Here is my last version of my corn and bean salad base recipe which I have been experimenting with this month. This recipe was delicious and is my favourites discovery! It was also one of the easiest to make.

The flavour highlights of this salad are the love chemistry of Corn LOVING Carrots, Celery and Pumpkin Seeds. And youpiee!.... these ingredients tend to also be more affordable. To learn Secret #4 for Delicious of Everyday Healthy note this flavour pairing :-)

Below is version 3 of my corn and bean salad base. Learning how to make something once and use it 2+ times, (with variety of course!) is Secret #3 for the Quick of Everyday Healthy. While this recipe was not my fav per say, it was still good and could be improved with a few alterations (noted below). I am sharing this in the spirit of appreciating that any learning journey comprises of both successes and opportunities for learning ;-)

Secret 2 for making Everyday Healthy Quick is to learn how make something once and use with variety throughout the week.  As organic corn is season, plentiful and affordable, I chose to make this vegetable the feature of my bean salad dish. (see previous post for initial inspiration) This past week and a bit I have put the salad to the test to see if it is worthy enough (aka delicious and convenient) for the everyday.

One of the secrets to making everyday healthy Easy, is to be able to look at one ingredient and have several ideas come to mind for how to use. Right now, as part of my exploration to incorporate Spring liver loving foods into my everyday, I am experimenting with Swiss Chard. I have included Chard on my Produce Shopping List for Everyday Spring Westcoast Cuisine Psst...I like to re-use the same shopping lists to make everyday healthy more convenient. 

Last week I used Swiss Chard to make a suprisingly delicious apple ginger green smoothie, with everyday pantry ingredients I usually have on hand. Having at least one delicious idea for Swiss Chard come to mind, makes buying this green veggie somewhat less daunting. Yet, to get really comfortable with this new ingredient, I am inspired to discover more everyday delicious uses.

When I asked for your suggestions on Facebook, someone mentioned that Swiss Chard tastes good in salads if  the leaves are finely chopped. So I put the tip to the test in a Spring version of my Everyday Salad.

I always see people making big salads with the most expensive organic produce like chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers ~ I think because they do not know what else to use. Yet these ingredients will make your grocery bills add up. To save $$, make your Everyday Salads using affordable...

...carrots and beets! Not only are these colourful roots less expensive than their salad counterparts, they store a long time in the fridge. So if you do not get to using your veggies right away they will still be alive 1 or sometimes 2 weeks later :-)

In my books, grated carrots and beets, are the tastiest way to use these veg. I do not have time to grate them everyday so I shred a big batch using my food processor :-)

I shred enough to last 2 - 3 days by storing in an air tight glass container :-)

Remember these? The save-you-$$ everyday superfood.....dehydrated sunflower sprouts! In case you missed my previous blog post about their health benefits and how to make them, check out Superfoods Everyday a la Affordable and Easy. 

Not only am I being brave by adding Swiss Chard to my salad, I am also going to add bitter dandelion greens ~ one of the ultimate liver lovin' superfoods. Click here to read about the benefits of including lots of bitter greens into your Spring-time cuisine. BTW - I have not tried this myself, but you can eat the leaves from the dandelion "weeds" that grow in your garden (just make sure no dogs have been nearby ;-) Now, you can't get much more affordable and local than that.

One of the secrets to making Everyday food delicious, is the addition of fresh herbs. One of my favourite choices is basil. Some people avoid buying fresh herbs because they use them once then go to waste. However...if you plan your weekly grocery list with flavours that compliment one another, fresh herbs can easily be used throughout the week. This is part of the learning the Art of Everyday Health. Yes it takes a bit of practice, but it is possible. My Produce Shopping List for Everyday Spring Westcoast Cuisine, has been, in part designed so that the flavours of the vegetables and herbs compliment one another. If you follow the link, it is available to download for free :-)

In the end, I created a delicious Everyday Salad with a base of green lettuce, a few dandelion greens (not too many, otherwise they will overpower the taste of the salad), finely chopped Swiss Chard, fresh basil &Y fresh mint roughly chopped ~ all tossed together for healthy delicious. I topped my creation with affordable shredded carrots, beets, and superfood sunflower seed sprouts. The large pieces of fresh basil and mint LOVED the carrots, beets, and made the bitter dandelion and the swiss chard delicious-ee-o-sous.

I paired the salad with a Lemon Thyme dressing. Thyme is one of the most versatile herbs. That is why I have included it as one of the five herb "must-haves" on my Everyday Pantry Shopping List.Did I mention that thyme especially LOVES lemon ~ a fruit that is one of the more potent liver detoxifiers.

I was sure to make a large amount of dressing so that I could use it all week long to help me make everyday healthy quick. The best par of making your own dressing (besides the fact that it is WAY healthier than the store bought stuff), is that as the week progresses, the flavours blend together, and the vinaigrette becomes more delicious.

So voila! Another example where healthy meets practical, meets affordable, meets delish! Enjoy.

As always, I love to hear from you! Please be in touch to share your recipes, tips and feeback.

Bon Appetit,

To make everyday healthy easy, it is helpful to be able to look at an ingredient and have several ideas come to mind for how to use. Right now, as part of my exploration to incorporate Spring liver loving foods into my everyday, I am experimenting with Swiss Chard. I have included Chard on my Produce Shopping List for Everyday Spring Westcoast Cuisine (I try to use the same shopping lists to make everyday healthy more convenient), despite the fact that as much as I like greens, I have never really liked Swiss Chard.
 
I think it tastes like soap. I much more of a kale type woman. When I saw Swiss Chard on sale at Whole Foods for $0.99/bunch, I was inspired to learn to LOVE this veggie. So I asked for your advice on my Facebook page to get ideas.

I was delighted to receive all your suggestions! Thank you. Wow, I am very inspired! A lovely woman, Fateh, suggested green smoothies, which I LOVE because they quick and easy. I looked through my fridge for affordable whole food ingredients I always have on hand that pair well together ~ and immediately apples and ginger came to mind. Not to mention, apples and ginger are both good for your liver. To read about the all the benefits of being good to your detox organ this Spring, check out my blog article Spring into Wellness with GLOW..

So I added my everyday ingredients into my blender with some filtered water, and flax seeds ~ another ingredient that can be affordable. If you live in Vancouver the best deal is at Drive Oganics on Commercial drive they are only $1.79/lb for organic.

As well, I added a dash of dulse flakes (you can replace with sea salt). This is an important step to bring out all the flavours. You could also try adding some hemp seeds (these cost more than flax) and adding a tsp or two of flax oil to get more omega-3s.

....Voila! In less than 5 minutes, the perfect breakfast  ~ alkalizing, full of cholorophyll, omega-3s, antioxidants to neutralize free radicals ~ with ingredients to cleanser your liver.

Right before I drank my green smoothie, I remembered that Cinnamon LOVES Ginger and Apples. Cinnamon is a spice I always have on hand because it is so versatile. (psst. I have included this on my Everyday Pantry Shopping List) So I decided to add a dash, but I accidentally poured out a lot :-).
 
The best part, was...it was delish! And I loved the cinnamon flavour. My smoothie did not taste like soap. I am now inspired to explore how a Swiss Chard Smoothie would taste if I replaced the apple with frozen blueberries or strawberries that I still have leftover from last years harvest....or perhaps with a bit of fresh mint I included on my Spring Westcoast Cuisine Produce Shopping List (as I know apples and berries LOVE fresh mint:-). There are never ending options for spontaneous healthy deliciousness once you learn the art of whole food flavour combining.

May you be inspired to enjoy healthy spring greens delicious-ly! And thank you again to Fateh for the inspiration. I look forward to continuing to share my exploration of Everyday Spring Cuisine.
 
As always, I love to hear from you. Feel free to share your recipes, tips and comments.

Bon Appetit,

Is it possible to include superfoods into your everyday diet affordably?

Absolutely!

The Secret? 

First, you have to learn a new habit. It may seem daunting at first. (It took me a couple of months to get the hang of it myself) Yet, cnce you get started, it is actually kind of fun and it is easy. So easy, it is on par with brushing your teeth. And your body and mind will LOVE you for it.

Above: What happening in my kitchen this week. While this may not look like appetizing, this affordable superfood can be made delicious easily. Read below to learn more :-)

So what's the secret???

Drum Roll Please....!

Ingredients for Healthy Affordable Delicious-ness

I needed to pick up a couple of ingredients at Whole Foods on Cambie Street in Vancouver today. The first thing I did, like I normally do, is scan the produce section for sales. Mandarin oranges are now on sale for $1.49/lb. This is a good deal! Usually organic produce costs $2.00/ lb and above (except bananas:-). I decided to take advantage of the sale and combined them into a salad with finely chopped kale, tomatoes, organic red pepper (also now on sale at Whole Foods on Cambie.) and of course affordable pumpkin seeds :-)
Note: Red peppers are one of the more expensive produce items usually costing $5.99/lb so if you want to save $ on organic produce avoid using them as much as possible.

Above: Ingredients for quick and delicious salad a la affordable. I accidentally erased the picture of my salad...I hope the oranges, kale, tamari and seeds still inspires you :-)