Parsnip Patties

File 2015-07-27, 7 18 28 AMGood morning indeed my friends!

I am a morning person, and with that comes my fave meal of the day…Breakfast ;P

That is not to say I don’t adore all the other meal times, I am a self professed foodie after all, but breakfast reigns supreme. There are so many incredibly tasty options, it is even hard to choose just one a day (hello breakfast for dinner).

That being said, you cant beat a good egg and toast combo for a filling but not fussy choice, perfect for a busy workday. What happens though, to this great go-to when you are trying to  cut out bread and or gluten? Well, I can tell you as someone who likes to keep their bread quota low, it all but put the kibosh on my egg enjoyment in any of the soft yolk varieties. Its just not the same without something to dip in it!

Enter the parsnip. These creamy colored tubers are a root vegetable that has a slightly sweet and earthy flavour. They are a common grocery store staple, but for some reason most people have only experienced them in a mash up with carrots, likely as one of Mom’s Thanksgiving dinner side dishes. The parsnip resembles a carrot and as I have just discovered, is an excellent replacement for your egg dipping toast pieces.. Hallelujah! (Too excited?) ;P

These resemble a rustic hashbrown patty or latke, but with a much higher fiber content than potatoes, less calories, is great for people on a Paleo diet or who are sensitive to nightshade foods (info HERE). Best of all…they are the perfect wheat free way to accompany your eggs!
Without further ado, here is the simple recipe (adapted by me from the book Eat, Nourish, Glow) ready in just minutes…unless, like me, you find the soft boiled egg part more difficult than most, and don’t like wasting 2 eggs before getting it right . In this case, I highly suggest you invest in THIS handy little indicator for perfection every time ( thanks Mom 😉

Parsnip Patties

Ingredients:

  • 1 parsnip, peeled and grated (use a bigger one)
  • 2 tbsp coconut flour ( I used 1 1/2 and it was enough for me )
  • 1 tbsp Parsley
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 small onion finely chopped or grated
  • A pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients (minus the oil for cooking) together in a bowl, then divide into six patties with your hands and fry in the oil for a few minutes on each side. You will need to watch not to burn, as the heat needs to be medium/high to make them crunchy (don’t worry, as coconut is a healthy oil for high heat cooking unlike canola).
That’s it…now ENJOY XO

Banish Burnout For A Sweeter Summer

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Everything in our universe has Yin and Yang qualities.

They are the extremes; they each have both positive and negative attributes that are needed to create balance and harmony.

Yin- Winter, feminine, introspective, focused, cool, dark and quiet.

Yang- Summer, masculine, social, energetic, hot, bright.

The summer is the time of Yang and the organs related to that in Traditional Chinese Medicine are the heart and small intestine. The heart is the queen of our body, enlivening and feeding all other organs and functions through the circulating of our blood, keeping us going mentally, and helping us physically grow through this time of go go go.

In addition, Fire is the element associated in this season. This is represented with strong digestive “fire” in the belly, as well as joy, expansion, love and light in the heart. It is the manifestation of all we have sowed in the Spring.

Opposite to this is the very Yin counterpart winter and its related organ, the kidneys. This is a time for rest, reflection, going inward and meditation. Much like when animals hibernate, our emotions and sometimes our physical self must retreat from too much socializing to conserve energy, restore and replenish our inner beings.

Taking that all in to account, as we celebrate this season of plentiful energy, longer lighter days, and an excess of socializing, be sure to take a moment to check in and notice if you are getting energetically as well as physically overheated.

Exhausted bodies mixed with too many imbalances, a large emphasis on Yang and very little attention or energy left to nurture your Yin, results in a stressed heart. This can manifest itself in a lack of sleep, restlessness, anxiety and anger, which can all result in a slowing of the blood throughout the body, causing fogginess in the mind, scattered emotions and some major burnt out symptoms.

This is why we must support our Yin in the summer to maintain a balance of our internal harmony both emotionally and physically. We are naturally Yang at this time, so we must eat foods that feed our Yin organs and support our body to help it come down from the crazy high of the heart-centered summer.
Here are some ideas for fun ways to incorporate more Yin activities:

  • Sitali Pranayama – a yogic breathing technique that is cooling – If you can roll your tongue, do. If not,make an open pout with your lips like you are sipping through a straw, and inhale through your lips or rolled tongue. Close your mouth around your tongue and exhale gently out your nose. Repeat as needed.
    The air passing over your tongue is cooling, and it slows the breath, which is perfect for calming your heat both physically and emotionally. This can be a very helpful tool for anyone on the go, especially during times of anxiety and for those who have a tenancy to overheat, are menstruating, pregnant or in menopause.
  • Take a slower paced summer vacay. This is a wonderful time weather wise to just lay by the lake in reflection or go camping and take a hike through the cool forest for some quiet contemplation.
  • Photography is another great hobby in the summer in which we can capture the ripe beauty of this Yang season while balancing it with some introspective gratitude and celebration of all it has to offer.
  • Hot yoga is popular these days and while I do enjoy it (when I don’t mind dedicating the extra time to re-straighten my hair after), going into that heat during this time of year would likely make me frazzled and aggravated. To dial it down through the warmer months, try a restorative, slower Yin yoga class.
    If you are unsure about trying something new, or can’t make it to a class, try out some Yin on my favourite FREE yoga website with a multitude of different types, teachers and lengths…filmed outdoors, right here on beautiful Vancouver Island. http://www.doyogawithme.com
  • Eat fresh, juicy yin foods, such as cilantro, watercress, asparagus, zucchini, salads, cucumbers, and fruits. Melons are replenishing, and antioxidant rich blueberries are cooling. Dates are also a supportive yin food, as they nurture the heart, while roasted sesame seeds or sesame oil, can nourish the blood.

This is a list of Yin foods to balance you this season & a special Yin Restoring Smoothie recipe from my heart to yours!

Coconut Water
Chard
Kiwi
Tomatoes
Barley
Mango
Amaranth
Celery
Blue-green Algae
Chlorella
Broccoli
Apple
Bok Choy
Avocado
Mulberries
Peppermint
Citrus Fruits

Restorative Yin Smoothie

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1 cup spinach
1 cup coconut mylk
¼ avocado
½ cup pineapple
½ frozen banana
Juice ½ of a lime
Mint leaves
Optional – 1 tsp Matcha (green tea) powder

Reuben-Style Collard Wraps

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I am loving this heat wave summer we are having on our usually wet west coast island. I feel more alive with the abundant vitamin D, sweet smelling air, and deliciously juicy fruits and veg, bursting at the peak of ripeness.

This stunning season is also the ideal backdrop for  picnic style dinners in the light evening sky, that stretches out well into our would be dark bedtime hour of winter.

My mother and I have been seizing these opportunities to host ourselves just such occasions on her lovely south facing patio. It is so perfect for picnics, overlooking a three tiered yard, filled with wild roses, bamboo and our disheveled Persian cats, who are currently hunkering under shrubs, seeking cover from the same sun we prefer to bask in, safely of course.  ( fave natural sunscreen link HERE).

On a night just as this we marveled at how much fun it has been to eat together while taking in this scenery, but wouldn’t it be delightful if we could make something cooling other than another salad, and didn’t have to endure amping up the degree of the kitchen by turning on the oven?! 

Later that day, I was sifting through the meal photos for my latest Self-Love & Lean Body Cleanse plan, when, EUREKA! I came across the pics of some 2015-05-12 09.19.33awesome vegan collard wraps…and that was enough to start the brainstorming.

By the end of it all, we were off on a mission, to score the healthiest, freshest, organic ingredients to create these savory and oh so simple Reubens made in a collard green wrap instead of bread.

Collards are the new kale, and rightfully so. They are a powerful anti-oxidant, with higher  amounts of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber to aid in digestion. This beauty leafy green has also been proven to have potent anti-cancer properties, as well as slows neuronal degeneration in the brain for people with Alzheimer’s.

A light, and scrumptious summer twist, on a favorite comfort food.

Head on over to the local farmers market this week and try this on for a quick family picnic dinner and take leftovers for lunch 😉 Enjoy XO

Ingredients:

Makes 4-8 Wraps (Depends on size and strength of leaves whether you have to double them up)

8 Larger organic collard green leaves

Organic dijon mustard ( I like the Simply Natural brand)

Grainy mustard

200g of organic shaved beef ( or your fave healthy protein)

Sauerkraut ( I love Bubbies Organic brand)

Dill Pickles sliced into spears

Red onion chopped fine

Optional- a slice of organic or vegan cheese

Directions:

Working in small batches, blanch (steam LIGHTLY) collards and then submerge in ice water. Gently drain and lay out to dry.  Take a sharp knife and carefully remove the bulkier part of the stem for easier rolling, but leave the thin part of spine attached at the top. Overlap the separated halves just enough to close the gap. Layer in groups of 1-2 leaves for each wrap. Two leaves (4 halves may be needed to reinforce and prevent any of the inner goodness from sneaking out)  ;P

Spread your filling out from center and along one edge, then tuck the bottom and roll like a wrap!

Mom and I sincerely hope these are as much of a hit for you as they were for us! 

The leaves also last well in the fridge or freezer laid out and sealed for even easier fill and go meals.

Try Vegan yam roll ups, chicken cashew curry or any other fave combo you can think of and let us know how it went 🙂 XO

Rawnola Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl

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PB Smoothie Bowl

1 frozen banana

2 dates, pitted

1 cup unsweetened vanilla coconut milk

2 tablespoons organic unsweetened peanut butter

1/2 tsp Maca root powder

2 tablespoons Rawnola

2 Tbsp shredded organic coconut

1 Tbsp Cacao nibs

6-8 Raw almonds

Directions:

1. Add frozen banana, coconut mylk, dates, peanut butter, maca to the blender. Blend on high until smooth.

2. Pour the smoothie into bowl

3.Top with rawnola, organic shredded coconut, cacao nibs, and raw almonds. I have also added goji berries when I have them on hand for a hint of fruit flavour …so good…just writing about it is making me want to go make this and eat it all over again ;P

Rawnola

Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
  2. 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded or flaked
  3. 1/4 teaspoon organic cinnamon
  4. 8-10 medjool dates, pitted (make sure there is no pit before blending…learned that the hard way!)image
Instructions
  1. Pulse the oats, coconut, cinnamon  in a food processor until combined. Add in the dates and pulse until the dates are chopped up and the mixture starts sticking together. That’s it. So simple and ahhmaze…top your fave smoothie bowl and enjoy! XO

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