts and lunches for the boys before they head off to school.

You can easily double the quantity of this soup and freeze some for later use.  You can also, as always, modify the ingredients as you see fit.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Coconut Curry Soup with Cinnamon Toasted Seeds

  • 1 large butternut squash, cut into large segments
  • 1 large yellow onions, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp curry powder or to taste
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
  • 1/2 ripe banana, mashed
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 2 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock

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Notes:

If after puréeing, you find the soup too thick, you can simply add additional stock or coconut milk to achieve desired consistency.

You can substitute 1 tsp of brown sugar for the banana if preferred, although the banana flavour is quite mild amidst the other flavours and lends a wonderful natural sweetness to the soup.

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Directions:

Heat oven to 375 F.

Remove seed section from the interior of the squash pieces and separate seeds from stringy pulp attached to them (rinsing pulp off seeds if necessary).

Discard stringy pulp and spread seeds out on a paper towel to dry somewhat.

Place squash pieces on a foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.

Sprinkle squash pieces with a touch of cinnamon and place in the oven for approximately 1 hour or until squash pieces are tender and have begun to acquire a nice roasted colour (brown around the edges).

Remove squash from the oven and allow it to cool before scraping flesh away from the skin and setting aside (you can use a spoon, knife and/or your hands to assist with this).

Meanwhile, sauté onion and garlic with some olive oil in a large pot on the stove set to low-medium heat for approximately 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.

Add curry powder and cumin to the pot, mixing to combine with the onion and garlic.

Add fresh ginger and mashed banana stirring to combine.  Add roasted squash flesh followed by vegetable (or chicken) stock and coconut milk and mix to combine.

Working in batches, place all ingredients in a blender and purée.

Return puréed soup to the pot and make any seasoning adjustments desired — touch of salt, pepper, honey, more curry, etc.  Warm to desired temperature when ready to serve.

Meanwhile, place squash seeds in a small dry skillet set to low heat on the stove (the seeds should still have some moisture/wetness to them to allow the cinnamon to adhere to them – if they don’t, you can simply splash a little water on them).  Sprinkle the seeds with cinnamon and allow them to toast in the skillet for a couple of minutes until they develop a nice rich colour.

When ready, serve soup in bowls topped with cinnamon toasted seeds and a swirl of Greek yogurt, as desired.

Oven-Baked Cinnamon Nutmeg Apple Chips

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It’s hard to imagine a more sensory loaded experience than Autumn.
(except maybe an all boys sleepover birthday party. Just speculating).
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Some of you may recall our trip to the apple orchard last year for our September birthday boy.
A brilliant day in the outdoors with lots of gorgeous, crunchy apples just begging to be played with. Pies, purées, muffins and loaves, so many possibilities for transformation…
This year I wanted to try apple chips!
My first time making them and a happy experiment indeed.  You will not need a dehydrator for these apple chips.  Just your oven and a few spices if you wish (you can also leave them plain – equally delicious).
I highly recommend the use of a mandoline for slicing.  You can do it by hand but unless you have the dexterity of a brain surgeon, it’s a bit of a trick trying to get the slices paper thin.
You can get a hand-held mandoline for about $20.  In my view, it’s well worth it.  I use mine quite often and find it extraordinary helpful. Not only will it make your job easier, you will accomplish the task in a fraction of the time.  I created a tray full of apple slices in less than a minute!
Oven-Baked Cinnamon Nutmeg Apple Chips
  • 2 or 3 gorgeous, juicy, crunchy apples of choice (I used McIntosh)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg, (if you’ve never tasted a fresh grated nutmeg seed – it’s a must try…)
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
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Directions:
Heat oven to 225 F.
Using a mandoline (preferred) or a sharp knife, slice washed apples as thin as possible.  Discard seeds if you like (I find them fairly innocuous).
Place sliced apples on a parchment covered baking sheet (or two baking sheets if needed), trying to separate them out as much as possible (if they overlap, they will not crisp up as well).
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine: cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg and allspice.  Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over apples and place the tray on the upper rack of  the oven for about 1 hour.  Remove tray from oven and carefully flip apples.  Sprinkle with remaining spice mixture or leave plain, as desired. Return tray to oven for another hour or until the apples look gently browned and are beginning to curl around the edges.
I flavoured one side of the apples with spices
and left the other side plain – the pictures show the plain side
Remove tray from oven and allow apple chips to cool slightly before enjoying.
We found most of the apples curled and crisped nicely.  But not all.  A few of them were on the chewier side but these too were tasty – like a healthier version of apple/fruit leather.
You might also enjoy last year’s creation, maple-ginger pumpkin purée over apples:

Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic with Herbed Ricotta & Balsamic

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There’s never been a better time to stroll down to your local market or nearby supplier to scoop up some of these gorgeous, seasonal tomatoes.

From the vast array of colourful heirloom varieties – the thoroughbreds of tomatoes – to these brilliant red, lycopene rich, local cherry tomatoes – they are fragrant, fresh and bursting with flavour.

It won’t be long before commercially produced tomatoes are shipped across the continent to find their way into our grocery stores, a mere shadow of their former selves; nutrient weakened, anemic looking and tasting somewhat like cardboard.

…

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Mint Chocolate Rooibos Iced Tea

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This gorgeous red rooibos tea is one of my favourite discoveries of the year.

South African in origin, rooibos is high in antioxidants and naturally caffeine-free.  It’s gentle sweet flavour pairs beautifully with a number of different fruits, herbs and spices creating a different taste sensation each time.

The featured blend, and subject of my discovery, contains our family’s current favourite: a combination of red rooibos, chocolate, mint and orange.

This tea infusion is so delicious and flavourful you may find yourself reaching for it for dessert – (and believe me, you won’t feel deprived!).

With its negligible calories, health promoting properties and wonderfully refreshing taste, this mint chocolate rooibos iced tea is a perfect choice any time of day.

 

Mint Chocolate Rooibos Iced Tea
For 6 cups of iced tea:
  • 3 Tbsp quality rooibos tea leaves (plan on approximately 1 + 1/2 tsp of tea per cup)
  • 1/3 cup fresh chocolate mint leaves (+ more for garnish)
  • 1 tsp grated dark chocolate or 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Orange slices
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Notes:
You can create your own delicious mint chocolate sensation using the recipe above or you can save yourself a step by using DavidsTea’s delicious mint chocolate rooibos mixture and simply garnishing with mint sprigs and orange slices.
Either way, you will love this one!

 

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Brings 6 cups of fresh cold water to a boil (or just short of a boil) in your kettle.
Combine rooibos tea and chocolate shavings or cocoa powder in an infuser set in a teapot and top with chocolate mint leaves.  Pour heated water over the tea mixture and infuse to taste (ideally somewhere between 5-7 minutes), ensuring that the tea mixture is fully submerged in the water.
Remove infuser.  Pour tea over ice filled glasses, adding orange slices and fresh mint for garnish.  Place any remaining tea in a container in fridge to cool with additional orange slices and mint (lately I’ve been keeping a full pitcher going in the fridge – we can’t seem to get enough!).

 

Crispy Roasted Chili Lime Chickpeas

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roasted-chickpeas[1]

I’ve been dying for an excuse to make these amazing roasted chickpeas that I’ve been savouring vicariously over the blogosphere.

So when the sun gave way to clouds last week and the temperature started to dip, I decided to spark up the oven and get some chili lime action going on.

I’m also conscious – sort of – of the fact that our boys will be heading back to school in a couple of weeks (oh no, say it ain’t so!) and I’m always on the lookout for new and delicious snacks to send them off with – or to have at home when they return from school famished. …

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Medi-Mexi Salsa Verde

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With the summer heat hitting us hard, we are all looking for ways of enjoying seasonal foods without turning on the oven.
I’ve had my blender out on the counter for weeks now – no point storing it – smoothies, chilled soups and salsas are the orders of the season and I couldn’t be happier.  A perfect way to mix up some of nature’s best and work in those delicious fresh vegetables and fruit that sometimes get overlooked during the long winter months (well, some of us have long winters anyway…).
Although I’m not one to turn down salsa of any kind, salsa verde has always been a favourite.  There are dozens of variations on this beautiful green sauce and the one that I’ve created today is a confluence of classic salsa verde with its Mediterranean influence (capers/parsley) and the influence of my ever-present love of Mexican ingredients (lime, jalapeno, cilantro and avocado).

 

Everything looks so vibrant and fresh this time of year

 

The result is a refreshing and tasty salsa that is also wonderfully filling thanks to the health-building fat in avocado.  A perfect sunny day (or any day) snack.
As always, you can play around with the ingredients to arrive at the combination that works best for you.

 

Medi-Mexi Salsa Verde
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained
  • 1/2 cup purple onion, chopped
  • Zest of one lime
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 cup packed fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 + 1/2 cups packed fresh cilantro, chopped

 

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Notes:
Capers are pickled in salt and retain a good deal of sodium even after being drained.  Be sure to taste the verde before seasoning to avoid sodium overload.
If you are looking for a quality, gluten free corn chip, be sure to read package labels to make sure that you are essentially purchasing: corn, oil and salt without all the extras.  Product additives often contain gluten and cause all manner of problems for celiacs and those with gluten intolerance (more below).
Directions:

Simply add all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until desired consistency is achieved.  Adjust seasonings as desired.

Enjoy the salsa verde with an assortment of fresh vegetables or whole grain nibbles – since I always showcase vegetables, I decided to feature blue corn chips for fun!
By the way, one of the things I love about the organic brand blue corn chips is that they are essentially just the corn chip.  No colourants or artificial flavourings.  I have had many celiac clients report bouts of discomfort and illness after eating what they thought was a gluten free food (corn chips) – not realizing that these chips are often dusted and powdered in gluten containing additives.
I made these rustic bowls in a pottery class over a decade ago
they have little chips & cracks here and there but are still serving us well

Chilled White Wine Sangria Gelée

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You know how some recipes can get you more revved up than others?

When I saw how well these little sangria jellies turned out, I just about burst with excitement!

Then I had a Woody Allen moment and was absolutely convinced I was going to get flattened by a truck before having the chance to share them with you…

Phew.

I’m still here.

And so are you!

—————

These fruit jellies are so much fun and are sure to add a splash of novelty and elegance to your summer celebrations.

What I appreciate most about them is their complete adaptability.  You can vary the size and content entirely according to dietary need and preference.

If you are making a batch of sangria jellies for children, you can use a combination of water and delicious fruit juice such as white grape to keep the base translucent so that the beautiful, colourful fruit shines through at maximum capacity.

 

I just love how the orange is suspended in the jelly mid-glass

Or, you can go for a brilliantly coloured beverage in a purple grape or ruby red tone, as desired.

For adults, you can play around with white, red, or rosé wine.  Or, if alcohol is not in the picture, you can simply omit it and use a sparkling water or fruit juice.  Since I generally prefer the taste of drinks without much sugar, I found sparkling water to be the perfect complement to the dry white wine and fruit in the featured version.

But you can do whatever you like with these – including varying the fruit content. You can also play with the size of these jellies – setting them up in shot glasses, ramekins or, in the featured version, I used a clear cylinder glass (with one cup capacity).

Depending on how you set it up size wise, you can offer these jellies as an apéritif or digestif or simply enjoy them for dessert, as you wish.

Chilled White Wine Sangria Gelée

  • 2 cups dry fruitty white wine (I used a Niagara Riesling that was lovely – Cave Spring 2009)
  • 2 cups sparkling water (such as Perrier or Pellegrino) or fruit juice or plain water
  • 2 cups assorted fresh fruit, (such as orange, lemon, lime, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, cherry, blackberry, peach, etc.), chopped into bite sized pieces where necessary
  • 2 packets (each 7 grams) unflavoured gelatin powder

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Makes 4 one cup servings

Note: if you are using sparkling water, you will notice a fizz effect and likely the accumulation of bubbles (frothing) on the surface of your glasses.  You can simply use a spoon to scoop away the froth.  It’s quite easy to deal with.

The ratio of wine to sparkling water used in this recipe renders a relatively mild alcoholic taste.  If you prefer, you can experiment with 3 cups white to 1 cup water, etc. as desired.

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Place wine in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Allow mixture to come just to a boil and then remove from heat.  Whisk in gelatin until dissolved and well integrated.  Add sparkling water (or fruit juice or plain water).

Meanwhile, divide fruit among 4 x one cup (250-mL) glasses. Pour wine mixture into each glass dividing it among the four glasses.

Refrigerate sangria jellies until set, about 2-3 hours.  They will store well in the fridge for up to 2 days.