Pesto Template
Easy recipe for a pesto template. A brilliant way to support your liver, and provide your body with a cornucopia of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients!
Happy New Year, my goodfoodies! I wish for you the most delicious and nourishing year yet, in 2018.
I thought this would be the perfect time to share with you a recipe I share with my clients. It's a template for any kind of greens you have on hand, helping to increase the intake of these delicious vegetables (read up on why you should eat your greens here!). It's a flavour booster that can easily re-invent leftovers into something delicious and new. I always have frozen ice cubes of pesto in the freezer at the ready. You can also choose to freeze them in portioned bags like Melanie at Full Bloom Herbals does it. (Thank you Melanie!)
This recipe calls to use whatever nut or seed you have on hand. It goes without saying that properly activating your seeds/nuts before eating them will increase your ability to digest them, and provide you with a better variety of nutrients too. Activate/sprout/soak if you can! (Or purchase ones already sprouted.) In my cilantro pesto, I find a combo of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds is divine.
As for the greens, you can mix and match or use up what you have in your fridge already. If you're looking to use some cilantro, I love the combo of one bunch of cilantro (properly washed! - it's grown in sand and can often impart a grittiness if not washed properly first) with a bunch of arugula. When trying new combos for the greens, think a cup of leafies like spinach or kale, and 1 cup of aromatic herb like basil or mint; do a whole 2 cups of spinach if that’s what you have on hand. I love using sorrel as one of my greens, this perennial grows readily in the garden, and can be found in the early days of spring.
PESTO TEMPLATE
2/3 cup of nuts or seeds
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 cups of greens
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup of good quality olive oil (I love the olive oil at Blue Door)
METHOD
- In a blender or food processor, pulse your nuts and/or seeds in order to mince.
- Add the remainder of your ingredients except the olive oil to the blender or food processor and pulse again to roughly combine.
- Mix in the olive oil by hand at the end, or drizzle it in bit by bit with the food processor. Store in a glass jar in the fridge and plan to use up in 5 days. Alternately, freeze all leftovers in to an ice cube tray for 3 days, and then pop out in to labelled freezer bags for easy retrieval.
This is my most favourite flavour upgrade. You could add some sundried tomatoes to the end product as well to add a tomato flavour. Toss in a handful of edible flower petals if it is deep summer and your garden is plentiful. Play with the flavours and ingredients! Keep it dairy free when you make it, and consider only adding something like a good quality Romano or Parmesan at the time of meal assembly. It offers you more versatility with an extra big batch.
How to use this pesto: use a cube of pesto tossed in to a few handfuls of shredded cabbage, carrots and mushrooms and cook up in a pan; use it to toss with roasted spaghetti squash strands, along with bacon and a bit of creme fraiche; toss in a cube or two with some roasted veggies (tomato, corn and peppers) to make a kind of pesto-ish side salad; toss some pesto in with a pound of ground meat and some minced mushrooms for an easy and flavourful dinner idea, wrapped in lettuce leaves; use some pesto with some shredded leftover chicken, add in some chili powder and use that on top of greens with a delicious homemade caesar dressing. Add a few cubes in with your leftover gravy, thinned with more meat stock and some shredded meat and voila, Soupe Pistou! What way would you use this pesto? Comment below!
Now go play with your food! And may your 2018 be your most delicious year yet.
The VITALITY Sessions: A New Series (or - a little story about me.)
Consider this a health & wellness guide for your body, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes and every nook and cranny in between. Whether you're well versed in life things or looking to make sure your dance card is full with life for a long time, I invite you to join me at the kitchen counter to talk about all things Optimal Health and Vibrant Aging.
It's September 1st, the time of New (School!) Year around here. I'm pretty stoked to let you know of a new series I have developed. I call it The VITALITY Sessions. This series has been a long time coming. I am really looking forward to this, and am stoked to let you in on the details!
I should start at the very beginning.
This whole thing started right after I dropped my girl off for her first day of Grade One. A pretty big day in most parents' and kids' books I'd say. I dropped her off, fended off some tears and shone with pride at how beautifully confident she waltzed right in to Ms. Fichter's class. I made my way out of the school, commiserating with other parents, and marvelling at how big of a day this was.
And then I made my way to my car.
And I thought ok. This is good. This is great!
Now what?
I hadn't even thought about what I would do after dropping her off. How I would plan to fill my days. I mean I had a few contract jobs to tend to; I had worked for many years in the arts & broadcasting sectors and had a few contracts lined up with podcasts, festivals to curate, and musicians to befriend and encourage. But that wasn't full time. And the economy in this part of the country was starting to head south. One of the usual first casualties in this scenario? The Arts.
Yep. I was soon low on work. And soon thereafter, had no work. I had to do something. Dropping my kiddo off to Grade One that day came right towards the end of the no-work-in-the-arts period of my life. 20 years in the Arts behind me, what would I do next?
I toiled around with a few ideas, and took on a job of Teacher's Assistant for a little one with special needs a few afternoons a week. That wasn't enough to fill my plate (nor my appetite for meaningful work!).
I started to dream of something I had put on the back burner many years ago: the idea of making meals for those who no longer wanted to cook. And by meals, I mean healthy meals, from scratch. Soups, roasts, simple dinners. Nothing fancy, but nourishing stuff. And I wanted to make these meals for those more experienced in life than me (read = older/wiser). I mean for those who spent years caring for us, working hard to make this a better world, how could we not look to care for them in return? A can of soup is not the best way to show you care, nor to say thanks for all you have done.
I approached the Chef who was, at the time, leading the Lunch Program at my daughter's school. I asked him if I could take him out for a cup of coffee and pick his brain about this idea I had, and if he would have any tips or recommendations on where to get started. He did me one better. He offered me a position in the Lunch Program Kitchen, helping to pull meals together (from scratch!) for the students of the Calgary Waldorf School.
My schedule worked around my work as a Teacher's Assistant, and provided me with a brilliant opportunity to see first hand the ins and outs of figuring out how to put together meals for big groups, how to make it nourishing and cook from scratch, how to not waste a thing. It was an enlightening experience. I learned how to operate a commercial kitchen, and how to make and serve foods for a wonderful community of littles.
I spent two years in that kitchen. We made all kinds of good things from homemade Mac and Cheese to Butter Chicken, homemade biscuits to Beef Stew. We catered a few big events. We started fermenting (yes we did! preserved lemons in fact!). Based on my initial wish to learn to make easy and simple meals for seniors, Chef Stephen and I started a take-home dinner program for busy parents who were looking for a healthy dinner option they could take home when school let out at the end of the day. I learned a lot. I prepped a lot of whole chickens for roasting, and countless pounds of roasted potatoes and lemon broccoli. I learned some tricks, tried out new recipes (Moussaka! Eggplant Parmesan! Pulled Pork Carnitas! Stock/Broth!) and really was inspired to play with my food. We even hosted a few cooking classes. (So fun!)
But it also led me to so many questions - why exactly were we cooking the way we did? What was the power of the good food, and what was the science behind it all? These questions and curiosity led me to further my education. I took the one year program in Natural Nutrition from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, earning the title of Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant in the fall of 2014.
And I've been dabbling in many things since graduating. I have led classes on fermenting, cooking from scratch, understanding the power behind our food choices. I have put together countless articles and information sessions on a variety of topics, always zeroing in on the power behind our choices when it comes to the foods we put on the table and in our bellies. I've worked one-on-one with clients on empowering them to make those good choices in the grocery store and in their kitchens to best support their sweet selves.
I started a whole series on the importance of our food choices, and how to properly prepare in order to ensure optimal health. (Intro to GoodFoods) But it's time to get back to the thing that got me in to this.
The desire to support optimal health and wellness for our elders in the community, the folks who have come before us is the spark behind this new series.
It's called The VITALITY Sessions, and the first three instalments of the series were a success in the fall of 2017. For this new year of 2018, I am re-running the first three instalments and adding in a fourth! Read on...
Who this series is for: for anyone looking to support optimal health as we age, would also be of value to someone who is caring for a parent or elder. It is also about sourcing our foods well in order to ensure optimal health.
What this series will feature: each class will be tailored to a specific topic, organ or system in the body. The first three topics are BONES, BRAIN and HEART health. A fourth has been added, focusing on the GUT.
What can you expect in a class: we will start with a brief exploration of what the organ or system's work is in the body, and then go on to highlighting those foods and food choices that will best support the organ or system. I will go over teas and superfoods (elixirs!) that would best support. You will receive a folder with the list of these foods and teas, along with five recipes that are aimed at supporting this system or organ.
Will there be food: oh yes there will be food. I will demo one or two of the recipes from the class notes, so that you can see how easy it is to prepare these foods at home and have a taste as well, to know what to expect. We're all about skill-building, you see. And one of these classes (BRAIN) you will prepare your own ferment to take home.
Consider this a health & wellness guide for your body, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes and every nook and cranny in between. Whether you're well versed in life things or looking to make sure your dance card is full with life for a long time, I invite you to join me at the kitchen counter to talk about all things Optimal Health and Vibrant Aging.
Let the Vitality Sessions help light the way. Full details on the run of classes by clicking on the Classes/Events tab up top.
Hope to see you at one of these classes!
This Intro to GoodFoods Series. Today, we ferment.
This whole Intro to GoodFoods series I am developing in 2017 is based on the idea behind how best food and nutrition can serve our needs when it comes to reducing inflammation. And when I talk of reducing inflammation, I also speak to the importance of digesting like a pro. This is about the power of our food choices and food preparation ways in order to best support our health journey on this planet. It involves people, farmers, producers, cooks and dedicating a bit of every day in to the kitchen. This is #foodismedicine my friend.
This whole Intro to GoodFoods series I am developing in 2017 is based on the idea behind how best food and nutrition can serve our needs when it comes to reducing inflammation. And when I talk of reducing inflammation, I also speak to the importance of digesting like a pro. This is about the power of our food choices and food preparation ways in order to best support our health journey on this planet. It involves people, farmers, producers, cooks and dedicating a bit of every day in to the kitchen. This is #foodismedicine my friend.
If you have a body and are looking to reduce inflammation, then this series is for you.
If you are working on a new health diagnosis and want to know how food can be of support, then this series is for you.
If you're farty and constipated and you dread going to the loo, then this series is for you.
If you are tired, foggy brained, in chronic pain, have an autoimmune disease, then this series is for you.
If you struggle with skin issues, then this class is for you.
If you are feeding yourself or someone with a brain-centered or nervous system-centered diagnosis like ADHD or ALS or MS, then this series is for you.
If your adrenals are tuckered right out, then this series is for you.
If your mood is at an all time low or your anxiety at an all time high, then this series is for you.
If your hormones are out of balance, you are having a hard time conceiving, have to take a few days out for your period every month, then this series is for you.
If you have an intestinal related diagnosis like Crohn's, IBS, diverticulitis or IBD, then this series is for you.
If you are keen to ensure health and vitality as you age, then this series is for you.
If you are curious to know how food can support you, then this series if for you.
If you are a health care provider or health coach and want to understand the power of food, then this series is for you.
The whole series will kick start again this fall. In the meantime, this first go-round brings on Class #4 in the series this afternoon at 1pm at The Light Cellar. We're talking the power of fermented foods. You should come. I have enough ingredients for a few more folks to just show up and register at the door. Come.
You do not have to take the classes in order for it to make sense. Today's class is about you learning to craft your own homemade probiotic rich ferment in order to best serve your intestinal tract and every other organ in your body. All disease begins in the gut, see? And this is a brilliant place to start.
Register for this class by heading to this link. See you there!
Video Podcast Feature - Recreate Your Relationship to Food
From The Light Cellar:
In this episode you will hear from Luka Symons where the first part of our conversation Luka shares what I described as the idyllic childhood in terms of being raised on whole foods. However what you will then hear is how she rebelled and her then subsequent journey with food and nutrition and how we all can learn from and grow from every choice and circumstance.
From this interview I know you will find a lot of gems and value in what Luka shares about being a parent and helping our children with their food choices as well as we draw a parallel to society as a whole and where we’re at collectively in our cultural journey with food and nutrition.
Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with Malcolm Saunders, one of the owners and creative visionary at one of my favourite local shops, The Light Cellar. If you have yet to walk through the front doors at the Light Cellar and find yourself in Calgary, I urge you to check them out. The selection of products is carefully curated, sourced from reputable sources offering our bodies the nourishment to shine from within. Their staff are helpful, supportive and very knowledgeable. They are at 6326 Bowness Road in the North West. Tell 'em Luka sent you.
Malcolm has a new video podcast series of talks he calls Recreate Your Relationship to Food. He uses this platform to connect with local and not-so-local folks who are deeply entrenched in the world of nutrition, food, herbs, digestion and superfoods. Folks he has invited in through this series include Yarrow Willard of Harmonic Arts, Derek Fleming from New Earth Organics, Deborah Morgan from Kids Health Revolution to name a few.
He asks really probing questions, they are well thought out and he expertly leads the conversation to dig deeper. I invite you to settle in for this recently published video podcast to hear a bit about my back story, and my philosophy on foods. Read below for the intro to the video, then make yourself a warm cuppa something delicious. And comment below on what this talk brings up for you! If you have any questions, or further observations, I'd love to know what you're thinking.
Many thanks to Malcolm for his generosity of spirit, and his curiosity. It was a super fun chat, as it usually is with Malcolm.
Enjoy.
From The Light Cellar:
In this episode you will hear from Luka Symons where the first part of our conversation Luka shares what I described as the idyllic childhood in terms of being raised on whole foods. However what you will then hear is how she rebelled and her then subsequent journey with food and nutrition and how we all can learn from and grow from every choice and circumstance.
From this interview I know you will find a lot of gems and value in what Luka shares about being a parent and helping our children with their food choices as well as we draw a parallel to society as a whole and where we’re at collectively in our cultural journey with food and nutrition.
This was a very fun and lively conversation. Luka has fantastic energy and is a wealth of practical knowledge which you are about to discover through this interview.
You will learn:
- When is it too late in your own journey and relationship with food
- The role of a nutritional consultant as it relates to your journey
- How to empower your children on their own journey with food and nutrition including accepting the rebelling
- What is leaky gut - what is it specifically, what does it mean and how you can begin to heal it
- The role of bacteria and the gut in physical, mental and emotional health
- The connection between food traditions, generations and our collective cultural journey and how that is playing out for each of us individually
- The deeper aspects of food and its environment and how it affects us
- and so much more!
New Class Series for 2017
Intro to GoodFoods: new class series for the new year!
Kittens. I am putting together a new five-part series of classes for the new year, and I'd love for you to take part. Come to one, come to a few, or come to all five. There will be a bonus all-day Food and Gut Lab where we will play in the kitchen too. All in the name of optimal health!
I am running the classes one a month at one of my favourite spots in town, The Light Cellar starting mid-January. Particulars will be broadcast in the new few days, but I wanted to let you know right now of what I have cooking in the name of optimal health here for you.
For now, the deets:
WHAT IS IT: The Five Fundamentals of the power of food and food preparation, in order to best support your health journey.
WHAT IS IT CALLED: Intro to GoodFoods
WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT ENTAIL: the classes are broken down into 5 topics, and each class will run 2 to 3 hours in length. One weekend block a month from January to May.
IS IT HANDS ON? Some classes will be, some will feature demos. All will feature handouts and resources you can take home in order for you to easily integrate these concepts in to your own kitchens.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND THESE CLASSES? This series of classes is for the person who is looking for direction on how to navigate the food world, and making it work for them and their family. This is for the person who needs support with a chronic health condition, anyone with inflammation in their body. Anybody with a sudden diagnosis wanting to know how best to support their bodies through the work ahead would find value in these classes. Anybody having a hard time sleeping, a hard time digesting, super farty or super gassy post-meals. Anybody with brain fog. Anyone looking to conceive soon. Anyone with new littles in their lives and wanting to make sure they are getting good nutrition. Anybody with an elder in their lives they are providing care for, wanting to know how best to support the body. Anybody with a body requiring good fuel for the day. These classes are for you if you are wanting to ensure vitality and health in aging. Really, these classes are for anyone wanting to understand how food choices and food preparation ways are important in supporting everyday good health.
WHAT WILL YOU GET OUT OF THESE CLASSES? Applicable knowledge and practical tools to make goodfood an easy and delicious thing. There is no abstaining here, just celebrating. And it's all delicious.
WHAT IS THE BASIS OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED? This information is steeped in the traditional food practice at the heart of the Weston A Price Foundation, and broken down into digestible morsels to provide you with the knowledge and how-to to be successful.
WHO IS LEADING THESE WORKSHOPS: Luka Symons, a dynamic yyc based Holistic Nutrition Practitioner. She loves food, good flavours and adores connecting with people. She comes by this information honestly, having worked through chronic pain and autoimmune issues for herself. She has witnessed the power of good food with her little one too!
Intro to GoodFoods Class #1:
The Basic Concepts of Traditional Food Preparation for Best Nutrition (January 14)
Intro to GoodFoods Class #2:
Navigating Fats (the good, the bad and the ugly) (February 26)
Intro to GoodFoods Class #3:
Optimizing Nutrition from Nuts + Seeds + Beans + Grains + Legumes (12 March)
Intro to GoodFoods Class #4:
Fermented Foods - their power, the science and the how-to (April, TBA)
Intro to GoodFoods Class #5:
Eating for Nutrient Density - what does it mean? (May, TBA)
Intro to GoodFoods Gut + Food Lab:
A day in the kitchen, playing with foods and flavours (spring, TBA)