By Marie Fagan Peart | marie@haldimandpress.com
I had the pleasure of speaking with Hannah Leclair, a Registered Dietitian with the Haldimand Family Health Team.
I was unfamiliar with this group until recently. According to their website, “The Haldimand Family Health Team (FHT) was created in 2006 as a means to provide team-based care to patients within the Haldimand area.” Their mission statement says, “The team collaborates with healthcare partners to deliver patient-centred, team-based care focused on health promotion, illness prevention, and empowering residents to achieve wellbeing.” There are a wide variety of healthcare professionals available to support the residents of Haldimand. Details are on their website.
Hannah and her husband Marlon live in Hamilton. However, Hannah has some strong family ties to Haldimand County. She remembers visits to her grandparents, Vady and Antoni Bartoszewicz, at their home in Dunnville. As she travels around the county, there are many roads that look familiar.
During high school, Hannah took an interest in dance, and along with that came her focus on a healthier diet. Down the road, she started to examine careers that would combine her love of eating nourishing food, her interest in experimenting with food, and genuine excitement of sharing food with others. Dietitian seemed to hit the mark.
Both Hannah and her husband enjoy spending time in the kitchen, with Hannah being the creative one and Marlon being her practical sidekick. They shared a couple of their favourite recipes. The unstuffed peppers is one dish they make often when they have extra peppers. The crispy tofu is one way of adding a different source of protein to your diet. It can be used just like shredded cheese – add to your favourite pasta dish or sprinkle on a salad. Enjoy!
Unstuffed Pepper Quinoa Skillet
2 Tablespoons avocado oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded cheese
Set large skillet over medium heat and add avocado oil. Once heated, add onions and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add in peppers, basil, parsley, oregano, and salt and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and quinoa, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Add in broth, tomatoes (with liquid), and black beans, then bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer for 20 minutes until broth is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.
Stir in cheese and let cook for 1-2 minutes to let melt. Take off heat and enjoy!
For more protein, add 1lb lean ground turkey after Step 1 and let cook with oil and onions until no pink is left in the meat. Then continue on to Step 2.
Shredded Crispy Tofu
1 block tofu, firm or extra firm
2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons olive or avocado oil
Preheat oven to 190ºC (375ºF). Grate tofu using cheese shredder and place on a baking sheet. Add soy sauce and oil and mix into tofu.
Bake 20 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. Tofu is done when medium brown and slightly crispy. If you desire it crispier, bake 5-10 minutes more.
