Gluten Free
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Coconut-Ginger Stir Fry With Kale and Poppyseeds
A warm and satisfying stir fry is one of a few reasons why I wouldn’t want to eat an exclusively raw diet, especially in the winter.