Homemade Gummy Bears

My husband loves gummy bears but doesn't always want to snack on pure sugar. So I decided to make him some fruit juice gummies in his favouite flavours!

Making gummies at home is very easy. I got these gummy bear molds that worked wonderfully, but if you don't have molds, you can set the gummies in a baking pan and cut them into cubes or shapes. I will say that the droppers really help to fill the silicone molds, and the bears come out beautifully.  There are plenty of cute mold shapes available online too. 

I decided to make most of the gummies with 100% juice and no added sugar, and they were lovely.  But I made a small batch with a small amount of added sweetener and I have to admit they were even better.  The honey brought out more flavour in the juice.   I chose wild blueberry, Matt's favourite flavour, and apple cherry juice. You can use any juice you like except pineapple, which doesn't work well with gelatin. 

The other ingredient is the gelatin. I used these standard envelopes of unflavoured gelatin available in any grocery store, but you can get large canisters of grass-fed gelatin online.  The recipe requires a lot of gelatin, but makes a lot of gummies!

Here's what you need to make gummies at home:

1 cup fruit juice
4 tablespoons unflavoured gelatin (equal to 4 pouches in the box above)
1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (optional)
Silicone gummy mold and dropper or metal or silicone baking pan

Place the juice (and honey, if using) in a small pot and slowly stir in the gelatin.  Let it sit for a few minutes, then warm over medium heat, stirring until the gelatin dissolves. Don't let it boil - you just want the gelatin to melt and the mixture to be thin and shiny.  

Remove from heat and use a dropper to fill the gummy molds.  If you get a lot of bubbles, you can use the dropper to suck it back up and fill the dropper with non-bubbly juice to re-fill.  Make sure you place the mold on a baking sheet before filling so you can easily move it to the fridge once full. 

If you're using a metal pan you will need to coat it with non-stick spray or coconut oil before filling.  

Place the filled molds in the refrigerator for 2 hours until completely set.  The gummy bears pop easily out of the molds!  

If you've set the gummies in a pan, carefully use a spatula to remove the set gummies from the pan, and use a cookie cutter or knife to cut into shapes.  

The gummies will keep in the fridge for a week or two.  Don't leave them at room temperature!  They have no preservatives and will get moldy quickly so they must be stored in the fridge.   

This is a fun project with kids and makes an easy, healthy snack!  

Bean and Shrimp Salad with Curried Yogurt

Here's a tasty dish on the lighter side for a fresh start to the new year.  I still have holiday leftovers so I'm not quite ready to start eating clean, but soon you should see plenty of lighter dishes here.  

This recipe uses crisp beans, which I love.  I used a mix of purple and yellow beans.  They look great raw, but the purple ones turn dark green when cooked.

I really should get back to cooking with shrimp more often.  They are satisfying but very healthy, and it's easy to always have some waiting in the freezer to quickly defrost.  

This recipe comes from Cooking Light.  Here's what you need:

Turkey Burgers

Ground turkey doesn't really work the same as beef.  Since it is so lean, it can turn out dry.  But this recipe uses veggies to keep the meat moist, juicy and flavourful.  These burgers are delicious and very healthy too!

Here's what you need for these burgers.

Curried Couscous with Zucchini

It is zucchini time again!  Last year we grew zucchini in our garden.  As we were warned, the harvest was abundant.  We managed to give some away and use the rest up in muffins, pasta and as a side dish.  Also, you can't beat fried zucchini blossoms!

But, because the plant took up so much space in the garden, we didn't grow zucchini this year.  We've got brussels sprouts growing in their place.  So I had to buy some zucchini for this recipe, but it's a great way to use it.  It is delicious warm or at room temperature.  As a side dish or a vegetarian main course.  Colourful, crunchy and tasty.

Here's what you need:  

Water Buffalo Burgers

The other day the sun was shining and we went for a little drive.  We passed by the Arva Flour Mill outside London and noticed a sign advertising local and organic meats available, so we turned around and headed in.  We bought grass fed beef short ribs, organic pork chops and water buffalo, ground and sausages.  

We've had bison several times but we've never tried water buffalo. It comes from a farm in Stratford called Tenderbuff and it's supposed to be leaner than bison and even leaner than chicken!  

Boneless Chicken Thighs in Mustard Orange Sauce

When it's not grilling season I'm sometimes stumped about what to do with boneless chicken thighs.  This easy recipe makes a very delicious change of pace.

Here's what you need for this recipe inspired by Epicurious:  

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup grainy dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Turkey Meatloaf with Cranberries

Here's a healthy turkey meatloaf packed with vegetables and topped with a cranberry glaze.

Here's what you need:

1 pound ground turkey
1 onion

4 large stalks celery

8 oz mushrooms

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup cooked bulgur
1/2 cup cranberry sauce (canned, homemade or I used leftover cranberry agrodolce)

Pork Cutlets with White Beans and Collard Greens

I've never cooked pork tenderloin like this before and I was astounded at how far one tenderloin can go.  By pounding it into cutlets I ended up with 5 very large pieces of pork.  Plenty for dinner and leftovers too.

Here's what you need:

1 lb pork tenderloin
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh sage or 1 tablespoon dried sage
2 tablespoons oil

1 bunch collard greens
1 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 clove garlic
1 small red bell pepper or hot red pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper

First, set up your breading station. 

Roasted Shrimp & Fennel with Quinoa

I don't know why I love fennel so much.  I don't like liquorice at all and anise is the main flavour of fennel.  But when it's roasted it tastes so sweet and delicious.  I thought I'd try roasting it with some shrimp and serving it over quinoa.  It turned out great!

Easy!  Here's what you need:

I bulb fennel
1 lb large raw shrimp, shelled but tails left on
1 onion
1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 cup quinoa
olive oil
hot pepper flakes (optional, not pictured)
salt and pepper

First peel and chop the onion into wedges and spread in roasting pan.

Remove the tops from the fennel, reserving the green fronds.

Core and slice the fennel and add it to the roasting pan with the onions.

Chop the garlic cloves.  Reserve about a teaspoon of chopped garlic.

And add the rest to the roasting pan with the fennel and onion.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Toss together and place in a 400 degree oven and roast about 20 minutes until fennel is tender.  

Meanwhile rinse the quinoa in a mesh strainer for a few minutes until the water runs clear.  Drain well.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large pan and add the reserved chopped garlic and a sprinkle of hot chili flakes.  Cook for about a minute.

Add the quinoa and toss to coat the quinoa with oil.  Add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Zest a lemon.

Toss shrimp with some additional chili flakes, salt and pepper.  

Add the shrimp and all but a teaspoon of the lemon zest and 1/2 cup water to the roasting pan with the fennel and roast 5 minutes until shrimp is pink.

Chop the fennel fronds with the reserved teaspoon of lemon zest for garnish.

Serve up the quinoa on a plate or shallow bowl.

And top with the fennel and shrimp mixture.  

Sprinkle with the remaining fennel fronds and lemon zest and serve.  

Tasty, light and filling.  A great way to serve shrimp in the winter. 

Confetti Lentils

Here's a healthy side dish.  Since I still cant get into eating beans, I like to eat lentils or chickpeas on a regular basis since they're good for you too.

I actually used a bean and lentil blend that's pretty tasty. You'll need:
1 1/4 cups of lentils
2 medium carrots
1 medium celery root
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon olive oil

That's it.  No spices (except some salt) and no other flavours.  But don't worry, it'll work out.

Spaghetti with Braised Kale

Eating healthier has been going well but one challenge is weekend lunch. This is the time we'd usually grab something while out running errands or have some pizza.  But this pasta is a great solution to the problem.  It is healthy, tasty and, as long as you have some kale, can be made with a few staples.

Here's what you need:

1 bunch of kale (this is Tuscan kale, sometimes called lacinato kale which is darker and flatter than standard kale, but you can use either)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
8 small garlic cloves
1/2 lb spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
Juice of one lemon
Grated parmesan cheese

Chicken with Cranberry Agrodolce

Here's another healthy recipe that's still very tasty and even a little fancy.  It is based on this recipe from the Bon Appetit food lovers cleanse. 

The sauce is called agrodolce, which is a traditional Italian sweet and sour sauce, similar to a French gastrique.

Here's what you need:

For the sauce:

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium red onion
• Kosher salt
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 2 cups fresh (or frozen, thawed) cranberries
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

For the Chicken:

• 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• Kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 fresh sage leaves (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Let's start with the sauce.  It can be made in advance.

Short & Sweet Sunday - Swiss Chard

Chard is an extremely healthy vegetable. Dark greens are always good for you and this preparation is so easy, there's no excuse not to try it.

All you need is chard, garlic and olive oil (and salt & pepper).  This is rainbow chard which is just a mixture of different types with nice bright colours.

Strip the leaves from the stems, slice them into ribbons and rinse them well in a colander.

Cut the stems into pieces.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan over low heat, slice the garlic and add it to the oil.  Let it cook for a few minutes until lightly brown, then remove the garlic from the oil and set aside.

Add the chard stalks to the pan and sautee for 2 minutes, then add 3 tablespoons of water to the pan and cover and cook for 5 more minutes.

Then add the leaves to the pan.  Don't worry they'll wilt a lot.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic back in and season with salt and pepper.

This is easy and very tasty.

I served it with roasted halibut and squash.