Natural Cravings Kitchen

PAELLA RECIPE🍤🍚🍗

Ingredients:

Meat [Chicken, Chorizo, Rabbit are traditionally used]
Seafood [Mussels, Shrimps, Clams, Escargot]
**You can use any combination or make it vegetarian!

🍚3 cups bomba or calasparra rice (arborio risotto works well as a substitute – must be a short/medium grain rice)
🍲8 cups chicken stock
🧅1 large onion, diced
🧄3 garlic cloves, minced
🫑1 large bell pepper, diced
🍃10 -15 flat green beans
🍅4 roma tomatoes, diced
🍤 15 large shrimp (feel free to add any combination of seafood)
🍗 1lbs, chicken, or other meat
🍖4 links chorizo sausages, sliced into 1-inch pieces
🌿 2 -3 tablespoons fresh thyme
🌿2 -3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
🍃1⁄2 tablespoon paprika
🍃Pinch of Saffron [soak the strands in a little warm water for at least 5 minutes before using]

Garnish:
🍃1⁄2 cup fresh parsley
🍋 Limes [Juiced/Wedges can be used as garnish]🧂 Salt & Pepper [Season as desired with each set of ingredients added]

Below is a list of veggies you can add in.
Artichokes
Eggplant
Zucchini
Carrots
Celery

✨Directions in Comments✨

Greek Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Lemony Basil Tomatoes

For the peppers: 🫑
-3 large red bell peppers [can half them if you want]
-3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
sea salt and pepper

Filling: 🥘
- ½ cup dry quinoa
- 1 x 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olive, sliced
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
**Optional: Mix in some cooked ground beef if wanting extra protein/meat

Lemony Basil Tomatoes 🍅
-1 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- zest from 1 lemon
- sea salt

✨ Feta and balsamic reduction are nice additions [if you plan on using reduction use lemon juice or white wine vinegar instead of balsamic in the stuffing ✨

DIRECTIONS:

1️⃣Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2️⃣On a baking tray toss the peppers with the olive oil, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the oregano. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the peppers are beginning to crisp on edges.
3️⃣Meanwhile, cook quinoa with 1 cup of water in a small pot for 15 minutes, until water absorbed and fluffy!
4️⃣Then toss with the balsamic vinegar, olives, toasted pine nuts,and white beans.
5️⃣Make the lemon basil tomatoes by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.
6️⃣Stuff the quinoa mixture inside the peppers. Top with the lemon basil tomato sauce.

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS ✨
INGREDIENTS – serves 4
· 1 Tbsp olive oil
· 1 small yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)
· 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
· 1.5 lbs ground beef
· 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes**Optional
· 1 jar tomato sauce or pasta sauce [~24oz or 650mL]
· 1/2 tsp paprika
· 1/2 tsp dried thyme
· 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
· 2 tsp honey or coconut sugar
· Water or Chicken Broth to thin out* Optional
· Salt
· Pepper

· 1/2 small head green, napa or savoy cabbage, chopped in around 1-2 inch pieces (around 3-4 cups) *Napa is my preference

Garnish
· Juice from 1 lemon
· 2-3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

🍃For vegetarians [or a heartier dish] – sub beef for 1 cup cooked rice and ~14 oz cooked red kidney beans🍃
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a deep skillet or a pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add in onion and saute 2 minutes, add garlic and saute 10 seconds longer. Push to one far side of the pan.
3. Add ground meat, season with salt and pepper.
4. Let meat brown on bottom about 3 minutes then continue to cook and break up, tossing occasionally, until cooked through, about 4 minutes longer.
5. Drain excess fat. Return to heat add in tomatoes, tomato sauce, paprika, thyme, marjoram, coconut sugar. Bring to a simmer.
6. Toss in cabbage, season with salt and pepper to taste, reduce heat to medium-low cover and simmer, tossing occasionally, until cabbage is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Cook longer for more tender cabbage.
7. **If adding cooked rice & beans do so here and stir in. Cook uncovered for additional 2-3 minutes.
8. Garnish with lemon juice & parsley

PLANT BASED COOKING 🌱

Just another way of saying a diet filled with colourful vegetables. It is safe to say that one of the few things everyone can agree on in nutrition is that it is never a bad idea to consume more plant-based foods. This does not necessarily mean vegetarian or that you need to become one to be “healthy.”
Fun fact: Tom Brady is vegan for 80% of his week. However, I doubt he began his career like this. So, wherever you are at, it does not hurt to start incorporating some more colour into your meals! Here a few easy ways to add some nutritious plants into your everyday life! 🧑‍🍳
➡️ HERBS! The easiest way to add herbs in is to keep a nice stash of freeze-dried herbs in your pantry. Fresh is not always best and I understand most do not keep a stash of fresh herbs on them at all times. And no one uses that much dill.
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➡️ FROZEN VEG! Not the prettiest, but this is a great way to ensure you always have some produce to add to each meal and it is just as nutritious!
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➡️SHAKES/SMOOTHIES ! Sounds gross but there are plenty of smoothie recipes online to get a few extra servings of veggies throughout your day. Several brands also sell green/veggie powders which are super easy to add into any shake/smoothie!
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➡️SOUPS & STEWS! This is a great tactic if you aren’t a fan of eating whole vegetables. Both soups & stews require a longer cooking time allowing the vegetables to incorporate into the food or blended!
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➡️COOK/ROAST! Roasting vegetables in some olive oil, salt & pepper is an easy way to make a delicious side to any meal. Cooking your vegetables lightly also allows for easier absorption, especially for those with digestive concerns!

Looking for a quick and easy snack recipe to mix into your weekly routine? Try these Peanut Butter Oat Chocolate Energy Balls 🥜
The best part is all of the ingredients are common staples you likely have in your pantry. Check out the recipe below! 👇🏼
1 cup old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter
1/2 cup ground flax seed (can sub extra oats instead)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional) - feel free to add any seed or nut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
🍃Combine oats, peanut butter, ground flax seed, chocolate chips, honey, chia seeds, and vanilla extract together in a bowl.
🍃Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator 30 minutes.
🍃Remove dough from refrigerator; roll into balls, about 1 inch in diameter.

@ Toronto, Ontario