whole foods

Chipotle Sweet Potato Noodles

I love Mexican flavours and try to often think of interesting ways to incorporate the flavour profiles outside of the beloved taco. Even though, I could eat taco’s every single day!

After a little inspiration from Pinch of Yum, this Chipotle Sweet Potato Noodle recipe is a new favourite dish added to the weeknight rotation!IMG_3283

Sweet, spicy, smokey, hearty and fresh; this noodle recipe is simple and healthy and an easy go-to recipe to whip up. The chipotle dressing and sweet potato noodles make for an amazing base that you can simply add any toppings of your choice and you are set for a delicious meal. I worked with what I had on hand, peppers, tomatoes, jalapeno, kale, avocado, pepitas, goat feta, and cilantro. However, this would be equally as awesome with some black beans and roasted corn. And you can easily omit the cheese to keep this vegan friendly.

Here’s the dish –

Sweet Potato Noodle Bowl (yields 4-6 servings)
  • olive oil
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 cup chopped greens – kale, spinach, arugula, etc (I love black kale!)
  • 1/2 cup raw pepitas
  • 1/4 cup goat feta or cojita (or opt for no cheese)

Chipotle Lime Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2-3 tablespoons water
  • juice of one orange
  • juice of one lime
  • 2-4 individual chipotle peppers, canned in adobo sauce
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 teaspoon agave or honey
  • pinch of Himalayan sea saltFullSizeRender (8)
  1. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped peppers and saute until soft.
  2. Pulse the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking.
  3. Remove, wipe skillet and add a little more olive oil over medium heat. Add the sweet potato noodles and toss for a minute or two until softened (no more than 5). Also, toss in a 2 TBSP of the dressing to coat noodles.
  4. Once slightly cooked, toss the noodles, peppers, kale, cilantro, and pepitas together.
  5. Toss with the salad ingredients and top with tomato, avocado and crumbled cheese.

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Dig In. xx

Chipotle Lime Shrimp Tacos

This taco dish comes together in a snap and is probably one of the most delicious tacos I have ever had! It will easily become a household fav, so don’t be shy to double up on this recipe as you’ll definitely want the leftovers.

Marinated to sweet and spicy perfection, these grilled shrimpy’s pair perfectly with just about any topping. I like to mix mine up with homemade pico de gallo, guacomole, mango, cabbage and extra cilantro.

Ingredients: (makes about 8 tacos)

  • 6 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce
  • Salt & pepper
    1/4 c olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic.
  • 1lb shrimp
    1/4 c honey
  • Zest of 1  lime
  • corn or wheat tortillas

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  1. Marinade shrimp for 2 hours or more.
  2. Mix together, 1/2 cup fat free sour cream  , 1tbsp chipotle in Adobe sauce, 1 tbsp lime juice, zest of 1 lime , 1 clove garlic, make this while shrimp marinade’s so flavours mellow.fullsizerender-12
  3. Cut up avacodo, shredded cabbage , cilantro, mango’s , tomatoes etc. for garnishing taco’s.
  4. Cook shrimp till pink and then put together as taco’simg_1519

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Betcha can’t eat just one! xx

Minestrone

There are many variations of a hearty and nutritious minestrone soup, and it’s super simple to tweak based on what vegetables you may have on hand.  The classic minestrone is a thick soup of Italian origin made with vegetables and pasta and/or rice. However, there is no set recipe for minestrone; it can be vegetarian or not and you can totally leave out the grain as well! The one thing that should stay constant is the borlotti beans (aka Roman beans) to make for a genuine minestrone.

Gordon Ramsay is one of my favourite chef’s. I often flip through his cookbooks to find inspiration when cooking and must say he has an amazing authentic Minestrone recipe. I usually follow his lead on this one and adapt as I go along, usually minus the back bacon and pasta (see my variation below).

Gordon Ramsay - Healthy Appetite

Minestrone (yields 4-6 servings)

  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra to drizzle (optional)
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • himalayan sea salt
  • ground black pepper
  • fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 80g smoked back bacon/pancetta, trimmed of fat and chopped (I often leave this out)
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 x 400g tins romano beans, rinsed and drained
  • 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 600-800ml vegetable stock or water
  • large handful of basil, finely shredded
  • parmesan, for grating (optional)
  1. Heat oil in a large pot, add onions, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Stir frequently over a medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables are beginning to soften.
  2. Add the thyme, bay leaf and bacon. Increase the heat slightly and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for another minute.
  3. Add in the romano beans and cherry tomatoes, then pour in the stock or water to cover. Bring to a gentle simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  4. Top with shredded basil and some grated parmesan.

Minestrone

Warm up! xx

Cabbage Soup

Now here’s an oldie, but a goodie. This cabbage soup recipe was probably one of the first soups that I really ever liked, next to the classic chicken noodle. There’s nothing fancy and there aren’t any frills with this recipe, yet it is so hearty and comforting that it makes it a true favourite of mine. The way the flavours blend just feel so right on a cold fall/winter day. Plus this recipe makes enough to last you a season!

Cabbage Soup

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/2 green pepper, chopped
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2-1 tsp himalayan sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 28 oz. can of diced tomoatoes
  • 4 cups hot water
  • 2 beef bouillion cubes
  • 2 tbsp parsley flakes
  • 2 cup raw potatoes, diced
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped
  • 6 cups or less of cabbage, chopped coarsely
  • ground pepper to taste
  1. In a large pot, sauté ground beef, onion, celery and pepper until redness in meat is gone.
  2. Add in the rest of the ingredients (except cabbage), simmer, uncovered for 1 hour
  3. Add cabbage, cover and simmer for 1 hour. If soup is too thick add in more hot water.Cabbage Soup

Find Comfort. xx

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash is one of my favourite fall/winter vegetables. Served sweet or savoury, it never disappoints, plus it’s a nutritional powerhouse!

Here’s a run down of its top nutrient facts and all the reasons we should eat more squash this season (as if you even needed a reason). 🙂

  • high in potassium. preventing high blood pressure and heart disease
  • high in fiber, supporting a healthy digestive tract
  • high in vitamin A (457% of your daily allowance), supporting eye health
  • high in maganese, helping maintain healthy bones
  • high in vitamin C, boosting immune function
  • high in antioxidants, reducing inflammation

Here’s a sweet and savoury soup that will delight your tastebuds.

Butternut Squash Soup (yields 6-8 servings)

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 1-2 tbsp curry powder (to taste)
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 500-900 ml of vegetable or chicken broth
  • ½ cup pure apple juice
  • 4 cups, butternut squash, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup pear, peeled and chopped
  • ¼ tsp himalayan sea salt
  • ground black pepper to taste
  1. Peel and chop butternut squash, drizzle with coconut oil and roast for 45 minutes.
  2. Melt coconut oil in saucepan. Add onions, carrots and celery. Cook until tender, about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle curry powder over vegetables and cook for 3 minutes.
  4. Add ginger, broth, apple juice, pears and roasted squash.
  5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med-low, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
  6. Let it cool slightly and purée.
  7. Add salt and pepper to taste.Butternut Squash Soup

Savour each bite! xx