Panko crusted turkey meatballs and beet pomagranate salad

These turkey meatballs are very quick to make and they are great to freeze for quick meals. Give them a try!

Meatballs

1lb ground turkey

diced green onion

diced hot peppers of choice

1 egg

2 tbsp soy sauce

1tsp salt

1tsp pepper

(optional add fresh or powdered garlic)

Panko break crumbs

olive oil

In a bowl whisk together green onion, hot peppers, soy sauce, egg, salt and pepper. Once blended add in turkey and mix well. Add in 1-2 cups panko bread crumbs. You want enough so it drys your meat up a bit and helps keep the mixture together. Once mixed heat a pan on medium with olive oil in the bottom. Place 1-2 cups panko breadcrumbs in a bowl. Roll small amounts of mixture into a ball and roll in your breadcrumb until covered then place in heated pan. You can load up your pan and you will notice your turkey balls soak up a lot of oil so you will continue adding oil as they cook so they stay crisp. Flip them once they are medium/dark brown on the bottom. Squish them down a bit after flipping. Once cooked try not to devour them all before sharing with your family. I speak from experience. 

Salad

Chopped beets, mixed greens, pomegranate seeds, tomato, feta cheese and Italian dressing.

Bonne appetite!

Jambalaya Katie Style

Canadian Thanksgiving was a wonderful evening of listening to the family discuss what we are all thankful for. Having a 6, 5 and 2 year old tell us what they are thankful for is ridiculously adorable. Such sweet moments. 

For dinner we went super traditional...oh wait. No. We didn't.

This Jambalaya recipe is something I through together and though I am not a recipe follower I do recall what I through in. If you are wild and free just toss this recipe together as I did. A dash of this and that, your set!

16 Prawns

1lb chicken tenderloin 

5 Turkey sausages (spicy)

2 green peppers

1-2 hot red peppers

1 jalapeno

1 onion (white or yellow)

1 can tomato sauce, ideally pretty plain.

Salt

Pepper

Jerk spice

celery salt

Cook your turkey sausage in advance. Cook chicken in cubes until almost cooked through, then set aside.

Chop your onion and cook in saucepan until clear, add in chopped jalapeños and hot peppers and cook until fragrant on medium. Add tomato sauce (I use hunts traditional in the big can, I am fancy like that). Add in your salt, pepper, jerk spice and celery salt. Add in your chicken and chopped up turkey sausage and green pepper. Once that has cooked for 2-3 minutes add in your prawns. Once they are cooked through serve immediately and enjoy the flavor sensation. Joy. 

Rainbow food

I have been enjoying the joys of shopping at the famers market again. It was tough for a few years with three very little children but now I am so lucky to have moments with just 1 again, and it takes me back in time. So my littlest and I go explore the food and his little grubby hands reach for all the beautiful veggies and fruits. Its pretty amazing. And of course I must chase him around before we leave while lugging all my food. Pretty great. So here are some of my recent meals that inspire me to create a rainbow effect. Joy in my eyes, joy in my belly, joy in my heart. 

Beets, basil, heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, avocado, red pepper and champagne vinaigrette. 

Cashews, pomegranate seeds, red peppers, basil, heirloom and cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinaigrette. 

Gorgeousness

Poached eggs, paprika, franks hot sauce, mixed lettuces, tomatoes, avocado, cashews.

It's not my fault.

How often do we find ourselves looking for a way to blame ourselves. Yes taking ownership for your own actions and their outcomes is important...but what I am discussing goes beyond that. We have this need to place our ego onto things where it has no place, no home. For example we blame ourselves for the way people feel. I don't want them to feel bad so I won't say that. Spoiler alert, its not your fault. We certainly can be aware of our words, but when you speak from a place of love and non-voilence or ahimsa, we can only take ownership for our own feelings. To the receiver of the information, it is their choice how they want to interpret. This is just one example, however today I am navigating my physical body. Perhaps it is not my fault. I struggle with accepting this. Do not get me wrong, that doesn't mean I am going to run out and eat a donut, because I know I will then feel awful. I know how food effects the way I feel and there is no doubt I can ease my pain through proper nutrition. But I heard a whisper of a thought last night. Katie. What if it's not your fault. Can you let go of blame? Can you let go of shame? Trust me I have enough of a nasty storm in there without this hassle :) I refuse to dismiss my body speaking to me. I am blessed with strength and love around me...and talk about ahimsa as I put my beliefs onto the people around me. Telling myself they are judging me? Who does that serve? I certainly don't feel good about it. So here we are again my sweet little non-violent friend. It is not my fault. Today I am letting go of blame and shame. I can only hope that I will have answers one day, but in the meantime I will continue on in my own badass way.

Katie

Green Smoothie Heaven

Green Smoothie Heaven

I have started really enjoying super green smoothies. I can honestly say I do not love salads lately. I get annoyed thinking about eating them. Realistically this is just a little short term thing but in the meantime I am fulfilling my green food dosages by loading up smoothies with heavenly delight. 

3 cups spinach

1 banana

1 carrot

1 tbsp kale powder

1 tbsp peanut powder

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup almond milk

3-4 mint leaves

I keep forgetting to add avocado but I am not feeling too badly about it. Try this out and enjoy! 

Katie

Truth

I am lusting to blog. I missed sharing my food and thoughts. I think that moving into a really good place recently in a spiritual and physical manner has allowed me to come back to certain enjoyments I had left behind. So this is me. The ever evolving creature, I do love change.

Recently I have been challenging myself to be fearless in my posts and actions. Typically I feel that I am true to who I am but slightly holding back. So I am letting that go. I have been posting a lot of images on instagram lately that I normally would not for fear of showing too much or being too bold. Then I realized that in order to be the best of who I am, I have to get out of my own way and be bare and raw and beautiful. So I have challenged

myself. Whatever image that speaks to me, I create. I post unapologetically. Sometimes I make people uncomfortable but that is for them to delve into why another person brings up feelings. I am on my own journey and I plan to do not harm and only share love and kindness but sometimes I am not nice and I swear when I should listen and I fight when I should surrender. I am learning. This is my evolution. My physical strength and flexibility keep growing because I am becoming more flexible in my mind and sturdy in who I am. It is all connected.

Spicy Cilantro Orange Chicken

Spicy Cilantro Orange Chicken

This past week I have fallen in love with nourishment again. Finally! I always strive to fuel my body but some times the time/preparation/shopping factor becomes too much. Having three kids and a busy schedule does make life daunting at times. But my inspiration and love of color has never left me completely. It was the first ripe persimmon of the year I picked, the vivid color and deliciously sweet flavor that did something to me.

Here is the recipe and please keep in mind I never measure, I throw things in a pan so this is all just estimates. Taste as you cook! Or go with it, you never know.

3-4 chicken thighs

4 oranges

3-4 Orange and yellow carrots

1 cup(ish) french beans

1/2 onion

1 jalapeno

2 spicy peppers of your choice. Something pretty.

1 green pepper

2 stalks of green onions

Cilantro to taste

Soya Sauce

Sweet Chili Sauce (TJ's)

Coconut Oil

Cook your chicken thighs and use 1 tbsp coconut oil. I cook mine until they are not quite cooked all the way so when I put them back in with the meal they are perfectly juicy and not overcooked.

Drain fat and set aside your chicken. Once cooled remove any excess fat if you like.

Add 1 tsp coconut oil into a clean sauce pan (I use a deep sided sauté pan) and throw in your hot pepper and jalapeños and onion. Saute until onion is almost clear. Throw in your chopped carrots and add in the juice of your oranges. Add in some soya sauce and sweet chili sauce and allow these all so cook for a few minutes together. Add in french beans, green pepper and chicken. Check the flavor to ensure you have enough orange juice, soya sauce and sweet chili sauce. Allow this to cook few just a few minutes. Put the green onion in about 1 minute before you are ready to eat. Once plated add your cilantro and enjoy!