Heart-healthy Banana Nut Bread

I decided to change up my banana bread recipe a bit and it worked quite well! Oats are very good for reducing cholesterol levels; adding in fibre with flax and quinoa and using sesame oil instead of butter make for a very heart-healthy loaf. This recipe makes one loaf.

Ingredients:

1 large, very ripe bananas, well mashed. (if you have bananas that are ripe but you can't use them right away, just toss them in the freezer--you don't need to wrap them as they come prepackaged! Once you are ready to use them, let them thaw and then mash them)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
1/3 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
2 tsp ground flaxseed
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F and  lightly oil a glass loaf pan.
1. Mash banana very well with a fork.
2. In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine all wet ingredients and sugar. Beat well with electric mixer at high speed for two minutes. Add banana mixture and beat again.
3. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add to banana mixture about 1/3 at a time and beat between additions, using a rubber spatula to scrape bottom of bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
4. Transfer to loaf pan; bake in preheated 325F oven for 30 minutes. Tent with foil to prevent further browning. Continue to bake for about another 30 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in centre. The loaf is ready when the toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan on wire rack.

Orange Avocado Salsa

This is a great salsa to use over baked salmon fillets, or just to scoop with crispy tortilla chips! Sorry, by the time I thought about taking a photo, it was all gone! When I make it again, I'll post a photo.

Ingredients:

1 large mineola orange
1 medium avocado (not too ripe), peeled and diced
1 plum tomato, diced
1/2 medium onion, peeled and thinly chopped
1 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried red hot chili peppers
1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Slice both ends of orange; peel and separate each segment; slice each segment in half lengthwise and carefully remove orange, discarding membrane. Squeeze out any remaining juice from membrance before discarding. Place orange in a medium sized glass bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients and toss lightly. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for one day.

Kidney Bean, Rapini & Vegetable Soup

Kidney beans are great for reducing cholesterol and are also a good source of protein. This is a vegan dish that packs a great vitamin and nutrient punch!

Ingredients:

2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 bunch of rapini, rinsed well under cold water and chopped
1 small onion, peeled & diced
1 sweet red or yellow pepper, seeded & de-veined, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp dried cumin
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried hot red chili peppers
1 tsp picante hot sauce
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 jar pureed tomatoes (about 2 cups)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add carrot, onion and peppers. Saute until onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and spices. Stir and cook another 2 minutes.
2. In a large pot, with a tight fitting lid, stir together vegetable broth and water, beans and tomatoes, rapini & picante sauce. Bring to a boil and stir in sauted onion mixture. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Transfer to a food processor and process just until ingredients are still coarse. return to pot, stir and heat through. Season with salt & pepper. Serve with a wholesome, multi-grain bread.

Chicken Vegetable Spicy Thai Soup

This is a delicious hot spicy soup with a Thai twist! You can really decide on the vegetables you want to use, the spices are what give it a Thai flavour. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups low sodium, low fat chicken broth
4 cups water
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (marinated for several hours in 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper and 1 tsp dried hot chili peppers---you can add a tbsp of picante hot sauce if you don't have the chili peppers)
1 tbsp green thai chili paste
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 red sweet pepper, coarsely chopped
1 yellow sweet pepper, coarsely chopped
2 medium sized sweet potatoes/yams, unpeeled and cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch square of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsps lime juice
3 spring onions, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large pot with a tight fitting lid, bring chicken broth and water to a boil. Add remaining ingredients, including the marinated whole chicken breasts but not the spring onions. Reduce heat to low and cover, simmering for about 20 minutes.
2. Remove chicken breasts and cover pot, allowing vegetables to simmer.
3. Using a knife and fork, cut the chicken breasts in to bite sized pieces. Return to pot and cover, simmering for another 10 minutes. Ladle soup into large bowls and garnish with chopped spring onions (optional)

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is tomorrow and we plan on staying in, lighting the fireplace & having some delicious but healthy appetizers. I will make "fake" meatballs (using chickpeas, instead of meat); sweet potato oven "fries" sprinkled with some fabulous spices and baked to perfection; black olive and avocado guacamole with carrot and sweet pepper sticks to dip (or crackers or nacho chips). The three recipes follow. Happy New Year and all the best in 2010!

Hot and Sour Viet-Thai Chicken Soup

This soup is a meal in itself & very spicy! Great to boost the immune system on a cold winter day. You can make it vegan by omitting the chicken and using a can of chickpeas in its' place. You can also add rice noodles during the last few minutes of cooking. This recipe makes about 4 large--meal size--servings.

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts, thinly sliced (or the can of chickpeas). Whichever you choose, marinate them in a large bowl with a couple of tbsps olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, 2 tsps thai green curry paste, 1/2 tsp dried crushed hot chili peppers, 1 tsp of lime juice, 1 tsp garlic powder. Cover & put in refrigerator until ready to use.
450 ml low sodium, low fat chicken or vegetable broth
3 cups of water
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tsps garlic powder
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
4 small organic carrots, peeled and chopped
3 tbsps apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp dried crushed hot chili peppers
2 cups mixed greens or baby spinach, chopped
3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large, lightly oiled skillet, over medium high heat, add sliced, marinated chicken and sear over medium high heat (if using chickpeas, just add directly to soup mixture in last 15 minutes of cooking time). Remove chicken to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
2. In a medium sized sauce pan, stir together all remaining ingredients except chicken, spinach and green onions. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
3. Stir the marinated chicken into the hot soup. Cook for about 20 minutes longer over low heat.
4. Stir the chopped greens or spinach into the soup (add the chickpeas at this point if using). Cook for about fifteen minutes over low heat.
5. Stir in the chopped green onions and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Crusted Salmon

I was out at a fabulous restaurant for Christmas lunch the other day & I had a salmon fillet crusted with sweet potato--very delicious! I decided to make my own version. Serve with a side of mixed greens, avocado and tomatoes for a very healthy meal. Just toss the side salad with some salt, pepper, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. This recipe is for 2 people but can easily be doubled or tripled.


Ingredients:

2 6oz salmon fillets, marinated in a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp or less of salt
2 tsps olive oil
1 tsp freshly grated ginger (or 1/4 tsp of ground ginger)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add sweet potatoes and cook, covered, until soft, about 8 minutes or so.
2. Drain sweet potatoes, reserving 2 tbsps of cooking liquid. Place all ingredients, except salmon and 1 tsp of olive oil, in a medium bowl and mash with a hand masher or electric mixer.
3. Preheat oven to 450F. Place the salmon in hot oil in a skillet & quickly sear on both sides. Transfer to a baking dish and spread the mashed sweet potatoes thickly over top of the salmon. Cook, uncovered in preheated oven for about 20 minutes.