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Recipes
Springtime Salad from [in the oven]
This recipe is a result of growing up with an abundance of fresh vegetables courtesy of my granddad. Watercress, asparagus and jersey royal new potatoes are all in season right now and I’m missing out. Tempting as it is to take a trip back to the UK to get my hands on some homegrown goodness this delicious salad will have to do for now.
Salsa Sam, Let’s Make a Meal!
Last night I was doing my nightly Instagram creeping when I came across the profile of Joel Rosa (@JDABIG1) a vegan firefighter/paramedic from Maryland who’s also big into crossfit and did I mention, a total hottie? Joel’s instagram was filled with all kinds of plant-based food porn – and more specifically, great meal ideas for vegan athletes and bodybuilders.
This one in particular he titled the “Perfect Pick Me Up” but since it’s very much a salsa-based meal and I’m of course Salsa Sam and this is MY post, I’ve cleverly renamed it “Salsa Sam, Let’s Make a Meal.”
Vegan Bodybuilding Recipe: Greek-Style Roasted Asparagus
Recipe from “Salsa Sam” Shorkey
With the nice summer weather upon us, I would love to be sharing a fresh, new salsa recipe but alas, I am just one month away from competing in my first-ever bodybuilding competition so as you can imagine, my diet SUCKS and even something as healthy as salsa is unfortunately not allowed on this strict, boring diet plan. (more…)
Cauliflower Mashup, Griddled Tofu and Greens from [in the oven]
Wanted to try something new and we were craving cauliflower and it led to this. It’s seriously good, we’re already planning when we’re going to make this dish again. Rosemary, juniper, sumac, fennel, garlic…mmm tempted yet? It has three main components, but with a bit of multitasking it shouldn’t take longer then 40 minutes to put together. Give it a good read through and you’ll be set! It’s well worth it.
Dandelion Greens and Wild Rice Salad
Dandelion Greens and Wild Rice Salad
Spring is a time for cleansing. It’s also a great time to get in touch with your senses. Dandelion greens not only have strong cleansing properties, but they also have a unique bitter taste, which can be enjoyed naturally, without a lot of sauces or condiments.
Allowing your tastebuds to become tuned in to the subtle flavours of natural foods is one of the best ways to make eating vegetables more enjoyable and less of a chore.
Smoky Walnut Lentil Loaf
Vegan Smoky Walnut Lentil Loaf
The ‘lentil walnut loaf’ I saw at the deli last week looked less than awesome. And it had margarine in it. As if! So I set about creating my own version – free of hydrogenated fats – and much more packed with nutrition.
Vegan Salad Tips – Grate it up!
One of the most challenging aspects of transitioning to a healthier diet is learning how to incorporate actual vegetables into your meals. It’s important to note that fresh vegetables should be a staple in a vegan diet – in any diet, ideally – and that transitioning to a vegan diet shouldn’t just exclude foods with animal products, but should include lots of plants. It’s sound, simple advice, but can be tough to follow!
Here at The Vegan Project, we aim to provide you with tips to make vegetables an easy addition to your day to day meal plan.
Coconut Flax Cookies – Dehydrated!
I’ve been meaning to make sweet vegan treats in my dehydrator some time, and this recipe was a surprising success for a first – time trial.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles
Lately, I’ve had a hankering for chocolate, and since I just bought some chocolate hemp powder, I thought I’d try using it to make some vegan truffles. I have also been on a peanut butter kick lately, so why not throw some of that good stuff in there, too? Oh god… I can’t stop eating them!!
Cinnamon Rolls (2 ways) from [in the oven] baking!
Hey guys, so we realized we’ve been sharing meal time recipe ideas for weeks now but no desserts! I mean, here we are claiming to be decent vegan bakers and haven’t shared a single recipe. Awkward!
Creamy Goddess Salad Dressing
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: One of the best ways to make eating more vegetables convenient and tasty is to smother them with a delicious and nutritious vegan sauce or dressing. This creamy concoction is guilt free (packed with nutrition), animal free (duh), and … well, certainly less expensive than conventional store-bought dressings.
Vega’s Chef takes on Cream of Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup
We had the privilege of trying this decadent Cream of Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup at the Vega Headquarters last week courtesy of their in house chef, Morgan Shupe. It was the perfect accompaniment to our big salads from the salad bar: lettuce, spinach, kale, quinoa, sprouts, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, chickpeas, and drizzled with Vega Antioxidant EFA Oil Blend - oh my!
Coconut Lime Curry Chickpea Stir-Fry from Thrive Fitness
Made this Coconut Lime Curry Chickpea Stir-Fry from Thrive Fitness last night and it was delish! Once all the veggies were cut, it was just a matter of a few minutes in the pan, serve over quinoa and voila! (more…)
Ultimate Baked Bean from [in the oven] bakery!
The secret ingredient in this Ultimate Baked Beans recipe is fermented [aka black] garlic. We’d never used it before. So when in doubt google it, right? We discovered that the black color is created when the sugar and amino acids in garlic are fermented as they create melanoidin.
Okra Stew
This is a recipe that was inspired by my (Erica) time spent in Greece. Last summer I spent a couple weeks island hopping and exploring local culture. This included eating A LOT of food.
Quick Barbecue Tempeh
I don’t cook with tempeh very often, however after making this quick Barbecue Tempeh last night to complete a classic dinner of roasted potatoes and vegan caesar salad, I will be adding it to my weekly shopping list.
Falafel Wrap at home from [in the oven] bakery!
Our favourite dish in the world is a falafel wrap. When they are done right that is, but often, they aren’t! We are obsessed with finding the most delicious falafel and figuring out what makes it the best. While we were living in London we stalked down local falafel joints and tasted, examined and critiqued their falafel wraps. We think we’ve decided what a falafel needs in order to be amazing and we’re willing to share that with you. (You’re welcome!)
Lasagna Roll Ups – Gluten Free!
These Lasagna Roll Ups have been named ‘one of the best dishes ever’ by my boyfriend, which says a lot, because he is a man of few words when it comes to food. There are a couple of different steps, but onces everything is made, assembly is a cinch. I use Tinkyada Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles and they handle really well!
Blueberry Chia Pancakes – Guest post by Jessica Grajczyk
I’m not much of a sweet breakfast eater, but I was recently gifted some delicious, real Canadian maple syrup from Salsa Sam, so I decided to switch up my breakfast game.
Quinoa Black Bean Stew
I saw this delicious recipe for Quinoa Black Bean Stew in Alive Magazine, and knew it would be perfect for an easy weekday meal…and I was right! It was REALLY simple to throw together, so hearty, and high in protein and fibre, which satisfied my post workout appetite.
Dreena Burton’s Jerk Chickpeas + Cookbook Giveaway!
Dreena Burton, author of ‘Let them eat vegan!’, which included this exciting recipe for Jerk Chickpeas, was kind enough to send us a copy of her book to delve into. Since we already had a copy ourselves, we want to pass a copy onto one of you!
Roasted fennel and potato soup from [in the oven] bakery
The holidays are now over and we’re back to the daily grind. We hope you all had a great time with family and friends and took some time to enjoy their company while still getting some time for yourself! Now that we are back to work, the countdown to summer can begin! Nevertheless, days are still short, nights are still cold, and we’re all looking for a simple, hearty, healthy meal to make on evenings when we just want to put our feet up. This soup is just that, it’s so filling and is so simple to make.
Review: Silver Hills Gluten Free Omega Flax Bread
While I am not the gluten-intolerant one of the group (sorry Jen <3), I am interested in gluten free products whenever possible, thanks to William Davis’ Book, Wheat Belly. Silver Hills has always been a favourite bread product of mine, and now they have two different gluten free options to explore: Gluten Chia Chia Bread and Gluten Free Omega Flax Bread.
Festive Rosemary Olive Pate
This Festive Rosemary Olive Pate is vegan and gluten free, and is made with pecans, which can easily be substituted for almonds, walnuts, or even hazelnuts.
It’s very festive, and was my vegan dish for a potluck I went to last weekend. It was one of those dishes I whipped up without a recipe, with an inkling of inspiration, and was ecstatic when tasting the first bite.
Monkey Butter Inspired Desserts From [in the oven] Bakery
We’ve been getting into the Christmas spirit and attending tons of the local craft markets. Not only are they great places to find Christmas gifts, but they also offer outlets for local artisans to showcase their amazing handmade goods. We are always drawn to food vendors because, well, we LOVE food! However, it can sometimes be tough to find vegan friendly food vendors. Luckily, we’ve come across a vegan friendly food vendor that satisfies every craving and allows us to support local business.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Candy Frosting
These Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Candy Frosting won first place in the VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest in 2011. And they won the hearts of my non-vegan co-workers! They are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and have a sweet peppermint topping. Is there anything that screams holiday flavours more than the marriage of chocolate and peppermint?
Creamy Potato and Leek Soup
This Creamy Potato and Leek Soup is easy to make, rich and filling, BUT low in fat! Some recipes I found online added a ton of dairy which, of course was of no need in this vegan kitchen.
Steamed Greens Super Sandwich
Looking for ways to use dark, leafy greens in your diet?
We love hearty leaves like kale, beet greens, and chard, and try to use them in as many ways as possible.
Breakfast Burrito from [in the oven] bakery!
Breakfast Burrito
We love two things. Breakfasts and burritos. It only made sense to combine the two to create an amazing taste sensation. Of course, we had to make sure we were packing it full of goodness and flavor. After some careful thought we created perfection. It combined our own recipe for Sweet Potato Hash, Isa Chandra’s scrambled tofu, grilled tomato, avocado and spinach all crammed into a wrap. Drooling yet? Now only is it delicious, but it’s nutrient dense; protein, iron, vitamin A, fiber, potassium…we could keep going! If that doesn’t convince you, then make it yourself and you’ll taste the amazingness of it.
Veggy Soldiers with The Vegg!
WOW! I have not been this impressed with a vegan substitute in a while. The World’s First Vegan Egg Yolk, The Vegg, is something special. I was searching the web, looking for the best way to prepare my first taste of this vegan marvel, and came across this idea for Veggy Soldiers and this video by Veggietorials, explaining how to do it. It’s thick, rich and golden yellow, and is perfect for dipping your wholegrain toast in. I cannot wait to use The Vegg again soon!
Vegemeister!
I have been completely inspired by Joni Marie Newman’s book, Vegan Food Gifts! It’s full of creative, beautiful gifts that you can make for your friends and family over the holidays. The book provides packaging recommendations, includes gift tags that you can scan, AND has recipes for making your own flavoured adult beverages!
Rosemary-Garlic-Paprika Vegan Sausages
This vegan sausage recipe is a variation on our holiday themed Cranberry and Fennel Sausage, which originally hails from the Post Punk Kitchen. This version has a very ‘chorizo’ like flavour, with a pop of garlic in every bite! I encourage you to play around with different beans, or lentils and a variety of spices, to keep things interesting.
VEGAN BODYBUILDING & FITNESS Review + Lentil Sweet Potato Loaf Recipe!
Ever since I can remember, I’ve admired the athletic bodies of models who graced the pages of fitness magazines and always wondered just how possible it was to sculpt a perfect physique like theirs.
Look! It’s an ‘Amaze Bowl’
You know how trendy little catchphrases that go viral over social media like ’just sayin’, and ‘true story’ can get super irritating once everyone and their middle aged co-workers start parroting them?
Well, as much as I try to avoid them in my daily speak, one of the little bugs instantly popped into my head when I was making lunch today. But instead of thinking my quick creation was ‘amazeballs‘, I thought ‘Wow, this is an Amaze Bowl‘.
Super cheesy, yup.
And as much as we don’t want a million different variations of the rice bowl on The Vegan Project, it’s such a go-to for me that I just have to share.
Plus, this particular version really is … amazing.
Pad Thai from the [in the oven] Girls!
Pad Thai
So we’ve made an Asian inspired dish tonight. We made a Pad Thai and put our own personal spin on it. What does that mean? Well we threw in a bunch of veggies basically. Now, don’t freak out when you first look at the recipe. It does seem a bit daunting with so many steps, but it’s really not. Make sure you give it a good read through and have your ingredients prepped and it’s really not that bad. Basically you you’ve got three things to do: sauce, veggies & the tofu. If you follow the instructions you’ll be fine, and trust us, it’s worth it! We’ve made a lot of Pad Thai’s and we’ve finally created one we love. Hope you guys enjoy it as well!
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
I scoured the web looking for the perfect Pumpkin Pie recipe, and I may have just found it on the Vegetarian Times website. It got great reviews and had fairly simple ingredients, so I took the plunge, (I’ve had bad vegan pumpkin pie experiences in the past). It turned out fabulously! I made a few slight modifications, and was over-the-moon with the results. A custard-like filling and perfect crust (no butter!), with the fragrant spices stealing the show. This will not be a disappointment at your holiday table.
Massaged Kale Salad – Protein Rich Superfood
Kale is rough, tough and kind of bitter, but it’s one of the most nutrient dense foods available…and if you do it right, it can be downright delicious.
Gluten-Free Almond Lemon Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting
Gluten-Free Almond Lemon Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting
Jen’s sister Lindsay is always posting pictures of amazing vegan, gluten-free delights, so we asked her to share some of them with our readers – yay! These Gluten-Free Almond Lemon Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting look incredible and don’t have a long list of complicated ingredients.
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Quickie Curried Lentil Stew
Hungry + hurry = recipe for disaster.
Having food available that you can eat on the run will save you from eating quick processed food, junk food, or other less than awesome options. This quick curried lentil stew is very easy to prepare, uses simple ingredients, and you can keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days for ongoing sustenance through your busy days.
Sprouted Lentils – Alive and Delicious!
I just love how alive and vital these little lentils look after me taking care of them for a couple days.
Instead of being a dull little bean inside my cupboard, they are growing and packed with enzymes that help digestion, cleanse the liver and give me amazing energy.
Here’s a quick way to grow your own sprouts this winter with minimal equipment and time.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Hello again! Thanks for the warm welcome we’ve received already, we are very excited to share our cooking and baking adventures with you guys. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as we do!
Banana-Pear-Oatmeal-Spice Muffins
Banana-Pear-Oatmeal-Spice Muffins
I made these muffins on a whim this morning, so I could use up some sad looking fruit in my fridge. These two pears and two bananas were on their last legs aesthetically, but I knew they would be extra sweet and juicy for muffins. A Crispy top from the sprinkled sugar and a really moist, not-too-sweet centre, these Banana-Pear-Oatmeal-Spice Muffins were a delightful start to the day.
Walnut Broccoli Quinoa Pasta
Considering most pasta is made with wheat, eggs and other off-limits ingredients, I am very excited to have found GoGo Quinoa pasta with its two ingredients: quinoa and brown rice. Their fusilli was satisfying and lacked the ‘goopy’ texture I’ve experienced with other gluten free vegan pastas.
Vegan Jalapeno Poppers (Baked & Gluten Free!)
These are super fun to make, and eat! And as Jen pointed out, kinda looks like deep-fried rats, so would be perfect for nibbling on while handing out goodies to the neighbour kids. A bit labour-intensive, but worth it. And this vegan cheese recipe that I linked to below, is AWESOME!
Roasted Pepper + Coconut Milk Soup
For the Fall/Winter seasons, one food item stands out above the rest for me – soup. I love, love soup. I think I could live on soup alone, if needed, and never grow tired of warm broth flowing down my throat and warming my belly…did that sound weird?
Curried Pumpkin
I love looking looking through the daily local newspapers, and I turn straight to recipe of the day when I do. For the most part, these recipes are not veg-friendly, however modifying is always an option. This past weekend’s edition of the Metro had a page dedicated to to Fall’s fragrant spices, and including this recipe for Curried Pumpkin, with the tagline ‘Transition pie staple to savoury dish’. Sounded good to me.
Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute + Coconut-Miso Gravy
I had just had to share with you how much I enjoyed Field Roast’s Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute. I made my Thanksgiving dinner a little late this year (two night’s ago) and am still enjoying the leftovers – very happy. On the menu: This ‘just like Mom’s’ stuffing recipe, minus the tempeh, mashed potatoes, roasted maple carrots, and the Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute, all drizzled with a coconut-miso gravy – yum!
Salsa Sam’s Spicy Bean Salsa
I tasted this salsa at a house party last weekend with tostito scoops and was literally blown away by it. The recipe itself is amazing but what appealed to me the most was that it was SUPER high in protein, low in carbs and easily tweakable as an addition to my pre-fitness competition diet.
Extra Crispy Apple Crisp (Gluten Free)
Last week, I came home to a big bag of freshly picked apples on my doorstep, and I knew right away what I wanted to create. I’ve never made apple crisp before, as Bridget usually pioneers the baked goods for The Vegan Project, so I decided to step out of my comfort zone and conjure up an extra crispy, gluten free recipe to share at our family dinner last night.
Buckwheat Pancakes
These are a variation of Baba’s mini pancakes from childhood and Skinny Bitch’s Crepes. Jay LOVES pancakes for breakfast so I had to find a way to make them healthier, or face his (and my) expanding waistline. The result is really yummy little pancakes with just enough fluff. They are quite hearty, and filling, and keep well wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for a couple days. We eat them with vegan margarine and strawberry jam, or a classic drizzle of maple syrup.
Chef Chloe’s Best Ever Macaroni & Cheese (Gluten Free Version)
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I LOVE CHEF CHLOE! If you don’t have her cookbook, Chloe’s Kitchen yet, I highly recommend you pick it up. Every recipe I’ve tried so far, is fantastic. I made her recipe for Mac & Cheese completely gluten free by using brown rice noodles, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour, and subbed out bread crumbs on top, for a Crunchy Almond topping that I will list below. The result was an ooey, gooey Mac & Cheese casserole that really took me back to childhood.
Coconut Bacon
Whoever invented these incredible little smokey/savoury pieces of heaven is a genius! It is VERY yummy and easy to make. There are a lot of different versions of Coconut Bacon online, and after sifting through them all, I decided to tackle this one at Vegan Good Things (great site!). I liked the ratio of ingredients, and the advice about baking at a lower temperature, which I thought made a lot of sense. Don’t be fooled by the name – it is not bacon! It just resembles some properties of that breakfast staple, without all the heart clogging properties – yay!
Val’s Homestyle Potato Salad
When I was growing up, my mom Val was reputed to have the best potato salad ever. My whole extended family eagerly awaited her creamy, mayo and egg rich dish at summer barbecues and potlucks. She’d sprinkle a bit of paprika on the top, and we’d all stand in line with our paper plates, watching carefully to make sure no one took more than their share from the large communal bowl. That’s just how my family used to roll.
I replicated it last weekend with no animal ingredients, and the result was a flavourful, creamy salad accented with smoked paprika to give it that homestyle, ‘just like Val used to do it’ feel.
Sprouted Bean Trio from TruRoots + Recipe!
Have you tries this delicious and nutritious Sprouted Bean Trio from TruRoots? It is one of my favourite products to keep in my pantry and is very reasonably priced at Costco. It is a mix of sprouted lentils, mung beans and adzuki beans, that cooks up in only 15 minutes!
Baked Onion Rings (Gluten Free!)
The other night I had a few people over for some legendary Quinoa Burgers (actually just the patties) and Gluten-Free Baked Onion Rings from Healthiersteps.com. The burgers were, as always, an incredible hit, and the onion rings were also a crowd pleaser.
Creamy Pumpkin Seed Pesto
This creamy pesto was created as a dip for a potluck barbeque, and it was gone before I could write down the recipe! The additions of miso and tahini make it smooth and creamy, with a full flavour that will keep you – and your friends – dipping for more.
Wild Mushroom Tart with Basil Cashew Cream
I don’t often impress myself with a meal. I ho-hum and receive the praise of others graciously, but more often than not, I think I could have done something better. That is not the case with this recipe! It was an amalgamation of a non-vegan Mushroom Tart recipe on epicurious, and a recipe for Basil Cashew Cream from the Millennium Cookbook, which I altered slightly. The combo was to-die-for! Flakey puff pastry (what an incredible product!) and wild mushrooms from Hui’s Organic Mushrooms in Aldergrove (available at the Vancouver Farmer’s Market) were SO DELICIOUS!
Corn-on-the-cob with Coconut Milk
Nothing says summer like corn-on-the-cob! This Tanzanian recipe is a really unique and delicious version of the classic North American backyard fare, from the One World Vegetarian Cookbook. It’s a definite crowd pleaser and easy to prepare…and we’ve asked this before but…has there ever been something made with coconut that wasn’t delicious?
Cherry Oatmeal Muffins
The cherries at the Vancouver Farmer’s Market this week were incredible! I had to use them to make a delectable morning morsel to highlight their peak ripeness. I found a recipe that wasn’t vegan, and made it vegan and healthier, and it worked out (!)…it doesn’t always. The almond extract is a sweet compliment to the ripe, yet slightly tart cherries…Good Morning!
Kale Hummus
You may or may not have noticed, that here at The Vegan Project we love our greens and are always looking for new ways to incorporate them into our daily lives – yes DAILY! It is important, as vegans, to be healthy vegans, for our own well being of course, but also to be shining examples of plant-based health, to possibly encourage others to follow suit.
Smashed Spinach Salad with Beets and Orange Ginger Dressing
After coming home from a solid workout last week, I found beets, spinach and avocado were all the veggies that I had available for lunch, so spinach salad it was!
Kale Slaw with Barbecue Crumbles
If you don’t already receive the VegNews Magazine emails, I suggest you sign up, because they have source out some of the yummiest recipes around. This Kale Slaw recipe graced my inbox a few days ago, and I just knew it would be perfect for entertaining friends. It was such a crowd pleaser; delicious & flavourful, and gone in mere minutes! I highly recommend this for your next ‘do’, or tonight’s Meatless Monday dinner. A big thanks to VegNews for this one!
Marinated Tofu Kebabs with Coconut Curry Quinoa
This came together really easily and was such a fresh and light summer dinner. We eat A LOT of quinoa in my house, so finding new ways to spice it up is always a good thing. The coconut was so yummy mixed in with the quinoa! A squeeze of fresh lime and lots of cilantro was the cherry on top.
Tropical Quinoa Salad with a Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette
I made this for a super fantastic beach day some friends and I had this past Sunday! It was light, refreshing, and held up in the heat. The sweet, soft mango was by far the most popular ingredient, complimenting the crunchy red pepper and cuke. You can hold back on the red pepper flakes, or amp them up, to your liking.
Post-Fitness Power Salad
This is my go-to salad after the gym or a yoga class. It’s really quick to make, ample portion of protein and greens, and is tossed in a simple and flavourful dressing. It really helps to replenish my body with iron, b-vitamins, and essential fatty acids after a rigorous fitness session, and it tastes GOOD! If you’re not a fan of tofu, replacing it with more hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, or chickpeas would be nice.
Cherry Caipirissima
This incredible summer sipper comes from my friend Wade, who spotted it in the NY Times, and thought I would like it. He was right, so right. Sweet cherries, sour lime, a gorgeous magenta hue…need I say more? We enjoyed these with homemade salsa and tropical veggie skewers on the bbq. It was a perfect summer afternoon. For those of us on the west coast, summer has (just now) arrived, and it is glorious. Soak it up while it’s here.
Savoury Breakfast Oatmeal Risotto
Okay, okay, I know you’re thinking WHAT?! But in all honesty, this was a killer breakfast, very filling and solved one of my biggest dietary dilemmas…I don’t like oatmeal.
Potato Soup with Cashew Cream and Rosemary
I love, love, love, soup! And a rich and decadent cream based soup is high up there on the list. Cashew cream adds such an incredible texture to the broth, adding body without making a roux (keeping this soup gluten free), and the rosemary and thyme are earthy and fragrant.
Smokey Walnut Collard Wraps
Have you ever had a collard wrap? They are the low carb answer to enjoying rolled up food. I love eating yummy ingredients stuffed into a delightfully handheld vessel, usually of the flour tortilla kind, or naan, or any any other starchy goodness. But with the summer season officially here, I am urged towards lighter lunch fare that still has some flavour, and girth. Not just for vanity’s sake, but because eating water dense food in warm weather helps you stay hydrated, and provides energy for those long summer days, and nights.
Spring Radish Salad with Fresh Herbs and Lemon
I once had a friend tell me that ‘nobody really likes radishes, they just don’t taste good’, and to the that friend I say, try this salad. I agree, radishes can pack a bit of a punch, pungent and bitter at times with an unexpected spice that hits you right in the nasal cavity. For some, what I just described sounds like taste bud hell, for others…bliss.
Olive Spinach Quinoa Bowl
This is yet another one of those dishes that’s so simple I hesitated to post it. But it was so satisfying, and sooo pretty that I just couldn’t resist!
Lately I’ve been really craving salty foods. So today, instead of diving into my bag of Sea Salt and Vinegar potato chips for lunch, I decided to take a different route and combined some foods that would satisfy my desire for salt, and also saturate my body with nutrients and minerals.
Raw Coconut Cacao ‘Haystacks’
Today I was really missing my mom, the lucky lady who recently moved to Cabo to pursue a savvy lifestyle change. So I decided to use the lovely dish and tray set she gave me as a parting gift and make a (nearly) raw vegan version of one of her most amazing holiday cookies, the haystack.
I can’t wait for our next family gathering so I can knock my mom’s socks off with the vegan (raw! shh) version of her classic!
Cinnamon Oats with Maple Syrup and Fruits
You know that feeling of just needing something warm in your belly?
After my 6am Bikram Yoga class this morning, I crawled into my man’s cushy plaid jacket, savoured a french press on the patio, and tried to settle into what felt like a perfect rainy day. I usually don’t eat until 11 or so, but today I felt cold in my bones, and my morning did not want to start without something warm and hearty.
My little bag of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats was calling my name from the kitchen.
Micro-Chopped Salad Wraps with Sprouted Lentils
For this naturally flavoured, raw lunch, I busted out my sharpest, sexiest knife, my mad chopping skills, and a supreme awareness of my fingertips.
Veggie Burger Love!
I struggled to come up with a name that differentiated this veggie burger from all the rest, but decided to just call it what is was – a Veggie Burger! Not just any veggie burger though, it’s an easy to assemble, ‘meaty’-like burg that would be a good starting point to experiment with a bunch of different flavour combinations.
Mac & ‘Chreese’ with Bacony Bits and Frozen Peas
Ok, this isn’t really a recipe. It’s just a few awesome vegan products thrown together to make an incredibly comforting, and kid-friendly meal. Over the weekend we visited Karmavore Vegan Shop for our regular vegan haul, and to show a recently vegan friend, this little gem New Westminster has to offer. We dined on veggie burgers, eggless sandwiches and peanut cups in the deli downstairs, and picked up some favourite vegan products to enjoy at home.
Coconut Rhubarb Crumble Muffins
Over the long weekend, my man and I took a trip out to the Sunshine Coast to attend the Roberts Creek Arts Festival. It was two days full of art, creative spaces (and people), surrounded by lush,west coast greenery. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it. On Saturday, we drove up to the Sechelt Farmer’s Market, which turned out to be mostly baked goods and crafts, with a few produce vendors to be found. The common thread between them all were big, magenta-hued stalks of rhubarb. They were everywhere! As someone who has never cooked with rhubarb before and love to try new ingredients, it was an obvious choice.
How to Incorporate Beautiful (and Edible!) Flowers into your Meals
Edible flowers have long been used in cooking for decoration and flavoring. They make a beautiful garnish, but they can also be an integral part of any recipe. Different flowers bring unique flavors and colors to a dish. Some flavors are just the thing for sweet dishes, while other flowers are more suitable to savories. While some vegetable flowers and wild plant foods might require a foraging expedition or a visit to the local health food market, many edible flowers are available for convenient home delivery. Clever cooks can get flowers delivered in the evening so that they are fresh and in time for dinner.
Spinach + Beet Salad with Crispy Lentils and Coconut Curry Dressing
I’m always on the lookout for ways to make salads more funky and different…because I eat a whole lot of them. Adding a nice crispy veggie patty adds texture, taste and depth to regular ol’ salads, as well as a whole host of nutritional content. Fortunately, I had a batch of pre-made lentil burger stuff ready to rock, so I designed a dressing that complimented the flavours of the burger patty, added some steamed beets, and made this lovely salad for a special lunch guest.
Crispy Lentil Burger with Curried Avocado Mayo
You can always tell the success of your veggie burger by the amount that has (or has not) spooged out the back end after a couple bites. I’ve been feeling some serious burger envy lately, as my man has been concocting different veggie patties for himself packed with eggs and cheese, and the spooge-factor has been very low. These enviable binders, although effective, can be mimicked quite effectively using the amazing flax egg. So I whipped up these simple veggie patties to enjoy with him tonight on our lovely patio, and they successfully held their form after the telling first bites. You can never have too many varieties of veggie burgers on a vegan food site, I always say.
Salsa Sam’s Cactus Salsa
One of our favourite culinary findings from our trip to Mexico last February, was the delicious and tender Nopales, or Prickly Pear Cactus. It could be found fresh in the produce section, or pickled. We enjoyed it on Sopes, in salads, and in Salsa Sam’s homemade Cactus Salsa. Upon our return home, we thought we’d be without it until our next trip to Mexico, as we were stumped on where to find here in Vancouver. That is until we found a big jar of it, along with a fine selection of Mexican imports, and of course, the best tortilla chips EVER, at Fresh is Best on West Broadway. So Salsa Sam went to work on making a batch of her legendary salsa, just in time for Cinco de Mayo!
Chef Chloe’s Herbed Polenta Cutlets with Marsala Mushroom Ragout
Another instalment from my Cookbook Challenge and another sample of the amazing vegan recipes Chloe’s Kitchen has to offer (I also shared Pineapple Not-So-Fried Rice). But that’s it- you’ll have to go buy the book yourself! This meal was proclaimed to be ‘one of the best vegan meals he’d ever had’ by my dinner guest. It is perfect for your omnivorous friends, and perfect for a Meatless Monday Meal!
Raw Coconut Chunk Cookies
A nice little Earth Day walk yesterday brought me to Small Ritual coffee shop in White Rock, a little non-profit business with awesome soy lattes. They were selling cute bags of coconut at the counter from a company called Gathering Place Trading based in Cortes Island, B.C., a super conscious operation that’s all about about where their products come from, and even go so far as to specify their methods of transport on their website. The manager of the coffee shop avidly told me how this amazing coconut was harvested properly, maintaining its oils and nutrients without pasteurization. Sounded good, so I decided to get a bag for just over $4 and make myself some cookies.
Super Greens Breakfast with Cashew Ricotta (Gluten Free)
After working our butts off this past week to get ready for our workshop yesterday, Bridget and I were both exhausted and I came home and slept. I awoke this morning refreshed and bursting with appetite. Inspired by Bridget’s Greens on Toast, featured previously in our blog, I decided to use the gluten free buns in my freezer and concoct something delicious with the leftover cashew ricotta from the workshop.
Home Made Raw Crackers!
I can’t believe it’s taken me nearly three years of eating a plant based diet to realize that these fiber rich, CRISPY (big fan of the crisp), nutrient dense, gluten free, vegan crackers are so EASY to make.
Chef Chloe’s Pineapple Not-So-Fried Rice
To keep with my recent pledge of delving into my cookbook collection and expanding my culinary knowledge, I decided to start with this sweet and salty Thai rice dish from Chef Chloe Coscarelli’s cookbook, Chloe’s Kitchen. This rice dish was so freakin’ delicious! It took about 1 hour from start to finish, as there are a few different steps, however you can bake the tofu and cook the rice simultaneously to save time.
Big Dreams + My Cookbook Challenge + Homemade Chili Oil!
For the last few weeks now I have not been able to cook or share recipes very much because my ever so talented boyfriend has been renovating our kitchen island (pictured above). And if you’re like me, when you are unable to express yourself through your chosen medium, you start to feel imbalanced, self-doubting and a general sense of ‘hmmph’. I begin to question if this is the path I am meant to be on, and whether my efforts are (while enjoyable) ultimately futile.
Nigella’s Linguine with Lemon, Thyme and Garlic Mushrooms – Raw Vegan Style!
If you’ve never seen her in action, Nigella Lawson is the absolutely mesmerizing, gorgeous and passionate cook with a remarkable ability to make food porn borderline x-rated. Her Linguine with Lemon, Thyme and Garlic Mushrooms has long been one of my go-to recipes for entertaining because it’s super simple and addictively delicious. I usually make it with whole wheat linguine, but this version is even easier since it’s made with raw zucchini noodles, so there’s no cooking required! To make the zucchini noodles, you need a fancy piece of kitchen machinery called a spirooli (aka spiral vegetable slicer like this one), which is easy and fun to use!
Mediterranean Brown Rice Bowl with Scallion-Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Keeping with the theme of Jen’s idea for a Quickie Lunch, I made this rice bowl in about 30 minutes, and had tons left over for even quicker lunches/suppers/snacks in the future. To save time, you could omit the toasting of the pumpkin seeds but it really does add incredible flavour to the pesto. And try different nuts/seeds and herbs. All a pesto is is the combination of a nut or seed, herb, garlic and oil – the possibilities are endless!
Quickie Lunch! Creamy Coconut Yam Soup
I’m currently on a bit of a work-ation, having jumped at the opportunity to stay at a friend’s lakefront house for a week while they surf in Mexico. It’s fantastic. My days are consisting of writing, reading, canoeing on the lake, walking the pugs, and of course making yummy vegan food in their kitchen with a view.
Mad Men Inspired Cocktail Party Menu
Last night was the fifth season premier of one of our favourite shows, Mad Men. We love the cast, clothes, storylines and overall production value, and of course, the smoking and drinking all day long 
Cold Tofu Salad
This is my go-to salad after working out. It packed full of protein, easy to make and super flavourful! The ingredients to this are flexible and you could definitely add more veggies if you like. After the gym, I can’t wait to gobble down some protein and am a bit impatient…and yes, those are my pencil crayon chopsticks
Napa Cabbage Slaw with Miso-Ginger Dressing
So, continuing on my quest to try new things in the produce section, I was immediately drawn to a head of napa cabbage on sale at Whole Foods. Took it home, combined it with some light, asian flavours and I had a crunchy and refreshing lunch for me and the beau. I really enjoyed the texture of the napa cabbage in comparison to green or purple, as it is softer to chew while still maintaining a crunch. The dressing was a cinch to make, and was so tasty that I have been making slight variations of it for the last few days now and putting in on everything!
Sunflower Sprout Salad with Wasabi Ginger Dressing
Hmm, what can I do with a whole bag of sprouts and a big studly grapefruit giving me eyes from across the room? I called Bridget to discuss, suggesting the base idea of ginger for the dressing and seeking some collaborative creativity. Wasabi was the money idea, and the maple syrup stepped in due to the absence of agave. It was so delicious it brought tears to my eyes…
Caesar-ish Salad with Pumpkin Seed Dressing
I know, I know, this picture doesn’t looks like the most genius salad in the world. Pretty basic, green and leafy looking right? In truth, it is pretty basic, and that’s why I wanted it for dinner tonight. I had an awful Bikram Yoga class tonight, all bloated and crampy and still de-toxing from our pal trip to Cabo, so I just wanted something crunchy, creamy and kind of… normal.
Braised Cabbage with a Dijon Glaze
How often do you eat cabbage? If you’re like me, you know that you’ve enjoyed it in the past, but do not reach for it in the produce section as much as you’d like.
Red Carpet Nachos + 2012 Grammy Awards Wrap Up
Let us just start by saying ‘WTF?!’ What a snorefest! What was Nicki Minaj thinking with that poorly executed Madonna/Lady Gaga rip off? What was up with all the slow, boring songs by old, boring artists? Bruno Mars was probably the highlight of the whole show (aside from Jennifer Hudson and Adele, obv), and that’s depressing, especially with all the big name artists performing (and multiple times each, which was also unnecessary).
Mexi-Curry Salad Bowl
The Vegan Project ladies, plus our friend Salsa Sam, are heading south of the border at the end of February, real south…to Mexico!
Thai Sweet Potato Soup
I am really excited about this recipe! I have fallen in love with Pacific Natural Foods’ Thai Sweet Potato Soup, and wanted to recreated it at home, for you. I gathered a bunch of ingredients listed on the box, and this is what I came up with; a creamy, spicy and oh-so-good Thai Sweet Potato delight that is pretty dang close to the original.
Lentil Salad with Sun Dried Tomato-Tahini Dressing
I made this quick lentil salad to accompany my bowl of Smokey Potato Soup with Roasted Garlic (which I will post later this week!). It was the perfect, protein-packed side, full of crunchy veggies (use what you have in your crisper) and tossed in a creamy, sun dried tomato dressing. If you’re cooking the lentils yourself, make sure to cook to al dente so it doesn’t become a mushy mess.