These muffins are awesome with a morning smoothie or as a quick "grab and go" snack.  They are nutrient dense, high in fibre, gluten free and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup wheat free rolled oats

2 tsps baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup (35g) ground flax (optional)

2 large eggs (or 3 tbsp ground flax) 

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup olive oil (Eirini Polmariou recommended, light lemony flavour)

1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)

2 cups (260g) shredded carrots (about 4 large)

1/2 cup unsweetened shred coconut

1/2 cup (75g) raisins or other dried fruit

1/3 cup (64g) unsalted chopped pecans (or your choice of nut)

*Note: If using eggs add to wet ingredients; flax add to dry ingredients.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease a muffin pan (12) with olive oil (or line with paper muffin cups)

Mix the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and flax together in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup, olive oil, applesauce, orange zest and vanilla together until combined

Add the dry mixture to the wet and combine, do not over mix.

Fold in carrots, coconut, fruit and nuts.

Spoon the batter into muffin pan or liners, filling them all the way to the top.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.  Let cool and enjoy.

Who doesn't love Chocolate Mousse?

We found this awesome recipe at Abbey's Kitchen Science and Sass and fell in love with her site.  Abbey's Kitchen is full of healthy recipes and nutrition tips that are backed by science.

Abbey is a Registered Dietitian (RD), food and nutrition blogger, award winning cookbook author, a YouTuber, TV host and the founder of Abbey’s Kitchen Inc.

Thank you Abbey for sharing your knowledge with great honesty and "sass"!

With fresh organic spinach and a mustard dressing, this flavourful salad is a summertime favourite and a perfect main dish for a healthful plant-based lunch.  The citrus adds sweetness, bitterness and colour.  Feel free to mix it up with other fresh leafy greens, use tangerines instead of oranges and add in some roasted nuts for a little crunch.

You'll need:

• 1/4 cup  High Phenolic EVOO
• 12 small beets (unpeeled)
• 1/2 small red onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 large blood orange
• 1 grapefruit
• 1/4 cup red wine or balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 12 cups fresh organic spinach
• Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Place beets in a medium baking dish and coat with a light drizzle of olive oil.  Cover with foil and bake until tender. (Approx. 1hr 15mins).  Let cool, then peel and quarter.
• Meanwhile, place the sliced onion in a small bowl, add vinegar and a pinch of salt, mix well and let stand for about 1 hour.
• Peel orange and grapefruit and remove the pith and release the fruit sections from the membrane. Cut into bite size pieces.
• In a separate bowl, whisk 1/4 cup olive oil with dijon mustard and the vinegar from the onion slices.  Salt and pepper to taste.
• In a large bowl add the drained onion, spinach, beets and citrus.
• Lightly toss and drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss well again.

Options:

• For a less vinegary dressing, reduce the red wine vinegar from the onion slices by half.  Instead drizzle over individual servings with a Balsamic Glaze.
• Top with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and almonds for extra flavour.

Fresh herbs love olive oil!

Typically, we Canadians reach for butter to roll our corn in or slather onto potatoes and vegetables.

If you are looking for healthier solutions, try replacing butter with high phenolic EVOO, a superfood and the most healthiest when it comes to monounsaturated fatty acids.

We love these Herb Bombs @freeyourfork, they add delicious flavour to your meals, they're easy to do and a perfect solution for preserving your herbs for the winter ahead.

Herb Bomb Recipes

Who doesn't love fast, simple ways of getting more fruits and vegetables into their daily diet? WE DO! WE DO!
Try this Green Breakfast Smoothie, it's dairy free and full of cancer fighting ingredients and can bring a boost to your day!

Start with -  1 tbsp of High Phenolic EVOO
3 cups water
1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen or fresh pomegranate arils
1 inch fresh ginger
4 cups fresh greens; kale, spinach or collards (or all 3)
10 leaves fresh mint
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp flax meal
1/2 cup Frozen broccoli florets
Juice of 1 Lime

ENJOY!

Need an easy pasta recipe?

Tasty and simple.

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti • 2 tablespoons salt • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil • 8 garlic cloves minced • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes • 2 teaspoons lemon juice • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

First bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt to the water. Add the pasta in and cook according to the package. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat for a minute or two. Add in the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain your pasta and put it in a large mixing bowl. Pour the olive mixture, lemon juice and parsley. Toss the pasta until it is coated evenly. Serve & Enjoy!

Most often olive oil is used at the lunch hour over salads or reserved until dinner and used for marinades and sauteeing. However, since olive oil is the healthiest monounsaturated fatty acid, it is wise to use it with all meals and replace butter or margarin with olive oil!

So, when it comes to breakfast, how can you incorporate olive oil into your daily regime? It's easy!

One simple way it to take a tablespoon each morning on an empty stomach, either on its own or with some lemon.

When it comes to eggs, you can fry them in olive oil, like Pamako Monovarietal for a deliciously peppery flavour, or drizzle over a hard boiled egg and add a dash of pepper.

Tip: Keep some hard boiled eggs in the fridge, ready to go for a quick easy snack, or to add to your lunch.

Having homemade granola on hand is also great for an easy go to breakfast or for a satistfying mid-morning healthy snack!

Follow this link for the full recipe.

Enjoy!

Guacamole is a great dip to use with Quinoa Crispbread or Kale Chips. We also love to keep this healthy side to add to salads or dinner. You can make ahead and keep sealed and refrigerated for 2-3 days. Tip: Once you have finished preparing, place the pit in the storage bowl to help keep the dip from browning.

• 2 small ripe avocados, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (this is optional, if you like the heat)
• 4 cherry tomatoes, remove seeds and finely chopped (also optional)
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon (2ml) sea salt
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) freshly ground pepper

1. Mash the avocados with a fork in a medium glass bowl
2. Add the jalapeno pepper, cilantro, salt and pepper and continue mashing with fork until well combined.

Feel free to top with fresh red onion slices, diced tomato and parsley.

YUM!

Having homemade healthy snacks on hand is easy to do, and will help keep you focused on your health goals. We love this heart healthy hummus, smooth and garlicky. For a variation on flavour, stir in some olive tapenade. Serve with Kale Chips or Brown Rice crackers or veggies!

• 1 (19 ounce/540 ml) can of organic chickpeas, drained (reserve the liquid) and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) tahini (sesame seed butter)
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon (2ml) sea salt
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) freshly ground pepper
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, we recommend Laconian Legacy, (we love the rich lemony flavour)

1. In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper. Pulse until combined
2. With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube, continually pulsing until the mixture is smooth. If after a couple of minute the hummus is still chunky, add some of the reserved chickpea liquid and process until smooth.
3. If serving right away, garnish with paprika and fresh parsley

We do, we do!!!! And if you don't agree, well perhaps you haven't tried them. So here it is, SIMPLE KALE CHIPS ready in 20 mins! Tap our bio for the recipe!

Yeild: 2 to 4 Servings

These are a great substitute for potato chips.

• 1 Bunch of Kale
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) extra virgin olive oil, we recommend Drop of Life Organic 
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 375deg F (190deg C).
2. Remove stems from the kale
3. Wash and dry the leaves and tear into bite-sized pieces
4. Drizzle leaves with olive oil and sea salt. Toss to coat leaves thoroughly
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place kale on top
6. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, until edges are brown, but not burnt.

Serve as is or try them with homemade Hummus or Guacamole

Enjoy!