Christina Najjar

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie (Paleo, Vegan)

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For someone who doesn’t eat sugar, the struggle to find a pumpkin spice smoothie recipe can be real. Recipes tend to be sweetened with bananas, maple syrup, or honey (or any combination of these). For those who can tolerate natural sugars, that’s great.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Smoothie Christina Najjar

I’ve been focusing on completely sugar free foods for a number of reasons lately. For one, my hormones haven’t been cooperating with me. Over the last two months, all my sugar has come from vegetables (except for the occasional alcoholic beverage). It’s funny how much of a difference that alone can make. My energy levels are up, my moods are more stable, cramps have significantly reduced, and I’m more in control of my body in general.

The other main reason I’ve been experimenting with sugar free foods is that there has been a need for it with my clients. People who find their way to my office have all kinds of health concerns that require completely cutting out sugar. This ranges from Lyme Disease to leaky gut (digestive disturbances) and PCOS.

And of course, the issue that most people who go see a nutritionist have in common, adrenal fatigue, improves much faster without eating sugar. Click here to read more about adrenal fatigue. It’s the kind of health issue that needs to be addressed right away to improve most other health concerns.

This pumpkin spice smoothie is surprisingly good. I was actually kind of skeptical it would be palatable when I was making it. I find that protein powders have a way of reducing the enjoyment factor of most smoothies. Usually, the stevia is too overpowering for me. It just blended right in with this recipe though. The texture is also great. It’s thick and creamy, no chunkiness. It tastes like a dessert which is perfectly acceptable to have for breakfast.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie (Paleo, Vegan)

Ingredients
1/2 cup ice
1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used my homemade almond milk)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Genuine Health Fermented Vegan Proteins+)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
OR can sub in pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice
Optional: A few drops of Stevia

Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a blender in the order listed. Serve right away. Makes 2 cups (1 serving).

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.

Mexican Spiced Chicken (Paleo)

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This Mexican spiced chicken came to be because lately, I feel like I keep eating the same meals over and over., Finding time to constantly come up with something new and palatable feels draining at times. I don’t want to buy condiments or spices for something I’ll be making one time. Then I would have to store the remainders, and I so badly want to downsize my kitchen. Every time I move, I have more boxes for all my kitchen stuff than for the rest of my apartment combined.

Mexican Spiced Chicken

Additionally, easy recipes tend to require ingredients I choose not to eat when I’m at home. Why when I’m at home? You may already know this about me, but I very much believe in an 80/20 lifestyle. 80% of the time, I eat really healthy things that makes other people cringe but that I absolutely enjoy. Then, when I go out, I’m free to enjoy anything I like, as long as it respects my food sensitivities.

This Mexican spiced chicken worked out well because I got to come up with something new to make using things I already had at home. It’s easy and quick to put together.

Mexican Spiced Chicken

Ingredients
4 chicken legs with backs, skin on, bone in
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
To taste: salt, pepper, cayenne pepper
OR use a Mexican spice blend

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F.

Rinse the raw chicken and dry with paper towels. Mix the spices together in a small bowl and spread evenly between the four pieces of chicken.

Cook the chicken for about half an hour or until fully cooked. If you like your chicken extra crispy, broil until the top is brown, but watch it closely. Serve with vegetables for a complete meal. Makes 4 servings.

Curry Kale Chips (vegan, paleo)

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I present you with… curry kale chips! I have a confession to make. I’m addicted to curry. Honestly, I’ve thought of curry-ing pretty much everything I eat. I mean, things that you would never think of flavouring with curry spices. Like kale chips. Or roasted pumpkin seeds. At least my addiction consists of a healthy spice blend, instead of something bad.

Curry Kale chips

I woke up in the morning and considered going to yoga, but since I did two back to back yoga classes the night before, I opted for a calm day, free of the stress of the one hour commute to the yoga studio (and the hour on the way back). So, I stayed home and made kale chips.

I like this snack because it contains antioxidants, minerals, and fibre. Plus, it can satisfy snack cravings really easily. It contributes to your daily intake of vegetables but has the flavour of a good afternoon snack. Don’t get me wrong. I would eat this as my morning snack in a heartbeat. Hell, I’d even make these curry kale chips part of my breakfast. But I do understand that others don’t enjoy savoury foods for breakfast.

Curry Kale Chips

Ingredients
1 small bunch kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cardamom
Optional: cayenne pepper to taste
Salt to taste
(You can just use curry powder instead if you prefer)

Directions
Preheat over to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash and dry the kale. Remove ribs, tear into bite-sized pieces, and place on the baking sheet. Add the oil and the spices and toss to coat evenly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, taking it out halfway through to toss around.

4 Ingredient Beet Radish Salad (vegan, paleo)

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I’m not the biggest fan of beets, but this beet radish salad is one way I’ll actually somewhat enjoy them. I make it when I need to incorporate raw beets into my diet. Beets and radishes support the liver, and I know that my liver can always take a bit of extra help. Raw beets are also a great food for platelet health, and they have anti-cancer properties. You can read more about the health benefits of beets.

4 ingredient beet radish salad

If your digestive system has been known to cause you problems, proceed with caution. Raw beets can be difficult to digest because of its high insoluble fibre content, or, simply put, “roughage”. If you’re new to beets, it’s also important to note that in 10-15% of people, consuming beets can temporarily alter urine colour. The pigmentation will also show itself in stools, so don’t panic! You could probably make a movie (a funny one, too!) out of all my reactions when I’ve forgotten that I ate beets the night before.

If you haven’t worked with beets before, I will warn you that your hands will be a funky colour by the time you’re done cutting everything. You can wear gloves when cutting beets to avoid that. Otherwise, washing your hands with soap a few times should take care of it.

4 Ingredient Beet Radish Salad

Ingredients
1 large beet or 2-3 small beets, peeled
1 large watermelon radish (aka pink radish) or 2 small watermelon radishes, peeled
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/2-1 tsp chili power (or to taste)

Directions
Peel and chop (or julienne) the beets and radishes. Zest the lime, and then juice it over the beets and radishes. Add the chili powder and mix well. This beet radish salad will store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Acorn Squash Wedges (vegan, paleo)

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Happy December! Thankfully, this year hasn’t been too too cold just yet, unlike last year. I am trying to eat more seasonably, though, so I’ve been eating quite a few root vegetables this winter. I had actually never tried making acorn squash until yesterday, but I figured I really should. It turns out that acorn squash is one of the easiest winter squashes to cut. The first time I made spaghetti squash, it took me about 20 minutes just to cut the damn thing open.

Acorn squash wedges

I won’t try to take credit for this recipe because there are all kinds of variations on these online. I just figured I’d make this a little more allergy friendly. I enjoy this way of spicing acorn squash. It plays with the squash’s natural sweetness and gives it that warming quality. Make sure you have a sharp knife before starting, or you may end up fooling around for a while, or cutting yourself.

Acorn Squash Wedges

Ingredients
2 acorn squashes
2 tbsp coconut oil, preferably in liquid form
1-2 tbsp coconut palm sugar (or to taste)
Salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F (or preheat it when you’re done cutting the first acorn squash).

Cut the squash into wedges. To do that, use a sharp knife to slice off the top to remove the stem. Then, slice the acorn squash where there are ridges.

Place the wedges into an oven-safe pan. Spread the oil and coconut sugar evenly between the wedges, then add salt, pepper, and chili powder.

Cook for 20 minutes. If sauce starts to accumulate at the bottom of the pan, pour it back onto the wedges. Continue to cook the squash for another 20 minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes before eating, but serve it hot.

Ginger Carrot Butternut Squash Soup (paleo)

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I have a tendency to buy pre-cut butternut squash, but today, I decided to peel and cut a whole one for ginger carrot butternut squash soup. I feel like I’ve barely taken my face out of my books recently. I remember when I was younger and my mother told me that cooking was an enjoyable break from her work, and I thought she was strange. I definitely understand the feeling now. As much as I enjoy what I study, it’s nice to see some colour, instead of black words on a white page.

Ginger Carrot Butternut Squash Soup

I’m sad to say that we now have snow. I suppose I should expect it, but I never seem to get used to it. The weather’s been making me crave warming foods. A hot soup really helps, but I wanted that extra little bit of warmth, so I thought ginger was in order. No regrets.

Ginger Carrot Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
1 small squash, chopped (Check my butternut squash recipe for help on chopping it)
4 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 inches gingeroot, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, pressed
4-6 cups veggie broth (just enough to cover the rest)
Salt and pepper to taste
A bit of oil for frying

Directions
Heat a bit of oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the ginger and toss around for a minute or so, until the ginger starts to brown a bit. Add the onion and garlic and toss around until the onion is translucent. Add the carrots and squash and toss around for about a minute.

Pour in the broth. If you like your soup thick, add in just enough broth to cover the veggies. If you want a thinner soup, you can add an extra cup or so. Boil for about half an hour, or until the carrots and butternut squash are soft, then remove from heat.

With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, you can add a bit of coconut milk to make the soup extra creamy.

Healthy(ish) Candied Walnuts (paleo)

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Happy Halloween! I have chosen this day to come back from the dead to bring you some candied walnuts. In my rather long absence, a lot has changed in my life (for the better). I finally started nutrition school. I thought it was going to be great. In reality, it is so much more. I get to learn about the topic I love the most, in the method I love the most, that is, holistically, with amazing and supportive people around me.

Candied walnuts made with coconut palm sugar or maple syrup

I’ve been on a bit of a candied walnut kick, lately. I can’t tell you how many batches of these I’ve made since Canadian Thanksgiving. I don’t think I’ve made them twice the same way, though. Since starting nutrition school, I’ve made a commitment to myself never to buy white sugar again. So, I decided to provide you with two recipes of candied walnuts (which can also be used with pecans, by the way) in order to let you decide which way you prefer your refined-sugar-free candied walnuts. While I very much enjoy both recipes, my personal favourite is method #2, though it doesn’t win by much.

Healthy(ish) Candied Walnuts

Method #1

Ingredients
1 cup walnut halves
3 tbsp maple syrup

Directions
Line a baking sheet (or any flat surface) with parchment paper.

Over medium heat, combine the two ingredients in a medium saucepan. Toss the walnuts around in the maple syrup every minute or so until the maple syrup starts to bubble slightly. At that point, start mixing it more often. As the walnuts become more difficult to toss around, make sure to keep them moving, otherwise you’ll end up with a big sticky blob.

They’re done when there no longer is any maple syrup swimming at the bottom of the saucepan, and the syrup on the walnuts starts to look granulated (about 5-10 minutes). At that point, quickly transfer the walnuts to the baking sheet and spread them out to prevent them from sticking to each other.

Let cool and transfer to an airtight container.

Method #2

Ingredients
1 cup walnuts halves
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Toss every 30 seconds or so for the first 2-3 minutes. After that point, keep the walnuts constantly moving.

They’re done when the oil-sugar starts to get really sticky and looks darker (about 5-10 minutes). At that point, quickly transfer the walnuts to the baking sheet and spread them out to prevent them from sticking to each other.

Let cool and transfer to an airtight container.

Chocolate Nut Butter Chia Balls (vegan)

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Chia balls are a great solution to a need for an easy snack. They combine nut butter, chia seeds, and rolled oats to provide a variety of nutrients. Because the chia seeds in this recipe aren’t exposed to much liquid, they’ll expand in your stomach to keep you feeling full longer. For that reason, make sure to drink enough water after eating these chia balls.

Chocolate nut butter chia balls

It feels weird to say that at this time tomorrow, I will have sat through the last class of my undergrad. I think I was a little worried I wouldn’t make it. My final exam will be next Monday, and then I’m really actually done. Last week, I officially got my spot in nutrition school. Things are finally coming together. It feels good! I decided to ride the “high” and make the chia balls after work. These really don’t require too much work and are loaded with nutrients.

 

Chocolate Nut Butter Chia Balls

Ingredients
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup nut or seed butter of choice
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp cocoa powder

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then roll into 1 inch balls with your hands. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

Braised Rutabagas (vegan, paleo)

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Every once in a while, I feel the need to try a new food item. Until a few months ago, I had never had rutabagas. The student-run convenience store on campus sells curried butternut squash. Inspired by that meal, my friend started making it at home. She encouraged me to do the same, so I figured I should. The beauty of it is that you can use any root vegetable. Because rutabagas are so good for you and I never include them in my diet, I figured I’d give them a try.

Once you look at the recipe I’ve posted, you’ll notice that the recipe is not for curried rutabagas. Outrage, right? I make everything curry… But sometimes, I just want to not smell like curry. So, when I made this meal today, I went through my spices and improvised this blend.

I think this is the first time I’ve used the word “braised” in a recipe title. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t know exactly what braising was until today, when I was trying to figure out the right name for this dish. It turns out to be a cooking method where you lightly fry the ingredients, and then you let them cook in a covered pot.

Braised rutabagas

Braised Rutabagas

Ingredients
About 1 lb or 1/2 kg cubed rutabagas
1/4 cup veggie broth
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp herbes de provence (or other herb blend, if you can’t find it)
1/2 tsp onion powder
Garlic salt to taste
Oil for frying

Directions
Heat a bit of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the cubed rutabagas and toss around for about a minute. Add in the rest of the ingredients, reduce to medium low, and cover. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until the rutabagas are nice and soft.

Serve over rice.

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Christina Najjar - Natural Nutrition

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