Tag Archives: lemon

Light and Creamy Potato Salad

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It’s the first week of May already?! I have no idea where the time has gone, but I’m so excited for finally some nice, warm weather. It has been much anticipated, since our winter here in Ontario felt so long and dragged out. So we decided to celebrate this beautiful, sunny day with a BBQ, our first BBQ of the year. I thought what better side dish than potato salad at a BBQ? However, the traditional potato salad that is usually drowned in mayonnaise, is not exactly what I was thinking. A healthier, lighter version is ideal, but that definitely doesn’t mean a lack of taste. This potato salad is actually so delicious and fresh that it makes a great side dish at any BBQ and is much lower in fat and calories. The special ingredient… Greek yogurt! Everyone needs a bit of probiotics in their diet, so yogurt is a very beneficial part of this dressing, not to mention it’s incredibly creamy and makes a perfect base for any potato salad.

Light and Creamy Potato Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 sprig of celery, finely sliced
  • 1 teaspoon chives, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried mint (or herb of choice)
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Add dressing to potatoes, mix well until evenly coated, and store in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill before serving.

(Makes dressing for only about 2-3 servings)

The ingredients all complement each other well, as the Dijon mustard and cayenne pepper add the right amount of heat, the celery gives the salad some bite, and the mint adds a very subtle freshness. I also love the flavour that fresh lemon juice adds to the yogurt. Enjoy.

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Lemon and Garlic Baked Spaghetti

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Lemon, parmesan, and roasted garlic are the three fundamental ingredients that make this pasta dish what it is! The three flavours combined make a fragrant, delicious trio. The taste of roasted garlic is so delicious and really adds a nice roasted flavour to this meal. Instead of using cream or other fattening ingredients to make a sauce, yogurt is definitely a healthier alternative. This pasta dish is a light, tasty and healthy meal that can be enjoyed with a glass of white wine.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 Package of whole-wheat spaghetti (can substitute with whole-grain or gluten-free pasta)
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice.
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 6-8 tablespoons parmesan cheese
  • Handful of fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper

Directions:

Lightly coat garlic in butter and roast the head of garlic in the oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes. See picture below. In the meantime, cook the pasta accordingly.

Combine lemon juice, zest, yogurt, 5-6 tablespoons parmesan (reserve the rest for later), salt and pepper in a bowl and stir until well mixed. Set aside.

When garlic is done, remove skin and slightly mash garlic. In a large pan, heat butter on medium-low heat and fry garlic for 2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture, and cook for about 7 minutes. Combine spaghetti and sauce. Mix well, until evenly coated. Transfer to an oven-safe, bowl. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake in the oven until slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Add extra parmesan and fresh lemon juice to your plate for extra flavour.

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Grilled Chicken, Sweet Potato Mash and ‘Blackened Shrimp’

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Lemon-Rosemary Grilled Chicken with Sweet Potato Mash, Grilled Asparagus and ‘Blackened’ Shrimp

Today, I decided to make a traditional chicken dish, consisting of rosemary, lemon and garlic, with some grilled asparagus and a creamy, delicious sweet potato mash. Whenever consuming meat, it’s always best to eat vegetables as well. Choosing two different veggies to accompany the meat is ideal, as this not only ensures extra nutrients, but is definitely a lighter and healthier option. Vegetables add great colour and taste to the dish, keeping in mind that different, deep, bright colours usually means a variety of different vitamins! To make this meal a bit more special, I decided to make a semi-spicy ‘blackened’ shrimp side dish as well. The shrimp’s seasoning really adds the perfect kick to the shrimp. The picture of my superbly filled plate below looks a tad on the busy side, but everything tasted great and went well together. I contemplated to create three separate blog posts, however I decided to throw everything together for one big savory party!

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Lemon-Rosemary Chicken:

Ingredients:
  • 3 chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup fresh rosemary
  • 2 large lemons (zested and juiced)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:

Wash and cut chicken breasts into desirable pieces and set aside. In a small food processor (I used The Magic Bullet), blend rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper until completely blended. Drench chicken in this mixture and marinate for a half hour. Grill chicken with marinade until browned (6-8 minutes). I used the George Forman grill.

Sweet Potato Mash:

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Unlike some sweet variations of sweet potato mash that use brown sugar or maple syrup, I enjoy more of a savory version that includes garlic. Sweet potatoes are known to be a ‘superfood,’ as they are high in vitamins A, and contain vitamin C, B6, fibre, potassium and many other nutrients. For this reason alone, I usually tend to cook with sweet potatoes more, as opposed to regular potatoes. This tasty side dish can be served with virtually any meat or fish.

Ingredients:
  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 1.5 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons 2% milk
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Wash and cut the sweet potatoes length-wise in half. Place the skin side on a baking pan. Bake in the oven at 400F until soft, about an hour. Melt butter in a pot on medium heat and fry garlic until slightly browned. Scoop out the inside of the sweet potatoes and mash in the pot with the butter and garlic. Remove from heat, and add milk. Stir until entirely smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Asparagus directions: Wash and trim the stocky end off. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and grill for 5-6 minutes.

 

‘Blackened’ Shrimp:

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Ingredients
  • 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons celery, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons red pepper, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme)
  • 1 tablespoon parsley
  • 1/4 cup white wine
Seasoning Ingredients:
  • 1.5 teaspoons paprika
  • 1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Add together all of the seasoning ingredients and mix well. Marinate shrimp in seasoning, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, red pepper and saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, parsley, saute for another 2 minutes. Add wine and let reduce to half. Toss the shrimps in and saute until cooked, about 4-5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Enliven Your Water

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Our bodies require an extensive supply of water in order to properly function. This is why it is so important to keep hydrated throughout our day, in order to replenish what has been excreted. Instead of opting for artificial, sugary made drinks, which are actually detrimental to our health, drink water for a natural and healthy refreshment. There are many different ways to enhance our water with flavour, naturally, and it’s cheap and simple.

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Different ways to enhance your water:

- Add a few drops of lemon or lime juice, with fresh mint.

- Add an actual slice of a lemon or lime for more of a stronger taste.

- Add cucumber slices for a fresh taste.

- Add different fruits like strawberries, raspberries, or orange pieces.

- Add sliced pieces of ginger.

- Add a few drops of 100% pure maple syrup for a natural sweetener.

Just be creative, and enjoy drinking water at new and enriched level of taste!

Drinking water with fresh lemon juice alkalizes our body. However, apart from being a natural alkalizer, lemon water has many other great benefits. Lemon water is antiseptic and is great for treating digestive problems, such as heartburn and bloating. Drinking lemon water when we first wake up in the morning actually stimulates and cleanses the liver and kidneys. Hot lemon water provides our body with the much needed Vitamin C, all while it helps to relieve asthmas and colds. You can even use lemon water as a natural face cleanser!

Many people may get confused since lemons are acidic in their natural state, however it’s all in the way our bodies metabolize the lemon water. Once it’s consumed the lemon has an alkalizing effect on our body. Learn the importance of an alkaline diet here.