Unique Smoothie Week- Blueberry Thyme Smoothie

Blueberry Thyme smoothies

I love this recipe. it is fresh and unique and everything that this week of smoothie recipes is all about. Perfect for summer, or for that little kick you need in the winter to make it through. 

Everything you need for 1 smoothie:

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 tsp lemon juice

1.4 cup plain 0% yogurt

1/2 cup water

1 tsp fresh thyme

1 1/2 tsp agave or sugar

Place all ingredients into a blender and puree.

It's that easy! have for breakfast and add a TBSP of protein powder in, or have it as a light snack, or even with a small lunch. balanced, clean, bright, and completely refreshing. 

I hope you come back tomorrow for a review on Organic Wipes and another smoothie recipe. 

Warm wishes. 

Jolly Ol' England

Cheerio!

Yes, that was quite cheesy, hopefully you will get over it within your lifetime. If not, leave a comment down below and you will get extra love from me. Though, that too, would probably be cheesy. Sorry. 

Anyway, so today was a trip to the great misty country. No, not Scotland, the other one. Yes! Great Britain. The good ol' GB. I don't think anyone calls it that... awkward.... moving on. 


For today's #EatAroundTheWorld meal, I chose something very simply, yet delicious, and of course, added a bit more simplicity and a twist. Fish and chips! But not just fish and chips, Bubbly Fish with Two Tone Chips and Fresh Veg. Yes, that is a long name for the recipe, but it's more a meal than anything else, so hopefully it works for the situation. I think if Rachael Ray can pull it off in her cookbook then so can I. 

I used a couple of cheats for this recipe, actually. The first, Fish Crisp. Yes, good old Fish Crisp. I used the beer batter kind. Only, I didn't have any beer, being on a budget and all, so I used seltzer water instead; which is exactly why it is called Bubbly Fish, because I had to use some sort of fizz, and "Seltzer Battered Fish" didn't sound very appetizing or fun. 

Yes, this is me cooking with HelperBaby on my shoulders 

I also am not some great master chef who spends hours in the kitchen everyday perfecting her recipes, which means I used frozen veggies(though not pureed like in the traditional meal) and I used store bought mayo. I know, lazy, lazy Caitlynne. 

Let's get on with the recipe so that I can get on with sleeping. Because boy, am I exhausted. 

First thing's first: always look at your meal and prioritize. What takes the longest? Is there something that takes a long time to heat up, or preheat? Is there something that can cook and I don't have to watch it?

In this meal, that was our Two Toned Chips. I call these Two Toned Chips because they are sweet potato and russet potato fries. I cook them in my Actifry. This is seriously one of the best inventions ever. I am a huge food person, as you might have already guessed, and part of that is loving things that are crunchy and deep fried. Now, the Actifry does not deep fry things, more like lightly fries things. Which, in my head, is great, but in my heart, makes me cry. While I will always love a deep fried mozzarella stick, the Actifry does an amazing job. It can make sauces and even whole dishes in it, and when it comes to french fries, it's the best. The french fries in the Actifry take 23 minutes. You use about 1 TBSP of oil altogether, and they come out crispy but soft on the inside. So good!

Two Toned Chips:
2 medium russet potatoes, washed and cut into sticks or wedges
1 large sweet potato, washed, cut into stick or wedges
Canola oil
Salt
Pepper
Curry Powder

One of the key things about this recipe, isn't just that it doesn't have any splattering oil, but it is so much healthier because of the small amount of oil that is being used, and because we leave the skin on our potatoes, amping up the nutritional level. 

Also, I soak my potatoes after they have been cut up. I put them in a large bowl of water and let them soak for about an hour before I start actually cooking. this helps remove as much starch as possible and allows the potatoes to brown on the outside, even though we are frying them with a method that doesn't use a lot of oil.

After the potatoes come out of the Actifry, they are screaming hot, so make sure to be careful, but season them liberally with the salt, pepper and curry powder. I like my fries to have a kick to them. If you aren't a fan of curry, them you can skip it, but it is so unique, and really gives this traditional dish a twist. 

Bubbly Fish:


This is so simple, it hurts. And yes, I completely cheated, but I like to think that a few cheats here and there won't ruin my reputation. 

A happy smile after dinner; she cleaned her plate!

2 fillets of haddock, cut in half horizontally
Beer Batter Fish Crisp
1 can of club soda
salt
pepper
paprika
4 TBSP canola oil (or another oil with a high smoke point)

All you have to do is add the can of club soda to the beer batter and whisk them together. The batter is so light and fluffy, I couldn't get enough! Then I add in 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper, along with 1.4 tsp paprika. If you like your fish to have a bit of zip, you can add 1/8-1/4 tsp of cayenne here, that would taste amazing. 

In order to make sure your oil fries your fish correctly without your fish being oily, soggy and limp, I only do two at a time, and I don't add all the oil in; it's a TBSP of oil for each fillet half. I add the oil into the preheated pan (I put my pan on Medium) and gently lower the fish fillet in away from you so you don't burn yourself. Then I cook them on each side for about two to three minutes. I like mine dark golden brown and very crunchy, but if you like yours light, then go for less time. I put a paper towel on a plate and let the fillets sit for as long as I cooked them for. 

While those are sitting, I can make one of the easiest sauces on the planet: tartar sauce. 

Scratch Tartar Sauce:

1/2 cup light mayo
2 TBSP relish or diced pickles
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp lemon juice

Yes. that is all that is in tartar sauce. Mix all these ingredients together and you will have enough for a family of four or five to have a generous scoop. I only use 1 TBSP on my fish. 

The last step is the veg

A cheeky rip off of classic mushy peas... peas and corn with salt and pepper. 

Yes, this is the simplest thing by far. Simply steam your peas and corn in a steamer, then put them into a serving dish and spray with all natural cooking spay. Mine if canola oil, but whatever you can get is good. Then season with salt and pepper. 

That is it for this meal. The dog is begging to go out, and the bed is calling me. I hope you guys have a lovely week, and hopefully i will see you tomorrow!

If you have any comments, requests or suggestions, make sure to check me out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, pr leave a comment here. And if you try a recipe, use the hashtag #EatAroundTheWorld to let me know what you though of it and how it turned out! I would love to see pictures! 

See you soon! Warm wishes

Mexican Fiesta!

Hello everyone!

Today on our #EatAroundTheWorld week, we are doing some very simple Mecian dishes, including super simple ground pork taco filling, mango salsa, pico de gallo, and guacamole. 

I hope you enjoy these super easy and simple recipes from my kitchen. 

Mango salsa:

1/3 of a ripe mango
1/2 a yellow pepper
1/2 jalapeno (seeded and de-ribbed if you want it mild, or are cooking for children)
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 a ripe tomato
2 tsp fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp white vinegar

 Chop all of your ingredients into large chunks

Throw them all into a food processor and press "chop" until it becomes the consistency you like

Serve with your Mexican favorites!

You see how easy that is? All of these recipes for the day are like this. It is just good, wholesome, simple cooking, that anyone can accomplish with the right tools and ingredients. I love cooking food like this, and I try to whenever possible. It is so fun to see the bright colors, smell the aroma in the kitchen,
and hear the silence after you let everyone dig in. Mom
made this? 

Yes. Oh, and hell yes. 

Our next recipe is just as simple! 

Pico de gallo:

1 ripe tomato
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 jalapeno
1 tsp garlic
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 lime, juiced (aka the juice of 1 lime)
1 TBSP fresh cilantro

 Place all your ingredients, cut up into large chunks, into a food processor. Chop into thick chunks. I simply washed my food processor out with dish soap in between dips, but you can make these days in advance if you don't have the time/energy to stand in the kitchen and make salsas one after the other. I would recommend that the guacamole is made the night of, so that it doesn't oxidize, otherwise, all these salsas can be made in advance. 

Also, this next stp completely depends on what is happening in your area, but in our home we compost. So I leave the clean compost bin out on the counter the entire time I am cooking so that all the peels, shells, rinds, seeds, piths, and ribs can go into the compost without me having to touch the cabinet to get the bin out every five seconds. It helps me keep my work area clean and helps me keep my mind on composting, otherwise, like most people, I forget. 




Small batch Guacamole:

This is perfect for a family of four or five. There might even be cries of outrage at the end of the night because it will have disappeared magically during dinner. I served this to HelperBaby and my hubby, while I was cooking as an appetizer of sorts, so that HelperBaby wouldn't get mad over the fact that there was food that she couldn't have yet. I served all the dips with the Tostitos Baked Scoops, a very healthy and delicious alternative to regular tortilla chips. 

2 ripe avocados
1/2 yellow onion
2 TBSP fresh cilantro
1/2 red bell pepper
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt 
The juice of half a lime

 Place into food processor and chop until creamy.

Serve as an appetizer, snack, or with your main meal. 

Avocados are a great source of healthy fat and the freshness of this guac is sure to please. 

 

Cilantro-Lime Quinoa

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
3 TBSP fresh cilantro
1 lime, fully juiced and zested






Simply place the quinoa and the water into a pot and set on medium high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and let simmer until the water is fully absorbed. This normally takes about 15 minutes. this serves about four to five people. 

After all the liquid is absorbed, chop the cilantro and lime zest together and add in the mixture as well as the lime juice to the quinoa. Stir well until full combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Yes, quinoa is that easy! It is such an amazing super food, a great grain, and so delicious, even my hubby likes it! We have quinoa over rice most days, and rice is reserved mainly for Chinese or Japanese night. Quinoa is too versatile and too fast and delicious to pass up. We buy ours in bulk from Costco, this way it isn't as expensive, and it lasts us quite a while. But, if you are not accustomed to buying in bulk, I would recommend Bulk Barn so that you can decide how much you want, and you aren't paying for the packaging. Just remember to grab a directions card! 

The rest of the meal is very straight forward. I served warm whole grains tortillas with ground lean pork seasoned with home made taco spice. Warmed black beans, Firey Habenero cheese (normally I wouldn't buy pre-shredded cheese, but desperate times called for desperate measures), lettuce, tomato, yellow pepper, diced jalapeno, and 1% sour cream. 

 I hope you enjoyed coming to Mexico with us today! Again, these dishes are very simple, fresh and filling. I am not claiming to be a personal chef, or an expert in authentic Mexican cuisine, I just know what my family and I like, and I wanted to share it with all of you. Thank you for reading, and come back tomorrow for another day of great food and some beauty reviews. 

Warm wishes.

Turkey and Bean Chili

Hey everyone! 

It feels like ages since I have come and talked to you guys! I hope you have been anxiously awaiting my next post ;)

I wanted to share a recipe with you with is my go-to chili recipe. The thing I love about this chili is that this has so many staple items (for our family) in it that I can literally defrost my meat (either in the morning before I start my day, or in the microwave for about 4 minutes) and throw this chili together. It is also great because you can use ANY type of ground meat (or soy meat, tofu, vegetarian ground "meat") and I mean any type! I have done this with chicken, beef, pork, turkey, and lamb! The lamb one was the most interesting, but it was rwally delicious still! This is a super fast, no mess chili that is whipped together in half an hour and gives you time to spend eating and being with your family! 

No more babbling at you and let's get going!

Turkey and bean Chili

1 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
200mL of chili sauce (it's basically ketchup with spices and onions and peppers in it, you don't have to add this, I just needed to use mine up)
1 (369mL) can tomato sauce
1 (540 mL) can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 (796mL) can diced tomatoes
1 (540 mL) can red kidney beans
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp marjoram
1 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp masa (this is just to thicken the chili, you can use a slurry of cornstarch if you want, but masa is so versatile and handy to have in the house)

Heat pan to medium heat. Add oil and let heat for 30 seconds. Add in your chopped onion, peppers and garlic. Saute for five minutes. 

Add in your ground meat. Cook all the way through. Meanwhile rinse the beans and mix them together in the strainer. Let them drain and then once your meat is cooked all the way through, add them into your pot. 

Add all your spices and salt and pepper if you would like to. I add the s&p at the end. But to each his own. Next, add in your chili sauce, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes (if you don't want to have to thicken your chili at the end, you can drain the diced tomatoes and just add in the pieces). Mix everything together and let it simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. 

Then add in your masa and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. And your chili is ready to eat! You can dress it up or down, add in avocado, sour cream, onion, or jalapeno, or put it over chips with velveeta cheese if you want, it's all up to you! That is the beauty of this chili You can easily double or triple this recipe, or cut it in half, if you have a small family, and freeze the other half for later in the month. It is so simple yet versatile.

Have fun with it! Make it sweet by adding a couple tablespoons of agave or honey, or make it spicy by adding in a chipotle pepper! Make it savory by adding ancho chili powder and cocoa powder for that authentic taste. You can eat it with Fritos, or Doritos, or Tostitos, or even home made tortilla chips! You can put it over rice, a baked potato, rice, or quinoa. Add yogurt, sour cream, a splash of heavy cream, or shredded cheese. or so non-dairy and add guacamole and cilantro and fresh tomato slices. Do your thing and everyone around you is sure to love it! (The pan in the background of that picture is not dirty, it is just a weird light thing, I don't know why it looks like that, I just hadn't put it away yet.)

I hope you enjoyed this recipe and I hope to see you again soon! 

Warm wishes! 

For the veggie lovers on this lovely Meatless Monday

Hey everyone!

About a month ago, my family started Meatless Mondays. It is healthy, light and still hearty. I love cooking meatless. It not only makes me feel a little better about what I am feeding my family, it gives me a lovely sense of satisfaction to know that I can please not only myself, but the total carnivore that my husband is with a huge plate full of hearty grains a vegetables.

This is a chili that my family has gone to for a meatless meal time and time again, even before we started meatless Mondays. It is rich, hearty, and full of rich spices and an earthy sweetness. it is deep and dark and rich and homey, and just so lovely with a dollop of 0% Greek yogurt, or even plain 0% yogurt and a piece of crisped bread or a biscuit. The nutritional information for this recipe is based on the chili and the yogurt, not the carb on the side.

I hope you enjoy this lovely chili and if you try it out, leave a comment or better yet, send me a picture!

Sweet Potato, Black bean, Chipotle Chili

Canola oil cooking spray
1 red onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced on an angle
2 diced garlic cloves
1 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander (or fresh cilantro: 2 TBSP)
1 chipotle in adobo
2 (.5 lb) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14oz) container of vegetable stock
1 (15 oz) can drained and rinsed black beans
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 TBSP plain 0% yogurt (greek or regular)

For this dish, to get on the table quickly, I suggest peeling, chopping and collecting all of your ingredients while you heat your pan on medium low heat. This lets you multi-task and doesn't get your pan too hot while you work. Just watch your kids! They can be tricky, especially around hot stoves.

Chop your onion and carrots. Spray your pan and throw in your onion and carrots. You really want them to get lovely and soft and caramelized. About 5 minutes. Add in your spices and let them bloom only for about 1 minute. You don't want them to burn, just to bloom and become deliciously fragrant. Then add in your diced garlic. Lovely!

Then add in your chipotle in adobo, careful this is deep and dark and moorish and spicy. It really works well with all the lovely light and sweet flavors of the carrot and sweet potato. A little goes a long way. if you can't find this, then you can used ancho or smoked chili powder. Let that bloom for about 30 seconds.

Add in your sweet potatoes, your canned tomatoes and your stock. Let that boil for 20 minutes, then add in your beans. Let those simmer in the chili for about 10 minutes more and your chili is ready.

This dish serves 6. it is healthy and light and delicious but also filling and hearty and savory.

Portion out 1 and 1/3 cups of chili with 1 TBSP of yogurt and some cilantro leaves.

Good for any cold, wintery night, especially on Meatless Mondays!

Nutritional Information:

Calories 251
Total fat 3g
Carbohydrates 46 g
Sugar 12 g
Fibre 13 g
Protein 12 g

Warm wishes.

Home made Lemony Whipped Cream

Hello all,

I just wanted to give you a mini post. Super fast, super simple, super lovely.

Lemon Whipped Cream.

None of that processed suff here, just lemon juice, sugar and whipping cream. It's light and fluffy and creamy and can be served along side berries or cobbler or even something as rich as chocolate cake. I love it and hopefully you will too.

You will need a hand beater or a stand mixer, measuring cups and a container to store your whipped cream.

This makes a lot of whipped cream, so you can always scale it down or make this when you will be having a party or a lot of guests over. it keeps in the fridge for a week, and however long you want in the freezer.

1 L of whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar, 2 lemons, zested and juiced
Extra lemons, or even lemon extract to taste.

Pour all of your ingredients into the mixer and mix from low to high speed for about 1 minute. Go longer if you want it really fluffy, only about 30 more seconds. Taste your lovely creamy, tart mixture and if you want more lemon, add the juice of half a lemon, or a 1/4 tsp of lemon extract until you like it.

And enjoy.

That simple.

Enjoy!

Warm wishes.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Hey everyone, 

Yesterday's recipe was being moody, so it wasn't posted yesterday. But here is our dinner from yesterday. 

Chipotle Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

475 g sweet potatoes
200 g onion
2 cloves garlic
10 g unsalted butter
2 tsp olive oil
100 g frozen corn
100 g frozen peas
127 mL green chilies
400 g lean ground beef
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 TBSP flour
400 mL chipotle salsa

Serves 8

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Boil your water for steaming your sweet potatoes. 

Preheat your pan on medium heat.

Note: I have stainless steel pans, so you might do a different process than I do, but make sure your veggies are cut up and your cans are open before you start all of this. This makes it easy to just add all of your ingredients to your pan and cook them. 

To heat up your stainless steel pan effectively, wait about 7 minutes. Splash a 1/8 of a tsp on water in it, if the water just evaporates, wait another three minutes. If it dances around the pan for a second or two before evaporating, then your stainless steel pan is ready and non-stick. 

Put your butter and olive oil in the pan, swirling it around to evenly distribute it. Toss in your diced onion and let it saute for about 5 to 7 minutes. 

Meanwhile, take your peeled and diced sweet potatoes and put them in your steamer. Let them steam for the entire time that you are cooking your filling. This ensures that they will be lovely and soft and easily mashable. That isn't a word, I don't think. 

Anyway, after your onions are very sweet and soft, add in your cloves of minced garlic. Let that go only for a minute, you don't want to burn your garlic. Once that has bloomed and become fragrant, add in your chilies. Let them go for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Next, make a hole in the center of your veggies. Put your ground beef in the center of the pan, breaking it up with your utensil (whatever you have been using for the veggies). Once the beef is nice and browned, salt and pepper it. Mix all of the veggies in with the beef. Once well combined, pour 200 mL into the beef mixture. Stir and let the mixture come to a bubble. Once that happens, sprinkle in your flour. Mix well. Toss in your peas and corn. Quickly mix and transfer to your beef mixture into a sprayed casserole dish. You don't want to let these cook too much, otherwise your peas and corn will discolor and become dull. 

Put the mixture in the dish aside and take out your sweet potatoes. Transfer to the pan that has the beef mixture in it, off the heat (this is simply so you don't dirty a new dish), and mash your chipotle salsa into the sweet potatoes. Once fully mashed and smooth, top your beef mixture with the sweet potatoes. 

Place in the oven and let it bake for 20 minutes in the oven. 

I served mine with more veggies and a little bit of cheddar cheese. This is up to you. You can serve this with tortilla chips, sour cream, jalapenos, or any type of your favorite hot sauce. You can add carrots, I didn't have any, otherwise I would have, or any other veggie that you want. The more veggies you add, the less beef there will per serving, amping up the nutritional bang for your buck. This makes for a balanced and filling meal. My family really enjoyed it. 

You can buy chipotle salsa, or make your own. Next week I will be putting up my recipe for my HomeMade Chipotle Salsa. 

I hope you enjoy! Comment down below and let me know how yours turned out. 

Warm wishes. 

Veggie-Full Macaroni and Cheese

When I was young, I remember my brother being a picky eater. Everyone goes through that stage, it's natural, but now, when my baby is still little, I am trying to avoid that. I, even in my adult years, find myself not liking certain fruits and vegetables. So, in order to sneak a little more fruits and vegetables, I have started putting vegetables into my dishes that wouldn't normally have them.

Now, please don't get me wrong, I do not think that these dishes automatically become less fattening just because I fill them with vegetables. And understand that I am not a nutritionist. I am simply trying to add a little more nutrition into meals that my family enjoys. 

This is Veggie-Full Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz pasta (I used Scoobi doo, but you can use macaroni elbows or penne)

5 oz sharp or old cheddar cheese

4.5 oz peas

4.5 oz carrots, peeled and chopped

1 TBSP unsalted butter for the roux

1 TBSP unsalted butter for the casserole dish

2 oz shallots, minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 TBSP flour

1.5 cups of 2% milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp mustard powder or Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 TBSP oil

1 TBSP grated parm

Serves 6

Boil your water. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Prepare the macaroni as directed on the package. Half way through the cooking, add in the peas and carrots. Finish cooking, drain and set aside. 

In a pot, melt butter for the roux. While the butter is melting, butter your casserole dish. When butter is fully melted and just ever so slightly bubbling, add in your minced shallots. Cook for 3 minutes then add garlic. Cook for one minute and add in flour, mixing into a lumpy paste. 

Trick: In order to use as little amount as possible, I use one pot to boil the macaroni mixture, then transfer that to the casserole dish. Use a whisk for all stirring. That way, when it comes time to whisk the roux, you only have to dirty one utensil, one pot, and one casserole dish. Alos, one knife and one cutting board, but things that that are very easy to wash. 

Back to the recipe. 

After the flour is mixed fully, add in the milk, whisking constantly. Once it is smooth and well blended, let it come to a small bubble.

Once bubbling, pour the cheese over the macaroni mixture in the casserole dish. Sprinkled over the breadcrumbs, the Parmesan cheese and the tablespoon of oil.  

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes on 350F.

Enjoy!

Hopefully, your picky eaters will enjoy this dish as much as my family does.

Warm wishes. 

A Healthy Snack

Hey again.

I promise this is my last post of the night. I just wanted to share with you a healthy and delicious snack that is so much healthier for you and fun to make and to look at. 

Apple and Peanut Butter Sandwiches rolled in granola. 

Now the great thing about these sammies is that they are affordable, apples are cheap guys, and so is PB last time I checked, and they can be customized in any way. You can roll them in cinnamon sugar, granola, crushed nuts, your favorite cereal, dried fruit, and even sprinkles if you so desired. Though that might negate the healthiness of this treat. 

Simply put the apple's core horizontal and cut rings of even widths down the apple. Do not core the apple, otherwise all of your peanut buttery goodness will fall out. 

Using a fork, poke the seeds out of their little holes, and now your have a beautiful star designed by nature. 

Next, spread a tablespoon of you favorite peanut butter onto an apple slice. Use more or less if you want, though using less will men you can't roll them in anything. Up to you though. 

Then, put a slice of apple on top, slightly squishing the peanut butter out of the sides. Not too much! Just enough for your coating to stick. 

Then, lay out an even layer of your coating, in my case granola, onto a piece of wax paper. Roll the apple in the coating making sure all of your peanut butter is hidden behind the delicious crunchy goodness. 

Take a picture and enjoy. 

I hope you enjoyed the quick and easy recipe. 

Warm wishes.