I’ve been making this salad for years. It is so easy and really delicious. It’s a great side dish to poultry or fish mains (especially if they have a Mediterranean theme), and a perfect dish to bring to a picnic, potluck, or BBQ. You can make it more substantial by adding a cup or so of cooked quinoa.

What You’ll Need:

This is an easy recipe because you don’t have to be precise with the ingredients. Add more or less of whichever ones you like. I usually use the following:

• a can of pitted black olives (sliced ones or whole ones cut into halves)
• a large jar of marinated artichokes (try to find ones that aren’t in canola oil) or a can of artichoke hearts packed in water. I had a jar of the marinated artichokes on hand that someone had brought over, so I poured it into a colander and drained off the oil. The herbs in them added some flavour. Cut the artichoke hearts into quarters if they aren’t already.
• a package or so of cherry or grape tomatoes, cut into halves
• a can or two of chick peas. I had one can of chickpeas and one can of  a six bean mix on hand, so that’s what I used this time
• about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh or dried oregano and/or basil and/or prepared Italian herb mix to taste

Step 1: Mix It Up

Put all the ingredients into a large bowl, drizzle with the olive oil (add as much or as little as you like), then add the salt, pepper, and fresh or dried herbs to suit your taste. I like to start by adding a little of the seasonings, then mix, taste, add more if needed, mix, taste … you get the idea. Mix well and you’re done!

Feel free to toss in other ingredients that you think would be a good addition to this salad … maybe some hearts of palm, some fresh walnut pieces, and/or some toasted pine nuts. This salad keeps fairly well in the fridge for a few days.

Enjoy!

This is a quick, easy, economical, and delicious way to cook chicken. I first tried it at my brother’s house during one of his famous multi-course farm-to-table gatherings. He has a wonderful hobby farm where he grows loads of gorgeous veggies and also raises pastured chickens for eggs and meat. This recipe works best if you have a convection broil setting on your oven, which you’ll need to preheat to 400F (read through the instructions for alternatives if you don’t have a convection broil setting). Depending on the size of the chicken thighs and how hungry everyone is, 8 thighs will usually feed 4 people. You can make more, just adjust the amount of ingredients accordingly.

You Will Need:

• 8 chicken thighs with skin on and bone in (antibiotic & hormone-free would be good, organic would be better, pastured would be best!) – cut off excess fat and skin then wash thighs under cold running water and pat dry with paper towel
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 heaping tsp smoked paprika
• pinch of pepper (or hot chili if you like)
• pinches of unrefined sea salt (eg. Celtic sea salt, Himalayan sea salt) – I like using a coarse salt for this recipe if I have it on hand.
• a large mixing bowl
• a baking sheet

Step 1 – Make The ‘Rub’

Combine and mix olive oil, both of the paprikas, and pepper and/or hot chilis (suit your taste) in a large bowl until well blended (salt is for a bit later!)

Step 2: Coat Thighs With The ‘Rub’

Put the thighs in the large bowl and mix and massage them well until they are nicely and evenly coated with the rub. I use vinyl gloves for this to keep my hands clean.

Step 3: Into The Oven

Put the thighs on a baking sheet, spreading them out evenly. Sprinkle each thigh with sea salt and then put into preheated oven on the lowest rack. I have never bothered greasing or lining the baking sheet with anything. Quite a bit of rendered chicken fat will be on the baking sheet by the end of the cooking time. I’ll share a cleaning tip with you at the end of the recipe!

Step 4: Wait For 40 Minutes and Enjoy!

I have only ever made this recipe using the convection broil setting of my oven at 400F for 40 minutes and it has resulted in perfectly cooked, crispy chicken thighs every time. All ovens are different, so you may have to check on your chicken and adjust the cooking time – probably by a few minutes more or less. If you don’t have a convection broil setting, you will probably still get good results using a bake or roast setting – just check the chicken from time to time to make sure it’s crisping up without burning and that it’s thoroughly cooked. Serve with your favourite sides. I served this batch of thighs with my broccoli salad and baked sweet potato with some coconut oil and sea salt mashed into it. YUM!

Enjoy!

p.s. Here’s a cleaning tip for baking sheet! I have never greased or lined my baking sheet for this recipe. When you take the chicken out of the oven, let it sit on the pan for a few minutes. Use a spatula (aka a flippy thing) to lift cooked thighs from the baking to serve them. Once you’ve got all the chicken thighs off the baking sheet, put it on a flat heat-resistant surface (I use my cooktop) and pour boiling water into it and let it soak while you enjoy your meal. Once the water has cooled, you should be able to easily scrape any stuck bits and pieces off the baking sheet with the flat end of a spatula, then wash/scour the baking sheet and it should be nice and clean again!

p.p.s. In my house, the cook usually doesn’t wash the dishes! :o)

These bars were inspired by one of my nutrition students. She wanted to replace store-bought granola bars with a healthier option, and one night she brought her creation to class to share with all of us. The bars reminded me a bit of my No-Bake Date/Nut/Coconut/Chocolate Balls, so I started playing around with various combinations of ingredients to create my own bar and came up with the recipe I am sharing with you now. These bars freeze well, and you can make substitutions to many of the ingredients to suit your taste. Not only are they easy to make, they are also soooo delicious and loaded with healthy, nutrient-rich ingredients. These bars are a GREAT alternative to the commercial, highly-processed and sugar-loaded granola bars that are packed into so many kids’ (and adults’) lunch bags. If there is a ‘nut-free’ policy at school or work, you can use seed butters instead of nut butters.Give them a try and enjoy!

What You’ll Need:

• 2 cups of certified gluten-free quick oats
• 2/3 cup of your favourite nut or seed butter (I had almond butter on hand so used that)
• 1/2 cup of small organic dark chocolate chips (you could also substitute some or all of these with raw cacao nibs)
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin coconut oil
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey (I used maple syrup)
• 1/4 cup of chia seeds
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup of raw pepitas (pepitas are hulled pumpkin seeds … sunflower seeds would be good too … or a combo of both .. or any other seed you like!)
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of unrefined sea salt
• a 9 x 13 inch baking pan (you can use a 9 x 9 too; however, the end product will be a lot thicker.  I’ve tried both and I prefer the thinner ones – see what you like!)
• parchment paper or wax paper

Step 1: Mix It Up

Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. I used a pastry cutter to start things off, and then I got in there with my hands to really make sure all the ingredients were mixed together really, really, really well!

Step 2: Pack It Down

Line the baking pan with a piece of parchment or wax paper that is large enough to cover the bottom of the pan and also go up the sides. Transfer the mixture into the pan, and evenly distribute it. Then the fun begins … you have to pack down the mixture REALLY well! If you don’t pack it down hard enough, the bars won’t hold together very well. I started with my hands, then switched to a potato masher. Use whatever tool you think will give you the most even pressing power and go for it, getting right to the edges and into the corners. Once you’ve done a good job of packing the mixture down into the baking pan, put the pan in the freezer for 60 minutes (it can be longer than 60 minutes if you can’t wait around for 60 minutes … but don’t take it out before 60 minutes!)

Step 3: Cut Into Bars

Take the pan out of the freezer and by grabbing on to the parchment or wax paper, lift the frozen slab of yummy-ness out of the pan and onto a large cutting board or surface that you can cut on. Then, using a sharp knife (preferably one that is long enough to cut through the width or length of the slab), cut the slab into whatever sized pieces you want. I got 24 pieces out of my 9 x 13 inch slab. If you are having difficulty cutting through the slab, let it unfreeze for a few minutes and/or run some hot water over the blade of the knife before each cut (making sure to dry the water from the knife before each cut).

Step 4: Enjoy Now or Later

Place the cut bars into an air-tight container, separating the layers with parchment or wax paper. Keep them in the fridge to enjoy them over the next few weeks (if they last that long!), or freeze them and take them out whenever you want a healthy and satisfying snack!

Enjoy!