Author: whoislaura

Pot Roast to Warm Up these Cold Days

~ whoislaura

Pot roasts will always remind me of cold winter nights spent curled up at home as a child. Helping my mom make yorkshire pudding and that satisfying feeling of filling the finished pudding cups with with dark gravy. Yum!

Here is a new roast recipe I tried the other day that was particularly tasty. Wanted to share with you all first!

Beef Rib Roast with Horseradish Gravy

Serves 4

  • 3-4-rib standing beef roast
  • sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
  • 800g Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed
  • 8 small pickling onions, peeled
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1/3 cup red wine
  • 1 tbsp horseradish cream
  • 500g brussels sprouts, trimmed
  • 20g butter, softened
  • 1 lemon, shredded rind and 2 tbsp juice

1 Preheat oven to 200˚C. Season beef on all sides with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Place into a roasting pan with artichokes and onions. Roast for 1 hour for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking.

2 Transfer beef and vegetables to a plate and cover to keep warm. Drain pan juices into a jug leaving 2 tbsp of juice in roasting pan for gravy. Place roasting pan over a high heat.

3 Sprinkle flour over pan juices and stir until combined. Slowly add stock and wine, whisking constantly until combined. Continue to whisk until gravy comes to the boil and thickens. Pour through a fine sieve into a jug. Add horseradish cream and stir until combined.

4 Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add sprouts and cook until tender. Drain.

5 Transfer to a serving dish. Add butter, lemon rind and lemon juice. Toss until combined.

6 Slice beef and place on serving plates with artichokes and onions. Serve with brussels sprouts and horseradish gravy.

Fall soups!

~ whoislaura

Hi everyone! I wanted to pop on here to post this amazing soup recipes I have had on repeat lately. It’s so good and so timely! I know you’re going to love it – I know I do!

Instant Pot Creamy Potato Soup

A hearty and easy to make soup that the whole family will love! Once you add on all those tasty toppings it’s like a loaded baked potato in soup form. It’s rich and creamy and oh so satisfying!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 571 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 2 (14.5 oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth
  • 6 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes, cut about 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk, then more to thin as it rests as desired
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, diced into small cubes
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 8 slices bacon, chopped and cooked
  • Chopped green onions or parsley (optional)

Instructions

  1. Select the “saute” setting on the Instant Pot.

  2. Once it reads “hot” add butter and let melt.

  3. Add in onions and celery and saute 2 minutes then press “cancel.”

  4. Add in potatoes, carrots and broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Submerge veggies down into broth.

  5. Seal lid on Instant Pot, make sure valve is set to “sealing position,” then select “manual” mode and 9 minutes.

  6. Once time is up let pressure come down naturally for 5 minutes then use quick release method to release any remaining pressure.

  7. In a medium bowl whisk a few tablespoons of milk with the cornstarch then add in remaining milk and whisk.

  8. Press “cancel” on Instant Pot then select the “saute” setting.

  9. Pour milk mixture into soup in Instant Pot along with cream cheese.

  10. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking frequently, and let boil about 1 minute (you can also mash up the potatoes a little if desired).

  11. Serve warm with cheddar, bacon, and green onions or parsley. Note that soup will thicken as it rests (especially overnight with all those starches, so thin with more milk as desired).

Summer is in the Air!

~ whoislaura

It feels like summer is right around the corner and I couldn’t be more thrilled! I love grilling, going to the beach, riding my bike, and going for long walks, all of which I associate with the best season – SUMMER!!!

I wanted to share a favorite recipe for the BBQ is my household at the moment. The lamb skewers will have your mouth watering!

Mediterranean Grilled Lamb Kebabs

Ingredients

for the marinade

  • 3 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

for the skewers

  • 2 pounds top round lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 large red onion, cut into 1 inch chunks
  • lemon wedges, for garnish

Instructions

  1.  Combine the marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.

    2. Pat the lamb cubes dry and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Put the lamb and marinade in a glass dish or resealable plastic bag. Toss to evenly coat the meat and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

    3. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat.

    4. Place a cube of lamb on a skewer, followed by the peppers and onions. Repeat until the skewers are filled.

    5. Oil the hot grill pan, then place the skewers on the grill. Cook the lamb to the desired doneness, turning the skewers every 1 to 2 minutes (7 to 8 minutes total for medium doneness).

A Healthy Treat for December

~ whoislaura

Everyone in my office keeps bringing in all of these terribly unhealthy desserts lately – sugar loaded chocolate and cake galore! I wanted to bring in a healthier treat to show everyone it IS possible and hopefully to inspire others to try to create healthier recipes.

These paleo Almond Butter Cup Cookies have no added white sugar and generally really good ingredients. For the 1 cup of dark chocolate I recommend going with 90% dark chocolate as the higher the chocolate the less sugar and usually no dairy. I am bringing these to work tomorrow and I can’t wait to see how everyone likes them!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almond butter
  •  ½ cup coconut crystals
  •  1 t vanilla extract
  •  ¼ t almond extract
  •  2 eggs
  •  ½ cup blanched almond flour
  •  2 T coconut flour
  •  ¼ t salt
  •  1 cup dark chocolate

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with coconut oil.
  • In a medium bowl combine the almond butter, coconut crystals, vanilla and almond extracts, and eggs.
  • In another bowl combine the almond flour, coconut flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.
  •  With golf ball-sized pieces of dough, form each cookie into the shape of a peanut butter cup. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool and then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • In a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate over low heat. Allow to cool for 15 minutes then pour over the tops of the cooled cookies. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until the chocolate is solid.

 

Yoga for the Soul

~ whoislaura

I’ve been practicing yoga for almost 10 years and I honestly can’t imagine my life without it. I love how it keeps me toned yet flexible and frankly, it’s FUN! I always feel so at peace after a great yoga session – both physically and mentally and I think to me that is what yoga is all about. So often today we focus so much on our outward appearance when it’s what’s inside that matters most. Yoga recognizes and honors our inner light above all else. I appreciate that it helps keep me fit but that’s never my goal heading onto the mat. I want to focus on my breath, being present and being happy. I feel all of those things and more in my practice and over the years my practice has changed and grown with me.

When I started yoga I’ll admit it was because it was so trendy and a friend dragged me to a class. But I was instantly hooked and started going for myself, not because it was the thing to do. Over the years my practice has been both regular and intermittent, but lately no matter how busy I am, I always make time to practice four (!) times a week because it has such a positive effect on my entire life.

I used to find it a challenge to make it into the studio more than once or twice a week because of my busy schedule. But in this day and age there are tons of videos and apps that allow you to practice at home which is exactly what I do! I try to get to an in-person class once a week, but otherwise I just set up YouTube videos in my living room and do a 30 minute flow when I wake up. I find myself so much happier and engaged in my work after starting the day this way!

I love my daily rituals of yoga in the morning and meditation in the evening for a clear mind. What are your rituals?

I Heart Avocados

~ whoislaura

My Name is Laura and I am an Avocadolic!

I am addicted! And it’s not to anything bad like alcohol, drugs, or donuts! No, girls, I am addicted to yummy, yummy avocado toast!

I know some of you will roll your eyes to this, but I was all about avocado toast before it was a thing. Heck, I was even all about avocados before it was a thing. During my university days, I would often buy a bag of avocados on sale and eat 3 or 4 of them for dinner with nothing but a sprinkling of salt.

I would also eat avocados for breakfast, particularly with eggs and a couple slices of toast on the side. Overtime, I started smashing the avocado and putting it right on top of the toast. It was heavenly!

Whenever I had friends over for breakfast they would also really love digging into my avocado toast speciality. That was a few years ago, and now, years, later, everyone seems to have learned just how nutritious and delicious avocado toast could be!

I recently read an interesting article (which I think went viral) suggesting that the reason why millenials can’t afford real estate isn’t because of the surging market, but because we are willing to pay (and do pay) $22 for avocado toast! While somewhat offensive to us millenials, there is some truth to this. I have found myself a bit too easy to whip my credit card from time to time, and my friends are the same.

But, when it comes to avocado toast, the reality is that we can enjoy it relatively inexpensive in the comfort of our home. No way it should cost $22! All you need is some nice, wholesome bread (even artisan can be purchased relatively cheaply, one smashed avocado, and a bit of salt for seasoning. If we want to get fancy, get some smoked wild salmon and wedge that between the toast and avocado – it goes beautifully. If done properly you’ll be enjoying avocado toast for the low, low, price of $5 or less.

Okay, so that’s my addiction confession. What are you girls addicted to (that you are willing to write about)? Haha.

Spring Salads

~ whoislaura

Spring is finally here and I am celebrating with salads every night! I add tons of protein and healthy fats to mine to make them filling enough for a meal. I used to be one of those people who wouldn’t be full after eating a salad, but then I learned what to add to fill me up. Plus I think it was partially just the principle of not eating tons of carbs that was throwing my body off. Now I crave tons of vegetables! Woo! Check out this amazing recipe I found on a great site I visit often for healthy recipes – damndelicious.net!

Caprese Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 6 ounces ovaline fresh mozzarella
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves, chiffonade

Directions:

  1. To make the balsamic reduction, add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slight boil and reduce by half, about 6-8 minutes; set aside and let cool.
  2. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
  3. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
  4. To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, avocado and basil. Pour balsamic reduction on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.
  5. Serve immediately.

My Supplement Regime

~ whoislaura

Not too long ago I wrote about the success I was having taking a sleeping supplement. Since then a number of my friends (Hi Nancy!) have inquired about my full supplement regime on my path to health. I change my routine here and there depending how I’m feeling but the following vitamins are generally my go-to base each day:

  • 2000 mg Vitamin C
  • Omega 3 Fish Oil
  • 2000 IU Vitamin D3
  • 1 capsule Iron
  • 1 capsule B-Complex
  • 2 capsules Magnesium
  • 1 capsule Multivitamin

When do I take my vitamins?

I generally take all of the vitamins at once with breakfast with the exception of the Vitamin C. For that one, I take 1000 mg in the morning with my other vitamins and 1000 mg in the evening before bed. Most people take magnesium before bed to help with sleep, but for some reason it has the opposite effect on me and gives me insomnia! I suggest trying to take it in the AM and PM and see what works best for you.

Why do I take so many?

Each vitamin supports me in a different way. Ideally we would get all of our nutrients from the foods we eat but there are so many pesticides and soils are so depleted in nutrients that we don’t get everything we need unfortunately. I just try to eat as healthy as I can and add in vitamins to make me feel better. My naturopath recommended a lot of these for me.

Vitamin C is great for supporting the adrenals. If you feel anxious, tired, depressed, on edge, and can’t handle stress you could have adrenal fatigue like me. I’m working to support them with vitamin C, rest, and meditation.

Fish oil is is great for getting your healthy omegas 3s in. Omega 3 is often lacking in our diets and is an essential fatty acid that gives us energy and healthy skin!

Unless you live somewhere sunny year round, you’re probably deficient in vitamin D. I suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and Vitamin D really helps me during the long, grey winters.

Not everyone needs to supplement Iron, it will depend on the results of a blood test. On my recent test my levels were really low (11! My naturopath wants my levels at around 70). She recommended I take an iron supplement daily and she will continue checking my iron levels every few months.

B-Complex is a another great vitamin for energy. I’ve really noticed a difference in my energy levels since I added this vitamin to my regime a couple months ago.

Magnesium was also recommended by my naturopath because of the issues I was having with sleep. When I first started taking it I noticed I would fall asleep faster. Now my sleep is better (I still use OrthoSleep but only maybe once a week now), so I’m not sure if that’s because of the magnesium or other lifestyle changes I’ve made. I may try phasing this one out and see if I notice a difference.

I’ve taken multivitamins all my life and think they are great for making sure we have a little of everything we need. Some of the vitamins I get extra of like Vitamin C, but in a multivitamin the dose is usually so low that I need to take extra anyways.

If you are thinking about trying some new supplements, I encourage you to speak with your doctor or naturopath first. I have found this is what works for me, but keep in mind I am not a doctor. I hope you enjoyed! I think I may expand on this post at a later date in terms of brands I like and how my health is improving with these vitamins. 🙂

Vegetable Soup Recipe

~ whoislaura

If you saw my last post, you’ve probably figured out I love soup! I wanted to share another staple soup recipe I make almost once a week, my favorite Vegetable Soup! It’s super clean and consists of vegetables only! I fill up on a couple bowls and this and find myself eating leftovers for a couple days too. Test it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and celery in hot oil until onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir garlic into the onion mixture; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes more.
  3. Pour vegetable broth and tomato sauce into pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
  4. Stir carrots and potatoes through the broth. Simmer until carrots are tender, 10 to 15 minutes more.
  5. Drop corn, edamame, okra, and kale into the soup. Continue to simmer until okra is tender, 5 to 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Eating Healthy Over the Holidays

~ whoislaura

With Christmas rapidly approaching, there are so many opportunities to snack on unhealthy treats! While I do believe we should allow ourselves to indulge every now and again, I personally find I feel sluggish, tired and upset when I eat unhealthy. Over the years I’ve learned I fair best when I support my body with healthy and nutritious foods and say no to tempting treats or glutinous meals. I wanted to share a staple recipe I like to make often – Lamb Stew. It’s the perfect comfort food for this time of the year and it’s so delicious! And there are always lots of leftovers, meaning I’m not tempted to dine out for lunch or dinner with this tasty meal in the fridge! Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

Ingredients
  • 2-lb lamb shoulder, cut into 1½-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or other solid fat
  • 2 medium red onions, each one cut through the base into 8 wedges
  • 4 large cloves garlic, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
  • 3 large stalks celery, cut into ½-inch chunks
  • 2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 4 long sprigs thyme
  • 3 cups rich bone broth
  • 3 small/medium (1 lb) turnips, cut into 1½-inch pieces
  • 1 medium celeriac, riced thickly to yield 2 cups
  • ¼ packed cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon Maldon sea salt or to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Because lamb is a fatty meat it requires no fat for browning.
  3. Heat a large heavy based lidded casserole (Dutch oven). Add the lamb in small batches and brown the pieces all over, putting aside in a medium sized bowl as you go.
  4. Once the meat is browned and removed, add the tablespoon of fat to the casserole, together with the onion wedges, garlic, celery and carrots and cook, stirring from time to time, on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until slightly singed. If at any point your pan is looking overly brown and parched, a tablespoon of water will help release the sediment, so quickly scrape it up and incorporate into the vegetables before the moisture has evaporated. This adds extra flavour!
  5. Now pour in the broth, throw in the thyme, cover with a lid and place in the oven for 1 hour.
  6. Remove the casserole from the oven and add the turnips. Replace the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes. Take the stew out of the oven again and add the riced celeriac. Put it back into the oven (again, with the lid on) and cook for a final 16-18 minutes or until the celeriac is slightly softened, with just a little bite.
  7. Discard the now leafless thyme stalks, ladle the stew into large bowls and scatter parsley over the top.
  8. Serve with collard greens, sautéed in coconut oil (or other solid fat) and extra slices of garlic if you like.