March 2017 MissFresh Review + Coupon Code

Eating healthy involves planning, but sometimes our busy schedules make it difficult to choose recipes for the week, purchase all the necessary ingredients, and have time to actually cook after long days of work or school.

Luckily, eating well can be easy with MissFresh, a Canadian company founded in Quebec that strives to help you lead a healthier lifestyle by making eating healthy at home easy and accessible.

MissFresh delivers weekly pre-portioned fresh ingredients and delicious recipes across Canada. Each week, you get to choose from a range of different recipes and then the ingredients and directions are shipped to you overnight. This completely takes the guesswork out of planning meals, figuring out which ingredients are necessary, and making a trip to the store to purchase what you need. All you have to do is cook, and you won’t spend the entire evening in the kitchen since all meals are ready in 30 minutes or less.

There are four different dinner meal kits to choose from.

Vegetarian Box - Vegetarian recipes packed with seasonal vegetables, hearty grains, and animal-free proteins.

Chef Box - A family-friendly selection of meat, fish, produce, and grains.

Custom Box - Your selection from all available gourmet recipes including meat, fish, produce, and grains.

Kilo Solution Box - Nutritionist Dr. Isabelle Huot’s calorie-controlled selection of healthy, delicious, and tasty recipes that are developed following rigorous nutritional criteria.

Depending on the needs of your household, you can customize your meal kit by choosing 2-5 meals per week and 2-6 portions per meal. Meal kits start at $7.99 per portion with free shipping, and you can use the coupon code BEAUTYWRITER for $25 off your first meal kit. MissFresh also offers ready-to-eat snacks in four different box options starting at $14.99 per box.

I was lucky enough to try the Vegetarian Box* meal kit. Read on for my review and photos of each recipe.

February 2017 YUMiBOX Review

It’s always nice to end the week with something delicious, so this Friday I’m sharing my review of the February 2017 YUMiBOX*.

This Canadian subscription service sends its members a monthly box containing a bag of savoury whole grain mix (YUMiGRAINS), a bag of breakfast oatmeal (YUMiOATS), and a recipe card to pair with each mix (YUMiRECIPES). The goal of YUMiBOX is to provide practical nutrition solutions for achieving a healthy lifestyle. The company, led by a team of Montreal-based nutritionists and chefs, introduces its members to healthy whole grains that promote cholesterol, heart, and brain health, and blood sugar management.

There are eight portions in each bag of YUMiGRAINS and YUMiOATS for a total of 16 servings per month. YUMiOATS contain soluble fibre, resistant starches, natural fruits, nuts, and gourmet ingredients. They have no added sugar and are sweetened with Stevia. YUMiGRAINS, which are great options to replace rice and potatoes, include whole grains for blood sugar and heart health. All options are vegetarian and portion-controlled.

YUMiBOX subscriptions cost $29.99 per month with free shipping across Canada. This amounts to less than $2 per serving. The Original YUMiBOX includes both grains and oats, but there are options to customize the box to receive two packs of just one type instead of one of each.

Read on for my review of February’s Original YUMiBOX.

Thai Mango Coconut Vegetables with Rice

Today, I’m sharing one of my favourite spring/summer dishes. It’s light, healthy, easy to make, and includes one of my favourite fruits: mango.

Healthy Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Here’s my first attempt at a healthy recipe for 2016. Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day (aside from dessert) and I usually opt for something sweet, so I wanted to try something nutrient-rich that would still satisfy my sweet tooth.

This quinoa has a warm, sweet taste that’s perfect for a cold winter morning. It doesn’t include any refined sugar and is very filling. It’s also easy to customize depending on the types of fruit, seeds, nuts, and other toppings that you have on hand.

Easy Mango Avocado Salsa Recipe

Since I was little, my favourite fruit has always been mango. Now that it’s summer and mangos are easy to find, I try to eat one every day and have been experimenting with different recipes. One of the easiest mango recipes that I make often is this delicious mango salsa. It’s sweet, creamy, flavourful, and refreshing.

My favourite way to eat it is with some tortilla chips for an afternoon snack, or at dinner as a topping for fish.

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1.5 tablespoons green onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Easy Lemon Shrimp Linguini

I could eat pasta every day. Some weeks, I do. It’s easy to make and there are so many different combinations. My most recent favourite is this Lemon Shrimp Linguini. It takes very little prep time and can be made even on those nights when everyone gets home late and there’s not much time to prepare dinner.

Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 of a 454g box of uncooked linguini
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 of a 340g package of frozen, cooked salad shrimp, thawed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
grated parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:
1. Cook linguini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic, shrimp, and red pepper flakes. Stir occasionally for two minutes.
3. Add chicken stock and lemon juice to the shrimp mixture. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally for two minutes. Stir in pasta and parsley. Mix until combined and pasta is coated in the sauce.
4. Serve with parmesan cheese.
Adapted from Damn Delicious

Zesty Quinoa Patties with Pineapple and Avocado

As someone who rarely eats meat, I’m always looking for meatless alternatives that aren’t carb filled or bland. These zesty quinoa patties are a perfect option for a vegetarian meal and they are great for summer with fruity toppings like pineapple and avocado.

I found the recipe on Portuguese Girl Cooks and modified it to suit my family’s tastes. Here is my version.

Recipe

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups cooked and cooled quinoa (about 1 cup uncooked)
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil for frying
1 sliced avocado for serving
1/2 fresh pineapple for serving, cut into chunks (canned pineapple will also work)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine cooled quinoa and bread crumbs. Mix until the quinoa is evenly coated.
2. Add the next 7 ingredients and mix to combine.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and Dijon mustard. Add the egg mixture to the quinoa mixture and mix to combine.
4. Using your hands, form the quinoa mixture into patties. Use about 1/2 cup of the mixture for each.
5. Heat the grapeseed oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the patties a few at a time. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown.
6. To serve, add a few quinoa patties to a plate and top with sliced avocado and pineapple. Add a bit of lettuce on the plate for garnish (optional).

Healthy & Delicious Chocolate Pudding

I must confess that I have a serious sweet tooth. I can’t make it through a day…or sometimes an hour…without eating something sweet. Despite how much I love the taste of sugary foods, I know that it’s not healthy to eat them all the time, so I’m always looking for recipes that will help me get my sweet fix without compromising my health.

Recently I came across a wonderful recipe for the delicious chocolate pudding that you see in the photo above. I found it on Lauren Conrad’s website which always features lots of amazing, yet healthy, recipes. I modified the recipe a bit to fit my style (see the original recipe HERE). Not only is this pudding much healthier than regular, processed-sugar-infused pudding that can be found at the grocery store, it tastes great and is a satisfying snack.

Let me know what you think if you try it out.

Recipe

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
3 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup or agave
2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla Greek yogurt and 1 strawberry for garnish (skip the yogurt if you want vegan pudding)

Directions:
1. Combine ingredients in a food processor or blender.
2. Blend until smooth and the avocado is no longer visible.
3. Place the Greek yogurt on top of the pudding.
4. Slice the strawberry and sprinkle it on top of the yogurt.
5. Refrigerate for 1 hour before eating (this is optional but I think that it makes the pudding taste so much better and gives it a firmer texture).
6. Enjoy!

Barley Risotto with Mushrooms, Spinach, & Goat Cheese

I love cooking with barley in the winter! It has a great texture and it’s a healthy alternative to white rice. This specific recipe is very easy to make, and it works well as a side dish or a complete meal since it contains a grain, a vegetable and a protein.

Recipe

Ingredients:
4.5 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
1 1/4 cups pearl barley, rinsed
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
20 white button mushrooms, sliced
3 handfuls baby spinach, rinsed
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. butter
goat cheese for garnish

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, bring chicken stock to boil. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add barley and white wine vinegar. Stir to coat. 
4. Add two cups of warm chicken stock and bring mixture to boil. Simmer until most of the stock is absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, allowing stock to be absorbed before adding more. Stir frequently. Simmer until barley is tender, about 40 minutes.
5. In the meantime, heat oil in a medium-sized pan over high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until they begin to brown. Reduce heat, cover and cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Once barley mixture is ready, add mushrooms and spinach to the mixture, stirring well to combine.
7. Spoon risotto into bowls and add goat cheese on top.
I hope that you enjoy this recipe! How do you like to make risotto?

Quinoa with Kale, Pomegranate, & Feta

I hosted Christmas Eve dinner this year and wanted to make a dish that was light, healthy, and red and green for the holidays.

I decided to make quinoa with kale, pomegranate, and feta because it is a great complement to any other dish, it’s good for you, and it features ingredients in festive colours. Not to mention, this dish is perfect to serve year round!

Recipe

Ingredients:

Salad
1 package of quinoa (255 grams)
10 leaves of kale, washed and cut into small pieces
1 pomegranate
1 cup of crumbled feta

Dressing
6 tsp honey
2 tsp dijon mustard
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions (I boil 2 cups of water, stir in the quinoa, reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and leave quinoa covered for 5 minutes to absorb any remaining water).
2. Allow the quinoa to cool completely (I usually cook it two hours ahead of time or I cook it the day before and store it in the fridge).
3. Whisk olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until well mixed.
4. Place the kale in a large bowl and pour the dressing over it, mixing until coated.
5. Add the cooked quinoa, feta,and pomegranate seeds, tossing thoroughly to combine. 



What’s your favourite holiday dish?