This week was a really fun, exciting week so I wanted to share an extra recipe with everyone today. I had the privilege of working with Registered Dietician Eve Law this week on her Roger’s TV show “Mission Nutrition”. In this episode we talked about easy ways to reduce sugar in your diet. Sugar is hidden in so many foods it can be really hard for individuals to reduce the amount of sugar they are consuming. This is on of the reasons why I am really excited for my second book to come out this spring, the goals is to help educate people on places sugar lurks, the negative effects on the body and ways to easily remove (or reduce) it from your diet, all while still eating foods that taste delicious and that are easy enough to create.
This week I created 1 lunch, and two healthy low sugar snacks for the show. I shared this yummy winter salad and my favourite roasted red pepper dressing which is naturally sugar free and filled with flavour. So many salad dressing and condiments contain so much added sugar. One of the best ways to reduce sugar is to read food labels and ingredients list to make great choices or to simply make your own so you know exactly what you are eating. On the show Eve was talking to Aylah (she was trying to reduce her sugar intake) and one of the things that surprised her the most was the amount of sugar that was in her bagged salad kit that she bough for her lunches. Our solution was to make this recipe below instead. When the episode comes out I will be sure to share the link so you see the video on how to create this and all of the other great info. In the meantime I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do.
Enjoy this warm nourishing bowl with this creamy roasted red pepper dressing that is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and delicious. If you want more recipes like this or to learn more about eliminating sugar from your life check out my book: https://www.amazon.ca/Sugar-Detox-10-Days-Eliminate/dp/1646117522
The Recipe
PrintWinter Salad
Makes: 1-2 servings
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup brussel sprouts, sliced
1 cup red cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
1-2 cups mixed green, arugula or zucchini noodles
¼ cup quinoa (optional for more protein)
4-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
garnish with 1 tablespoon chia seeds or hemp hearts and micogreens or fresh cilantro
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Place sweet potatoes, broccoli or Brussels sprouts, red cabbage and chickpeas on baking tray. Coat with oil and a dash of salt and pepper. I like to drizzle oil on top of vegetables on tray and just stir or mix with hands to ensure evenly coated. You could also put vegetables in a medium sized bowl and toss with oil salt and pepper then place on tray.
3. Bake 25-30 minutes until veggies are golden and sweet potatoes are fork tender.
4. Make bowl by filling half the bowl with mixed greens or zucchini noodles. Add in veggies. Top with roasted red pepper dressing, chia seeds and microgreens.
Recipe note – you can double or triple this recipe to meal prep lunches for the week
Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Makes: 1 cup
Ingredients
2 roasted red peppers, cut in half and stems and seeds removed
1 tablespoon avocado oil
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup cashews, soaked overnight
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
dash of salt and pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Core peppers and cut in half. Coat with avocado oil and place open side up on baking tray.
2. Bake 20 minutes flip and bake another 20-30 minutes until peppers look soft and charred.
3. Drain water from cashews and place all ingredients in small food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Store in jar in fridge up to one week.
Recipe note – make this a nut free dressing by substituting soaked cashews for the same amount of soaked sunflower seeds. You can also make this quicker and easier by using store bought roasted red peppers, this way you can skip cooking them and just blend the dressing. If you don’t have time to soak cashews overnight you can soak them in boiling hot water for an hour.
This roasted red pepper dressing is great on any bowl or salad and you can even use it as a fun dip.
If you make this recipe I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. As always sharing is caring, if you know someone who would love this recipe I would so appreciate you sharing it with them.
Happy Meal Prep Sunday,
