veganlicious

Cookie Monster: A Namaste Review

2011-08-26T08:56:00.000-04:00

A while back, the beautiful folks at Namaste Foods sent me some of their products to try. They specialize in allergy-free (no wheat, gluten, corn, soy, potato, dairy, peanuts or tree nuts) mixes for baked goods. They have a mix for everything from breads to brownies to cookies to frosting to pasta meals. They also have recipes for a gazillion ways to use each! And they're vegan (many gluten-free mixes out there have egg and milk in them)!

You may not know this about me, but I have a bit of a cookie "problem". I love love love cookies. The chocolate chip cookie was actually one of the first recipes I ever mastered and I did so when I was like seven, so was my need to be in control of my cookie supply. So naturally I chose to sample their cookie mix. I also chose to sample the bread mix, but that will be for another day as I wish to make banana bread and keep using up all my bananas in my breakfast smoothies.

I was very excited when the package arrived. But it took me a while to make them because I kept thinking "well I don't have sugar...or flour...or whatever." I finally realized that with these amazing mixes, you don't actually need anything! It's all there! In the mix! Ready to go!Just add water, oil and an egg replacement and stir! All in 30-60 seconds, depending on the number of dance breaks you decide to take.

I made two batches of cookies: snickerdoodle and chocolate chip. For the first set, I used dry egg replacement and oil; for the second, applesauce and ground flax seed. The results? delicious! Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. The applesauce made that batch a bit apple-y, so next time I'll go back to the oil or try some earth balance. Pre-mixed mixes for gluten-free and vegan baking...what an amazing idea!

Can't wait to try the bread!

a vegan in iceland. beautiful, beautiful iceland.

2011-06-19T19:21:00.003-04:00

As some of you know, I recently visited Iceland. We started and ended in Reykjavik,driving along the South Coast for a couple of days in between. It was insanely beautiful, surreal and serene. Between the moss-covered lava fields and Jökulsárlón, the iceberg lagoon, we often felt like we were on another planet.

When I told people that I was going to go to Iceland, many pondered at what I would eat while there. A common question was "don't they eat fermented shark? can you eat anything there?" As it turns out, it's quite easy being vegan and gluten-free in Iceland.

Here are some of my fave photos and meal pics from the trip. Some travel tips and our itinerary follow.

Tofu curry with carrots, onions and potatoes

gluten-free brown rice pasta with tofu, canned tomatoes, broccoli, olives and raw vegan Parmesan "cheese"

There are cats EVERYWHERE in Reykjavik. They're all super friendly too. We hugged so so many!

Eldhraun lava fields

Icelandic ponies!

Iceberg

Iceberg lagoon

Fjardrargljufur canyon

Chickpea curry served with quinoa

Reykjadalur - smoke valley

Amazing soy latte at C is for Cookie

A Naestrum Grosum

Some travel tips!
1. Travel off season - rates were half the price as high season, the weather was still lovely and there weren't tons of tourists around. With Iceland especially, there was something that I think is part of the whole experience to being alone, in all that openess, with no one around for miles and miles. I especially recommend early May or late September so that you still get the good weather and because most things are open.

2. Stay somewhere that has a kitchen. Your best bet for traveling anywhere when you have any sort of specific eating requirements is to get a place where you have access to a kitchen. Luckily in Iceland it's all about guesthouses! Those are houses converted into bed and breakfasts in a way. You have your room, you share a bathroom and you have access to a full kitchen. We really really lucked out in this respect. We went through Guesthouse Aurora and ended up with our OWN studio apartment (with a full kitchen, private bathroom, washer/dryer) in downtown Reykjavik! For CHEAPER than a hotel room! Siggy, the owner, was very nice and helpful. And the place was incredibly clean and quite nice.

3. Find out where the grocery stores are. We did our grocery shopping at Bonus, which is the discount grocery store. They have dried and canned legumes, spelt products (though not gluten-free) for comparable prices to wheat products, and more. The prices were quite good, especially compared to 11-11, the other grocery store with later hours and less selection. There are also a good number (given the size of the city) of health food stores where you can buy non dairy milks, and other gluten-free and vegan and raw products - yum! Because it's an island with temperate weather, there isn't that that much by way of produce. It's not a bad selection - just not the best. Bonus had tofu - oh my god was it delicious! The texture was amazing!

4. Bring some key items from home. I brought some basics from home because I didn't know about availability - quinoa, gluten-free pasta, homemade granola, chia seeds, goji berries, trail mix, raw vegan Parmesan cheese, raw banana bread, and raw sunflower carrot bread. Having these foods made eating well much easier and saved us some money. When travelling with your own food, I recommend labelling it and its ingredients. Also, check for any restrictions before going. The one thing that I meant to bring but forgot and really really regretted forgetting was hot sauce. I made the same mistake when I went to Cuba - when will I learn???

5. Research beforehand any vegan-friendly restaurants. There are a handful of vegan-friendly restaurants in Reykjavik, but not all are also gluten-free, and they are on the pricy side. We ended up at A Naestu Grosum for a dinner. I've heard great things about the place and my travel buddy loved it, but unfortunately we went on Indian night...I am really really not an Indian food fan. Some of the cafes also have some vegan snacks - such as Babalu. My fave cafe was C is for Cookie that made the best best best soy vanilla latte I have ever had (and I've had quite a lot).

Our itinerary was pretty simple:
Saturday: arrive in Reykavik, get settled, walk around
Sunday: more Reykjavik
Monday: pick up car, drive along South Coast stopping at Waterfalls along the way, drive through the lava fields, hike in skaftafell national park, jokulsarlon. Stayed overnight at Guesthouse Hali - amazing place: great kitchen, great rooms, friendly people, ocean view. We were the only people staying so had the place to ourselves, but if you're traveling high season, you may want to ask for a room that's not right next to the kitchen.
Tuesday: back to Reykjavik, stopping at the Canyon, went back to Seljandfoss so I could walk behind the waterfall
Wednesday: hike in Reykadalur
Thursday: Thingvellir national park - we were too tired for a serious hike, so it wasn't that exciting
Friday: Reykjavik and Cafe Amsterdam at night
Saturday: Reykjavik
Sunday: Blue lagoon and home

All in all it was an amazing trip and i can't wait to go back! I'm thinking an October trip for the huge music festival!

veganlicious is now on facebook!

2011-06-11T11:14:00.002-04:00

Like my recipes, musings and healthy living tips? Follow me on my new facebook page! Yay! Of course I've somehow become entirely computer illiterate, so i can't figure out for the life of me how to put a "like" box on my blog...any tips?

xo
Selene

UPDATE: Finally finally figured out how to add the like box. So don't delay! follow me on facebook today!

raw kelp noodle stir-fry with spicy almond ginger sauce

2011-06-08T21:31:00.002-04:00

Things have been pretty crazy since I got back from Iceland (more about that in a later post), with all types of stress and change being thrown my way. I won't say I've been dealing with it the best that a person could hope to...there has definitely been some ups and downs. And I've broken out and become permanently bloated and haven't been sleeping all that wonderfully. But - a BIG but, and one that I am quite proud of myself about - I have managed to maintain a relatively healthy diet. (Relatively as there were a couple of nights where a bag of daiya and gluten-free bagels and tortilla chips were my dinner.) Normally when I get really stressed, I eat more processed foods and I skip meals or have "salads" made from lettuce and some kidney beans with maybe a tomato thrown in. Now there have been a far amount of salads, but these have been with far more numerous and tasty ingredients. And I've been having delicious mango-pecan or banana choconut smoothies or green drinks in the mornings.

For dinner tonight I had raw noodle stir-fry in a spicy almond sauce. I used kelp noodles, and I must say that I am a HUGE fan. They have a slight crunch to them, are light, don't have any discernible taste and don't make you feel heavy and sleepy afterward like regular pasta.

To make
1 package kelp noodles, well rinsed and drained
2 cup baby spinach, chopped
1 cup mushrooms
1 med carrot, julianned
3/4cup cucumber, chopped
sprouts

mix together in a big bowl

Dressing
3 tbsp almond butter
juice from one lemon
2 tbsp soya souce
1/2t tbsp ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, derooted
1 tbsp water

blend together

mix before serving and top with sesame seeds. Store sauce separately from noodle/veggie mix so that veggies don't get soggy.

Enjoy!
xo
Selene

nothing like raw vegan turtles for a national pity party

2011-05-03T22:04:00.001-04:00

Well, the election happened last night, and boy were the results depressing. We had a record low voter turn out at 58 per cent. Voting poll locations were changed last minute without people knowing about it. And with only 39 percent of the vote, Harper got a majority government. How does 39 per cent equal a majority you ask? Good question (explained with the best video I have ever seen - spoiler: it features kitties!). How does a party that was held in contempt get re-elected, you may also ask? Another great question.

Needless to say, much of the nation (the actual majority) is in need of a serious pity party.

At least there are turtles, the perfect pity party food. Here's a recipe for a raw, vegan, gluten-free version of the delectable chocolate caramel-y treat:

spiced pecan crust

pecan pie crust (made with an additional 1/2tsp nutmeg)

caramel

soaked medjool dates - 1/3c

agave or maple syrup (note: maple syrup isn't raw) – 1/4c

water - 1T (more if you want the caramel to be more syrup-y)

raw mesquite powder – 1T

chocolate sauce
2/3c raw cacao powder
1/3c agave nectar
1/3c cacao butter, melted

Roll small balls of the crust dough and press down on a plate, about 1/4"-1/3" thick. Note: In the photos here, I rolled out the base mixture and used a champagne glass to cut out the circles.

With a butter knife, spread a layer of caramel. Top with melted chocolate.

Sift the cacao powder through a sieve into a bowl. Add remaining chocolate sauce ingredients and blend with a small whisk until smooth.

Serve chilled.

Selene

ps I'm heading to Iceland this Friday! I've prepared a tons of delicious food to bring and will try and update you guys about my trip via blackberry blogging :)

why you should vote on May 2

2011-04-30T00:13:00.002-04:00

If you are a Canadian living in Canada or abroad, don't forget to vote on may 2. You may not find a party you align with 100 percent, but you will find a party that represents you and your values in part. Celebrate your right to democracy post voting with some vegan ice cream!

I'm not sure how closely you follow Canadian politics. I'm not as up-to-date as I used to be, but I have been catching up with a bit of what has been going on since the 2006 election. And, yikes. I knew of some of the stuff, but not about a lot of it. I feel so uninformed! Staying more on top of such things will definitely be a goal of mine from now on.

In case you also didn't know, here is some of what has been going on in Canada for the past five years...

"Since 2006, Harper has cut funding for women’s advocacy by 43 per cent, shut 12 out of 16 Status of Women offices in Canada and eliminated funding of legal voices for women and minority groups, including the National Association of Women and the Law and the Courts Challenges Program."
"In the recent budget, the Harper government failed to allocate any new funding for drinking water on First Nation reserves." Meaning that these communities would be without clean drinking water. Source
"For the first time in Canadian history, a committee of Parliament has found a government to be in contempt." - Harper's. Source
Other countries tried to kick Canada out of the commonwealth over its climate change policies. "Canada's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are among the world's highest and it will not meet the cut required under the Kyoto protocol: by 2007 its emissions were 34% above its reduction target. It is exploiting its vast tar sands reserves to produce oil, a process said to cause at least three times the emissions of conventional oil extraction." Source
"Canada [raised] its limits on pesticide residues on fruit and vegetables for hundreds of products." Source
Our science minister doesn't seem to believe in evolution. Possibly not the best career choice... Source

Wow! I was blown away finding out all of that! Canada, you used to be so cool! Luckily, the internet makes it way easier to stay informed. I also recommend ensuring that you receive the facebook newsfeed for your friends that are all on top of these things. Those friends conveniently filter down the news - it's like having your own Media Analysis department!

ShitHarperDid.com and the Rick Mercer Report videos on YouTube are also great sources - witty updates in 140 words or less. Here's a hilarious video too, entitled Breaking Up With Stephen Harper:

You don't need to be engrossed in politics to be informed or to find out which party you want to make decisions that will impact your life and future. I now rely on platform summaries from sources like NOW magazine. Remember - May 2!! For where to go to vote and what you need (surprise - it's not the voter's card! you can vote without it) visit Elections Canada.

Instant sugar-free berry sorbet

2011-04-11T19:05:00.002-04:00

In a blender, blend frozen berries, raw cacao nibs and just enough almond milk or water to get things going. Scoop into a bowl or cone and enjoy!

got sunny days on my mind...a raw vegan banana chocolate milkshake for breakfast

2011-04-09T10:47:00.002-04:00

We're in double digits people! Double digits!! I know it likely won't last long but it's oh so lovely while it does. And just knowing summer is a hop, skip, jump away is enough to make everyone smile. What are your plans for the summer? I can't wait to go paddling again! The boyface owns a canoe/kayak/stand up paddleboard store called Mudpuppy Marine (you can visit him here), which means that I get free access to sweet boats, like my precious Scala. Didn't know Toronto was such an awesome location to paddle? Neither did I until I met him! Turns out there are tons of amazing harbours and even a gorgeous lagoon smack in the middle of the islands!

In celebration of warmer weather, here's a recipe for a delicious banana chocolate almond breakfast milkshake.

1 banana, frozen (make sure the banana is super ripe before freezing or your milkshake won't be sweet enough; PC brand organic bananas are pretty affordable, and you can normally get the really ripe ones for 50% off!)
1/4c almonds (if you don't have a hardcore blender, you may wish to soak these first)
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp cacao nibs
1c almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
1 tsp agave or 1 date (optional, but if you're using bananas that aren't very ripe, I would definitely recommend it)

Blend, blend, blend!!! And enjoy. yum yum!

xo
Selene

Sunday discovery: Golubka

2011-04-03T19:21:00.000-04:00

Taking a little break from my Preventative Nutrition studying to drool over the stunning photography and recipes of amazing raw chef Golubka. Some of my faves...

Sun Dried Tomato, Basil and Olive Tart

Falafel and Tabouleh

Chocolate Persimmon Tart

The salad formula: Amazing salads made easy

2011-03-27T08:58:00.005-04:00

Salads are an amazing meal option. They offer a variety of tastes and textures and a mega dose of nutrients. They're also super portable and don't require heating, which makes them a great lunch for work.

Sadly, many people have an irrational hate for the salad. A hate that stems from the unfortunate myth that salads are confined to two to three ingredients, one usually being lettuce, and that they can't ever be enough to fill someone up, and that they're just for diets and therefore a food you don't really want to eat but do occasionally and grudgingly like it's a punishment.

The truth is that salads, with their endless combinations, are a form of culinary art; they require imagination and innovation. And without it, salads are in fact just lettuce with a slice or two of tomato and cucumber, maybe some onion. But don't be scared; it's an artform that can easily be taught. Making balanced salad that serves as a healthy and satisfying meal, like most things in life, comes down to a basic mathematical formula:

whole grain + protein + vegetables + greens + dressing

It's that easy. And have you SEEN the produce section at any grocery store? It's huge! Imagine the possibilities!

Dressings are an essential component of making delicious salads that don't leave you wanting more. And all too often this is the part people put the least effort into, leaning toward oil and vinegar, maybe some mustard...If you're one of those people who is on the fence about salad, it could very likely be that it's your dressing that's keeping you from experiencing true salad love. Step outside of your cupboard and look to your fridge and blender for dressing inspiration. Avocados or nuts make a great creamy base and lemons, tomatoes and even oranges add that wonderful tartness. If you're settling for store-bought dressing because you're nervous about potential dressing disasters in you're bag, rest assured: mason jars, with their powerful seal, make great containers for dressings.

Here is one salad that I made the other day that we're currently quite obsessed with. It left us both nicely full but also feeling energetic - not heavy or tired. And it was so delicious, we were still talking about it two days later and had told almost everyone we knew about it!

Whole grain

2c quinoa, cooked (1c uncooked)

Protein

2c mixed beans, rinsed well if using canned

Vegetables

1 tomato, chopped

½ cucumber, chopped

3 cloves garlic, derooted and diced

1 hungarian pepper, deseeded and sliced thinly

Olives, pitted and halved

Mix together in a small bowl and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. If you're prepping your salad for lunch at work, store these chopped veggies in a container separate from the greens to avoid the dreaded soggy salad.

Greens

1c mixed sprouts (I used a combination of broccoli and daikon radish sprouts)

Carrot greens, chopped

1 head red leaf lettuce, chopped

1 bunch parsley, chopped

Chop greens and wash and dry thoroughly. If you don't have a salad spinner, I highly recommend purchasing one. They're not very expensive and are an invaluable investment in making a great salad. Thanks to my lovely friend Anita for providing me with both my salad spinners (the second one after i accidentally melted the first...).

Dressing

1 avocado

2tbsp hemp seeds

Juice from 1 lemon

1c spinach (optional)

½ tomato

Water, as needed

Cayenne to taste

blend together. I find the magic bullet quite useful for salad dressings and sauces because of the blender's small size.

Mix everything together and toss with the dressing.

Enjoy the salad that dreams are made of!

Selene

ps did you notice the new feature on my site? In the lefthand column there's a new facebook button that allows you to share my blog and recipes with your facebook friends! So if you do like my recipes, please click the button :)

raw collard-wrapped springrolls

2011-03-22T17:52:00.000-04:00

Collard greens, destemmed
seaweed
shitake mushroom caps, sliced, marinated
snow peas, cut into strips
carrots, julienned
napa cabbage, cut into strips
cucumber, cut into strips

marinate
1 tbsp ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, derooted, minced
2 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sesame oil

Marinate the mushrooms for 15-30 min. Squeeze out excess marinate back into bowl and set marinate aside.
Put ingredients in the middle of the collard leaf and roll. Wrap and secure the roll with a strip of seaweed.
Use marinate for dipping. For a richer sauce, add in some nut butter or tahini.

Enjoy!

xo
Selene

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

2011-03-17T13:00:00.001-04:00

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, here's a delicious green smoothie to start your morning off right. This refreshing beverage, stocked full of flavour and nutrients, will leave you feeling satisfied.

Awesome affordable organic produce discoveries:

President's Choice Celery ($2.99), Loblaws
President's Choice baby spinach ($4.99/tub), loblaws
Carrots ($2.99) at loblaws or metro
Ontario Greenhouse tomatoes are usually a decent price, are not genetically engineered and are "virtually pesticide free"

To make, blend together

1 avocado

1 carrot, medium

2 celery stalks, plus the bits that are all leafy

2 handfuls baby spinach

2 tomatoes

1 clove garlic, derooted

2.5-3c water

(4 servings)

Add some parsley or cilantro, which in addition to the celery will help support your liver the morning after.

Drink up and enjoy!!

Selene

Rawlicious: A cookbook

2011-03-13T11:04:00.001-04:00

Very excitingly, on Wednesday while I was at work a package came for me. It's always fun when packages come at work. Especially when the return address on it is not from our fulfillment house.

I tore open the envelope (ok, I cut the side off neatly with scissors after I struggled for like three minutes to tear the envelope...) to find Rawlicious a raw food cookbook by Peter and Beryn Daniel. Rawlicious was originally published in 2009 in South Africa and will soon be available in North America.

Rawlicious offers a nice sampling of a variety of dishes, from smoothies to soups to mains with a section on combining the different components to make a gourmet meal. The recipes are easy to make without many specialty ingredients, which I personally always look for in a cookbook. There are tons of recipes I'm excited to try, especially ones using sprouted legumes, such as the sprouted lentil burger and sprouted chick pea falafels. I love sprouting legumes because it's so easy and inexpensive, but I can never find enough ways to use them!

Here's a sneak peek at one of the delicious recipes in this amazing book: I tried the Cream of Celery Soup the other day, with slight variations, when we had a friend over for dinner. It was super easy to make and was a big hit. Here's my modified recipes:

5 stalks of celery (2.5c celery juice)
2c water (1c water)
1 avocado (1.5 avocado)
1/4c olive oil
2 cloves garlic (1 clove)
1/2c parsley (1/2c cilantro + 1/4c parsley)
juice from 1/2 lemon (1tbsp lemon juice)
(1tsp Himalayan salt, 2 scallions)

Blend everything together.

Enjoy with a spring of parsley and maybe a sprinkle of cayenne pepper if you want an extra kick!

Stay tuned as I sample more of the recipes in Rawlicious!

quickie post: yogurt plus chia seeds equals love

2011-03-12T14:53:00.003-05:00

Totally into yoso vanilla soy yogurt right now.
My fave ways to enjoy it?

chocolate chia goji mousse madness
mix vanilla soy yogurt with raw cacao powder and 1tbsp chia seeds. Mix well and let sit in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. When you take it out of the fridge, the texture will be more like a mousse. add in goji berries, mix and enjoy!!

cookies and goji goodness

break off pieces of raw cookie dough into vanilla soy yogurt. Mix in goji berries and enjoy!

Not your grandma's tabouleh

2011-02-12T13:41:00.000-05:00

Last summer I fell in love with parsley. It's not that I minded it before, but I was never a huge fan. Then suddenly one day I'm adding it to my salads and marinated kale dishes.

By some miracle, my husband found a whole bushel at loblaws! I heart loblaws. I decided to finally make a tabouleh recipe. I made it with quinoa instead of the traditional couscous for gluten-free goodness, whole grain wonderfulness and that protein punch. I'm currently finishing it up (it didn't last long) and daydreaming about my next batch that I'll make with cilantro, black beans, cherry tomatoes, avocado, red onion, black olives, portabello mushrooms, and jalapenos.

To make
1c quinoa, soaked and rinsed (to remove the saponins)
1.5c water
1c cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2c fresh parsley, chopped
1/2c olives, sliced
4-5 mushrooms (I used mushroom, but cremini would be really nice)
1-1/2" wedge of red onion, chopped

dressing ingredients
juice of half a lemon
2T olive oil
pinch salt
pince cayenne
2 garlic cloves, derooted and chopped finely

Add the quinoa to boiling water and lower heat. Cook on low, with lid on, until quinoa is fluffy and all water absorbed.

In a pan, add a bit of oil and water. Saute onions, cherry tomatoes, olives and mushrooms. Add saute vegetables and quinoa to a bowl, mix well with parsley and dressing ingredients.

Serve and enjoy!

xo
Selene

Happy New Year and a spicy winter soup to warm you up

2011-01-02T12:52:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! Here's to a 2011 full of healthy, delicious food!

I've decided to make some resolutions this year, something that I haven't done for the past few years. I have a couple of them, but the general idea behind them all is being a healthier, happier me. When I think about it and about the steps it takes to be a healthier, happier me - creating and eating delicious food, being around people I like, traveling, drinking tea - it seems pretty stupid that I've put it off this long.

The slush, freezing wind and damp chill of winter can make it hard to have the energy and enthusiasm needed to go out after our goals. Here's a hearty winter soup that will warm you up and keep you going through the next couple of months.

Ingredients
1 small yellow or white onion, sliced
2 tsp canola or grapeseed oil
1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup brown lentils
4 cups water
1 low-sodium boullion cube
1 large carrot, sliced
2 Tbsp ginger
1/2 litre low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups spinach (or other leafy green - swiss chard is particularly nice in soup)
black pepper and hot chili flakes, to taste

To make

Cut the onion in half and cut it lengthwise in strips. Put in base of soup pot with canola oil and a bit of water. Saute until onion is transparent.
Add rice and stir well, coating rice. Add lentil, boullion, carrot, ginger and water and stir well. Cover and simmer on low heat until rice and lentils are cooked.
Add vegetable broth, spices and spinach. Mix together until spinach wilts. If you're using a different leafy green, such as chard, add in with the lentils and carrot.
Serve and enjoy

xo
Selene

ps Did you make any New Year's resolutions?

making christmas and new obsession

2010-12-24T14:16:00.000-05:00

Every year I get lofty ideas about all the great holiday gifts I'm going to make. And every year, about a week before the actual day, I give up on the dream and say "next year."

This year, with the help of Organic Body Care Recipes: 150 Homemade Herbal Formulas (strangely, there are 175 recipes in the American version...) and Anarres Natural Health*, I whipped up most of my gifts in one afternoon.

I made chocolate orange body butter, and vanilla and sweet orange bath salt, lip balm and body wash. They all smell delicious, feel great and are free of the chemicals found in most of the products out there.

There are a lot of things that are unappealing about conventional bath and beauty products. With no real regulation of the industry, many cosmetic products are made with chemicals that have not been properly tested for human and environmental safety. In fact, many of these chemicals are linked to such health concerns as allergies, cancer and developmental and reproductive toxicity.

According to Breast Cancer Action Montreal (BCAM), not only is the average North American exposed to over 126 chemical components a day, but "many such chemicals can be detected in the blood stream...and even the umbilical chords of newborns." Scary stuff.

BCAM is a great resource for information about the cosmetics industry. I particularly like their Toxic Twenty and their Beast of Beauty (PDF) pieces. Want to know how your products measure up? Look them up on Skin Deep, the ingredient and safety database of cosmetics and personal care products from the Environmental Working Group.

Looking for some recipes? Try some of the 50 all natural products over at planet green!

*Have you heard about Anarres? This place is amazing and I cannot believe I didn't know about it before! Tracey, the owner, runs diy workshops, such as one on making tub truffles and lotions. What I'm especially loving about Anarres is the awesome access to everything you need to make and package your own bath and beauty products, at amazing prices.

raw vegan nanaimo bars

2010-12-23T16:00:00.001-05:00

I heart nanaimo bars. My friend Shannon also loves them. I've seen gluten-free vegan ones, and eaten the delicious ones from LPK culinary groove. But traditional nanaimo bars are a heavy-on-the-refined sugar affair and both of us wanted to create one that steered clear of the white stuff. We both thought of recipes separately and came up with almost identical ones - funny how that happens.

The base and the chocolate ganache were easy to create. The middle layer, however, which gets its flavour and texture mainly from the sugar, was more of a challenge. The vanilla almond cream is delicious in its own right, but not quite like the sugary yellow filling of a nanaimo bar, leading this tasty square to be dubbed by Shannon's husband the Tofino Bar.

To make
base
1c macadamia nuts
1c cashew nuts
1/2c coconut, shredded or flaked
1/3c raw cacao powder
3/4c medjool dates, pitted

In a food processor, blend the nuts and cacao powder until the mixture is well ground. Add coconut and pulse a couple of times to mix it in. Add dates and blend until a dough is formed.

cream layer
1 cup almonds, soaked 8 hours, well rinsed
1/2c+2T water, as needed
1/4c medjool dates, pitted
1/4c coconut oil
1/2tsp vanilla extract (or throw in a vanilla bean)

After soaking the almonds, the skin will come off quite easily. Removing the skin will result in a smoother cream. Blend all the ingredients together and place in the fridge or freezer to firm up for 1-2 hours .

chocolate sauce
2/3c raw cacao powder
1/3c agave nectar
1/3c coconut oil

Sift the cacao powder through a sieve into a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and blend with a small whisk until smooth.

In a square or rectangular pan, press the base mixture along the pan to form the bottom of the square. Then spoon in the cream and spread it evenly. Top with a thin layer of chocolate sauce - put in a shallow pan of warm water to keep it melted enough to pour easily.

Note: In the photos here, I rolled out the base mixture and used a champagne glass to cut out the circles.

twitter/status post...

2010-12-18T23:56:00.000-05:00

Omg I just made raw vegan turtle truffles!!! They were ah-mazing!!! A huge hit at christmas dinner take 1.

Stay tuned I'll have a photo and a recipe for you soon!!!!

a very vegan thanksgiving: pumpkin mousse pie

2010-12-16T19:39:00.001-05:00

I heart thanksgiving with my family. When I was young, we'd go to a family friend's and enjoy the three amazing pies they'd make. And for the past while, we celebrate with delicious fall dishes, such as wild rice salad and oven roasted root veggies. Well, last year my parents were in Korea and Japan for Thanksgiving. And this year they were going to be in Turkey. After not having a dinner last year, we decided to simply postpone the holiday this year. And that instead of the usual faves, my sister and I would do all the feast-making.

We didn't really coordinate our different menu responsibilities, but somehow ended up with a completely gluten-free, vegan, pumpkin-y thanksgiving! I'm the only vegan in the family, but we're all of the mentality that delicious food is delicious food.

My sister made pumpkin nut loaf with pumpkin tofutti cream cheese, roasted yams, and roasted root veggies and brussel sprouts in a pumpkin sauce. I made Fat Free Vegan's stuffed tofu and mushroom gravy (the gravy was a huge huge hit. We couldn't get enough of it.) and a raw pie featuring pumpkin mousse on a candied pecan crust.

To make
pumpkin mousse
2c pumpkin, pureed
1 1/2c cashews, soaked
6 tbsp coconut oil
1/4c water
1/4c agave nectar

pecan pie crust (made with an additional 1/2tsp nutmeg)

enjoy!
xo
selene

detox is delicious: green smoothie!!

2010-12-13T19:31:00.002-05:00

I'm reading Victoria Boutenko's new book, Green for Life, right now (stay tuned for a review and some sneak peek recipe fun!) and am getting more and more excited about green smoothies. However, since I'm trying to stay away from sweet fruits, enjoying green smoothies has been a little harder than expected. I tried a grapefruit-orange-spinach combo...unless you like very bitter morning drinks, I do not recommend it. I gave up on the dream for now of enjoying sweet smoothies and have embraced the savoury smoothie. Here's a delicious veggie smoothie I came up with this morning:

Happy Monday Green Smoothie
1 handful spinach
2 med tomatoes, quartered
3" long piece of cucumber
pinch cayenne pepper

blend until smooth.
refreshing. spicy. delicious. a great way to wake up.
I can't wait to experiment with adding some lemon, or coriander, or avocado!

Happy Friday Giveaway winner announced!

2010-10-10T23:49:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a giveaway to reward my favourite people (you!) for being so awesome! Well, after a little stress-out of figuring out how people actually do determine winners in blog contests (spoiler alert: using randomizer.org, a tool for randomly selecting subjects for scientific research), we have a winner!

The winner is the very fashionable blogger over at Healthy and Homemade! Congratulations!! You'll be getting an email soon from CSN Stores! So check your junk mail if you have any filters or anything...

Thanks to everyone who entered and to all of you for reading!

xo
Selene

Adopt a blogger: spicy cornbread muffins

2010-10-05T22:38:00.000-04:00

For September’s Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger

I get a total heart-on for cornbread. But all the recipes out there are always made with very gluten-full flour. Lucky me, while I was checking out the Gluten-Free Goddess for Book of Yum's Adopt a gluten free blogger, I found a gluten-free recipe for blue corn muffins with green chiles!

Mine didn't turn out quite as wonderfully as in their internet debut and were very crumbly, but they sure were tasty! Would taste super amazing slathered with tapenade or soy "cream cheese."

side note: Cutting the jalapenos went terribly, and, in a related matter, my lips, tongue, nose and left eye and BURNING.

A Happy Friday Giveaway!

2010-09-24T15:00:00.006-04:00

Nothing says TGIF like a giveaway! To help you celebrate this Friday, I'm giving away a $50 gift certificate to CSN Stores! With over 200 online stores to choose from, you can find everything and anything from dinnerware to awesome wall decals - I'm a sucker for a good wall decal - to portable planetarium projectors.

Here are some things from their stores that I particularly fell in love with (all under $50!!):

Starting at top left: WallCandy Arts Deerly Beloved Removable Wall Decals, ferm LIVING Mr. Robot Pillow, Banana Boys Set of Three Bottle Stoppers by Stefano Giovannoni for Alessi, ferm LIVING Small Stem Bowl, Alessi Mediterraneo Kitchen Jar Collection, notneutral City on a Plate Set, OWI Robots Solar Peppy Orangutan Kit, Zevro Wall-Mount Magnetic Spice Rack 12 Piece Set, Hadaki 15.4' Eva Laptop Case.

So many amazing things! I want them all! ...But especially that coral jar set...ooo or the city on the plates - even just Berlin will do! Or the stem bowl! Definitely my top three. ...And the wall decals and Mr. Robot pillow...Top five...

How to enter
There are many ways to enter and you can get up to five entries:
1. stop by one of CSN Store's 200 websites and leave me a comment telling me what you'd spend the $50 on;
2. become a follower of my blog;
3. blog about the giveaway;
4. post the giveaway on twitter; and/or
5. post the giveaway on facebook.

Just leave me a comment telling me what you did so I know how many entries to give you. And if you're already a follower of my blog, leave a comment saying so so that I can count you for the extra entry.

And please make sure that I will be able to easily contact you when you win!! I'm cool with doing a bit of internet creeping to have to find an email address, but when I'm googling your blogger profile name with the name of your dog you mentioned in a comment on a long-ago post...well, I start to feel a bit too creepy.

The giveaway will be open until 9pm October 10, 2010.

Please note: This contest is open to US and Canadian readers only, as CSN Stores only ship to these two countries. Sorry!

Good luck everyone!!

xo
Selene

THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. STAY TUNED FOR THE WINNER!!

wilted raw kale salad and a kale round up!

2010-09-21T14:30:00.007-04:00

I love kale. It's one of my favourite foods, my preferred leafy green and the last name of one of my best friends.

Kale, also known as borecole, is a a member of cabbage family (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group), along with broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussel sprouts. Easy to grow and full of nutrients, kale was a choice vegetable for England's Dig for Victory campaign during World Way II.

The history of this magnificent leafy green dates back at least 2000 years, when Sabellian kale, the ancestor to the kale we know today, was cultivated by the Greeks and the Romans in the fourth century BC. It was the most widely eaten green vegetable in Europe until the end of the Middle Ages, when cabbage eclipsed it in popularity. In fact, in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 13th centuries it found its way into the works of European writers.

In the 19^th century, Kale finally found its way to North America – making its first stop in Canada – at the hands of Russian traders.

An outstanding source of vitamin K, a cup of boiled kale can proved over 1300% of your daily requirement (don't worry, it's super super hard to get too much vitamin K from food sources). Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps with coagulation, or blood clotting. This tasty veggie is also high in vitamins A and C.
Full of glucosinolates, a sulfur-containing phytonutrient with anti-inflammatory, anticancer, immunosupportive, and antibiotic properties, kale – like many of the cruciferous vegetables – has been connected to cancer preventative benefits. In particular, studies have shown a positive benefit for cancers of the bladder, breast, colon, ovaries, and prostate.

Sadly, kale has lately been cropping up on the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen, a list of the 12 foods with the most pesticide residue (after washed and cleaned). So you might want to go for organic, or grow your own. Its appearance on this list is surprising as kale is historically easy to grow, without the need for pesticides. In fact, many of its relatives in the brassica family have made it onto the Clean 15 – a list of the least toxic foods*.

There are lots of ways to enjoy this green god of a food (I see kale as male for some reason...), raw or cooked. I've selected some recipes from around the blogging world to help you make the most of your rendezvous' with this leafy green.

Clockwise from top left:

Kale and almond pesto over at Elana's Pantry

Avocado and kale soup by raw food crafting

Nine ways to make raw kale chips by rawmazing

Cheesy kale-hemp-onion bread from Raw Sierra

Raw wilted kale salad

Serves 2

To eat kale raw, you need to make it into small, easily digestible pieces. You can do this by blending or pureeing it, or you can do this by wilting it. I've shown you how to wilt spinach, by letting it marinate. Well, kale, being tougher is much easier to wilt if you put some elbow grease into it.

To make

1 head of kale

1tbsp sea salt

tomato, chopped

cucumber, chopped

mushrooms, sliced

olives, pitted and sliced

avocado

...anything else you like in salad!

cut out the thickest parts of the stem, wash, dry, and put in your freezer to use in a future veggie broth. Cut the leafs into pieces, I usually do 1” strips or smaller. Put in a large bowl – don't worry about washing yet, we'll get to that later; dry kale wilts much more easily.

Massage the salt into the leaves – adding a bit more if needed – until the leaves wilt. Be careful if you have any cuts on your fingers...ow.

Once the kale has wilted, rinse very well in cold water and dry in a salad spinner.

Add in the other veggies and the dressing of your choice, maybe some hemp seeds or pecans, toss and enjoy. I usually dress my kale salads with a lemon juice, jalapeno (seeded), cayenne, olive oil blended mix, or with blended spinach, lemon juice and tomato, or spinach, tomato and avocado...the combinations are endless!

What are your favourite ways to eat kale?

Selene

p.s. pssst...That giveaway I was telling you about is coming up soon!!

*Check out Devan's post over at No More Cheeze to learn more about the veggies and fruits to splurge on for organic and those that you're ok to cheap out on.

SNEAK PEEK: Blueberry explosion muffins

2010-09-19T10:26:00.002-04:00

My guest-blog post for The Daily Dietribe's Gluten-Free Fall Specials is now up!

When I think fall, I think warm, oven-fresh baked goods. In celebration, I whipped up some gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, oil-free, incredibly flavour-full blueberry explosion muffins. Wanting to make a muffin that was light and fluffy with a natural sweetness and lots of flavour, I swapped out the oil for applesauce and the sugar for bananas and added in one of my fave tastes of fall: cinnamon.

The Daily Dietribe is a great gluten-free, sometimes vegan blog. Iris, the gluten-free genius behind the blog, shares her journey through gluten-freedom along with the tasty recipes she creates and encounters along the way. Basically that's a long way of saying "yum". She also has tons of fun blogging events, like the Adopt-a-Blogger event I somewhat recently participated in.

Here are some poser artsy muffin glamour shots for a little sneak preview (taste?) of the deliciousness this recipe has in store.

Check out the awesome monkey mug my friend Sarah got me for my birthday! On the back is the back of the monkey!!!

Using frozen blueberries will give your muffins a purple colour swirl.

Blueberries exploding!

A stolen muffin. I <3 you too Sabrina bean!

Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair

2010-09-12T11:17:00.003-04:00

This weekend is the weekend of the 26th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair here in Toronto. Wow, that means that there's actually been one almost every year of my life!! That's crazy when you think about it that way!

It's held down at Harbourfront Centre and is free, free, free! It's put on by the Toronto Vegetarian Association, which also produces the free Vegetarian Directory. There are tons of vendors all selling their delicious wares at wonderful prices. And non-food vendors too but you all know how my mind works...There is live entertainment, and if you're at all involved even in a minor way in the Toronto veg*n scene, you'll see tons of people that you know! In fact, I even bumped into my neighbour from first and second year university, how's that for craziness!!

Anyway, it was my first time going (!!!) and it's an important event as for me it always marks the end of summer. I went with my friend Kristyna, who I'm happy to say had the same priority as I of making ourselves sick by eating more delicious food than we should. I had three things I had to do, get a nanaimo bar from LPK Culinary Groove, buy Daiya Cheese, and get some kung pao chicken from King's Cafe. Sadly, there were no exhibitors selling any cheese, LPK was out of everything but non-vegan brownies and King's Cafe only had some curry chicken, though that was pretty amazing. BUT! That's ok! Because it was still awesome.

Kristyna at the Food Fair

I introduced Kristyna to tofu from Ying Ying Soy Foods, which I feel is my duty to people unsure about tofu everywhere. They offer only Nigari Tofu that is processed like cheese curds, a 2,000-year-old method using sea water and natural salts. My fave flavour is the sweet and spicy one, but we discovered the curry flavour is also delicious. You can get their tofu year round at the St. Lawrence Market or at Essence of Life Organics in Kensington Market, or a bunch of other stores according to their website. We also tried the gardenin "beef tips". It tasted a little too much like actual beef to us, so I'm not the hugest fan. And it's like pure gluten, but if you're ok with gluten and miss the flavour and texture of actual meat, then I highly recommend!

Kristyna shared an amazing double chocolate chocolate chip cookie from Sweets From The Earth with me. WOW. I later got a brownie from them, which despite it`s smaller size absolutely slayed me with its richness. Like, I actually had to leave after eating it, it was that intense. Luckily I waited until late in the day to have it. It was delicious, don`t get me wrong, and I highly recommend it, but it's definitely to be shared with a friend! Or maybe just enjoyed when you haven't already eaten everything in sight...

We rocked out to lightsweetcrude, an awesome jam band. It was here that we really saw that the fair attracted a very eclectic crowd. There was everyone from elderly people in scooters to a woman dancing using a hula hoop.

We found a mexican place that sold vegan food, such as mushroom tacos!! I feel like they're called El Cinto...?? They're not in the programme so unfortunately I can't be sure. I'll try and track down the name. I also tried a vegan jamaican patty. Even though there was so so much gluten, I had to try it! I was obsessed with Jamaican patties when I was younger. While it was good...it was a bit of a disappointment as it wasn't anything like the Jamaican patty I remember. I think that they could have pulled it off better with TVP and lots of spiciness! It was instead made of beans. Even that would have been fine, but it wasn't spicy at all. Became very delicious though when i put some of the super spicy Pav Bhaji Kristyna got from an Indian booth on it.

We laughed at this. If you know Toronto, you'll know that this is a tiny enclosed cement wading pool type of thing. And that the water isn't more than a foot deep. And that ten feet or so away is the lake. And that another little while off are the islands, with a huge beach. So, lots of places nearby to actually paddle. Yet these people chose to paddle here. So so very much a Toronto thing to do. Just like the fake grass everywhere! The grass at harbourfront is synthetic, and we got very nervous when we saw someone smoking on it. Such a Toronto thing. Sigh.

We ran into my friends Peter and Sarah and their friend, whose name I've forgotten...sorry guy!

And, perhaps most importantly, I got to hug a giant chicken man!!! If there's one thing I LOVE, it's mascots. With big cartoon faces. And they always give the best hugs! Now the exception are mascots like the giant pod of peas we saw. But that's because it had no cartoon face, it was just a guy dressed up like a pod of peas! Cool...but also a little unsettling. Though we did get to witness him hitting on a girl, which was stunning.

There's still time to go and experience the fun! And and and (!!) today they're having vegan iron chef!! And LPK Culinary Groove promised more nanaimo bars. exciting! Hope to see you there next year!!

xo
Selene

SESSY UPDATE!! fixed the link to lightsweetcrude. sigh myspace is way too confusing for me. i feel old...

Hello September, Goodbye Summer

2010-09-12T10:22:00.001-04:00

Camping in Northern Ontario

I know, I know...I've been a bad blogger. I kept starting to write a post, but then would get distracted by the fleeting summer. Sigh, summer...what happened summer? You let me down! Why have you been so cold??

I don't claim to be a weather expert, or even to know anything about weather patterns, in any way, but I blame Earl. Around the time that the hurricane started coming toward the Maritimes, it became super cold, very windy, and the flash torrential downpours started here in Toronto. Darn you, Earl, darn you!!

I kept hoping (I think we all did) that the warmth would come back...but the serious signs of the end of summer have since happened: the CNE and the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair. Sure signs of fall.

I've also been a bad blogger because I've just been bad when it comes to food. I have not been a very healthy girl at all. Or an inspired girl, when it comes to food.

BUT I'm back and there are a lot of exciting things coming up:

I am going to be guest blogging for Iris at The Daily Dietribe on September 19 to welcome the fall (will I overcome my bitterness about fall by then? That remains to be seen...).
There will be a GIVEAWAY(!!!) from a CSN store.
There will be a SNEAK PREVIEW from Victoria Boutenko's new book, Green for Life.
And I'm going back to school! To become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, which means that there will be a lot more food-and-health related content!

So stay tuned for all the fun things to come!!

xo
Selene

Make your own raw tahini and cheesy tahini broccoli recipe

2010-07-01T09:44:00.002-04:00

Broccoli smothered in cheesy tahini sauce

I already toted the many amazing benefits of sesame seeds here so we'll skip that part in this post and go straight to the awesomeness that is tahini.

Raw tahini is delightfully easy, and inexpensive, to make. And you can do such awesome things with it! I personally love using tahini as salad dressing. And when I discovered you could make a delicious cheese sauce with it...!! You can't really tell from the photo, but this makes a deliciously creamy and cheesy sauce that you can use on zucchini linguine, or for kale chips, or really just about anywhere that cheesy goodness could go (which is pretty much anywhere). The cheesy tahini broccoli is my version of Julie Morris's awesome recipe. While you're there check out her other recipes, yum they sure do look good!

How to make raw tahini
You will need just two ingredients:
sesame seeds
raw sesame oil

Put the seeds in a food processor or blender and begin grinding, slowly adding oil until it reaches the desired consistency. I used a magic bullet, so there was a lot of shaking going on to mix it up. If you're using a food processor or blender, you may need to occasionally pause and scrape down the sides and let it cool down a bit to keep it from overheating.

It's important that the sesame oil is raw as toasted sesame oil has a very strong taste. If you can't find raw, then either go for raw olive oil or cold-pressed sesame or olive oil. If you live in toronto, Essence of Life on Kensington Avenue has reasonably priced cold-pressed oils - you'll have to contact the companies to find out if they're raw.

I used hulled sesame seeds, which the person at the store said was raw. But I am learning that when most people say something is "raw" what they really mean is "unroasted". Try this recipe with black sesame seeds and unhulled seeds for some variety. The unhulled version will likely be more sesame-y, but it will also have considerably more calcium! According to World's Healthiest Foods, one tablespoon of hulled seeds contain 37mg of calcium, compared to 88mg in the same quantity of unhulled seeds. Though, the type of calcium in the husk is of a less absorbable kind.

Broccoli with cheesy tahini sauce

The broccoli
1 head of broccoli, washed and chopped
olive oil
lemon juice
salt

Rub the broccoli florets with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and salt like marinade. This will help to soften the broccoli a bit, making the eating and digesting of it that much more pleasant. Put the broccoli aside to sit in the marinade for at least 1 hour. I often wait till I'm hungry to make food, so the last time I made this it sat for only 45 min, and was quite perfect. It was the first time I had eaten raw broccoli in such a large quantity so I was a bit nervous as to how it would go. Had no problems (luckily as I went out afterward). If, however, you're not used to eating raw I would start with this as a side dish.

the cheesy tahini sauce
1/3c tahini
1 tsp soya/tamari sauce
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp paprika (I used a sweet paprika that my sister-in-law brought us from hungary)
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp water

Blend everything together or whisk it together in a bowl. Pour over your marinated broccoli, mix well and enjoy!

xo
Selene

Adopt a gluten-free blogger and an uncooking party

2010-06-09T22:06:00.001-04:00

Iris at The Daily Dietribe recently hosted an adopt-a-gluten--free-blogger-athon. I thought this was a super cool idea. Ever since I first came across Lisa's blog, Raw on $10 a day, I've been meaning to test drive some of her recipes; this was the perfect opportunity.

Of course because timing always works out so perfectly, I ended up having an event to plan at work. I had great teammates helping me to do so, but it still took up an insane amount of my time. So, I ended up not being able to really try out any recipes for a while.

But then! Kate and Robin emailed me that they were stopping in Toronto as part of their cross country tour. So we got together and had an awesome uncooking party of Lisa's fabulous recipes. The food was amazing and the company awesome.And, like any good dinner party, there was lots of kitty hugging. Ryder, the amazing foster kitty/best kitty ever was so excited and ran around so much that he was panting by the time Kate and Robin were leaving.

*warning: the pics kinda suck. They really did not turn out well. Oh well, guess I'll have to make these dishes again for another photo op :) *

Menu:
green soup
pad thai
chocolate peanut butter banana ice cream
Everything raw, except the peanut butter (could swap out for almond butter, but I didn't have any of that around either...)

Green soup
We used this recipe, but subbed cayenne pepper for salt and pepper.

Pad thai
We based our dish on this recipe:
3 large zucchinis
2 large carrots, sliced
2 c snow peas, julienned
1 bag enoki mushrooms

sauce
1/2 c peanut butter
juice from 2 limes
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp ginger, grated
water, to thin

Without sauce...

With sauce...

Chocolate peanut butter banana ice cream
I have been eying this chocolate ice cream recipe for a long time. And it seriously lived up to and far beyond my expectations. It was creamy and chocolatey and so so delicious. I made the chocolate batch and then the nutty ice cream batch (with some agave) and mixed them together in the ice cream maker. So so SO good.

yum!!!

Kitty hug time

Dav and Ryder share a snuggle. I sit jealously by.

easy get better soon lentil soup

2010-05-22T14:48:00.002-04:00

The boy came down with a nasty cold bug that's going around. I made him put his face over bowls pull of steaming water and eucalyptus oil, drink lots of honey-lemon-ginger tea and, of course, made him soup. We didn't have that many ingredients kicking around so the soup was very simple, but incredibly delicious. It was so good I had to have a bowl too!

Ingredients: brown lentils, organic low-sodium vegetable broth, water (because lentils take a lot of water, I didn't want all the broth to be absorbed with none left for the soup!), tomato, collard greens, yellow onion, garlic

Raw mango ice cream...yeyah!!!

2010-05-18T22:04:00.001-04:00

Ok so clearly at this point my mango obsession is not a secret. And to be honest, I'm not actively looking for things to do with mangoes, as I love mangoes in their natural element. But I had some that were starting to turn and I was feeling creative, so I whipped up a mango cheesecake (recipe to come later) and mango ice cream.

Actually, I think I'll have some ice cream now while posting this. Seems fitting :)

note: this ain't no sorbet, this is a seriously creamy ice cream.

Raw vegan ice cream is amazingly delicious, but it's hard to find a raw one that's not all nuts, loads of agave or just blended frozen bananas (which I love too, but it's an eat right away, doesn't freeze well type of dish). One of the many great things about this ice cream is that it remains creamy and not overly frozen even after being in the freezer for a couple of days. I did use dates, but since mango is quite naturally sweet, I don't think you need them. If you want the filler, you could swap them for another fruit, like strawberries or banana or even an extra mango!

To make
1/3c dates
1/4c water
1/2 avocado
2 mangos

In a food processor or blender, combine the dates and water and blend/process until you get date paste. Add avocado and process until smooth. Add mango and process until smooth.

Put in an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's directions. I did not follow the directions - I didn't pre-chill my mix in the freezer (though it was in the fridge over night), nor did I use the ice cream maker for the correct period of time; I got anxious about it halfway through and lifted the top, which lifts the mixer inside and, as I learned, there's no putting it back in properly. So I put my half ice cream, half very cold mango mix into the freezer and it achieved optimal ice cream consistency. Yay!

raw vegan meal plan (Day 4) and raw curried lentil sprout and carrot salad

2010-05-09T20:38:00.001-04:00

Curried lentil sprout salad with carrot, corriander and sundried olives.

Have I spoken yet about the amazing wonder that is sprouting? I've wanted to try sprouting for a couple of years now, but have always put it off because I figured that it would be hard. Even though everyone says it'll be super easy, it still seemed kind of difficult. And they sell sprouting helpers for like hundreds of dollars, so why would I be able to do it on my own for free? Well, I finally did try it. And wow, it actually is super easy! And AWESOME!

I used an old spaghetti sauce jar and a piece of mesh - the kind that is used for screen windows (I have a whole roll - live in toronto? I'll hook you up!). I just put some sprouting seeds in the jar, let them soak for a couple of hours, then drained them and left them on an angle in my dish drying rack. Morning and night, pour water into the jar, through the screen, swirl it around, drain again. This site has everything you need to know about sprouting soak times and other details. This site also has some good information. I've sprouted lentils, daikon radish sprouts and buckwheat. I tried quinoa; it did not work at all.

Some things I've learned about sprouting:

don't put too much in the jar. When the sprouts grow, they'll take up a LOT of space. Like for the daikon radish seeds, I put in 2 tbsp and that filled the entire jar! Lentils I keep it to 1/3c, anymore and it's too much!
you're going to get freaked out by everyone online talking about mold; relax. If it looks like little white hairs or fuzz, those are root hairs, not mold. If it's mold, you will know. And if you rinse well and keep your jars on an angle, draining out, you'll be fine.
Dry your sprouts well before storing them. I didn't with the buckwheat and that's how they molded. Anything sitting in water will spoil quickly. I spread my sprouts out on a dish towel over a dehydrator tray (so it's not right on my table) and let them dry out a bit for an hour or 2. They won't be completely dry, but close to it.
try a sprout rotation. This way you'll never be without sprouts. So if you start your one jar on day 1, start the next jar on day 3 so that while you're finishing off the first jar, the second jar is just becoming ready to eat.

Sprouts are a great addition to salads, wraps, and spreads. They add a tasty and nutritional boost. Great for the raw foodie who likes to travel, they're quite portable. When I went to montreal for easter with my family, I brought a container of curried lentil sprouts and added them to salads and other dishes so that I could rock the raw without any hassle. And, best of all, they're super cheap! Seriously! Like 3 cups of lentil sprouts, from the 1/3 c of lentils costs cents!

Here's another daily meal plan, and the recipe for this delicious curried lentil sprout and carrot salad (the raw version of this salad). Don't forget to check out the other meal plans too: day 1, day 2, day 3.

breakfast: vanilla banana hemp ice cream. This is a great breakfast. It's quick to make - just throw it in the blender, it's delicious, and because of the hemp it's super filling.
snack: mango, mango, man-go! Or whatever fruit is in season. Or, if you find that mid-morning you want something "salty" go for some spicy sweet potato chips or nuts tossed in a bit of olive oil, curry powder, a pinch of sea salt and cayenne pepper - warning: your hands will get messy!
lunch: lasagna in the buff. Or, if you felt lazy about assembling the lasagnas, toss the sauce, cheese and wilted spinach with zucchini linguini when you're ready to eat. zucchini has a lot of water, and when this dish sits for a while, the water comes out. This doesn't necessarily make it less enjoyable, but if it's something you'd rather avoid, keep the ingredients separate until you're about to eat.
snack: chocolate mousse with chocolate crumbs. I keep the base and the mousse separate and then whenever I want to enjoy some chocolate-y awesomeness, I put some mousse in a bowl and sprinkle it heavily with the nut-chocolate base mix.
dinner: curried lentil sprout and carrot salad (recipe below)

Curried lentil sprout and carrot salad

Ingredients (note: I totally didn't measure while making this. Sorry. So if you're making it and you're all I don't want that many carrots! Just put in fewer!)
2 cups lentil sprouts

2 cups carrots, grated (using the grating disc of a food processor)
1/2 c corriander, chopped
lemon juice
olive oil
cumin
tumeric
cayenne pepper

To make

Toss the lentil sprouts with the cumin, tumeric, cayenne pepper and a dash of olive oil and lemon juice until well coated. You don't need much of the oil or lemon juice, just enough to help coat the sprouts with the seasonings.
Put the lentil sprouts in a large bowl with the grated carrots and corriander.
Toss everything with lemon juice and a touch of olive oil to taste.
For a super spectacular treat, add in chopped sundried olives.

Enjoy your delicious day!
xoxo
Selene

Raw vegan meal plan (Day 3) and the magic of raw soup

2010-05-09T16:57:00.002-04:00

One of my favourite things to make raw food-wise is soup. Not only are raw soups a healthful and tasty addition to any meal, but they're also super easy to make. Have a bowlful as a starter course, a snack or even as a meal.

A great way to use up any veggies you have kicking around, you can make them from just about anything. Have a tomato and only one lonely carrot left over from other cooking ventures? Instant, delicious carrot-tomato soup! Incredibly and refreshingly easy to make, just throw all the ingredients in a blender, add some water if needed and blend, blend, blend. Seriously, raw soups can be made from anything! Well, anything that blends well...Tomatoes, herbs, garlic, avocados, mushrooms, the list goes on!

If you want a creamy soup, add avocado or soaked cashews. To thin the soup to the right consistency, add water.

For this daily meal plan I made a creamy spinach soup from some veggies that didn't make it into other dishes. I added the cores of some zucchini left over from making spaghetti and some fridge-wilted spinach that wasn't too appealing to eat straight up.

Breakfast: Spiced granola with blueberries and nut milk
Snack: fruit fruit fruit (it's MANGO SEASON after all!!)
Lunch: creamy spinach soup (zucchini, spinach, soaked cashews, water as needed)
Snack: sweet n spicy corn chips
Dinner: lasagna in the buff

check out the other daily meal plans:
day 1
day 2

this is pretty funny

2010-05-04T23:41:00.001-04:00

Image source: http://www.budapest-tourist-guide.com/hungarian-paprika.html

Ok it's waaaay past my bedtime and I'm not even in my pjs, so no time for a recipe or meal plan or even what I feel counts as a witty phrase; just enough time for a funny tidbit.

So, on google there is a fun feature called google analytics that let's you track all sorts of fun things on your blog. As someone who likes numbers, stats, graphs and the colour blue, I like to visit my analytics page every once in a while.

On this page, you can see how people got to your blog. I quite like the part that tells you how they got there from a search engine because it's kind of neat.

One day not too long ago, I noticed 20 people in that one day got there by searching "spicy veggie from which paprika comes." I thought this was a bit weird. I mean, who writes like that? Let alone 20 people in one day.

As I pulled out my daily free paper that I sometimes save for the evening for crossword fun, I discovered that that phrase "spicy veggie from which paprika comes" was a clue from that day's game! HA!

p.s. the answer was "pepper." I only knew that because I married a Hungarian man :)

A raw vegan dinner party

2010-04-25T09:07:00.002-04:00

Back in september 2009, I climbed the CN Tower in support of the united way. It actually wasn't bad at all, I was just horribly thirsty as you're not allowed any water throughout the whole thing. Anyway, I had a fundraising gift setup where for different amounts of sponsorship, I would give you homemade raw treats made by moi. Anyway, at the $50 level, I offered a homemade gourmet meal. Well, 3 people made that level! Namely, the boy's mom, dad and dad's girlfriend. So last night we had my father-in-law and his girlfriend over.

I made a three course meal, and I must say it was definitely one of the best meals I have prepared to date!

starting course:
salad with chopped cucumbers and mushrooms, dressed in a creamy tomato miso dressing and sprinkled with almond and sunflower parmasan

entree:
zucchini linguine in a sundried tomato marinara sauce with walnut and mushroom "meatballs", sprinkled (liberally in many of our cases...) with almond and sunflower parmasan

I made the "meatballs" at about 1p.m. and dehydrated until 5:45 p.m. to give them more of that "meatball" texture.

I didn't have a chance to photograph since I couldn't find a polite way to do so while they were there. Will take a photo next time I make it, which will be soon because it was amazing!!

dessert:
rich chocolate mousse on a chocolate cookie base, served with sliced strawberries (recipe below)

tip: slice the strawberries before the dinner and mix in a bowl with a touch of water. Mix well and over the course of the dinner, the sugary juices of the fruit will come out making an extra sweet treat without the need of sweetener.

Today's recipe
Base
1/2c almonds
1/2c macadamia nuts
1/2c dates, pitted
1 1/2 Tbsp raw cacao powder

In a food processor, process the nuts. Make sure to process in short burst so that it doesn't turn to butter. You want the nuts very finely ground.
Add the cacao powder and pulse the processor until it's well mixed in.
Add the dates and process (you can keep it on now, it won't turn to butter with all the other ingredients in there) until the dough is well blended. Watch your processor though to ensure that the dough isn't balling up; if it does, break it up with a spoon or spatula.

Take your cookie cutter (I used a heart shape one - so pretty!) and lightly coat it with coconut oil. Press into the cookie cutter a base with the crust of about 1/4".

Rich chocolate mousse
I used Ani Phyo's recipe, which can be found here. But, I used a little bit less agave nectar so it wouldn't be quite so sweet.
2/3c pitted Medjool dates
1/3c agave nectar (the original recipe calls for 1/2c)
1c avocado
2/3c raw cacao powder

In the food processor (you don't need to clean it, just empty completely of crust dough) blend the dates and agave nectar until smooth. Add avocado and blend until smooth. Add cacao powder and blend until smooth.

Spoon the mousse into the cookie cutter and use the spoon to smooth the top. Depending on how deep your cookie cutter is, you may not want to fill it to the top; going for double the height of the crust is a good bet. Make sure you spread the mousse to all sides evenly to keep the shape of the cookie cutter.

Lift the cookie cutter off. It should lift smoothly because of the coconut oil, but if it gets a bit stuck, use the spoon to press the dessert down as you life it off. I recommend re-greasing the cutter after every two (mine got a bit stuck on the third one I made).

Serve with a side of fruit or almond cream and enjoy the deliciously velvet chocolate taste and all the compliments from your guests.

xo
Selene

banana ice cream for breakfast

2010-04-24T09:16:00.002-04:00

IMPORTANT NOTE: I now have an email address, which you guys can write me at. If you have any questions, if you'd like to see a post on anything in particular, if you want to send me photos of your versions of my recipes, or if you just want to say hi, email me: SeleneAtVeganlicious @ gmail.com

I'm pretty excited these days because it's finally MANGO SEASON! Yes, I don't think about the year in terms of winter, spring, etc.; I think about it in terms of what fruits and veggies are seasonal. Winter would be unbearable if it wasn't for clementimes and pomegranates. Spring brings mangoes (another reason it's my fave time of year), summer is about the berries, fall is for the apples...TNT, an asian supermarket, was having a special on them and we got a huge case for $7.99! So I've been having mangoes everyday for my morning and afternoon snacks.

I'm also excited these days because I have just discovered the most amazing breakfast ever: ice cream! One of my favourite things about eating raw is that it's perfectly acceptable to have dessert for breakfast. I've had chocolate mousse, cashew cheesecake, and now ice cream. Today I had chocolate, but I've been also having my fair share of vanilla.

How is this possible??? You ask, in awe but also confused (and maybe a little concerned, if mom, you're reading this post). THROUGH THE WONDER OF BANANAS!! You may have noticed in your smoothie making expeditions that throwing a bunch of frozen fruits into the blender makes it super thick and creamy. Well, it's the same principle! Little trick I've learned to get things blending smoothly: cut your banana into slices before freezing.

Vanilla ice cream
1 banana, sliced and frozen
1 Tbsp hemp seeds
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or just throw some seeds from a vanilla bean in there)
1 tsp agave (this is very optional for vanilla. Bananas are super sweet on their own and don't really need this.)
1/2 Tbsp water or nut milk (to get things going)

Throw in a blender or food processor (I'm using a magic bullet). Blend until thick and creamy. You may need to stop halfway through and stir a bit to keep the frozen pieces on the bottom. Don't overblend as it'll get too soft (though you can firm up for a bit in freezer if it does). When done, the texture will be smooth and creamy like soft serve ice cream. Yum!!

Chocolate ice cream
Vanilla ice cream ingredients (here you will need the sweetener as the chocolate powder is bitter)
1/2 Tbsp raw cacao powder

Follow the same instructions as above.

Enjoy having a delicious breakfast and the look on the faces of your non raw vegan friends and co-workers when you tell them you had ice cream for breakfast!

Raw vegan meal plan (Day 2) and raw vegan tacos (or, my new obsession)

2010-04-19T21:28:00.003-04:00

I'm building my meal plan to allow for leftovers, because in any meal plan, really, leftovers are kind of needed to get by timewise.

A note on raw eating...I am trying to achieve a high raw lifestyle, meaning that 90-95% of what I'm eating is raw. However, when it comes to spices and oils and tamari, I am often not opting for the raw versions. For spices and oils, this is a matter of accessibility (other than coconut oil, which is easy and inexpensive to acquire); although I am going to try to find and use more whole versions of the spices (like the tumeric root and cardamon pods, for instance), it will still be very hard to determine whether these are raw. For tamari, this is because nama shoyu (the raw version) contains gluten, which I am allergic to. Now, you could go with bragg's soy sauce-like product, but I don't use enough of it to really be bothered.

Now, you could probably do without most of the olive oil I use, which is the oil I use most frequently, as I don't use that much of it. So, if you want to live a fully raw lifestyle without spending tons of cash, that is an option.

Also, one final note, you may notice that I use lots of cashews and almonds as my nuts of choice. Well, I just recently found out that although labeled raw, the commonly sold versions are in fact not raw. Since 2007 all California almonds have been pasturized due to cross contamination in factories with salmonela (you'd think they should just have to have stricter controls in their factories, because really now, so gross! But, I guess this was ...cheaper?). Anyway, you can order raw versions of these nuts online (upaya naturals is a good source if you're from ontario); but, they are considerably more expensive than the non-raw versions. For now I am still using the non-raw versions, but am cutting down how much I use them.

Anyway, here's day 2 of the raw lifestyle meal plan...apparently I was in the mood for a tex-mex themed day...Click here to see day one of the meal plan.

breakfast: green smoothie - strawberry, banana, hemp seed, spinach, nut milk (or just blend hemp seeds first with water to make hemp milk and then blend in other ingredients)
snack: fruit
lunch: tacos (see recipe below)
snack: walnuts and some dates
dinner: chili with sweet n spicy corn chips
dessert: fruit dipped in raw chocolate sauce

Right, so I am totally obsessed with raw wraps and raw tacos. They're super easy to make and mega delicious. For the wraps, I use either savoy cabbage or collard greens. For smooth rolling, I cut the thickest part of the stem out, and shave the stem on the rest of the leaf (see photo below).

To make:
Curried lentil sprouts

Lentil sprouts tossed with tumeric, cumin, cayenne and a bit of olive oil (or lemon juice or water if you don't want to use the oil)

Easy peasy salsa

chop tomato, red onion, coriander, garlic, jalapeno. Toss together in a bowl. Let sit for a while if you're not in a hurry to eat; your taste buds will thank you.

Lazy guacamole

Mash an avocado with a fork with some lime juice

Shredded lettuce and/or cabbage
Olives (my jarred olives are clearly not raw. Actual raw olives are hard to find and a bit pricey. I love olives, so I eat them anyway. These can easily be omitted from the recipe.)

CUTE MOMENT BREAK!! Sabrina, my gray and white kitty is curled up on the automan in the exact same position as Ryder, the foster cat with the exact same colouring and markings (though he's solid gray, not tabby) who is on the chair behind her. And he's like half her size! The mini bean!! (We call Sabrina Bean. It's quite fitting once you get to know her.)

Hope you enjoyed your healthy tex mex-ilicios day! Stay tuned for day 3!

xoxo
Selene

Raw vegan chili and a raw meal plan for the lazy chef in all of us

2010-04-18T21:37:00.005-04:00

Hearty bowl of raw chili

Ok, it's been a great great weekend for many reasons: went to an amazing clothing swap put on by V. A. S. T., went to my adorable niece's birthday party, attended a wonderful raw potluck (yum!!), and went to my uncle and dad's joint bday lunch at my uncle's place. And to make everything even better, there were amazing people and conversations throughout it all!

So that part has been great. Of course, all the family get togethers mean that I haven't been eating as raw as I normally do. And I'm really noticing how much better my body does when I'm eating mostly raw. I feel much more grossly full and sluggish on cooked foods. And my throat is burning as it's giving me some serious acid reflux issues. I've also been on this stupid cleanse (I bought it a long time ago and figured I had better use it before it expired and I wasted all that money). I'm sure it's great and everything, but it involves swallowing 4 HORSE PILLS in the morning and SIX AT NIGHT. Omg, it's brutal! My throat closes up like one pill in! Ugh, next time I am sticking to tea based cleanses; SO much more enjoyable.

Oh yeah, AND I'm giving a presentation to a bunch of clients tomorrow with some senior people. I don't mind giving presentations in general but I'm still kind of nervous. OH AND my eyebrows are a MESS; but I can't do anything about them because I have an appointment on tuesday for them. I would feel much better about all of this if I didn't look like I lived in a forest before the existence of mirrors. Anyway, this is not helping with the burning throat issue. AT ALL.

Anyway, back to happier times...at the potluck, I was speaking to a bunch of people about going raw and the inherent challenges of doing so. And it came out of that that one of the biggest challenges were: what to eat on a daily basis. So, here's a meal plan for a delicious raw day (and yes, I snack A LOT). All these items are super easy to make - perfect for a rawbie (newbie + raw?) who wants more than just salad (though, you know me and salad so god knows why! :P), a busy girl/boy who appreciates delicious food and/or the lazy chef in all of us. BONUS: these are all delicious items your non-raw friends and family will also enjoy!:

breakfast: cinnamon banana pancake topped with strawberries and banana slices and a drizzle of agave nectar
snack: fruit
lunch: chili (recipe below)
snack: chocolate chip cookie dough balls (the linked to recipe, just rolled into balls instead)
dinner: simple salad (lettuce with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers. maybe with some pumpkin seeds on it too.), portabello mushroom streaks and cauliflower mashed "potatoes"
dessert: chocolate chip cookie dough balls and/or some fruit

Easy as can be!

Now for the chili recipe...Ok, so note that this recipe can be made with whatever veggies you have one hand really. This is just how I make it. It's very flexible, so you can customize to flavours you like best :)

To make
1 zucchini
2 beefsteak tomatoes (or the equivalent in other types of tomatoes - beefsteak were just the only canadian ones around. and they're deLICOUS!!! Seriously, how have I not known about their wonderfulness before!)
1/3 red onion (or 1 small yellow onion)
3 cloves garlic, derooted
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded
1 medium carrot
3-4 portabello mushroom caps
1/4c coriander
1 red pepper
cumin, to taste (meaning I didn't measure well...maybe 2tsp?)
tumeric, to taste (see note next to cumin...)

OK, so remember in a previous post I was ranting about how wonderful food processors are because you never need to hand-chop anything ever again?? Well, guess what! For this recipe, we are not going to chop one thing by hand. Yay!!
So, have a big bowl nearby. Using the S-blade of your food processor, chop one veggie at a time, achieving the desired texture with each before moving on to the next (meaning: don't just go for over processed mush for all of them, strive for a little variety!). Once you're done with one veggie, empty the contents of the food processor into the big bowl, and move on to the next veggie!

I stir in the spices at the end, once all the veggies are in the big bowl.

For a protein punch, add some curried lentil sprouts (mix lentil sprouts with olive oil, cumin, tumeric and cayenne until well coated) or walnuts ground with a bit of cumin.

Enjoy your day in the raw!! Told you it'd be easy!!

Raw cinnamon banana pancakes

2010-04-10T16:05:00.005-04:00

We all know how important a good and healthy breakfast is; we hear it all the time - and not just from our moms. Without it, we have trouble concentrating, get headaches and are more likely to gain weight. But, that doesn't mean we always have the time to have one. Well, here's an easy breakfast recipe that you can make the night before, or even a couple of days before. And, even better, it harnesses the many nutritional benefits and the subtle nutty flavour of flax seeds to give you an even greater start to the day.

Flax seeds are a rich source of dietary fibre, including lignans, alpha linolenic acid - a heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid, and folate.

Omega 3 fats are well known for their ability to help protect against heart disease and cancer. They also help in the prevention and control of diabetes and high blood pressure. Because of their incredibly high omega 3 fat content, flax seeds also have anti-inflammatory benefits and can help reduce the inflammation behind such conditions as asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, and osteoporosis.

Flax seeds have a host of other benefits as well, many that are related to women's health. Rich in lignans, flax seeds can help protect against breast cancer. And, in addition to the many other benefits of omega 3 fats, they can also help protect bones and reduce bone loss.

With this delicious breakfast, before 9 a.m. you'll be able to boast that you've already fought cancer, heart disease, diabetes and lowered your cholesterol! Now that's a productive day!

To make
1c ground flax meal (see note)
1 ripe banana
1/2tbsp date paste
1/2tbsp cinnamon
1tbsp coconut oil
water, as needed

Blend the banana to puree it. Mix in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. The batter will be pretty stiff; I use a spoon to shape it into a pancake and smooth it out. The batter will keep in the fridge for several days.

Serve topped with fruit and a drizzle of agave nectar. I like to mix sliced strawberries in a bowl with a bit of agave nectar and let it sit for about ten minutes, which brings out the natural sweet juices of the fruit. For a super special weekend pancake treat, top with a fudgey raw chocolate sauce!

In addition to these pancakes, there many other ways to enjoy the health benefits and delicious taste of flax seeds:

sprinkle a tablespoon or two on your cereal or oatmeal - just make sure to do so after cooking or heating, otherwise you will lose many of the health benefits as heat does fatty acids in pretty quickly
enjoy a slice of raw chocolate chip banana bread
have some sweet and spicy corn chips for an afternoon snack

Note: Flax seeds are more digestible when ground, meaning that you will reap more of the nutrients and their benefits. However, because of the high omega fat content, once ground, flax can go rancid pretty quickly. The best and cheapest way to keep your flax fresh, is to buy the whole seeds and grind in a coffee grinder before use. Or, grind a small amount to keep in your freezer for when you need it - I grind about a cup at a time. You can buy pre-ground flax seeds in stores but it's considerably more expensive. Still, if you choose to buy it, make sure it's in a sealed package, not an open bin. And, once opened, keep it in the freezer.
If you are going to eat them whole, soak them overnight to make them more digestible - otherwise you'll find that they just come straight back out...and quickly...

SAUCY UPDATE!!!: A lovely lady on one of the raw forums I frequent dehydrated these babies 4 hours and said that it made them even more delicious - like an "oatmeal cookie" firm on the outside, soft on the inside. Can't wait to try them like that!!!

Raw portabello steaks and cauliflower mashed potatoes

2010-04-07T20:53:00.002-04:00

I once made my husband portabello steaks with roasted potatoes. He loved it. As in I think it's now one of his most favourite dishes ever. Well in my week of eating raw, I have discovered an even better variation of this dish!

Portabello steaks
4 portabello mushrooms, stems removed
Balsamic vinegar (is this raw? I don't think so...feel free to omit this if not)
1/3 red onion
Olive oil
Cayenne
Salt

Slice mushrooms into four or five.
Slice onion thinly, separate rings.
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, until mushrooms are well coated.
Spread on teflex/paraflex sheet on dehydrator tray.
Dehydrate at 118F for 2 hours.
If you have more time, I would marinate and/or dehydrate the mushroom/onion mix for longer...Like marinate for an hour and dehydrate for 3 hours to really soften.

Cauliflower mashed potatoes
2/3 cauliflower head
1c cashews, soaked
1-2T nutritional yeast
water, as needed
garlic (optional), to taste
rosemary, to taste

Wash the cauliflower well and chop. I didn't really chop mine, and it would've been way easier if I had. Put in food processor with other ingredients, except water. Process, adding a little bit of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Serve with a nice green salad and enjoy!

Serves 2

Serious time now...my week of eating raw is technically over (although I started a day late, so we'll say it's over tomorrow). I wasn't completely raw as I did use my regular olive oil and balsamic vinegar...but was definitely 90-95% raw. I'm definitely enjoying how much fun coming up with raw dishes is in the kitchen. So...I'm thinking about extending my week of raw to a month of raw. If you wish to try for a month of raw with me, or to try incorporating more raw days and meals into your life, I'm going to be posting more recipes and even some meal plans.

Ok non-serious time again...the boy and I are fostering a kitten! His name is Ryder, he's 8 months and he is so so cute! He's super snuggly and loves to play with the other kitties! If anyone in the Toronto area is looking for the best little kitty ever to adopt into their home (that already has at least one other cat for him to play with), contact Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue. They're a wonderful organization, from whom we've gotten two other super cute cats. And, they really want what's best for the cat and the adopter. Back when I had only one orange kitty, I adopted a cat from them for him to play with. He liked her but she wasn't the biggest fan. So we tried another cat instead - who ended up getting along great with Pyro. They were really nice and open about it, reassuring me that everyone/cat involved needs to be happy with the adoption and that that was their top priority and that I wasn't a bad person for not being able to keep the first cat. Anyway, here's a picture of the little muffin:

xo
Selene

Spicy sweet potato chips

2010-04-02T20:04:00.001-04:00

I am currently trying out going completely raw for the week. Well, mostly raw since I'm still using my existing oils and since I have an unnatural dependency on olives. And I am anticipating a glitch in the plan this weekend as I am heading to montreal for family easter with my grandparents. Which means no access to food processor, blender, my kitchen or my food items. It also means being with grandparents that give me enough of a hassle about not eating meat and seem to fear vegetables, so why really throw an extra thing in the mix. Seriously, one time I was eating breakfast with them and had tofu, a kiwi and oatmeal, and while eating dessert cannellonis and cake for breakfast they were yelling at me for being so unhealthy and trying to make me eat JAM because it was more fruit than a kiwi. True story.

Well, anyway, back to the raw thing. I'm a snacker. Especially when I'm at work, I need to snack quite often. Especially around 10/10:30 and at 2:30.

So, here's a recipe for an easy raw snack that will satisfy those salt cravings: spicy sweet potato chips!

Ah, the sweet potato...one of the oldest vegetables known to humans. Consumed since prehistoric times, sweet potato relics have been found in Peruvian caves, dating back 10,000 years. Native to South America, the sweet potato was domesticated 5,000 years ago and was brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus following his historic voyage of 1492.

Not only does this amazing root vegetable have a rich history, it's also quite rich in vitamins and minerals. The sweet potato is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, making it an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powerhouse. Also a great source of fibre and vitamin B6, this veggie provides incredible bang for a very moderate buck - one hearty sized potato ran me $0.71. And, as if it couldn't get any sweeter, the sweet potato is also low in calories (running 86-95 for a potato) and virtually fat-free!

To make
1 sweet potato
2-3T olive oil
cayenne pepper
italian seasoning blend (optional - I didn't make my batch with them, but I could see it being quite tasty)

Using a mandoline, thinly slice your potato. Leave the skin on for vitamins and fibre, and because it just tastes great. After the effort of slicing, take a little break - it's tiring work! Eat the leftover bits of the potato that the mandoline wouldn't slice to recharge. (If you don't have a mandoline, you could probably use a veggie peeler.)

Put the slices in a bowl.
Mix the olive oil with the seasonings in another bowl. Pour the oil mixture over the slices and massage well, making sure every chip is well coated.

Spread on the mesh screen of the dehydrator tray and let dry over night at 115F.

These chips are slightly chewy with a spicy bite. Enjoy with some raw ketchup or just by their own delicious selves.

note: I've been reading that there is something called a trypsin inhibitor in raw sweet potatoes. I can't find much about it or how much you need to consume in order for it to have a negative effect. For this recipe, one potato goes a long way so I figure I'm not eating that much of it raw in any given day. Still, if you're concerned, you could probably try using a yam instead. If you choose to use a yam, be certain of what you're buying as most sweet potatoes are labeled as yams even though they are not in fact yams.

Raw zucchini linguine with creamy pesto sauce

2010-03-22T18:45:00.002-04:00

Happy spring!!! It's finally here! Spring is by far my favourite season. The smell of wet earth, flowers growing, the warmth of the sun and enough sunlight to actually see you home after work! When it comes to food, it's also the time that we get to welcome fresh, light foods back into our lives after a winter of heavier, root vegetable fare.

Here's an easy, light dish dish that speaks of warm weather and blooming herb gardens - even if they're only on an apartment balcony.

To make the pesto
1/4c pine nuts
2T flax or olive oil
1/2c basil
1 clove garlic

Blend together.
Add a bit of water as needed to achieve consistency you want.

To make the pasta
2 zucchini
1 avocado, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped

Using a knife, cut the zuccinni in thirds, but don't cut all the way through. With a vegetable peeler, peel thin slices of the zucchini - because it's cut in thirds, the pieces will be thinner and more like linguine. I didn't use the core of the zucchini (the part with seeds) - I save it for soups.

Assembly
In a bowl, toss the zucchini linguine with the pesto sauce until well coated. Then add the chopped avocado and tomato and toss until mixed well.

Serve and enjoy!

Tip for keeping pesto for extended periods of time: My friend Manuela gave me this tip. Put a layer of olive oil over the pesto in a jar or container. Then put it in the fridge. The layer of oil will harden over the pesto (coconut oil will also work nicely as it hardens at pretty warm temperatures). When you want to use more pesto, just scrape the layer away.

Manuela is full of great tips like that. Whenever I clean my bathroom of dust anywhere, the dust and hair always clumps up and stays on whatever it is I'm cleaning. It's always such a pain in the bum, especially when you have four cats. She's the one who enlightened me about using a microfibre cleaning cloth first to remove all the dust and hair easily before washing! My life has never been the same! Thanks Manuela!!

Vegan Quiche Yum Yum

2010-03-21T20:52:00.004-04:00

When I was younger I loved quiche. Loved it! And it was one of the dishes I mastered and loved to make as a kid as well (the others being chocolate chip cookies and meringues). When I became vegan, I wasn't quite ready to give up on quiches, and trying to make one was actually one of the first vegan things I tried. I had an excellent recipe in university, particularly the one time that I mixed up the ingredients and put all the oil that was meant for the crust in the filling - yum! Sadly though, I misplaced the recipe and haven't been able to find it since.

We were originally supposed to have one of his exciting salads for dinner. But, he went out and I ate all the lettuce (it's not my fault! You can't leave me alone with a head of lettuce! It's one of my many weaknesses!)...So, I had to find something else I could make for dinner, fast. Luckily, he had also bought medium firm silken tofu instead of our usual extra firm tofu (pffft! what a tofu amateur!). What else is there really to do with medium firm tofu then make a quiche??

To make
1 12.3oz package, medium firm tofu
2 Tablespoons Tapioca Starch
1 tsp tumeric (this is more for colouring, so you can add less to make it less yellow)
3 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast Flakes
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Drain and press the tofu. The easiest way to do this is to put it in a mesh strainer over a bowl and pile things on top of it - I put a large mug filled with rocks. Let it sit for like an hour. And you can help it out by pushing down on the mug.

Set oven to 350F.
Blend the pressed tofu and the rest of the ingredients until smooth in a food processor.

I wanted a spinach quiche so I sautes chopped red onion in a pan until translucent, then added whole leaves of spinach and sauteed until just wilted. I stirred the veggies into the quiche mixture and then spread in a loaf pan. You can use any veggies though - like cherry tomatoes, black olives, sauteed mushrooms...

Cook for 25 minutes.

Serves 2-3, so feel free to double the recipe if you want more!!!

Enjoy with a green salad (well, what's left of it... :P )!

Raw dinner with kelly!

2010-03-21T10:33:00.001-04:00

Carrot and cucumber salad with a spicy peanut dressing, sprinkled with hemp seeds.

Recently my husband went to Costa Rica for a week. Lucky boy, but I missed him tons. I had this plan to do all this stuff while he was away. Yeah...didn't happen. Instead, I was reminded that I am so not good left to my own devices. I eat crap and watch way too much tv and then feel sick from eating too much and so poorly and generally can't wait for him to come home. BUT one thing that helped both the missing him and the eating crap blues was having someone over for dinner!

So I had my buddy kelly over! Yes, the very same kelly who this blog is named after! yay kelly!
We had...

mushroom soup with zucchini soba noodles and marinated enoki mushrooms
a carrot cucumber soup with spicy peanut dressing
raw sushi filled with almond pate, carrots, cucumbers, avocados and enoki mushrooms
big girl ice cream sandwiches for dessert. Which were raw cookie dough base with coconut ice cream filling.

When we started the soup Kelly said "so...is raw food filling?" I gave some vague answer, but then halfway through the soup I was STUFFED. She made it part way through the soup and through her salad. Of course, we both made room for dessert...

Mushroom soup
I made this one from gliving but without the kombu, and with some soya sauce added. I marinated the shitake mushrooms and some enoki mushrooms for an hour in the sesame oil, soya sauce and 1/2cup of water. And I topped my soup with enoki mushrooms and green onion. It was unbelievably delicious!!! Mine definitely did not photograph as well as the one on gliving, and seems to be much creamier based on the pictures...

Don't let the picture fool you, this was a deliciously creamy soup with a light gingery mushroom taste.

Carrot cucumber salad with spicy peanut dressing
This. is. the. easiest. salad. ever!! And I ate it constantly while the boy was away.
Using a handheld peeler, peel thin strips of carrots and cucumbers. It's like the cheap girl's spiralizer!!
For the sauce, I made this peanut sauce but watered it down to salad dressing consistency and added chili pepper flakes.

You can easily make this sauce raw, but I always balk whenever I see the sodium amount in nama shoyu!!

Note: only dress the salad when serving/eating it. Because of the cucumber, when the salad sits it becomes watery. So, I like to keep the undressed salad in a container and when I'm ready to eat it, dish some out, leaving the water behind, dress it and enjoy!

Sushi rolls

I took this picture the next day because my photos were so terrible. But the avocado had started to brown a bit.

To make
raw seaweed (I used roasted because I couldn't find any raw)
almond pate (I have no idea why it's called mock salmon pate, doesn't really have anything in common and really I think just freaks people out a bit. I just put everything in a food processor as I don't have a juicer.)
cucumbers, julienned
carrots, julienned
avocado
enoki mushrooms

shiny side of seaweed down on the rolling mat. Spread the pate in a thin layer over the seaweed, leaving a bit of space at the top and bottom. put your fillings near the bottom and roll, baby, roll! Use a sharp knife to cut. I didn't have any that were sharp enough, so I used a serrated knife.

Taken the night of. Food photos really don't work so great in dim lighting...

Little tip: because the pate is so wet, your sushi will not keep very long once rolled. But, it's super easy and fast to roll, so if you're not going to eat many, store the ingredients separately and roll as you go.

Grown up ice cream sandwiches

I love ice cream sammys. And when I was younger, my mom used to make them for us. For a fancy dinner (whatever, we're fancy darnit! kelly wore a dress and everything! And my cats didn't go on the table or try to stick their faces in our food once! THAT'S FANCY!), I felt a tart-style dessert was more appropriate. I used all the same elements of an ice cream sandwich, giving it a delicious cookie base and filling it to the top with coconut ice cream from ani phyo's raw desserts. Definitely one of the most delicious desserts I've ever had!!!

steel cut oats (or, what I'm having for breakfast)

2010-03-13T09:28:00.001-05:00

I'm a girl who likes, as my husband calls it, a "serious" breakfast. If I have cereal or a piece of toast with nut butter and honey, within an hour I'm starving. Normally I have scrambled tofu with tomato, red onion, garlic and olives. Sometimes I have it with toast as well. But sometimes a girl needs a bit of variety. Of course, when a serious breakfast is required, finding different things to fit that bill can be seriously difficult.

Enter steel cut oats. I heard about them, and bought some. Then I put off making them for about a year, under a misguided impression of how difficult they'd be. But, when I finally did get around to making them, I couldn't believe how easy and delicious this healthy breakfast is.

Topped with chopped apples, blueberries, dried cranberries, walnut halves and cinnamon.

Steel-cut oats are whole oat groats, which have been cut into two or three pieces rather than rolled into flakes. Incredibly high in fibre, whole oats are the perfect way to prevent heart disease and diabetes and to lower cholesterol. Whole oats are also an excellent source of maganese, selenium, vitamin B1 and protein. All these things combined with the naturally sweet taste and chewy texture of steel-cut oats, make for one wonderful bowl of breakfast.

To make
2c water
2c soy milk
1c steel-cut oats
1/2T cinnamon
1/2T nutmeg

Bring the water and milk to a simmer over medium heat. Stir the oats and spices into the simmering liquid and lower heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until mixture thickens. Stir, and continue to simmer until the mixture is creamy and pudding-like (about 7-10 minutes). Remove from heat and let stand for a bit.

Serve each bowl topped with blueberries, 1T of ground flax and a drizzle of agave nectar.

Enjoy your delicious and nutritious breakfast, and the feeling of not being hungry again in an hour!

Topped with walnut halves and cinnamon.

Lasts in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days. When you reheat, just add a bit more soy milk (or nut milk) and mix in.

Note:
There is currently some uncertainty around whether oats contain gluten. Personally I avoid rolled oats, as they're often rolled in wheat flour. However, I've never had a problem with whole oats or the steel-cut variety. If you are celiac, you may not want to take the risk until more research is done on the matter.

lentil carrot salad

2010-03-07T12:21:00.001-05:00

I went to Cuba recently for a very belated honeymoon. And let me tell you, Cuba is no place for vegans. And especially especially no place for vegans who cannot eat gluten. I was very lucky that my hotel at least had an amazing salad bar. And even luckier that I love love love salad. But even still, seven says of salad, 2x a day, everyday...well, it can leave a food-happy vegan girl a little...unsatisfied. And this is coming from someone who ate salad for a year straight. But at least that salad had beans.

I think I could have made it through a little better if there had been coconuts, the soy yogurt that's supposedly ubiquitous in cuba, or even cuba's "famous dish" of beans and rice. But, nada. I tried, quite hard and in my brand of broken spanish I might add, to monetarily convince someone - anyone - to send some soygurt my way. No one was having it. And you should have seen the looks of confusion and, dare I say it, concern at my sanity when I asked for beans and rice. And other than my last day there when some beautiful cuban soul gave me a coconut, no one was giving me any of those either!

While the salad bar got me through the first half of the week, by the fourth or fifth day, what got me through was the excitement of the meal that awaited me upon my return. I knew my mom was going to leave me something delicious - specifically this beautiful salad - for when I returned at some ungodly hour of the morning. Oh especially when I was on that plane dying from my most horrible choice I ever made in cuba - chicoticos, an evil corn puff chip thing full of "authorized flavours", i.e. PARASITES - I was so so excited for an incredibly delicious lentil carrot salad.

To make
2 cups green lentils, cooked, rinsed and drained
1 cup carrots, grated (using the grating disc of a food processor)
1/2 c parsley or corriander, chopped
1/2 cup chives, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
olive oil, dash
hot sauce or cayenne pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste

Mix everything together and enjoy a satisfying, hearty and unbelievably tasty dish. For an extra treat, add some sundried olives and chopped sundried tomatoes and serve on a bed of greens.

Oh, and just so you know, my story had an unhappy ending: came home to no salad and a nasty strain of some stomach bug due to the evil chicoticos. Well, at least I still have an awesome tan.

Pixie stealing some lettuce. Notice how in the first picture her tongue is sticking out? Silly cat.

raw spicy corn chips

2010-02-25T19:57:00.015-05:00

My "go to" dinner when I'm feeling particularly not like cooking is tortilla chips and salsa. Personally, I've always felt that this was a great meal choice because it's got veggies! However, my friend Shannon has informed me that salsa and chips does not actually qualify as a meal, lacking as it is in protein and full as it is in fats and empty calories from the chips. My argument is: well, it's healthier than when I eat popcorn for dinner! Her response to that is often along the lines of "oh my god! that's NOT okay!" or "popcorn's not a meal either!"

Well, I think, Ms. Shannon, I have found a loophole! I have created a healthy tortilla chip, that with salsa and cashew sour cream or walnut meat, DOES qualify as not only a delicious, but also a nutritious meal! And assuming that the chips are made ahead of time and stored on hand for lazy nights, still falls under my "whiiiine but I'm too lazy/tired/unmotivated/rather be watching tv to cook" meal category!

These chips have an amazing combination of flavours, with the spicy kick from the jalapeno and cayenne, and the hit of subtle sweetness from the corn. And to add that extra "look at me I'm super healthy"-ness to them, they even have flax!! They were a huge hit with all the non-vegans at the office who chowed the batch down pretty quickly. I had originally brought them to share with Shannon, but Ms. Fancy Pants went out for a real lunch with real people (unlike my "lunches" I share with my crossword puzzles), and our other co-workers got to them a little too fast.

(recipe after the jump)

Pixie wanted some too. So cute!

I made my chips super thin, under a clearly misguided understanding of how thick corn chips are. And it barely made two trays in my dehydrator. So, you may want to increase the ingredients and make them a bit thicker, especially if you're going to do a nacho plate thing and pile stuff on top of them. Mmmm nachos....

To make
2c corn nibs (I thawed frozen corn, but you could just cut directly off the cob too)
1 small zucchini (6" - the zucchinis at loblaws are so tiny right now!)
1 jalapeno pepper (small)
2 cloves garlic, derooted
1/4tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4c flax, ground

Throw everything but flax in a food processor, process until smooth-ish. Add flax and either mix in food processor or by hand if you're feeling ambitious (I wasn't).

Cover dehydrator trays with paraflex sheets and spread the corn chip batter evenly with a spoon (or a spatula, but I wasn't up to washing one). Dehydrate at 125 F for 1.5-2 hours. Turn over onto mesh trays, use a dull knife to score the chip shapes (for easy breaking up after), ower temp to 108F and continue dehydrating overnight. Store in airtight containers.

Enjoy!
xo
Selene

Grilled veggie yumminess

2010-02-22T18:16:00.009-05:00

I know, I know, I haven't posted in forever. It's not that I didn't have anything to post, it's just that I fell out of the habit. It's like the gym - I love going, but if I miss a couple of days, it's impossible to hop back on that treadmill/yoga mat. But, I did collect a bunch of fun and easy recipes to post, so you'll be seeing a lot more of me in the next regular while.

I discovered something the other day when making another noodle bowl (with rice - though not a rice bowl, because that's something different...) that helped me along on my path to become the laziest chef EVER. I always think it's so funny when I mention one of my dishes or desserts to a non-vegan and their first comment is almost always "that must be a lot of work." HA! As IF I'd spend more that 10 minutes prep time for anything! Mostly it's true everything in a food processor, push button, voila! Well, the one thing that does tend to take a while, and thus is my least fave part about cooking, is chopping veggies. Sometimes I can convince the boy to do that part of it. But now, with my newest cooking discovery, I can do it too! What's my secret? The different blades on the food processor!!! Which brings us back to the noodle-less bowl (with rice). I put everything through the food processor! Used the grating disc for the carrots, the slicing disc for the cabbage (that was the funnest one) and bok choy, the serrated blade for the ginger. Only thing that really did not work was the snow peas...I kind of knew it wouldn't, but I was feeling optimistic. I hope this little discovery of mine helps you to become a lazier chef too!

(recipes after the jump)

Anyway, tonight I"m making one of my all-time fave dishes. This one is tons of prep time with veggie chopping so I tend to not make it as often as I'd like. I know you can use the serrated blade in the food processor to chop things like peppers and mushrooms, but I'm not ready yet to experiment with that! Other than the like 20-30 min of chopping veggies, this is a super easy and healthy dish and requires no cooking skill. And, it's beautiful!!! You can also make it on one of those veggie trays over the bbq - I prefer it that way, but alas, have no bbq, or if you don't want any oil, you can just spread it on foil on a cooking sheet. My sister and I always make it when we visit my grandparents, much to their horror at the sheer number of veggies, because it's so easy to get the right ingredients and not have to worry about not finishing items. It's a creative dish too, meaning you can use whatever veggies you feel like/are on sale. If you wish for more protein, I sometimes add sauted/oven roasted tofu pieces. You can dress it with a balsamic vinagrette, or with silken tofu pureed with some garlic and lemon juice, or the creamy garlicy dressing posted below.

Just a word of advice. While I thought there was no possible way to err in this recipe, I have been on the receiving end of it gone horribly horribly wrong. So a couple of guidelines to follow:

think colour - for a dish that's as nice to look at as it is to eat, make sure you have some variety of colour. No one wants a dish that's beige - especially not in their vegetables!!
easy on the oil - if you choose to use oil, LESS IS MORE. I can not emphasize that enough (well, I guess I could have bolded it as well...). Too much oil will make it soggy and mushy, and will likely hurt the tummies of those eating it - none of these things are good. This dish will cook fine with no oil, so if you do add some, keep it lighthanded.
don't overcook it - back to the mushy, soggy thing...seriously, you can always cook it more if necessary. And, unlike meat, there is no such thing as an undercooked vegetable (well, maybe potatoes, but most veggies you're ok). Overcooking will also make your veggies gray. No one wants that.

Ok, I think we're good with those guidelines. Follow them and no matter what veggies you use, you'll be fine!

Oven roasted veggies
Cherry tomatoes, whole
brussel sprouts, halved
mushrooms, quartered
red onion, wedges, separate pieces
yellow and orange bell peppers, chopped
garlic, chopped
eggplant, chopped

Toss with a bit of heat-stable oil (or just toss sans oil. I use olive oil, so sketchy I know...)
Put in a baking dish and cook in the oven at 425F 30-40 min (until desired tenderness. This will also vary based on how good your oven is and what temperature it actually gets to), stirring about halfway through.

With garlicy cashew cream sauce

Garlicy cashew cream sauce
2c cashews, soaked
water to cover the cashews
3-4 cloves garlic, remove the root (otherwise it'll be STRONG. If they're wiener cloves, use more)
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tbsp lemon juice

blend together, add a bit more water to thin out. just a bit, like 1-2 tbsp. blend again.

Serve it over green salad, with pasta or just on its own.

Take leftovers for lunch and be the envy of your co-workers!

Enjoy!!

asian noodle bowl yum!

2009-12-09T17:37:00.007-05:00

noodle bowl! noodle bowl! noodle bowl!

Lately whenever I go to sushi places, all I want is a noodle bowl. My father in law always gets one and I look on in envy while he eats all the noodle bowl-deliciousness. Sadly noodle bowls are made with udon or soba noodles, both very full of gluten and thus very not for selenes.

There was one chinese restaurant that made one with rice noodles, but it was not so great and its veganess, as with most dishes in most chinese restaurants, was questionable.

So I made my own! And my god was it delicious and everything I dream of a noodle bowl being.
(recipe after the jump!)

To make
(4 servings)
snowpeas, julienned
carrots, julienned
baby bok choy, shredded
napa cabbage, shredded
enoki mushrooms
brown vermicelli rice noodles
tofu, cut in sticks
garlic

soup base
veggie broth, just over 2L (or 900mL broth and 4c water)
water, to cut the broth a bit (I used about a cup)
black pepper, to taste
hot sauce, to taste
sesame oil, 1T
soy sauce, reduced sodium, 1-2T
2T grated ginger

saute the tofu with the garlic in a bit of sesame oil
mix the soup base together in a pot and simmer about 5 min, add the rice noodles and simmer until they're cooked.
wash the rest of the veggies and then steam lightly until just tender enough to easily bite, but so that there's still a bit of crunch left in the carrots and snow peas.

Put the base with noodles in a bowl and then pile the rest of the veggies and tofu on top! There you go! A delicious, warm bowl of noodle-wonderfulness with tons of veggies!!!

sidenote: ew ew ew we got a pack of like 10 bok choy or something and when I started washing them, I noticed there were little caterpillar/worm things like ALL OVER THEM. Which, if this had been in say my garden or something I would be fine with. Particularly as they were kinda cool, how they spit out slime so they could hold on to the stupid bok choy no matter how hard you tried to wash them off...But in my kitchen as I was cooking??? not so fine.

stuffed peppers!

2009-11-23T20:19:00.007-05:00

I always thought I hated stuffed peppers. And then last year my mom made me some and they were ah-mazing! And then I went to a wedding and had some there - also delicious! But they seemed like a lot of work, so I never thought about making them.

But for some reason today at about 10 a.m. I decided I really really needed to have some and that for dinner this was the way to go!

They were actually super easy to make - though the cooking process does take a while. My photos suck as my place is incredibly poorly lit and super messy (from the packing...that my husband is doing and that i really should be doing...). But soon that'll all change because we're moving!!!! T minus 2 days to the commencement of actual moving! (which thank god my awesome awesome husband will be taking care of...I hate moving. I just want to be finished it all and be sitting in my awesome new place).

My friend Shannon helped me figure out what to stuff the peppers with (thanks Shannanigans!!).

to make
6 peppers (I used every kind but red because if there's one thing I hate, it's red peppers. bleh)

stuffing
1 1/2c brown rice (I used long grain because for some reason the only available short grain was 2x the price at 5$ for a tiny package of rice! that's insane!! rice isn't supposed to be that expensive!! it's freakin' rice! but yes, short grain will do and would cook a lot faster)
3 3/4c water (to cook the rice in)
5-6 sizable mushrooms, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 can chickpeas, well rinsed
2 5" sprigs of rosemary (you could probably add a bit more if you like that kind of thing)
2 tsp sea salt

topping (optional. but tastes really really good!!!)
earth balance non-hydrogenated vegan margarine/butter
vegan Parmesan cheese (I have an awesome mom who bought me the rice Parmesan cheese because she's awesome like that)

cook rice.
preheat oven to 350F
mix rice in a large bowl with everything but the peppers.
cut tops off peppers and empty of seeds and white stuff that sticks out on the sides and weird mutant parasite twin peppers growing inside.
fill peppers with rice mix
top each with 1/2-1 tbsp earth balance and with a hearty sprinkle of parmesan (about 1 tbsp)
cook in oven for 45min-1hour (until pepper is soft and looking wrinkly)
I then put in my broiler (one thing I'm going to miss when I move) for like 2 minutes to get a little char-ness to it. I felt it needed it, though it really didn't affect the taste at all; I just like broiling things...

and enjoy!!! yum yum SO GOOD!!! Makes me wish I hadn't filled up on really old roasted potatoes that were soggy because I nuked them to warm them up, ketchup (to mask the taste of gross old potato) and what's probably the worst salsa I've ever had; why did I eat so much gross food... Also makes me wish I hadn't been too lazy to do peppers 5 and 6 (yes, I now have two peppers and a boat load of stuffing left. why the heck didn't I just make them at the same time? I'm clearly not going to now as it took like an hour to cook! WHAT is wrong with me?!?! maybe I can freeze them...hmmm maybe that's what I was thinking? who knows, yucky soggy potatoes probably stopped my brain from working properly).

black bean burgers

2009-11-21T16:24:00.004-05:00

You may not know this about me (or maybe it's apparent from my recipes) but I'm the laziest cook ever. That's actually one of the reasons I heart raw food so much; mainly you just throw things into a blender or food processor and then you're done!

Well I found this great bean burger recipe from HelloVeggie that's super easy to make. I added in chopped onions and garlic, and would also like to try it with jalapeno (but currently I'm hoarding my two peppers for a raw corn chip I am formulating - currently in the conceptual phase, but coming soon!). I also am far too lazy to "mash" anything, so I just threw the ingredients into my trusty food processor and "pulsed" like I'd never pulsed before!

These burgers were delicious! And cheap! Which makes me happy because the boy's done work for the season and with my having the flu I missed a bunch of work and we're moving and have to buy stuff for that, so I'm feeling poor.

I served with tomatoes and baby spinach to really benefit from all the delicious iron in this meal. I also added olives because, well, everything should be served with olives. I cooked a bit longer than the original recipe says; I was skeptical as first because it seemed like it was still all soft inside, but it turned out ok.

to make
1 can black beans, well rinsed!!
2 cups brown rice, cooked
small yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic , minced
jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
cayenne pepper
salt

throw everything into a food processor and pulse until well mixed and until the rice and beans are somewhat blended and mashed (but not totally - you want bits of bean).

Form patties. Heat some oil in a pan (to help with sticking) and put patties in pan. Cook about 5-7 minutes one side (until browned) and then flip and cook 5 min on other side.

first blog post in forEVER!! and a chocolate raspberry torte

2009-11-17T21:54:00.009-05:00

chocolate raspberry torte: chocolate nutty crust, topped with fresh raspberries and fudgy sauce

I'm not going to lie, I totally make up whether to call it a torte, a tart or a pie based on what sounds nicer. I'm pretty sure this is not a torte...aren't tortes filled with denser fillings or something? I have no idea.

Anyway, I know it's been forever forever forever since I posted anything. The reasons are many-fold:

we had to bring our computer in for fixing so it was away for a while
we both came down with the WORST FLU I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. It is horrible! And it's still kicking! Thank god it's on the way out now at 1.5 weeks. I actually didn't get out of bed for 3 straight days. And then, when I did, I could only do light activity because simple tasks like cleaning the cats' litter exhausted me too much. And today I made the mistake of taking some cough syrup, which it would appear I'm allergic to. So, I couldn't control my movements for the first half of the day or sit up, and for the second half of the day I had a stabbing headache. NEVER AGAIN. This flu is a wonderful strain of infectious disease that in addition to making you feel like crap, makes everything taste like crap.
I haven't been eating all that wonderfully. I did make a lot of ice cream with MY BRAND NEW (well now month-old) ICE CREAM MAKER!!!! More on that later.
We're moving at the end of the month. I hate moving. But am excited to move and to have a place I can actually take good food photos! No more dimly lit messy places! yay!
It's November in Toronto. Meaning that there is about 6 hours of sunlight in the day, none of them occurring when I'm home and able to take photos.

I'm trying to get back into healthy yummy eating, if not just in hopes that my mouth will finally stop tasting like snot (yay being sick!). Ew ew ew I had such a classy moment on the way to work the other day: My nose was full on running and I forgot to bring any tissues and had to blow it on a pair of (clean at least) underwear that was in my bag from going to the gym!! In public!! I was hoping hoping hoping that people didn't see the La Senza logo and just thought it was a fancy handkerchief; though what 25 year old uses a handkerchief I wouldn't know...

Anyway, in step 1 toward being healthy again, I made pasta with kale and roasted tomato sauce for dinner and chocolate raspberry torte for dessert! And it tasted good! Yay!!! Finally, something that doesn't taste like snot and ickyness!

(recipes after the jump!)

Roasted tomato sauce

Oven-roasted tomato sauce

6 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red onion
3 cloves garlic
dash olive oil
1tsp sea salt

cook in oven at 450F for 30 min, stirring occasionally. Broil for 5 min (until starts to blacken). Pulse quickly in food processor for chunky tomato sauce. yum yum!

chocolate raspberry torte
crust
1c almonds
1c macadamia nuts
5T cacao powder
1/2c dates

filling
raspberries

Pulse nuts in food processor until finely crumbly. Add cacao and pulse until well blended. Add dates and blend until it forms a dough. Press into pan, chill in fridge 15 min (or until ready to serve). Fill with raspberries, drizzle chocolate sauce on top and serve.

I'll upload photos in a bit!
Enjoy!!!
xoxo

NOT SO SEXY UPDATE: ok, I looked up torte, and yes I was correct in that I am incorrect. This is so so not a torte...well I guess the crust is kind of torte-ish in that it's made from ground nuts...??? No, I stand by my not really having any idea.

basic white cake with chocolate mousse icing

2009-10-11T15:14:00.012-04:00

Basic white layer cake with chocolate chips and chocolate mousse

Like the little black dress, the basic white is a timeless classic. When you can't think of a dessert to make, or want something that will go with everything, the white cake is the perfect thing to fall back on. What's even more is that it's the perfect blank dessert slate, totally customizable to whatever creative inventions you're feeling in the moment - much like dressing up a LBD with accessories, making for a totally different outfit each and every time, even when starting with the same thing. You can make it a layer cake, add chocolate chips, make it an ice cream sandwich and top it in many different ways.

Serves 4

To make*
1 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup cashews
1 cup walnuts
1 tsp cardamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dates

blend all dry ingredients in food processor until finely crumbly.
Add dates and blend until dough sticks together.
Press into 2 small springform pans.
Remove from pans.
Shortly before serving, ice both layers thickly with chocolate mousse. I used this one by Ani Phyo.
Place one layer atop the other.

enjoy!

*ok I'm not going to lie, I have no idea where I wrote the recipe for this. I have no recipe book, so I just scribble recipes and ideas in random notebooks, sometimes without titles or clues as to what they're even for! So, I tend to lose a lot (very annoying). But I'm pretty sure this is right...

thanksgiving!!!

2009-10-11T14:55:00.022-04:00

Spiced apple pie

It's thanksgiving weekend. I'm not so happy about it this year as my parents are leaving for a pan-asia tour on tuesday and thus my mom is unable to prepare our usual thanksgiving feast. That means no wild rice salad, lentil-carrot salad, or squash patties for me :( And I will miss having dinner with my side of the family - it's what we do best!

To make up for it, I made a bunch of delicious fall food. Tofu stuffed with brown rice and mushroom gravy from Fat Free Vegan and raw spiced apple pie. I've made the stuffed tofu before and let me tell you, it is aMAZing!! Although, word of warning: it does take like three hours to make. No joke. So make sure you have enough time!

plate on right, clockwise from back: roasted potatoes, honey-maple turnip, tofu stuffed with mushroom brown rice, brown rice stuffing, mushroom gravy, green beans, carrots

The apple pie is made of of sweetly spiced apple slices on a sweet pecan crust. I piled the apples high and left the skin on (which made it easier to prepare, healthier, colourful - especially if using different types of apples!! - and yummy). I went for the sweet gala apples, but really you could use whatever apple you desire, depending on the sweetness and texture you want.

In addition to the extreme deliciousness and incredible healthiness of this meal, it also comes free of the uncomfortable too full and sleepy-ness that usually accompanies thanksgiving.

Spiced apple pie
pecan pie crust (made with an additional 1/2tsp nutmeg)

3 apples (gala, or whichever tickles your fancy), thinly sliced
thinned date paste
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsbp lemon juice (to add a pleasant tartness and to keep the apples from browning)
1 tbsp coconut oil

toss apple slices with remaining ingredients until evenly coated

press base into springform pan
top with coated apple slices
let chill in fridge

serve with almond cream, coconut cream or vanilla ice cream.

Spiced apple pie

AWESOME UPDATE: The boy's mom made delicious oven roasted veggies (carrots, greenbeans, honey-maple turnip - YUM, eggplant, and potatoes). So SO good. And I got leftovers, meaning I've enjoyed two delicious salads of roasted veggies mixed with lettuce greens and dressed in a garlic-y balsamic vinagrette (!!!).

paprika-spiced home fries

2009-10-01T19:46:00.005-04:00

For all Canadians, there's a sense of fear and anxiety associated with fall. Yes, it's beautiful and lovely with the leaves and whatnot, but it also signifies the end of what's normally a very short summer and the doomed coming of what will be (or at least feel like) 6-8 months of dark and cold, cold, cold. This fall has so far been particularly distressing as in Toronto we didn't really have a summer at all; warm days were few and far between, and what we've seen so far of fall is cold, dark and wet. And of course there's the feeling of foggy inertia that comes with each windy blow of a spray of cold rain in your face; the inevitable feeling of needing to cocoon - and fast - as the cold comes in.

I'm trying to focus on the positives: fall fashion, fall foods. The fall marks the arrival of chunky gray cardigans, wellingtons, root vegetables and soups... It means baked goods and warm drinks and woolen tights... Now, those are things to look forward to!

Today I made some paprika-spiced home fries with the sweet paprika - straight from hungary - Dav's sister brought us when visiting a couple of weeks back.

to make
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large potatoes, chopped
1tsp cayenne
1/2-1tbsp sweet hungarian paprika
1tbsp italian herb mix (blend of rosemary, basil, oregano)
1tsp sea salt
canola oil

in a large pan, saute the onion and garlic in some oil until transparent.
in a large bowl, toss the chopped potatoes with the spices and enough canola oil to coat the potatoes. Add the potato mix to the pan and cover. Cook until soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.
alternatively, toss raw onion and garlic and potatoes with rest of ingredients until coated, and cook in the oven at 425F until cooked on the inside and crispy on the outside.

enjoy!

anti-pasto pizza party

2009-10-01T19:35:00.004-04:00

On Sunday afternoon, my husband and I went for a walk in my old neighbourhood for a little organic oven love. Oh my do I love it there! We had vegan sandwiches on aMAZing gluten free bread, Dav had a vegan black forest cake, and I had a vegan and gluten-free brownie with fudgy icing. Truly, I wanted to buy everything there: they had cookies and muffins and other muffins (!!!). Somewhat luckily, they were out of many of their vegan and GF items, so I had a bit of an easier time deciding. Too late I saw the german chocolate cake - next time!! I also bought two pizza crusts for dinner.

My parents, taking pity on us as we were sick all last week, brought us a container of delicious antipastos!!! Olives (!!!), peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, YUM. So for dinner, I made pizza with red wine tomato sauce, crumbled and panfried tofu and antipasto. Oh my, I wish I was eating this again. right now.

mmmm pizza

peanut-ginger tvp stirfry

2009-09-07T19:27:00.009-04:00

This past weekend the boy, his sister who is visiting from Hungary, and I went camping on Franklin Island in the Georgian Bay area. It was absolutely beautiful; super sunny, sparkling water, tons tons tons of frogs. It was supposed to be a paddling trip, but I spent most of is lying in the sun, drinking cold tea (much better than algae-flavoured lake water), reading and eating. Oh my god, I ate so so much that I actually couldn't have paddled. We did go on a very nice little trek before the eating began; there was a beautiful little washed out beach, lots of beautiful lake and much general georgian bay gorgeousness.
For food, we had:

trail mix (naturally)
PC brand vegetarian chili (I was very perturbed and disappointed to realize that it had no vitamin C in it, despite being a tomato base and having veggies in it...maybe because of the cooking process? unfortunate as I was counting on it to ward off the scurvy)
bbq beans
sesame fudge
cookie balls
brown rice tortillas (to go with the chili and beans)
salsa and blue tortilla chips
cereal and soy milk (for the boy)
instant oatmeal
veggie soup with lentils, and
marinated tvp on rice noodles (made the marinade - sesame oil, tamari, rice vinegar - at home)

so so much food.

Anyway, this trip reminded me of my love for TVP. TVP, or textured vegetable/soy protein, is defatted soy flour, a by-product of making soybean oil. It's super cheap, filling, delicious, high in protein and low in fat and carbs. It has a great texture and soaks up flavour from what it's cooked with, making it an adaptable ingredient for a wide range of dishes; I've had it in everything from tacos and chili, to pasta sauce and king's cafe's kung pao soy chicken.

Peanut-ginger TVP stirfry
TVP slices or chunks (see note on how to cook below)
peanut-ginger marinade
kale, chopped
chinese eggplant, sliced
peanut-ginger marinade
peanut butter (or almond butter)
tamari sauce
rice vinegar
ginger, chopped
water, as needed

Let TVP marinate 1-2 hours. Put marinated TVP in frying pan, saving marinade for later. Cook on med heat with eggplant, until eggplate sauted. Add kale, cover and let steam cook kale. Toss ingredients with leftover marinade. Serve on rice, rice noodles, or on its own.

How to cook TVP
put dry TVP in a bowl, cover with boiling water
cover and let sit 10-15 min

TVP is pretty much tasteless on its own; adding flavouring is a must. Luckily TVP is pretty much a sponge and as such is super easy to marinade. If you're adding to a chili or soup, add the dry TVP directly to the dish, so that it'll absorb the flavour of the dish while reconstituting. If you're adding the TVP to a stirfry, and have rehydrated it in boiling water, then I find it's best if you squeeze out the water from the reconstituted TVP and then cover them in the marinade.

millions of peaches, peaches for me

2009-08-30T14:29:00.004-04:00

Ontario peaches are so so good this year; juicy, sweet, beautiful!

Here's a super easy recipe for a delicious raw peach pie. The crust's ingredients combine for a caramel-y and candied pecan flavour. Cinnamon and nutmeg blend perfectly with the juices of the peaches, creating a naturally sweet spiced syrup.

To make
Crust/base:
1c pecans
1/4c - 1/3c dates
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch, sea salt

In food processor, blend pecans with cinnamon and sea salt until crumbly.
Add dates, starting at 1/4c and blend. Add dates as needed until doughy consistency is reached (i.e. the mixture sticks together).
press into pan
chill in fridge 1-2 hours

filling:
4 peaches, sliced thinly
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

mix all ingredients together in a bowl until peaches are well and evenly coated with the spices.
spoon into crust
serve topped with almond cream

serving suggestion: in a springform pan, form dough into a base (1/4"-1/2"); chill in fridge 1-2hours. Remove from pan and spread peach slices evenly on top.

"cooking" tip: lightly dust the pan with a mixture of ground pecans and a cinnamon/nutmeg blend.

buying tip: peaches don't continue to ripen once picked, so make sure the ones you're buying are ready-to-eat.

other recipes you might like: If you're in Toronto, you're probably similarly concerned and disturbed by the fact that after a total of like 5 days of actual summer, it's now pretty much fall! Here's a cooked recipe to help you warm up while still making the most of those amazing summer peaches!

beets, beets, beets

2009-08-22T18:19:00.013-04:00

Ok, before I even get into anything food related, I'm just going to go on for a bit about the fact that I feel really down right now. It's an easy kind of down in that it has one specific cause and one specific cure. For the past week or so our bathtub has been blocked up. Nothing too bad, just you know, your feet get a little bath while you're showering. WELL.Thursday it STORMED. Like, there were tornados nearby! That's insane! We don't have enough good weather to ever make tornados ok. And thursday night, our bathtub had a lot of other weird stuff in it. It was gross, we were worried the pipes overflowed and backed up or something. Well, this morning I wake up to find more gross gunk in the bathtub, and that's when I realize, the KITCHEN SINK is backing up into the bathtub, and then because the bathtub is plugged, it's not draining! There was a BLUEBERRY in my bathtub today! Very upsetting. Doubly so as I really need a shower. Sigh. Luckily I have a very handy husband, who used to be a plumber. So he's seeing if there's anything he could do. However, apparently our walls are wood and floors concrete, which is incredibly sketchy and is make it a little close to impossible for him to fix the matter. The whole matter is simply stunning in the sheer horror of it all.

Right, beets. I tried one once as a kid, and wasn't the biggest fan, so I never ate them again. Then, this summer I decided I should like them. I tried a couple of dishes that featured beets and enjoyed them. However, then I bought beets. Now, having had them in my life VERY briefly and long ago, I have never bought a beet in my life. They were not nice; my husband likened them to eating a raw potato, I used the analogy of taking a bite of dirt - and not the good kind - to sum up the whole experience. But, dedicated to liking them, and given their incredible health benefits, I was determined to try again.

I asked a lot of people about how it is best to prepare beets. After the trauma of the first attempt at beets, and knowing that I was trying again, my husband also inquired about the matter. Mention raw beets and many people have the same reaction - an unpleasant one. I don't think I've ever seen so many expressions of extreme distaste as in the past week. Many people, including my mom, swear that raw beets are solely good if part of a carrot-beet salad.

As my husband and I were still undecided on whether we even like beets, I played it safe and used cooked beets for this recipe.

Beet gnocchi with raw cashew pesto cream

beet gnocchi
Beets, peeled and sliced
cashew cream (cashew, soaked and rinsed, blended with water until it forms a thick cream)
flour (I used a blend of brown rice four, potato starch and tapioca starch)

In a frying pan, saute beets with a bit of water until soft. If you have the chance to steam instead, do it! Less of the good healthy stuff will be cooked away.
Blend in a food processor.
Strain through a mesh sieve, pushing lightly on the processed beets to squeeze out the juice.
mix with the cashew cream and flour until it forms a dough. You don't want it to be too sticky, and it should be easy to shape.
Roll into tubes, cut off pieces and press lightly with a fork
Boil lightly salted water and cook gnocchi for 3-5 min, until they float

cashew pesto cream
basil
garlic
cashew cream
olive oil

blend in food processor.

Enjoy!!
xoxo

AWESOME UPDATE!!! MY HUSBAND FIXED THE DRAIN!!! YAY!!! I <3 having a husband who's handsome and handy!!!

chocolate coconut (ice) cream

2009-08-15T15:05:00.009-04:00

Here's an easy recipe for a delicious sweet cream. I had leftover coconut milk from making curry, and was in the mood for a yummy after-dinner treat. You can serve this cream straight, with a rich chocolate flavour, or as a decadent frozen treat.

Coconut cream
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup cashews, soaked and rinsed
3 tbsp agave nectar

blend until smooth.
Serve over fruits or a slice of cake.

Chocolate cream
coconut cream
3 tbsp cacao powder

blend until smooth.

Chocolate coconut ice cream
chocolate cream

Ideally you'd put it in an ice cream maker. However, I didn't have one. So, I put it in a container in the freezer. It has the appearance of having frozen solid, but really has a creamy consistency, even right out of the freezer.

For soft serve ice cream, only put the ice cream in the freezer for 2-3 hours.

raw sesame fudge

2009-08-09T19:09:00.017-04:00

Around since prehistoric times, the sesame seed shows up in myths and practices of cultural significance throughout history. The Assyrians believed that when the gods met to create the world, they drank wine made of this ancient seed. In Hinduism, the seed is regarded as a sign of immortality, having been blessed by the God, Yama. In ancient Egypt and China, the oil was used for its medicinal properties. In Babylon, women ate the seed to reap its many beautifying rewards.

Packed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and with many medicinal and nutritional benefits, it's easy to see why the sesame seed has been held in such high regard throughout the ages. Its nutritional resume is nothing short of impressive. Not only does the oil have natural antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, earning it a prized place in world medicinal practices, but the seed itself is a rich source of copper, calcium, maganese, protein, iron, tryptophan and phytosterols. Available in a variety of colours, it is the black sesame seed that is the most potent in terms of its nutritional properties.

Many of the nutrients and minerals contained in the sesame seed make it an ideal beauty food, helping to ensure youthful and blemish-free skin. Not only does the seed support collagen and elastine production, but it also fights free radicals, neutralizes acne-causing bacteria and tightens pores.

The sesame seed is one of the easiest seeds to add to your diet, given its diverse range of uses in each of its forms. When ground, the seed forms tahini, a deliciously creamy and subtly nutty base for hummus and salad dressings. Sprinkled on sushi, sesame seeds offer a delicious, crunchy and healthy treat. As an oil, valued for its resistance to rancidity, its a great base to cook with.

After tasting this decadent and unbelievably easy-to-make fudge, you'll understand how a simple seed can be so highly revered. Enjoy this rich, chocolate-y fudge with a glass of cold hazelnut milk.

Raw Sesame Fudge
1/2cup white sesame seeds, hulled and ground
1/4cup cacao powder
3 Tbsp agave nectar
2 tsp coconut oil

Mix well. Spread into a square container or on a plate, smooth top. Eat right away, or chill in fridge until firm (1-2 hours)

Serving suggestions

For spicy Mexican fudge, add 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2tsp cardamom and 1/4tsp cayenne
Top a square of this chocolate-y, calcium-rich treat with raspberry coulis and a dollop of whip cream
Spread on a piece of banana bread for a delicious, nutrient-packed treat for the afternoon slumps

King's Cafe Yum!

2009-08-07T22:19:00.008-04:00

My relationship with King's Cafe starts years back when I was still promoting Crystal Light at random events (oh yeah). One of the events we went to was some food expo. The best part about the expo was that our booth was positioned right next to King's!! I made a convention buddy at the King's Booth named Andrew (whom, as it would turn out, happened to know a huge number of my friends; small world no?). Though he wasn't interested in samples of Crystal Light (because really now...), he did keep me well fed on bite sized pieces of godly deliciousness. Lucky me!

Being a big fan of King's, I of course introduced the boyface to their wonderfulness. In true Daviid fashion, he is now even more obsessed with the place and it's yummyness than I am. We're a little (ok a lot) sad about the redesign, which got rid of the outdoor feel of the place and the beautiful waterfall mural we always sat next to. However, the food is as wonderful as ever.

My husband and I were at King's on the weekend and picked up some takeout tonight as well, after what can only be classified as the laziest paddle ever... We're not very adventurous when it comes to ordering food, though we did actually try something new this time round!!

Hot and sour soup with shredded tofu and soy ham

dumplings!! Ok, not gluten-free, I know...don't worry mom, only ate a couple!

Enoki mushroom balls (the something new!)

Purple rice

The best part of the whole meal (though it's a tough competition)! Spicy soy kung pao chicken! So so so so so good!!!

note: I have some new recipes I've been working on that I'm going to post when I'm back after this weekend!

spiced blueberry almond granola

2009-08-01T12:44:00.001-04:00

If you're ever in Kensington, make sure you go to Essence of Life Natural Foods. They're an amazing store with a wide range of healthy, vegan and gluten-free items and excellent prices. While there, if you get nothing else, get the hemp granola that's in the bulk tubs. Not the one made with oats, but the one that has delicious chunks of sweet granola-y goodness. This granola alone started my granola obsession. And this granola is one of the things I miss most about eating gluten-free.

Unfortunately few other foods can feel the void of granola and soygurt or granola with nut milk. And a good gluten-free granola is very hard to find. I've only found one gluten-free granola at all, and, though I do sometimes eat it when having a granola craving, it's not the tastiest granola around.

This recipe is super easy to make and is unbelievably delicious. The granola is wonderfully spiced and sweet, the buckwheat is crispy, the almonds add a pleasant crunch, and the blueberries have a slightly cooked texture, maximizing their flavour. What's more, this granola forms those delicious clumps that ever good granola should.

To make
2c raw buckwheat, soaked and rinsed well
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2c almonds, chopped
agave or date paste, to taste
1c blueberries (see note)

note: to extend the freshness of this granola, leave out the blueberries. Because they don't fully dehydrate, the granola needs to remain refridgerated and doesn't last as long. Add fresh blueberries before you enjoy.

Soak the buckwheat overnight or while you're at work. It'll expand a bit, so make sure you put in lots of water. Rinse well before using, as when soaked the water becomes a bit gelatinous-y. I got lazy on the night I was originally going to make this, so left the rinsed buckwheat in the fridge overnight. When I went to make this recipe the next evening, some of the buckwheat had begun to sprout!

Anyway, put the buckwheat into a bowl. Add spices and mix well.

Chop the almonds in a food processor. Add them to the bowl and mix together.
Add water to the date paste/agave to thin it. Add to the granola in the bowl and mix until well coated. Add blueberries and mix together.

Cover dehydrator trays with paraflex sheets and spread the granola evenly. Dehydrate at 108 F for 1-2 hour, turn over onto mesh trays, stirring it a bit and continue dehydrating overnight. Store in the fridge.

Enjoy a bowl of this delicious granola with fresh nut milk. Top it with slices of banana or mixed berries. Or just eat it straight out of the container!

Iron Chef: Vegan!

2009-07-26T16:02:00.002-04:00

Iron Chef: Vegan is a celebration of culinary creativity. Its goal is to provide you with a chance to:

1. Green the way you eat.
Vegan cuisine is fun, delicious, healthy and offers endless creative possibilities. But perhaps most excitingly it offers an opportunity to green our lives where we make a significant impact: our food. Vegan eating (even on an occassional basis) provides you with a more sustainable way to eat.

2. Get inspired.
Iron Chef: Vegan is a chance for culinary exploration and adventure. Challenge your creative side. Try something completely different. Find a whole new world to taste!

3. Discover how delicious healthy can be.
One of the best realizations I've come to in my life is about the direct relationship between how nutritious a dish is and how delicious it is. That's why one of the criteria of choosing the key ingredient is its nutritonal profile. Iron Chef: Vegan is about encouraging the enjoyment of healthy foods.

How it works:
The challenge: create a dish using The Key Ingredient in some way.

While there can be as many other flavours as you would like, each dish should showcase The Key Ingredient.

Extra points (in terms of coolness) if you go for a multi course meal! Some examples of courses you could include: hors d'oeuvres, soup, salad, entree, dessert.

How to enter
Submit your entries* to me at batchild23 at hotmail dot com with the subject line "Iron Chef: Vegan entry". If you have a website, you can just send me a link to your delectable dish. Or join the facebook group and share your entries there. Make sure to also include a caption that sums up your tasty treat.

Your first challenge!

The Key Ingredient: Beets (Beta vulgaris)
This round of Iron Chef: Vegan will end August 23, 2009.

Native to the mediterranian and first cultivated by ancient Romans, the beet is in the same family as quinoa, spinach and swiss chard.

The beet is prized for its subtle sweetness and its impressive nutritional contributions. This root vegetable is high in B vitamins, folate, manganese and dietary fibre while remaining low in calories. Not only does the beet help protect against heart diseases and colon cancer, but as a primary source of betaine it also works to reduce inflammation.

While beets are famous for their rich purple-red colouring, they also come in other colour variations: yellow, white, and candy-striped (red and white). Adding an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice while cooking will brighten the colour. Salt on the other hand will dull the colour and so should be added near the end of your recipe.

Typically beets are enjoyed pickled or in a borscht. But this versatile root vegetable, which can be enjoyed cooked or raw, has so much more potential! So go crazy and let your imagination run wild in this quest for culinary innovation!

Get all your entries in by August 23, 2009!

*note: entries and your links to your blogs may be posted here on Veganlicious! If you don't want them to be, that's cool just let me know!

What I'm eating right now

2009-07-25T13:38:00.002-04:00

I made my banana bread bites recipe, though accidentally put in almost 3x as many cacao nibs as I meant to...a very tasty mistake indeed...chocolate-y...

Spread into thin layers with a spatula.

Yum!!! Perfect for nutbutter and banana sandwiches!

raw mississippi mud pie

2009-07-20T12:49:00.002-04:00

Today's my day off. I had planned to spend it cleaning and uncooking (wait, what's the definition of cooking? does making raw food still get called cooking?)...so far I've just watched a lot of True Blood...and now the day is ticking away and I have to head off soon to go paddling...so not the most productive day. But it has been relaxing and the cats have all hung out with me, so I don't feel like I've wasted it, which is always a good thing. Anyway, I did manage to make some food today...Unfortunately when I went to pick up nuts yesterday, Bulk Barn was all closed up for the day. So my original plans of banana walnut bread and raw granola were temporarily foiled...

I did manage my first attempt at a raw mississippi mud pie. I don't really know what a mississippi mud pie is; the one time I went to eat one, they took way too long and we had to cancel the order to get where we needed to be on time. But, my friend in passing mentioned it was chocolate and coconut pie. I don't know if that's right, but it sounded pretty tasty. I've been thinking about it for a while; my plans had to change a bit on account of my lack of nuts and agave...

The young coconut was a pain to cut into. I kind of pounded at it with the knife until it broke through in enough spots that I could pull the top off. I wasted a bunch of the water trying to pour it into a bowl and then from the bowl into the blender...now my kitchen smells like young coconut...Anyway...

There was enough of the filling for 4 tarts but I was a little short with the crust and only managed to make 3.

Crust
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1/4 cup dates, pitted and packed (heaping cup)
2 tbsp cacao powder

Filling
meat of one young coconut
2 tbsp cacao powder
2 medjool dates (or more, if you want it sweeter)
coconut water, as needed

To make the crust, pulse the nuts in the food processor until crumbly. Add dates and cacao powder until well mixed. Use your fingers to form the crust in a tartlet pan. Put in fridge to firm up.

Blend all ingredients in a blender, adding coconut water until blends smoothly. Spoon into crusts and return to fridge to firm. I was impatient and ate mine after about 20 minutes and it was firm enough.

Enjoy!
xoxo

update: after seeing one of the cats sleep in a basket and then two of them chase down flies, definitely feels like an awesome day off.

Delicious bean salad

2009-07-18T13:05:00.001-04:00

I love beans. They're delicious, full of nutrients and incredibly easy to make dishes from. They're full of fibre, protein, iron and folate. Here's a simple bean salad. You could make this salad from any mix of beans.

1 1/2 cup white kidney beans, well rinsed
1 1/2 cup red kidney beans, well rinsed
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped (I like using one yellow and one orange. adds beautiful colours to the salad)
1 cup sliced olives
2 tbsp chives, chopped finely (or coriander)
2 cloves garlic, grated
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cayenne

Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl. Serve and enjoy!

Summery quinoa salad

2009-07-16T19:27:00.002-04:00

Revered by the ancient Incas as the "mother grain", quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is quickly becoming the hot new superfood. Sown seasonally by the Incan emperor with a gold shovel, quinoa has always provided those who enjoy it with its many health benefits. Incan armies were sustained by a diet high in quinoa. Those in Peru, Chile and Bolica cultivated it also for its nutritional value.

Although often associated with grains, quinoa is actually a seed related to leafy greens, including spinach and swiss chard. This gluten-free food is fluffy and chewy in texture, subtley nutty in flavour and has an impressive nutritional profile:

a complete protein, it contains all nine essential amino acids neede for tissue development
excellent source of dietary fibre, iron, magnesium and copper

A bitter coating consisting of Saponins keeps birds and other animals from chowing down on the crops. For this reason, and also because little stones and bits of dirts can be transported with it to your local grocery store, you may want to give it a good rinsing before you enjoy it. Some also roast it very lightly in a frying pan to accentuate the nutty flavour. Personally, I'm way too lazy for that.

Quinoa is super easy and fast to cook, taking only about 10-15 minutes. It's also a versatile food. Warm and sweetened with a bit of agave or honey, it can be enjoyed as a breakfast cereal. As an alternative for rice, it's an excellent base for stew or curry. Cold, it's lovely atop a green salad - or as a salad in and of its self.

My mom is somewhat an expert at making salads that go beyond your standard green lettuce fare. Her salads have always been among my favourite foods, combining intricate blends of flavours and being incredibly healthy. Inspired by her boundless imagination when it comes to finding delicious and creative new combinations of flavours and textures, this dish was made.

2/3 cup brown quinoa, cooked
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed well
1 avocado chopped
1/2 cucumber, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 can black olives, sliced
pinch salt
pinch cayenne

Mix all ingredients together and dress with an olive oil/balsamic vinagrette or miso dressing.

miso dressing
1 tbsp mellow yellow miso
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp water

mix well

enjoy!

xoxo

tarts and raw chocolate sauce

2009-07-15T20:59:00.001-04:00

A family friend, Craig, used to make the most delicious pies. We'd go over for dinner and there'd be three pies! Blueberry, apple and strawberry rhubarb. Now, as a kid I thought rhubarb was horrible, and haven't gotten around to trying it again...but the other two pies were amazing!!

Since becoming vegan and gluten-free, I think that I've attempted a pie about 2-3 times. Which really isn't a whole lot, particularly considering that in theory I really like pie (although come to think of it, I don't think I made a whole lot of pies before either...). The first time I made it was when I had just begun gluten-free baking, and it was essentially just brown rice flour...i.e. not so nice. The second was made with Earth Balance and was buttery and flaky.

I wanted to try a raw pie, and thought almond pulp would do the trick. I tried a non-dehydrated version. It was quite nice and tasty, but kept falling apart. So, I thought adding flax seed and dehydrating the crust bit would help.

Don't be scared if this crust seems really tough when you try and cut into it. It's actually quite nice and even chewy when eaten. Just use a sharp knife to cut it. I attempted a butter knife, because every single other piece of cutlery was dirty (sadly, no joke); we ended up just picking them up and biting into them.

Crust (makes 4)
1 cup almond pulp
1/2 cup ground flax meal
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup dates, packed
3 tbsp water

In a food processor, blend the dates and the water until a paste forms.
In a bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Add date paste and coconut oil and mix well.
In a tart cup, or whatever you're using, firmly press the mixture into shape with your fingers.
Dehydrate 2 hours (or until the next step can be done somewhat easily). Remove carefully from your tart crust container and dehydrate until dry. I dehydrated overnight because I don't have a timer and getting up at 3a.m. didn't seem like the best of ideas. But, I think 4-6 hours should do the trick.

Fillings

Fillings are easy as pie (ahahhaaaa I'm hilarious). Seriously though, I served this to the boyface with whole raspberries in it, and it was perfect. Sliced strawberries work very nicely too, and stay in place a bit better than whole fruit does. Or, if you want something that really isn't in danger of rolling away, you can put the fruit in a food processor and pulse a couple of times.

Blueberry filling
2 cup blueberries
3 tsp lemon juice
1/4-1/2 tsp agave

blend in food processor.

If you're serving nonblended fruits in the tart, or have leftover fruit, top with raw chocolate sauce or raw almond cream. The raw chocolate sauce is delicious and chocolatey and super easy to make. It's made with a simple ratio:

2 parts cacao powder : 2 parts agave : 1 part coconut oil

for example,
2 tbsp cacao powder
2 tbsp agave
1 tbsp coconut oil

enjoy!!!
xoxo

Banana bread bites

2009-07-12T19:52:00.005-04:00

These banana bread bites are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. How chewy depends on how long you dehydrate them for; flip them after an hour and then try them out every couple of hours until it's as "cooked" as you'd like it to be. They're super easy to make and are a great way to use up over ripe bananas. I have an idea of what I think will be a really really good way to enjoy these; I'll share it if it's successful.

ingredients
1 banana, ripe
1 cup almond pulp
3/4cup ground flax
1/4cup date paste*
1 1/2 tbsp cacao nibs
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp nutmeg

to make
mix almond pulp with flax and spices. Mash in banana and date paste until a sticky dough forms. Add a bit of water if it's too dry. Stir in cacao nibs and walnuts. Some blueberries would be good too.

Using a tablespoon, drop scoopfuls of dough onto tray liner in dehydrator. Dry at 105F for 1 hour. Flip onto the unlined screen and continue dehydrating until they're the texture you want.

Enjoy with a cold glass of nut milk, or cut in half and spread with some raw butter (ex. chilled coconut oil) or nut butter.

*To make date paste, place 1/2cup packed, pitted dates and 3T water in the food processor and blend until it's a paste. You'll likely have to scrap down the sides a couple of times before it's done.

SEXY UPDATE: Letting these bites stay overnight in the fridge in an airtight container makes them a less crunchy and more chewy. Yum!! Wish I'd known before I ate all but five of them!

SEXIER UPDATE: make this recipe into delicious banana bread:

Raw cinnamon rolls and almond cream

2009-07-11T22:07:00.001-04:00

I'm lucky in that my family is super open-minded, particularly when it comes to the culinary world. They've always been big on trying new things and have always had a strong leaning toward healthier foods. Of them all, I'm actually seen as the picky one. Strange, I know, given that one of my favourite foods is nutritional yeast...I remember once suggesting we go out to Veggie Haven, a vegan restaurant I wanted to try, only to find out that having been there three times in the last month or so, were wanting to try something new. I was a bit surprised at this, given that I am the only vegan of the bunch...

Anyway, I am generally the one who makes the dessert at family dinners, birthdays, the such. When I was younger, I would make mostly mereinge items - such as mereinge baskets filled wih fruit and whipped cream - and truffles. Since I've become vegan and gluten-free, I've become more creative, expanding my repertoire, and have made animal-free cheesecakes, a lot of mousses, a yule log and creme brulees. Discovering raw cuisine, I've made raw cheesecakes and more mousses. My family is indiscriminate when it comes to good tasting food. As long as it's delicious, they're happy and not too concerned with what's in it. If it's delicious and healthy - well, that's the ultimate goal in all our culinary creations.

For my mom's recent birthday, I made raw cinnamon rolls and almond cream, made from some of her favourite dessert foods: hazelnuts, figs and coconut. The rolls were a variation of this recipe.

Cinnamon rolls
1¼ cup hazelnut pulp (leftover from making hazelnut milk)
1¼ cup ground flaxseed
1½ tablespoons cinnamon
1 pinch sea salt

3/4 cup soft pitted dates, packed
1/2 cup dried figs (heaping quarter cup)
¼ cup water

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar

In food processor, process dates, figs and water. You may need a bit more water to get it smooth. You'll still have bits of date skin, but it should all be of blended consistency.

In a bowl, mix the hazelnut pulp, flax, cinnamon and sea salt. Add coconut oil, agave and mix well. Add enough date paste to get a sticky dough consistency - you should be able to form a ball.

Spread mixture into a rectangle on a square of parchment paper. Form a layer on this rectangle with the date/fig mixture. Using the parchment paper, roll the rectangle. It should be wide enough that it rolls once.

With a sharp knife, slice 1.5-2" segments.

almond cream
1 cup almonds, soaked 8 hours, well rinsed
3/4c water, as needed
1/4c dates
2T coconut oil
1/2tsp cargamon
1/2tsp nutmeg

Blend in a blender until smooth. You may need a little more or a little less water depending on your blender.

Spoon cream over roll, serve with a side of blueberries. The tartness of the berries goes incredibly well with the sweetness of the rolls.

Salad rolls and spicy thai peanut sauce

2009-07-07T20:52:00.001-04:00

When I first met my now husband, I was back in school for a post graduate certificate diploma thingie. Being the brilliant person I am, and being in the desperate situation I was in of hating my job and feeling increasingly trapped and depressed by it, I took the first out I could see: My friend had taken a program at Sheridan College and said I'd like it, so I quit my job and went back to school. Of course, I didn't feel a need to stop and think about the fact that I live in Toronto, a city with many colleges, and thus probably didn't need to choose one all the way in Oakville...But, like I said, I was desperate, am incredibly sketchy like that and thus didn't even consider the whole matter...that is until I realized I would be waking up every day at 5a.m. to get there by 8...And that, given this lovely commute, I wouldn't be home until the evening...at which point I'd only have a couple of hours before my 10:30 bedtime (necessary when you're getting up at 5 in the morning). As a result of this situation I had ended up in, food was more of a matter of necessity then a place for creativity and experimentation. All this to say that I ate a lot of salad. And by salad I mean green lettuce with some kidney beans and balsamic and olive oil (poured direct, not premixed in any sort of fancy ratio) thrown in there.

Now, I don't mean to knock this incredibly lazy man's "salad", it and I are good friends after all we've been through...But, my husband certainly knocks it. "It's not a SALAD if it's only one thing! What you're eating is just LETTUCE!" Details... Anyway, when we started eating together in those early days, he was not having any of it. So, a man who never made salad in his life before (heck, a man who'd never cooked before), he excelled in the art of it.

I also introduced him to other forms and possibilities of cooking - stir fries, curries, pasta. However, since my recent reinspiration within the culinary arts, he's gone back to helping out more on the prep side than the actual cooking side. He's still great at occasionally taking on the cooking - particularly when it becomes evident to him that I'm leaning toward a refreshing dish of "lettuce". In these times he goes to his brand of fancified salad or one other dish I introduced him to that he took a shining to like nothing I've ever seen. Surprising to me given the somewhat time consuming nature of the dish...A dish I've loved since my mom first made them, I am always quite happy that it's one he loves making: SALAD ROLLS!!!

To make
rice paper wrappers, large size, round
1/2 lime, juiced
cucumber (about 1/2 of one of the long ones), thickly julianned
lettuce
2 avocados, sliced lengthwise
1/2 brick of tofu, julianned
green beans
green onions, thinly sliced
sesame seeds (optional)
tomatoes (optional, he never puts them in but I think they're a nice addition on occasion)

In a pan, put the tofu and green beans with a bit of oil. Stirfry until the tofu is golden and a little crunchy on the outside and the green beans are tender, but still have some crunch to them. I find this is most successfully accomplished by putting in the tofu first and then about 5 or so minutes later putting in the beans.

Toss the avocados with the lime juice to prevent browning. Or, just squeeze the lime juice over all the sliced items.

Fill a pie pan, large bowl, or anything that will fit the rice paper wrapper easily, with hot water and set next to where you'll be making the actual rolls. You'll want the water to not be so hot that it's uncomfortable to put your hands in, but you'll want it to be pretty hot - it'll help make the wrappers rollable more quickly.

Assembling the rolls
Soak a wrapper in the hot water until it's soft. Put it on a plate and, close to the side nearest you, place the lettuce and then on it, an assortment of the other items except the sesame seeds. Sprinkly sesame seeds along the length of the fillings, if using. Roll the paper, bringing the sides in as you roll - like a tortilla!

You can make them all the same, or have different assortments of fillings in each.

It's helpful to have a separate plate nearby to put the finished rolls on.

Serve with the spicy thai peanut sauce and enjoy! If for some astounding reason you have leftovers, make sure you store in an airtight container, otherwise the wrapper gets all hard and gross and you have to rewrap it.

spicy thai peanut sauce
1/4c peanut butter (all natural, not the gross hydrogenated-icing-sugar-full kind)
1/8c water
1.5 tbsp tamari (or soya sauce if you can have gluten)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar (do yourself a favour an don't make the mistake of buying the seasoned one - ick.)
cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste

stir together until smooth and creamy.

raw chocolate chip cookie dough muffins

2009-06-28T15:27:00.003-04:00

The boy and I were supposed to go paddling today; spend the day on the lake and the likely to be uncrowded (given the strike, which has also stopped ferry service) islands. Instead, it rained. So today very quickly became a lazy Sunday. You know, the kind where when your phone rings you feel a bit indignant that someone would be so inconsiderate as to interrupt your doing nothing and want something of you. For me these days go hand in hand with something yummy to eat. Sadly I'm out of fruit, so smoothies were out of the question, and out of agave, so any easy chocolate yumminess was also a no go. And so were born these muffins, tasting deliciously like cookie dough.

to make
1/2c almonds
1/2c macadamia nuts
1/2c dates, pitted and packed
1/4tsp nutmeg
1/4tsp cardamon
1/4c raw cacao nibs

In a food processor pulse the cardamon, nutmeg, almonds and macadamia nuts until crumbly and well mixed. Put the dates in the processor and blend until well mixed and there's a doughy consistency, meaning the mixture is sticking together. Toss in the cacao nibs and pulse to mix well, but not pulverize.

Put liners in a muffin pan (or if you would like to serve without liners, use one repeatedly for a mold). Spoon mixture into liners and press down with your fingers or the spoon. Chill in the fridge for an hour or two before serving (this will help the mixture to better hold together).

Enjoy with a cold glass of nut milk.

sweet potato hash browns

2009-06-28T15:07:00.001-04:00

I discovered the possibility of making hash/stove top fries from a comment about them that a friend made nonchalantly. She mentioned them in passing on a Friday and I thought to myself, "my god, what a spectacular idea!" The next morning, I made a potato this way, gobbled it up marveling at its deliciousness, and promptly made another. This version uses sweet potatoes instead and adds a little extra flavour with the rosemary. Now I only used a 3" sprig and it most definitely was not enough. But my herb garden is young, and teh rosemary is having a particularly difficult time with the friendly grey neighbourhood bandits digging it up almost every other night; so I didn't want to stress it out by taking too much. I felt that 6" would be sufficient to flavour this dish nicely.

to make
1 sweet potato, sliced and chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/3 red onion (diametre ~4")
1 6" sprig rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne (to taste)

saute the onion and garlic in a frying pan with a bit of olive oil. When translucent, add the rosemary and toss for a bit. Then, add the sweet potatoes and cover to help cook. When they're soft, uncover and continue cooking until the outsides brown a bit. (While making mine I got distracted with cuddling a chunky banana slug calico and they ended up burning a bit...) Toss with the salt and cayenne, distributing the spices evenly.

Enjoy with scrambled tofu for a deliciously savoury breakfast.

how to survive a garbage strike!

2009-06-27T10:42:00.001-04:00

If you live in Toronto like I do, you're faced with a conveniently timed garbage strike! The mercury is a-rising and people are getting increasingly inconsiderate about the whole thing (from my apartment above yonge street, I can smell the lovely putridness of dog poop baking in the mid morning sun).

If you're faced with a garbage strike, and don't really relish the thought of filling our parks with your refuse, and don't want your place to be filled with rotting stinkiness, here are some tips to cut down on your overall waste:

Reduce! an oldie, but a goodie. This means using a multi-use bottle for your refreshing summer beverages instead of plastic bottles, skipping produce bags when grocery shopping where you can, buying food that doesn't come packaged in favour of unpackaged items - luckily now that it's summer and there are farmer's markets readily available, this is easier to do. This also means that when buying food at the store, only buy what you know you'll use. After a couple of experiences of half of my groceries going bad in the fridge, I quickly switched to just doing a mini shop every couple of days. Luckily we're in Toronto, where there's a grocers or market very close by, no matter where you live.
byo. Bring your own. If you're going for takeout, or want delivery, bring your own containers to be used! You'll likely get a litte bit extra food, and if you can't finish it all, it'll already be in a container for saving leftovers! If you're going shopping, bring your own bag. If you're like me and keep forgetting and ending up having to stuff everything into an already very abused purse, keep a handy foldable tote in your purse at all times! If you're having a party, go beyond the byob and make it a byoabc affair (bring your own alcohol/ beer and cup)!
reuse. Sometimes you just will end up with waste. Maybe you forgot to bring a bag when shopping and just didn't have room in your purse. Or maybe you didn't want to put that dripping lettuce bagless into your purse. Or you really wanted fresh olives from the olive bar or a container of spicy hummus or a jar of tomato sauce. Well, don't fret! Keep all your bags and next time you go grocery shopping, you'll have produce bags or shopping bags; or use them to bring potentially leaky containers to work for lunch. Rinse out and wash any leftover containers you have. These are tupperware gold! Use them to store leftovers or your own homemade sauces and nut butters. Reuse your newspaper to clean your windows and mirrors! OR really a exciting way to reuse is for the purpose of gardening!!! You could make your own pop bottle irrigation system, so that you can be lazy on really hot days and not have to fret about watering your plants; or make a mini green house from a plastic container; or use your daily metro fix to help seedlings grow!
make your own. This is linked to the reducing aspect. Instead of buying hummus or fries or nut butter or tomato sauce, make your own! Not only will it likely taste way better, you'll know exactly what's in it, and will be able to customize it exactly to your tastes!
good to the last drop. Do you have some bananas that are starting to brown, and you just can't eat them (because you're like me and only eat bananas when they're yellow with a green tinge)? Well, peel em and freeze em and then you can have deliciously creamy smoothies whenever you want, or make banana bread, a task grossly mushy bananas are particularly skilled at. Same goes with berries and most other fruits. When it comes to veggies, we often underestimate how much of them we can eat: Brocolli stalks, for instance, are delicious and tender when peeled and cooked. The green part of green onions are just as tasty as the white, sure less strong in onion-y flavour, but still good! Or, if you don't feel like peeling the stalks, toss them in the freezer, and when you have enough of such leftovers, use them to add flavour to the broth of your next soup! Also, for items that easily wilt or quickly become unappealing, such as spinach or easily rubbery'd or whitened carrots, don't underestimate the power of really cold water in refreshment and rejuvenation.
Rinse and repeat. There are going to be some things that you can't or may not want to reuse, such as cans or plastic bottles. Or you may just not want more containers and jars in your house. Just make sure you wash these containers out well before putting them in your recycling bags or bins. Also, crush them when possible to take up as little room as possible. Then, you'll be able to store your recycling, without it smelling, until pickup has resumed.
green your garden. One exciting possibility of a garbage strike, is the opportunity to create your own compost bin!!! This is easy to do and fun to watch and takes care of what's really the grossest part of our garbage sitting around for long periods of time. What's important to note though, is that your garden variety compost bin is not as lenient as the green bins you're probably used to. Unless you'd like to get to better know your friendly neighbourhood rats and racoons, leave the animal products (except egg shells) and any oil based food items away from your compost. Wondering what you're going to do with your compost? If you don't have a garden, give it to a green thumbed friend. Or just leave it in the bin, chances are you're not going to create too much of an overflow of black gold in one summer; it'll help your compost work more efficiently. Don't have any outdoor space? Try a vermicomposter! There are lots of resources for starting a compost bin and making your own bin. Here's the one I've made before that worked very nicely. As in my current place I have a bit more of a racoon issue than I did last time around, I'm going to set up a simple chicken wire cage type contraption around it. Here are some helpful tips for having a successful compost bin.

Well, here's wishing you a non-stinky summer! Hopefully other Torontonians will cease their jerkery and our parks and beaches will be able to remain beautiful.

There's some great ideas for repurosing items for your garden over at instructables.

More raw hazelnut goodness

2009-06-23T21:52:00.001-04:00

Here are some other delicious hazelnutty goods I made as well...

I really like making nut butters. I think it's just the coolest thing ever. The first one I made was macadamian nut butter and oh my god was it a dream. Not only did it butterize super fast, but it was wonderfully naturally sweet and overall insanely delicious. I bragged about it nonstop even though the boy so kindly reminded me that I didn't actually do anything, as I hadn't added anything to it at all. Details.

Hazelnuts I've found are a bit more bitter than the macadamian nuts were or something. Well, not bitter, but not naturally sweet in any way. That said, the hazelnut butter before I added anything else to it was still quite nice, so you might want to try it with just the hazelnuts, or with the hazelnuts and a bit of coconut oil for a creamier butter. But, if you want to be fancy like me:

chocolate hazelnut butter (wow, I've gotten so creative with my names...)
1c hazenuts
1 tbsp agave
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
pinch sea salt (optional. Meaning I didn't add any but I hear you're supposed to?)

in a food processor, blend (process? what's the right word here?) the hazelnuts until smooth. It took a long time, so I took a blending break every once in a while to scrap down the sides and scrap up the butter that was forming on the bottom.

part butter, part hazelnut meal, part MAN! Well, not really that last bit, but it just flowed so nicely...

I also didn't want it to get too hot in order to keep it raw, so breaks were good. We have this awesome laser temperature reader that I love to use while uncooking, and that I'm pretty sure the boy is regretting introducing me to for that reason, and I checked the temperature when it had all become butter, which I felt was probably the hottest point, and it was 101-102F (Funny, I've always been a centigrade girl until I got into the whole raw thing. Also funny is how I can only do sewing measurements in non metric and have a lot of trouble getting my head around metric, but I can only do distances and speeds in metric...)

After it was butterized, I added in the rest of the ingredients and processed till well mixed. You might want to add in the coconut oil near the beginning to help it get going faster.

Sadly, as I don't eat bread I have a lot of trouble figuring out what to do with my delicious and delectable nut butters. The macadamian one I ended up giving to my parents, who loved it. I plan to give some to my father in law as well. I'm sort of trying to get back into rice cakes for the sole purpose of eating nut butters, but the attempt isn't even really at the halfhearted level as of yet... I like the idea of eating them on a banana...But I'm not quite there yet either, as knowing my bananas will surely go bad before I'm in the mood for them, I try to freeze them almost immediately upon purchase.

So what I ended up coming upon as like the bestest idea ever in all times was the following!!

Hazelnut Buttercup Milkshake

1 c hazelnut milk
3 tbsp chocolate hazelnut butter
1.5 frozen banana

blend until creamy smooth. ENJOY!!! You most definitely will. It's all nice and creamy like a milkshake, but also doubles as a nutritious snack, breakfast or dessert!

Hazelnut milk

2009-06-22T22:51:00.002-04:00

After my success with almond milk, I was poised to try the same thing with some hazelnuts. I used a little less water, as I felt the almond milk was a tad watery.

I'm somewhat ok with the cheesecloth method, but I do find it difficult to clean. After scraping as much nut pulp as I can into a container for later use, I shake it out, then soak it in hot water and rinse it. Still, there are little bits of nuts clearly stuck to it. I figure it's dry, so it's not an issue? But, I'm thinking that that's not the best attitude to have longterm. Friday I had the day off and my friend and I went on a veritable hunt for a nut milk bag. He uses the sewed up shirt sleeve of a button up shirt to strain his milk. I think that that's an awesome idea and absolutely great with regards to reducing our consumption. Well, I think that in theory. In practice, I just can't do it. I just don't like the idea; I honestly don't know why, particularly given that I'm ok with dried up nut bits! But also, to justify my irrational aversion somewhat, I just don't feel the drainage would be as spectacular as it could be or as I wanted it to be. Well we hit up every store on in the kensington area and some on Spadina as well; no luck. He kept trying to sell me on just using the random cloth bags we'd occassionally see; I also could not - or perhaps would not - be sold on that idea. So the hunt continues! Until then I feel more or less fine with the cheesecloth method...

hazelnut milk
1c hazelnuts
3.5c water

soak hazelnuts for 6-8 hours (I left them soaking in the fridge to be safe, given the issues encountered last time). Rinse well and blend with water. Leave sitting in blender for 5-10 minutes, then strain through cheesecloth that's layered over a mesh strainer (or, in a nut bag if you're lucky enough to find one), squeezing as much liquid as you can out of it. Now, this would've tasted great with the spice mix I had used for the almond milk, but honestly it was so nice and hazelnutty that I felt wrong adding anything into it! So, I left it au natural.

I used the pulp immediately to make these. Can I say holy crap! My god were they amazing!!! Well, are amazing, as miracuously I have not yet polished them off. I didn't add nuts as the pulp was pretty chunky, didn't add the cayenne pepper as the thought weirded me out a bit (I know, I know, I'm surprisingly picky and unadventurous for someone who's favourite food is nutritional yeast...), didn't add the raisins as I had none (just used more dates instead), used coconut oil instead of olive and had no icing (although a cashew cream spiced with cardamon would be insanely divine). Omg omg omg they tasted just like cinnamon rolls, this person is a genious!

coconut pineapple ice cream/creamsicles

2009-06-21T11:15:00.001-04:00

I had leftover coconut milk from the coconut chickpea curry I made the other day that I didn't want to go to waste. I also have a lot of pineapple in the house that I'm trying to use up, and delicious as it is, you can only eat so much. So, I tried to make a creamsicle type of thing. I got impatient about an hour in and just ate one of them as ice cream. I waited a couple hours longer before trying another. And this is when I kinda realized that maybe it's a bit more suited as an ice cream recipe than one that requires a popsicle mould - all my popsicle sticks were far too easily pulled out, leaving the actual coconut pineapple yummyness in the mould! Of course, this could be due to the short stick nature of the mould I have...Quite nice and creamy all the same. Could be nice with a bit of agave mixed in for more sweetness; though I found it nicely naturally sweet.

This photo is of the premature taste test. When it freezes more, it's not all melty; but, this is the texture it resumes when it starts to thaw a bit.

to make
1.5 frozen bananas
3/4c all purpose cashew cream
1/2 can coconut milk, chilled
1c chopped pineapple

I would recommend slicing the bananas before you freeze them, and then freezing on a cookie sheet before putting them all together in a container. This will make any recipe requiring frozen bananas much more convenient. Personally I'm lazy, so I just break them in half and toss them all together into a container and then curse myself everytime I need to use them. Still works out nicely, but the whole blending process is always easier if there are little pieces, rather than giant bananas in there. At a couple of points in making this recipe I had to stop processing, open up the food processor and stab at the big banana pieces to try and break them up more. But hey, worked out nicely in the end so woohoo to the universe positivey reinforcing my laziness!

Anyway, toss everything but the pineapple in a food processor. Blend until smooth and no chunks are left. Throw in the pineapple and either mix by hand or do quick and short puses on the food processor to mix (not pulverize). Spoon into the popsicle moulds, or a loaf pan, or a silicone muffin pan (!) or any other container. Freeze (awesomely this doesn't need an ice cream maker to keep it creamy). Enjoy!

note: I haven't yet let it freeze for an extended period of time (like over the course of a couple of days), so am not yet sure if the texture would change in that time period. If mine last that long (they're really yummy, and I've already eaten two of the six so...), I'll let you know how it goes!

all purpose cashew cream
1c cashews, soaked over night, rinsed well
lemon juice (optional)
water, as needed

In a blender, blend the cashews with water to get the consistency you desire. This consistency depends on what you would like to make with it. You can get a thin cream, for soups or dessert/fruit toppings or cesar salad dressing, or a thicker cream - also for dessert/fruit toppings, but thicker ones, or for sour cream for tortillas...possibilities are limitless. I used a thick cream for the above recipe, particularly due to the liquid from the coconut milk, and because it was leftover sour cream from the night before. Use lemon juice to taste - since it was sour cream, I wanted it sour so used like 2 tbsp lemon juice, but you might want less, particularly if it's dessert topping cream. You can also add spices, like cinnamon, cardammon and nutmeg, when using it for desserts or fruits.

update!! I let it freeze longer, and they came out as popsicles!! and were stil creamy!!! very happy about this! Will do an overnight freeze as well to see the longterm effects of the freeze!

update!! three ways to enjoy coconut pineapple ice cream/creamsicles:

way to enjoy, option 1: as an ice pop

as an ice pop: let the creamsicle freeze for a long period of time, it'll become a yummy popsicle. Pieces are bitten off easily and are light and creamy when chewed.
as yummy ice cream: or, for the more patient, you can let the ice cream thaw for a while before enjoying. As it gets a bit melty, the creaminess of the coconut milk and cashew cream really comes out.
as a refreshing smoothie: Put frozen into a blender, adding nut milk as needed to create a creamy, delicious treat for hot summer days.