When You Have to Improvise

I had to share this comic, not only because I love it and that it comes from one of my all-time favourite websites, My Modern Met but it's sometimes how I feel in a crowd of meat-eaters.

You know you're busy when you just manage to pull a meal together using only 5 main ingredients: quinoa, kale, Zucchini, onions, and dragon sauce.  I did a little, using what I had in the fridge and making more dragon sauce.  I had to especially get creative when I knew Mike would be joining me for dinner and he so tells me 'I want to eat healthy too, like I was with you when we first started dating.'

So I cooked up some Quinoa, sauteed some onions in olive oil, added the torn up kale pieces, chopped up zucchini and a dash of garlic powder and sea salt for taste.

Once cooked just enough (so that the kale starts to shrivel) I topped off the quinoa with it and added the dragon sauce.  Personally I loved it ... Mike seemed to and he said he liked it but I hinted a bit of hesitation in his voice.  Good man, he ate it all anyway.

BIG Zucchini Many Ways

A couple of weeks ago a dragon boat teammate of mine, who grows and sells his own produce to fundraise for his many causes, sold me a massive and beautiful 15-inch zucchini! Yes, 15-inches ladies, I measured it.

It lasted me the two weeks and it tasted amazing in every meal.  Here are a few things I made ...

Zucchini Slaw
Original recipe from Taste of Home

2 medium zucchini, coarsely shredded and squeezed dry (in my case I cut about a 1/4 off the massive zucchini I had)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 cup coarsely shredded carrots
3 Tbsp reduced-fat or vegan mayonnaise
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
Dash cayenne pepper (to add some spicy)

In a bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Yield: 4 servings.


Chocolate Zucchini Banana loaf
Original recipe from Taste of Home

2 eggs
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup canola oil
1 medium ripe banana, mashed (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup gluten-free flour mix
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4- 1/2 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini

In a bowl, beat eggs. Blend in sugar and oil. Add banana and mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; stir into egg mixture. Stir in zucchini just until combined.

Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 1 loaf


Other meals I managed to squeeze out of the 15-inch zucchini ...

Vegan Lunch: Zucchini Pizzas (ingredients include: zucchini, salsa, mushrooms, cheddar rice cheese and spices)

Zucchini Mushroom stir fry (ingredients include: zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, whole wheat pasta, BBQ sauce and cayenne pepper)

Raw Dinner Delights!

Made this fabulous dinner for friend and myself last weekend - we both loved it! Still can't believe the whole thing is raw and it tastes amazing.  Thank goodness for almond butter!

Raw Pad Thai with Almond Sauce
(Original recipe from The Raw Gourment by Nomi Shannon)

Serves 8 to 10 (I made about half the recipe and it still lasted me for 3 days!)

Noodles
- 4 large zucchini
- 2 large carrots
- 1/2 cup coarsley chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts

Peel the zucchini, then shave the flesh into thick strips with a vegetable peeler.  Cut the carrots into thin matchsticks with either a mandoline or a sharp knife.  Combine the zucchini, carrots, cilantro, and bean sprouts in a bowl and toss together gently.

Pad Thai Almond Sauce
- 2 cups raw almond butter
- 2 oranges, juiced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 pitted soft dates
- 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp crushed dried chiles (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. If necessary, add small amounts of water to facilitate blending.  The sauce should be thick.  Add the sauce to the noodle salad and mix well.

Garnish
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 4 tbsp chopped thai basil leaves
- 10 to 12 wedges of fresh lime
- 8 raw almonds, chopped

Sprinkle the green onions, basil, lime wedges, and almonds over the salad just before serving.

Note: When I put my salad together I kind of just placed everything together, scooped some of the sauce to each place and let the person mix it together for themselves.

Enjoy!

Raw Strawberry Pie
(Original recipe from The Raw Gourment by Nomi Shannon)

Basic Almond-Maple Crust
- 1-2 cups almonds, soaked 8-12 hours
- 3-4 tsp maple syrup (I actually used agave nectar)

After draining the almonds, dry them for 30-60 minutes in the sun or simply with a clean towel.  In a food processor, chop the almonds until they are uniformly very fine.  Gradually add the syrup, using just enough for the almond meal to hold together.  Sprinkle the mixture into a 8- or 9-inch pie pan and then gently press it into the bottom and up the sides.  Makes 1 pie.

Strawberry Filling

- 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Binder
- 6 pitted dates, soaked 4-8 hours (reserve soak water (I actually used 10 dried dates, soaked)
- 2 cups quartered strawberries
- Maple syrup or agave nectar to taste (optional)
- 4 tsp psyllium (I didn't this ingredient, now thinking I really should have!)

In a blender, comine the strawberries with the dates and enough of the date soak water to achieve a thck purée.  Taste and add sweetner, if required.  While the blender is still running, gradually add the psyllium.  When the mixture is very thick and smooth, immediately pour it over the strawberries in the crust, being sure to cover all areas of the pie.  Using a spatula, smooth the binder around and into the berries.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

I added fresh strawberry slices to the top of my pie for a decorative touch.

mmm ... strawberry pie!

Beach Brunch on a Great Friday!

It's a lovely day for an Easter/Beach Brunch with friends.  I'm heading out today with my pup Scarlet to meet friends at the beach, have some good food and perhaps play some beach volleyball.  I made these beauties, which are also sugar free - gluten-free Zucchini and soya feta muffins...mmmm, savoury!

The original receipe can be found in 500 cupcakes on page 74.  I substituted the flour with gluten-free flour and the feta with soya feta; granted it doesn't have the same lovely texture as regular feta but it does the trick!

Please visit: i Bake Cupcakes for the cupcakes I made for our brunch!