Welcome. Virtual Kitchen. to CSNN Mississauga s. Eating healthy has never tasted so good. 6 tips to help you navigate the holiday season;

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Welcome. Virtual Kitchen. to CSNN Mississauga s. Eating healthy has never tasted so good. 6 tips to help you navigate the holiday season;"

Chrystal Owens
5 years ago
Views:

It s the most wonderful time of the year! Welcome to CSNN Mississauga s Virtual Kitchen Eating healthy has never tasted so good.

tips and tricks, include seasonally inspired recipes and more... all fully-tested and family approved. Our recipes have been developed using organic, seasonal and local produce whenever possible.

We re extra busy, more stress, less sleep, lots of festivities- the perfect storm that encourages overeating and too many treats.

1 It s the most wonderful time of the year! Welcome to CSNN Mississauga s Virtual Kitchen Eating healthy has never tasted so good. roasted butternut squash & ginger curry soup pear, ginger tart We invite you to visit our virtual kitchen each month where we ll highlight an ingredient, dig deeply into nutrition, provide meal prep tips and tricks, include seasonally inspired recipes and more... all fully-tested and family approved. Our recipes have been developed using organic, seasonal and local produce whenever possible. It s challenging at this time of year when it comes to healthy eating habits. We re extra busy, more stress, less sleep, lots of festivities- the perfect storm that encourages overeating and too many treats. Enjoy yourself but remember, sugar is addictive and will affect your blood sugar levels leaving you tired, affecting your immune system and causing weight gain. Choose your treat wisely and only on occasion, not everyday! 6 tips to help you navigate the holiday season; d don t eat thoughtlessly, make healthy food choices d watch portion sizes at every meal or snack d don t go to parties on an empty stomach because you ll eat everything in sight d take some healthy dishes to the party for you and everyone to enjoy that you know are made from fresh, whole ingredients d stay hydrated, being thirsty sometimes feels like hunger plus cut down on alcohol and caffeine d indulge in life, not poor quality food and don t let the holiday season completely derail your efforts

2 It s the holiday season and everyone s schedule has ramped up. Preparing this easy to make soup can be a real life saver. Roasted Butternut Squash & Ginger Curry Soup A hardy soup can be a meal on its own but because this one s so smooth and decadent, it can even be served as the first course at your holiday dinner. To make life easier, double the recipe and freeze it in serving-sizes. When you have a variety of meals in your freezer you ll always have real food with nothing added except the ingredients you choose. Having healthy food prepped and ready-on-hand helps prevent impulse takeout foods and can redefine what convenience looks and tastes like. Optimize your time in the kitchen and plan your meals. They don t need to be complicated, just made from healthy ingredients and real food. Start slowly and reconnect with your kitchen because then you ll know what s going into your body. Combining seasonal flavours with the healing properties of curry powder and extra ginger makes this Butternut Squash & Ginger Curry Soup a wonderful boost for your immune system as well as your digestive system. Ready to make it happen?

Roasted Butternut Squash & Ginger Curry Soup Prep time: 20 minutes Total time approximately 1 hour Suggested equipment: it s helpful to have a high-speed blender, we used a Vitamix.

cloves, finely chopped 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped 1 tbsp curry powder 4 cups organic chicken stock or vegetable broth 3 tsp fine sea salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ¼ tsp

Brush cut sides with olive oil and arrange on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, season with salt and pepper. Roast until fork tender and golden brown.

3 Roasted Butternut Squash & Ginger Curry Soup Prep time: 20 minutes Total time approximately 1 hour Suggested equipment: it s helpful to have a high-speed blender, we used a Vitamix. Ingredients: 1 large butternut squash 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp coconut oil, melted 3 leeks white and light green parts only, washed well, cut into 3 inch pieces and split in half 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped 1 tbsp curry powder 4 cups organic chicken stock or vegetable broth 3 tsp fine sea salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional if you d like to add a little extra hotness) Method: Preheat oven to 450 F. 1. Cut the squash into 6 pieces, remove the seeds. Brush cut sides with olive oil and arrange on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, season with salt and pepper. Roast until fork tender and golden brown. Note: Texture and flavour tip - certain vegetables are so starchy on their own that you don t need to add any additional thickening agents to create a creamy, ultra smooth pureed soup - butternut squash is the perfect choice. Roast the squash until you see it caramelizing around the edges - it s this caramelization that adds to the depth of flavour. 2. Heat 2 tbsp of the coconut oil in a heavy bottomed skillet and add half the leeks, cut side down and without moving them, cook until well-browned, this takes about 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and brown the balance of the leeks. Set aside. Note: Flavour tip - with leeks, to heighten their sweetness it s always better to caramelize the cut surface in a little hot coconut oil before adding the stock.

3. Add a little more coconut oil, chopped garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook over medium heat, stirring for about 5 minutes until lightly browned.

Add the browned leeks, 4 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring often. 5. Puree the soup in batches.

4 3. Add a little more coconut oil, chopped garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook over medium heat, stirring for about 5 minutes until lightly browned. Don t overcook the garlic because it will taste bitter. 4. Take the roasted caramelized butternut squash out of the oven and scrape the cooked squash off the skin and into the skillet. Add the browned leeks, 4 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring often. 5. Puree the soup in batches. Note: Blending, flavour and storage tip - we ve used a Vitamix to blend the cooked soup into a creamy, thick texture. Use the blender you have but be careful when you blend a hot soup mixture. Place the first batch into your blender, secure the blender lid then put a folded tea towel over the lid. Start the blender on low and slowly increase the speed. Blend the entire pot of soup until it s smooth and creamy, then return the soup to the pot and keep warm until you serve it. If you d like the soup to be a thinner consistency, add a little more broth. 6. We like to keep our soup warm for about an hour to let the delicious flavours blend together - that s why most leftovers taste better the next day. If you put the lid on your skillet, the soup doesn t evaporate. Adjust the seasoning to taste (salt, pepper and cayenne). Enjoy a bowl now and store the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or divide into serving size portions and freeze up to 3 months. Give fast-food a new meaning with this recipe. If you make extra and freeze it in portion sizes it s simply a matter of re-heating - fast, simple and nutrient dense!

5 Food has the power to make or break us. Food is meant to be enjoyed but not to spiral our health downwards. Pear Ginger Tart Pear Ginger Tart Making your own desserts instead of buying packaged, processed foods means you re avoiding ingredients that are chemical, unnatural, processed, and refined. When you make meals in your own kitchen you can choose high quality ingredients without chemicals, preservatives, sprays or other bioengineering processing techniques. The spotlight is on Ginger... Ginger is rich in phytonutrients called gingerols, which are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antiviral. Ginger is a knobby rhizome the underground stem (not the root) of a plant. You can buy fresh ginger at your local grocery store. It s delicious and quite versatile it s included in our soup and in our dessert tart. Put your apron on and lets get started...

Pear Ginger Tart Prep time: 30 minutes Baking time: 20 minutes Makes approx. 8-10 small tarts Ingredients: 2 ¼ cups raw walnuts 1 ½ cups (approx.

6 Pear Ginger Tart Prep time: 30 minutes Baking time: 20 minutes Makes approx small tarts Ingredients: 2 ¼ cups raw walnuts 1 ½ cups (approx. 14 dates) moist, plump dates 1 tbsp coconut oil to grease the tart shells ¼ cup fresh squeezed organic lemon juice and the zest 2 cups water 5 organic ripe pears, cored 4 tbsp coconut sugar 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1 tsp cinnamon Method: 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Be sure to grease your tart shells with coconut oil or they will stick. Make the crust: 2. In your food processor combine walnuts and dates, process into a coarse crumb. The dough should stick together when pressed between your fingers. Note: We bought beautiful moist, plump dates at our local health food store. If you can t find moist, plump dates, put what you have in warm water and let sit for about 15 minutes before processing. Drain the water and process with the walnuts as noted in step Divide the dough evenly among the tart shells, the amount of dough you use will depend on the size of your tart shell. Press the the dough mixture down firmly over the bottom and up the sides of each tart shell with your fingers. Poke the base of each tart shell with a fork 6-7 times to allow steam to escape when the tarts are baking. 4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. You will smell the delicious walnuts and the tart shells will be slightly browned. Loosen the tarts first and then let cool. Once cool, sprinkle the lemon zest over the bottom of each shell.

Make the filling: 5. Cut the pears into 1/2 inch cubes and place in the bowl of water with the fresh squeezed lemon juice. This will prevent them from going brown. 6.

Remove the pears from the liquid with a slotted spoon and put them into a separate bowl and allow them to cool. 7.

7 Make the filling: 5. Cut the pears into 1/2 inch cubes and place in the bowl of water with the fresh squeezed lemon juice. This will prevent them from going brown. 6. Drain the pears and put them into a heavy bottomed skillet with the coconut sugar, fresh grated ginger and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring often for about 15 minutes. Remove the pears from the liquid with a slotted spoon and put them into a separate bowl and allow them to cool. 7. Reduce the liquid that s left in the skillet to half its volume which will make a light syrup. 8. Add the light syrup to the bowl of cooked pears. Assembling the tart: Seasons Greetings from CSNN Mississauga s Virtual Kitchen to Yours 9. Just before you are ready to serve the tarts, spoon the pear mixture into each shell and serve right away. Reserve the rest for later. Note: To avoid the tart shells from becoming soggy when filled, it s best to put the pear mixture into each shell just before serving. Only fill the number of shells you are going to serve. Store any remaining shells in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze them individually. We freeze them in their metal tart shell so that they don t get broken. When ready to fill them again, simply let them thaw on the counter for 10 minutes or warm them in a 300 F oven for 5-6 minutes (in their metal shell). Enjoy!

Desserts Thoroughbred Pie Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert

Desserts Thoroughbred Pie Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert Menu 1. Turkey 2. Gravy 3. Sausage & Apple Stuffing 4. Cranberry Cream Dream Salad 5. Sour Cream and Onion Smashed Potatoes 6. Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash 7. Not Your Traditional Green Bean Casserole