"Healthier" 5 Layer Nacho Dip

We all know the classic 5-layer dip and we all know how unbelievably unhealthy it can become if we use ingredients such as high-fat sour cream and tons of cheese. These ingredients are what make a nacho dip an absolute home run for me but I thought I would try to make a healthier version of this much loved party-favourite. Here’s what you’ll need:


INGREDIENTS:

Diced tomatoes

Shredded iceberg lettuce

Diced green peppers

Fat-free yogurt

Shredded low-fat cheese (which ever cheese you prefer)

Salsa (this is optional - I'm going to skip since store-bought salsa has a very high sodium content)

Taco Mix

PREPARATION:

1. Mix yogurt and taco mix to create 1st layer of your dip.

2. Place one layer of lettuce on top of the yogurt mix, followed by 1 layer of tomatoes followed by 1 layer of green peppers and finish off with 1 layer of shredded cheese (Note: in the pictures, I opted to put the cheese directly on my nachos with additional lettuce and tomatoes which I then heated in the oven)

5 Layer Dip - yogurt, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers & cheese (I decided to place the cheese directly onto the nachos instead of placing it as a layer on the dip)

Voila, you are all done. One healthy nacho/chip dip ready in seconds! As you can see in the pictures, I opted to place the cheese directly onto the nachos which I then placed in the oven on broil for about 5 minutes. I also added some additional lettuce and tomatoes onto the nachos. Besides the chips, this is a pretty healthy dip. If you wanted to be uber healthy, I would skip the chips and use this as more of a vegetable dip!

These are the nachos I made to go along with the dip - cheese, tomatoes & lots of lettuce!

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Home-made Fruit Flavoured Water (Newest Obsession!)

Recently, I've been trying to drink ONLY water. To be perfectly honest, I've gained a little bit of weight over the winter months and I thought that one of the best and healthier ways to lose that weight would be to cut out the fizzy sodas and juices and just drink plain ol' water. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. For those of you that have tried this in the past, you know what I mean. Water just tastes so blah in comparison to orange juice or coke (two of my past go-to drinks). I know that there are a lot of flavour packs for water on the market like crystal light and what not but I've been trying to go all natural. In attempt to making my water taste more flavourful, I have begun adding fruit to it and letting it refrigerate over night. The end result is a naturally sweetened and extremely refreshing flavoured drink. For those of you interested in making your own, here is what you'll need:

Ingredients:
1.   1 Pitcher of Water
2.  Fruit (which ever you prefer)
3.   1 Lemon or 1 Lime (which ever you prefer)

Preparation:

1.   Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon/lime into a glass pitcher

2.   Slice your fruit and add to lemon/lime juice (more fruit = more flavour)

3.   Add water to pitcher until full to top

4.   Leave in refrigerator over night

Voila, you are all done! In the morning, you should have some tangy yet sweet flavoured water. This recipe is so simple! The more fruit you add, the more flavourful your water will become! Keep in mind that you want to choose fruits with a higher sugar content so that they will actually sweeten your water! You could also add some mint leaves or other herbs if you want to be really fancy.

PS - When I don't have the time to actually cut up the fruit (or I'm just too lazy), I use frozen fruit which does the same trick (actually if you heat up the fruit in the microwave, the sugars are released which you can add to the water to instantly sweeten it up! You'd just need to give it an hour or two to chill).

What do you think of this simple DIY flavoured water?

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Saturday Night BBQ ft. Licks Nature Burgers - July 27th, 2013

Tonight, we headed over my uncle's place for a late night BBQ. As I've mentioned in a previous food blog, my family adores their meat however, the Lick's Nature Burger is the one veggie burger that they all seem to LOVE - as much as their actual meat burgers! The Lick's Nature Burgers come in the following packaging:

Click here to see if your local retailer sells these amazing burgers (can also be purchased at Licks stores)!

Here is a photo of our food on the BBQ. Here we have 2 Nature Burgers and some golden delicious apples which we'll be eating for dessert! Throwing the apples on the BBQ really brings out the sweetness. This is a healthy yet delicious dessert that's bound to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Finally, here are some photos of the final product:

This my burger and I decided to top it with everything: ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles, tomatoes and onions! I figure if I'm going to treat myself to a burger, I want it to be a darn good burger! 

Here is the finished BBQ apple. Typically, my uncle would throw a dollop of ice-cream in the middle and then finish off with some whip cream however since I'm on this health kick, I opted for the plain ol' apple. Still super sweet and super delicious! 

Have you tried the Licks burgers before? Which one is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!

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Lemon Butter Bread (ONLY 5 Ingredients?!?)

I was initially going to post a recipe for my homemade garlic butter bread however, after experimenting with several different butters, I realized that I enjoyed my lemon butter bread the most. I wasn't going to dedicate a whole blog post to this because it is SO simple to make however, this deliciousness just had to be shared. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
1) 1 Lemon
2) 1 tbsp. Butter
3) Salt
4) Pepper
5) French Crusty Bread

Preparation:
1) Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a bowl
2) Add 1 tbsp. butter, salt & pepper to bowl
3) Heat mixture in microwave for 40 seconds or until melted
4) Cut French crusty bread into slices 
and using pastry brush, apply butter glaze onto bread
5) Place glazed bread into oven at 350 degrees until golden brown (2-5 min)

Voila, you are all done! You should now have some delicious lemon butter bread; ready to devour. The bread literally acts like a sponge; soaking in all of that lemony goodness! Here's a quick tip: when I'm pressed for time, I skip the whole oven business and pop the glazed bread into a toaster!

Try out this super quick and easy lemon butter bread and let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments below!

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Marilyn Monroe Cafe - July 18th, 2013

Today one of my good friends and I decided to head over to the Marilyn Monroe Cafe. To be honest, I was planning on meeting up at the typical coffee spot (i.e. Williams or Starbucks) however, she suggested we check it out and I thought why not. Let me just say that I am so glad that we decided to go because this place is absolutely adorable! Don't believe me? Well, I took some pictures to prove just how exquisite this cafe really is (because I knew that words simply would not do it any justice):

Outside Marilyn Monroe Cafe - there is a cute wrap around patio!

The front counter and display at Marilyn Monroe Cafe - so many cute desserts!

The seating situation on the main level of Marilyn Monroe Cafe. The have some really comfortable booths with cushions and pillows as well as some stand-alone tables. I appreciated the fact that they had electrical outlets so you could bring your laptop to the cafe and get some work done! 

Stairs leading to the upper level of the cafe (pictures below).

Upper level of Marilyn Monroe Cafe - nice, large sofa, individual tables and a great view of the counter from above.

I ordered a double chocolate cupcake and an iced white tea sweet pomegranate (they freshly brew your tea as soon as you order!)

Since this cafe seemed so posh, I was under the impression that prices were going to be ridiculously high however they were very reasonable and a whole lot cheaper than the cult-favourite Starbucks. Marilyn Monroe Cafe also seemed to provide a LOT more variety in both beverages and food! Below are some images from their menu:

Overall, I am extremely impressed by this little establishment. Not only were the drinks and food great, but the staff was so kind and friendly. If it were closer to where I lived, it would definitely become my new go-to coffee spot!

Location:

350 Lakeshore Road East

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

L6J 1J6

Phone Number:

(905) 844-5800

Hours of Operation:

Sunday 7 am-10 pm

Monday 6 am-10 pm

Tuesday 6 am-10 pm

Wednesday 6 am-10 pm

Thursday 6 am-10 pm

Friday 6 am-11 pm

Saturday 7 am-11 pm

What do you think of Marilyn Monroe Cafe? Let me know in the comments below!

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Healthy Sunday Family Dinner - July 14th, 2013

This was an impromptu dinner. I wasn't expecting anyone to come over on Sunday night but seeing as no one had any plans, we all decided to get together at my place! Given I only had about an hour and 1/2 before everyone arrived, I had to whip up something super fast. As many of you may not know, I am a vegetarian and therefore everything I make is vegetarian. If you're coming to my place and I'm cooking, you probably won't be getting any meat option (unless I decide to buy a take-out meat dish which I HATE doing because I figure that if someone is coming over to my place, I really ought to spend some time and effort into making a nice nutritious meal). 

Since this was a last minute get-together and it was quite late into the evening (around 7-8 PM), I opted to make some healthier and lighter dishes (plus I'm on this health-kick right now and I want everyone to get in on it). So this is what I made:

Oven-roasted sweet potatoes, garden salad, garlic bread and peppers & paneer

Since most of my family is NOT vegetarian, I was expecting a few moans and groans about the 100% vegetarian dinner however, it was a HUGE success. My uncle even went as far to say that this had been the best vegetarian meal he has ever had and that even though it was super healthy and light, he still found it filling. He also mentioned that if he ate like this every day, he wouldn't need to exercise anymore (I do not recommend this but you get what he meant). 

Had this dinner been earlier in the evening, I would have also created some sort of pasta option but since we were all going to head off to bed soon after, it didn't make sense to eat a load of unnecessary carbs. 

With everything said and done, I feel pretty content with my performance for the night. After all, if these dishes were able impress a group of diehard meat-eaters, who wouldn't feel great :)

MaquillaGINA

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World's Best Guacamole (trust me!)

I've never been a fan of avocados. For some reason, I always thought they tasted quite eggy. It wasn't until I perfected my guacamole recipe that I started to eat avocados religiously. Granted this isn't the fanciest guacamole out there but it's super simple, easy to make and absolutely delicious. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
- 1 Medium Avocado (soft)
- 1/2 Small White Onion (optional - you can always substitute with a different type of onion [ex. shallots, green, red])
- 1/2 Lime
- 2 tbsp. Heinz Ketchup
- 1 tsp. Crushed Cumin
- Salt
- Black Pepper


Preparation:
1) Create the sauce by combining 1/2 lime juice, 2 tablespoons Heinz Ketchup, 1 teaspoon crushed cumin with salt and pepper to taste in a bowl
3) Finely chop 1/2 small white onion
2) Add the chopped onion and 1 medium-sized soft avocado to the bowl and crush with fork whilst mixing in the sauce (if you enjoy a more smooth guac, then throw all of these ingredients into a blender).

Voilà, you are done! One World's Best Guacamole ready for you to devour. When I'm trying to be extra healthy, I take a couple tortilla chips and crush them into my guac (as opposed to eating a whole bag of chips). You still get that amazing crunch from the chips without eating a bunch! 

TRY OUT THIS RECIPE AND LET ME KNOW IF IT REALLY IS THE WORLD'S BEST GUACAMOLE!

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Richtree Natural Markets Restaurant - July 13th, 2013

I always pass by Richtree Natural Markets Restaurants (click on the hyperlink to visit their webpage) and I never bother to order anything spectacular. I usually get the regular penne pasta with marinara sauce (something I could easily make at home). This time, my friends and I decided to hit up the crêpe/waffle bar. I never thought of Richtree as much of a dessert place but I can safely say that their desserts are INFINITELY better than their real food (in fact, I could probably make the food better at home so it's always somewhat of a disappointment eating there). Here are some images of the masterpieces:

Mixed berries waffles with French vanilla icecream, whipping cream and chocolate sauce with a side of berry lemonade (add $2.49).

Mixed berries crêpes with  plain vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. 

There is actual a crêpe/waffle artisan that makes the scrumptiousness right on the spot. If you've never seen anyone make a crêpe before (not so much the waffle because that goes straight into a waffle maker so it isn't as fun to watch), I think it's worth stopping by and taking in the experience.

The only downside to this whole situation was the ridiculous price! Granted you get a HUGE portion but the total came to around $15 with taxes. I think that's a little pricey for a bistro type restaurant. Here's the total breakdown: about $9 for crêpes or waffles with mixed berries (I think if you get a singular fruit like banana or mango, it's a $1 cheaper), about $3 for 1 scoop ice-cream and an additional $1 for whipping cream (chocolate sauce is free of charge). 

To be perfectly honest, we were going to hit up a stand alone crêpe place which would have been 1/2 the price and just as delicious however, it was no where to be found (guess it went out of business - sigh). However, we decided Richtree was worth the splurge as you don't eat these things every day and what's better than to enjoy some high-fat, high calorie and high in deliciousness crêpes/waffles with some of your dearest friends! 

PS - Here's a little secret (that I feel most people already may know). If you hit up Richtree a half-hour before closing time, all of their packaged food goes on sale for 50% off. This excludes the crepes and drinks (as these are not packaged goods) however, most of their baked items like muffins, quiches, cookies and cakes are all 50% off including their pastas and sandwiches.

Let me know, what is your perfect crêpe or waffle combination? 

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Peppers and Paneer

Peppers & Paneer is one of my go-to recipes that everyone absolutely adores. I could literally eat this every single day and GUESS WHAT; it's actually quite healthy for you!

• Sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange)
• Brar Paneer (1/2 pack)
• Yogurt (1 cup) [thicker the consistency, the better the marinade will adhere]
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2 tbsp)
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Turmeric
• Paprika

Preparation:

1) De-core and slice your peppers (and other vegetables)
2) Cut your paneer into even cubes

3) Prepare your marinade by mixing 1 cup yogurt with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch each of the following: salt, black pepper, tumeric and paprika (if you can't tell by now, i'm not a big fan of precise measurements)
4) Add the peppers and paneer to the marinade and evenly distribute 

5) Apply plastic wrap over mixing bowl and place in fridge over-night (this is an optional step; when I'm pressed for time, I start cooking right away)

Cooking:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit 

2) Place peppers and paneer into a large baking dish and place in oven on bake for 20 minutes

3) After 20 minutes, broil for additional 10 minutes

Voilà, you are done! Finish it off with a squirt of lemon or lime juice if you want a nice tang. Your peppers and paneer should be crisp on top with some nice charring due to the 10 minute broil. The beauty of this dish is that you can throw in other vegetables to make it uber healthy (I opted to add some mushrooms, zucchini and eggplant this time around). 

TRY OUT THIS RECIPE AND LET ME KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVED IT IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

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