Homemade Banana-Oatmeal Meal Replacement Shake

Sometimes we just don’t have the time to prepare a healthy breakfast or lunch. We could grab a snack and go but within an hour, those hunger cravings are sure to pop up. Furthermore, if it’s a processed snack, chances are you’re just taking in a bunch of empty calories or excess sodium and saturated fats.

Meal replacement shakes pack all the nutrition you need for an energetic day, but they are drinkable, quick, tasty AND they keep you full for hours!

The following is an example of a nutritious and easy to make meal replacement shake, including why it’s so great for keeping hunger cravings at bay.

Beetroot Cranberry Conserve

Beetroot Cranberry Conserve is tangy, sweet and slightly earthy, not to mention a brilliant colour! A nice Chianti makes it a little savoury, perfect for the holidays.

It's almost Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada - where the heck did September go? While my mom is stocking up on turkey, stale bread, potatoes and lots of butter, I took on the task of making one of the cult favourite condiments on every holiday table - cranberry sauce.

What emerged from my kitchen last year - and soon to be this year as well - is a delicious sweet-tangy conserve with a hint of savoury flavour, but I do hesitate to really call it a cranberry sauce. For one, the only cranberries in this recipe are dried (although they were unsweetened) - the brilliant ruby colour is the result of heirloom beets from my garden and a glug or two of red wine. For added body and cohesion, I used apples (of which we always have a ton of this time of year). Of course, many of the standard "holiday" seasonings found their way into the pot, including the zest and juice of a blood orange. Taste tests along the way were quite rewarding, and leftovers that didn't fit in either the canning jars or the sauce bowl were eaten by house guests on crackers with cheese.

Speaking of canning, I highly recommend making at least this one batch, if not two, and preserving half for Christmas season. That way, you have a side dish done and you don't need to take up another stove burner in the middle of holiday feast-making!

Beetroot Cranberry Conserve
Makes 32 fl oz, 32 (2 tbsp) servings
3 apples, peeled and diced
1 lb (about 5 small) beets, peeled and diced
¾ cup dried cranberries (preferably unsweetened)
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup red wine (or cranberry juice for non-alcoholic)
Zest and juice of 1 large orange (I used a blood orange)
¼ tsp nutmeg
Pinch cloves
Pinch sea salt

1. Combine all the ingredients in a deep, heavy saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thick and mounds on a spoon, about 1 hour.
3. Can 15 mins in a waterbath or freeze leftovers within 1 week.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 50.4
Total Fat: 0.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 11.3 mg
Total Carbs: 12.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g
Protein: 0.3 g

Sweet Potato Peanut Curry with Red Lentils

This Sweet Potato Peanut Curry with Red Lentils is packed with vegan nutrition - vitamin A, protein, fibre and healthy fats to name a few!

With the cooler weather rearing it's (quite ugly and damp) head, it's time to start thinking about stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. Around here, that means breaking out the big Dutch oven and making a big pot of flavourful stew. Of course, with my mom around, curry is almost a no-brainer when it comes to the type of stew! This pot was inspired from a dish I saw on TV (can't remember the show, sorry!) using sweet potatoes and tomato juice with regular lentils. However, my mom likes peanut butter with anything spicy, so I added a dose to the pot and used fresh tomatoes, celery and home-grown Egyptian onion to bulk it up some more. The resulting mixture is spicy, but not hot, with a light earthy sweetness from the sweet potatoes and a natural creaminess from the red lentils. A squeeze of lime at the very end livens up all the flavours and makes it a perfect meal to warm you up when it's anything but outside.

How to Have a Filling Brunch

When you look at the brunch menu in some of the best restaurants in NoMad, you might be initially disappointed thinking that they are only light meals. For heavy-eaters, they might feel as if they are just appetizers. With this, in the rest of this post, we will quickly share some insights on what you should eat to have a filling brunch! 

Avocado Toast

I have tasted a lot of avocado toasts in the past, but none has been as mouthwatering as what I had in Scarpetta, an Italian restaurant in NYC. From the way it looks, you can easily say that it will indeed be filling. To make it even more flavorful, it comes with Aleppo pepper, onions, and lemon. The avocado on the top tastes so fresh! It is perfect in every bite!

Deviled Eggs

Another quintessential brunch item, deviled eggs are sure to make a filling meal. If you think that eggs are boring, having them deviled is an excellent way to add life to it through hot condiments or spices. One pair of deviled eggs can be a source of up to six grams of protein, which also explains why it can easily fill up your tummy!

Salads

For healthy eaters, brunch will not be complete without a salad. A bowl of greens will be an excellent way to start any meal. It already fills up the stomach without the need to worry about the calories. Of course, this is provided that the salad has the right ingredients. Some of the must-haves for a delicious brunch salad include tomato, avocado, lettuce, olives, croutons, spinach, kale, and cucumber, among others. Make sure to pair it up with healthy salad dressings, which include mango vinaigrette, Greek dressing, and raspberry balsamic.

Pancakes

A stack of pancakes with delicious toppings will be another essential to make your brunch filling. Stay away from artificial sweeteners. Honey or pure maple syrup will be great alternatives to those that are laden with sugar. As for the toppings, opt for fruits and get rid of creams. Blueberries, apples, and pears will be great. If you feel like giving yourself a cheat from your strict diet, greasy strips of bacon will surely be a treat!

Yogurt

Something a simple as yogurt can be filling, making it another great choice for a brunch. If plain yogurt seems to be too simple and bland for you, make it a parfait! Top it with ingredients that can make you even feel fuller, such as chia seeds, banana, apple, mango, and berry.

Smoothies

If you cannot eat your fruits and vegetables, drink them in the form of a smoothie. This is especially great for the kids! The key here is to choose the right ingredients. Otherwise, the smoothie will be nothing but empty calories. For a mouthwatering smoothie that will also make you feel full, some of the best ingredients to use include banana, strawberry, mango, blueberry, and cucumber.

With the foods that have been mentioned above, you will look forward to the next time you will have brunch! They will surely make a hearty and filling meal!

This is a guest post. The author wishes to remain anonymous

A Beginner’s Guide to Making Mouthwatering Cocktails

You do not know how cocktails are done unless you have already visited Regent Cocktail Club, my favorite cocktail lounge in Atlanta. The place is known for their exquisite concoctions using only the finest ingredients that are available, including premium alcohol bases. The recipes are top secrets, of course. However, if you want to make cocktails that will be at par to what the club serves, keep on reading and we’ll share some tips.

Know the Basics

You must first know the rules before you break them. Therefore, you have to initially gain mastery of the basic cocktail recipes before you can make tweaks and ingredient swaps. If you are a novice in cocktail making, stick to the basics. Some of the simplest and easiest drink that you can make include martini, margarita, mojito, Old Fashioned, and gin and tonic, among others.

Invest in the Tools of the Trade

If you visit a rooftop bar in Atlanta and sit next to the bartender, you can see that making a drink requires having the right tools needed. These tools are important for a number of reasons, such as for making sure of using the exact amount of the ingredients that are needed. With this, some of the basics that you must have include jigger, cocktail shaker, strainer, mixing spoon, juicer, and muddler.

Know when to Shake or Stir

Shaken or stirred? This is one of the questions that you have to ask yourself when making a cocktail. Knowing when to shake and when to stir can instantly up your cocktail game and make your drinks taste like they have been mixed by an expert. Generally speaking, you have to shake when the cocktail involves the use of thick or strongly-flavored ingredients such as egg, fruit juice, and dairy. On the other hand, shaking is recommended if you are using only light mixers, such as soda.

Master the Techniques

It is not enough that you know when shaking or stirring is the better option. The right technique will also matter. For instance, when you are shaking the cocktail mixer, you should do it in a circular motion. When it is properly shaken, the edge of the cocktail should be a bit frothy. When stirring, do this carefully to not aerate and dilute the drinks. Otherwise, the flavor will end up weaker. 

Pick the Right Base

If you think that top-shelf cocktails are the best, you are wrong! There are liquors that are made for cocktails. Their flavor is enhanced by your choice of mixer. Premium alcohol brands are too strong and better consumed on their own for you to appreciate its fuller flavor and aroma. For cocktails, especially if you are still in the experimenting stage, it won’t hurt to go for cheaper alternatives.

In sum, you do not need to be an experienced mixologist to create mouthwatering concoctions. Take note of the things that have been mentioned above and you can easily make cocktails like a pro!

This is a guest post. The author wishes to remain anonymous

Egyptian Fruit Tartlets

These Egyptian Fruit Tartlets are a variation on my favourite fig newton recipe, and are perfectly sized for a two bite treat!

Well, I'm more or less back to everything after this busy, busy Summer! Apologies to those of you who enjoy my writing but I needed to take the break to deal with both school and personal commitments. At any rate, I will do my best to at least get one post a week out, and what better way to start than with these delicious tartlets?

These tartlets are different from the standard pastry shell variety in a couple of ways. First, the casing is more of a shortbread style of dough, relatively soft and pliable. Second, the fruit is in a paste form, rather than fresh or "pie filling" format. The filling has to be my favourite part of the whole treat, since it is almost identical to the filling I use for date squares. My inspiration for these tarts came from the Middle Eastern pastry maamoul, and since I needed to make a dessert for one of the school plays that kept to the Arabian / Egyptian / etc theme it seemed to fit the bill nicely. To keep the filling from being super sweet, and since a few of the kids hate dates (I can't believe it, they are nature's candy!), I added some dried figs which lent a delicate texture and floral note. Those of you who have been following me know I love figs, and especially fig newtons, so I could definitely polish the spread off with a spoon.


I mentioned it earlier but the dough is very soft, even after chilling. I didn't want to add too much flour at the onset and had nothing but a paste on my hands, but I gradually added flour until I got a shortbread dough texture. for me, 27 oz worked well, plus the flour I dusted with when rolling. You may also need to tamp down the middle of the shells after baking to keep the depression intact. It's all worth it - I promise! While the recipe makes a fair amount of tartlets, it does scale well, and you can freeze leftovers as well without issue.