Patricia Chuey

Food and Nutrition Expert | Recipe Developer

The Number One ‘Appliance’ for Mastering Busy Weekday Meals

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Although eating fresh, locally-sourced food is the gold standard when it comes to eating well, an important part of remaining consistent with healthy eating all year-round, is knowing how to get the most from the support systems in your kitchen. One very important supporting tool: your freezer.

When quality meals are stocked and used within 3-4 months, there’s no need to worry that they’re not nutritious coming from the freezer.

Six great examples of meals that can made in advance, frozen and easily thawed on busy weeknights:

  1. Meat Balls or Lentil Balls (Recipe: http://www.lentils.org/recipe/spiced-beef-and-lentil-meatballs/ ) – cook, freeze and then simply toss into a tomato sauce, sweet and sour dish or soup.
  2. Hearty Soups – include pulses like chickpeas or dried beans for protein along with lots of vegetables. Find great soup recipes at lentils.org and pulsecanada.com.
  3. Vegetable Lasagna – whether using ground meat or going meatless in your lasagna, layer in lots of vegetables. Thinly sliced zucchini strips are an awesome substitute or add-in for regular lasagna noodles – and they’re local and in-season right now.
  4. Fish cakes – easy to make by combining eggs, breadcrumbs (regular or GF) and seasonings with canned salmon, tuna or crab made into patties
  5. Pancakes – make in bulk, layer with wax paper and freeze
  6. Mexican Casserole – make burritos, layer in a casserole covered with tomato sauce and a sprinkle of cheese

5 Super Nutritious Items to have on hand in the freezer for easy meal boosts:

  1. Nutritional Yeast – sprinkle on any cooked dish, soups, salads. It adds a slightly cheese-y flavour and lots of vitamin B12. Great for everyone, but especially for those eating fewer animal foods which are traditionally the best source of B12.
  2. Vegetables – frozen peas and Brussels sprouts are two faves that come close to the taste and texture of fresh
  3. Nuts and seeds – for quick sprinkling on salads for added protein, fibre and minerals
  4. Fish fillets (unbreaded) – the ultimate quick meal when simply oven roasted with vegetables
  5. Frozen pulses – chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans – even faster than opening a can, rinsing and draining

And, 3 overall tips for making the back-to-school routine healthier and easier:

  1. Get consistent again with good quality vitamins. Important all year-round is vitamin D (a must for all adults over 50), especially since we won’t be in the sun as much come fall and winter.  A good multivitamin, omega-3 and potentially also a pro-biotic can also be very helpful for many people. The Essentials vitamins by Jamieson are a high quality, Canadian-made line. Be sure to discuss your individual needs with your dietitian before taking supplements.
  2. Pack lunches the night before – when cleaning up from dinner, quickly putting lunches together is a lifesaver come the next morning.
  3. Shop for vegetables at least twice each week to make it consistently possible to plan meals with vegetables as the central focus.

Wishing you a very smooth, healthy transition back into the fall schedule!

Thank you CTV Morning Live for the opportunity to share these ideas!

6 Meals and 1 Snack I’ll Never Eat Again (but wish I could)

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Leftover Meals

This is not about dietary restrictions or being unable to eat gluten.

If trendiness is what it takes to make us think about food waste reduction, this is one instance where being trendy is not only awesome, but very important.

Major awareness campaigns are underway to reduce waste and increase the likelihood of food being available for everyone on this planet we share. Love Food, Hate Waste is a terrific website from which you can glean all kinds of waste-reducing ideas – even for those of us, a surprisingly large group, who don’t believe or realize we waste food too. For example, although composting food scraps reduces garbage, it doesn’t necessarily reduce food waste. The website has cool ideas, many that consumers have shared from their own homes. A few nifty examples:

Preserve the Herb –  chop bits of fresh leftover herbs and freeze in ice cube trays for later adding to soups or other savoury dishes. Same for that bit of leftover freshly-squeezed lemon or orange juice that can be thawed quickly and will come in handy in your next homemade lemon loaf or cranberry orange muffins.

Potato Peel Crisps –  make a fibre-rich snack from the skins of the potatoes you may have otherwise tossed

Best Before Date Wisdom –  learn that “Best Before Date” is the final date on which the manufacturer guarantees the product will taste as fresh as the day it left their facility. It’s not the definitive date on which the food suddenly blows up, expires or will make you sick. But, be informed and safe about it.

Recipe tools  –  use to calculate precisely how much food to make based on the number of adults and kids eating the meal to avoid unwanted leftovers (assuming you actually don’t want them)

Followers of mine will know I am a devoted food waste reducer and wholeheartedly embrace leftovers for the creative opportunity they offer. Even seeing the local wild blackberry bushes go unpicked in the summer months disheartens me because they’re loaded with nature-made, amazing nutritional value that could easily be picked and frozen. (Thanks for that valuable lesson Mom and Dad.) A number of my food waste-reduction ideas were shared in an interview I did for Yahoo a while back.

In our home, we’re all about creative use of leftovers. Sometimes we even come up with a meal made from the remnants that’s more delicious than the original version. I recommend getting leftover food into the fridge promptly after the meal – within 1-2 hours at the most. If you won’t use the leftovers within 2-3 days of the original meal, pop them into the freezer.

To provide some culinary inspiration, here are 6 examples of meals and a snack we’ve had that although amazingly delicious and healthy, we’ll likely never be able to have in the exact same way again because they were the product of a unique mix of leftovers being available at that moment. Yes, we might come close, but they won’t be exactly the same.

  1. Lentil Vegetable Pasta Sauce: I’ve spoken of this before. It’s our Tuesday (hockey practice night) pasta meal that takes on a new form every week. The sauce underway in the red pot in the photo was a recent one where I combined cooked lentils and lean ground beef in tomato sauce as the base. Using the food processor – not all “processed” food is bad – I minced onions, garlic, a couple less-than-crisp carrots and zucchini from the fridge and random leftover cooked vegetables. Turned out deliciously.
  2. BBQ’d Pork and Veggies on Flatbread: I spread a little BBQ sauce on warm flatbread, added a small amount of leftover homemade Korean BBQ pork and grated vegetables. Drizzled it with a quickly thrown together Asian-style salad dressing of rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, lime juice and a pinch of sugar. A bit of green onion and cilantro topped it off. It tasted amazing!
  3. Leftover Grilled Fish (or Chicken) Tacos: ‘Leftover’ and ‘fish’ in the same recipe is not (yet) exactly the way to win the award for Recipe Developer of the Year. Before writing this one off as disgusting, if that fish or chicken is used the very next day in tacos together with a quick coleslaw from that cabbage in the back of the fridge needing a little love, it can be tweaked to be awesome. Add grated carrot, green onion, minced peppers, jalapenos or any fresh veggies you have on hand. Drizzle with a sauce made by whisking  a little mayo, plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice and garlic.
  4. Layered Rotini and Tomato Sauce with a Kale Garnish: Looks pretty gourmet in the center bottom of the photo collage, but it’s actually the leftover pasta and sauce transferred directly from the fridge to the plate by turning it upside-down and emptying. Although many versions with differing shapes of pasta or sauces will show up on our plates in the future, the exact combo as pictured likely won’t.
  5. Tofu (or Chicken) Fried Rice: You’ve heard me proclaim rice as the best possible leftover food before. Fried rice fans will know that leftover rice + bits of leftover cooked tofu or chicken + leftover veggies + an egg + frozen peas + soy sauce = one very tasty meal. We don’t make it that often but no two instances of fried rice here are ever the same. Some call this dish Dirty Rice.
  6. Seafood Surprise Chowder: Little bits of celery, roasted veggies and small amounts of fish or shellfish are frozen and then my hubby makes a mighty yummy chowder. Never the same twice. (Recipe)

Snack – After School Fruit Salad: Because I’m able to be a “Stay-Home-From-Workplace-Mom” (def’n: a Mom or Dad who can participate in their career mainly in the hours when the kids are at school or sleeping), I’m usually around when our son gets home from school and can get this ‘recipe’ made before the fruit passes the point of no return. If half an apple, a few grapes, strawberries or couple bites of banana return home in the lunchbox, I quickly chop them and toss with some frozen berries, a fresh kiwi or canned no-sugar-added peaches, pears or pineapple to make a fruit salad. It always gets eaten. The exact composition of the fruit salad is never the same.

This list of leftover-inspired meals and snacks could be much longer. I predict that a chain of trendy restaurants or even cooking school programs centered on food waste reduction or leftovers become popular. Maybe it’ll be my restaurant? Cookbooks on the subject already exist as do excellent campaigns to embrace so-called ugly vegetables.

I’ll remember these 6 leftover meals and 1 snack not only for their delicious taste but the small victories they represented in reducing food waste. Creative home chefs, I applaud you for celebrating leftovers and the time-savings they represent. Use them before they spoil. Let your amazing meals be a quiet example to the kids of how to respect and be grateful for access to good food.  My parents did just that and I’m grateful.  Share your creations to inspire others and let’s keep doing our part to love food while hating waste. Trendy or not.

Cheers!

Sesame Lentil Slaw

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Sesame Lentil Salad 002

Not exactly a new food, lentils are one of the world’s first cultivated crops as of about 10,000 years ago. They feed many people. India, Canada, Turkey and Australia are major producers. About a quarter of the world’s lentil supply is grown and consumed in India which has inspired an amazing array of savoury lentil dishes we enjoy in Canada. Canada is the world’s largest exporter of lentils, most of them grown in Saskatchewan.

Lentils are a nutritional superstar yet they keep a pretty low profile. As a great source of fibre, they’re helpful for athletes and anyone looking for more sustained energy or improved blood sugar control. They’re a very affordable plant source of protein and nutrients including folic acid and B vitamins. Every one cup serving of cooked lentils supplies 230 calories, 18 grams of protein, 16 grams of fibre and 37% of daily iron requirements. When included in a meal containing vegetables and grains, the protein in lentils is complete. Everyone should eat lentils. For toddlers, they’re a protein source that can be picked up and eaten by small fingers.

Grown in our country and a nutritional gem, their time has definitely come. Lentils are more than worthy of including at least a couple times each week to replace some or all of the animal protein in a meal. Toss them into stews and pasta sauces. Pureed lentils can be used in hummus-like dips to serve with vegetables or grainy crackers or pita as a snack or to use in place of some of the fat in baked goods like cookies, muffins and loaves.  They can even be stirred in to thicken soups while boosting the protein. Lentils come in various sizes and colours including red, green, brown and black. To cook dry lentils, simple rinse them and then boil 1 cup lentils to 2-3 cups water as for rice. Find more LOTS more delicious lentil recipe ideas at lentils.ca and enjoy them in every season.

Sesame Lentil Slaw    Makes 8 servings

  • 3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 T sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 2 tsp sodium-reduced soy sauce
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 2 cups cooked green lentils
  • 3 cups green or Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced or grated
  • 3 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced or grated
  • 6 green onions, sliced diagonally
  • 2 medium carrots, grated
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  1. In a glass jar or container with lid, shake together rice vinegar, canola and sesame oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sugar. Drizzle about half the dressing over the lentils and allow to marinate in fridge overnight or while you assemble the remainder of the salad.
  2. In a large bowl, combine both cabbages, onion, carrots and sesame seeds. Drizzle over remaining dressing and toss well. Sprinkle marinated lentils on top to serve.
  3. Optional: top with a grilled skewer of prawns, tofu or chicken satay.

Cheers!

Coconut and Banana Lentil Bites

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Lentil truffles balls

If you’re an experienced cook or are just getting into it but don’t yet know lentils.ca, check them out! Not only a tremendous wealth of information on why you should eat these Canadian-grown red, brown, black or green nutrient-rich gems, their recipe collection is OUTSTANDING…and getting even better all the time. Subscribe to receive their quarterly Lentils for Every Season recipe booklets, always full of gorgeous, delicious and easy recipes to inspire. Sounds like I run their marketing department. I don’t. I can only dream of a job that sweet!

To be the coolest smoothie maker on your block for incorporating lentils into your breakfast, and mostly to eat healthy, delicious food, give their Green Lentil Power Smoothie a try. I recently had a chance to demo it on Saturday Chefs on Global News. I received excellent feedback and many requests for the easy, novel recipe.

These Coconut and Banana Lentil Bites (also from lentils.ca) are also super easy and were a big hit with the kids for an after school snack. They made a nice mid-day snack for Mom and Dad too.

Coconut and Banana Lentil Bites    Makes 25-30

  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/4 cup unroasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana, about 1 large banana
  • 1/2 cup cooked (or from canned) green or red lentils
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 Tbsp melted, cooled, coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup coconut or almond flour
  1. Place coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, banana, lentils, and honey into a food processor. Pulse until smooth, scrape down the sides and pulse again. Transfer to a bowl using a spatula.
  2. Stir in chocolate chips and oil until fully incorporated. Stir in the coconut flour until fully combined.
  3. Roll into bite-size balls, about 1 Tbsp in size. Optional garnish: roll some in extra coconut or dip in melted chocolate as pictured. Cover and refrigerate or freeze for 5-10 minutes. The bites will become more solid and ready to eat. Store in an air tight container in the fridge to snack on during the week, or freeze until you are ready to nibble.

Cheers!

 

 

7 More No-Recipe Lentil Ideas

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Lentil jars

2016 is International Year of the Pulse! If you aren’t already including lentils and other legumes (aka pulses) in your meals at least twice each week, plan to make it happen soon.

Here are 7 more great ways to lentil-up your life. You can find my previous 7 ideas here.

  1. Puree cooked lentils and use as a sauce extender. Perfect in pizza sauce, tomato sauce for lasagna, curry sauces and even in a white sauce for pasta. Pureed tiny red lentils are ideal in this application.
  2. Add cooked lentils to brown and/or wild rice along with a few minced fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice for an instant, seemingly gourmet pilaf dish.
  3. Replace or extend ground meat. In the tomato-meat mixture for lasagna, spaghetti sauce or even a spicy chili taco-themed pizza, lentils mix right in and are barely noticed by those who would prefer to think they’re eating ground meat only.
  4. Stir a few lentils along with toasted crumbled almonds, walnuts, hemp hearts or flax seeds into your oatmeal. Lentils at breakfast? Only a superstar eater does that!!!
  5. Last minute gift idea! Make a homemade soup kit to inspire a friend by packing together in a pretty box or basket: lentils, bouillon, wild rice or quinoa and a couple favourite dried herbs.
  6. Did you know you can sprout dried lentils? (Okay, this one needs some ‘recipe method’ guidance, but google if you are a sprout-maker or want to do a mini indoor garden science experiment with the kids.
  7. Sprinkle cooked lentils on cooked vegetable dishes for an attractive finishing garnish.

And, keep your eyes out to build a collection of reliable, amazingly delicious lentil recipes. They are one of the MOST IMPORTANT foods of the future! And, many are grown right here in Canada!

Have a happy, healthy 2016!

Cheers!

Meet Patricia

Eating well is just one spoke in the wheel of health. An active life...

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