Christmas Orange Salad with Coconut Cream Dressing

Posts Tagged ‘#AIP’

Christmas Orange Salad with Coconut Cream Dressing

November 26, 2015

Tis the season friends …well, almost!

I know its only November, but with how early the stores start playing Christmas music and putting up holiday decorations, no matter how annoying it may be to some…you cant help but start thinking festive a little in advance.

With that in mind, I love Christmas and almost equally, I love Christmas oranges (aka.Mandarin/Tangerine oranges). They are delicious and much easier to peel and eat on the go compared to the regular orange varieties, however, it is unlike me to leave well enough alone, so I decided to create a tasty winter salad with them and top it off with a dairy free creamy coconut milk dressing…yum!

Salad may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of wintry foods, but after all those heavy and starchy comfort foods…it may be just what your body needs to de-puff and boost immunity in the season of people getting sick.

Christmas oranges pack a big punch of vitamin C, fiber, vitamin A and several times the amount of flavonoid anti-oxidants compared to regular oranges. So stay regular, and well with these delicious tangerine spheres of goodness!

P.S. This recipe is also excellent topped with baked chicken

Christmas Orange Salad with Coconut Cream Dressing

Ingredients:

1 Bunch Romain lettuce
1/2 Cucumber sliced and quartered
1/4 Cup organic walnuts
1/2 Pomegranate of aerials
1 Christmas (Mandarin) orange peeled

Dressing:

1 can full fat coconut milk (if you are dairy friendly and want easy…use organic plain yogurt)
1 Tbsp Raw honey
Fresh grated lemon zest

Directions:

Place your can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight so the creamy thick part rises to the top, leaving the water below. Scoop the coconut cream off the top of the can and add it to a large bowl, leaving the coconut water within the can or add in a small amount to make your dressing thinner (you can use the leftover in smoothies). Add in your room temperature honey and lemon zest and whisk. Place your dressing in the fridge to set for 30 mins. If using yogurt, just add the honey and lemon to 1 cup of yogurt, mix and use desired amount. Wash and prepare veggies and fruit, top with dressing and walnuts and eat up!!

Dalyce – Your Holistic Lifestylist XO

Vegan Pumpkin Tarts

October 19, 2015

It’s that time of year again. Beautiful Autumn colours, Thanksgiving, cozy sweaters and Halloween…which means its also the time for everything pumpkin!

I adore Fall on the West Coast. Its mild out still but your craving comforting clothes, flavours and smells. The most familiar of these comforting Autumn aromatic blends, is the pumpkin and cinnamon combo. Naturally I wanted to bake up something healthy and scrumptious with this dynamically delicious duo.

There are so many amazing options out there (once again I wasted an obscene amount of time lost in the sea of recipes on Pinterest). I wanted something vegan, refined sugar free, more bite sized than a pie and easy ….that’s not too much to ask is it?? ;p

With these qualities in mind I narrowed my options and delightfully stumbled upon THIS pumpkin cupcake recipe that almost fit the bill. The next step was to tweak it to my liking, and as I began looking through the cupboards and brainstorming …it transformed from cupcake to tart with the addition of a quick homemade grain free crust I compiled of dates, shredded coconut and walnuts. Mission accomplished!

This date bar/pumpkin pie rebirth is positively mind blowing (modest aren’t I…jeeze), and going to be a staple for all my Fall get togethers and feasts!

I think you and your family will feel the same when you see how simple and warming this clean treat is 🙂

Vegan Pumpkin Tarts

Makes 12 regular muffin tin sized tarts

Ingredients

For the filling:

1 can pumpkin or 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 very ripe bananas
1/4 cup coconut sugar ( I adjusted this amount, the original recipe calls for 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt

For the crust:

1/4 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup dry walnuts (not soaked)
1 cup dates
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Start by adding all your crust ingredients to your food processor and pulsing until it is all “mulched” with a slightly mealy/chunky texture. It should press and ball together in your hand. Scoop generous slightly overfilled tablespoon for each tart crust. Ball up and then press into the bottom of the muffin tin with the backside of the spoon.

In a clean food processor bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and blend until there are no lumps and everything is mixed through. Spoon the filling into the muffin tins over top the crusts. I used silicone muffin molds and used thin strips I made from parchment paper under the crusts so there are handy “tabs” to help remove the tarts (when cooled). .Bake for 20-25 minutes. Place in the fridge to cool completely (2 hours) before attempting to remove them, as they are very soft.

Notice there is only one tart left in the picture now …mmmm ;p

Macros for 1 serving:

Cals: 158

Fat: 6.6g

Carbs: 24.4g

Protein: 2.2g

Graduation, Lifestyle Shifts and Sweet or Savory Egg Muffins

September 14, 2015

One year ago at the start of my school journey <3

Hello my fellow wellness warriors!

I cannot believe the time has come for my graduation from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. This amazing part of beginning my holistic health career absolutely flew by, but I guess that’s what happens when you love what your learning<3

I am so thrilled about my full certification in the world of holistic health and nutrition, and my brain is already swirling with new ideas on how to incorporate my skills into new and fun ways to help others on their journey to a more well rounded and vibrantly healthy life!

My first mission since finishing school just a few weeks ago, has been to get more balance in my own life as far as physical training and a nutrition plan. I have remained lightly active throughout my course, but whenever I had extra time, and since I was still working full time, I felt the need to minimize my gym and extracurricular activities and use that time and my energy for my homework.

In addition to that, my eating needed a tweak! We students were encouraged to try the different dietary theories as we learned about them, and I believe this was key to knowing how each could affect your body and mind and those of your clients. However, consequently after a year of that hopping all over the place food wise, my metabolism seemed lagging and my body was left a little confused. Since grad, I am now focused on bringing my body to its happiest and healthiest state yet, by sticking to what foods and portions work for me.

My teachings at IIN helped me identify my trigger foods that cause bloating and other bad reactions in my body ( I do this for my clients as well) and I have removed them. I have also ditched any foods with sneaky hidden chemical ingredients as well as switching to eating more responsibly by avoiding any non ethically farmed or medicated animal products.

I am embarking on a new physical fitness and nutrition journey that I am so excited to document and share with you all here! This lifestyle is going to blend some traditional fitness training ideas with a cleaner, more holistic approach. I have teamed up with my dear friend and personal trainer Kirsten Lahti, who shares my commitment to health before aesthetic, but believes that you don’t have to trade one for the other when done right.

I am going to be following a way of eating that has always worked for my body and lifestyle in the past, called Flexible Dieting. This can also be called IIFYM, or If It Fits Your Macros (macro-nutrients; Carbs, Protein, Fat). The main difference in the way I will be following this lifestyle from how some others do is, I will not be using the flexibility of this way of eating to gorge my body with non fat chemical laden foods or junk foods just because I can make it work with my numbers. I choose this way of eating because I am not starving when I follow it, my body always responds well with good muscle building and lower fat, as well as being able to indulge in the tasty treats life has to offer once in awhile..in moderation and without the self shaming guilt of “falling of the wagon” that many other overly restrictive ways of eating can cause in myself and others.

I will make a video soon to better explain what i am up to soon, and in the meantime a lot of my upcoming recipes will have a macro nutrient breakdown written in, so that those of you who follow flexible dieting can easily use them 🙂

Lastly, I also encourage anyone looking to find out more about this lifestyle to contact me Here, as I would love to connect and possibly be a part of your fit and healthy transformation.

Here are two variations on one of my fave healthy breakfasts or snack (usually do a big meal prep Sunday then a smaller top up of foods made Wednesday). Enjoy!

Sweet or Savory Egg Muffins

Dairy Free Spicy and Savory Veggie Egg Muffins by Me 🙂

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups Simply Organic liquid egg whites
1/2 cup Organic baby spinach
1/3 cup Diced red bell pepper
Small Roma tomato diced
2 Tbsp Pickled Jalapeno slices drained and chopped
1/4 cup Daiya Mozarella style shreds
1/3 cup White or purple onion diced
Coconut oil on a paper towel to lightly grease tin

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees while you chop your ingredients. Grease your muffin tin with coconut oil ( I just coat a paper towel and then rub the tin to use less). Divide your

ingredients to fill 6 muffin cups (I used a tin that fits a dozen and make 6 of each type of

muffin at once). Place the equal amounts of each ingredient into muffin cups and then fill each one just below the top (about 1/3 cup each) with the liquid egg whites. If you using the dozen sized tin, fill the other 6 with the sweet kind or water then place in the oven for approx 22 mins and I hit them with the broil on low for 2 mins to brown the tops. Watch closely as all ovens are different strength. I topped mine with a bit of hot sauce…YUM!

Macros for 1 serving (these # are as accurate as I could find)

Calories: 70

Fat: 2g

Carbs: 3.5g

Protein: 10.1g

Sweet Blueberry Banana Egg Muffins

Makes 6 servings

recipe adapted from LiveRightBeHealthy.blogspot.ca

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Organic Blueberries

1 Large Banana

2 Large Organic Eggs

Pinch of Cinnamon

Optional: Diced almonds for the top (not counted in macros here)

Directions:

Blend the two eggs and one banana in your blender until smooth. Pour into a bowl and hand mix in 3/4 cup blueberries fresh or frozen and desired amount of cinnamon. Pour into a coconut oiled muffin tin and place in the oven for 22 minutes or until cooked through, then I broiled mine for 2 minutes on low at the end to brown the tops. These are a delicious grain free alternative to breakfast muffins and are great with real maple syrup or diced almonds on top for a healthy sweet treat! XO Enjoy

Macros:

Calories: 55

Fat: 2g

Carbs: 7g

Protein: 3g

Dairy Free Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken

September 3, 2015

Hello Fall!

I am excited to be sharing this simple and scrumptious recipe I whipped up for my meal prep this week. With the first week of Autumn upon us, and living up to its blustery and damp reputation, I was feeling something more “comfort food” and warming. This is a twist on a family fave we all know and love…the stuffed chicken ;p

There are many ways to enjoy this dish, including the classic cordon bleu. However, there is one ingredient that is almost always present, and that my friends is cheese. Lots of it!

Now, maybe your thinking, if it aint broke…and as much as in the past I have enjoyed indulging in that gooey goodness, there is an increasing number of people out there who are realizing that dairy ( or too much dairy) might not be the best thing for their individual health.

This spurred me on to find a flavor combo that wouldn’t leave you thinking cheddar would have made it better!

I tried a few different fillings and I think there is a lot of room for people to get creative with their fave foods here. At the end of it all though, I had to stick with the taste that is always pleasing and bursting with goodness, the Mediterranean.

I made these two ways, that were both fabulous and definitely left the old idea of plain chicken for meal prep in the dust. One batch I used Daiya mozzarella-style shreds (a dairy free substitute that melts well), and the other I left the “cheese” out altogether. I am a fan of Daiya when it is melted, and this recipe didn’t call for much, but it worked nicely to bind all the stuffing and kick it up a notch, however, I thoroughly enjoyed both, so experiment and decide whats right for your taste buds!

Ingredients:

makes 4 small to medium sized stuffed chicken breasts

4 small to medium (5 oz) sized boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup quartered button mushrooms
1/4 cup onions diced
1/2 cup (or 67 grams for macros) chopped grilled marinated artichoke hearts
1 1/2 cloves garlic diced finely
Pinch pink Himalayan or brown salt (white salt is always processed)
A few twists of cracked pepper
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
Tooth picks
Optional: 1/4 cup Daiya mozzarella-style shreds (you can find it at the health food store or Thrifty’s by the regular shredded cheese)

Directions:

Place your chicken breasts on a cutting board between two pieces wax paper and pound out to desired thinness with a mallet or rolling pin. Set aside. Mix all other ingredients (except Daiya) in an oven safe pan and saute (you can put the onion and garlic in first but I didnt get that fussy) in the coconut oil until just lightly browning. Now distribute filling evenly in the center of your readied chicken. Top each filling pile with a few sprinkles of Daiya if your using it, then roll one end of the breast around the filling while tucking edges to keep it all in there and secure to the other end of the chicken with toothpicks (I soak the picks in water first to prevent burning). Then place them all back in the pan and use tongs to gently sear them on all sides. Place the whole pan in the oven to finish cooking at 375 degrees for approx 25 minutes, depending on your oven, keep an eye on them.

Remove and serve with some salad, zucchini pasta or baked rustic-style chopped yams…enjoy 🙂 XO

Aprox Macros 1 serving: With Daiya

Calories 225

Carbs 5.1

Fat 10.6

Protein 27.3

Without Daiya

Calories 203

Carbs 3.4

Fat 9.1

Protein 27.1

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