by hello@healthfullyheather.com | May 14, 2019 | Recipes
On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese…
I hope I’m not the only one who gets that song stuck in my head when eating noodles and with meatballs!
I love this recipe because it’s super easy to put together and packs in a lot of flavour. At the same time, it still feels relatively light since the regular pasta noodles are replaced with zucchini.
That being said, you could definitely replace the zoodles with whatever type of noodle you are craving in the moment! Sweet potato, carrot, or butternut squash would all go well, and of course you can always just make regular pasta.
This reheats well, so go ahead and make extras to have for lunch the next day!
Italian Herb Meatballs with Zoodles
Meatballs:
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500g (1.1 lb) ground pork
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15mL (1 tbsp) parsley
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15mL (1 tbsp) basil
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10mL (2 tsp) oregano
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5mL (1 tsp) garlic powder
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pinch each of sea salt, pepper, paprika
Sauce:
Noodles:
Begin by chopping onions & garlic, and spiralizing the zucchinis.
In a medium sized bowl, mix together all meatball ingredients (it’s easiest to use your hands!). Roll into golf ball sized meatballs; recipe should yield around 16 balls. Set aside.
Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add in onions and garlic and sauté until onions are soft.
Push onions & garlic to the sides of the pan and place in the meatballs.
Cook meatballs for roughly 12 minutes, rotating the meatballs every 3 minutes so all sides cook evenly.
Add the tomato puree and all remaining sauce seasonings to the pan, and stir to combine with meatballs, onions, and garlic. Simmer on low heat while you cook the noodles.
In a second frying pan, warm the olive oil and add in the zucchini noodles. Sauté for around 5 minutes, tossing the noodles regularly to cook evenly. Noodles should be soft, but still firm (not mushy!)*
Plate up! Make a nest with the noodles on your plate and top with meatballs and sauce. Enjoy!
* Alternatively, you can cook the noodles directly in the pan with the sauce (if your pan is big enough). The noodles will still release some moisture, so you may end up with a thinner sauce.
Serves 4
by hello@healthfullyheather.com | May 7, 2019 | Recipes
I just love the vibrancy of blueberries in my smoothie. There’s something about a purple coloured breakfast that just makes me happy in the mornings!
The almond butter in this smoothie bowl gives the whole thing a flavour reminiscent of a blueberry muffin. It’s a hard one to call, but they were definitely one of my top muffin flavours growing up (with the crumble on top, right??). But bet you couldn’t sneak some extra greens into the muffins like you can this smoothie!
If you’re not feeling the thickness of the smoothie bowl, you can always change the coconut cream for some normal coconut milk from the carton. Just increase the amount until you have the smoothie at the texture you want it to be and/or use fresh fruit instead of frozen.
Blueberry Muffin Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients:
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100g (3oz) spinach
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250mL (1 cup) almond milk
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125mL (½ cup / 2 scoops) protein powder
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30mL (2 tbsp) coconut cream
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15mL (1 tbsp) almond butter
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5mL (1 tsp) vanilla extract
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250g (½ lb) frozen blueberries
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1 frozen banana, chopped
Combine the spinach, almond milk, and coconut cream in a blender and blend until well combined.
Add in the remaining ingredients and continue blending until smooth. You may need to pause to scrape down the sides as the mixture will be quite thick.
Pour into two bowls and top with your chosen garnishes.
Serves 2
by hello@healthfullyheather.com | Apr 30, 2019 | Recipes
To be honest, in our house we aren’t the biggest fans of chicken breast. It can be tricky to cook it completely but not totally dry it out.
Luckily this recipe, where the chicken is stuffed with a combination of feta and sun-dried tomatoes, helps the chicken keep some of that moisture locked in. And it pairs perfectly with the herb potatoes and a fresh salad!
Not to mention it’s a fairly quick and straight forward dinner recipe to prepare.
Keep in mind that the salad dressing given will create a full cup – so far more than what you would need for the portions of this dinner. But it stores really well in the fridge so you can continue to use it throughout the week!
Stuffed Chicken Breast with Herb Potatoes & Salad
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts
- 100 g feta
- 35 g sun-dried tomatoes roughly 3 pieces per serving
- 1 tsp olive oil
Potatoes
- 250 g white potatoes peeled & cubed (2cm)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp rosemary
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Salad
- 100 g mixed greens
- 300 g seedless grapes halved
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Salad Dressing
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- salt & pepper to taste
Pre-heat oven to 180C / 360F.
Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to butterfly the filet, not cutting all the way through, leaving a centimetre uncut. Lay the chicken open like a book.
Brush the insides of the chicken breast with olive oil. On one side spread out sun-dried tomatoes and top with crumbled feta.
Fold back over the second side of the chicken breast. Place the chicken on a lined baking sheet.
In a medium sized bowl, toss the cubed potatoes with the olive oil, herbs, sea salt, and pepper. Spread the potatoes evenly across a second lined baking sheet.
Bake both the chicken and the potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes. Centre of chicken should no longer be pink. The potatoes should become golden brown.
To make the salad dressing, in a sealable jar or shaker, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and pepper. Shake well to combine. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. One serving is roughly 15mL / 1 tbsp.
In a large salad bowl, mix together the greens, grapes, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds.
Plate up with one chicken breast, a quarter of the potatoes, and a serving of salad each. Enjoy!
Keyword Gluten Free, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetables
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by hello@healthfullyheather.com | Mar 25, 2019 | Recipes
While I love throwing together a simple chia seed pudding for a snack (perfect to grab-and-go!), sometimes that basic staple needs to be elevated – especially if you’re making it a meal instead of a snack.
If you haven’t tried out chia seeds yet, you definitely should! They have a host of health benefits including aiding proper digestion, helping decrease inflammation, and supporting our bodies’ natural detox processes.
The reason they are able to do all this is because of their high soluble fiber content. (Check out this post for more on fiber.) These little seeds love to soak up liquid, and their volume greatly increases when mixed with any sort of liquid creating a gel-like structure – this is how we get the pudding texture from chia seeds!
In addition to fiber, chia seeds are a plant-based source of complete protein (containing all the essential amino acids). You’ll get around 4 grams of protein in 2 tbsp (30mL) of chia seeds.
They are also a good source of Omega-3 fats, (in the form of ALA (alpha-linoleic acid), which still needs to be converted by our body into the usable forms).
And finally they are also a good source of minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and manganese!
So much from such a tiny seed!
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Parfait
Ingredients:
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1 ¼ cup (310mL) coconut, almond, or other non-dairy milk
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1 banana
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1 scoop (around 60mL) protein powder
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2 tbsp (30mL) cacao powder
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½ cup (125mL) chia seeds
For layering / topping:
In a blender, combine until smooth the milk, banana, protein powder, and cacao powder.
Pour the mixture into an airtight container (like a mason jar) and add in the chia seeds. Shake or mix well to fully combine. Let sit for 2 minutes and mix again. Let sit for another 2 minutes and mix again.
Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or even overnight (up to 2-3 days).
When ready to eat, layer with coconut yogurt, nut butter, and top with some cacao nibs. Enjoy!
Serves 2
by hello@healthfullyheather.com | Mar 20, 2019 | Recipes
Today, when you walk around the produce section of a grocery store, you often have no concept anymore of the four seasons. A wide variety of fruit and vegetables are stocked throughout the year and so we have slowly gotten away from cooking and eating with the seasons.
Spring is just around the corner, and after a long winter you’re probably looking forward to some fresh and bright flavours! Spring and summer bring in some of the most amazing produce, and you might start to feel like moving away from heavier soups and stews towards lighter fare. You might also be preferring raw fruits and veg to cooked. Lean into these cravings and indulge in everything the spring season has to offer!
Eating seasonally also has some other benefits. Choosing in-season produce means you likely are getting fruits and veggies that are more nutrient dense, since they have been grown in their optimal environment and are freshly harvested. They’ll also probably be more flavourful than their off-season neighbours in the produce section!
The best way to do this is to head to your local farmer’s market where you can support local growers and see with your own eyes what has been freshly harvested.
But whether you’re going to the market or just to your local grocery store, I got you! Click below to download my easy guide to spring produce. Pin this up in your kitchen for an easy resource when you’re planning your weekly grocery haul!
See some things on the list you don’t recognize? I challenge you this season to try 2-3 new fruits or veggies! It will help keep meal times interesting, foster creativity in your cooking, and eating a wider range of food usually means a wider range of vitamins and minerals as well!
Let me know what new fruits or veggies you’re going to try in the comments!
Happy shopping!
by hello@healthfullyheather.com | Mar 14, 2019 | Healthy Living, Nutrition 101, Recipes
Photo by Aaron Huber on Unsplash
So you’ve successfully cleaned out your pantry! Maybe it’s looking a little bit empty now? Not to worry, there are plenty of healthful foods I can recommend to stock it up!
Of course, this isn’t everything I keep in my kitchen, but the real basics that I think everyone can benefit from having around to make healthy eating as easy as possible.
Healthy fats / oils
During your clean-out you should have gotten rid of any junky fats and oils that are best not to be consumed. Some of the staple, healthy alternatives you should stock instead are:
Nuts & Seeds
Having some different nuts and seeds in the cupboard is perfect for an easy snack or as a topping for sweet or savory dishes! Plus, the nut or seed butters from these sources are great in smoothies or spread on some apple or banana pieces for a delicious snack! Here are some basic suggestions to stock up on, I would suggest picking a couple types of nuts and a couple types of seeds to get you started.
Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash
Sweeteners
A lot of “healthier” versions of sweet treats will use natural sweeteners in the place of traditional white or brown sugar. Just remember that it’s all still sugar so keep moderation in mind!
Grains & Legumes/Lentils
These aren’t articles I personally consume too often, but they are in general great items to have on stock for those days you accidentally find yourself with an empty fridge!
Condiments
Take care when purchasing ready-made condiments as many will contain additives, sugar, and/or junky fats. If you can, try and make them at home yourself! For many things, I tend to use a full-fat Greek yogurt as a mayonnaise replacement; it’s just as delicious and so easy! (Check out this curry yogurt dipping sauce.) These are items I would recommend stocking to make creating your own dressings as easy as possible:
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Apple cider vinegar (try to find one with the mother in the bottle)
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Balsamic vinegar (mix with olive oil for an easy salad dressing)
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Coconut aminos (a soy sauce alternative, or else a low-sodium, gluten-free soy sauce)
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Dijon mustard
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Greek full-fat yogurt
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Mustard
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Tahini (seed butter made from sesame seeds)
Fermented foods
These guys are so important for feeding those incredible gut bacteria! Try and have a serving of some sort of fermented food once a day (if you’re feeling digestive discomfort afterwards definitely scale back and get in touch with a nutrition professional). Pick one or two from this list to try out and alternate sources occasionally.
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Full-fat yogurt
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Kefir
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Kimchi
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Kombucha
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Miso
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Pickles
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Sauerkraut
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Tempeh
Photo by Calum Lewis on Unsplash
Spices & herbs
There are so many different spices and herbs you could choose to stock, and probably you already have some of these in your cupboard. These guys are what can really make food exciting and completely elevate your dish. Here are some common ones to give you inspiration when stocking up:
Other staples
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Canned fish (anchovies, sardines, salmon, tuna) – make sure they are canned in water or olive oil without additives
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Canned or frozen vegetables – check the ingredients for any additives
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Non-dairy milks – coconut & almond are my favourites, again check the ingredients list
That’s it for my pantry staples! Hopefully this list will give you a good start on getting stocked up and ready for easy, healthy eating.
