Cool Weather Comfort

Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup

3 small onions, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
3 small potatoes, cubed
4-5 large carrots, chopped
3.5 tsp ground ginger (or 2 inches of grated fresh ginger)
1.5 cups vegetable stock
1.5 cups coconut milk
1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
1/2 tsp ground pepper to taste

1. In a medium to large soup pot, on medium heat, sauté onions in the olive oil until translucent.

2. Add the potatoes, carrots and ginger and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.  Stir constantly to avoid sticking.

3. Add the vegetable stock, coconut milk, salt, and pepper, stirring all together well.

4. With a hand blender or food processor, blend all or half the batch at a time until smooth.  Be very careful when blending hot liquids!

5. Return to pot, reheat, and serve with green onion garnish.

Makes about 8 servings.

This soup was amazing! Both my partner and I loved and devoured it.  You can also make this soup with other vegetable options like sweet potato, broccoli, beets, corn, etc.  which I am hoping to do myself this season.

Cheers!

What's in Your Grocery Basket?

Becoming a vegan can be a challenging lifestyle change for many, myself included. It took me about 5 years to make the full transition from carnivore to vegetarian, then back to eating fish/white meat, and then back to vegetarian, and finally vegan.

One of the biggest challenges I faced, and one I think many people face when trying to become vegan is what to eat? Or really, what is available out there for vegans to eat?

For many new vegans, the wide-variety of foods actually available to them may seem strange, be brand new or very unfamiliar. Tempeh anyone? How about chia seeds, quinoa, agave nectar or almond milk?

Not familiar with these items? Well I am here to help you with your shopping list.  At least, I'm here to share with you what typically goes on mine.  So let's begin:


Vegetables!

photo source: Low Body Fat

Yes, vegetables.  You're vegan, so please eat vegetables and lots of them! Seriously though, you can eat all of them and as much of a variety of them as you like.  When I was a carnivore I never ate half the amount of vegetables I discovered as a vegan.  I was really missing out.

Experiment a little and try everything out there at least once.  And to help get you started, here's a fantastic list of all kinds of vegetables and plants you can enjoy!



Fruit

photo source: The Mary Sue

Fruit, to me, is mostly to be enjoyed in the Summer months.  I don't eat much fruit in the Fall/Winter simply because I live in Toronto and the Winter's here are very cold,. So that's when I like to enjoy my warm comfort foods like soups, chili and roasted vegetables.

However, I do love apples and because they keep well for many weeks (or months) at a time, I like to keep them in my grocery basket.

My advice however, if you do live in warmer climates, is to eat fruit (and lots of it!). And enjoy it, you bastards. So jealous!

How do you milk those almonds?(And other non-dairy dairy items)

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The answer: you don't.  But you do rinse, soak, grind, and strain them with water and natural sweeteners to make your own almond milk. Or you can just buy it in a carton, like I do.  Almond Breeze by Blue Diamond is a pretty common brand you will find in most grocery stores these days.  I personally like to buy Pacific Natural Foods Almond milk when I can.

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Can't give up cheese? Rice Vegan cheese by Galaxy Nutritional Foods might do the trick ... that is, trick your mind into thinking you're eating cheese.

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However, my personal favourite vegan cheese brand is daiya, simply because it's super delicious and it melts! Yes, nachos are back in play!

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If you're a fan of morning yogurt with granola and fruit, try soyogurt instead. It's dairy-free but still packed with protein.

Mains and Grains

photo source: Recipes for Rice

A perfect starter grain for nearly every dish or for just a quick meal is rice, preferably organic brown rice.  And if you are really up to the challenge, mix some wild rice into your brown rice for added protein.

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Ezekiel bread, by Food for Life, is a common staple among many vegans/vegetarians.  This naturally sprouted whole grain bread is hearty, healthier and tastier then regular bread.

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For something more filling, try Amy's California Veggie Burgers.  Did I forget to also mention, delicious! Amy's brand is a great one, because they have many great organic products.

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Can't forget the most important meal of the day. Besides enjoying options like oatmeal, fruit or toast with almond butter, another favourite of mine is cereal.  A brand I like to buy is Nature's Path, they have a lot of great organic products to choose from, including kid-friendly snacks.

photo source: Fully Nourished by Marni Wasserman

Another wonderful addition to breakfast is Chia Goodness. Just add water or add two tablespoons to oatmeal for added nutrients and protein.

photo source: wikipedia

Tempeh.  So what is it? In simplest terms, tempeh is made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans then  formed into a patty.  It cooks similarly to tofu in that it absorbs flavours easily and makes great burger patties.  A good brand to look out for is Henry's Gourmet Tempeh.

When just a snack will do ...

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One of my favourite salty, savoury snacks is riceworks rice chips - in particular, sweet chili flavour is the best.

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Another great healthy, savoury snack is Mary's Organic Crackers.  And the best part? They are gluten free!  They taste great with vegan cheese or homemade hummus.

(As a treat, here's my own personal recipe that I often like to make)

Homemade hummus

• 1-1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup of lemon or lime juice
• 1/4 cup of water (or less) depending on desired consistency
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• Sea salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until creamy and smooth.  Add as much water as you like depending on your desired consistency.

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Need a mid-day break, try a sweet, healthy snack bar like LARABAR.  Everything about these bars are wonderful because they are vegan, gluten-free and made raw with all natural and organic ingredients.


Websites with recipes to help get you get started:

A big part of being vegan is cooking your own meals because, let's face it, it's the healthiest way to be.  You  will always know what goes into your food and you will have a bigger appreciation for it too. Here are just a few websites to get you started on recipe ideas ...

• Fat Free Vegan Blog - my favourite place to find recipes, a blog by Susan Voisin
• Vegangela - a blog that includes some healthy recipe ideas
• Finding Vegan -  this is a great blog that showcases vegan recipes from many other blogs or sites.

For more information about Vegan nutrition visit: Boston Vegan Association or The Vegan Society


Just in case you're still not convinced that, as a vegan, you have so many food options to choose from, here's a pie chart:

Happy Shopping!

Pancake Sunday! Apple Pie Protein Pancakes

Every Sunday will now be Pancake Sunday! With every week a new pancake recipe ... hmm, let's see how long that will last.  But I do love pancakes.  Today's recipe: Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes made sugar free and with spelt flour and protein powder.

Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes

3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup roll oat flakes
1 scoop of organic raw rice protein powder (any brand will do)
1/2 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup almond milk
1/2 large apple, grated

In a medium size bowl mix together the flour, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until well combined.

Add the grated apple and mix well before adding the almond milk.  Mix until all combined well but do not over mix.

Portion batter onto a hot non-stick pan (I used organic coconut oil for cooking).

Let sit on medium-high heat until the center starts to bubble. With a spatula, flip over to the other side and cook further for about 1-2 minutes or until desired crispiness.

Repeat process until batter is gone.  Makes about 6 medium-size pancakes.

Serve with fresh apple slices and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Happy Sunday!

Chili for When It's Chilly

It seems at least once every Fall/Winter I find a great new chili recipe to make and fall in love with.  This year, its a spicy vegan three bean chili ... (revised to be healthy and vegan)


1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cans (each about 15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with herbs, undrained
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (16 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup organic vegetable broth
1-2 tsp chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/3 cup shredded Daiya vegan cheese (optional)
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (for garnish)

1. In a large saucepan saute the peppers, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin and cayenne.

2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.

3. With the pot partially covered, simmer for 10 more minutes.

4. Garnish each serving with 2 teaspoons each of cheese and green onions.

Makes about 8 servings

Zombies are the New Vampires ...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Trick or ... Treats! Good Eats for Halloween

Planning a Halloween party means planning a very wicked food menu.  But with so many creative and fun ideas out there, how does one choose ...

A dark, sophisticated feast for plenty, from Martha Stewart, delicious display or dark treats.

 A very healthy, very Halloween party platter idea: carrots, cucumber and dip shaped like a pumpkin.

Another fantastic healthy platter idea and one of my favourites, 'Mummy' dip and 'graveyard grass' veggies.

Another Martha Stewart delight, critter pita cutouts and guacamole.

And something sweet and delightfully Fall - candied apples ... and these look amazing!

 A little 'swamp' water to wash it all down.  Yum!

There is Enough for Everyones Need but NOT for everyones Greed

Just Call it Loaf and Don't Forget the Pie

As mentioned in an earlier post, I have never really been a fan of pumpkin, well anything, especially pumpkin pie! That is, until now.  I took my own challenge and made this vegan version, a Double-layer Pumpkin Cheesecake.  Okay, so it technically isn't pie but close enough.  And it was so delicious that I just might make it a yearly tradition.

I also decided to make the Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf that I suggested a few days ago on my blog.  It was delicious, nutritious and I can't wait to make again for dinner any day of the week.  I highly recommend it to anybody to try especially aspiring vegetarians or vegans, if you miss meat, it's a great way to fake it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks without Turkey?

Photo source: Eco-officegals

Thanksgiving, a time for giving thanks and being grateful for all we have, is (as well all know) celebrated around a big meal with family and friends. For many vegans, including myself, thanksgiving dinner can be a frustrating meal especially when you are sharing it with those close to you, most of which who are not vegan.

In past years I would bring a couple side dishes, usually plant-based or maybe a rice dish, but it was never the same as enjoying everything available at the dinner table.   However, I do believe one can still enjoy and celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with loved ones without having to sacrifice a turkey or any other animal product for that matter.

To help give me a few ideas of what I could make this year in contribution to Thanksgiving dinner I did some research on-line and found a few very delicious recipes, most of which come from one of my all-time favourite food blogs: Fat Free Vegan.

So if turkey is not on the menu for you this year, why not try Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf instead or Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild Rice Timbales (this, I just might have to make). Other "traditional" Thanksgiving dish alternatives include Green Onion Mashed potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole, Vegan Bread Stuffing, Cranberry Kale Salad, and finally, we can't forget, the pie.  In this case, a Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake.

I personally have never been a fan of pumpkin pie but this year, I think I might try making this one. Yum!

Chocolate Strawberry Pancakes, Smile

A lovely Sunday brunch recipe you can try this weekend, hurray, while you can still get strawberries or raspberries ... or wait, are they still in season in Ontario.

Either way, you can still make this very yummy pancake brunch using any of your favourite in season fruits.  I found this recipe online when I needed something, quick, easy, and vegan and something that my 13 year-old niece would like.  So I took the recipe and added fruit and chocolate, because everything tastes better with chocolate.

A smiley face pancake for my niece, which, well, actually looks kind of creepy but the good intention was there! LOL

These pancakes were delicious and a nice treat that I wouldn't suggest to eating everyday but once in a  while it's nice to treat yourself and/or your family.


Chocolate Strawberry Pancakes
See the original recipe here.

• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 tbsp organic cane sugar
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup soy milk
• 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until well mixed.

2. Mix in the soy milk and oil and beat together until batter is smooth.

3. Fold in the strawberries and chocolate chips until just combined.

4. Drop about a 1/4 cup of batter at a time onto a hot oiled griddle or well greased frying pan over medium high heat.

5. When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake, approximately 2-3 minutes, flip, and cook the other side for a few more minutes.

Enjoy! 

Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Vegan Cookies!

I made these marvelous cookies a couple of timesin the last month and definitely plan on making them again this month because they were so darn delicious! Rave reviews from everyone who tried one, can't argue with that.  They are so absolutely ooey, gooey, good!


Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies
Original recipe from Veganbaking.net


2 tbsp golden flax meal
3 tbsp water
2 1/4 cup cupsall-purpose flour
3/4 tsp bakingsoda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup + 2tbsp vegan butter, room temperature 
1.5 cup organic cane sugar
2 tsp vanillaextract
1 cupsemi-sweet vegan chocolate chips

1. Preheatyour oven to 350F. In a small bowl whisk together the flax meal and thewater. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes so the mixture thickens. Line two cookiesheets with parchment paper.

2. Ina medium mixing bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda,cinnamon and salt until well incorporated. Set aside.

3. Inanother medium mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until well mixed. Beat inthe flax meal mixture from step 1 followed by the molasses and vanilla extract.

4. Addthe flour mixture from Step 2 and mix until just incorporated. Stir in thechocolate chips.

5. Using an ice cream scoop (to help make each cookie serving even) scoop out some dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

6. Bake for about 10-12 minutes (maximum).  Cookies will be soft and chewy, delicious!  Allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Having Fun with your Food

What to feed young picky eaters? Why their favourite foods of course but try a more fun, creative way to spruce up lunch or dinner for the kids.  This past weekend my niece stayed over and I had an opportunity to get creative with her lunch ... not to say I wouldn't do this for myself or my boyfriend but it's nice to have a kid around to entertain.

This idea was inspired by the many Bento box lunch photos I've seen on the web.  I kept mine very simple for my first try but some of them get so very elaborate and creative, almost too creative to eat, no?

Try using a cute flower cookie cutter to cut out your vegetable bit size pieces.  Here I cut out the zucchini this way. Metal cookie cutters would work well for carrots and peppers.  Cucumber would also be simple to cut into cute shapes.

The rolls are almond butter and organic berry jam, rolled up to make sushi-like sandwich rolls. To make them simple take a slice of bread (here I use whole wheat), cut off the crusts and roll out flat and as thin as possible with a rolling pin.  I used healthy, organic bread but I imagine white bread would work better for this because it is spongier.

Spread the almond butter and jam over one of the bread (you can mix it up on one side) and then, starting on one side of the bread, begin to roll it into a long bread roll.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.  Yum!

Simply, Cool Cucumber with Sweet Tomatoes and Rice

Fresh Golden Mini Tomatoes from my garden

Just over a week in our new apartment and Mike and I have managed to enjoy home-made barbecued meals just about every night!  I was just happy to have him do most of the cooking while I sat back and enjoyed our lovely new deck. Two nights ago however, not feeling my best (actually feeling sick as as a dog) I couldn't bare to face the BBQ or the outdoors for that matter.

So, I took it easy and made something simple and just as delicious with fresh ingredients our my container garden and my father's garden. What I made, I share with you now:

Tomatoes from my garden and cucumbers from my Father's garden with Rice

Brown Rice, Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Makes about 8 regular servings.

Ingredients
* 1-1.5 cups of cooked brown basmati and wild rice
* 1 large cucumber, chopped into cubes
* 1 cup of golden mini tomatoes, sliced in half
* 2-3 tbsp of Asian Sesame dressing (or any dressing of your choice)
* Salt and pepper to taste (I went very easy on both)

Mix all ingredients together well, and enjoy!

The Thing About Vegan Burgers is ...

Vegan burgers don't generally hold together very well while eating them.  Especially since there is no egg, which works well as a binding agent, it can be tough to find or make a good vegan burger that doesn't crumble when you eat it!  My black bean burger were a good exception, I had finally found a recipe that makes tasty burgers that don't completely fall apart.

Normally I like to try and make my own vegan burgers but in cases when I can not, I like to eat Yves Garden Vegetable Patties., which are not only delicious but don't fall apart.

Another vegan burger eating solution: eat them in pieces and not in a bread bun. I cut the burger into quarters and enjoyed it with dragon sauce over a salad of greens, red cabbage and carrots on top of steamed jasmine rice.

Vegan and Thriving

When changing one's eating habits, in the beginning, buying a variety of new cook books can but exciting but a bit overwhelming.  Especially when you have so many that before you realize it you are barely using them.

For this reason I try to keep most of my recipes online but I keep a core of vegan cook books that I always go back to.  One of these books is Brendan Brazier's The Thrive Diet.

I often get caught up using just one or two books or just a handful of the same recipes that I have to remind myself to go back and explore the recipes already sitting on my shelf, including some old favourites.  Like this simple, yet so delicious yam (or sweet potato) oven fries recipe (p. 243, The Thrive Diet):
 

Garlic Oregano Yam Oven Fries
 Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients
2 medium yams, chopped into wedges or sticks
2 cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped
2 tbsp coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1.5 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tbsp basil
Sea salt to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 300F. Toss everything together in a bowl, mixing well to coat all the wedges, using your hands directly in the bowl works best.  Spread the yams evenly on a non-stick cooking sheet (or use parchment paper) and bake for about 35 minutes.  Cook them for another 5-10 minutes if you prefer them crispy.

Add some organic ketchup or BBQ sauce and enjoy!

Another Beautiful Day at the Market

I have tried very hard to make visiting the Farmer's Market a weekly tradition, usually occurring on weekends and almost always on Saturdays.  However, many busy weekends full of festivals, events and family and friend gatherings has kept me away from the market for some weekends - not that I am complaining - but it was wonderful treat to spend a long morning at the Brickworks Farmer's Market today.

Traditionally, I like to eat breakfast at the market - a baked good and/or a sandwich with a coffee but with my challenging diet choices (vegan, gluten-free, organic, etc.) it can sometimes be difficult to find something I can eat at the market.  Though, with everything being so fresh, local and organic it can be difficult to resist some of the fine non-vegan food available.

Today, however, I lucked out! I stopped by Hearty Catering's table and was happy to purchase a vegan and gluten-free fresh burrito! A little pricier then I like to spend on breakfast but well work it.  It was filling, flavourful and delicious.

My next and quite possibly most favourite stops at the market was Alli’s Fresh Baked Goods table (find her and her happy hubby at 1738 St. Clair West). Available are some of the best fresh baked breads, including gluten-free and vegan options but she is really best known for her cinnamon buns!


There I enjoyed a vegan/gluten-free brownie but I usually love to buy her nature cookies, hearty, healthy and yummy!

Ms. Scarlet had a marvelous time as well.  She not only got a 2-hour walk/run in but had the opportunity to scour the market grounds for food.  That is one happy puppy!