Pink Kicker Juice Recipe

Here's an awesome tasting juice recipe that I created this week. I wanted it to help prevent colds, good for your blood and help prevent bad cell growth. The best part of this juice is that it's super easy and refreshing to drink. No need to guzzle this one down. It actually tastes pretty similar to a tomato cocktail. I call it the "Pink Kicker" as it helps kick those nasty bad cells in your body to the curb and it's just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The grapefruit and tomato in the juice both contain large amounts of vitamin C and antioxidants that help keep your immune system running smoothly. Grapefruit and tomato also contain a very lovely thing called Lycopene which helps lower your risk of several different kinds of cancer and also helps stop cancer cells from spreading or growing.

The beets in the juice contain high amounts of antioxidants. They help detox the body and provide anti-inflammatory support. There are several vitamins and minerals found in beets as well. Beets are rich in anthocyanins, the pigment that makes the beet red, and is responsible for the repair and protection of DNA in the body. 

Pink Kicker Juice Recipe 

One large grapefruit 

One large tomato 

Half red apple 

One medium beet 

Beet greens from the beet

Enjoy!

-Michelle
Holistic Health Coach 

Back To Basics - Roasted Vegetables

A common question I hear amongst my health coaching clients is "How do I incorporate more easy to make vegetables into my diet? So I thought I would share with you all my #1 solution  - Roasted Vegetables.
It's my go to dish during the fall and winter months and quickly adds a ton of veggies to any meal.

 

I will admit, I used to be intimidated by these roasted veggies until one day I had no choice to do it myself. Funny thing - It's crazy how easy this dish is to make! Toss in all different kinds of veggies like brussel sprouts, sweet potato, carrots, potato, yams, peppers, and for flavor onion & garlic. You can also add in half way through any softer veggies such as broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms.

 

Roasted Vegetables

 

Wash, Chop, Bake and Eat!

 

1. Wash your veggies, give them a good cleaning.
2. Chop them up into cubes, think baby blocks style. Be sure to that they are all relatively the same size. I like to cut the onion and garlic a bit smaller so the taste can really get in there.
3. Throw everything into a casserole dish and drizzle olive oil all over. Add some sea salt and salt n pepper. Mix it all up.
4. Cover with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees F for 50 minutes. Half way through - toss the veggies up a bit, cover again with tin foil and place back into the oven.
5. Once they are done you should be able to place your fork through the vegetable without effort.

They make for great leftovers. There you go - lunch planned now too!

 

Enjoy!

 

-Michelle
Certified Holistic Health Coach

Weekend Warm-Up : Cooking School (Dirty Apron)

Happy Friday everyone!

A big TGIF for me this week. I think I've accidently slept in about 3 times this week. I tend to need more sleep when I'm stressed in life. No matter how many naps I catch, still not enough. Hopefully next week will be alot different and I can get back into my groove.

Special Sushi Making Party Night

The past few weekends we've been on a trend of creating different foods we've never tried cooking/making before. Scott created a wonderful sushi meal a couple weekends ago. We all got a turn to make our own rolls and they turned out amazing. I thought I could totally nail it but mine was the worst one! lol. By the time all the prepping was complete we were starving. I don't think I've ever eaten sushi that fast, tsk tsk on me.

This weekend we are heading to The Dirty Apron Cooking School here in downtown Vancouver. For Scott's birthday present, his best friend bought all of us a night out together at the cooking school. This has been a dream of Scott's for a while. I think this will really take his passion for cooking to a new level. The school has been nice enough to offer me a non meat dish to cook. Greeeat now I'll be "that veggie girl" again haha! I'm really looking forward to it all, should be fun.

Lovely Links: 

• Vega Kitchen is really putting out some good recipes lately. Apple, Cinnamon & Oatmeal Protein Shake. 
• Tips for Dealing with Daylight Saving Time this weekend.
• Taylor Morgan posted some crazy photos of Hurricane Sandy Aftermath
• Southwestern Chicken and Speghetti Squash Salad. easy on the dressing ;)

 What are you doing this weekend?
-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : Staycation

Roasted Butternut Squash via Oh She Glows

Happy Friday! Today is my last day of my "day job" before I head home for a stay-cation. I'm totally stoked for this. Luckily it came quickly for me and now I have the time to relax, rejuvenate and decompress for a while. I can't wait to catch up on blogs, write some new posts and study my butt off. Lately I haven't had the time to keep up to my goal of 3-4 blog posts per week because of school, work and everything else in between. This will also give me time to get outside and adventure on with my camera in hand.

 

This week I bought a new 2012 Ford Escape and am loving it. I think I might take a tiny road trip with just me and my camera and probably a dog to keep me company on the ride. On Saturday we are heading with a couple friends to go for a hike and then heading to dinner. I still haven't figured out how I'm going to look presentable to go for dinner after a hike?! With my natural wavy hair it loves to flop or go frizzy in the fall weather. I just might be rocking a sexy ponytail for dinner.

Any plans for the weekend?

Lovely Links: 

• Needing to cleanse? Ambitious Kitchen created a green monster smoothie that's drool worthy.
• Quinoa, Apple, Almonds and chickpeas - brilliant combo recipe
• Steven Jobs passed away one year ago today. The man had an amazing outlook on life.
• Looking for some new tunes to workout too? Fitsugar provides.
• I've got to come clean... I'm a Martha Stewart fan. Here's her Whole-Wheat Turkey Stuffing. I've used her stuffing recipes many times for Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners.

A quote from my horoscope for all the ARIES people :

Don’t forget, o’ charging Ram: sometimes the most brilliant ideas can come from looking back.

Have a wonderful weekend! aaand Happy Thanksgiving fellow Canadians xo

-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : Extended Summer

Here in Vancouver we are having an Indian Summer and supposedly it's lasting for another 60 days. Good news to me. I'm not a fan of the rain. Yes, I know, I live in Vancouver, rain city.

img via

 This week I started off with some slight back pain but thought I would push through it because I joined a new gym (Trevor Linden gym). Well it was really stupid on my part and I ended up hobbling around feeling like someone was constantly ringing out my spine like a wet towel. Ouch! So I dedicated some time to get rid of the pain instead of the gym. A little meditation and yoga hit the spot. My back pain is usually caused my an emotional blockage (ie.stress). Every time I try to convince myself that it's an actual physical injury and try to stretch and massage the heck out it. This method only equals complete failure. Once I calm down and realize it's stress I take the right steps. Stubborn Aries here!

This Saturday I'm heading to the car dealership. I'm thinking of getting a Ford Escape. The 2012, not the new 2013. The new one reminds me more of mini van. I've actually wanted an Escape for years and years but always ended up with something different. My car right now is incredibly non functional for me. Only 2 doors and does not have room for any dogs. It's also awful on gas so hopefully I say good bye to the nice car and hello Escape.


Lovely Links:

• an update for your morning granola. Pumpkin Granola for the Fall season. Yum!
• actual legit reasons to skip your gym session. Listen to your body.
• i've mentioned having warm lemon water in the morning before and here are some more reasons why.
• completely agree with this movie date tip. Maybe try it out this weekend?

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
-Michelle

Healthy Weight : Keeping Smoothies Skinny

Beware: Smoothies are usually considered a meal and I'm a Smoothie Freak! Love em!
 

Smoothie Art

A large percentage of smoothies that are offered at on-the-go places have the same amount of calories as a meal. Liquid calories can be dangerous! There is also a large amount of sugar in smoothies (natural or added) and should be consumed in the morning or early afternoon so your body can burn off all that extra energy/sugar.

There's also healthy smoothies and then there's "smoothies" which are actually just milkshakes in disguise. Smoothies can be a great meal replacement if made correctly and be amazingly beneficial to your health. Adding Kale into your smoothie everyday is an easy way to get those extra greens.







A run down of some of the smoothies offered at "on-the-go" places:

Jugo Juice - a fav "on the go" one

Mc Donald's Peach Smoothie - 545g serving

320 calories / 70g carbohydrates (sugar) / 65g of sodium

Dairy Queen/Orange Julius - Strawberry Banana - 587g serving

320 calories / 82g carbs / added sugar and fructose corn syrup

Booster Juice - Mango Hurricane - 24oz

336 calories / 78g carbs (sugar)

Starbucks Strawberry Banana Smoothie (soy) - Grande

290 calories / 58g carbs (sugar)

To give you an understanding of how it compares to a restaurant breakfast:
A waffle at IHOP (no syrup/no butter) is

310 calories / 37g of carbs

Now I'm not saying go grab a waffle instead of a smoothie but I'm showing you that a smoothie is pretty much a meal and can sometimes be considered an unhealthy meal if you don't know what's going into it.

The BEST thing to do : Make them at home so you know what is going into them and how much is going into them. That way you can also make meal sized or snack size.

Here's an example of a smoothie I make at home most mornings for breakfast:
  

Magic Bullet - your best friend in the kitchen!



• 1 small frozen banana
• Handful of frozen mango chunks
• Handful of blackberries
• Large handful of Kale
• 1 scoop of Vega (Natural) Energizing Protein Powder
• 1 tablespoon of Flax Seeds
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of almond milk

Blend! and slurp!

Amazing added ingredients for smoothies:

Kale : High in Vitamins A, C & K. Great source of Iron and fights fatigue. I can notice a huge awesome difference in my skin when I add Kale.
Flax Seeds: Great source of fibre and Omega 3's.

Chia Seeds: High in calcium, iron and magnesium. They also contain Omega 3's.
Coconut Water: Filled with potassium and 5 different electrolytes. My favourite brand is Zico.

To milk or not to milk?
I'm not a fan of using milk but instead I like to use almond milk or soy milk. I find that milk is not easily digested by anyone and causes more harm then good.

What do you put into your smoothies? Are you a smoothie lover?

-Michelle



Healthy Recipe : Salmon Cakes

A favourite healthy recipe created by Scott and loved by all our friends!

This recipe originally started off as a salmon burger. Scott had made them into patties and stuffed them in to a fresh whole wheat bun. It was delicious but it was too much. We all sat around holding out stuffed bellies claiming it was the BEST salmon burger we've ever tried but it was just way too much food.

Ta-da : the salmon cake was born. So the next week (it's that good) we made them and tried it without the bun. The flavors are so incredible that it was amazing on it's own. The curry sauce underneath compliments it perfectly. You don't have to have the sauce but it's a nice touch.



This recipe is unlike the "cakes" that you get in restaurants that are filled with stuffing's and are not healthy for you. This is full of fresh ingredients and a touch of panko crumbs to hold it together. I like to add a salad on the side as you are getting a ton of protein from the salmon. We've also had baked sweet potato fries and quinoa as a side. It goes great with anything.


Salmon Cakes

This recipe will make four 8 ounce salmon patties.

600 grams of salmon ( I found that a rough chop for this patty works
best for flavor and it will juicier)
1/4 cup of chopped green onion
1/4 cup of chopper red bell pepper
1/4 cup of panko (may need to use more with different salmon)
2 egg yolks
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and lightly mix. You don't want the salmon to be torn apart.
Preferably refrigerate for 20-60 minutes to let in bind and the flavours combine. Separate the mixture into 8 balls. Lightly press them down to form more of a pattie than a ball.

In a frying pan with coconut oil, lightly crisp the salmon cakes on both sides to get a crunch. Then put the cakes in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Optional:
a nice squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

As for the light mayo for the plate:
Light mayo mixed with Thai red curry paste (this tastes absolutely
amazing, the stronger the mix the better it goes with the salmon cake)


This is now a staple meal in our house.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : Labour Day Long Weekend

Did you read that? woop woop it's another long weekend! 
What do you have planned for this lovely long weekend?



The last of the Summer Flowers

 I'm taking this weekend to rest and go with the flow.. mostly. I think I will be heading out on Sunday for a very early morning adventure to the beach to listen to the waves and smell the sea. I'm really looking forward to it.

I also plan on taking this weekend to read a large part of my book "The Charge" by Brendon Burchard. I've always been interested in how the brain works and how to get the most of it. So far the book is great.

Photography - a must for this coming weekend. I don't know what has been holding me back from getting out there and taking some photos (which I love doing). Maybe I'm bored with what is right in front of me. It's time to go roaming and appreciate the little things. Hopefully I'll have some awesome pictures for you guys next week. I want to brush up/learn new skills - anyone have some awesome YouTube tutorials they would recommend?

• WestJet airlines proposed a question: Where would you take 135 of your friends if you had a jet? I said I would take everyone to one of my favourite resorts in Punta Cana. We would celebrate family and friends.
• I've been lazy at cooking this week as I'm a bit tired. This would be perfect to throw together on the BBQ and ta da it's done and ready. Dinner is served!
• And the talk of the town.. FALL. It's just around the corner. You can sure feel it's colder in the mornings and evenings. Time to get a new jacket. This one is perfect for keeping warm while active.
• Diner En Blanc -Vancouver took place last night. The pictures posted on Twitter were gorgeous. It was a beautiful summer night for them. I would love to go next year. I just found out about it last night. Oops a little late.
• Beautiful performance and song! How will you leave your mark on the world?

To leave you with a quote to ponder.
It's shown up in couple places in my life this week :

"Ask not what you are getting from the world but, rather, what you are giving to the world"

Have a wonderful weekend!
-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : Food & Recipes

Can you tell I'm hungry this Friday?


Smoked Salmon Crostini's


 Food is on my brain and I'm itching to try out so many recipes this weekend. Okay, let's be honest here... I won't be doing the cooking but I'll suggest some ideas to the cook in the house, Scott (BF). We went out for dinner last night and by changing up my usual eating routine in the week it got my stomach wanting some new tastes. It doesn't help that Pinterest is amazing for some food photos. Now I just have to convince him to cook healthy food. He still loves his butter and fat, like every other meat & potato's man.

We have come a long way from the first days of dating though. I swear I gained 15lbs when I first started dating Scott. I couldn't refuse his home cooked meals. It was just such a sweet offering. After several plates loaded with dairy (cheese!) and covered with condiments, I just couldn't take it any more and had to start suggesting alternatives to the fat ridden ingredients. Slowly but surely we've come up with healthy versions of the classics. He also used to be a huge meat eater who loved his steak, ribs, and chicken. Scott has also started to incorporate more fish into his diet which makes it easier to plan meals together.

What are you eating this weekend? Are you splurging and having a "cheat day" or are you sticking to your healthy nutritious meals?

A few healthy recipes I've found this week from across the web:

• Pasta for lunch? Smoky Tomato Roasted Pepper and Arugula Pasta
• My friend Angie over at "Dishes Undressed" featured a Mid West Vegetarian Burger. I might have to try this one out this weekend.
• The clouds have been making an appearance around town. Time for some soup!
• Beautiful natural vibrant salad. I could eat this every day for lunch.
• Any one use Tofu on a regular basis? I'm not an average user but these Tofu Triangle Bites look good.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Don't drool too much over all the recipes ;)

-Michelle

Healthy Recipe : Halibut on Beet & Zucchini Salad



Beet & Zucchini Salad

This week we decided to have my mom over for a nice evening dinner. Well that's what we had hoped. Like always, things didn't go as planned (but we love it that way). My mom's doctor appointment ended up going longer than expected and then a nice surprise, my aunt stopped by to say hello. We ended up eating dinner around.... say 9:30pm lol.

This recipe is great for a light meal. It's fresh and the dill combined with the beets and zucchini is amazing! Besides the salad having to marinate the recipe can actually be made very quickly. We were lucky enough to receive our beets from a friend who has a garden in the city. There is nothing like fresh organic vegetables. The difference in taste between organic and not organic is astonishing. If you ever want to test the difference, try buying a piece of celery from organic and not organic.

Halibut with Beet & Zucchini Salad

1  zucchini

3  beets

4  3-5 oz halibut fillets

3 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)

2 cups of arugula

3 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Cut zucchini and beets into paper thin rounds. In a large bowl toss zucchini and beets with 2 tbsp of Vinaigrette (recipe below). Set aside and marinate for 20-60 minutes.

Preheat pan over medium-high heat. Brush halibut fillets with 2 tbsp of vinaigrette and cook till almost fully done, about 3 minutes per side.

Before plating, toss dill, arugula and pine nuts into zucchini mixture.

One each plate: lay a portion of salad mixture down and top with halibut. Spoon small amount of vinaigrette over fish and salad. Serve immediately so the salad doesn’t wilt.

Vinaigrette

2 tsp of lemon zest

½ cup of lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

½ tsp of sea salt

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp of fresh oregano (chopped)

Grounded black pepper to taste



Halibut on Beet & Zucchini Salad

Enjoy!

-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : Head in the Game

Happy Weekend! Happy Friday first of all!

I havent't kept up to my usual quota of blog posts for this week but you might just understand due to my last post. My head is slowly getting back in the game and my focus has shifted a tiny bit. I want to help people be aware of all the possible chemicals and processed ingredients that they may be feeding their bodies on a daily basis. The best way to avoid these pesky toxins from your body is eating a diet full of fresh fruit, fresh veggies and fresh seafood (or organic meat). I'll be doing a post coming up on how to navigate the grocery stores to avoid common unhealthy choices.

I'll admit that I don't usually go for the Organic Fruits and Veggies but that is my latest goal. I know that eating foods covered with pesticides and chemicals is no good for my body or yours. This is just another way to avoid cancer cells developing our bodies. Have you heard of the dirty dozen? It's the list of fruits and veggies to always buy organic and the ones that are low in pesticides. Here's a convenient way to remember.


img source



Here are my interesting finds from around the web this week:

• Heading to a BBQ and need a healthy dip? Avocado Hummus or 5 Layer Greek Dip will do the trick.
• Educate and Donate to F*ck Cancer. Hey and maybe get the cool T-Shirt too.
• 6 Core Strengthening Exercises using a ball.
• 5 Life Lessons from Olympians. Very inspirational! I can't get enough of the Olympics.

Have a wonderful weekend!

-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : In Memory of Captain the Dog

In memory of Captain

As some of you might have noticed, I am a huge animal lover and especially dogs. I've always felt a close connection to animals and love them with all my heart. It breaks my soul what happened recently in the Vancouver area. A German Shepherd named Captain was brutally beaten by a man and then left out in the hot sun in a dumpster in a back alley. A neighbour found him still clinging to life and took him right away to the SPCA (our local animal shelter). A team of doctors worked on him trying to bring him back to life and unfortunately yesterday Captain passed away. It is reported that the injuries sustained from the beating were so horrific that they couldn't even determine what was wrong. They had to put Captain in coma and it was thought if he did survive he would be paralysed in all 4 legs. Captain was originally in the Police Academy training (RCMP) to become a police dog but he was let go due to being too friendly. The RCMP sold Captain to a man who then sold it to the now accused man. I'm sorry to give you the whole sad story but I think what this man did to Captain is disgusting and unforgivable. People who harm animals should be prosecuted and punished for hurting helpless animals.
In honour of Captain a fund was set up to help the SPCA prosecute this man and any others who have harmed animals. It takes approximately $10,000.00 for the SPCA to gather evidence and prosecute each person. I have donated to this fund and it would mean so much to me if you could find it in your heart to help this cause.

You can donate at: Justice for Captain and if you would like to see who started the campaign (to ensure it's not a scam), you can find Nat & Drew from Virgin Radio here.

Thanks to everyone who donates *big hugs xo
You can find the full story on Captain here.

07/23/12 UPDATE: Their goal of $10,000.00 has been smashed but let's keep it going so the SPCA can prosecute more of these people who are cruel to animals.

Check out this little girls contribution to the cause - great job!

On a happier note - This week's neat tid bits from across the web:

• A different twist on the typical Mojito Recipe

• Great interview with the lovely lady from Rifle Paper Co.

• The Wheatfield Shop on Etsy by Katie Daisy - some of my favourite prints

• No excuses- exercise anywhere - no equipment necessary

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

-Michelle

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Healthy Food Recipe : Homemade Granola

I love cereal! but cereal doesn't love me. So I've found something new. Granola!

Mixed up Before Adding Wet Ingredients and Dried Fruit



I love all cereals but they do not agree with my stomach and usually aren't that great for you due to the processed ingredients, added additives/chemicals and all the sugar (even in healthy ones). Let's be honest, you didn't really think those frosted flakes, fruit loops and shredded wheats were good for you? It's all broken down and rebuilt ingredients in a box. The reason it can last so long on the shelf is because of how broken down the material is.

A great alternative to cereal is... Homemade Granola. My BF and I were buying a small bag from the local cafe that makes everything fresh and the bag was costing us $9.00 each time. So I thought it was time to just make it at home and save some money. Big bonus: now I know exactly what is going into my granola and add what we want to it. I love to change it up for the different seasons.

Here is my homemade granola recipe:

 

Summer Sun Granola

 

Dry Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups of rolled oats (try to use organic)
• 1/2 cup of slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1/2 cup of carob chips

Dried Fruit:

• 1/2 cup of cranberries
• 1/2 cup of golden raisins

Wet ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of real maple syrup  (no Aunt Jamima's)
• 1/2 cups of real honey

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Directions:
Take a cookie sheet and spray with pam or pam olive oil. In a measuring cup combine the maple syrup and honey together.

In a large bowl stir all dry ingredients except for the dried fruit until fully mixed. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Stir until everything thing has a light coating on it. You can add more of the wet ingredient mixture to your taste*.

On a large cookie sheet spread the mixture out evenly. Once the oven is ready set it on the middle rack to bake.

After 10 minutes take the pan out and gently mix the granola around on the pan. Place back in the over and set time for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes check on the granola and see how golden brown it is and add the dried fruit. Mine took another 5 minutes to reach the golden brown I like.

Remove the pan from the oven and let set for an hour. Once the granola has hardened you can break it up into a sealed tight container.

*try not to use too much sugar.

Tip: I like to eat this in the morning so I am able to burn off the calories from the dried fruit, oats and maple syrup/honey.

What do you add to your granola? I would love to hear some ideas I can add next time.

-Michelle

Weekend Warm-Up : July 6

Here in Vancouver people are in MUCH better mood than last weekend. Wondering why?



Sunset in Port Moody, British Columbia



Sunshine has arrived! Just in time for the weekend the temperatures are creeping up and all my plans include being outside soaking up the rays. I've been watching the tennis matches at Wimbleton while I get ready in the morning before work and I'm sucked in again. I love not only to watch tennis but I love to head out and play tennis. So tennis is a guranteed event on the agenda this weekend. Tonight we are going to take the dog up for a hike and then a dip in the lake. Oh she's going to love it! I've been making sure to get up early in the morning to take her for a run so she doesn't get over heated from the heat and sun.

Any plans for the weekend? Are you heading outdoors for some adventures?

Here's a few links I've enjoyed from the web this week:

• Top 100 websites for women by Forbes. I've been exploring it all week.

• Dogs in the office - good or bad for your work related stress?

• Boozy popsicles? EveryGirl offers some great recipes for the those hot days.

• Speaking of booze: tips to avoid weight gain on the weekend.

• Looking for new breakfast ideas? Breakfast Quesadillas? Delicious healthy breakfast ideas.

• I recently found an interesting recipe on Pinterest by Queen of Quinoa

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

-Michelle

Healthy Food Recipe : Paella

I first tried Paella when I was in the Dominican Republic and they had it in this massive pan over an open BBQ pit and they had to use a paddle to stir it. I was hooked instantly!

Paella is a rice dish that originally came from Spain. I love how versatile it is by adding whatever seafood you like and subtracting the meat.  It also brings the whole family together to enjoy. I recommend having it at lunch time due to the starch and carbohydrates content in the recipe. This gives you more time to burn off that energy (carbohydrates) from the food. You can also remove the chorizo sausage (I would recommend), which can have a lot fat in it. If you can find a lean sausage that would be fine. We put the sausage in the Paella as my BF enjoys meat but I ate around it.

My BF is in the midst of trying the recipe out using Quinoa in place of the rice. He's still fine tuning it so it has that moist texture like the Paella. As you might tell over time here on my blog, I'm not the cook in the family anymore - he's taken over. He's a big meat and carbs guy while I'm a pescaterian who loves fruits and veggies. We are learning to meet half way. Together we are coming up with ways to make a recipe healthier. A learning process we are excited about.

Seafood & Chorizo Sausage Paella

• 1 pound of mixed seafood - chopped in 1 inch chunks. We use scallops, shrimp, snapper and salmon.
• Small touch of fresh parsley - chopped up
• 1/2 pound of chorizo sausage
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 litres of chicken broth (can use veggie)
• olive oil
• 2 cups of arborio rice
• 2 handfuls of frozen peas
• 2 lemons

Place a large skillet/frying pan on high heat and add small amount of olive oil (enough to lightly cover the pan). Add the parsley, onion, garlic, chorizo sausage to the pan. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until onions become soft and the chorizo sausage is fairly cooked.

Stir in the arborio rice and season with salt and pepper. Add in the boiling broth until the pan comes to a boil. Make sure to stir so the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Put a lid on the pan and bring the heat down to a simmer. Occasionally stir up the paella. Lots of rice is different so read the package of your rice for cooking time.

When rice is nearly done, add in the seafood and peas. Gently stir in the seafood. Squeeze the juice of one lemon on top. Cook for another 5 minutes. If the rice seems a bit dry then add in a bit more water. You want the rice to be more moist than dry. Have a taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring the Paella pan to the middle of a table and everyone can dig in.

Serves 6 people.

Enjoy!



Chef Hard at Work



Have you made Paella before? What did you include in yours?

I would love to hear your version of the recipe in the comments below. Or you can send me a link via Twitter.

-Michelle