Very Berry Hearts

Sugar free Valentine treat. Great for your little ones or for big ones trying to cut back.

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup almond flour 

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 cup frozen strawberries or cherries

1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut plus 3 tbsps more for rolling

Use sweetened coconut to sweeten these up a little if you like.

Blend everything together in a food processor them press into a small heart shaped cutter. Coat with coconut and refrigerate or freeze until ready to snack. Makes 20 two-bite hearts.

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Slow Cooker Ginger Pepper Beef

Tender and succulent beef with a robust amount of garlic and ginger to warm your heart! Great idea for a Valentine's dinner for two ♥  

Ingredients:

1 lb stewing beef, cut in 1/2-1" cubes

1 large bell pepper, diced

1 large (or 3 small) onions, cut in wedges

2 tbsps minced garlic

2 tsps grated ginger

1 tsp dry onion soup mix

1/4 cup water

2 tbsps soy sauce

2 tsps brown sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper 

2 tsps cornstarch

2 tsps cold water

Place beef in the bottom of the slow cooker and top with bell pepper and onion. Mix the garlic, ginger, dry onion soup mix, 1/4 cup water, soy sauce, brown sugar and black pepper together and pour over the meat. Slow cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. In last 30 minutes mix the cornstarch and cold water together and stir into the pot. Serves 2 

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Crustless Bacon Cheese Quiche

Cheesy bacony deliciousness in every bite. Perfect for a lazy late breakfast, brunch or even a light dinner. 

Ingredients:

Spray oil

1 cup cottage cheese 

6 eggs

1 tsp original Mrs Dash seasoning or salt and pepper

1 cup shredded Gruyère, cheddar or mozzarella 

3 tbsps chopped sundried tomatoes

5 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

1/2 cup cooked, diced potatoes

1 tsp dry parsley 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend cottage cheese, eggs and seasoning together. Then fold in the cheese, sundried tomatoes, cooked bacon, potatoes and parsley. Pour into an oiled 9" pie plate and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife into the center of the quiche comes out clean. Let sit 5-10 minutes before cutting. Approximate protein in each serving is 36 grams. Serves 4

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No Cream No Flour Fettuccini Alfredo

Creamy fettuccine without heavy cream or flour is velvety good but requires careful heat management. Too much heat can cause the cheese to clump, but patience will yield a traditional Alfredo sauce.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb fettuccine 

1/4 cup butter 

1/4 - 1/2 cup pasta water

1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan 

So there are two ways to go here to achieve a smooth sauce. One - mixing everything in a metal bowl, or two - making it in a pot. For the first method, boil the fettuccine.  Place room temperature cubes of butter in a large metal bowl. When pasta is cooked use tongs to remove it from the water (do not drain) and add it to the bowl. Stir well to melt butter then add 1/4 cup of pasta water. When the bowl is just warm to the touch start adding small amounts of parmesan always stirring well between additions. Add more lukewarm pasta water if you want to thin the sauce. Method two. Again boil the fettuccine. In a saucepan, melt the butter then remove pan from heat, allow to cool to lukewarm then add a small amount of pasta water. Stir in undrained fettuccine. Stir quickly to allow it to cool to lukewarm before adding small amounts of parmesan, stirring well between additions. If clumps do start to appear stir vigorously until smooth.  While simple in appearance, Alfredo can be tricky to make but well worth the effort. Good luck.  Serve as is or with more parmesan, black pepper or a protein like grilled shrimp or chicken breast. Serves 2

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Viral Greek Yogurt and Cookie Dessert

Lots of those viral Biscoff cheesecake desserts out there, but I thought I'd try a healthier version. 

This one uses:

1 cup honey flavoured Greek yogurt

a couple of chopped strawberries

and social tea cookies (as few or as many as you like)

Simply mix the chopped strawberries into the yogurt and spoon into a dish. Slide in your social tea cookies, cover and refrigerate overnight. Biscoff cookies have 15% saturated fats, 22% sugar and 0% iron, compared to social tea cookies which have 5% saturated fats, 7% sugar and 6% iron. So go for the viral cheesecake... just keep it on the light and healthy side! Serves 2 

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Chickpea Chili

Stick-to-your-ribs classic comfort food using chickpeas instead of kidney beans in this thick and spicy cold weather favourite. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil 

1 lb. lean ground beef 

1 cup diced onion 

1 cup diced red bell pepper 

1 cup diced mushrooms 

3 tbsps minced garlic 

1-2 tsps finely chopped jalapeño or chili pepper

28 oz (796ml) can diced tomatoes 

3 tbsps tomato paste 

3 tbsps chili powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup broth (any flavour, beef is best)

19 oz (540ml) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

In a large skillet heat vegetable oil to medium. Add beef and diced onions and cook until beef is no longer pink.  Then add red bell pepper, garlic, jalapeño and mushrooms. Cook 3-5 minutes then add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour. Serves 4

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Invisible French Apple Slice Cake

Classic invisible apple cake chock full of apples and held together with a simple, thin batter. So delicious it'll disappear before you know it!

Ingredients:

4-5 medium to large firm apples, like Honeycrisp

2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsps brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsps butter, melted

2 tsps vanilla

pinch of salt 

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Set aside. Whisk the eggs and both sugars together, then add the melted butter, milk and vanilla. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until well combined. The batter will be very thin. Peel and core the apples and slice very thinly, ideally with a mandolin. Fold the apple slices into the batter, one apple at a time, to coat all the slices. Grease and line a 9 X 9" pan with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the pan, pressing gently but firmly to form layers of apples. Bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes or until golden on top. Cool completely, then lift out of pan using the parchment and cut into squares. Dust with icing sugar or serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 9

 Adapted from: cuisinecove.com

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Double Batch Red Pepper Cottage Cheese Lasagna

Lasagna can be made ahead and is also freezer friendly. So make up this double batch and have one for supper. Pop the other one in the freezer for an easy, busy day meal. 

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups cottage cheese

1 egg

4 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

2 tsps dry oregano

1 tsp dry basil

4 tsps minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups parmesan, divided

pinch of nutmeg

1/2 tsp lemon juice

500 ml jar (about 2 cups) roasted red peppers, drained (Or homemade. Check out the recipe link at the bottom of this page)

24 lasagna noodles

5-6 cups marinara or meat sauce, plus more to serve

1 cup parmesan 

Combine the cottage cheese, egg, 2 cups mozzarella, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup parmesan, nutmeg and lemon juice. If you don't care for the texture of cottage cheese mash it with a potato masher first. Cook the lasagna noodle then drain and rinse with cold water. You'll need 2 large pots or cook in batches. When ready to assemble oil two 9 X 13" baking dishes and spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of each. Next add 4 noodles, slightly overlapping the edges. Spread 1/4 of the cottage cheese mixture on each, then spoon on 1/2 cup of sauce. Again 4 noodles, 1/4 of the cottage cheese and 1/2 cup sauce. Now add a layer of roasted red peppers, then noodles, sauce and top it all off with 1 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/2 cup parmesan on each. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Remove foil and return to oven for 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. For leftovers bring to room temperature then cover and put in a 350°F oven for 30-40 minutes. The internal temperature should be 165°F. If cooking from frozen, defrost in fridge overnight. Heat extra sauce and serve on the plate with the lasagna. Makes 18 servings.

Recipe for homemade Roasted Sweet Peppers:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2014/09/roasted-sweet-peppers.html 

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Lemon Garlic Chicken Drumsticks

Simply mix up the marinade, coat and refrigerate the chicken. Then roast until golden and delicious!

Ingredients:

10 chicken drumsticks (about 2 lbs)

2 tbsps olive oil

100 g container (3 1/2 oz) plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsps lemon juice

2 tsps minced garlic

2 tsps oregano

salt and pepper to taste

spray oil

Combine the olive oil, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of this mixture then use the rest to marinate the chicken. Coat the drumsticks completely with the mix and refrigerate at least an hour but better overnight. Spray pan with oil. Remove chicken from marinade and discard. Place on prepared pan and bake at 400°F for 45-50 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Flip the drumsticks over halfway through cooking and once done give them a couple of minutes under the broiler. Serve with reserved yogurt mixture. Serves 4-5 

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Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Zucchini Noodles

Lemony and delicious shrimp with an array of vegetables makeup this healthy dish. Served here with basamati broccoli rice. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsps butter

1 1/2 tbsps olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 bell pepper, cut in strips 

2 tbsps minced garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp (I used 16/20 size)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 lb zucchini noodles

1 tsp dry oregano

parmesan cheese to serve 

In a large skillet heat butter and 1 1/2 tbsps olive oil to medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté 3-4 minutes then add the garlic for 1 minute. Remove to a plate. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pan and add the shrimp cooking them 1 or 2 minutes on each side until nearly cooked. Return onion, bell pepper and garlic to the pan along with the salt, red pepper flakes, pepper, broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil for 1 minutes then stir in the zucchini noodles and oregano. Toss together for 2-3 minutes or until zucchini noodles are tender. Serve with parmesan cheese. Makes 3-4 servings. 

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Pork Meatball Stew

This comforting and economical stew is made with ground pork and a savory mix of vegetables. Served here over tender pappardelle noodles but would go equally well with mashed potatoes!

Ingredients:

Meatballs: 

1 lb ground pork

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 tsp minced ginger

1/4 tsp dry mustard

2 tsps Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tbsps flour

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil 

Stew:

2 tbsps olive

1 large onion cut in chunks (or 6-7 small whole ones)

1 cup diced turnip

1 cup diced or thick sliced carrots

4 tsps minced garlic

900ml (about 4 cups) beef broth

1 bay leaf

1 tsp savory

1 tsp dry thyme

1 1/2 cups spinach, roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups small whole mushrooms

1 tbsp flour 

In a bowl combine the pork, onion, ginger, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper together and form into 1" balls. Roll in flour then brown in a skillet in hot butter and olive oil for about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. They will finish cooking in the stew. To the same pan add 2 tbsps olive oil and the whole onions, turnip, carrots, mushrooms, garlic and seasonings. Add 1 cup of the broth and de-glaze the pan then add the rest of the broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Return the meatballs, remove the bay leaf and add the spinach. After 1 minute take 1/2 cup of broth from the pan, stir in 1 tbsp flour and whisk into the stew. Cook 2 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

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