Tag: healthy dinners

Salmon & Endive Salad Boats

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I get asked all the time… “Samantha, what do you eat?!”

Telling people I eat healthy, or organic or gluten free for some reason makes them think I’m deprived or eat a boring diet, which is sooo not the case!

If you follow me on Instagram you’ll get a pretty good idea of what’s on my plate everyday as I’m always sharing videos + posts about food!

I love food. But more importantly, I love really good food. 

Back in the day, I definitely didn’t look at food as the way I do now. It used to be just about filling up. Feeding my hunger. Whatever is convenient and quick. 

Now, it’s a different story. A much different story. Food is about fuelling my body. Supporting my hormones. Supporting detoxification and gut health. Beautifying my skin. 

I know how I feel when I eat like crap. And it ain’t pretty. 

And I know how I feel when I eat well. 

My healthy-eating journey has been a 10+ year process, if not longer! I didn’t just wake up one morning and magically decided to give up grains, gluten, dairy, sugar and only eat organic, non-gmo and do it with a big smile on my face and unicorns coming outta my ass! 

Let’s get real for a minute…

It’s been a process and it always will be a process. And I’m human. I don’t have a perfect diet. There are slip ups, date nights out, events, parties, etc, but as I become more aware of what works with and against my body, those slip ups happen less frequently. 

Bottom line, wherever you are on your journey with food, health, hormones, weight or whatever it may be, you need to be gentle on yourself. You need to let go of judgements. You need to go slow. And more importantly, you need to stop undermining the success you ARE achieving with your nutrition and body. 

For the most part, my meals are very simple. I don’t overcomplicate them. I make sure I have quality protein at each meal (which is key for balancing blood sugar and keeping you satiated) and get lots of vegetables on my plate. Plus, I make sure to add in some good fats. 

As for carbs, I don’t eat them often. I choose more fibre-rich and nutrient rich starchy vegetables such as, sweet potato, squashes, plantain and some fruits here and there. 

Grains have gotten the boot, and the odd time I’ll indulge in some yeast free, wheat free rye toast (my fav!). 

And so, when someone asks about my diet and I share with them some insights, it’s often followed by “Samantha, what do you eat?!”

Which brings me to these simple and delicious Salmon & Endive Salad Boats. They take only minutes to prepare, are loaded with healthy omega 3 fats, which fuel your brain and hormones, plus, it’s served in delicious and refreshing endive leaves that replace heavy carbs. 

Enjoy!

Salmon and Endive Salad Boats
Serves 2
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Prep Time
5 min
Prep Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 can of sustainably caught salmon, drained (I like RainCoast Brand)
  2. ½ stalk celery, diced
  3. ½ green apple, diced
  4. 1 teaspoon capers
  5. 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  6. 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  7. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  8. Sea salt and pepper to taste
  9. 4 -6 Endive leaves
Instructions
  1. Mix all the ingredients together, except the endive leaves.
  2. Divide mixture evenly into endive leaves and serve.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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The Best Ever Red Lentil Dhal

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Curry.

I love it. The smell, the taste, the health benefits. 

Even as a little girl I was always so drawn to many different cultural foods. I wanted to try everything! I remember in grade 2 this boy in my class brought sushi and seaweed to school and I ate up every last bite while the other kids made funny faces and spat it out. 

Crunchy crickets however… I haven’t been able to get over that. I just can’t do it. I can eat them when they are ground and covered in chocolate, but actually mini crunchy tiny crickets. UGH! Can’t do it. 

Anyways, I don’t want to spoil your appetite before we move forward to my incredible Red Lentil Dhal. It is such an amazing fall meal and because it makes a large pot, you can enjoy leftovers for the whole week! Or freeze it and enjoy leftovers for months. 

I love a good leftover meal. I actually call my boyfriend the leftover chef because he’s so great at grabbing a bunch of random leftover ingredients out of the fridge and whipping up an amazing meal. 

It’s nice having two cooks in the house. We take turns normally. I’m on dinner duty while he does breakfast duty then we fend for ourselves for lunch. It works out really well actually. He normally gets up before me and prepares eggs, pancakes or works his magic with the leftovers. 

Being that he works later and I’m at home, I cook dinner so it’s nice and warm when he walks through the door and he doesn’t have to worry about cooking at the end of his day. When he walked in the door the other night his first words were, “Mmm, I smell curry!” 

Oh! and as a random side note, I often have lots of people ask me if I take my own food photos. Yes I do! I love photography and love snapping photos of food (especially baked goods!) and the funny thing is, I often have a hard time taking a photo of my entrees because I make them at night and the lighting sucks! For the Red Lentil Dhal however, I snapped this photo while eating it for lunch the next day, i.e. good lighting!

So onto this delicious recipe. As a Qualitarian, I enjoy a variety of proteins in my diet. Often times people think I’m vegan or paleo, and truth is, I’m both! Bottom line is to enjoy and eat quality food, regardless if it’s plant based or not. 

The Best Ever Red Lentil Dhal
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee
  2. 1 medium onion, chopped
  3. 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  4. 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
  5. 2-3 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
  6. 2 teaspoons curry powder (or more to taste, based on preference)
  7. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  8. 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  9. 1 1/2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed and picked through
  10. 1 (14-oz) can light coconut milk
  11. 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  12. 1/2 teaspoon sea salt + fresh cracked pepper
  13. 1 (5-oz) package baby spinach
  14. Cilantro and green onion for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add in oil. Add in chopped onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Saute over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened.
  2. Stir in the ginger and carrots, and continue sauteing for 3-4 more minutes.
  3. Add in the curry powder, cumin, and turmeric. Stir well. Cook for a minute, until fragrant.
  4. Stir in entire can of coconut milk, red lentils, broth, and salt. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered with the lid ajar, for roughly 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils and carrots are tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom. Add a touch more broth if you prefer a thinner consistency.
  5. Once lentils are cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the spinach. Combine it into the dhal well as the heat will help to wilt it.
  6. Serve over basmati rice or quinoa and garnish with cilantro and green onion.
Notes
  1. *This dhal will keep for up to a week in the fridge or 4-5 weeks frozen and enjoyed throughout the winter.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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