Christina Najjar

Stuffed Peppers (Paleo)

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Hot foods, like stuffed peppers, somehow seem to make the transition into cool weather much easier. Usually, the arrival of fall means the beginning of my whining about winter. However, this year, after having had such an amazing summer and a late arrival to fall, I couldn’t help but get lost in the beauty of fall.

Stuffed peppers

Since I’ve been playing dodgeball about three times a week and been doing weight training workouts on the side, my body’s been begging me for more protein. A smoothie with 18 grams of protein just won’t do anymore. I decided to make stuffed peppers for breakfast instead. People generally tend to give me a look of “umm, okay, really?” when I eat dinner foods for breakfast, but dinner for breakfast is my absolute favourite.

I took 15 minutes last night to prepare the filling and stuff the peppers so that it would all be ready to go today. The beauty of this recipe is that it’s so quick. It can then be made in the oven or in the slowcooker while you’re at work or running errands.

Stuffed peppers (paleo)

Ingredients
4 medium or large bell peppers of different colours
Approx. 1 lb ground meat of choice (I used chicken)
1 small cooking onion, finely chopped
1 small zucchini, quartered and chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp black pepper
Salt to preference

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F (unless using slowcooker).

Mix together all the raw ingredients except for the bell peppers, then set aside. Cut off the tops of the bell peppers and remove the seeds. Pack the filling inside the peppers.

Cook in the oven for about an hour or in the slowcooker on low for 8 hours. Makes 4 servings.

Can be prepared in advance and cooked the next day as long as expiry dates of all ingredients are being respected.

Ginger Beef Stew (with slowcooker option)

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Today was my last day of exams. This is the part where I should get excited. Somehow, I can’t seem to be able to find it in me to be excited. I start spring courses next week. After the spring courses? Summer courses. And after that, it’s the fall courses. It feels like it never ends.
I know my meat posts are really rare. I don’t often cook meat, and when I do, it’s for supper, and it’s too dark to take pictures. I really should figure out my lighting situation, because some of the dinners I cook are pretty neat. 
The secret to this stew is the ginger. If you’re unsure if you’ve put enough, add more. And when you think there’s enough, add more. And when you think there’s too much, add more. I’ve made it in the slowcooker and on the stovetop, and the stovetop one turned out better. 
Ginger Beef Stew (with slowcooker option)
Ingredients
1 package beef cubes – about 1 lb
2 zucchinis, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 potato, chopped
4 cups beef broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
About two inches ginger, cut into small cubes
Black pepper to taste
Optional: a sprinkle of cayenne pepper
Sesame seeds to garnish
Instructions
Stovetop: Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan, except for zucchini and green peppers. Bring broth to a boil and then reduce to simmer. After half an hour, add in the zucchini and green peppers, and leave in for another fifteen minutes. Serve in bowls and sprinkle sesame seeds on each portion.
Slowcooker: Combine all ingredients in slowcooker. Cook on low for eight hours. Serve in bowls and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Slowcooker Freezer Bags

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Preparing freezer bags for the slowcoooker

If you spend any amount of time on Pinterest or you just like to browse the internet for food related stuff, you may have already heard of freezer bags that you simply pop into your slowcooker in the morning. If you haven’t, this is why I’m writing this post.
When I know I’m about to become really busy for a good period of time, I like to take a few hours to make freezer bags. I make a shopping list ahead of time to make sure I buy everything I need, and only what I need. I typically buy a bag of onions, a bunch of carrots, a bunch of celery, a bag of frozen green beans, a few zucchinis, a few bell peppers, and sometimes cauliflower or broccoli. If stewing beef cubes or chicken legs are on sale, I may also buy some of those.
When I get home, I wash all my veggies at the same time. I keep the celery and the carrots in bunches for faster cutting. You need a nice big knife for this. And watch your fingers. You don’t want finger pieces in your freezer bags. Especially if you’re doing vegan freezer bags.
When I’m done cutting veggies, I save the scraps to make veggie broth, except if I’m using broccoli or cauliflower (they apparently make broth bitter). I throw the sliced veggies into bags, add fresh spices directly to the bag (such as minced garlic or ginger cubes), and close them up nicely. When I’m ready to use them, I take them out of the freezer, empty the contents of the bags into the slowcooker or a large soup pot, and add broth or sauce.
I stuff my freezer quite a bit to fit all these freezer bags of goodies. If you use meat, make sure you place it at the bottom of the freezer.

At the end of about two hours of work, my dishes consist of two knives, a cutting board, my garlic mincer, a cup, and my mandoline. I have tons of meals prepared, and I only have to do the dishes once.

Here are some ideas of meals to make:
Vegan Chickpea Curry – If using canned chickpeas, add them from the can directly to the slowcooker

Cream of Broccoli Soup (vegan, slowcooker option)

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Do you want to know something funny? There are lots of foods I never thought of eating before knowing about my food sensitivities. Then, after I discovered I was limited in my food choices, I started expanding my menu. For instance, I never ate cream of broccoli soup back when I could eat dairy.

Truth be told, I never liked “cream of [insert ingredient]” soups when I ate dairy. But now that I’ve discovered what I can do with coconut milk, so many new things seem appealing. The good thing about coconut milk is that it contains the healthy kind of fats.

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, or what you may know as the cabbage family. The awesome thing about cruciferous vegetables is that they have a ton of health benefits. They have great anti-cancer benefits. Additionally, they help support the liver’s detoxification processes.

Broccoli is high in vitamin K, which helps with coagulation. It also contains lots of vitamin C, which is great for the immune system, and is an antioxidant. Additionally, it has all kinds of B vitamins, which provide you with energy, and help support the reproductive system, manage stress, and so many more benefits. And finally, I want to mention that it contains lots of chromium, which helps reduce sugar cravings.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup (vegan, slowcooker option)

Ingredients
Large bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups veggie broth
1 cup full fat coconut milk
Black pepper to taste

Directions
Slowcooker: place all the ingredients except for the coconut milk in a 6 qt slow cooker (or slightly smaller). Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours. With a hand blender, blend the ingredients. Add the coconut milk and continue cooking for an additional half hour.

Stovetop: Bring all the ingredients except for the coconut milk to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. When the broccoli is really soft, about half an hour, blend the ingredients and add the coconut milk. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Store extras in an airtight containers. Makes 4 servings.

Curried Cauliflower Soup (vegan, slowcooker option)

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During busy periods, putting some time aside to cook something tasty can be quite difficult. It is during those times that I am thankful that I occasionally think ahead. I prepare freezer slowcooker bags to save myself some time. I simply chop all the ingredients for a given recipe that I freeze in a zipper bag. Then, when I’m too busy to cook a meal, I simply empty the content of the bag into my slowcooker. This is something that can easily be done with my curried cauliflower soup.

This soup is really simple if you have an immersion blender. If not, a potato masher will do. Or a rock, if you really have to. What I like the least about making this soup is the part where I cut the cauliflower and little pieces fall on the ground and get stuck to my feet. That’s why I often stop myself from buying cauliflower. But not for this soup.

You may have heard by now that it’s important to include a variety of vegetable colours in your diet to eat a variety of nutrients. However, for some reason, people tend to forget that white vegetables should also be eaten. Cauliflower is loaded with vitamin C, which helps support the immune system, and is an important antioxidant.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

Curried Cauliflower Soup (vegan, slowcooker option)

Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower head, cut into florets
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp each: cumin, ground ginger, turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala – or add 1/2 tsp more ground ginger instead
3 cups veggie broth

Directions
In the slowcooker: put all the ingredients in a 6-qt slow cooker or smaller. Cook on high for 4 hours (or 8 hours on low). Then, blend the soup using an immersion blender or potato masher.

On the stove: put all the ingredients in a soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is really soft. Then, blend the soup using an immersion blender or potato masher.

Chickpea curry (vegan, slow cooker option)

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Not having a car is usually not a problem, since I don’t have to worry about exorbitant insurance costs, and I feel like I’m being green. I do, however, wish I had a car when my food stock starts to deplete. I barely ever go for groceries in the winter because I’m a wuss when it comes to the cold. When I do buy groceries, I make sure to buy canned, frozen, and fresh veggies that I can chop and freeze myself. That way, I can avoid going shopping for longer. Then, I make meals like this chickpea curry.

The only fresh produce I use in this chickpea curry are the potatoes and the onions, which last practically forever when stored properly. It takes me all of three minutes to chop them, and the rest is either taken out of my freezer or requires opening a can. I like to make this curry in my slowcooker because it literally takes me 7 minutes of work. You can, however, make this on the stove top.

If you want a more traditional chickpea curry, try my other recipe.

Chickpea curry (can be made in slowcooker)

Chickpea Curry (vegan)

Ingredients
1 can green peas, drained and rinsed – or about 1 1/2 cups frozen
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Large potato, cubed
2 small or 1 large onion, chopped in large pieces
1-1/2 cups frozen carrot and green bean combination
About 4 cups veggie broth
2 tsp each: turmeric, ground ginger, ground coriander, ground cardamom
1 tsp each: cumin, garam masala, cayenne pepper
1 can full fat coconut milk

Directions
Slowcooker: Combine all the ingredients except the coconut milk in a 6 or 7 quart slowcooker. Make sure the contents are completely submerged in broth. For crunchy veggies, set on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. I like my veggies soft so I set it overnight on low for 10 hours. About 20 minutes before it’s done, add the coconut milk. I like my curry really coconutty so I add the whole can, but you can definitely put less. Serve over rice.

Stovetop: In a soup pot, combine all the ingredients except the coconut milk. The veggies don’t need to be completely submerged for this method, so if you like less liquid in your curry, you can reduce the amount of broth. You’ll need at least 2 cups of the broth, though. Cook for about 40 minutes on medium or low heat. You want it to be boiling, but not boiling over. A few minutes before the end, add desired amount of coconut milk. Serve over rice.

Note: If you like your curry to taste really strong, you may need to increase the amount of spice. I keep the amounts of spice low so that I don’t end up smelling like curry.

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Christina Najjar - Natural Nutrition

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