TruJoy Nutrition & Wellness

Over the weekend I had the honor of hosting a baby shower for my dear friend and her husband and like any social gathering there was food galore. For the first time in a while I wanted to eat majority of the food at the party not just because I made most of it but because majority of things were dairy and wheat free. I tend to find it difficult to go somewhere and find healthy appetizers that are wheat and dairy free.  Perhaps it’s  because every cooking  site out there is full of rich and heavy cheesy recipes with loads of mayo, melted cheddar, and gouda. Trust me, I know! My stand-by used to be the cheese ball too.

So on this lovely Monday I thought that I would share with you a couple of wheat and dairy free appetizer recipes along with a couple of tips on ways you can avoid the wheat and dairy even in recipes that call for them.

Creamy and cheesy dishes

Anything that calls for sour cream, cheese,  mayo anything of that nature; try using avocados or cashews instead. For example; take something like a spinach dip that calls for mayo and sour cream and substitute with ripe avocado. If something calls for a sharp cheese try using a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast.

Crackers and bread

Rather than using the typical everyday crackers that contain white flour and hydrogenated oils try using Mary’s crackers which are gluten free and vegan (http://www.marysgonecrackers.com/) a little more pricey but well worth it! Another option is to use rice crackers or corn chips and of course veggies for dipping.

Meatballs and fillers

Many of you may or may not know that store bought meatballs contain wheat and an array of other fillers that I would highly recommend avoiding.  To make your own meatballs simply take your ground organic meat, fresh garlic, a little olive oil, salt, pepper and oats or quinoa flakes.  Mix together and form your balls. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 350 et voila! Balls without the fillers!

For additional tips and ideas on how to prepare wheat, dairy, gluten and vegan recipes sign up for a Nutrition Dinner Party or Cooking workshop by contacting me at: Jenna@trujoy.ca

Angel Eggs

18 hard-boiled eggs

1/3 cup grainy mustard

1/4 cup green onions sliced

1/4 cup red peppers sliced

Salt

Paprika

Directions:
Once eggs are cool remove shells and rinse under cold water. Cut eggs in half and scoop out yolks putting the yolks in a food processor. Take white part of egg and slice bottom to form a flat edge ( this way your eggs will stand up) Put halved white part of egg a side. Repeat for all eggs. Add mustard, onions, red pepper and salt to food processor and mix until pureed. Take a knife or spoon and spread the yolk mixture into the white egg halves ensuring that all egg whites are filled. Place on serving tray and sprinkle with paprika.

Veggie Rice Wraps

Rice paper

Cucumber sliced in matchsticks

Red and green pepper sliced in matchsticks

Carrots sliced in matchsticks

Sprouts (any kind)

Almond butter or tahini

Directions: Add warm water to a frying pan and set aside. Have vegetables sliced and ready to go. Place one rice paper in warm water for approx. 30 seconds or until rice paper is soft. Take soft rice paper and place on tea towel, pat dry. Take rice paper and spread nut butter over, take a few of your sliced veggies and place in middle of paper along with sprouts. Fold edges in and roll tightly. You can serve as is or do what I do and cut the roll in 3 to form bite-sized pieces.  Serve with a sweet Thai chili sauce or tamari.

It feels like a soup day to me! On this cold and damp April day I can’t think of anything more appealing then to curl up in a blanket with a bowl of warm, sweet and savory soup in hand. Here is an easy recipe that you all can enjoy and I assure you it will warm you up too:)

Sweet & Savory Lentil Soup

1 Tbsp. Coconut oil

2 cloves garlic

2 Tsp. curry powder

1 Tsp. coriander

2 ½ cups rinsed green lentils

½ sweet potato (diced)

12 cups water

1 Tbsp. Tamari ( Fermented wheat free soy sauce)

1 cup crimini mushrooms finely chopped

Sea salt to taste

Directions:

In a large pot heat coconut oil on medium heat then add garlic, curry powder and coriander. Rinse lentils and add to pot. In pot mix lentils around in spices so that lentils are well coated. Add sweet potato and water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add tamari, mushrooms and salt to taste, let simmer for 20 minutes then serve. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

**** Lentils do not need to be soaked overnight like other legumes. They only need to be rinsed prior to cooking.

Fiddleheads also known as the Ostrich Fern are those curly green things that you may have passed in your Canadian grocery or health food store in late April or early May. What’s kind of cool about these look-alike citronella coils (or at least I think so) is that they’re native to Canada! Another thing we grow and can be proud of eh!

Well out at a local market on Saturday I happened to walk by the infamous Fiddleheads myself, but rather than ignoring them like I normally do I thought that I would buy some and give them another whirl. My previous experience with Fiddleheads was quite boring, think olive oil and lemon boring. However, now knowing what these green spirals are nutritionally worth I’m quite glad I gave them a second chance:)

Fiddleheads are a great source of antioxidants especially Vitamin A and C and according to research they contain double the amount of antioxidants as blueberries. Also great to know about the Canadian fern is that they contain significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA which helps with inflammation, enhances the immune function, and enhances the action of insulin.  (http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/index_e.php?s1=tip-puce&s2=2010&page=05)  So needless to say these look-alike citronella coils have a great purpose here in their native land! They truly would be a great addition to a healthy Spring detox regimen as well as a wonderful natural immune tonic or wound healing food.

Now that you know this and now that you have a non boring recipe to try (see below) please give them a chance!

Canadian Spring Salad

Spinach

Sunflower sprouts

Steamed fiddleheads

walnuts

Directions: Mix ingredients in large bowl and coat with French Canadian dressing.

French Canadian dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup flax oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

2 Tbsp. tahini

2 garlic cloves

3 small celery stalks chopped

1 Tbsp. organic Dijon mustard

1/2 Tsp. cayenne

Directions: Put all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Add more oil or a little water to make a less thick dressing.

Kale, have you ever heard of it? Walked past it in the grocery store? Ate it? Before my adventures in the world of Nutrition I had never tried the green leafy goddess.

Kale is a form of cabbage in the brassica family that grows in our climate both in Spring and in Fall. It is an excellent source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Manganese. Kale and other members of the brassica family such as cabbage, brussel sprouts and broccoli also contain a plant chemical called “indole glucosinates that help the body detoxify excess estrogens, halt the conversion of estrogen into dangerous metabolites, block the action of estrogen, and balance the estrogen-to-progesterone ratio.”  ( Sexy Hormones, Vanderhaeghe, P. 170)  If that isn’t enough to make you want to fall in love I don’t know what is? Kale also contains a great source of lutein and carotenoids which filter ultraviolet light and prevent damage to the eyes.  Studies have shown that these nutrients can prevent the risk of cataracts. This along with it’s antioxidants and Vitamin A make kale a great promoter of vision health.

There’s no reason after you read this that you shouldn’t be eating kale all Spring/Summer long! You can eat it so many ways!  You can juice it with an apple or two, you can bake it on low or dehydrate the leaves to make kale chips (Check out Salt and Vinnie Kale chips on my recipes page) you can add it to soups and stews, you can steam it and serve with lemon juice and a little olive oil, or you can make my favorite salad!

Super KALEafragalistic Salad

1 head shredded kale

1 avocado finely sliced

1 cup sprouts ( I use my Warrior Women mix which is a blend of broccoli, alfalfa, red clover and radish )

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tsp sea salt

- Wash and de-stem kale by holding the stalk and stripping the leaf off

-Cut kale finely and add sea salt and lemon juice

- Mixing the salad with the salt at this point will wilt the kale to soften it

- Add all ingredients and toss with dressing

Pomegranate Dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 to 8 large basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed
Sea salt

one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns! Just reliving my recorder days…sigh, those were the days! Who ever thought that 16 years later I’d be writing a blog on hot cross buns? Those delicious soft and sweet buns that we eat at Easter.  Yes, I said sweet buns. This year however, there will be none of  those “Buns Master” hot cross buns, this year there will be Jenna’s sweet, sweet buns and nothing else! Why? Because I have slightly modified the traditional white flour, dairy containing, caramel colored, preservative filled buns (I checked out the ingredients at the grocery store yesterday and they aren’t pretty!) This year we are going to have wheat free, vegan hot cross buns sweetened with raisins and a little agave, that’s it! So whether you are a hot cross bun traditionalist like myself or perhaps you just like sweet buns in general then this recipe is for you!  Don’t be intimidated by the word bun, they were quite easy to make! I think the hardest part was letting the dough rise:)

Jenna’s sweet, sweet hot cross buns!

Ingredients:

1 cup of warm unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup of agave

2 Tbsp. yeast

2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds

1/4 cup water

2 cups buckwheat flour

2 cups oat flour

1/2 cup sunflower seed flour ( Grind sunflower seeds in coffee grinder)

Zest of 1 orange

1 tsp.Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 tsp. Allspice

1/2 tsp. Cloves

1/4 cup of melted coconut oil

1 cup sultana raisins ( Soaked in water)

Directions:

1.Heat almond milk until it is warm to touch (think baby’s bottle temp.) add agave and yeast. Set aside.

2.Place raisins in bowl and cover with warm water, set aside.

3. In a separate bowl add flax seeds and water, set aside.

4. In another large bowl mix flours, orange zest, soaked raisins and spices.

5. Melt coconut oil and add to flour mixture.

6. Pour in foamed yeast and milk mix ( Should only take 10 minutes or so to foam)

7. Add flax seeds and water to mixture

8. Mix all ingredients together well to form a large ball of dough.

9. Place ball of dough in a greased pan and cover with tea towel. Place in warm area and let rise for approx. 1 hour. Mine nearly double in size.

10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

11. Take dough and roll in hands to form a nice sized ball then place on greased baking sheet.

12. Once tray is full place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until buns are golden brown. You should have enough dough for a dozen buns.

13. Take out of oven and let cool. While buns are cooling you may make your icing.

Icing Recipe

1 cup Unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup Coconut flour

1/4 cup Maple syrup

Mix together milk, flour, and maple syrup to form a creamy paste. If it is too runny then add more flour or vice versa. Once it is at the desired consistency place icing into piping bag.

14. Take piping bag and ice cooled  buns forming a cross on each bun.

15. Eat and enjoy!

According to Wikipedia,” Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism’s cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.” This is what food is and this is what it was intended to be; my, intentions have changed. We now live in a society obsessed with” food.” Every other commercial on television is for” food”, every social gathering is revolved around “food”, every occasion such as a Birthday, Wedding or Funeral is around “food”! The question always comes up; “Where do you want to go for dinner on your Birthday?” On a wedding invitation you are asked to select what entrée you would prefer, at a funeral the service is always followed by a reception where “funeral sandwiches” and condiments are served.  So if we take a look at what the meaning of food is and how much that has been misinterpreted we can see how one would get lost in this socially accepted, media driven scandal.

Yes, I understand that food is influenced with culture, and that I truly find fascinating. But, I also find that in a continent where 60% of people are Obese and 1 and 2 develop Cancer that there has to be a food wake-up call .Does the food you consume provide you with essential nutrients and produce energy and maintain or stimulate growth?  Does a fast-food burger or a bag of potato chips do any of this? If anything it does the opposite.  How can it be that slurping back a green smoothie or eating vegetarian cuisine is out of the “norm” and for the most part not socially accepted?  I’m pretty sure that both a green smoothie and vegetarian meal provide the body with essential nutrients, energy and maintain growth.

As I sit here on day 4 of my juice and veg cleanse 8lbs lighter and my brain much clearer I feel like an oddball. When I go out tonight what is everyone going to say? You’re drinking juice? You’re not eating “food”? Aren’t you starving? OMG you’re going to fade into nothing!  Yes, I’m drinking juice and yes I am eating FOOD! No, I’m not starving…eating a bagel and cream cheese is starving your body and no I’m pretty sure I’m still here just with a few pounds of winter sludge gone!  This may sound harsh but by no way am I saying this to frown upon those of you who eat your bagel with cream cheese; a few years ago I was eating a bagel and cream cheese. Now blessed with a greater knowledge of nutrition I want to be able to share with you what I now know so that you can make more healthful choices so that you can live a healthier life.

When you sit back and look at why you eat “food” you will realize that the majority of time you eat it is an emotional or physical response. We eat all the time yet we’re never full, our bodies are always starving. Cravings are absurd and that mental fog just won’t go away. I can honestly say that the over the last 4 days I have not craved any sugar or junk food (Yes, I do crave chocolate and potato chips), the only thing I’m craving is a salad!  The reason why is I am eating food, I am starting to get some of the essential nutrients my body needs and my body is now producing more energy and stimulating growth.  Don’t get me wrong I love to eat and socialize but if we look around the world other countries are doing it more so with Food rather than the standard North American way of pizza, nachos and chicken wings. Each one of us has the power to change this misconception of food and to change the social norms that have been created. Together we can start having juice parties and healthy potlucks and one day making healthful choices will be the only choices available.

It’s officially Spring and we all know what that means…cleaning..urgh. As much as we don’t want to do it, we do it anyways because we know that it’s worth it in the end-clean windows and nicely kept flower beds feel much better when Summer arrives. This too applies with our bodies. After a long Winter with heavy foods, lack of fresh air, and little exercise we need to give our bodies a good cleaning! And as much as it may be a struggle to start it is well worth it in the end!

Just think what we do to our bodies in one day and the number of toxins that we expose it to! Wake up to an alarm clock (EMF pollution) then hop in the shower to co
ver our bodies with chlorinated water, shower gel (chemicals), shampoo/conditioner (more chemicals) then we eat breakfast (Nitrates, hormones, antibiotics perhaps?) apply make-up (chemicals) get dressed (chemicals in fabrics) hop in our car and drive to work (Air pollutants, plastic off-gassing, formaldehyde) pick up a coffee (chemically treated), walk into work and sit at our computer (electro-magnetic frequencies, mold, radiation, perfume) have a morning snack (preservatives, additives, artificial sweeteners) this is all before NOON! You can see where I’m going with this…if not, what I’m trying to say is that our bodies are exposed to a crap lot of crap (pardon the expression) in a day. Why not give your body a break and allow it to remove this buildup of toxic sludge? That is when a detox/cleanse comes in. Spring and Fall are the best times and 2 cleanses a year is ideal. There are several cleanses and detoxes on the market; ones ranging from 3 days to 2 months. Without knowing you, your main concerns and your health history I can’t say which one is best for you right now. However, for $50 I would be happy to meet with you and put together a spring cleaning protocol for you so that you can benefit the rewards of a great cleanse! Improved digestion, increased energy, clear skin, weight loss and pain reduction to name a few! Contact me today at: Jenna@trujoy.ca to set up your appointment.

For those of you who like to think you’re Irish one day a year (I do!)…this post applies to you! Rather than overindulging in green beer and deep fried “appies” change it up a little and help offset that green dye and barley with some delicious “GREEN” food.  This year try using spinach, parsley, basil, sprouts, pumpkin seeds, artichokes, avocados,green olives etc. as your main source of green coloring for your St.Patrick’s day gathering. Decorate with limes and potted sprouts for an added green flair.  Serve your main course with my Pesto Presto and a spinach and sprout salad! Your guests will love you and their livers will be thanking you! Both of these recipes took no time at all to prepare. Happy St.Patrick’s Day to all of you…because on St.Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish:)

Baked Spinach Dip

Baked Spinach Dip

6 oz. steamed spinach

2 garlic cloves

1 can cannelloni beans

½ cup onion

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. fresh basil

2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

Put all ingredients into blender and puree until smooth. Place in oven proof dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees before serving. Serve with your favorite crackers or organic corn chips.

Green Tapenade (Omega 3 Cusine, Roettinger with Erasumus)

Green Tapenade

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup of green olives

1/2 cup of chopped parsley

1/4 cup of capers, rinsed

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1 hard boiled egg

1 Tbsp. Dijon

Black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until well mixed but slightly chunky. The mixture should be spreadable. Serve right away or keep in fridge for up to 2 days.

the TruJoy kitchen is done…well almost! For those of you who saw the before pictures…if you haven’t then check out my previous blog posts, you will notice quite a difference! Finally I can show all of you and let you know about my upcoming videos that will be shot in the TruJoy Kitchen. Check out my site over the next couple of weeks and watch my first ever video! My first video will show you how to make my recipe of the month which will be up shortly…all I’ll say is that it’s quick, easyand makes for a great on-the-go snack!  Also, contact me through my website or Facebook to sign up for my dinner parties live at the TruJoy Kitchen!

Learn all of this while enjoying a 3 course nutrient rich meal in a relaxed and warm environment amongst friends and women of your community!  Contact me to attend or host a Nutrition Dinner Party today!