The Balanced Plate: How Monika Jensen Is Making Healthy Food Irresistible

Monika Jensen is a chef, author, and creative force passionate about bringing balance, joy, and flavor to everyday living. She is the author of a new cookbook called The Balanced Plate: Healthy Recipes with Keto Alternatives, a 265-page cookbook designed to make nutritious eating approachable, colorful, and full of flavor. Each full-color recipe includes nutritional information and practical tips for living a low-carb lifestyle without sacrificing taste. Now available on Amazon and in bookstores this November, the book reflects Monika’s belief that healthy food should be both satisfying and exciting.

Her love for food goes beyond creating recipes, it’s about turning healthy cooking into a celebration. By offering simple keto alternatives and approachable guidance, Monika helps home cooks discover meals that fuel the body while still bringing joy to the table.

For Monika, the kitchen has always been more than just a place to cook, it’s been her anchor. During challenging times, cooking gave her purpose, comfort, and a sense of calm. That personal connection to food continues to shape her work today, inspiring her upcoming second cookbook, The Spiced Plate: Savor the Spice of Global Cuisine, which explores the joy of nourishing dishes infused with global flavors.

Connect with Monika

Cookbook on Amazon: The Balanced Plate
Cookbook Website: chefmonikajensen.com
Monika Jensen Productions: Monika Jensen
Instagram: @chefmonikajensen
Instagram: @Monikajensen1
YouTube: Chef Monika Jensen
Facebook: Chef Monika Jensen
TikTok: @monikajensenofficial
Twitter/X: @monikajensen1
LinkedIn: Monika Jensen

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Inspiration for Pie Junkie was deeply personal

November 7, 2025 0:15:21

Nancy Goemans is the founder and co-owner of Pie Junkie, a Calgary artisan pie shop she established in 2015. Prior to launching the business, she spent more than 25 years running a boutique marketing and design agency focused on the hospitality and food industries—building brands, developing menus, styling cookbooks, and shaping food-centric experiences.

The inspiration for Pie Junkie was deeply personal. Nancy’s daughter, Taya, who lives with Williams syndrome, loved baking pies with her grandmother. After Nancy’s mother passed away, Taya asked, “Who will make pie with me now?” Nancy replied, “I will,” to which Taya responded that she wanted to make pie for a living. That exchange sparked Nancy’s mission to create a space where exceptional pies would be crafted by hand and where all people—particularly those facing employment barriers—would be welcomed.

Toward the end of Pie Junkie’s inaugural year, Nancy partnered with her longtime friend Jo-Anne Caza, who brought financial and operational expertise to complement Nancy’s creative vision. Together, they have grown Pie Junkie from a single storefront into five Calgary locations, while preserving the brand’s commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and community.

Under Nancy and Joanne’s leadership, Pie Junkie has become celebrated for its all-butter crusts, scratch-made fillings, seasonal menus, ethical sourcing, sustainable practices, and dedication to social impact.

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Turning a personal passion into a thriving business

October 29, 2025 0:21:52

Sweet Bella is one of Calgary’s top chocolatiers, known for its bold, adventurous approach to flavour. Pastry Chef Kevin Conniff founded Sweet Bella as a labour of love, turning a personal passion into a thriving business with products now available in over 20 locations across Western Canada, as well as in Connecticut, Texas, and Colorado.

The name Sweet Bella means “the sweet beautiful”—a concept that comes to life in the brand’s signature eccentric flavours and intricately engraved chocolate bars. While early creations were inspired by tea and spice blends, the company has since evolved to focus on a broader and ever-changing palette of creative ingredients.

Kevin is a classically trained pastry chef with over 25 years of experience. He currently teaches as a Pastry Chef Instructor at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). In 2023, he was featured on the Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship,” Season 10, where he was the only Canadian contestant and finished as runner-up, showcasing the exceptional talent Calgary has to offer.

Originally from New York, Kevin’s culinary journey began in 1992 with a job washing dishes at a local bakery. He quickly became captivated by the craft, working his way up and eventually attending pastry school—where, ironically, tempering chocolate was once his greatest challenge. Today, chocolate is his passion and his art form.

Kevin and his wife Melissa share a love of coffee, red wine, sweet treats, and great conversation. Their two sons are often found in the chocolate shop, learning about life, business, and the joy of creative work, usually to the soundtrack of ’90s hip-hop and alt-rock.

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How to survive and thrive in today’s restaurant industry

September 25, 2025 0:29:12

Ryan Blackwell is a Calgary chef and restaurateur known for concept-driven menus and polished, approachable cooking. Raised in Cochrane and trained at SAIT, Blackwell sharpened his craft in Vancouver’s restaurant scene, including a turn as chef de cuisine at the acclaimed Bin 941, before returning home to open Elbow Room in Britannia in 2017 with partner Josh Brennand. The restaurant earned quick acclaim, landing in Avenue’s “Calgary’s 25 Best Restaurants” and on OpenTable’s national “100 Best Restaurants for a Big Night Out.”

Since then, Blackwell has helped shape several Beltline concepts, founding Sensei Bar in 2021 and later leading the culinary program at Olea, an all-day café and bar inspired by Mediterranean coastal cooking. His current remit spans culinary director and partner roles across Olea and sister venues, where menus lean into handmade pastas, local market produce, and shareable plates that balance comfort and flair. His kitchens favour seasonality, clear flavours, and hospitable service, reflecting a belief that memorable dining should feel both special and easy to love.

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A Hug in a Bowl personified

September 23, 2025 0:29:12

Sharon Hapton, a successful Calgary-based businesswoman and mother of two, is the founder and CEO of Soup Sisters and Hug in a Bowl Enterprises.

In 2008-2009, leading up to her 50th birthday, Sharon channeled her belief in the healing power of homemade soup into founding Soup Sisters, a grassroots organization. Recognized nationally and regionally for her work, Sharon has led the movement that has delivered over 4 million ‘Hugs in a Bowl’ to families and individuals in crisis. She has received numerous accolades, including being named one of Chatelaine’s and CityTV’s Women of the Year and receiving the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada in 2016.

“I am a soup maker. I have cared for family and friends with soup for most of my adult life. If someone was down or needed some extra care, I would show up at their door, most often unannounced and with soup. I knew that this simple gesture had the power to change their day, and in the process of making it, I was letting them know how much I cared.

The whole exchange – the soup-making, the visit, the comfort it provided and the appreciation it returned – created a fulfilling cycle of giving. Here is the recipe for Soup Sisters. All it took was for me to realize that I didn’t need to look beyond my truest self and that what I was looking for had always been inside me, just waiting to be recognized. After all, I am, and always have been, a soup maker.”

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From Hospitality to Entrepreneurship: Mike’s Bold Journey

September 12, 2025 0:24:01

Michael Crooks is a hospitality professional who is always interested in new challenges. He has achieved success in all aspects of the hospitality service industry. Three years ago he decided to move over to entrepreneurship and his journey and success are really insightful for those thinking of making the break to independence.

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Creating unique but not too unique beverages

September 2, 2025 0:18:11

John Eresman is a Co-Founder and Director of Brand at Gradient Beverages, a Calgary-based beverage company pioneering bartender-grade drinks and innovative beverages, including their award-winning Inversion Nitro Cocktail range. Prior to founding Gradient, John worked in advertising and marketing for more than a decade. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Calgary.

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Brewing up some entrepreneurial success

August 29, 2025 0:21:27

Andrew Bullied is the Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Annex Ale & Soda Mfg. in Calgary, Alberta. Andrew has been brewing since 2008, when he was making wine as a means to save money on drinking during university. In 2010, Andrew attended Niagara College’s brewing program in its inaugural year – and was proudly the first drop-out, leaving to start work in Calgary’s budding craft beer industry. Andrew would go on to spend 5 years brewing in Calgary before opening Annex with co-founder, Erica O’Gorman, in 2016.

Over the years, Andrew has been resolute in his approach to brewing. Viewing nothing as sacred and everything as a candidate for improvement, his unwavering pursuit of quality and constant refinement have earned Annex Beers and Sodas critical acclaim and a cult-like following. His approach has also shaped brewing culture in Calgary; not just through innovation, but through intentional collaboration. Today, Annex is recognized for its role in elevating craft culture and building community through partner brews and non-profit advocacy. Through his work, Andrew has positioned Annex as a standard-bearer for quality and innovation in Calgary’s craft beverage scene, while his dedication to community continues to elevate the experience for everyone who walks through Annex’s doors.

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Turning an empty small town Saskatchewan school into a booming restaurant/bar

August 26, 2025 0:20:04

Doug Will, one of the co-owners of Rawhides Bistro & Saloon in Stenen, Saskatchewan, grew up on the family farm just north of Tisdale, where he farmed with his dad and brothers for a few years. In 1980 he moved to farm north of Star City, a town just east of Melfort, where he and his wife raised three sons. In 2000 he bought a farm just north of Stenen, as well as the Alfalfa Mill at Norquay, just down the road from Stenen, where he currently lives and continues to farm with two of his sons.

In 2012, Stenen was having its 100th anniversary and invited him to develop the old school into a “bistro/saloon” They had 90 days from the start to get the new Rawhides up and running and with the great help from all the contractors and town folks they made it happen with six days to spare, for the August long weekend and the town’s 100th anniversary celebration!

Will enjoys antiques, old wood and challenges and while Rawhides provided all of that and more. It’s been very rewarding journey, with one of the most satisfying aspects being the number of people they have been able to hire and help relocate from far away countries and join in the community serving the locals and tourists each and every day at the restaurant.

In 2015 they developed the Chandelier room/rec centre to hold wedding events and corporate functions with its huge outdoor deck, c/w firepits and outdoor stage. Two years ago they completed the project with the addition of a spa, beauty salon, pedicure/manicure, massage therapy. They have also opened up several rental suites for those customers wishing to stay and explore the surrounding area or maybe golf at the nearby Crystal Lake Golf Club.

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On a mission to make the world a healthier place, one sip at a time

March 5, 2025 0:21:07

Mitch Jacobsen is a former engineer turned beverage entrepreneur. He is the receptionist, the janitor, and sometimes the CEO at Rviita [pronounced Ree – Vai – Tuh and short for ‘revitalize’] Energy Tea, which is a natural energy drink now carried in over 1200 stores across Canada and is a top selling energy drink on Amazon and recently listed in select Costco locations. When he’s not obsessing over how to cram more goodness into a sleek, eco-friendly beverage pouch, Mitch is probably brainstorming ways to make energy drinks that don’t make you feel like you’ve licked a battery. Armed with a passion for sustainability and fueled by his own product (literally), Mitch is on a mission to keep you awake and make the world a healthier place, one sip at a time.

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