Vegan/Paleo Date Energy Bites

Kev loves making these as a quick and healthy treat – it totally satisfies both the ‘sweet’ and ‘salty’ cravings – great for ‘on the go’ snacking too!

Prep time: 15 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 24

Ingredients:
2 cups walnuts, or other nut/seed of choice
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 cups soft pitted Medjool dates
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
In a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade, process the walnuts and coconut until crumbly. Add in the dates, coconut oil, vanilla and sea salt and process again until a sticky, uniform batter is formed.

Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons, then roll between your hands to form balls. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then place in the freezer to set for at least an hour before serving.

Store the energy bites in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for an even longer shelf life.

For a gourmet-looking truffle, you could also roll them in shredded coconut or cocoa powder before chilling!

Enjoy!

Tunisian Vegetable Stew

Since Winter is dragging it’s heels, we figured a fresh veggie stew was in order on a cold winter night! Enjoy this vegetarian delight!

1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
salt to taste
1 large red bell pepper, julienned
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/2 cup fresh chopped tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
3/4 cup veggie stock
1/3 cup currants or 1/3 cup raisins
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
grated feta cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the onions for 5 minutes or until softened.

Add the cabbage and salt to taste; saute at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in the bell pepper, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne and other spices; stir and saute for 1 minute or so.

Add in the tomatoes, veggie stock, chick peas, and currants/raisins; stir to combine and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.

Add lemon juice and salt to taste; stir.

Serve over rice, bulgur or couscous, finish roasted almonds & with feta cheese.

Green Smoothie Goodness!

Kev loves to make fresh juices every morning, and also whips up some great smoothie creations as well.  This is one of his latest ‘pre/post’ workout fav’s, which is light & fresh and packed full of vitamins and nutrients!

1 cup Almond Milk – unsweetened
1/2 cup cold water
2 pears
1 banana
handful of spinach
handful of kale
3 ice cubes
dash of cinnamon

Chop the fruit and put it in a blender with the liquid ingredients.  Whizz at ‘liquefy’ for 2 minutes, then add in the spinach, kale and ice cubes and whizz again for a minute or two.  Finish with a few dashes of cinnamon and ENJOY!

*You can substitute the pear for oranges (peeled of course), and omit the cinnamon if you wish.  Also, if you don’t have both spinach and kale, you can simply use one or the other.

Natural Energy Bars!

For those of you who like energy bars, either for training or as a snack on-the-go, this is a homemade, healthy and yummy option!

All you need is 4 ingredients for this ‘no-cook’ quick and easy recipe:
4 cups pitted dates
2 cups raw or roasted almonds ( we use raw )
1 cup dark chocolate chopped
3-4 tablespoons of natural peanut, almond or cashew butter ( we use organic peanut butter)

Step 1: Prepare a 10″x10″ baking pan and line with parchment paper, making sure the paper over-hangs the edges. Set aside.

Step 2: In a Food processor, using a metal blade (or vita-mix) add almonds and pulse until they are uniformly chopped (like a bread crumb texture), then add the chocolate and pulse again until the chocolate pieces are finely chopped. Place the nuts and chocolate into a bowl and set aside.

Step 3: Add half the dates to the food processor or vita-mix and process until a firm paste forms and clumps together, then add half the peanut butter, followed by half the nut/chocolate mix. Pulse a few more times until combined… then scrape into the prepared pan!

Repeat the same steps again with the remaining ingredients, and add to the pan along with the first batch…

Step 4: Use a fork, or your hands, to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan, fold the excess paper over the bar mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Step 5: Transfer to a cutting board and cut into desired size snack bars. You should get about 15-18 large bars, or 25-30 snack size bars. Store in a tightly covered container and refrigerate until needed.

Bars will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks, and an unrefrigerated bar will keep for 48 hours, covered, at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Let’s get juicing!

We discovered the wonder of fresh juice in 2009 while in Mexico racing at Ironman Cozumel. We were staying at the El Presidente Intercontinental, and the head chef at the restaurant would blend up these amazing concoctions for us each morning. He was kind enough to share his recipes with us, which inspired us to experiment on our own when we returned home… we’ve been juicing ever since!

It’s quite simple to blend a wide variety of fresh fruits & veggie’s together in a wonderfully-fresh, nutritionally-packed juice. The health benefits have been tremendous for us, providing a daily mega-boost if vitamins and nutrients, aiding in our recovery and giving a boost to our immune systems. No need for additional vitamins or supplements!

We have a Breville 510XL Multi-Speed juicer, and put it through it’s paces! Simply wash & core your favourite fruits & veggies, removing thick skins from oranges, grapefruits and pineapple – then whizz away!!!

We’ve named a few of our favorite combinations:
David Carrot-ine (carrots, apples, oranges, celery & ginger)
Warren Beet-ie (beets, apples, celery, ginger)
Put a Little Spring in your Step (grapes, oranges, apple, celery, parsley)
A-Lighter-Shade-of-Pale (pineapple, melon, celery apple & orange)
Melon-Collie (honeydew, cantaloupe, pineapple)

french onion soup…

We love this soup from fall to spring, especially after a long run!

3 tablespoons butter
3 onions (about 3 pounds), sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1-2 bay leaves
4-6 baguette slices, toasted
1/2 cup grated emmental cheese
1/2 cup grated suisse cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan to garnish

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until very tender and brown, beginning to carmelize – about 45 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced to glaze, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, balsamic vinegar and mustard and add a bay leaf. Simmer 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat broiler. Ladle onions and broth into ovenproof bowls. Top each with 1-2 slices of toast and mound on emmental and suisse cheeses, then top with parmesan. Broil until cheeses melt and bubble. ENJOY!
Serves 2

lobster mac ‘n cheese…

This one is decadent, but well worth it after a long run!

3tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2tbsp flour
400ml milk (2%)
150ml white wine
500g grated aged cheddar 2 yrs
250g grated parmesan
1/2 cup fresh baby spinach, torn
400g cooked lobster pieces
500g high quality macaroni
250ml olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Cook the pasta “al dente” in boiling water. Drain the pasta, return to the pot and coat with the olive oil. Set aside.

Over low heat, in a large non-stick pan, melt 2tbsp butter and add the minced garlic. Once the garlic begins to sizzle slightly, add the milk and white wine and heat until warm, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, make a ‘roux’ with the remaining butter (melted) and flour in order to thicken the milk/wine mixture to a nice texture. Add the cheddar and parmesan cheeses and whisk until smooth and creamy. Combine the cheese sauce with pasta until thoroughly mixed, then blend in torn spinach and the lobster pieces.

Top with shaved Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs and garnish with lobster, then broil for a few minutes until breadcrumbs brown and the cheese sauce bubbles!
Serves 4

grown-up grilled cheese!

This is a great way to dress up your grilled cheese!

4 slices high quality ‘hand-sliced’ bread
8 slices provolone or cheddar cheese
4 large eggs
4 slices fresh serrano ham or prochutto ( 2 slices per sandwich)
a handful of fresh basil leaves
parmesan cheese shavings
2 tablespoons mayo with a bit of sriracha sauce mixed in for spicy heat!
1 tablespoons butter

Crisp the serrano ham/prochutto in a skillet over medium-high heat or in the toaster oven. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and ‘toast’ the 4 bread slices, lightly on both sides. Top each slice with 2 provolone slices and grilled in toaster over until cheese melts. Heat skillet, and add a bit of butter then fry eggs ‘over-easy’. Place ham/prochutto slices on the bread, then top with 2 eggs on 2 cheese toasts. Finish with parmesan and basil, and smear plenty of sriracha mayo on the remaining 2 bread slices and place on top of the ‘stack’. You can reserve and serve extra of the mayo for ‘dipping’!

garlic-pea crostini…

12 slices of baguette bread
1/2 garlic clove
1 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Shaved Parmesan
Torn mint

A few drops of balsamic vinegar

Grill 12 slices bread and rub with garlic clove.
Blanch peas in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes for fresh peas and 1 minute for frozen.

Drain peas; transfer to a bowl. Season with kosher salt and extra-virgin olive oil and mash with the back of a fork.
Spread about 1 tablespoon mixture over each toast. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, torn mint, and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Garlic-Pea Crostini!

watermelon feta goodness…

Here’s a quick & fun appie that tastes awesome and has a great visual appeal!You can either toss these 3 simple ingredients together and serve on individual plates, or give it an elegant upscale look by keeping your ‘cuts’ tidy!Cube watermelon into bite size pieces
Cube high quality greek feta into similar size bites
Chop some fresh basil and mix it with extra virgin olive oil – greek if you’ve got itTop each watermelon cube with a piece of feta and drizzle with the basil/oil mixture… Et Voila!

Watermelon Feta Appetizer!