Much like Rufus Humphrey, I'm a  waffle enthusiast. Waffles are my chosen breakfast for birthdays, Christmas, brunches, Wednesdays.... My parents made the BEST waffles when I was growing up- light and fluffy, crispy on the outside. So, once I stopped eating gluten and dairy, it was my mission to find an amazing waffle recipe. I've tested and retested all kinds of different recipes for years and have finally settled on the 'perfect gluten free waffle'.

Drake- Get It Together--> check it out on spotify, it's been removed from youtube!

INGREDIENTS

½ cup gluten free flour blend (my favorite by far is the 1-1 blend from Bob’s Red Mill)
½ cup oat flour (blend GF oats in a food processor until fine)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 heaping tsp cinnamon

¾ cup almond milk
¼ cup canola oil
2 large eggs (can substitute for flax eggs)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

 INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes while your waffle maker heats up. After 10 minutes, gently stir the batter one more time. Ladle a scoop onto the heated waffle iron. Serve with coconut oil or butter, maple syrup, almond butter or my favorite- blueberry sauce (recipe below). 

Waffle recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate.

Blueberry sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tbsp honey, maple syrup or sugar

 INSTRUCTIONS

In a small saucepan, gently heat the blueberries with the sugar. Once bubbling and warm, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. 

Happy New Year! I always like to start January with a simple cleanse. The holidays are indulgent, filled with gingerbread cake, wine, chocolate... So it feels great to reset my body and start the new year with a clean slate. There's tons of different cleanses out there ranging from extreme (juice cleanses, fasting) to easier, less intense cleanses. Cleanses can be fantastic for resetting, but also can be harmful to metabolism if done for too long, or too restrictive. Naturopathic doctors are trained in nutrition and can design a cleanse suitable for you and your body. 

As for my January cleanse, I keep it easy: smoothies in the morning, lots of whole foods and proteins, no dairy or gluten, and limited sugar and alcohol. My go-to smoothie is this vanilla matcha: it tastes like a treat even though it's packed with nutrients! Matcha, along with being a powerful antioxidant, is caffeinated so I get an extra energy boost. Of course, it doesn't need to be part of a cleanse, it's a great breakfast on the go or a tasty snack. 

Childish Gambino- Redbone

INGREDIENTS

1 cup almond milk
½ frozen banana
2 cups spinach
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tsp matcha powder
4-5 ice cubes

INSTRUCTIONS

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. If you don't have protein powder, add an extra half banana, a half teaspoon of vanilla extract, and honey to taste. 

Disclaimer: Information can be empowering, but we all have unique health profiles and needs. Health-related information contained in this post is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for a visit with a Naturopathic Doctor. The advice is intended to offer only a general basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider.  Always consult your licensed Naturopathic Physician.

It may not 'officially' be fall yet, but in my mind, fall starts when school does. I'm so ready for all the typical fall things- scarves, boots, and allll the spices. 

First fall dish this year? Apple butter. It's similar to applesauce but more flavorful, smoother and easy to spread. I made about 12 jars of this from a huge batch of Okanagan apples, so I've had lots to use. I've spread it on toast, banana bread, crackers with cheese. I put it on my oatmeal, in my yogurt parfaits, and in my soup for a little extra flavor. 

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it's in a slow cooker so requires almost no prep aside from chopping. The slow simmer makes your house smells amazing- no need for scented candles when you've got apple butter on the go! 

The Lumineers- Cleopatra

INGREDIENTS

6-7 apples (i like to use gala, ambrosia- something sweet, not sour)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash apples and chop into very small cubes. Add apples and rest of the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours. When apples have completely broken down, remove from heat and blend either using hand blender or by adding to a stand blender. Blend until smooth, let cool, then store in jars in the fridge. 

Add to yogurt, spread on toast or crackers, serve with melted brie.... Use your imagination. 

Banana bread is, in my opinion, one of the world's most comforting foods. The smell of it brings me back to my mom baking it when I was little. This version is gluten free, dairy free, sugar free and high protein yet manages to capture the same delicious taste I remember from my mom's loaves. 

Best of all, this recipe is so low maintenance. You just need to toss everything in the food processor, then bake. Perfect for lazy mornings. 

Shakey Graves- Family and Genus

INGREDIENTS

4 ripe bananas
4 eggs
½ cup almond, cashew or peanut butter
4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup honey (optional, but recommended)
½ cup gluten free flour blend
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt

 INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 F. Add all wet ingredients to food processor, and blend until well combined. Add dry ingredients, blend well. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

Happy Easter!! 

Easter's the best. Spring's just around the corner, and a three day weekend? Yes, please! This year, I've just finished finals and am off to be in nature with my family- and recharge.

Instead of easter cookies, I've been making this carrot cake oatmeal. Takes a quarter of the time, but tastes so good, and you can feel good about having it for breakfast! Win/win/win. 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rolled oats
2 ½ cups water
1 cup finely grated carrots
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp cardamom
pinch of salt
optional- 1 tbsp honey

 INSTRUCTIONS

Add all ingredients to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until all the water is absorbed. Top with almond butter, sliced bananas and sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Happy (early) St. Patty's Day! I'm not Irish, but having an excuse to celebrate mid-week is definitely cool with me. Especially since it's a distraction from finals week insanity!

Green beer is unfortunately not part of my St. Patrick's celebrations as I can't tolerate the gluten. So, I've come up with  green pancakes for gluten-free festivities!

These pancakes are not the thick and fluffy pancakes of your youth- no carb overload or feeling heavy after breakfast. As they are a bit thinner, I suggest stacking them, then drizzling with honey or syrup and banana. 

The Lumineers- Ophelia

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 large egg
1 banana, ripe and mashed
1 handful spinach
¼ cup oats*
¼ cinnamon
¼ baking powder
dash of nutmeg
dash of salt
Optional toppings: Sliced banana, honey, almond butter

*Note: If dealing with intolerance or celiac disease, be sure to purchase certified gluten-freee oats

INSTRUCTIONS

Add oats to food processor. Blend until they reach a powder-like consistency with no chunks. Set oat flour aside. Add all wet ingredients and spinach to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add oat flour, spices and salt to the wet ingredients and pulse until smooth. Preheat a large sauté pan or griddle on medium heat.  Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, drop 2-3 tablespoon scoops of batter onto the cooking surface.  If you’re using a sauté pan, jiggle the pan a little to spread the batter out farther.  Cook until the edges look done and gently flip the pancakes over and cook a few minutes more. Serve with sliced bananas and drizzled honey or syrup. Optionally, spread almond butter on the pancakes. 

This smoothie is SUCH a treat in the morning: it tastes like you are drinking a milkshake for breakfast! Of course, this smoothie is far from a milkshake: low sugar, vegan, and a ton of nutritional boosts from the spinach, cacao and maca. 

For this smoothie I've used a mix of cacao and Activate, an awesome superfood powder from Harmonic Arts. Activate has cacao, maca and a blend of mushrooms which tastes just like cacao with an extra boost. Mushrooms are fantastic to add into your diet: they act as "tonifiers" for your immune system. This means that they support your immune system when it needs to be revved up, but they also assist in down-regulating your immune system when it no longer needs to be hyper-activated. The maca also provides an energy boost- sometimes I skip my morning coffee if I'm having this smoothie!  If you have mushroom powder or maca, you can add that in by itself as well.

I use cacao in this recipe, but you can substitute for cocoa- their tastes are very similar. Cacao is a less processed form of cocoa, and contains magnesium, iron and fibre (even more reasons to have chocolate for breakfast! ;))

*If you don't have Activate, you can just double the cacao.

Vance Joy- Mess is Mine

INGREDIENTS

1 cup almond milk
½ frozen banana
1 cup spinach
1 heaping tbsp cacao (or 2 if not using Activate)
1 heaping tbsp Activate
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Genuine Health Fermented Vegan Protein)
4-5 ice cubes

INSTRUCTIONS

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. If you don't have protein powder, add an extra half banana.

Disclaimer: Information can be empowering, but we all have unique health profiles and needs. Health-related information contained in this post is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for a visit with a Naturopathic Doctor. The advice is intended to offer only a general basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider.  Always consult your licensed Naturopathic Physician.

Smoothie booooowls!! Like eating ice cream for breakfast. Normal smoothie ingredients are blended with less liquid than usual, so you can eat it with a spoon. So delicious, and a nice alternative to a smoothie- sometimes I get tired of "drinking" my breakfast.

There's so many options for topping your smoothie bowl. My go-to is granola, hemp seeds, fresh berries and sliced banana. You can do whatever you like, though: oats, coconut, any seeds you like, any nuts, any fresh fruit! I once topped it with rice krispies when I was out of granola, and it was amazing too (like feeding my inner child). If you're interested in making your own granola for topping, I'm really liking Cinnamon Bun Granola from Oh She Glows right now. 

The gorgeous pink color from the beets makes this a great Valentine's Day breakfast. Make it for that special person or treat yourself! 

Asher Roth- Tangerine Girl

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw beet, peeled and chopped into small cubes (about 1 medium beet) 
½ cup frozen raspberries
½ frozen banana
½ cup almond milk
1 tbsp chia seeds

Optional Toppings: sliced banana, fresh berries, granola, chia seeds, hemp seeds, slivered nuts, coconut. 

INSTRUCTIONS

Add all ingredients except toppings to a high-powered blender. Blend, using a spatula to stir if the blender sticks. It should be pretty thick. When smooth, pour into a bowl and top with whatever toppings you want!

Avocado toast is a longtime favorite of mine, the most simple but delicious breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack. Avocado is a great source of healthy fats, which your brain needs for proper functioning. Paired with toast and just a hint of spice, it'll keep you satisfied all day long! 

There's a ton of variation with avocado toast; this is my version. Feel free to play around with adding coconut oil or butter, maybe get crazy with some goat cheese. 

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zero- All Wash Out (Löwenherz Bootleg Edit)

INGREDIENTS

1 slice of bread, lightly toasted (My favorite gluten free bread is the Rustic Loaf from Lemonade)
1/2 ripe avocado
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
salt, pepper to taste
1 poached egg (optional) 

INSTRUCTIONS

Gently rub smashed garlic clove over the toast, then discard garlic. Be careful not to leave any chunks of garlic on the toast. Thinly slice the avocado and place on top of toast. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and red chili flakes. If adding an egg, place the poached egg on top of the avocado and lightly salt and pepper the egg as well. 

Merry Christmas! 

I hope your holiday was amazing. Mine definitely was, which is why I'm posting this smoothie- to help with a bit of detox/ rejuvenation after the indulgences of Christmas.

You might not think a gluten free, dairy free Christmas meal is indulgent- but it is, especially with my mom's GF stuffing. It's legendary!

Typically, cleansing and detox starts in the new year, which is great. However, this time in between Christmas and New Years is a perfect time for a nutritional boost. If you have enough greens this week, maybe your New Years hangover won't show up! (Just kidding. Greens are great but they aren't magicians;) )

This smoothie may be green, but it definitely doesn't taste it! I refuse to drink gunky green concoctions just because they are good for me, so this one is both delicious and nutritious! Adding spinach increases iron, vegetable consumption and phytochemical intake for the day. Banana, as we all know, is high in potassium but is also a good source of Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C. 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup almond milk, or milk of your choice
1 ripe banana, fresh or frozen
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp vanilla
1 cup or 2 big handfuls spinach or kale, or both
ice cubes
 Protein options: 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder, or 1 tbsp almond butter, or 1 tbsp chia seeds, or 1 tbsp hemp seeds

*note: use whatever protein you like or have on hand. If using protein powder, I find it usually makes the smoothie too sweet, so use half a banana instead of a full and throw some extra greens in there to cut the sweetness!
 

 INSTRUCTIONS

Add all ingredients except ice cubes to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add ice cubes and blend until you've reached your desired thickness. Drink and feel great!

Finally home after my exams and starting to feel the Christmas spirit- the snow here helps a lot! I wanted a festive treat but hadn't had time for Christmas baking yet. Enter, gingerbread overnight oats.

If you haven't tried overnight oats before, they are one of the most low-maintenance breakfast options out there.  The night before, you throw a couple ingredients in a jar and shake it up- and in the morning, your oats are ready to go with no prep time at all! You can have them cold or heat them up a bit, it's totally up to you. 

There's a million different variations of overnight oats, but I love the festivity and spice of this one around Christmas. Molasses is central to achieving that true gingerbread flavour, so it's worth a trip to the store. Molasses is sugar which has been boiled/refined a few times. While we usually think of refined ingredients as bad, in this case it actually increases the nutritional value: molasses is rich in iron, as well as manganese and B6. Add the chia and oats in there, and you've got a nutritionally rich yet decadent breakfast.

Vince Guaraldi Trio- Linus and Lucy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup almond milk, or milk of your choice
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp vanilla
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tsp molasses
pinch of salt

 INSTRUCTIONS

The night before, add all the ingredients to a jar or small container, and stir to combine. Store in the fridge overnight. In the morning, either heat up or enjoy cold. I like to top mine with sliced bananas and some slivered almonds.

This oatmeal is the epitome of a winter breakfast. Comforting, warm, filling and delicious, I've been on an oatmeal binge since I first made it. It's super easy and fast, but still so satisfying. Looking forward to this breakfast definitely helps me get out of bed for early morning study sessions. 

This oatmeal is really simple as long as you have the spices (if you don't, I recommend Bulk Barn- tons of selection, super cheap). If you want to make it gluten free, buy oats made in a wheat-free facility. I like Only Oats brand. 

Oats have amazing health benefits too. They can prevent blood glucose from spiking which means no crash after eating (bonus!). They're also known to help lower cholesterol levels, and are high in fibre which is great for your digestion! 

One of my favourite things is music: listening to a song or artist that suits my mood can turn my whole day around. That's why I'll be posting a song I'm currently listening to and loving at the end of each post: I'll pick songs that go with the recipe. For example, I love chill tunes at breakfast so you can bet I've got Ziggy Alberts on Spotify while I'm making this oatmeal. 

Ziggy Alberts- Simple Things (The Ocean Song) 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rolled oats
2 ½ cups water
3 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
pinch of cardamom
pinch of salt
optional- 1 tbsp honey

 INSTRUCTIONS

Over a stovetop, bring oats and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the spices and salt. Cook until the oats have absorbed all the water. Add honey if you like sweeter oatmeal. Top with Greek yogurt or almond milk, sliced bananas, almond butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon for maximum deliciousness. Serves 2. 

Disclaimer: Information can be empowering, but we all have unique health profiles and needs. Health-related information contained in this post is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for a visit with a Naturopathic Doctor. The advice is intended to offer only a general basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider.  Always consult your licensed Naturopathic Physician.

ALMOND BUTTER! There's almost always a jar of this in my fridge. It’s a good source of protein and great source of healthy fats, but most importantly, it’s ridiculously delicious! And even better, it’s so easy to make at home. 

For making almond butter, I recommend using a high-powered food processor. I’ve tried to make it in my mini food processor, but it usually can’t run for long enough to break the almonds down properly. It can take a long time- up to twenty minutes- to reach best consistency. This might sound like a lot, but keep in mind that once you've scraped the sides of the food processor a couple times, you can let the food processor run by itself until it gets to prime consistency. 

When I'm not eating this right off the spoon, I dip apples in it, or spread it on a rice cake with bananas and cinnamon. It's a great addition to smoothies, and a spoonful on top of oatmeal brings your breakfast to the next level. 

Matt Simons- Catch and Release Deepend Remix

INGREDIENTS

3 cups almonds, raw, unsalted
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 325 F. Roast the almonds for 10-15 minutes, until golden-brown and fragrant. Keep a close eye on them; you want to pull them out just before they start to burn (which happens fast). Add almonds to food processor and process until the texture is smooth and liquid (about 10-20 minutes). You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times during processing. Once it reaches the desired texture, add cinnamon and salt. Enjoy!