Cambodian Spring rolls with Spicy peanut Hoisin Sauce

These spring rolls are amazing, they are fresh and healthy! You can use frozen shrimp but I would recommend getting fresh. If you dont like shrimp feel free to sub chicken or pork too!

If you live in Ottawa there is a wonderful Fish market on Merivale in Nepean. Great stuff!

Ingredients 

12 large Shrimp raw
6 rice paper rolls
2 cups Rice vermicelli noodles (really fine ones)
1 cup lettuce chopped
1 Cucumber Julienne style skin left on
1 carrot grated
basil leaves

Boiling water to soften rice papers

Sauce 
1 Tbsp Peanut butter Mixed with 1-2 Tbsp hot water
2 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
splash of Sriracha
1 Tbsp smashed Peanuts


Ok for this Recipe I made 6 Spring rolls and bought 12 extra large raw spring which ran about $11.00. the rest of the ingredients are very cheap, so buy good shrimp.

First I cooked the Shrimp in Olive oil with Salt, Pepper, paprika & Garlic Powder. About 5 minutes set aside... let cool. remove tails

Than cook your Vermicelli  noodles about 2 minutes in boiling water, drain them quick and run them through cold water to stop the cooking, if you have a salad spinner give them a spin and spread them on a plate to dry out a little.

Chop up vegetables so they are ready for wrapping.

Pour boiling water in a dish big enough for the rice papers to lay in. Dip the rice paper in and turn over till it is easy to move around. Place it on counter and add lettuce, Cucumber, carrot noodles, Basil than place two shrimp in front of the rest of the ingredients (in that order )..

Wrap forward once than fold sides in, than wrap till tight. you don't want it too tight or it will break, and too loose it will fall apart. It might take a few tries to get right so have a few extra rice paper rolls handy! Roll it Like a Burrito :D

to make the sauce add Peanut butter to dish, add hot water stir . Add hoisin mix well add peanuts & sriracha for desired heat.


Enjoy :D

Vegan Butternut Squash, Chick Pea & Lentil Soup - Day 2 Dinner

• 
  
• Vegan Butternut Squash, Chick Pea & Lentil Soup
• 
  
• This soup is amazing! It is vegan but tastes meaty and hearty. Try it out
  Its even better the second day, but its ready quick in under 30 minutes
  
  Calories per serving 350 
• 
  1 tsp (5 mL)  ground cumin
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
• 2 cups (500 mL) chopped, peeled butternut squash
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) chili powder1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) tomato paste
• 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) lentils, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock
• 1 strip lemon rind
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped fresh parsley
• 
  
•  In Pot, heat oil over medium heat; fry cumin for 1 minute. Add squash, onion, garlic, chili powder, pepper and salt; fry, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 
   Add lentils, chickpeas, stock and lemon rind; simmer until squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Discard lemon rind. Sprinkle with parsley. 

Wonton soup - Dinner day 1

This is a high sodium recipe but feel free to use a natural chicken broth to make less salty

Calories 390 fat 14.0g sodium 2,108mg 

For the Soup

• 2½ cup chicken stock
• 2½ cup water
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 to 4⅛-inch thin fresh ginger root slices (approximately 1 oz.)
• 2 green onions, cut in halves
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Wonton Filling

• 4 oz. ground pork
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine, or Vinegar)
• 1 tsp. cornstarch                                                  
• ¼ tsp. sugar
• ¼ tsp. sesame oil
• ¼ tsp. ground fresh ginger root
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1-2 green onion, finely chopped
• small pinch of black or white pepper
• 
  
• 20-30 square wonton wrappers
• 
  Got this recipe from http://seonkyounglongest.com/?p=5323
• 
  In a medium/large pot, add all ingredients for the soup. Cover, bring it to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let all the flavor come together. Meanwhile, let’s make wontons!
  In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the wonton filling and mix well with a spoon until cornstarch incorporated with other wet ingredients. 
• Take a wonton wrapper on your left hand(if you are right handed) and paint edges of square lightly with cold water using your finger tip. Put ½ teaspoon of filling in center of wrapper. Fold in half, triangle shape and seal it tightly by pinching edges together with your fingers. Paint one of lower side corners of triangle with water and bring right and left corner together (water painted side down) and press well to make traditional curved wonton shape. Place wontons1 to ½-inch apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until you finish with wonton filling and wrappers.
  When you are ready to cook them remove solid pieces from broth Carefully add wontons and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Wontons will be fully cooked in 3 minutes, but cook it longer so all flavor from wontons will melt in to soup. Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste at this point. Garnish with Parsley & green onion 

Coconut Oatmeal with flax seed - breakfast day 1

This is a wonderful recipe and no need to add any sugars! The coconut milk has a natural sweetness

Coconut Flax Oatmeal (quick)

1 can Coconut milk
1/2 C water
1/4 C Shredded Coconut

 (sweetened or unsweetened for less sugar)
1-2 tbsp flax seeds
pinch cinnamon
1 C quick Oats ( Or 1 1/2 c for thick oatmeal)

Bring Coconut milk, Water, shredded coconut & Flax seeds to a light boil. Add the Oats and cook about 5 minutes or until it reached desired thickness. Serve and If you like it a bit sweeter add some real maple syrup or Honey after. You can also add some Bananas or Pineapple.

Its a nice warm island version of oatmeal :D Enjoy

This is only 240 calories
without any additional sugars or fruit.

January 4th Starting my new journey

 Hello All! I'm Getting healthy in the kitchen. Using my fitness pal app and trying to loose 2 lbs a week. that is 1,780 Calories a day. Here I will share my recipes for breakfast, lunch , dinner and sometimes snacks that stand out to me. It will help you plan your full day meals staying within the calorie amount. So lets begin this journey together .....