How to get your Cooking Groove On!

Cooking is an art, it is a place to relax into and enjoy. Food that is cooked by someone who loves cooking tastes better. Too often meals are cooked in a rush with the purpose of getting some sort of edible food on the table. Attention to detail is lost and the look, smell and presentation is ignored. This doesn't exactly make for a healthy and well digested meal.

There are a few things that come in our way of getting into the groove of cooking:

• Time. There is never enough, is there? And cooking from scratch takes so much time and thought and preparation. Or does it?
• Energy. There is never enough of that either, right? It takes way less energy to heat up a prepared meal or make something out of a box. But what does that food give back to us? How much energy to we get from it?
• Skills. It takes time (already lacking) to learn how to cook healthy food from scratch.
• Talent. You can either cook or you can't. Period.

Let me de-bunk these myths or stories, that's really all that they are. Myths and stories.

• Time. A tasty and healthy meal made from scratch can easily be on the table in under 30 minutes. If you use this cooking time to relax you will feel good when you sit down to eat and will be less prone to wasting time. Find time where it is hidden, such as at the tv, internet, facebook then shift your schedule to fit in dinner. Sometimes prepping the next night's dinner the night before is helpful.
• Energy. When you let your body relax, have a cup of tea and snack on some raw veggies while you cook you will gain energy. When you eat a nutrient filled meal with lots of fresh produce, healthy grains and a moderate amount of protein you will have more energy. When you eat live food your body will thrive. Live food means whole, unrefined and fresh not out of a box.
• Skills. Once you cook a few recipes and find your favourites you will be improvising and cooking with skill. A cooking class is always an option and it is a good way to connect with others and really have fun cooking.
• Talent. Cooking is something that can be learned like anything. It's not about being the best cook. Just keep it simple and let yourself be creative. Period.

Getting started:

• Find some great and simple recipes. Try one or two new recipes a week so that you don't get overwhelmed. Get some free ones here (scroll down) or sign up for monthly recipes, meal plans and shopping lists. Make it easy.
• Make sure your kitchen is well stocked with staple ingredients. Also make sure knifes are sharpened, gadgets are easily accessible and you have all the gadgets you need.
• Schedule time into your day to cook and prep ingredients.
• Get inspired by shopping at farmer's markets. Find an ingredient that you are unfamiliar with and ask the farmer how they cook it. Or put it in the comment box and ask me.
• Invite friends over for dinner or brunch. Make it a potluck so you don't have to do it all and can enjoy making one simple dish.
• Turn on some high energy music to get your groove on! I like CBC Radio 2 Drive for cooking to, followed by Tonic for dinner music. This song by Serena Ryder is definitely for groovin' and cookin' to.
• Have fun with presentation and garnishes. Get some fun new serving bowls. These are pretty.
• Let others know that this is your time and if they want to help great (if you want the help). If they want to steal you away for other things, too bad. It can wait.
• Take a few deep breathes before you get started and take your mind off of work and into the kitchen where cooking with love and joy happens!

What helps you get your cooking groove on? Leave a comment to inspire others. enJOY!

4 Quick, Tasty, Healthy Snacks

The next time you are getting the munchies, are craving sugar, needing a boost or are wanting food NOW try out one of these snack. They are easy and quick to make, will give your body a nutrient and energy boost and will make you feel good for choosing a healthy snack.

1. 2-3 Brazil nuts stuffed into 2-3 pitted medjool dates
2. 1 sour apple sliced and dipped in 2 tbsp almond butter
3. 1 banana blended with 1 handful of spinach and 1 cup of water (yes I'm for real)
4. 2 big chard leaves spread with hummus and rolled up

Quick, tasty, healthy. What is your favourite snack? Post it below. Or let me know on Twitter @marissamakesp.s. See those little black spots on the banana? That means it is ready for eating. Don't eat it before it gets those tiny spots because it is not fully ripe and you may get a belly ache.

Mushroom Quiche with a Lovely Oat Crust

I had very little in the fridge when I put this recipe together. I also discovered that I only had half a cup of flour, not enough to make a crust, oops. So,I got creative and made a fabulous and oh so tasty meal with what I had. It was pretty impressive I have to say. Sometimes the simplest meals with few ingredients turn out the best.

I had this quiche with some lettuce picked from my indoor lettuce garden. You can see a bit of it in the background of the above photo. The lettuce is doing well, it likes it's sunny spot in the window, which is supplemented with full spectrum lights on the dark and rainy days. I also use them in the morning and evening to maximize growing time. This lettuce should get me through until my garden is going...

I will probably supplement my greens with some from the local farmers. They have a greenhouse and are already supplying us with fresh greens. So lucky we are!

Here is the recipe for this yummy and quick quiche. You can substitute other veggies for the mushrooms and zucchini. You can also use whatever flour you have, the oat flour is especially nice though. I didn't have any oat flour so I ground up Scottish oats in my spice/coffee grinder to make the flour. It has a nice consistency that way.

Let me know how your version turns out and enjoy! Oat Crusted Quiche For the pastry: 1 cup oat flour 1/2 cup spelt flour 1/2 cup butter a good pinch of Himalayan salt 5 tbsp cold water

Preheat oven to 350 Mix flour and salt together in a medium sized mixing bowl or a food processor. Cut butter into flour using a pastry knife or the food processor until the butter is in pea size bits. Stir in water until just mixed and then knead the dough into a ball.

This is where I cheat. You could roll out the dough on a floured board then carefully fold it in half, place it in a buttered pie pan and carefully unfold it. OR you could do what I do an press the dough right into the buttered pan until it is fairly evenly spread throughout the pan. Much easier I say. Put the crust in the oven for 10-15 minutes while you make the filling. For the filling: 10 shitake or brown mushrooms, sliced 1 very small zucchini (about 1 cup), sliced 1/4 cup onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tbsp butter 8 eggs 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt 1/4 cup non-sweet almond milk or other milk Raclette or other hard cheese for topping Heat butter on medium in a skillet. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms and zucchini to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes with a lid on. In a medium mixing bowl whisk eggs and then whisk in milk and salt. Remove crust from oven and fill with cooked mushroom mix. Pour eggs on top and put back in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and grate on a bit of cheese. Tasty, quick and good for you!

Tomato Lime Soup

I had a jar of diced tomatoes sitting in my fridge for a few days. I stared at me every time I opened the fridge but I didn't know what to do with it. I wasn't into making pasta sauce or using it on my rice, steamed veggies and miso dressing bowl. Tonight I decided that it had to be eaten or thrown out. I scrounged around and pulled a few things out of the fridge to create a masterpiece. I had some onion, celery, a lime, fresh cilantro and garlic. It was super quick and ridiculously easy. It came out tasting fresh and zesty. Shows that even if you have very little to work with you can create a tasty dish. Sometimes having less ingredients is better. I challenge you to post the ingredients that you have in your fridge in the comments box. I will put them together into an inventive dish. Tomato Lime Soup Serves 2 (easily doubled) 1 tbsp olive oil 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1/4 cup onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups diced tomatoes, juice and all 1 tsp raw honey 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 1 lime, juiced a pinch of salt In a small pot heat olive oil on medium/low and add onions, celery and garlic. Cook for five minutes then add tomatoes. Cook for 5 more minutes. Turn off heat and blend soup with a hand blender. Add a bit of water if it is too thick. Stir in cilantro, lime and honey. Add salt to taste, just a pinch. That's it. I topped it with a thin slice of Tipsy Jane cheese from Jerseyland Organics Enjoy! And let me know what's in your fridge...

Reiki, Huh?

Photo Credit

Reiki is a healing modality that I use in my practice to help my clients achieve their health goals. I love Reiki because it gets my clients into a super relaxed zone and that is the place where deep healing happens.

You know the feeling you get when you go for a walk in the woods? No not the adrenaline rush from speeding down a trail on bike or getting to the top of a rock face. The feeling of calm, peace, ease and clarity of being outside walking on dirt, passing by giant trees, breathing in clean air and noticing the little flowers peeking out of the bushes. That is what Reiki gives you, it puts you in a place of relaxation.

I was first introduced to Reiki after I ran out of a house fire in the middle of the night. It was a bit stressful. I had to keep on going to nutrition school, getting my work done, going to my job and writing exams. We were in limbo and sleeping at the neighbours and dealing with other stress due to the fire. Flower essences and a Reiki session helped me, big time.

About Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese relaxation and healing technique. Reiki means Universal life energy. A Reiki practitioner allows the flow of Reiki energy through their body, out their hands and into the client's body. A Reiki session takes place on a massage table. The client is fully clothed and the practitioner uses a series of hand positions either directly on or just above the client's body. The experience is very relaxing and relieving of stress; it is not uncommon for the client to fall asleep.

Benefits of Reiki

During a state of complete relaxation, Reiki can work its healing on deeper levels as it does not require conscious effort to heal. All the client needs to do is relax, be open to receiving the energy and healing and enjoy. Reiki helps to clear blockages within the body's energy systems and meridians for deeper healing. For the purpose of healing emotions Flower Essences work well with Reiki as they help clear specific blocks and balance emotions.

Reiki is beneficial to anyone looking to relax and reduce stress and improve their emotional health. This form of healing is gentle and safe but very effective. It is great for people of all ages including elders, children and babies. Also great for pets!

If you are in Vancouver take advantage of the opportunity for free Reiki at the Westcoast Reiki Centre Spring Fair. For Reiki sessions see my website.

What to Eat?

With so many diets, food philosophies, nutritional science protocols, food plans, health books and nutrition programs telling you the best way to eat it is difficult to figure out just what to eat. you can find conflicting information on pretty much any diet out there whether it's the high protein/low carb, vegetarian, vegan, raw, blood-type, elimination, fruitarian... The list goes on and on and every time you think you have found the best way to eat some new info comes out telling you it's wrong and here is something better.

We have gone from a balanced diet of plant and animal foods that are grown and raised naturally and ethically to a diet diet of processed food. Nutrition science has broken down food into macro and micro nutrients, anti-oxidants, phyto-nutrients, omegas... Instead of eating the freshest piece of fruit you can get you are forced to question each piece of fruit as to whether it is good or bad for you and your specific nutritional needs. That is a lot of work and it takes out the joy of eating.

Eating is really about nourishing the body with a variety of fresh, whole foods prepared with joy and simplicity. When deciding what to eat the question should not be what are the nutrients in this food and does it follow the rules of the diet I am on. The question should be, is this food fresh, whole, tasty looking and adding variety to my diet.

It's simple really, just eat fresh, whole food that stimulates your appetite, creative cooking mind and senses. With all those diets out there take what sounds good, what works with your body and what appeals to your mind. Here are my guidelines for a healthy and tasty diet. Note that the word diet has been mutilated to mean what to eat to lose weight. Diet really means what we eat every day.

1. Eat fresh and in season produce. As local as possible and organic or free of chemical sprays (pesticides, herbicides, etc.). Support your local farmers when you can and grow something of your own. Even if that is just a window box of herbs or lettuce.
2. Stay out of the box. Avoid packaged foods as much as possible and when you buy packaged look at the ingredients and choose wisely. Shop the perimeter; it's tried and true.
3. Buy grains, nuts, seeds and dried beans in bulk. Soak grains and beans before cooking. Get free directions here with your feedback for my upcoming cookbook, thanks.
4. Use extra-virgin and expeller pressed organic oils.
5. Eat meat from an organic butcher and in moderation.
6. Eat organic and raw dairy products, raw cheese is easily found in stores. Buy non-homogenized yogurt Jersey Land or Saugeen Again, in moderation
7. Prepare foods fresh and simply. With healthy and tasty recipes
8. Eat a variety of foods, expand your horizons and try new veggies and grains.
9. Cook some food and eat some food raw. Eat more raw veggies in the spring and summer. Eat more cooked veggies in the fall and winter.
10. Relax when you eat and when you think about eating.

Go back to the basics and start enjoying food instead of pondering nutrition science. Eat slowly, with joy and with others. Go back to when food was a healthy part of culture and was more than something we did to fill up and indulge. Go back to food being for a time to take time, to enjoy our senses, the company of others and to relax and savour the good stuff.

I would love to share my other recipes, tips and favourite quotes with you. Check them out here.

Easy Weekend Meals

Sometimes I like to just relax on the weekend and not cook too much. This weekend was one of those so I kept it simple. The sun and warm weather was a treat and I wanted to spend my time outside hiking in the forest with Grommit and sitting on the steps drinking tea. Relaxation is good for the body and the mind. Here is Grommit in her "hole" that she dug under a cedar bush and likes to hang out in. She knows how to relax.

I whipped up this really quick meal and tasty too. Honestly there was not a whole lot in the fridge and I didn't feel like driving to the grocery store so I used what I had and was surprised with the results. I had some rice pasta, which is one of my favourite quick meal staples. I love rice pasta because you can boil a pot of water, pour in the pasta and stir it for a minute, then turn it off, put the lid on and let it sit for 18 minutes. I like this method because I tend to boil over a pot of pasta when I am distracted with something else and that makes a mess. Also it saves energy, which makes me feel good, and best of all I can leave the room and go do something else like sit in the sun. Usually though, this 18 minutes is just enough time to put together the remaining ingredients for dinner. I chopped up about 1/4 cup of onion and a clove of garlic and then sauteed them on medium/low heat in a bit of olive oil. After about five minutes I added some tofu. I only use traditionally made tofu because it is aged properly and therefore the nutrients are accessible and can be absorbed by the body. I will be dedicating an article to soy in the near future. I like Salt Spring Island tofu, Nelson tofu or Green Cuisine from Victoria. Look for a traditionally made tofu in your area, it will be made in small batches and can be found in health food stores. I diced up some naturally smoked tofu from Salt Spring Island and added it to the onions. After 5 more minutes of cooking on low heat I tossed in some chopped frozen spinach. Having this in the freezer ensures that I always have green veggies.

Next I peeled a jicama root and grated it. I added a bit of brown rice vinegar, sesame oil and agave nectar. I tossed this up, put it on the plates and sprinkled on some pumpkin seeds. Very simple, very tasty. Jicama is a root vegetable. It tastes like apple and potato and is nice and crunchy and fresh. You can eat it raw or cooked.

When the 18 minutes was up I drained the pasta, mixed in the veggies and tofu, drizzled on a bit of flax oil and served. Quick, tasty and full of goodness. I love these lazy day dinners for that.

Eat Well on the Go

Do you find it hard to keep up a healthy diet when you are running from place to place trying to get everything done in your busy life? It can be tricky especially when there are so many quick and convenient options out there. It makes it easy to grab a double mocha and a apple fritter to give you the quick surge of energy to keep you going through your busy day. But how do you feel a few hours later when the sugar and the caffeine wear off and you have stopped running and rushing through your day. You get in your car to drive home and maybe feel irritated with the traffic, anxious to get home and sit in front of the tv or so starving that you decide to get some more convenient food at the drive through window. You sit down in front of your tv, have your dinner and then zombie out to the news around the world (recreating stress in your body) or a show that makes you laugh (not such a bad thing) or you just keep flicking and flicking...

The next morning you have to drag yourself out of bed to the coffee machine so you can do it all again. I am trying to put this out with some humour and awareness. If this is you or part of this is you, do you see the changes you could make in your life to give you more energy and less stress throughout your day and life?

Even making some simple changes will help huge. The first change I want to give to you is breakfast. Yes it is the most important meal of the day, it fills up your tank and provides you with long lasting energy. The right breakfast anyway. You wouldn't get in your car for an eight hour trip with an empty tank of gas after all. So why get your body going for an 8 or longer hour work day on empty?

When deciding what to have for breakfast make sure you get some sort of protein. This can be nuts and seed on your cereal or oatmeal, eggs or almond butter with your toast, plain yogurt with granola or something less traditional like veggies and fish.

Getting protein in the morning will help to stabilize your blood sugar and give you long lasting energy. I hope that helps to get you fueled for your day!

You can get more ideas at my FREE phone workshop (available from anywhere, just call in from the comfort of your home). Get the detail at http://www.ahealthierme.ca/events.htm

Enjoy your day!

Marissa