"Zero Carb Flax Bread" - from The EZ Whey

Yesterday I had a regular come in to my work and ask which bread had the lowest G.I. rating.. unfortunately I lack the knowledge to provide him the information that he needed- so I decided since I love to make my own bread at home and experiment with new recipes, I will start posting healthy, grainy , heavy breads with a low glycemic index - I think everyone can benefit from that :) Here is a recipe I found on the internet, from:
http://www.theezwhey.com/page1/page1.html

Zero Carb Flax Bread


Ingredients:

2 Cups flax seed
5 Egg whites
2 Whole eggs
5 TBSP flax oil, coconut oil, or olive oil
1 TBSP Baking powder
1 TSP Salt
1/2 Cup of water
3 packets of stevia (If you are against using artificial sweeteners, I suggest using real sugar. They both raise your blood sugar anyways.)



Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients then add the wet. Whisk together and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. This recipe can also be made into muffins: divide batter into muffin pans and bake for about 10-15 minutes.
Since developing this recipe, I have made many different flavor varieties. A sweet chocolate bread can be made by adding Capella Flavor Drops. Some other awesome additions are pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and protein powder flavor of choice. Great topped with almond or peanut butter!

Yummy Whole Wheat Veggie Wraps

Does anyone else get so excited over making healthy delicious food??

Hi everyone! I am back with a simple little recipe for healthy lunch wraps, these are so quick and easy to prepare, and you can easily pair this lovely lunch with a sweet fruit salad on the side. Yum! Hope you enjoy these as much as I will today on my break :)

Ingredients:

• 1 sliced round of red onion, then cut in half (easy to use strips)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 small avocado, sliced thinly
• 1 handful alfalfa sprouts
• 1/2 tomato sliced thinly
• 1/4 cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
• bold deli mustard
• 1 whole wheat tortilla 

Directions:

If your tortillas are frozen, leave them on a plate to defrost (they defrost quickly) while you start to prepare your vegetables.

Start to slice the vegetables and make sure they are cut into thin strips, otherwise all of your veggies will fall out of the wrap if chopped otherwise. (Story of my life, ha-ha.)

You will then want to start drizzling the deli mustard on your tortilla, and layer your veggies on. Then roll 'er up!

These are the brands that I used:

Alfalfa sprouts are SO good !!

Family favourite!

Note:
If you feel like you need some meat on this, I suggest sun dried tomato turkey or peppered turkey. 

Healthy Bison Meatloaf

I have never tried meatloaf in my life, and decided to make it since someone told me it is really good!
I didn't want to use regular ground beef, and I find bison tastes so much better and is only grass fed which makes it all the more healthier for us to consume!

So here is the recipe, and unfortunately I don't have pictures for this one, sorry guys!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground lean bison
• 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs or crushed rice cakes
• 2 eggs
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp balsamic
• 1 tsp brown sugar 

1/2 cup mixed ketchup, mustard & brown sugar (as the glaze, to keep moist.)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a medium sized loaf pan and set aside.
2. Heat up a medium sauce pan on low to medium heat.
3. Add garlic, onion and bell pepper and cook until softened.
4. Pour in the worcestershire sauce, balsamic and brown sugar and stir together.
5. Take off the heat and set aside.
6. In a seperate bowl whisk together the two eggs, then add bison meat.
7. Pour in the fried veggies, and mix together with hands or stir with a spatula.
8. Then add the bread crumbs and mix until well combined.

Pour into loaf pan, then place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, then add the ketchup mustard mixture on top, then bake for another 35 minutes.

Once it is done let sit for 20 minutes, cut into slices and serve!

Spicy Veggie Spanish Rice

This recipe has been adapted from : http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spanish_rice/
Except mine has more veggies.. So it can be used as a main!

You will need:

• 1 sweet onion finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cups brown rice
• 3 cups vegetarian "chicken" bouillon (I use the cubes and dissolve with water)
• 1/2 small can of tomato paste
• 1 large can of whole tomatoes, drained
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 10 small brown or white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 zucchini diced
• 1 jalapeno minced
• dash of chilli flakes
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp mexican chilli powder
• dash of hot sauce

salt&pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Pour two cups brown rice into pot on medium heat and toast for 3-5 minutes.
2. Drizzle a little olive oil into pot then  add garlic, onions and jalapeno until softened.
3. Add green bell pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms.
4. next add dissolved chicken bouillon cubes in 3 cups water and bring to a boil.
5. Dump in the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, and spices.
6. Continue to let this boil for 3 minutes, then turn heat on "low" . Simmer for 50 minutes . (or until rice is tender).

Remove from heat, and fluff with a fork and spoon to get everything mixed.


Can be served alongside fresh grilled or pan fried chicken!


NOTE: Some brown rice brands are different and require more liquid. Add broth or water according to the directions on the back of your rice bag.

Budget Friendly Steak Stirfry

This is the extremely simple recipe for my steak stir fry. When you hear the word steak, you probably think of an expensive steak dinner at The Keg or any other steakhouse. Yet you can easily find a good tender steak for a great price in your local grocery store. All you have to do is compare prices, and pick a fairly good cut. Also tenderizing the steak will also help it become less tough if you bought a fatty cut. I recommend buying the "Family Pack" steaks, they are a great price and usually come in 4. You can freeze them and they are great for when you are short on cash and can't afford to go out for a dinner.

http://www.everydayweekender.com/picking-the-perfect-steak/

Here are the steak stir fry ingredients:

1 steak sliced thinly with extra fat trimmed off

1/2 sweet onion

2 bell peppers of any color

1 handful of green beans, ends clipped and strings pulled

1 cup of brown or white mushrooms

1/2 zucchini

3 cloves of garlic

1 cup canned baby corn

1 carrot thinly sliced

1 small tin of water chestnuts

and I know this is bad but.. 1 jar of teriyaki sauce (I use VH or kikkoman)

Step-by-Step:

Preheat your griddle or pan on medium/high heat .

Measure out 1 tbsp olive oil and place in the pan.

Add in the steak once pan is completely hot. Once you have added the steak immediately put in the onions and garlic and stir together. 

Pour in the rest of your veggies and place a lid over top so they can steam.

Once everything looks good and cooked drizzle on the teriyaki sauce and serve hot!

If you feel like you need some carbs this is also great served over white or brown rice.

Enjoy!

Dairy Free Eggnog Pancakes

In this recipe, to top your pancakes you can use either Pure Maple Butter OR

http://www.acadianmaple.com/products/maple-butter-330g

Pure Maple Syrup!

http://www.mackinawcitycanadastore.com/maple_products.php

What gave me the idea of having dairy free eggnog pancakes is, I love eggnog with a passion! The only thing is, dairy severely upsets my stomach, so I had to find a new alternative.. Guess what? So Nice Noel Nog is PERFECT!!!! I found it at Superstore and I keep coming back every winter to get it! It sells as quick as they can stock the shelves so be sure to get there early. 

There seems to be something so special about eggnog, it may be that it only comes around once a year, whatever it is, it certainly keeps the magic.

Here is the wicked recipe, hope you come back every year!

You will need:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (or a pinch)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups Noel Nog

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp melted margarine or butter

Any amount Maple Syrup or Maple butter to top.

Step-by-step:

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (you can sift if you feel you need to).

Add the 2 eggs, and beat the mixture.

pour the vanilla in with the melted butter/margarine .

slowly pour in the Noel Nog.

slowly pour into the flour and egg mixture and fold together.

Heat a pan to medium-low heat and grease lightly with butter. (I use a papertowl and spread it on all over the pan)

Let sit for 5 minutes so that the baking soda and salt can work their magic and make the pancakes nice and fluffy.

Ladle the mixture into the pan and let sit until little bubbles start popping around the pancake surface. Flip over, let sit for 1-2 minutes then transfer to plate. 

Repeat until your pancakes are all done!

Top with whatever you please, I took a great liking to the pure maple syrup. It's like liquid gold. (So my dad says!)

Good eatin' to ya! 

"Lyndsay" Linzer Cookies

These cookies were meant to be for my uncle on Christmas, but I made so many and decided to eat a few on the side ;).

My dough didn't turn out exactly the way it was supposed to, it tended to stick to my linzer cookie cutter that I bought from Michaels Crafts Store. The flavour was still delicious as ever though! It was my first time making these, it sounded a little complicated but turned out to be simple. I found this recipe on Allrecipes and altered it a bit to my liking. I am not going to take full credit for this recipe since I didn't invent them!


Recipe:

• 1 1/4 cups softened, unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups ground almonds (I ground mine in a magic bullet)
• 2 lemons, zested
• 2 tbs vanilla extract

1 small jar of Raspberry Jam or whichever is your favourite (Raspberry truly is best for these)


Step-by-Step:

• Cream together the butter and white sugar until mixture is light.
• Add in the lemon zest & vanilla, keep mixing that dough!
• Beat in the flour little bits at a time, until it becomes stiff and everything has melded well.
• Let sit in the fridge for 1 hour minimum, although it is best to let it sit over night.

This part I copied and pasted from Allrecipes : 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the 1/2 of the dough into a sheet 1/8 inch thick. With a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut as many circles from the sheet as you can. Knead the leftover scraps of dough into a ball and roll it out again into a 1/8 inch sheet. Cut out more circles. You should now have about 12 circles.
3. Arrange them on an ungreased baking sheet leaving about and inch of space between them.
4. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the other half of the dough, but before placing the second batch on the baking sheet, cut out the center of each circle with a 1/2 inch cookie cutter. Bake both batches for 10 - 15 minutes or until light brown. Cool on cake rake for 20 minutes.
5. Spread tops of the solid circles with a thin coating of jam, lay a cutout cookie on top of each, pressing the two together so they make a sandwich. Spoon a dab of jam into the opening of each tart and sprinkle the tops with confectioners' sugar before serving. (I think they look pretty without the dusting on top)
6. NOTE: Keep dough as cold as possible for easier handling. You may have to chill it after rolling it out so that it will be easier to cut.