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Pulse Pledge Week 2 – Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

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[Thrilled to meet Chef Michael Smith!]

If you haven’t yet signed up for the Pulse Pledge, I encourage you to do it now and join this amazing global food movement! The challenge is to eat pulses once a week for 10 weeks – and you can do that!

Pulses are dried peas, lentils, beans and chickpeas. They’re super nutritious, delicious, versatile, economical and a sustainable food!

For Week 1 of my Pulse Pledge, I whipped up a delicious gluten-free Chickpea Chocolate Cake and shared with my friends and family.

This week, I made Lentil Shepherd’s Pie – it’s my all time favourite lentil recipe and tastes fantastic! I hope you’ll give it a try! I think Chef Michael would approve!

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Makes 6 servings
Serve with a side salad or other vegetable.

Ingredients
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) stewed tomatoes
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) green lentils (drained and rinsed)
pepper
3 cups mashed potatoes (about 3 large)
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
4 green onions
salt

Directions
1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, carrots and garlic, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes or until softened.
2. Add tomatoes and break them up (if needed) with a potato masher or back of a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until thickened.
3. Stir in lentils, season with pepper to taste. Transfer to a deep 8 cup (2 L) baking dish.
4. Combine potatoes with cottage cheese and green onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over lentil mixture to cover completely.
5. Bake, uncovered, in 400 F (200 C) oven for 35 minutes or until heated through.

Recipe Source: The Canadian Living Light and Healthy Cookbook, 1991

Comments/Review: You could also use dried green lentils instead of canned. Just simmer 1 cup (250 mL) of rinsed lentils with about 5 cups (1.25 L) of water for 25 minutes or until tender, then drain well and add to recipe.

Chickpea Chocolate Cake (gluten-free)

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What can you make with one can of chickpeas? A delicious gluten-free chickpea chocolate cake! I raved about this cake in my recent nutrition trends interview on BreakfastTV Toronto. Super easy and tastes amazing!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (19 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 T icing sugar (for dusting)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper.
2. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt chocolate chips for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, set the power at 50%.
3. Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and baking powder. Pulse to blend.
4. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth. Transfer batter to the prepared cake pan.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate and dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Recipe Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/149550/garbanzo-bean-chocolate-cake-gluten-free/

Comments/Review: Instead of a food processor, I simply used a Magic Bullet to blend the chickpeas and eggs (half of the chickpeas with 2 eggs at a time). I then poured everything into a large bowl and added the sugar, baking powder and melted chocolate. When I first made this recipe, my then 7 year old daughter declared gleefully, “I’m so lucky. I got the piece of cake without any bean in it!” Fooled her!

Get ready for International Year of Pulses!

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The United Nations has declared 2016 as International Year of Pulses!

Dried peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas are examples of pulses. Packed with nutrition, pulses are are a super sources of fibre, iron and protein.

Research from the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that eating 1 serving (3/4 cup) of pulses three times a week lowered the “bad” LDL cholesterol by 5%. Because pulses are a low Glycemic Index food, they cause a slower rise in blood sugar – that’s good news for people with diabetes or anyone watching their blood sugar levels.

Here are some of my favourite pulse recipes which I’ve collected over the years! Enjoy!

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie (made with lentils)

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Red Lentil & Vegetable Dal

Chickpea Chocolate Cake (you’ve got to try this!)

Veggies are Trending for Culinary Inspirations

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“Anyone can cook a hamburger, leave vegetables to the professionals.”

That’s Amanda Cohen’s mantra. The Canadian born chef and owner of Dirt Candy restaurant in NYC is on to something with her vegetable inspired menu.

[Pictured: Cohen’s Broccoli Dogs – grilled and smoked broccoli sautéed in broccoli oil, and served with a side of broccoli kraut and broccoli rabe chips.]

Here are highlights from my amazing interview with Chef Cohen.

Tell me a bit about yourself.
Cohen: I was born in Ottawa but grew up in Toronto. I came to New York to go to NYU and never looked back. I wet to the Natural Gourmet Institute’s Chef’s Training Program and after that I worked in pretty much every single restaurant I could for about 10 years. I realized that no one was going to give me a chance to cook the kind of food I wanted to cook, so I opened the original Dirt Candy in 2008. It’s been going like gangbusters ever since.

What inspired you to focus on vegetables only?
Cohen: There are hundreds of steak houses, thousands of seafood restaurants, millions of hamburger restaurants, but Dirt Candy is the only restaurant that only focuses on vegetables. I’m not making vegetarian food, and I’m not making fish with a lot of vegetable sides. I’m cooking vegetables. I’m sitting here in my kitchen and running it like a lab, seeing how far I can push each vegetable and what kind of flavor I can get out of them. No one else is doing this, so for me, it’s like being in the Wild West. There are no rules, and no one telling me what I should do. I love it!

Why are vegetables so tricky to work with?
Cohen: Vegetables are tricky because they have no fat…fat carries flavor, so you have to add [flavor] yourself. Also, vegetables have a high water content that you have to get rid of somehow when you cook them. And finally, vegetables have a uniform texture throughout and don’t have the different flavours and textures that say a big chunk of steak will have. To make vegetables taste good, you really have to work.

Tell us about your Broccoli Dogs!
Cohen: I spent three months trying to make them work before throwing everything out and starting from scratch, which took another four weeks. I experimented with 38 different doughs before finding the right one I use for the bun.

Any plans to open a Dirt Candy in Canada sometime??
Cohen: I wish!

Everyday Super Food – by Jamie Oliver

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ICYMI, Jamie Oliver was in Toronto on October 28th to launch his new TV show on Food Network Canada and his new cookbook Everyday Super Food. I was there at the TV show prescreening and had a chance to listen to Chef Jamie’s thoughts on his latest cookbook.

The uber chef and foodie, noted that his 40th birthday was the impetus behind this cookbook in which he has a section dedicate to nutrition healthy eating. With so many inspiring words of wisdom from Jamie, we just aren’t sure which one of these is our favourite!

• “On cold, wet, rainy days, food can be a hug.”
• “Access to freshly grown food is linked to longevity.”
• “If you just pick up your shopping and get cooking, you’ll be in a beautiful place.”
• “Food is there to be enjoyed, shared, and celebrated, and healthy, nourishing food should be colourful, delicious, and fun.”

Tricks to Enjoy the Halloween Treats

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The costumes are ready and the kids can’t wait to get their Halloween treats! Here are my tricks for managing tomorrow’s candy stash.

1. Sort it out. When the kids get back from trick-or-treating, sort though all of the candy and get rid of the ones that are opened, unwrapped or look a little sketchy.

2. Decide on a reasonable limit. If you have young kids, perhaps 1- 2 small treats is a fair amount to enjoy and celebrate the evening. Even better, offer the treats with a glass of milk or hot chocolate. For older kids and tweens, a more realistic amount might be 3-4 small treats that evening. Remind them to floss and brush before bedtime too.

3. Ration out the treats. Talk to your kids about how much and how often they can enjoy the remaining treats. You might tuck in one small treat in their lunchbox a few times next week, or offer a small treat after dinner. Always try to offer the Halloween treat as part of a healthy snack or meal.

4. Be creative with the extras. Use leftover candies for baking or for your kids’ crafts. Donate the extra candy or look for a local agency or dentist’s office that may “buy back” the candy from you. After a couple of weeks when the excitement settles, hide the candy – out of sight, out of mind! If you have preschool boys, throw a coloured candy in the toilet and let them use it for target practice during toilet training! (Blue Smarties worked for us!)

5. Get in some good family time. Carve the pumpkin together. Scoop out the pumpkin seeds and bake them with a sprinkle of salt. Don an awesome Halloween costume and head outside for some fresh air with your kids. It’s a great chance to meet and greet your neighbours.

Happy Halloween!

Back to School Routine…with a Teen!

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Well, we’re finally settled into a new schedule that’s packed with school team practices, extra curricular lessons, and after school clubs. Now that my kids are teens, I’ve learned a few things and have had to adjust my eating plan for them.

1. My teens go to sleep late. What’s happening is a change in their melatonin which is a hormone that regulates the wake-sleep cycle. In young kids, melatonin is released early in the evening, triggering an early bedtime. In adolescents however, the melatonin isn’t released until 9 pm or even 10 pm, meaning that my teens aren’t feeling sleepy until at least 11 pm.
The food fix: Keep plenty of grab-‘n-go foods in the kitchen. With dinner typically at 6 pm, my teens are often hungry for a snack around 9:30 or 10 pm. By creating an environment of healthy food choices such as bagels, tortilla chips, grated cheese, yogurt, fresh cooked meat, fresh fruit and fresh veggies, they can make their own smart snacks while I’m catching my ZZZs.

2. Teens like to sleep in. This is a corollary to lesson #1 above! My teens might have only have 15-20 minutes on a weekday to get up, eat breakfast, change, groom themselves, print out their homework assignment, pack their bags, text their friends, slap on some sunscreen, and then finally jump out the door.
The food fix: Keep it simple in the morning. 20 minutes is definitely doable in the mornings, but to keep things moving along, we focus on easy to eat, protein-filled breakfast options. Some of their favourites are Greek yogurt smoothies, fresh fruit, grilled cheese sandwiches and eggs.

3. Teens can have changing lunch times. Last year,my daughter’s lunch period was at 12:45 pm. This term, it’s at 11:15 am. Next term, her lunch period switches to 12:15 pm.
The food fix: Pack a snack.To ensure that she’s hungry for her early lunch, we try not to have an overly big breakfast. By the time 3:30 rolls around though, she’s absolutely starving, so we pack a little something extra in her lunch bag for those after school munchies.

4. Teens like to buy their lunch. Like all teens, my crew is becoming quite independent and enjoys the freedom to buy their lunch from the school cafeteria or nearby quick service restaurant.
The food fix: We follow the 80-20 rule. On most days of the week, my teens will bring a packed lunch to school. Once a week, they buy their lunch. We talk about healthy choices and money sense. But I never judge them on their choices. I do however, sneak in an extra fruit or veggie at breakfast and suppertime!

What’s the best type of chocolate to give on Valentine’s Day?

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In short, the answer is: Whatever type of chocolate he/she enjoys! After all, Valentine’s Day comes but once a year!

But if your decision is at all swayed by health, then take a look at the options below.

Cocoa nibs: These are cocoa beans that have been roasted and then broken into small pieces. Cocoa naturally contains a special type of antioxidant that appears to be heart healthy because it lowers blood pressure and keeps our blood vessels healthy. Expect a crunchy, chocolately flavour that’s slightly bitter. Think chocolate without any added sugar. Add them to salads, yogurt, trail mix or baked recipes.

Dark chocolate: After cocoa nibs, dark chocolate has the next highest flavonoid content. Research shows that 50 to 100 grams of dark chocolate may have heart health benefits. Look for dark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa solids – the higher the percentage, the higher the antioxidant content.

Milk chocolate: Milk chocolate contains added milk and sugar. There’s still about 25% cocoa solids but it pales in comparison to dark chocolate. In fact, dark chocolate contains 7 times more antioxidants than milk chocolate.

White chocolate: Sorry, but white chocolate isn’t made from cocoa beans at all. Rather, it’s simply cocoa butter so there’s no flavonoids.

Whichever chocolate you prefer, keep in mind that the calories and fat do add up quickly. Even 50 grams of dark chocolate can ring in almost 300 calories and 20-30 grams of fat, so enjoy it in moderation!

Watch my chocolate interview with Steven and Chris.

Would you pass the breakfast test?

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In a recent TV interview with CBC National News, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting award-nominated journalist Heather Hiscox and rate her favourite morning meal. As the anchor for the national morning news, Heather starts her day at 5:30 am with “a handful of Shredded Wheat, some bran buds, half a banana and 2% milk.” It’s been her breakfast for the past ten years, and it tides her for at least four hours.

In rating her breakfast, I used the following five-point criteria:
1. Variety – does the breakfast contain foods from at least three of the four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide? Bonus points if veggies are included at breakfast!
2. Fibre – is there at least 4 grams of fibre?
3. Protein – is there about 20 grams or more protein?
4. Healthy fats – do any of the foods provide healthy fats?
5. Whole grains – are the choices whole grain?

So did Heather pass the breakfast test? Well, her breakfast included foods from three food groups; the meal contained at least 4 grams of fibre, thanks to the cereal and bran; and her cereal choice was a whole grain. When it came to protein though, Heather’s meal was shy of the 20 grams of protein that’s often recommended to help with satiety. Including a sprinkle of nuts or seeds would not only pump up the protein, but also add some healthy fats to the meal.

My overall grade for Heather’s breakfast: A-

The Hottest Vegetable for 2015 (hint: It’s not cauliflower)

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Move over cauliflower! After two years of being crowned as the veggie of the year, there’s a new kids on the block that’s won my heart and taste buds. Say hello to kalettes!

Kalettes are a non-GMO vegetable developed through traditional hybridization in which kale is crossed with Brussels sprouts. Developed by the British vegetable seed house Tozer Seeds, it apparently took 15 years to create the right balance of sweet and nutty flavour. Kalettes resemble a tiny cabbage with greenish purple leaves, and can be roasted, grilled, steamed, stir-fried and even eaten raw.

Since 2010, kalettes have been available in the UK market under the name “Flower Sprouts”. In the US, they were first introduced last year as “Lollipop Kale” (cute name!) Kalettes are finally entering the Canadian market – I found them at a small local Loblaws store.

So far, I’ve tried kalettes roasted as well as in a stir-fry. Just like Brussels sprouts, the kalettes turn dark and didn’t really appeal to my family. But in a stir-fry, the kalettes are absolutely gorgeous with their brilliant purple colour! What I love about kalettes it that they cook quicker than Brussels sprouts because they’re less dense. And best of all, my husband went back for seconds! Needless to say, kalettes are on my weekly grocery list. Can’t wait to try them in different recipes!

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