Kale Rice Bowl

This is a simple any-time meal courtesy of 101cookbooks.com that is quick and versatile. 

I especially like it for its skin enhancing properties:  Vitamin A in the kale and egg, B vitamins in the brown rice, vitamin E in the olive oil.  You can substitute spinach or chard for the kale.  Za'atar is a blend of herbs, sesame seeds and salt.  If you are unfamiliar with Za'atar, you can substitute any of your favourite herbs or spices.

Joanne Levesque, RHN, Pure Med Office Manager

olive oil or clarified butter

1 bunch of kale, de-stemmed, chopped/shredded

3 cups cooked brown rice

capers, rinsed, dried, and pan-fried until blistered in butter

a poached egg

a dollop of salted Greek yogurt

a big drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil

lot's of za'atar

toasted sesame seeds

In a large skillet or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the kale and a couple pinches of salt. Sauté until the kale softens a bit and brightens, just a minute or so. Stir in the rice, and cook until the rice is hot. If your rice is on the dry side, you might have to add a small splash of water.

Serve the kale rice topped with all of the following: capers, poached egg, yogurt drizzled with olive oil, and plenty of za'atar and toasted sesame seeds.

Fresh Herb Omelet with Greek Yogurt

I have so many herbs in my back yard garden.  Tarragon, Oregano, Basil, Lemon Thyme, Parsley and the list goes on...

Rather than my usual breakfast shake, I challenged my husband to make an egg dish with our fresh herbs for breakfast.  His creation -- a fresh herb omelet filled with Greek yogurt and garnished with our garden fresh tomatoes and parsley.

Having a backyard (or front yard) garden rocks!

Joanne Levesque 

Registered Holistic Nutritionist

Serves 2

1/3 cup fresh herbs (any combination of oregano, basil, tarragon, lemon thyme, chives etc.), finely chopped

5 pastured eggs (from your local farmers market), my favourite are from Funny Duck Farms

Sea salt and white pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

cherry tomatoes and more herbs for garnish

Beat eggs with salt, pepper, and chopped herbs.  Melt butter in a small non stick pan over medium heat.  Add eggs and cook and gently stir with a spatula until almost done.  Add Greek yogurt on top and gently fold the omelet in half.  Heat for about 30 to 60 seconds and remove from heat.  Split between two plates and garnish. Serve with toasted whole grain or gluten free toast.

Enjoy a garden inspired breakfast.

Steamed Vegetable Salad

Salads can get sort of boring in the winter as other than onions, there is not anything seasonal to put on them.  They are also too cold for a chilly night.  So how is one to enjoy leafy greens on a cold winter night?  Solution - make it warm!

For years, my chef husband and I have topped our winter salads with steamed broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and butternut squash.  Our favourite dressing is a simple dressing made of fresh squeezed lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, dijon mustard and a little Braggs All Liquid seasoning.  Top that with cayenne pepper and you have yourself a warm delicious salad as a prelude to your main meal. 

You can also make this salad your main meal if you top in with a protein source such as salmon, chicken, eggs or even giant lima beans or cannellini beans.

                                                                                                                                 Joanne Levesque, Registered Holistic Nutritionist

 Pure Med Office Manager

 Serves 1

Salad 2 to 3 cups of mixed salad greens (spinach, arugula, romaine etc.) 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped red onion (optional) 1/2 avocado cut in chunks Place ingredients in a large bowl. Vegetables 1/2 cup broccoli flowerettes and peeled stems 1/2 cup cauliflower, cut in bite sized pieces 1/2 cup chopped cabbage 1/2 cup cubed butternut squash Steam vegetables until just done.  Dressing 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

  3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  1 teaspoon Bragg All Purpose Seasoning (find in health food stores and in Loblaws Natural Value section)

  Shake ingredients together in a jar.

Assembly

Top salad greens with steamed vegetables.  Drizzle dressing over vegetables and salad.  Season with cayenne pepper, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.  Optional:  top with fish, chicken, soft boiled eggs or beans for a complete meal.

Winter Salad Meal

This is my go to meal when I am alone for dinner.  It is simple and easy to make with ingredients that I always have on hand.

I grow my own greens in my garden from April to November.  Spinach, arugula, mustard greens, and cress do very well in the fall.  As long as there is no snow, I can harvest my greens through to the end of November, even after frosts.  This recipe is best made with the autumn greens.

                                                   Joanne Levesque, RHN, Pure Med OfficeManager

Salad

3 to 4 cups of organic mixed autumn greens such as arugula, mustard greens, cress and spinach

1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped red onion

4 to 6 sundried tomatoes, soaked in water to soften, chopped

4 black kalamata olives, chopped

1/4 cup shredded organic medium cheddar

3 organic free-range eggs, soft or hard boiled

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing

Juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup)

3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Bragg All Purpose Seasoning (find it in a health food store or Loblaws natural foods section)

Cut greens into bite size pieces.  Top with red onion, tomatoes, olives and cheese. 

Place eggs in a pot of cold water.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes for soft boil (runny yolk) or 5 minutes for hard boil (solid yolk).  Drain water and soak in cold water to make them easy to handle.  Remove shell, chop the eggs and add to salad.

While the eggs are cooking make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a jar and shaking until combined and smooth.

Drizzle dressing over salad and season with sea salt and pepper.

Herb Cream Cheese Scrambled Eggs

This recipe is not for everyone.  If you are not sensitive to eggs and dairy, then this recipe is quick, delicious and nutritious.

It starts with organic, pastured eggs that you pick up at the organic farmers market.  Eggs are a marvelous food.  A large egg contains 70 calories and is full of iron, vitamins A, D, E, B12, folate, protein, selenium, lutein, zeazanthin, and choline.  They are inexpensive (even the organic, pastured eggs) and are quick to cook.

The following recipe comes from 101cookbooks.com.  I found it when I was looking for recipes that contained lots of fresh herbs, since my garden is abundant with fresh herbs and I am determined to use as much as I can before the frost and snow claim them.

I used Organic Meadows Cream Cheese (found at Farm Boy and Loblaws/Superstore) which is organic and very spreadable.  Play around with the herbs.  Keep in mind that you wants tons of herbs and green onions in the cream cheese

.Joanne Levesque RHN, Pure Med Office Manager and Holistic Nutritionist

Serves 2

125 grams cream cheese at room temperature

4 tablespoons chopped herbs – equal parts thyme, tarragon, oregano

6 green onion, with greens, chopped

1/3 cup chopped chives

Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon butter

5 to 6 eggs, well whisked

Your favourite crusty bread or whole grain (or gluten free) toast

Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl, add the herbs and mash with a fork until the herbs are evenly distributed.  Add the green onions, most of the chives, a pinch of salt, and mash until those are incorporated as well.  Set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-heat.  Add the eggs and let them set a bit.  Use a spatula to fold them over themselves, let them set a bit again, and repeat until they are nearly cooked to your liking.  Remove from heat, add 2 dollops of the cream cheese (roughly a tablespoon each) to the skillet, count to ten, then stir a bit more to work the cream cheese into the eggs.  Serve sprinkled with the remaining chives, salt and pepper to taste, and toast on the side.  You can also add a side of steamed broccoli or Brussels sprouts to make a balanced meal.

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 5 min