Butternut-Apple Soup

We've all heard that old saying that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", but eating an apple by itself is just so blah. Apples by themselves just don't do it for me. But recently I came across a recipe for butternut-apple soup and I thought, apples in soup?! Well that's just crazy! But what an interesting twist on a fall classic. I LOVE butternut squash soup (and anything with butternut squash really) but have never tried to make it myself before. So I thought what better way to start than with this extra-special apple version? I couldn't wait to see (or taste, rather) how the apples would affect it, now after having tried it I think that all butternut squash soup should include apples!

Adapted from this recipe, my soup consists of...
- butternut squash
- granny smith apples
- light cream (you could also try a non-dairy cream substitute if you are so inclined)
- water
- curry powder
- chipotle powder
- ginger
- salt
- pepper
- cinnamon
- chives

How to make it:
1. Cut up your butternut squash and apples into small chunks.
2. In a big pot, bring about 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, 1 3/4 cups apple chunks and about 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Then turn heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Put squash and apple mixture into a blender and puree.
4. Add in 1/2 tablespoon of curry, a pinch of chipotle, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and 3/4 cup of cream and blend together.
5. Finish it off with a sprinkle of cinnamon and some chives.

A variation:
Instead of chives, try topping off your soup with a sprinkle of goat cheese!

1 tablespoon of mild sweet curry powder
¼ teaspoon of ground chipotle powder (optional)
2-3 teaspoons pureed organic ginger in a jar (or fresh finely zested with a microplane)
Pinch of ground clove
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1½ cups (350 ML) unsweetened almond and cashew MimicCreme  (see their website for stores or buy online at this link)
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives (optional garnish) - See more at: http://afoodcentriclife.com/healthy-butternut-apple-soup/#sthash.H97GHnbJ.dpuf

Fried Honey Bananas

I've never really liked bananas much, except when used in desserts. Maybe that's why this particular banana recipe caught my attention. It is the perfect snack to satisfy your sweet tooth, and a very guilt-free dessert. Only a few healthy ingredients (and a frying pan) and you're good to go!

I usually like to try to put my own little twist on the recipes I find, but for this one I basically just followed it to a tee. The original can be found here. It consists of...
- a banana
- water
- honey
- cinnamon
- olive oil

How to make it:
1. Slice up a banana into fairly thick slices (the first time I made it I made my slices a little thin and found they were harder to flip).
2. In a frying pan over medium heat, coat pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Arrange your banana slices and let each side cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
3. Combine 1 tablespoon of honey with 1 tablespoon of water. Remove frying pan from heat and pour honey mixture over banana slices.
4. Remove banana slices from the frying pan and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Pesto and Arugula-Apple Salad Pizza

This is a bit of a different spin on what we would traditionally think of as pizza but it is equally (if not even more) delicious! Not being a fan of anything tomato, I definitely prefer the pesto to traditional tomato sauce, and covering it in a fresh, healthy salad rather than smothering it with cheese is a sweet and refreshing change. It makes the perfect light meal and can be ready in 15 minutes or less. I wish I had thought of this sooner!

Inspired by this recipe, my own version consists of...
- pita bread (I used whole wheat) or any other form of pizza crust
- pesto sauce
- goat cheese
- baby arugula
- red onion
- pecans
- apple slices
- balsamic vinaigrette dressing

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and place your crust on a baking sheet (I used a pita but you could also use naan bread or traditional pizza crust).
2. Cover your crust with pesto sauce leaving however much crust you want. Use as much or as little as you like, trying to distribute it evenly.
3. Sprinkle pizza with a little bit of goat cheese and baby arugula.
4. Slice up your apple and red onion, and add to your pizza with some pecan bits.
5. Finish with another light sprinkling of goat cheese and bake in the oven for about 8 minutes.
6. Remove your pizza from the oven and drizzle with a little balsamic vinaigrette.

Paprika Popcorn Cauliflower

I can't say I've ever really been a big cauliflower fan, or even really eaten it much, but for some reason this recipe caught my attention. Maybe it's because it made me think of my Grandma, whose favourite meal is chicken paprika (a traditional Hungarian dish). Not only is this recipe awesome because of the many health benefits of cauliflower, but it is so low on ingredients and so easy to make (not to mention vegan and gluten-free)! Makes a super healthy and hearty side-dish for any meal. It's also pretty tasty.

Slightly adapted from this recipe, my Paprika popcorn cauliflower consists of...
- a head of cauliflower
- olive oil
- paprika
- seasoning salt
- pepper

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and cut your cauliflower into florets.
2. In a bowl, combine cauliflower, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of paprika, and a sprinkling of seasoning salt and some pepper.
3. Spread out onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until florets become brown around the edges.

A Variation: For an added kick, try adding chili pepper or a hint of Tabasco!

Fruit and Nut Quinoatmeal

I thought I had posted this one a while ago... oops! Anyhow, I'm starting to realize just how versatile quinoa really is. It's like the chameleon of foods, it can disguise itself as almost anything, including oatmeal! If you never thought of quinoa as a breakfast food before, then try a bowl of Fruit and Nut Quinoatmeal, it might just blow your mind.

My version was inspired by this recipe, however you can use almost any combination of fruits and nuts that you heart desires, and I'm sure it would be delicious. My bowl consists of...
- quinoa
- milk
- water
- blackberries
- walnuts
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- honey

How to make it:
1. Put equal parts quinoa, water, and milk into a big pot, and bring it to a boil. Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is mostly absorbed (for this recipe you want it to be a little moist).
2. Stir in your blackberries, cinnamon, and nutmeg (or whatever you choose to use).
3. Top with a drizzle of honey.

So simple, yet so genius.

Tropical Cucumber Salad

This is a salad that I would definitely recommend trying before the summer is over. Not only is it brightly coloured, but it's so tangy and refreshing that you'll feel like you're on a tropical island vacation! Who would have known that crunchy cucumber, melt-in-your-mouth mango, and creamy avocado complemented each other so nicely (and deliciously)?! I'm sold!

Makes a great light lunch or a perfect side dish to any meal! The original recipe can be viewed here, and my adaptation consists of...
- cucumber
- mango
- avocado
- cilantro
- lime juice
- fish sauce
- canola oil
- vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
- brown sugar
- chili flakes

How to make it:
1. Chop up about half a cucumber, a whole mango and a whole avocado into cubes, and combine in a bowl.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. fish sauce, 1 tbsp. lime juice, half a tbsp. canola oil, 1 tsp. brown sugar, half a tsp. vinegar, some chopped cilantro and a few shakes of chili flakes.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.

Chipotle Lime Corn

It's odd how I never thought to add anything to my corn before I stumbled across this recipe. Say no to boring corn with this delicious Chipotle Lime Corn that just explodes with flavor! I swear it's worth the messiness. Makes a perfect side dish.

Inspired by this recipe, my Chipotle Lime Corn consists of...
- corn on the cob
- butter/margerine
- mayo (I like to use light)
- chipotle seasoning
- cilantro
- lime juice
- parmesan cheese 

How to make it:
1. Prepare your corn by either boiling it or cooking it in the oven.
a) To Boil: Place corn on the cob in a pot of boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Brush with  butter/margerine.
b) To Cook: Brush corn on the cob with butter or margerine and place in the oven covered in tin foil   for 30 minutes. Remove tin foil and cook for another 15 minutes.
(Personally, I recommend boiling it just because it's faster)
2. In a small bowl, combine mayo, chipotle seasoning, lime juice, and chopped cilantro to taste.
3. Add a heaping spoonful of your mayo mixture to each corn on the cob, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Brown Butter Spaghetti Squash with Fried Egg

This spaghetti squash recipe was even more delicious than the last one! It's a little on the indulgent side but I still think it deserves a spot on this blog. I also think more dishes should be topped with a fried egg.

The original recipe can be viewed here. My version consisted of...
- spaghetti squash
- unsalted butter
- almond slices
- an egg
- parmesan cheese
- nutmeg

How to make it:
1. Prepare your spaghetti squash. Using something sharp, pierce your spaghetti squash all over, and microwave for about 15 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to touch.
2. Once cooled, cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and fibers, then twist out the strands using a fork.
3. Cook about 1/4 cup of butter with 1/4 cup of almond slices over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until butter is nutty-brown. Remove almonds with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Fry an egg in the butter, spooning the butter over the yolk until the whites have set but yolk is still runny (or however you like your eggs done). Remove egg from butter and set aside.
5. Toss spaghetti squash in butter with half the almond slices until warm.
6. Transfer spaghetti squash to a plate and sprinkle with the other half of the almond slices, some nutmeg and parmesan cheese, and top with the egg.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Portabella Caps

Spinach and feta is an amazing combination in omelets, on pizza, in pasta, and now stuffed in portabella mushroom caps! I'm a big fan of stuffing vegetables with more vegetables- it's healthy, hearty and extremely satisfying. These make a great alternative to salad.

Adapted from this recipe, mine consists of...
- portabella mushrooms
- spinach
- onion
- red pepper 
- Italian dressing
- feta cheese
- parmesan cheese
- chicken broth
- chili flakes

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Break off the portabella mushroom stems and scrape out the gills with a spoon.
2. In a bowl, combine a handful of spinach for each mushroom cap, some chopped onion, chopped red peppers, feta and parmesan cheeses, a pinch of chili flakes and Italian dressing to taste.
3. Place portabella caps in a baking dish, and fill with spinach mixture. Top with a sprinkling of feta and parmesan cheeses.
4. Pour a little bit of chicken broth into the baking dish so that the mushroom caps are just sitting in some liquid. Put in the oven for about 45 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Sweet Potato, Pecan and Cranberry Quinoa Salad

I love the versatility of quinoa, and I feel like I have only just started to explore it. One of the many ways it can be used is in a salad, and this is a unique one. It is easy to make and low on ingredients but very filling, very healthy and gluten free! Would make a great lunch or dinner.

The original recipe can be found here. Mine consisted of...
- sweet potato
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- pecans
- quinoa
- parsley
- craisins
- lemon juice
- water

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 390 degrees, peel and dice half of a sweet potato. In a bowl, toss diced sweet potato with 2 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer them to a baking tray and cook them in the oven for 30 mins.
2. While sweet potato is baking, prepare your quinoa. Place half a cup quinoa and 1 cup of water in a pot, bring to a boil and let simmer until water is absorbed.
3. For the dressing, combine half a tbsp of olive oil, half a tbsp of water, a splash of lemon juice and some salt and pepper in a small bowl.
4. Once sweet potato is out of the oven and cooled, combine in a bowl with quinoa, craisins, pecans and some chopped parsley. Drizzle with dressing and toss.

Spaghetti Squash with Apples and Pecans

I have just only begun to tap into the wonderful world of cooking with spaghetti squash. I don't know why I've never bought one before, possibly because they are so big and intimidating for me as I can only buy what I can carry home from the grocery store. But I might have to start making special trips, because this first recipe I tried was just delightful and it seems like the possibilities for spaghetti squash are endless! Not only is it healthier and more versatile than pasta, but it is gluten free, which is always an added bonus. I also like how you can serve it in itself. I wanted to start off with a recipe that was simple, but not as obvious as simply spaghetti squash topped with tomato sauce. I think that this was the perfect choice and I can't wait to try some more!

The original recipe that I found on Pinterest can be found here. This recipe consists of...
- a spaghetti squash
- extra virgin olive oil
- apple cider vinegar
- salt
- gala apples
- pecans
- green onion

How to make it:
1. Using something sharp, pierce your spaghetti squash all over, and microwave for about 15 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to touch.
2. Once cooled, cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and fibers, then twist out the strands using a fork.
3. In a small bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix into spaghetti squash.
4. Dice up 2 gala apples, chop some pecans and thinly slice up green onions. Combine with spaghetti squash.

A Variation:
Instead of apples, try using dried cherries and gorgonzola cheese!

Parmesan Kale Chips

I've always been a little weary of these in the past, convinced that they just could not be good. But now that I've actually tried kale (and have a bit of a surplus of it) I thought why not give these a shot? They could not have been easier to make and were surprisingly good! They're light and airy and have a satisfying crunch to them, making them the perfect guilt-free snack for mindless munching. And let's be honest, everything is better with cheese!

The original recipe can be found here. It consists of...
- kale
- olive oil
- grated or shredded parmesan cheese (I used shredded)
- salt
- pepper

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and wash and chop (or rip) up your kale.
2. In a bowl, combine kale, a splash of olive oil, and salt and pepper to preference.
3. Spread out kale on a baking sheet and sprinkle some parmesan over it as evenly as you can. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Feel free to try with your own combination of spices and please do share if you come up with any winners!

Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles

Take ramen noodles from plain to packed with flavor with just a few ingredients! I have always loved noodles in a peanut butter sauce but never realized it could be so easily made at home! This recipe is awesome because it's full of protein from the peanut butter, super easy to make, really low on ingredients, and cheap! What could be better?

The original recipe can be found here, but as per usual, I have tweaked it ever so slightly to make it my own. It consists of...
- ramen noodles
- peanut butter
- soy sauce
- siracha chili sauce
- green onions
- peanuts

How to make it:
1. Follow the instructions on your ramen package to cook the noodles. Mine said to cook them in boiled water on max for 3 minutes and drain.
2. Mix 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of siracha chili sauce (or all ingredients to taste) into the noodles.
3. Garnish with thinly sliced green onion and peanuts.

Try stir-frying your noodles with some vegetables!

Kale Noodle Bowl with Avocado Miso Dressing

I finally went grocery shopping, hooray! I've been wanting to try a recipe involving kale, but as I am still fairly unfamiliar with this particular super-food, I wasn't quite sure how to use it. I came across this recipe (on Pinterest) and thought it sounded quite intriguing, yet simple enough for me to actually make, I thought I'd go for it. The only thing holding me back was that some of the ingredients it called for were not staples in my regular fridge/pantry stock, and I had been a little lazy on the grocery shopping as of late. But lo and behold, I finally bit the bullet and went so that I could actually make some of the recipes that I'd been hoarding on Pinterest for some time now.

This recipe was fairly simple to make but definitely packs a nutritional punch! And the dressing is quite tasty, I found myself wondering what it might taste like on a salad... perhaps I'll dabble with that later. The original recipe can be found here, or you can follow my own version! It consists of...
- kale
- buckwheat soba noodles (or feel free to experiment with a noodle of your choice)
- a medium avocado
- garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- miso paste
- sesame seeds
- water

How to make it:
1. (Check the cooking instructions for your noodles, but if you want to know what I did...) Bring a pot of water to a boil, add noodles and boil for about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with warm water.
2. Cut up kale into ribbons (or just chop up if you don't have the patience).
3. In a blender, add your avocado, a clove or 2 of garlic, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 3 tbsp of miso paste and 3/4 cup of water and blend until smooth.
4. Combine everything in a bowl and garnish with sesame seeds.

A Variation:
Try making it into a salad by using crunchy noodles instead (and if you do, please tell me how it turned out!)

Honey Cinnamon Crunchy Chickpeas

This is another guilt-free snack. This is a perfect alternative to chips because they're tasty, crunchy and you definitely can't eat just one! They are super easy to make, but they do require a bit of patience as they do take a while to bake in the oven. But they are so healthy and yummy that they are definitely worth the wait!

These consist of...
- chickpeas
- olive oil
- honey
- cinnamon
- salt
- sugar
- nutmeg

How to make it:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Strain your chickpeas and sandwich them between 2 paper towels to absorb the moisture.
2. Transfer dried chickpeas to a non-stick baking sheet, and put them in the oven for 50-60 minutes.
3. While chickpeas are still hot, put them in a bowl and toss them with a little bit of olive oil, some honey, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and a dash of nutmeg. Put them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes to carmelize.

Apple and Brie Sammies

If you're anything like me, sometimes your brain confuses boredom with hunger, which can lead to mindless eating. Sometimes you pick up a bag of chips, sit down on the couch in front of the TV, and before you know it the bag is empty, leaving you wondering how you ate so much without even realizing, and leaving you feeling guilty. And then you think to yourself, maybe I should have picked a healthier snack. So here is a healthy and tasty snack idea for you all, inspired by a recipe that I found on (yes, you guessed it) Pinterest- which can be viewed here.

Brie is not only one of my favourite cheeses, but it is also so versatile! It seems to complement so many other foods and can be deliciously incorporated into so many different dishes. And these little bite-sized sammies are no exception! Eat as a snack or serve as an appetizer! They consist of...
- an apple (I find it tastes best with granny smiths)
- brie cheese
- pecans
- honey

How to make it:
1. Slice up your apple, and then cut each slice in half so that you have 2 (almost) symmetrical pieces.
2. Cut up some tiny brie slices, and sandwich them between 2 halves of the apple slices- I like to put the brie in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds, just to get it warm and a little melty to make the sammies stick together better.
3. Top each sammie with a pecan, and a little drizzle of honey.

A Variation:
Try using peanut butter instead of brie for more protein!

Maquinoa & Cheese

Love mac & cheese but hate the guilt that goes with it? Why not try this guilt-free, baked quinoa alternative?! It's full of the cheesy-goodness that you love, without all the carbs and processed junk. And, once again, it's gluten-free! Move over Kraft, there's a new dinner in town!

This clever little dish was also found on my beloved Pinterest, and can be viewed here (under its original name). My own version consisted of...
- quinoa
- chicken broth
- cream cheese
- shredded cheddar cheese (I used double cheddar)
- cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt
- pepper
- ground flax seeds

How to make it:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a pot, combine 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1 cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then let simmer until all the liquid is absorbed.
2. Mix in 2 oz/ 1/4 cup of cream cheese, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar, 1/4 grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 tbsp of ground flax seeds and a little salt and pepper.
3. Transfer into a baking dish (or 2 separate smaller baking dishes, I used my ramekins and they were the perfect size!) and top with 1/2 cup of more shredded cheddar cheese.
4. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until cheese starts to bubble.

Suggestions to make it even healthier:
Try adding in some carmelized onions to the mixture!

Lauren's West Coast Chop

This salad was inspired by Original Joe's West Coast Chop. I had it recently during a visit home and thought it was one of the best and most unique salads I've had in a while. The secret: BAKED chickpeas! They're nice and crunchy so they're almost like croutons, but tastier AND a great source of protein (not to mention gluten-free)!

Original Joe's version can be found here, but my own version consists of...
- spinach
- chickpeas
- olive oil
- seasoning salt
- cucumber
- avocado 
- craisins
- almond slivers
- goat cheese
- honey dijon vinaigrette

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Drain your chickpeas, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt (or your own combination of spices) and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.
2. Cut up some cucumber julienne, slice up some avocado and throw it in a bowl with some spinach, craisins, almond slivers, and baked chickpeas when ready.
3. Finish off with some goat cheese and your favorite honey dijon vinaigrette dressing (I used a homemade one).

A Variation:
This salad could easily be made into a meal by adding some grilled chicken!

Spicy Quinoa Stuffed Avocados

Here we have yet another recipe that I have modified from one I found on Pinterest (if you would like to see the original, it can be found here). This one was a great find, it really impressed me- it is one of the easiest, healthiest and tastiest dishes that I have made in quite some time. It's even gluten-free!

Have as a nice and healthy lunch, lighter dinner (I actually just had it for dinner and found it quite filling!) or even serve as an appetizer or side-dish. These consist of...

- avocado
- quinoa
- corn
- red pepper
- red onion
- chopped fresh cilantro
- seasoning salt
- chili flakes
- Tabasco sauce
- lime juice
- sour cream

How to make this:
1. Cook your quinoa- in a small pot combine 1/4 cup of quinoa with 1/2 cup of water, bring to a boil then cover and let simmer until all the water is absorbed.
2. While your quinoa is cooking, chop up your red pepper, red onion, and cilantro. Combine in a bowl with corn, and add seasoning salt, chili flakes, and a dash of Tabasco sauce until you are satisfied with the flavour of your mixture. Add your quinoa to the mixture when it is ready.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine sour cream, lime juice and cilantro.
4. Cut your avocado in half lengthwise, remove the skin and pit, and scoop out some of the center to turn your avocado-halves into small bowls. Add what you've scooped out of the avocados to your quinoa mixture.
5. Spoon your quinoa mixture into the avocado-halves, top with cilantro-lime sour cream and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

So you've got some leftover broccoli, cheddar and potatoes, but you don't want to make more broccoli salad twice baked potatoes because you just had those! What do you do?! Well, you could try making some broccoli and cheddar soup!

This is another recipe that I found on Pinterest. The only revision I made to it was reducing the amount of cheese, because as much as I do LOVE cheese, I still found that it called for a somewhat excessive amount (if you would like to see the original recipe, go here). This nice, hearty soup makes a great side for any lunch or dinner! It consists of...
- broccoli
- a medium-sized potato, peeled and chopped
- chicken broth
- milk
- salt
- shredded cheddar cheese

How to make it:
1. In a large pot, bring 1 3/4 cups of chicken broth, potato chunks, and a dash of salt to a boil.
2. Finely chop up your broccoli, add half of it to the pot and set the rest aside for later. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until potato is soft.
3. Transfer pot contents to a blender, puree, and return to pot.
4. Add the remaining broccoli, 1 cup of milk and 1 and a half cups of shredded cheddar to the pot. Continuously stir and cook on medium for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted in. For the final touch, garnish with a small piece of broccoli.

Broccoli Salad Twice Baked Potatoes

Once again, I know it's been some time since I posted- I haven't been getting too creative with my healthy meals lately. But fear now, because now that I've found Pinterest (which may just be my new favourite thing on the internet!) the creativity and motivation are a-flowin'! So many new ideas on there I barely knew where to start! I somewhat arbitrarily chose to begin with a twice-baked potato recipe that I have put my own little twist on (the original recipe can be found here). So next time you can't decide between salad or potatoes, why not just combine them?!

Makes a great side-dish or have it on it's own for a lighter meal! I have always loved twice baked potatoes and they are actually surprisingly easier than you may have thought! Plus they are gluten-free! These consist of...
- baking potatoes
- broccoli
- shredded cheddar cheese
- red onion
- nuts (I used pine nuts, would also like to try almond pieces)

- craisins
- chives
- butter/margerine
- milk

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peirce your potatoes using a fork, and put in the microwave on "baked potato" setting (if you do not have this setting, microwave on high for about 5 minutes).
2. While potatoes are in the microwave, cook your broccoli in a pot of boiled water, covered for about 3 minutes. Strain and set aside.
3. Cut potatoes in half length-wise and scoop out the insides into a bowl, leaving about 1/4" thick shell. Place empty potato halves on a baking sheet.
4. Mash or puree the potato insides, adding milk and butter/margerine until desired texture is achieved.
5. Dice up your red onion and mix into your potatoes with nuts, craisins, chives, and some shredded cheddar cheese. Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells.
6. Top your potatoes with the cooked broccoli and a little more cheddar. Bake in the oven for about 7 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Eggs in a Basket

This isn't much of a recipe but it's a fun take on fried eggs and toast! Makes a nice and simple breakfast if you just want something light.

This simple little dish consists of...
- an egg
- sliced bread
- butter/margerine 

How to make it:
1. Using a small knife, carve a large hole out of the center of your bread (too small of a hole will result in messy egg overflow) and lightly butter (or margerine) both sides of the bread.
2. In a frying pan on low-medium heat, lightly toast one side of the bread.
3. Flip your bread so the toasted side is facing up. Carefully crack an egg into the hole in the bread and let fry. If you like your eggs sunny-side up then stop here, or if you like your eggs done over-easy (like I do), continue on to step 4.
4. Gently flip the toast and let sit for just a second or two (any longer and your yolk will over-cook) before flipping back over onto your plate. 

Suggestions to make this even healthier: Try using whole wheat or multi-grain bread, or separate your egg and use only the egg whites!

Spinach and Parmesan Souffles

After another absence I figured I needed a really good and healthy recipe, and I definitely think this one delivers! This one also comes to us from the "Great Weeknight Cookbook", and while slightly ambitious the effort does yield great results.

The nice thing about this recipe is that it doesn't require a ton of ingredients, although you will need a set of ramekins. This souffle consists of...
- butter/margerine
- spinach
- bread
- sour cream
- eggs
- grated parmesan cheese
- nutmeg

The original recipe was for 4 souffles, but I have modified it for 2.

How to make it:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cook about 250g of spinach in a large dry pot over low heat until spinach is wilted. Leave to drain until needed.
2. Tear half a slice of bread into small pieces and put in a food processor to make into fine crumbs.
3. Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the spinach, and blend it with 1/3 cup of sour cream until just combined in a course puree.
4. Separate 2 eggs. Add the yolks and 3 tbsp of grated parmesan to the food processor. Season with plenty of nutmeg and blend into a smooth puree.
5. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Pour the mixture into the bowl of egg whites and fold together with a large metal spoon.
6. Lightly butter (or margerine) the insides of your ramekins and sprinkle in some parmesan. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins, top with a sprinkling of more parmesan and bake in the oven until puffed and golden brown (approximately 15-20 mins).  DO NOT AT ANY POINT WHILE BAKING OPEN THE OVEN!

Tips for how to serve: The book recommended to "serve with new potatoes and steamed baby vegetables", but I served it with mashed sweet potatoes!

Avocado and Brie Grilled Cheese

This delightful little sandwich is one of my favourite things that my wonderful boyfriend Jon makes for me on occasion. Avocado and brie cheese is truly a heavenly combo. This sandwich is as yummy as it is easy to make, and makes a perfect lunch or light dinner!

This sandwich consists of...
- 2 slices of whole wheat bread
- butter or margerine
- spring mix
- avocado
- red onion
- cucumber
- brie cheese

How to make it:
1. Lightly butter your bread slices. Toast on both sides in a frying pan over low heat.
2. While bread slices are still in the frying pan, add a thin slice of brie to each slice of bread. Leave in pan until slightly melted.
3. Slice up avocado, cucumber and red onion. When bread is toasted and cheese is melted, arrange on bread with some spring mix. Close sandwich and cut in half.

Easy Pad Thai

After what feels like forever I've finally tried another new recipe! This was yet another dual effort by Ellie and I, and comes from "The Great Weeknight Cookbook". The recipe actually called for chicken but we opted for a veggie version to make it even simpler. While I can't quite compare this Pad Thai recipe to any Thai restaurant, for a quick and easy at-home recipe it wasn't half bad. A+ for presentation tho!

This recipe consisted of...
- dried medium rice noodles
- canola oil
- garlic
- onion
- Thai chili pepper
- an egg
- bean sprouts
- yellow pepper (not in the original recipe but we added it instead of chicken)
- soy sauce
- fish sauce
- lime juice
- crushed chili flakes
- chives
- roasted peanuts

How to make this:
1. Soak noodles in a bowl of hot water for about 20 minutes (or according to time on the package), drain when finished.
2. While noodles are soaking, chop up your onion, garlic, chili pepper (be sure to remove the seeds- and DO NOT touch them and then touch your eyes, wash your hands immediately after!) and yellow pepper. Sautee in a wok or frying pan with canola oil.
3. Beat your egg, push veggies to one side of the pan and scramble the eggs.
4. Once noodles are ready, add to the pan with bean sprouts, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice to taste. Stir-fry everything together.
5. Remove from heat and finish off with chili flakes, chives and peanuts.

Sweet Potato Stir-Fry

Hello again! I know it's been a while since I've posted anything, I guess I've gotten lazy with my cooking... I did make this a little while ago but then it was Passover and I thought it would just be cruel to post it, and then I got busy with stuff and kind of forgot... but here is my sweet potato stir-fry!

It's a healthy and easy way to use up the stuff in your fridge, and makes good leftovers too! My stir-fry consisted of...
- rice
- sweet potato
- red pepper
- yellow pepper
- asparagus
- Spanish onion
- garlic
- snap peas
- green onion
- olive oil
- curry powder
- ginger powder
- cinnamon

How to make it:
1. Prepare rice- I would recommend following the instructions on the bag just to be safe, but with mine you added 2 cups of water and 1 cup of rice to a pot, brought it to a boil, and let simmer for about 15 minutes (until the water is all absorbed).
2. Chop up vegetables, put all vegetables in a pot of water, bring to a boil and let simmer about 7-8 minutes or until desired tenderness. Drain vegetables.
3. Stir-fry veggies with rice in a pan with olive oil over medium heat. Mix in curry powder, ginger powder, and cinnamon, spicing to taste.

Sweet Potato Hash

While at the grocery store recently I had noticed they sold pre-peeled and cut sweet potato and I was so excited because I LOVE sweet potatoes but hate a lot of prep! So obviously I bought them but didn't really have a specific dish in mind to make with them. After failing to find anything of interest in my cookbooks, or to actually execute any type of dinner meal during the week, and with the expiry date fast approaching, I was beginning to worry that my exciting find would go to waste. But with the weekend came new inspiration- sweet potatoes for breakfast! So I proudly present to the interweb my version of sweet potato hash.

This is a dish I am actually very proud of. This was my first time making anything like this and I think it turned out great (if I do say so myself), I thoroughly enjoyed it! It consisted of...
- sweet potato
- red onion
- green onion
- garlic
- pepper
- parsley
- feta
- olive oil

How to make this:
1. If you didn't buy pre-cut sweet potatoes like I did, peel and cut your sweet potato into cubes. Throw them into a pot of water, bring to a boil, and let simmer until tender.
2. Strain your sweet potato cubes and dry.
3. Chop up your red onion, green onion and garlic, sautee them over medium heat in olive oil and set aside.
4. Sautee sweet potato cubes over medium heat in olive oil, adding a bit of pepper and parsley (or whatever spices you like) for about 5-6 minutes.
5. Combine sweet potato cubes with onion and garlic mixture and top with a sprinkling of feta cheese.

Enjoy it on its own, or try with eggs and/or bacon to make it a meal! Great any time of day!

Chili Penne with Butternut Squash

This was my first attempt at a recipe from one of my cookbooks and I think it was pretty successful so I thought I'd share! This one comes from The Great Weeknight Cookbook and really was quite simple and required surprisingly few ingredients. "Spice up buttnernut squash with cumin and chili, then toss in crumbled goat cheese to create a creamy, flavourful sauce for pasta that takes moments to prepare," said the writers of the book. It was enough to make me want to try it!
 

Makes a lovely lunch or dinner! This recipe contains...
- penne pasta (once again I've used Catelli Bistro tri-colour vegetable pasta, healthy AND pretty!)
- butternut squash
- olive oil
- crushed chili flakes
- coriander (The recipe actually called for cumin but I didn't have any)
- goat cheese
- grated parmesan cheese
- pepper

How to make it:
1. If you didn't buy pre-peeled and cut butternut squash (like I did- great find!), peel and cut your squash into cubes.
2. Cook pasta and squash in a pot of boiling water until squash is soft and pasta is desired consistency.
3. Reserve 100 mL of cooking water before draining pasta and squash.
4. Over low heat, pour some olive oil into the pot, add crushed chili flakes and cumin/coriander (I used coriander since I had no cumin) and cook for 1 minute before removing from heat.
5. Return the pasta and squash to the pot, mix in the cooking the liquid, goat cheese, and season to taste (I added some pepper but it was not in the recipe).
6. Put in a bowl and top with parmesan cheese.

Eggs Not So Benny

Tonight I felt like having breakfast for dinner and decided to give myself a bit of a challenge- poached eggs instead of fried. But I didn't have the equipment to make hollandaise sauce, so eggs benedict was out. Instead I made myself a bit of a modified version, or as I've decided to call it, "Eggs Not So Benny". Probably healthier without the hollandaise sauce anyway...

A great breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, snack, or whatever really. Let's face it, all day breakfast was probably the most brilliant mealtime innovation since sliced bread (which I really don't eat... too boring)! My little creation here consists of...
- crumpet
- egg
- brie cheese
- asparagus
- avocado
- margerine/butter (I like margerine- more spreadable)

How to make it:
1. Toast and butter (or margerine) your crumpet.
2. Poach your egg (I use a poachie, but do it however works best for you).
3. Chop up a few asparagus spears and slice up your brie and avocado.
4. Set your poached egg on the crumpet and top up with brie (preferably while the egg is still hot so it can melt a little), avocado, and asparagus.

Simple, uncomplicated, but delicious (and nutritious)!

Fresh Fruit Crepes

It's FINALLY starting to get nice outside, which put me in the mood for some fresh fruit. And what better way to eat fruit in the morning than to put it inside a nice, thin pancake?!

A big thank you to Ellie for helping me pre-make the crepes! They consist of...
- flour
- sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- milk
- egg
- butter
- vanilla
- strawberries
- blackberries
- blueberries
- mango
- syrup
- chocolate sauce 

How to make these:
1. Add 1 cup of flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl.
2. Crack an egg into the bowl and mix in.
3. Add 1 cup of milk, 2 tbsp melted butter and a dash of vanilla into the bowl and mix in.
4. Pour a little bit of the batter into a pan, just enough to thinly line it. Pour out any excess. Cook it over mid-high heat.
5. Wash fruit and cut up the strawberries and mango.
6. Drizzle a little bit of syrup inside the crepe, and add fruit as desired.
7. Fold up the crepe and drizzle a little bit of syrup and chocolate on top.

How to make this even healthier: Try swapping out the chocolate sauce for honey, or just a light dusting of powdered sugar. You could also swapping out the syrup for some yogurt.

Inspiration

As if Indigo knew that I was in need of some inspiration, they had a whole table of some great cookbooks on sale and I just couldn't resist! Got these 2 bad boys and 755 new recipe ideas to try for under $16! Yay!

Sweet Seaweed Salad

Since I've clearly been slacking off lately in the healthy cooking department I've decided to outsource, so a big thank you to the creator of this guest recipe- Eva! This girl is seriously fit, plus she claims this dish smells like candy! So ya, I'll have what she's having!

Simple, sweet and healthy- what more could you ask for in a recipe?! Make a little and have it for a snack, or make a lot and have it for a meal! Eva's sweet seaweed salad consists of...
- seaweed
- avocado
- mango
- canned corn
- walnuts
- baby spinach
- sesame seed oil
- sugar
- salt
- vinegar
- red chili pepper

How to make this:
1. Soak seaweed in a bowl of warm water for 5-7 minutes, drain the water and pat dry with paper towel. Cut as desired.
2. Slice (or dice) up avocado and mango.
3. Drain the canned corn.
4. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy!

Suggestions to make this even healthier: This recipe is pretty healthy as is, but if you could spare the flavour, try cutting out the sugar and salt. Or maybe try adding some quinoa!

Asparagus Fries

Another collaborative experiment with Ellie that really paid off! And don't let the name fool you- these are actually baked, not fried!

A healthier and crunchier take on the original, these asparagus fries make a great appetizer, side, or snack! Very simple to prepare and make, all you will need are...
- asparagus spears
- flour
- egg
- panko bread crumbs
- salt
- veggie spray

How to make it:
1. Chop the icky ends off the asparagus and rinse them with water.
2. Roll your asparagus spears in flour.
3. Beat an egg into a shallow bowl, then egg wash your asparagus.
4. Coat your asparagus in panko bread crumbs, covering as much of the asparagus as possible.
5. Sprinkle with salt and spray with veggie spray.
6. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Suggestions to make this even healthier: Try skipping the salt to reduce the sodium!

And for a little extra flavour, try dipping your asparagus fries in lemon or chipotle aioli, or just some good old ketchup!

Quinoa Portobello Burgers

How lucky I am to have a friend like Ellie who can not only help me bring my crazy food ideas to life, but make them taste (and look) as good as they sound! This one may have been a big experimental risk- but the higher the risk, the bigger the reward! This may also have been one of my healthiest endeavours yet, which makes it all the more impressive that it was also one of the tastiest. So without further adue, may I present to the interweb, Quinoa Portobello Burgers!

They're a little heavy on the ingredients and the prep, but trust me it is well worth it! Our version contains...

- chick peas

- sweet potato

- quinoa (we used a mix of red and white)

- portobello mushroom caps 

- onion

- garlic

- celery

- carrots

- cumin

- chili powder

- salt

- pepper

- parsley

- mixed greens 

- cucumber

- alfalfa sprouts

- panko bread crumbs

- spicy mayo (we used a homemade version)

- cooking spray

- goat cheese

How to make it: 

1. Cook your quinoa by putting it in a pot with twice the amount of water, bringing it to a boil and letting it simmer until all the water is absorbed.

2. Dice and puree sweet potato, chick peas, onion, celery and carrots, then mix in the cooked quinoa, spices and some chopped parsley. 

3. Before pan frying your quinoa patties, coat in panko bread crumbs for some added crunch.

4. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, spray your portobello caps with cooking spray, sprinkle on some salt and pepper and cook for about 7 minutes.

5. Remove portobello cap buns from the oven, spread on some spicy mayo, and top your quinoa patties with mixed greens, slices of cucumber, onion slivers, alfalfa sprouts, and, of course, goat cheese (my favourite guilty pleasure)!

Suggestions to make it even healthier: Remove spicy mayo and goat cheese to make this recipe 100% vegan (although in my opinion it's much tastier with)!

Veggie and Rice Stuffed Peppers

This is a perfect vegetarian meal, however it is quite time consuming, so I would recommend saving this one for a night where you have a lot of time and patience. I usually like to make it on the weekends in batches of 4,  eat one and refrigerate the rest. They can be easily re-heated and eaten later in the week!

My recipe contains...

- red peppers

- yellow peppers

- green peppers

- asparagus

- carrots

- onion

- pine nuts

- rice

- olive oil

- curry powder

- cinnamon

- basil

- cheese 

How to make it:

1. Bring a pot with 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup of rice and let simmer on low for 20 minutes (this will fill up to 4 peppers).

2. Chop up the carrots, green pepper, asparagus and onion (or whatever vegetables you choose to use).

3. Sautee veggies and pine nuts in a pan with olive oil and spice to preference (I like to use a combination of curry powder, cinnamon, and a pinch of basil).

4. Mix veggies, nuts and spices into the rice. Sprinkle in a little cheese for a creamier texture. Set rice mixture aside.

5. Cut the tops off your peppers (I chose to use a combination of red and yellow) and hollow out.

6. Put hollowed out peppers into a pot, fill the pot with water so that the peppers are covered in water. Bring peppers to a boil then let simmer on low for 10 minutes. 

7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and fill peppers with rice mixture. 

8. Place peppers on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 45. Let cool, then dig in!

Suggestions to make this even healthier: Try adding cubes of tofu for added protein, or replacing the rice with quinoa! 

A tip for speeding up the process: If you can prepare the filling in advance, it will definitely save you some time!

Greek Quinoa

This was the first of what I hope will be many collaborative efforts with my dear friend Ellie, and also my first time cooking and eating quinoa! Quinoa has quickly become the hottest trend in food and cooking, so I'm sure this will be my first of many quinoa recipes.

Quinoa is kind of like the love-child of rice and oats. It's a great source of vitamins, minerals, iron and protein, so it's perfect for vegan or vegetarian diets, or someone like me who just doesn't eat red meat. Not only is it super nutritious, but it's easy to prepare and can be easily integrated into almost any dish! Our Greek version consists of...
- quinoa
- green pepper
- cucumber
- red onion
- feta
- kalamata  olives
- homemade Greek dressing

How to make it:
1. Add twice as much water than quinoa to a pot, bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer until all the water is absorbed (roughly 10 minutes).
2. While your quinoa is cooking, cut up green pepper, cucumber, red onion and feta into chunks (as it is a Greek quinoa, you may also want to add tomatoes- I just don't because I don't like them).
3. Chop up your olives and remove the pits.
4. Put everything into a bowl, add dressing and mix. Done!

Suggestions to make this even healthier: Not only is this healthier, but it's easier too- try skipping the dressing and just adding a splash of lemon juice!

Have a little as a side dish and save some for later, or a have a bowl-full to make it a meal! Super simple! A dish well worth the minimal effort.

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup

A big thank you to my dear friend Ellie for sharing this recipe- as I happen to despise tomatoes and thus always omit them from my recipes, this is a very welcome addition indeed (especially after my last not super healthy recipe...)! Nothing warms up a cold winter day quite like a piping hot bowl of soup, and you can even enjoy it for up to a week if stored in the fridge, or even longer if your freeze it!

Ellie's soup contains...
- 2 cans of whole tomatoes
- a white onion
- 8 garlic cloves
- 3 cups of vegetable stock
- olive oil
- black pepper
- salt
- thyme
- basil
- milk (Ellie used 2%)

How to make it:
1. Strain the cans of whole tomatoes over a bowl (you will want to keep the juice) and cut the tomatoes in half.
2. Crush the garlic cloves and slice your onion.
3. Put tomatoes, garlic and onion on a baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil and roast for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
4. Combine all ingredients except for basil and milk in a pot, bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Puree everything and add milk.
6. Season to taste and garnish with slices of fresh basil.

Suggestions to make this even healthier: If you're trying to cut dairy from your diet, try substituting milk with pureed potato to give your soup a creamy texture!

And if you're really into presentation, try drizzling some olive oil on top for a fancier look!

Creamy, Cheesy and Very Veggie Pan-Pasta

I haven't been too good with making anything overly creative, healthy or interesting over the past week or so but I really wanted to make sure I used my veggies before they went bad! While it may not be the healthiest meal in the world, this pasta is a great way of using up whatever you have in your fridge and jazzing up plain old pasta, which has become my main go-to meal. The ingredients can be easily changed depending on your preference but the basic instructions will remain the same. And it tastes just as good the next day!

My version contains...
- pasta
- extra-virgin olive oil
- green pepper
- orange pepper
- yellow pepper
- yellow onion
- alfredo sauce
- Philadelphia cooking cream
- shredded parmesan with romano and asiago cheese
- (and of course) goat cheese

How to make this:
1. Fill up a pot with water and bring to a boil.
2. Put desired amount of pasta in the boiling water and let cook for 11 minutes. I like Catelli Bistro tri-colour vegetable pasta- it's low in sodium, a good source of fibre, iron, vitamin A and potassium with the goodness of vegetables, plus it looks pretty! Today I used rotini noodles.
3. While pasta is cooking, chop up the peppers and onions (or whatever add-ins you like).
4. Put some extra-virgin olive oil in a frying pan and saute the vegetables to your liking (not only does the oil help saute the veggies, but it will keep your pasta from getting dried out too!)
5. Strain pasta and add to pan.
6. Add your sauce. Today I have combined alfredo sauce and Philadelphia cooking cream (I LOVE cream cheese!) for an extra-creamy sauce.
7. Mix everything up in the pan and distribute sauce evenly.
8. Top with shredded parmesan, romano and asiago mixture and a little goat cheese. Mmmm!

Suggestion to make this even healthier: For some protein try adding some chicken, tofu, or even some egg! Also try using some homemade sauce.

Rainbow Veggie Pita Pizza

This is a nice alternative to frozen pizzas because it's fresher, healthier, and you can control what goes on it. It may be a little more work to prepare, but the results will be well worth it!

As the great and wise Jane Fonda says, the more colourful your food is, the healthier (and prettier) it is! And what's great about using a pita is it provides a yummy thin crust, and makes for the perfect-sized personal pizza. Mine here consists of:
- pita
- pizza sauce
- double cheddar cheese
- goat cheese
- red pepper
- green pepper
- yellow pepper
- orange pepper
- red onion

How to make this:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Step 2: Put your favourite pizza sauce on the pita.
Step 3: Add a thin layer of cheese.
Step 4: Slice up veggies to preferable size. Add to pizza.
Step 5: Add another layer of cheese.
Step 6: Place pizza on baking sheet, bake in oven for 8 minutes. Let cool a little before eating.

Suggestions for making this even healthier: Try using pesto instead of tomato pizza sauce. And once again, I have chosen a white pita. A whole-wheat pita-crust would be a great option.

Good Start Breaky

I couldn't think of what to call this one so I just went with "Good Start Breaky", because it was definitely a good start to the days I made this! Now I wouldn't recommend this as an every-day kind of breakfast, but it's perfect for those lazy sleep-in weekends where you have some time to experiment. Which is how I came up with it.

What is in it:
- bagel
- margerine
- eggs
- red pepper
- alfalfa sprouts
- goat cheese
- pomegranate arils

How to make it:
Step 1: Cut your bagel in half, toast and butter (or margerine) it.
Step 2: Slice 2 pepper rings approximately half an inch thick. This will prevent your egg from spilling (too much) outside of the ring. I have used red pepper here, but feel free to use your favourite colour instead!
Step 3: Place the rings on a frying pan, let them sit for a minute or so, and then flip.
Step 4: Crack an egg into each pepper ring and fry sunny-side up (or if you're feeling really ambitious, flip them and make them over-easy).
Step 5: Once eggs are finished frying, place on top of bagel halves.
Step 6: Top with alfalfa sprouts, goat cheese and pomegranate arils. Et voila! Enjoy!
Note- If 2 eggs is too much for you, try making just one egg and using the other bagel half to make this into a breakfast sandwich!

Suggestions to make this even healthier: Try using only the egg whites. Here I used a white bagel (baby steps, right?) but a whole-wheat or multi-grain bagel would be a healthier choice.

Berry Yummy Salad

Hello interweb! And welcome to my newest experiment. I know it's sort of cliche, but new years do spark new beginnings, and this is my beginning to eating better tasting food that is better for me. Assuming that there are more of you out there with the same thought, I thought I would share my journey (and my recipes)!
As this is my first entry, I do feel the need to get a few things out of the way. First off, I am not doing this in attempt to lose weight. I think I'm fine in that department, but I know that my body can't take the same crap I've been feeding it out of laziness forever, so may as well start now. Secondly, I am not trying to go gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, or anything like that. This isn't an all-out cleanse, and I won't go trying to eliminate everything bad from my diet entirely. White bread > whole wheat. Cheese > all else. I am not suddenly a major health fanatic, just trying to make a realistic attempt at introducing some new and healthy foods into my diet more regularly. I am also not going to pretend to be some sort of health expert- I'm not. Just your average, every-day girl with basic food knowledge and common sense. And lastly, while I do not each much meat just out of pure pickiness, I am not an all-out vegetarian. However, my cooking skills are still pretty mediocre, so my recipes will likely rarely include meat.
Alright, now that all that's out of the way, let's get to the good stuff! My first healthy creation of 2013; I'll call it, the "Berry Yummy Salad":

Salad's are great because they are quick, and simple, which is key when you're a busy person without the skill or motivation to make a big, fancy meal. And there's no need for recipes or exact measurements- just a nice compromise of using what you have and making good-tasting combinations. This particular one that I have made consists of:
- mixed greens
- alfalfa sprouts
- sliced strawberries
- blackberries
- pomegranate arils
- goat cheese
- homemade dressing

Suggestion to make this it even healthier: Try replacing goat cheese with almond slivers! (But OMG goat cheese tastes so good....)