Fall flavours are great and all, but this week I needed to switch things up — I was craving something light, fresh and colourful! Today I’m sharing the recipe for my Tangled Thai Salad — a simple, healthy salad overflowing with veggies and plant-based protein (including the best Ginger Peanut Sauce, ever). I love to make a big salad for dinner when I feel like I need a some extra nourishment, and the extremely brown landscape in Calgary lately has left me craving come colour! My recipe is a crowd pleaser — I’ve served it for many girl dinners (for those of you who are new, I have dinner with my college girlfriends every week!). I also share my tips for making your salad look pretty when you’re serving it as a main course — because we eat with our eyes first, right?!
Food
SPICY PUMPKIN PERSIMMON SMOOTHIE
I think this was the year that my favourite season changed, from summer to autumn. Not only is it the most beautiful season, I truly believe that fall flavours are the best — it’s the time of year I feel most inspired in the kitchen, and always come up with tons of new recipes. If you’ve been with me for awhile, you know that I love to add unique ingredients to my smoothies. I drink smoothies and fresh juices a lot — it’s is the easiest way I can make sure I’m properly nourished, even when I’m super busy. But, I get bored easily, so I never make the same smoothie more than a few times!
This fall, I’ve been really into making my own pumpkin puree (it’s easy, and I tell you how I do it in the post!). It’s so much better than store-bought. One day when I was experimenting, I tried some in a smoothie, combined with sweet and creamy persimmon, and spicy fall flavours like fresh ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. This is one of my favourite smoothies yet — it tastes like an indulgent treat, but it’s brimming with healthy, nourishing ingredients!
AUTUMN HARVEST SOUP WITH ROASTED SQUASH SEEDS
I love to make soup in the fall, and squash based soups are my favourite. So, I decided to take all the delicious things I had in my kitchen that were in fresh and in season, and roast them with warming, autumnal spices. I picked up tons of squash and apples at a fresh food market in Creston, BC recently (where they grow their produce on a farm right behind the market), and I combined them with carrots, onions, and some rhubarb from my friend Heather’s garden (you can’t eat more local than that!). I also roasted the squash seeds and use them for a garnish! My Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds is the ultimate autumn comfort food — hearty, nourishing and velvety smooth. It’s an ultra clean recipe, if you’re looking for simple dinner ideas this week to help detox from Thanksgiving festivities!
PEPPERED PEAR ELIXIR
Since I haven’t been drinking this month (I’m doing a Sober September), I’ve been inspired to step up my juicing game! I seem to come up with the most unique flavour combinations when I’m trying to use things up around the kitchen — that’s how my Peppered Pear Elixir was born. We had a couple of peppers, pears and celery stalks that were on their last days, so I decided to throw them into a juice, along with a few other ingredients I had kicking around. The result is a sweet n’ spicy, aromatic juice brimming with a medley of awesome detoxifying ingredients. Enjoy this elixir on a fall morning while Bartlett pears are in season, and kick-start your day!
GREEN JALAPEÑO MARGARITAS
My friend Elise served these delicious margaritas at our last girl dinner, and we all agreed they were the best homemade margaritas we’d ever tasted! I’ve dabbled in making cocktails with freshly pressed juice, but it usually goes a little something like “Hey, I bet this juice would taste good with vodka in it!”. I’m picky when it comes to tequila-based cocktails, but these margaritas are citrusy, savory and a bit spicy — it tastes like you’re drinking the most delicious green juice, and I couldn’t even taste the tequila! Plus, I like that this recipe is full of good ingredients (even some vegetables!). If you’re looking for a refreshing summer cocktail with a twist, you’ll love Elise’s Green Jalapeño Margaritas. Cheers, amigos!
TOASTED TRAIL MIX
Last weekend we were getting ready to go for a hike at Lake Louise and I decided (last minute, of course!) to make some trail mix for the road. It turned out to be really delicious (even the chipmunks liked it!), so today I’m sharing the recipe with you. My Toasted Trail Mix is more like a mixture of trail mix and granola — it’s full of awesome, nourishing, all-natural ingredients, and brimming with antioxidants to help fuel your day. It gets nice and toasty in the oven, and the toasted flavour is complimented by a bit of maple syrup, cinnamon, and a dash of cayenne powder for that little bit extra! I also like to enjoy this trail mix on top fruit parfaits and smoothie bowls to kick my breakfast up a notch — it’s a versatile recipe that I love having in my kitchen.
Today I’m sharing my favourite green juice recipe — Lean Green Protein Juice! I love this recipe for a few reasons:
1. It’s quick to make and I usually have all the ingredients on hand
2. It’s a perfect on-the-go option when I’m busy
3. It’s full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and complete protein
4. When I drink it consistently my skin is more radiant
5. It’s absolutely delicious!