Tag: Gluten Free

Beet Apple n’ Ginger Soup

On By juliemarie87In Recipes, SoupsLeave a comment

Happy Sunday!

I’m going to keep this post short and sweet as I have a very special birthday party to prepare for and attend tonight. Who’s birthday party you may be wondering? Why it’s my lovely little pup Oscar’s 9th birthday! And yes, we celebrate with dinner, “cake”, and gifts each and every year hehe.

Handsome Oscy
Oscy sporting the latest fashions hehe

Not to worry, I will be documenting the occasion in a later blog post complete with photos! Oscy gets SO excited about his birthday and I honestly think that I look more forward to his birthday than my own. He’s just so adorable when he gets all excited about the festivities and you can’t help but laugh and feel happy watching his enjoyment.

Anyhow, back to this wonderful Beet Apple n’ Ginger Soup I want to tell you about. I had some beets and a few other ingredients kicking around in my fridge that I wanted to make use of before they went bad, so I decided to make one of my favorite items: soup.

I think one of the things I love about making soup is that I can throw a bunch of items into a pot, add some spices as I go, and see what happens. I feel it really give me the opportunity to experiment and be creative in the kitchen, which I love! Sometimes I’m not so fortunate and my cooking experiments turn out not-so-tasty. Fortunately on this particular occasion though this one turned out great!

This delicious soup is packed with nutritious vegetables, plus a bit of heat from the ginger, which has terrific and scientifically validated health benefits, and apple to complement the earthy flavour of the root veggies with a bit of sweetness. I finished the soup off with coconut milk to give it a creamy texture. Boy, doesn’t that look tasty?! I just love the bright colour of it!

Beet Apple Ginger soup 1
Nutrient packed Beet Apple n’ Ginger Soup

Want the scoop on how I made this one? As always, use fresh, local, organic ingredients when possible to ensure the best and most nutritious food. Now, here’s what I did:

Ingredients:

  • 2 large beets, peeled and chopped (approx. 1″ cubes)
  • 8 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3″ ginger, peeled and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, diced
  • 4 apples, peeled and diced
  • 1 L carton vegetable broth
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 2 – 4 Tbsp. raw, unpasteurized honey (or real maple syrup)
  • 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 2 – 3 Tbsp. coconut or olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

  • Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add in onion and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until beginning to soften and brown slightly. Reduce heat to medium, add in garlic and ginger; saute about 3 to 5 minutes more, stirring frequently.
  • Add in carrots, beets, and apple, then cinnamon and turmeric (note: I like a lot of cinnamon so if you’re not a huge fan of the flavour start with 1 tsp. then add to taste). Stir to coat and combine. Pour in veggie broth.
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for about 40 to 50 minutes. The beets can take a while to soften so be patient. Once the veggies are soft, remove pot from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree soup.
  • Slowly add in coconut milk (2 cups was an approximation; use more for a thinner consistency and less if you’d like your soup more thick), then honey, salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently to combine
  • Serve hot and enjoy! 🙂
Beet apple ginger soup 2
Creamy Beet Apple n’ Ginger Soup

This soup makes for a delicious and healthy pick-me-up on chilly days. Plus, if you’re having tummy issues the ginger in this one will help to soothe the ache and get you back to feeling well again. Alrighty folks, I’m off to celebrate a special little pups birthday!

Wishing you much health and happiness!

xo Julie

 

Strawberry Ginger Acai Smoothie Bowl

On By juliemarie87In Health & Wellness, Juices & Smoothies, RecipesLeave a comment

Hello wonderful people!

You may have noticed I haven’t posted anything new during this last week. This is because I was away on vacation for my beautiful friends wedding in the Dominican Republic.

DR 2016 beach
Beautiful White Beaches in the Dominican Republic

I had a wonderful time, but I’m glad to be home (minus the cold temperatures haha) and reunited with my sweet kitty Calvin! Boy did I miss that little fur ball!

Anyhow, I learned a thing or two about keeping healthy while traveling on this trip, and unfortunately I did so the hard way. Normally I eat pretty healthy, limiting my intake of processed items, sugar, dairy, gluten, meat, etc. and apparently my body has become accustomed to this and quite enjoys this sort of diet.

How do I know this? Well, because I made the mistake of eating and drinking all the things I’ve cut out over the past year or so my tummy was NOT impressed! I spent most of the time with a stomach ache, which really I knew better and should have been smarter about my dietary choices. But hey, I learned some valuable lessons about keeping healthy while away traveling. Here are some of the things I learned:

  1. Try, as much as possible, to maintain your usual diet to avoid running the risk of experiencing gastrointestinal issues. This can be tricky with so many tasty looking treats around (not to mention all those sugar loaded tropical drinks!), but in my experience it’s worth the extra trouble.
  2. Try to maintain your typical activity routine at least to some degree. Normally I do yoga about 3 to 4 times a week, plus workouts with light weights about 4 times a week. I did none of this while I was away and I can certainly feel my body is more lethargic, lacking energy and strength, and my GI system is out of balance.
  3. Attempt to get a reasonable amount of sleep (between 7 to 8 hours) each night. I know it’s tempting to skip this and the thought goes something like “I didn’t go on vacation to sleep”. Well yes, this might be true but you’re body doesn’t really care and requires adequate amounts of sleep to function properly. Mess with this and you run the risk of disrupting your internal balance and ending up not feeling very well.
  4. Continue taking any supplements you regularly take. I was smart enough to bring with me my amazing Pro-15 probiotics from Hyperbiotics that I take daily (I’ll be writing a whole bunch about these in the next few months so stay tuned!). I think this is why I didn’t have more severe GI issues due to my poor dietary choices while on this trip.
  5. Take a break from work! Most of the time I enjoy my work, which makes it not really feel like “work” at all and gives me incentive to keep at it. While not exactly a bad thing, it’s important to take time away from the usual routine to find some stillness and reflect. Enjoy nature! Fortunately, this is one thing I DID manage to do right while away and it was wonderful!
DR 2016 wildlife
A crane hunting for some lunch
DR 2016 turtles
Turtle watching from the poolside – I adore turtles!

Now back home in Canada my tummy is still a bit sore and I expect it’ll take a few days for it to recover. Fortunately, I was able to get right back into my regular eating habits and I can already feel the difference it’s made. My energy levels are improving, along with my mood, and my stomach is slowly but surely feeling less bloated and back to normal.

DR 2016 flight home
Sunset as seen from my window on the plane ride home

This morning I woke up feeling much better than I have the past few days, but noticing my guts still feel a little off I thought I’d make use of a fantastic natural remedy for stomach issues – GINGER! Considerable research has accumulated suggesting that ginger is effective for treatment of GI issues, nausea, and a great many other health issues. If you’re interested, this article from Authority Nutrition discusses some of these implications in greater detail.

As I was saying, I love ginger and use it whenever I can; in everything from soups to smoothies, stirfrys, and especially when I’m having tummy trouble, it really does the trick! So this morning I enjoyed a cup of one of my favorite teas from David’s Tea – their Organic Ginger Pear tea. Almost instantly I could feel my stomach being soothed.

I then decided to make a yummy smoothie bowl for breakfast featuring some serious “superfoods” including ginger, acai berry powder, and strawberries. I was pleasantly surprised with just how delectable this recipe turned out to be, especially considering it helped my tummy ache to feel better too, boosted my energy, and kept me feeling full for several hours after.

Strawberry ginger acai smoothie bowl 3
Yummy Strawberry Ginger Acai Smoothie Bowl

I like making smoothie bowls because I can put fun toppings on afterwards and feel like I’m getting a real treat haha. However, they do take more time to prepare and eat, so if you’re pressed for time and on the go, please remember you can simply leave this in a travel cup and take it with you. Don’t forget your straw! 🙂

Anyhow, here’s what I did for 1 serving of my Strawberry Ginger Acai Smoothie Bowl. As always, try to use fresh, organic whole foods when possible:

Ingredients:

  • 1″ ginger, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 1 cup (approx.) almond milk
  • 1/2 Tbsp. Acai Berry powder
  • 1 Tbsp. raw honey
  • Toppings: chia seeds, trail mix, walnuts, shredded unsweetened coconut, One Degree Organics Sprouted Brown Rice Cacoa Crisps

Method:

  • Combine ginger, banana, strawberries, and acai berry powder in blender. Add enough milk to just about cover the contents. Then add honey. Blend until smooth, then pour into a bowl and top with some of your favorite, healthy items
  • Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and think of one thing for which you are grateful
  • Smile and enjoy! 🙂
Strawberry Ginger Acai Smoothie bowl 2
Strawberry Ginger Acai Smoothie Bowl

I hope you’ll find this as delicious and nourishing as I did. It’s a great tasting, nutritious recipe for kids too, particularly if the little ones are having tummy troubles.

If you give this tasty recipe a try I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Don’t forget to share photos of your version of this yummy, wholesome creation with #genuinelyjulie

Wishing you much health and happiness!

xo Julie

 

 

Rutabaga Pear Soup

On By juliemarie87In Recipes, SoupsLeave a comment

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that I’m really big on soup! Not going to lie, I do love soup. Nothing makes a cold winter day better quite like a creamy, hot, flavorful soup. But I promise I do make and will share more than soup on here haha! However, this particular soup is just so tasty and in light of the current cold winter weather here in Canada, I couldn’t help but share it with you.

Rutabega Pear Soup 2
Yummy Rutabaga Pear Soup in my Adorable Owl Bowl

I like a good challenge and one of my favorite things to do is look around the kitchen to see what I have, pull out some ingredients, and come up with something new! I’ve been staying with my mom the past little while as she recently had major surgery on her spine to correct lumbar scoliosis and vertebral disc degeneration. Fortunately her recovery is going well, but to help facilitate her healing I’ve been trying to cook nutritious, wholesome meals.

Mom and I
My Beautiful Mom and I at my Undergraduate Graduation

While poking around her place I came across a rutabaga she’d recently picked up but hadn’t had the time to cook before going into surgery. I dug around a little more and found some ingredients I figured might make a decent soup. I’m used to cooking with squash and pumpkin, but haven’t had a ton of experience with rutabaga so this was going to be a fun experiment! My dear mama, bless her soul, always tries all of my kitchen creations – good and bad. Though fortunately most of them are usually good, I think she may have been a tad skeptical on this one though haha.

I put on one of my trusty aprons – this one is green and reads “great dam cook” with a picture of a cooking beaver on it (how witty, I know hehe) that I got years ago while on a family vacation in Alberta, Canada – and got to work. I guess I’ve done this (ie. make soup) a time or two because everything came together perfectly! In fact, my mom LOVED the soup and thought it was delicious! And I have to agree… it absolutely is 🙂

Rutabega pear soup 3
Rutabaga Pear Soup

Want the scoop on what I did? Silly question, of course you do! Here it is:

Ingredients

  • 1 rutabaga, peeled and cubed
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 pears, peeled and diced
  • 5 -6 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2″ ginger, finely diced
  • 2 – 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 1 L low sodium vegetable broth
  • 14 ounces coconut milk
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 – 4 Tbsp raw honey or real maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp coconut or olive oil

Method

  • In a large soup pot heat oil over medium high heat. Add in onions. Saute about 5 to 8 minutes, until they begin to soften and become translucent. Add in the garlic and ginger. Saute about 3 to 5 minutes more.
  • Add rutabaga, carrots, and pears to pot along with cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Add in vegetable broth stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 – 40 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and puree with immersion blender (note: a hand mixer might do the job too if an immersion blender is not available).
  • Slowly pour in coconut milk, then raw honey or maple syrup, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Then add more cinnamon and nutmeg to taste, if necessary.
  • Serve hot with a garnish of walnuts or pecans.
  • Close your eyes, inhale slowly, smile, then enjoy 🙂
Rutabega Pear Soup 1
Silky, delicious rutabaga pear soup

This soup has a creamy texture and the pear adds a hint of sweetness which complements the earthy flavor of the rutabaga and carrots. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did!

Until next time wishing you health, happiness, and love!

xo Julie

Black Cherry Avocado Smoothie Bowl

On By juliemarie87In Breakfast, Health & Wellness, Recipes1 Comment

Good day wonderful people!

If you’ve been following the latest health trends then you’ve likely noticed the good ol’ avocado has been getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reason! It’s packed with vitamins, healthy fats, and a bunch of other nutritional and health benefits which you can learn about through this great resource.

I often hear people say that they aren’t a fan of the taste or texture of avocado though, which deters them from eating it. Well, you’re in luck because I’ve come up with some clever ways to use avocados and you won’t even know they’re in there! The recipes are also kid friendly, especially if you have a picky eater! Mix up one of these smoothie bowls and you’ve got a nutrient packed, delicious dessert or breakfast that will surely be a hit! Toss it in the freezer for an hour or so to alter the texture and you can even call it ice cream. Now that’s what I call a win!

I’ll also mention that for anyone out there who finds eating solid food challenging, a problem faced by many who have had laryngectomy surgery such as myself and for some elderly folks, this is an awesome recipe for you too! It’s quick, easy, nutritious, and super yummy!

Okay, so today I’m going to share with you one of my favorite smoothie bowl recipes which uses black cherries, avocado, banana, and spinach to create a filling and energy packed meal that will keep you going through the day! A few things you’ll need: a blender or single serve mixer such as a Magic Bullet or Ninja, the ingredients (obviously), and a smile. Why a smile? Well, why not?! Even if you don’t feel that you have something to smile about do it anyways. Studies have shown that when a person smiles it actually influences neurochemical mechanisms in the brain associated with emotion which have the ability to boost one’s mood and elicit a more positive attitude. Pretty cool eh?! So smile away 🙂

Alrighty, enough chit chat from me… lets get to the good part!

Black Cherry smoothie bowl 1
Black Cherry Avocado Smoothie Bowl

For 1 serving you’ll need:

  • 1/2 to 1 avocado, pitted
  • 1/2 frozen banana (peel, cut in half, then freeze in bags or containers for easy access)
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen, pitted black cherries
  • 1 handful spinach
  • 1 cup almond or coconut milk (or other milk of choice)
  • 1 Tbsp raw honey
  • Optional toppings shown here: One Degree brown rice crisps (SO delicious, organic and GF), shredded unsweetened coconut, acai berry powder, and trail mix.

Method:

  • Place avocado, banana, cherries, then spinach into mixer. Add in milk (just enough to cover things), then honey. Blend together until pureed and mixed well.
  • Pour mixture into a bowl and top with your favorite, healthy toppings such as those suggested above.
  • Breath, Smile, Enjoy!
Black Cherry smoothie bowl
Black Cherry Avocado oh-so-yummy Smoothie Bowl

I hope you’ll enjoy this as much as I do! If you give this recipe a try I’d love to hear about it and please feel free to share with Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest (#genuinelyjulie)

Well friends, as much as I’d love to keep chatting I do have some hot “Chai and Mighty” tea to drink from David’s Tea while I read “Missing Microbes” by Dr. Martin J. Blaser. “Missing Microbes” discusses how the overuse of antibiotics is having detrimental effects on the gut microbiome and by extension our health. I could go on and on about the topic of the gut microbiome and it’s implications for both physical and mental health and well-being (this is one of my major research interests), but I will save this discussion for another time.

Good reads
“Missing Microbes” and some “Chai and Mighty” Tea for this chilly Sunday afternoon

Wishing you health and happiness!

XO Julie

Maple Ginger Acorn Squash Soup

On By juliemarie87In Recipes2 Comments

Why hello there friends! I hope this finds you well and warm!

The weather here in Ontario has been pretty cold as of late. I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite ways to warm up when the cold weather’s here is with a hot bowl of creamy soup! I had found a lovely organic acorn squash a few days ago whilst wandering through the grocery store in the evening, which is my favorite time to go as it tends to be less busy. I think I’ve mentioned before that I love to experiment in the kitchen, so I was excited to see what sort of tasty, healthy new recipe I could turn this squash in to.

A few items I always like to keep around just in case my creative juices get stirring: organic veggie broth, coconut milk, real maple syrup, nuts, ginger, and raw unpasteurized honey. Fortunately I had all of the ingredients I needed to whip up some soup and with the cold weather out there, it seemed like the perfect thing to make. I love cream soups, but I’m not a huge fan of the calories and fat the accompanies cream, so I’m constantly trying to think up ways to make cream soups without the cream. Luckily, my soup experiment was a success! Here’s what I came up with…

maple ginger acorn squash soup 2
Delicious and Creamy Maple Ginger Acorn Squash Soup

Yumm! Doesn’t that just look delicious? Since I was feeling creative I finished it off with a drizzle of maple syrup, some fresh ground pepper, and pecans! And would you believe, I think it tastes even better than it looks. It’s creamy, filling, oh so tasty and simply too delicious not to share. Here’s what I did…

Ingredients

  • 1 acorn squash, peeled and cubed
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 6 – 8 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2″ ginger, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 3.5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 – 2 cups coconut milk (depending on desired consistency)
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp raw, unpasteurized honey (I get mine at Clovermed Apiaries by the pail – can’t get enough of this delicious, nutritious stuff!)
  • 3 – 4 Tbsp real maple syrup (depending on desired sweetness)
  • Pecans or walnut to garnish (optional)

Method

  • In a large pot, heat coconut oil (or olive oil if you prefer) over medium-high heat. Add in onion and saute for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until soft and fragrant. Add in ginger and garlic, saute a 3 to 5 minutes more over medium heat.
  • Add in carrots, squash, cinnamon and nutmeg. I should note here that I tend to like a lot of spice and flavor in my food, so if you’re not a huge fan of that start with less of the spice and add more to taste.
  • Stir to coat veggies and combine. Add in vegetable broth, salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce temperature and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until squash and carrots are soft.
  • Turn off the heat and using an immersion blender puree the soup. Add in coconut milk, honey, and maple syrup, stirring gently to combine. Finish off with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve hot with a drizzle of maple syrup and garnish with pecans if desired. Enjoy!
Maple ginger acorn squash soup
Maple Ginger Acorn Squash Soup

I hope you’ll enjoy this nutritious and healthy soup! If you give it a try please let me know; I love hearing feedback on my recipes as it helps me to improve them. You can also share on Instagram at #genuinelyjulie

Until next time: wishing you warmth, health, and happiness! 🙂

XO Julie

 

Creamy Walnut Avocado Soup (without the cream!)

On By juliemarie87In Recipes, SoupsLeave a comment

It seems as though winter has finally arrived here in Ontario and with the cold weather I find myself wanting something warm and comforting to eat more often. I was short on time and craving something creamy and tasty for lunch that wouldn’t take up much time to make. I had some avocados in the fridge that I assumed would spoil shortly if I didn’t eat them (they can be so temperamental!) – and one can only have so many avocado smoothies!

Putting my creative hat on, or rather apron I should say  (it’s a delightful thing with cats all over it hah), and searched around my tiny kitchen to see what I had that I could make a soup out of. Fortunately I had enough to whip something tasty up! And so the Creamy Walnut Avocado Soup became.

This is a quick and easy to make soup with a lovely, creamy texture and rich taste. But best of all is the health benefits it packs between the walnuts and avocado providing healthy fats, vitamins and nutrients. For those who like cream based soups but are trying to avoid the dairy, this is an excellent alternative.

The photo doesn’t do this soup justice – I am still trying to learn how to use my snazzy new camera. Being that I am a tad technologically challenged, this is  no easy feat. One of my many new years goals is to learn how to work that thing!

Anyhow, I hope that you enjoy this delicious healthy soup! It pairs well with a good book and a cold winter day  🙂

Creamy Walnut Avocado Soup

walnut soup

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1 cup low sodium vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp. walnuts, crushed
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp. cumin
  • pinch of thyme

Method

  • In a medium size pot, combine veggie stock with avocados and mash them a bit with a fork. Add in coconut milk. Combine using an immersion blender (or hand mixer), over medium heat.
  • Add in nuts. Use the blender to puree or simply stir in for more texture.
  • Add in spices and stir to combine. Once thoroughly heated, serve.
  • Enjoy!
  • Approx. 2 servings
  • 10 – 15 minutes to make