Man, it’s been hot in Calgary lately (not that I’m complaining)! I’ve been craving lots of tropical fruit and fresh juice to help keep me cool and nourished, so today’s recipe is my latest fresh juice concoction! My Tropical Pineapple Turmeric Cooler is a blend of sweet pineapple, powerhouse carrot, hydrating watermelon, spicy ginger and healing turmeric, rounded out with a bright splash of lemon. I’ve been enjoying it lately post-morning workout, but it’s a versatile recipe that can be enjoyed anytime of the day or night when you need a fresh, sunny pick-me-up! The invigorating ingredient deck always gives me tons of energy to fuel the rest of my morning and it also aids in digestion. Whip up a batch in the A.M. for a tropical kick-start, or enjoy it with a little Caribbean rum on a hot summer night (go on, put some rum in your fresh juice — I’m not gonna judge you!). Cheers to a happy, healthy summer!
Gluten Free
RAINBOW CARROT AND YELLOW PEPPER SOUP
It was a cold, rainy spring Saturday in Calgary. I’d just had a beautiful, inspiring lunch at Shokunin the day prior with fellow food blogger Heather’s Eats. During lunch, my Maki roll came garnished with gorgeous edible petals and chef Darren stopped by to chat with us about his vision for the restaurant. Earlier that week I had tons of photoshoots involving flowers and the leftovers were scattered all over my living room in a beautiful mess. Rebecca and I had been chatting about ideas for edible flower posts, so that was dancing around in the back of my head. I had a whole bunch of carrots and yellow peppers that needed to be used up, and a can of coconut milk sitting half-full in the fridge. I was craving a comforting, pureed soup and realized I hadn’t made one since the fall! It seems that on dreary, grey days I crave the most colour — and I’ve been really into yellow in fashion this spring.
All these things inspired this fresh, nourishing and colourful spring soup recipe! The best part? You only need 10 ingredients (including seasonings) to make my Rainbow Carrot & Yellow Pepper Soup!
ROASTED SWEET POTATO FRIES WITH LEMON TAHINI SAUCE
I’ve been on a major sweet potato kick lately! I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I go through phases with food — and right now I can’t seem to get enough sweet potatoes. My Roasted Sweet Potato Fries with Lemon Tahini Sauce couldn’t be easier to make and it can be on your table in less than 45 minutes! Ever since my New Year Detox Salad with Pink Tahini Dressing recipe I’ve been experimenting with tahini-based sauces and dressings and really enjoy them with roasted veggies and pepitas. Today’s recipe combines all of those things with one of my favourite spring herbs, thyme! The sweet potato fries are infused with fresh thyme and oven roasted — they come out crisp on the outside and soft and velvety on the inside. My Lemon Tahini Sauce combines tahini paste with lemon, maple syrup and a touch of cayenne power for a little kick, resulting in a bright, protein packed sauce. It’s incredible drizzled overtop of the fries and sprinkled with pepitas for some extra crunch! Try this recipe next time you’re looking for light, spring side dish with a fresh, citrusy twist!
DRAGON FRUIT BUBBLE TEA SMOOTHIE
When I was at the Asian market last week, I was in awe of the bubble tea selection. There must have been over 50 varieties on the menu! Taiwanese bubble tea is something I love as a treat occasionally, but I know it’s full of less than desirable ingredients and tons of processed sugar. So I decided to create a bubble tea inspired smoothie at home with the beautiful dragon fruit I picked up at the market! My Dragon Fruit Bubble Tea Smoothie is full of healthy, nourishing ingredients, vitamins and antioxidants. I like to enjoy it post-workout because it’s also loaded with clean, plant-based protein. A delicious chia seed pudding base mimics the texture of the black tapioca pearls usually seen in bubble tea, while a spring-inspired combination of dragon fruit, banana, mango, strawberry and creamy Vanilla Almond Breeze gives the smoothie its natural sweetness and soft pink hue. If you’re in the mood for something exotic, try my healthy spin on bubble tea!
Did you know I have dinner with my college girlfriends (almost) every week? We’ve been doing it since 2008 — so over the years, we’ve shared a lot of meals together. At our last girl dinner, we were chatting about what each of our signature dishes are — I was curious about what they’d say my signature dish was, because I strive to keep things fresh in my kitchen! The answer was ‘something fresh and Asian-inspired, or a make-your-own entrée salad’. And fair enough! Those are my favourite things to eat (and to serve when I’m entertaining). You’ll find lots of those recipes here on the blog!
So, I decided to turn one of my ‘signature dishes’ on its head and use new ingredients in new ways. I revisited tofu, which I’ve marinated with savoury, sesame flavours and finished with a golden crisp. I made the creamiest Asian-inspired sauce with no peanut butter in sight (hint: the secret ingredient is cooked carrots)! It was also my first time making zoodles (spiralized zucchini ‘noodles’) and I’ll chat more about it in this post. My Carrot Cashew Zoodles with Crispy Sesame Tofu is an ultra-light, ultra-fresh spring stirfry brimming with clean, plant-based protein. Cheers to stepping outside of your comfort zone in the kitchen!
BLUSHING BEET JUICE + MY 100th BLOG POST
Sometimes I think it’s important to look for recipe inspiration in new places. As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve been on a bit of a beet kick (and a pink kick) lately — so today’s fresh juice recipe is inspired by pink hues! This juice is totally different than what I would usually make — and it’s all because I combined ingredients for colour first, and flavour second. My Blushing Beet Juice incorporates seasonal produce like beets, oranges and grapefruit with ingredients that I don’t normally juice, like strawberries (which have been looking particularly delicious lately, even though they’re not in season). The result is a perfectly sweet, balanced pink juice, packed full of amazing, heart healthy ingredients. Enjoy this vibrant pink juice for love month — the recipe makes enough for two generous servings, and you can also freeze it to make your own popsicles (kids love them!). Have some fun in the kitchen this February and shake up your juicing menu!
POMEGRANATE HIBISCUS SALMON SALAD + MY PHOTO STYLING PROCESS
Who else is sick of winter?! I know I’ve definitely been craving some colour in my life lately! So this week, I’ve teamed up with Litehouse Foods and The Food Bloggers of Canada to bring you a fresh, colourful entrée salad recipe that can be on your table is less than half an hour! My Pomegranate Hibiscus Salmon Salad combines mixed greens and peppery arugula with strawberries, yellow peppers, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, almonds and red onions — topped with a fresh fillet of wild sockeye salmon. It’s created with Litehouses’s Pomegranate Hibiscus Dressing, from their new Green Garden line. I also give you a behind-the-scenes look into my creative process of shooting and styling imagery for photoshoots and blog posts!