Category Archives: Recipes

Salad Dressings 101

Posted on by Tasleem Kassam
22 Mar

Follow this foolproof formula to make your own salad dressings (which can also be used to marinate meats or fish).

Per serving:

  1. Take 1 Tbsp oil/fat – good choices here are olive oil or avocado oil, nut or seed butters, mayo or smashed avocado also work for creamy versions
  2. Add 1 tsp vinegar/acid – whether is is sherry, red wine, balsamic, or white, lemon/lime juice
  3. Add 1/2 tsp of sweetness in the form of honey, your favourite jam, or maple syrup (I also use a few drops of stevia glycerite for a low carb option)
  4. Add 1/2 tsp of mustard – regular or Dijon (optional)
  5. Add 2 pinches of herbs – dill, rosemary, thyme, oregano, cumin
  6. Add 1 pinch of seasoning – salt, pepper, garlic powder or paprika

Shake in mason jar and pour over salad – easy peasy!

Here are a few of my favourite combos:

  1. My classic go to: Olive oil + Balsamic vinegar+maple syrup + Dijon mustard with salt and pepper
  2. Homemade Italian – Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, onion powder and italian seasoning
  3. Asian sesame – peanut oil (2 tsp of olive oil also works with 1 tsp of sesame oil), rice wine vinegar, scallions, grated ginger and a splash of tamari
  4. Tahini lemon – tahini, lemon juice, crushed garlic and miso paste/sriracha sauce (depending on your taste)
  5. Cashew Balsamic -1 Tbsp avocado or olive oil, 1 tspbalsamic vinegar, 1 Tsp soy sauce, 10 whole salted cashews, 1 Tbsp water, blend and enjoy.

Ginger Soy Honey Glazed Salmon

Posted on by Tasleem Kassam
Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets
2 Tbps honey (or liquid stevia glycerite to taste for low carb option)
2 tsp ginger powder (or grated fresh ginger if you have it)
4 Tbps soy sauce, or gluten free Tamari for gluten-free option
juice of one lemon or lime, freshly squeezed
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients except salmon in a small bowl and mix with a whisk.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Add sauce ingredients to both sides of salmon fillet, place salmon skin side down on baking sheet.
4. Bake at 450F for about 8-10 minutes, until cooked through. Allow four to six minutes per half-inch of thickness based on each individual fillet.

Mini Chocolate Pies

Posted on by Tasleem Kassam
25 Dec

Ingredients:
Chocolate Coconut Cookie Crust:

1/2 cup almonds or nut of choice
1 cup unsweetened dried coconut shreds
3 1/2 Tbs raw cacao powder
3 Tbs maple syrup*
3 Tbs coconut oil**
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Water if needed to help blend

Chocolate Filling:

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand is dairy-free, use Lily’s for sugar free option)
1 1/4 cup canned coconut milk shaken
3.5 Tbs maple syrup to taste*
2.5 Tbs coconut oil melted**
1 tsp vanilla extract

Coconut Whipped Cream:

1 13.6 oz coconut milk solid cream only (Thai Kitchen brand)
1 Tbs maple syrup*
1 tsp vanilla extract

*maple syrup can be substituted for sugar-free maple syrup for sugar free option
** use refined coconut oil if you don’t like the coconut flavor

Instructions
To make the crust:

Pulse all ingredients together in a food processor until sticky crumbles form.
Press into a silicone muffin pan OR use parchment liners. Set in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling:

Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan on the stove (or glass bowl in the microwave), heat coconut milk to just boiling.
Pour hot coconut milk over the chocolate chips and let it sit for about 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk smooth.
Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until well-combined. Taste and adjust for sweetness.
Pour chocolate mixture over crust and freeze for 2 hours or until solid. Remove from muffin pan.

To make the whipped cream:

Refrigerate a can of coconut milk overnight. Scoop out the solid cream into a mixing bowl. Add maple syrup and vanilla.
Whip with a hand mixer for about 1 minute until light and fluffy.
Spread whipped cream on top of each pie. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This recipe is from: http://prettypies.com/recipe/mini-chocolate-pies/

Grain Free, Dairy Free Easy Blender Pumpkin Spice Muffin Recipe (with Sugar-free option)

Posted on by Tasleem Kassam

Ingredients

  • 1 cup nut butter
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (try making your own!)
  • 2 tablespoons of raw honey (or other sweeteners such as maple syrup, stevia, etc.)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor. You can also use a stick blender if you have one.
  3. Blend until well mixed.
  4. Pour batter into a greased muffin tin. You can also use a mini muffin tin to make 24 mini muffins.
  5. Add additional toppings of your choice to each muffin and lightly stir into each cup
  6. Cook time: 15 minutes for full size muffins and 10 minutes for mini muffins.
  7. Reheat in a toaster oven for about 4 minutes at 350 degrees F, or eat at room temperature.