Tag Archives: healthy recipes

Watercress Soup with Cauliflower & Apple

Posted in Soups & Salads by

Watercress is a superfood containing over 18 vitamins and minerals and should be eaten shortly after picking for nutritional benefit. While watercress is bitter in taste, it pairs beautifully in this recipe with puréed cauliflower and apple for a savoury-sweet, balanced flavour. 
watercress soup milkandmarigolds.com-4

In many ways, springtime is like New Year. Spring can ignite excitement over the opportunity to start over fresh and to make healthy eating choices. This simple, easy to make watercress soup by Milk and Marigolds is spring inspired and full of freshness and flavour.  This recipe is also free of dairy and gluten.

To find more recipes, visit milkandmarigolds.com or @milkandmarigolds 

Watercress Soup with Cauliflower & Apple

Prep Time: 15 minutes                Cooking Time: 40 minutes 
Author: Milk & Marigolds.          Serves: 2 (easily scalable)             

Ingredients 
1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 cup (225 mL) cauliflower, roughly chopped
3 tsp of stock bullion powder or 1.5 to 2 cubes (preference)
3 cups (680 mL) water
2 1/2 (560 mL ) packed cups of watercress, stems removed
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
ground pepper to taste

Garnish Suggestions
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
drizzle of coconut milk
roasted, crispy cauliflower

Equipment
A blender

Instructions

1.  Begin by removing the stems of the watercress. While the stems are edible, they are quite bitter. Throughly wash and drain the watercress. Set aside and reserve a 1/2 cup worth of raw watercress for garnish (refrigerate until it is needed).

2.   Meanwhile, roughly chop the cauliflower and mince the onion. Then peel, core and roughly chop a Granny Smith apple.

3.   In a medium sized pot, set the heat to medium and then add 1 heaping tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add in the onions and lightly sauté for a couple minutes before adding in the chopped cauliflower and apple. Continue to sauté for 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly browned.

4.   Then add the water, stock cubes/powder and salt to the pot. Cover and bring to a light boil for a couple minutes, then simmer on low (while still covered) for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.  

5.   Meanwhile, chop up the 1/2 cup of watercress for garnish and prepare any other desired garnishes. For more garnish suggestions visit milkandmarigolds.com

6.    Add in the 2 cups of watercress right at the end and blend immediately. Blend until smooth or until desired consistency is achieved. 

7.   Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with chopped watercress. 

Milk & Marigolds © Copyright 2015

Rustic Shiitake Mushroom Soup with Fresh Dill

Posted in Soups & Salads by

 

DSC_1034-2

My mushroom soup is easy to prepare. I often make a double batch to keep lunches simple & healthy throughout the week. This recipe is gluten-free, low in carbs and full of flavour. Let me know how you enjoyed it and tag your outcome @milkandmarigolds

Continue reading →

Italian-Thai Mango Salad

Posted in M&M Travel, Soups & Salads by

mango salad, antipasto, thai food

Satisfying, fresh and simple to prepare, serve this antipasto salad at your next soirée.

It was around this time last year that I visited Thailand. Several breathtaking days were spent in Phuket and touring the exquisite Phi Phi Islands. The movie, The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio helped make these islands especially famous (which I’m sure many of the locals are now cursing). The most well-known beach, “Maya Bay” is home to a few rangers who help to protect the land.

thai food, thai recipes, mango salad

Some of the best snorkelling can also be experienced here and monkey viewing if you’re into that. Monkeys can be seen from the shores of Monkey Beach. Sadly, these animals have become somewhat reliant on boating tourists to feed them. Our guide informed us that visitors will throw food and even bottles of beer and soda onto the beach.

Astonishingly, these little guys have even learned to open bottles. I was glad to see that some of the guides are discouraging it and are trying to educate travellers on such actions.

After exploring and sampling many of the local tasty and fragrant foods, the remainder of the trip was spent in Bangkok which was like going from zero to 100 in seconds, but that’s a whole other story…

thai food, mango salad

Italian-Thai Mango Salad

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 large ripe mangos
¼ small sweet red onion
Handful of fresh mint & basil
5 thinly cut slices of prosciutto
Extra Virgin Olive Oil to taste
Fresh lime juice to taste

Directions

  1. Bake prosciutto for a few minutes until crisp, watch carefully not to burn. Set aside and break apart once cooled.
  2. Cut mango into chunks and halve some of the cherry tomatoes, keeping some whole. Thinly slice about a quarter of a red onion.
  3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and then plate onto a platter. Squeeze some lime juice to taste and drizzle olive oil over top.

Milk & Marigolds Says…

Keep tomatoes out of the fridge to help develop full flavour. If you don’t have lime, substitute with lemon.

Copyright 2015 © Milk & Marigolds

 

 

 

 

 

Pesto Zucchini Noodles with Cherry Tomatoes, Artichokes & Shrimp

Posted in Mains by

zucchini noodlesFor the most part, I like to think I demonstrate a healthy measure of self-control. For instance, I’ve learned to avoid getting groceries while ravenous and that shopping for a new wardrobe after consuming a few cocktails is not always the brightest idea (although that leather jacket really does go with everything).

But catch me in the checkout aisles of a certain department store where the latest “As Seen On TV” culinary tools and toys are displayed, and I’m put to the test. I mean, who can honestly resist a vegetable spiralizer named The Veggetti?

Continue reading →

Avocado & Cilantro Hummus Party Dip

Posted in Appetizers by

avocado hummus. vegan

Smooth and creamy, this dip is inexpensive and easy to prepare. Bring it to that swiftly approaching potluck or serve it at your next soirée. Pair this deliciously healthy dip with corn chips, fresh veggies or spread it on sandwiches or burger buns.

Continue reading →