Every time i look at the ingredients of store bought coleslaw i have to stop and wonder if there is really a need for half of the ingredients: cellulose, modified corn syrup, soybean oil....the list goes on...Homemade coleslaw is simple, easy to put together and requires a handful of key ingredients.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of mayonaise (as natural as possible)
1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar/maple sugar
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/4 to 1/2  tsp of salt
1/2 cup of coconut milk
2 tablespoons of chopped onion (1/8 of an onion)
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 head of shredded cabbage or 1 bag of store bought pre shredded coleslaw/cabbage mix
4-5 shredded carrots

1) Add cabbage (chopped into larger pieces) to food processor along with chopped carrots (washed and peeled) and onion (skinned).
2) Chop using the food processor and if needed do it in batches.

2) Add chopped vegetables to mixing bowl.

3) Add all the ingredients for the sauce in another smaller mixing bowl.

4) Use a hand blender to mix and blend well.

5) Pour over shredded vegetables and mix well.

Serves: 8 to 10
Calories: 115, Fat: 11g, Carbs:3g, Fiber: 0g, Sugars: 1g, Protein: 0g, Sodium: 131 mg

Kentucky Fried Chicken - I remember this being one of my first iconic experiences when moving to Canada many years ago. The taste was superb, but the ingredients not so much! This is a healthier, tastier version. Yes, the whole family agrees that the taste is great! Kids and adults, all love it! The best part is it's so easy to make and it's versatile, You can use it on fish as well. Who said you had to sacrifice taste for healthy, quality ingredients?

Ingredients:
9/10 pieces of skinned, washed chicken (i used 4 legs, 4 de-boned thighs, 1 breast)
1/4 cup of rice flour
1/4 cup of almond flour
2 tablespoons of ground flax
2 tsp of salt
1.5 tsp of pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tsp of garlic
2 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of onion powder
1/2 tsp of sage
1/2 tsp of marjoram
1/2 tsp of oregano

1) Wash, skin and prepare chicken.
2) Add olive oil, half of the salt and pepper to chicken and coat well.

3) Mix the rest of the ingredients well and add to large Ziplock bag.

4) Add chicken to bag and shake well so that all chicken is coated.

5) Add coated chicken to T-FAL Actifry and cook for 15-20 mins until golden brown. You can also bake in the oven at 425 degrees F for 10-15 mins until golden brown.

5) Serve with homemade coleslaw

Makes enough to coat approx 10 pieces of chicken/fish (this is for the mix itself and doesn't include calories for the chicken/fish:
Calories per serving: 49, Fat: 3g, Carbs: 6g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 2g, Sugar: 0g, Sodium: 391g

You will love the heat from this spicy dish. It's a szechuan style eggplant but feel free to add mushrooms, peas, green peppers to it as well. Again is a very versatile dish and the key of course is the sauce. I have reduced the oil needed in this recipe and have used water instead when sauteing the eggplant. This is a great trick to use less oil and get similar results. Now having been used to this trick, i find restaurant szechuan quite a bit oily and salty generally.

Ingredients:

4 Chinese eggplant
1 chopped onion
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1.5 to 2 tablespoons of crushed/chopped garlic
1 tablespoon of crushed/chopped ginger
2 tablespoons of molasses
4 to 5 tablespoons of reduced sodium soysauce/tamari (gluten free)
1 tsp of black pepper
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of sambal olek
2 tablespoons of sriracha
4 to 5 tsp of coconut palm sugar or maple sugar

Garnish
0.5 tablespoon of sesame seeds
4 chopped green onions
1-2 tsp of red chilli flakes

1) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in wok.

2) Add half of the crushed/chopped ginger and garlic.

3) Add chopped eggplant and cook on high heat for a few minutes.
4) Add a cup of water to eggplant and reduce heat. Cover and cook until eggplant is ready.

5) Remove and from wok and set aside, once eggplant is done.

6) Add remaining oil to wok and chopped onion.
7) Saute until onion is golden brown.

8) Mix tamari sauce, molasses, lemon juice, sugar, rest of garlic and ginger, black pepper and vinegar in a bowl. 
9) Add to sauteed onion in wok once mixed together and cook on med/low for a few mins.

10) Take some eggplant out for the kids (not spicy) in frying pan and add some of the tamari sauce to coat it.

11) Add sriracha and sambal olek to the rest of the tamari mixture in the wok and stir well.

12) Add mixture to the eggplant and garnish.
13) Serve with brown rice, quinoa or zoodles.

Makes approx: 8-10 servings
Calories per serving: 123, Fat: 4g, Carbs: 22g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 3g, Sugar: 13g, Sodium: 755mg