Kirstie In The Kitch

Mar 21 2012

Sunflower Protein Balls

by Kirstie

Hi friends! So as some of you may know from my Twitter and Facebook I have been out of The Kitch for the past two days due to sniffles, sneezing, and coughing. The bug caught up to me and I’ve been sick in bed. Booo! I’m blogging from bed as we speak now, feeling somewhat better but not 100%. Before getting sick I was inspired by my lovely friend Krystle over at Vegucated In Vancouver to make some BALLS! Protein balls that is. You can find her recipe here :) I posted a picture of mine up on Facebook and on the Twitter and got a lot of “where is the recipe!?” responses. (FYI: My brother and I like to call it The Twitter) So, as promised, here is the balls recipe.. with many more variations to follow!

What You Need In The Kitch:

1 cup sunflower seed butter
6 tbsp raw unprocessed honey
1 cup protein powder (optional)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon

I popped the sunflower seed butter into the microwave for about 30 seconds just to soften it up a bit and then I added the honey. When I made these I didn’t use the protein powder but if you are looking for more protein feel more than welcome to add it, it will still turn out yummy! After combining the butter and honey I mixed in the coconut flakes, oats and cinnamon. The mixture should now be a thick, dough-like consistency and easy to mold into balls. To be honest I’m not sure exactly how many balls this recipe made and it also depends on the size you want them. I made mine a medium size and ended up with around 20 balls, give or take. These protein balls will keep in an air-tight container for 2-3 weeks! I like to keep mine in the fridge so they’re nice and cold :)

There’s a quick treat for you guys that’ll boost your energy and help out your sweet tooth! Hope you guys are enjoying your Wednesday, I am going to try and rid this cold so I can breathe through my nose again! Catch you in The Kitch next time ;)

But before I go…

Since today’s post featured a sweet treat I wanted to mention that a very, very SWEET friend of mine who is close to my heart is a delegate in the Miss World Canada pageant this year! Congrats Mandy!! I would appreciate it if you guys could take the time to step out of The Kitch and check her out by clicking here and voting to help her become “Miss World Canada People’s Choice.” (There’s a wonderful video showcasing Mandy and her work at that link, so you can’t miss clicking it!) She is also raising funds for Variety – The Children’s Charity which is an amazing cause! You can join me and help support her at this page here. If you would like to get in touch with Mandy and congratulate her and show your support she is also on The Twitter! @MandyJRoss. Thanks lovelies xoxo

Love From The Kitch,

Kirstie

Categories: Snacks | 4 Comments »

Mar 19 2012

Yamvocado Guac

by Kirstie

Hola Amigos! I guess we can call today Mexican Monday because I’m bringing you some tasty, healthy guac! This recipe was adapted from the beautiful twins, Lori and Michelle, over at pure2raw. I can’t take all the credit for this one ;) You can see their version here. This is super easy and not to mention fast to make and great if you’re having people over! … Or if you just want to snack on it by yourself, like me.. I like to eat mine with the Lundberg brown rice cakes that I talked about in my Woopsy Wednesday post.

What I really love about this guac recipe is all the nutrients you get from the avocado and yams! Avocados are jam packed with carotenoids such as lutein, which works as an antioxidant and helps to protect against eye disease. Because avocados are high in fibre they also make you feel full – half an avocado contains about 3.4g of fibre! Oleic acid, a fat that activates the part of the brain that makes you feel full is also found in avocados, producing a greater feeling of satiety. Along with helping you to keep full, oleic acid also helps to lower cholesterol in the body. Eating avocados are going to help keep your heart healthy as well because they contain folate which is associated with a lower risk of heart attacks and heart disease. Along with all these benefits avocados are also beautifying! They help to keep your skin and hair healthy and who doesn’t want that? :) Last week I talked about the benefits of yams in my Black Rice Yam Bowl post. If you want to take a peek and read about yams, simply click here. Now let’s get our guac on!

Ingredients (minus garlic & cilantro - oops!)

What You Need In The Kitch:

1 small yam
1 medium avocado
1/4 red onion or less depending on your liking
2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
handful chopped cilantro
sea salt

Remember to peel off the sticker!

I first took the yam and cut it up into cubes – almost forgot to peel off the sticker! I let them steam in a pot for about 10 minutes or until they were soft. While I waited for the yams to steam I cut up the rest of my ingredients – avocado, red onion, shallots and garlic. This is what I call using my time wisely, which I need to start practicing more of! So once the yams were all softened up I threw them into a bowl and mashed em up with my strong arm! Once those were mashed I added the cut up avocado and continued mashing until the two were all mashed up together in a nice yamvocado mix. Add your remaining ingredients – red onion, garlic and shallots and mix until everything is well combined. Season with salt to your taste and we are all done! Don’t forget to top with cilantro! (I forgot to buy some at the store)

Yamvocado Guac

It looks like mushy baby food but trust me it is overflowing with amazing flavour and kick! That’s it for today friends, look out tomorrow for some treats I’ll be posting :)

Oh ya, and today is Music Monday! Check out this video by Nutiva – “Hemp Can Save The World” I am LOVING it!!

Love From The Kitch,

Kirstie

Categories: Music Monday, Snacks | No Comments »

Mar 16 2012

Coo Coo For Coconut Oil

by Kirstie

Hey guys! TGIF! Hope everyone has had a happy and healthy week. Every Friday here in The Kitch I’m going to be doing a segment that I’ve named Feature Friday where I’ll rave about a favourite product or food, providing you with why I love it and what their benefits are. Today I am featuring one of my very, very, very favourite products – Nutiva’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. This stuff is absolutely amaze and has so many different uses in and out of The Kitch!

You may have read before that coconut oil is bad for you, that it is “unhealthy” and artery clogging. But what you probably didn’t know is that those studies were based on coconut oils that have been hydrogenated. When coconut oil is not hydrogenated it is virgin or extra-virgin. Virgin coconut oil is one of the most healthy super foods in the world!

Nutiva processes their coconut oil immediately after harvesting fresh coconuts from the Philippines, holla! Representing my mama’s homeland! They use a process that prevents fermentation and helps to retain the smoothness and flavour of the coconut oil. Did I mention it smells divine!? Of course Nutiva’s cholesterol- and trans-fat free coconut oil is also certified organic and non-GMO, and you know how much we love that here in The Kitch!! It is also cold pressed so it maintains its vital nutrients and delicate fats such as lauric acid which makes up 50% of this bad boy. Lauric acid is great in supporting a healthy metabolism and is being studied for anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties.

So how can you use coconut oil?

1) Cooking Oil - Instead of using polyunsaturated fats such as vegetable oils like corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola switch to coconut oil. The omega-6 oils I listed above are the worst oils to cook with because they are highly susceptible to heat damage because of all of the double bonds they have. Coconut oil is stable enough to resist heat-induced damage.

2) Homemade Chocolate - An easy way to make some sugar-free, healthy chocolate is by using coconut oil as a base. I will be posting a recipe soon but if you can’t wait check out my lovely friend Kris’ blog over at i heart wellness she has a great recipe posted here. Her’s even contain protein – bonus!

3) Moisturizer & Massage Oil - Coconut oil can also be used on your skin instead of using lotions or creams that contain toxins that are harmful to your body. As a long time sufferer of eczema, coconut oil has been a god send for me! It works amazing on dry, cracked, itchy skin. But what works for one may not work for all, make sure you test a small patch of skin before applying to a large area. Coconut oil helps to improve your skin’s elasticity and has anti-aging benefits as well. Woo hoo!

4) Make Up Remover - Not only can coconut oil be used as a moisturizer, it also works great to remove makeup after a long day. To take off eye makeup I usually wet a cotton pad and scoop up some coconut oil which will melt from your body heat once you start to rub off your makeup. It works like a charm and is gentle on the eye area!

5) Hair Mask - As a female that has some Asian background, I am very blessed to have naturally healthy hair but in the winter it does tend to get a bit dry, especially my scalp. This is when I turn to coconut oil! I like to cover my hair in coconut oil and let it sit for about an hour then rinse well it out well. Some people even sleep with coconut oil in their hair and wash it away in the morning leaving it silky smooth and shiny.

So now you know why I’m so coo coo for coconut oil and why you should be too! Do you use coconut oil? Do you use it for something that I haven’t listed above? Please share!

If you would like to know some more facts about coconut oil you can visit Dr. Mercola’s website here. He is absolutely amazing!

Enjoy the weekend friends! Keep it healthy n’ happy ;)

Love From The Kitch,

Kirstie

Categories: Feature Friday | 8 Comments »

Mar 15 2012

Quinoa-Stuffed Red Pepper

by Kirstie

Hello lovelies! Did you enjoy yesterday’s post on healthy snacks you can bring on the go with you? I hope I threw out some new ideas for you! After eating a ton of dairy yesterday AND sugar, I did not have the greatest sleep. My stomach was upset and I could not calm down enough to fall asleep, I even woke up this morning feeling not so hot! I got up and made The Hulk and felt so much better after. For lunch today I made Quinoa-Stuffed Red Pepper and I wanted to share with you all! This is pretty easy to make although not fast if you choose to bake it in the oven it takes about an hour. Sometimes when I make this I like to just leave the pepper raw for extra crunch. It’s up to you! I only made one but with the amount of quinoa I cooked up you could easily stuff 3-4 medium sized peppers. I’m going to just eat the rest of the quinoa mixture on it’s own for dinner, possibly with some roasted yams – so yummy!

What You Will Need In The Kitch:

1 Small Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Small Carrots (chopped)
Spinach
Kale
1 cup uncooked quinoa (makes about 2 cups when cooked)
1 tsp cumin
Couple dashes of cinnamon
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Red Pepper (cored and seeded)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat either coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. I used Nutiva’s coconut oil that I talked about in the quinoa pancake post. I will also be talking about it on tomorrow’s blog post for Feature Friday! After oiling up the pan, throw in your chopped onion and garlic and let simmer until the onion is transparent. Add the chopped carrots and let cook until softened. Then add your spinach and kale and cook until they are just wilted. Next, add in the cumin, cinnamon and cooked quinoa. Toss the mixture around a bit :) Now you can add your salt and pepper to taste.. It should look a little something like this.

Quinoa Filling

Set aside the filling to cool until it’s just warm. If you are making more than one stuffed pepper, divide the quinoa evenly among the peppers. Top the pepper with it’s top and cover snugly with foil. You are now ready to place on a greased baking sheet! Baking should take about an hour but make sure to check halfway through. Peppers should be tender and juicy when done. You should be able to hear it sizzlin!

The final product - ready to eat!

And there you have it, dinner OR lunch is served in The Kitch! Hope you guys enjoyed this post, I know my stomach and taste buds definitely did! Let me know if you give it a try or have any questions. Enjoy the rest of your Thursday night and I will see you back here in The Kitch tomorrow for a special coconut oil feature.

Love From The Kitch,

Kirstie

Categories: Lunch | No Comments »

Mar 14 2012

Woopsy Wednesday

by Kirstie

Hi Friends! After a busy day out for my little cousin’s birthday I am finally sitting down, getting comfy and pumping out a blog post. This post is going to be a tiny bit different though. I want to talk about how important it is to pack healthy snacks when you know you are going to be somewhere that doesn’t have healthy snack/meal options to choose from. I unfortunately did not plan ahead and ended up eating cheese pizza and ice cream cake for lunch. YIKES! This also goes to show that not everyone is perfect. I always want this blog to be 100% real and I will man up and say that although I rave about healthy eating and lifestyle, I don’t always stay strictly on track. Although when this does happen it reassures me that I really am benefiting from eating clean! After eating the pizza and ice cream cake today I felt tired and my stomach was NOT smiling like it does after a meal of veggies. So now you’re probably wondering, what the hell do I snack on? Here’s a list of some of my faves when i’m out of The Kitch.

1) Lundberg Farm‘s Brown Rice Cakes – these rice cakes are AMAZE! Not only are they organic and gluten free they are also vegan! One cake contains 60 calories and 1 gram of protein but if I am at home a good way to add some more protein is with hummus, another yummy snack. I also like to top it with some avocado sweet potato guac which I plan to feature on the blog soon! If I am on the run though I like to toss these cakes into a ziploc and straight into my purse to munch on. Lundberg carries a variety of flavours including sesame tamari which is my fave and cinnamon toast which I have been wanting to try so bad. Check out their other flavours here!

Here I am pictured with the yummy cakes!

2) Although not organic, another snack that I do love is Snack Salad‘s Baked Snapea in the “original” flavour. These are so delicious to munch on I could probably eat the whole bag in one sitting. Great alternative to chips except for another thing I’m not too fond of is that corn oil is listed in the ingredients but you can’t win em all!

3) And then there are the beloved kale chips! Now these are some healthy chips that you can feel guilt free about. I can definitely say that I enjoy kale chips 100x better than potato chips. I look forward to sharing some kale chip recipes with all of you guys. Kale is SO popular in The Kitch as you have probably already noticed.

4) Good ol chopped up raw veggies you can never go wrong with either. Bring along a little container of hummus and you are good to go!

5) I also like to make my own protein balls that are super easy to throw into your purse and bring around with you. I will also have to do a blog post on these little suckers! Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of them but think rolled oats, sunflower seed butter, cacao nibs… YUM!

6) I am allergic to nuts but that is a great choice to take with you on the go to keep you full!

7) Last but not least, FRUIT!

I hope these ideas help you out if you’re in a healthy snacking rut or if you needed suggestions on what to bring when you’re on the go! I may have indulged in dairy and greasiness today but I did my best to keep it clean and green for dinner! Check it out.

Green din!

I steamed up some broccoli and kale and topped with nutritional yeast. This took me all but 15 mins and I’m in heaven eating it. My body is already forgiving me for treating it like crap earlier today! I feel my insides smiling and saying thank you :)

Do you guys have any healthy snacking suggestions? How do you keep on track when you’re on the go? Would love to hear your tricks of the trade!

PS have you seen the thank you video I did for all of you yesterday!?

Love From The Kitch,

Kirstie

Categories: Snacks | 9 Comments »

Mar 13 2012

The Hulk

by Kirstie

Hello friends! Welcome back to The Kitch. How’s Tuesday shaping up for all of you? I have spent the morning connecting with fellow bloggers on Twitter. Always surround yourself with like-minded people it is SO motivating! This morning I had what I like to call “The Hulk”. The Hulk is a smoothie filled with green, green goodness such as my faves, spinach and kale! This glass of nutrients is an amazing way to start off the day plus it’s super fast to blend up! It leaves you feeling refreshed, energized and later helps to cleanse the body because it’s packed with fibre.. If you get what I’m saying here. The Hulk has also been an amazing contributor to healthy, glowing skin! I find that it helps to curve snacking cravings throughout the day as well and puts me on “the clean, green track”. I’ve been eating kale and spinach in some shape or form since 7 am today! My body is praising me right now and I’m full of energy and smiles!! Here’s how to blend up this delish and nutrish smoothie – do not be intimidated by the colour people! GREEN = GO = GREAT!

What You Will Need In The Kitch:
(Serves 2)

Kale
Spinach
1 banana
1 apple
1 pear
Lemon wedge
Couple dashes of cinnamon
1-2 slices of ginger

My Green Besties!

I consider everything except the kale, spinach, and banana to be optional. Many mornings I just use those three ingredients. But hey, the more fruits and veggies.. The merrier! You can also add in a protein powder as well. I don’t have any at the moment but I am a great supporter of Vega. As you can see I don’t buy unwashed spinach, I almost always opt to go with the baby container of Earthbound Farm speeeeenach! Yummy! I love Earthbound products, they truly are a great comapany. So basically all you have to do from here is throw all your ingredients into the blender add a bit of water depending on how you would like the consistancy and drink baby, drink!

The Hulk!

I hope this encourages you guys to at least try this amazing smoothie once. I promise you will never look back. Take a chance.. Have faith in green! If you do try it wait until you continue having it every morning and your body adjusts, you will see an incredible difference in energy, complexion, and overall health. One thing I must say though is that if you start off your day with a great smoothie such as The Hulk and then go to McDonald’s for lunch you bet you will be cancelling out any benefits. But I do know what it is like, it takes baby steps to be fully committed to your health!

Today’s Quote In The Kitch: “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.” ~Mark Twain

I wanted to alter this Twain quote a little bit. I feel like it should say, “The only way to keep your health is to eat and drink what you are afraid to try, and do what you would rather not.. Get off your butt and get active!”

Don’t forget to “like” Kirstie In The Kitch on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

Love From The Kitch,

Kirstie

Categories: Breakfast | 3 Comments »

Mar 12 2012

Black Rice Yam Bowl & Music Monday

by Kirstie

Hey guys, happy Monday! Hope everyone has kicked their week into a positive direction despite this wind fit Mother Nature is throwing here in Vancouver. I want to start off by thanking everyone who has supported the opening of The Kitch on Twitter & Facebook. I’m doing this for all of you in hopes that you will be able to take away from my posts and spread the love! So again, thank you all so much. This blog would be nada without all of you.

Today I am bringing you a flavourful black rice yam bowl that is perfect for lunch or even dinner! Okay, I won’t lie.. Sometimes I even eat this for breaky if I have some left over in the fridge and don’t feel like making anything in the morning. It’s so quick and easy to warm up!

Ingredients You Will Need In The Kitch:

1 medium sized yam
Organic Forbidden Black Rice – found in the bulk section at Whole Foods and Planet Organic
Kale
Spinach
2-4 garlic cloves
Half a yellow onion or red onion

Cubed Garnet Yam

I chopped up a garnet yam for this one. Did you know there are over 200 kinds of yams!? I definitely didn’t. The other day I tried Japanese Yams (recommended by my best friend on our Whole Foods shopping trip together) for the first time and they were delicious, look for a separate post on that as well! For all the vegetarians out there who are concerned about their protein intake, look to the yummy yam! Yams are a wonderful source of protein. Not only are they your pal when it comes to protein they are also high in vitamins A & C! And if that isn’t enough for you, yams are also a great source of thiamine. Thiamine (Vitamin B1) helps to maintain a normal metabolism and burn carbs! Who doesn’t wanna burn those carbs, right? I could go on and on about the positives of yams and if you are interested in learning more about the benefits of this tasty root veggie check out WHFoods.

Hope you enjoyed that quick little info sesh! Let’s get back to the recipe though. SO! I chopped up the yam and threw them in a pot with a little bit of water to steam on medium-low heat for about 5 mins or until soft. NOTE: I did not peel the yam because I wanted to treat my body to all the wonderful nutrients possible! I also steamed some spinach and kale. Kale is a HUGE favourite here in The Kitch and yes it will have its very own “Friday Feature” post in the future. On another element I had a pan of garlic and yellow onions sautéing in coconut oil – yum! I also sprinkled sea salt, pepper, and some dried herbs on the garlic and onions for extra flavour and kick! I premade the rice which takes about 15 minutes or so to cook. Just boil 2 cups of water and then add in 1 cup of rice, lower heat to simmer. Wait until all water is absorbed and voila!

"Forbidden" Black Rice

Top the rice with your steamed veggies and sautéed garlic and onions and you are ready to go my friend! Sometimes I even top this delicious bowl with cilantro but I unfortunately didn’t have any on hand. Is anyone else in love with the smell of cilantro by the way? Or is it just me?

The yummy bowl goodness!

I hope this bowl left you smiling and inspired to make your own! There’s a lot to look forward to in The Kitch this week. Make sure you “like” my page on Facebook for quick updates!

We must not forget today’s Quote In The Kitch! From our good friend Gandhi,
“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”

It’s also Music Monday here in The Kitch, I love to bump tunes while I cook so here’s a special track for you that just got dropped earlier today by some of my fave Vancity artists. @SpotAndEss & @TheRealEmmalyn.

Love From The Kitch,

Kirstie

Categories: Lunch, Music Monday | 5 Comments »

Mar 11 2012

Quinoa Pancakes

by Kirstie

I decided to kick off Kirstie In The Kitch with a yummy breakfast post – Quinoa Pancakes! This morning was actually my first time making them and it turned out great! I woke up craving quinoa, I’m a little strange, I know. But I mean, I guess it’s better to crave a seed that’s not only a complete protein but it is also packed with all 9 essential amino acids! Plus, hello… Quinoa is gluten free! Gluten free is embraced with hugs and kisses here at KITK, xo. This recipe was super easy I’m sure even my cute little six year old cousin could whip it up with a little assistance. This recipe makes 4 medium sized pancakes but feel free to double the measurements for some more yummy goodness! I only topped my pancakes with good ol Canadian maple syrup but you can also use fresh fruits if you have them on hand or even my personal favourite – chocolate!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
2 whole eggs
2 egg whites
Couple dashes of cinnamon (optional)
1 packet of stevia (optional)

Directions
I rinsed 1 cup of quinoa and boiled it in 1 1/2 cups water after the water comes to a boil I like to turn the heat down to medium-low so the quinoa can simmer and become light and fluffy! Check out my quinoa cooking skills ;) (sorry for the iPhone quality photos)

Cooked quinoa

Then I combined the quinoa, eggs, and egg whites together. Whipped it up with a whisk.. Yeah, I do it by hand who needs a Kitchen Aide? Just kidding.. Mom, if you ever get a new Kitchen Aide I will 100% adopt your old one!! Here is what the batter looks like.

After my morning arm whip it up workout the batter goes into the pan! I used my very favourite cooking oil – Nutiva’s organic virgin coconut oil. I’ll give you guys a visual of what this stuff looks like because I think everyone should at least have a little jar in their house. This stuff is so multi functional that it will have it’s very own KITK feature post soon!

After the pan is all oiled up and ready to go pour that batter in people! Get those pancakes cookin’. BUT make sure you have your element on a medium-low heat. Cook until the bottom is a nice golden brown, as I will show below. Feel free to peek at the bottom to see how the cookin is going.. I always peek. Here is what it should look like when it’s almost done!

Now doesn’t that look pretty damn good? I was extremely stoked when I saw how pretty and golden brown these bad boys turned out! Unfortunately for you vegans out there this is not vegan because of the eggs but I am going to try making these with an egg substitute and see how it turns out.. Fingers crossed!

Like a true Canadian girl I doused my pancake in maple syrup. YUM!! Well friends, I think that you can take it from here all you need now is a fork and knife and your appetite! Let me know if you give it a try and what you think, I would love to know! So there you have it, my first official blog post. Looking forward to sharing so much more with all of you out there. Have an amazing Sunday!

Love From the Kitch,

Kirstie.

Categories: Breakfast | 17 Comments »