Butternut squash & chickpea soup with roasted cherry tomatoes & zucchini ribbons

Ingredients: Kale, butternut squash cubed, chopped leeks, garlic, cherry tomatoes, a can of chickpeas or beans, zucchini, grated parmesan, vegetable broth

Directions: I used a vegetable peeler to create zucchini ribbons, tossed them in a bit of olive oil and salt and roasted them a couple of minutes until they wilted. I removed the zucchini from the pan and roasted the cherry tomatoes until they split. Set both aside.

Sauté the leeks and garlic in some olive oil until soft. Add the cubed squash, chickpeas and enough broth to cover the vegetables approx. twice. Add the parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let simmer until squash can be pierced. Add the kale and continue to simmer until it wilts. Turn the heat off and mix in the roasted zucchini and tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Eggplant patties

When I want a vegetarian meal, these little jewels are my go-to option every time.

I originally found the recipe on http://www.prouditaliancook.com/2012/08/eggplant-patties-and-hot-weather.html. If you are looking for inspiration, check Marie's site out. There's tons of fresh delicious options!

Pair this with a mixed green salad and voila! I make a big batch and we grab them for a fuss-free lunch.

Pistachio Crusted Tofu

Who says tofu can't taste good?! This recipe packs flavour and crunch, two of my favourite things! Serve with sweet potato coins and mixed vegetables.

  

Ingredients:

1 package of firm tofu
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1-2 slices of ezekiel or sprouted grain bread toasted
1/2 cup pistachio nuts
Ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp. spicy mustard
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

Cut the tofu into 1/2-in. slices and dry them lightly with paper towels. Brush both sides of the tofu with the 2 tbsp. soy sauce and set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

While the tofu is marinating, place the bread into the food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Pulse the pistachios in the processor until they are reduced to fine crumbs. Add them to the breadcrumbs along with a generous grating of black pepper, and mix well.

In another shallow bowl, combine the mustard, syrup, soy sauce. Dip a slice of tofu into the mustard mixture, lightly coating all sides; then place it into the breadcrumbs, sprinkle crumbs over the top and sides, and lightly press them into the tofu. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all slices of tofu.

Put the tofu into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.  

Simply Satisfying Chili

Chili (meat or vegetarian)

Aaaah Chili! It's a staple in our home.

Ingredients

·         2 packages of ground turkey OR 1 package of ground turkey and 1 package extra lean ground beef OR 1 package of vegetarian ground tofu

·         1 jar of Molisana ground tomato or the equivalent

·         1 can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed. (If you like you can soak your own beans overnight. Any kind will do!)

·         1 Spanish red onion, diced and 3 cloves of garlic minced

·         2 green peppers, diced

·         olive oil

·         sea salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Brown the onion and garlic with a tablespoon of olive oil. Add meat (if using) and continue to cook until no longer pink. Add ground tomato plus 2 cups of water, kidney beans, peppers, and spices to taste. Cover and bring to a boil and then turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer for approximately two hours until fluid is reduced by half and flavours marry nicely.

Enjoy!

My clean eating journey. Come along as I explore how to make clean food delish!

I've never been overweight, but I do love food. As an Italian-Canadian, everything is an opportunity to celebrate, and a great meal is always the centrepiece of any gathering.

My mom is a good cook, and growing up, I never really had to lift a finger. When I first got married, she came to my new home and taught me how to cook a weeks’ worth of meals. It was the first time I realized that not only did I love to cook, I was good at it!

Over the years, I've experimented with pretty much every cuisine you can imagine. Soups, stews, crock pots, baking. You name it, I've done it. 

As a fitness enthusiast, I love to be physical, and I love to run. I love who I am when I run. I’m smart, fit, and brimming with enthusiasm. I’ve run dozens of 5K, 10K, and half-marathons. I’ve hobbled through minor injuries, from groin pulls to bursitis, but when I tore my meniscus during a Taekwondo class a couple of years ago, my world ground to a halt. I crumpled to the floor. Within seconds, my knee blew up like a puffer fish and my leg locked at an unnatural angle. I was done.

Since then, I've suffered through multiple surgeries and experienced several relapses. The injury derailed me. Forced to the sideline and betrayed by my body, I grew irritable. And I grew outwards in ways I didn't like. The road to recovery and back to the gym was a long one, but finally, almost two years later, with the help of a dear friend, I’m back at it.

But the gym alone wasn’t going to get me back to where I used to be. The fact that I’d gained a couple of dress sizes made me pretty unhappy. It forced me to take a long hard look at what my family and I were eating. On the surface, my hearty home-cooked meals looked innocent, even decadent. A closer look revealed a lot of little infractions that were adding up to a lot of unhealthy and unwanted pounds.

That’s when I started searching the internet and discovered eat clean mavens like Tosca Reno and Whitney Carlson. They’ve changed my life and they’ve changed the way my family and I eat. With a few modifications, I’m back to serving fresh and natural foods, and you know what? Big things are happening. We’re seeing changes.  

I started this blog because I want to share my kitchen creations with others. Clean eating is not a diet, it's a lifestyle. There's no secret and no sacrifice! It’s just good, clean, guilt-free food.

Welcome to good eating!