Snacks
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!
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.
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).
Raw Mini Pizza with Spiraled Cucumber Salad
Four months after finding out about my notable gluten intolerance, I am finally ready to commit. It’s been a pretty awkward dance back and forth between strictly gluten free and ‘a little bit shouldn’t hurt’, but I’m going to take a crack at making gluten free vegan (GFV is actually a term FYI) as yummy and maintainable as possible.
Rosemary, Walnut and Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade
All I can say about this recipe is…yummers! The combination of flavours is just right, and get even better the longer they sit together.
Raw Chocolate Cherry Malt Shake
Our very talented friend, Julie Beyer, who you might remember from last Spring’s Whole Food Challenge, wanted to share with us her recipe for a Raw Chocolate Cherry Malt Shake. We of course said, YES!
Blueberry Soy Yogurt Popsicles
These were so easy to make, and sooo yummy! I picked up the popsicle molds at the dollar store for $2.50 each and then I was just three ingredients away from delicious, dairy-free yogurt pops.
Bridget’s Super Terrific Trail Mix
I made this the other day for a tasty treat after hiking the Stawamus Chief near Squamish, BC, which I highly recommend trying if you live in the Vancouver area. It is gorgeous at the top! It never ceases to amaze me what a beautiful part of the world we live in.
Vegan Turkish Breakfast
While I’ve never been to Turkey, I’ve always enjoyed a Turkish-style breakfast. Even before I was vegan or knew what a Turkish breakfast might be like I was enjoying a hard-boiled egg, toast, cold veggies and olives or capers in the morning.
Julie Beyer’s Versatile White Bean Dip
One of the great things about Julie Beyer’s whole food recipes is their versatility. Many of her recipes can be adapted and combined with other recipes to make delicious and healthy creations. Case in point: her White Bean Dip. Start by making this basic recipe in a big batch, then spice it up with some tasty additions to keep things interesting as you use it in different dishes throughout the week. Yum!
Do-It-Yourself Veggie Sushi
Who doesn’t love a good sushi date? Sushi restaurants are cheap, quick, and because of the notoriously forgettable service, you’re guaranteed to have lots of time to talk without interruption.
The downfall with sushi restaurants is that there are lots of sacrifices made for that $4.99 vegetable combo. White rice, for starters, is starchy and high glycemic enough on its own before you add all the vinegar and white sugar that makes sushi rice sticky-yummy goodness. The miso soup is almost guaranteed to have remnants of fish sauce/broth (umm, fish from Japan? yikes), which is perhaps a lesser concern than the more than likely msg content (or alternate additives that are basically msg with a name change because msg is so NOT hot right now).
Loaded Veggie Dog
I am not a fan of fake meat, in part because it’s really processed. However, when I’m having an emotional upset that can only be resolved by stuffing my face with a hot dog, I can justify almost anything, except meat of course.
The best veggie dogs I have found (and the only ones that don’t resemble pink styrofoam) are the Yves Bavarian Veggie Sausage. They also don’t make my tummy ache, which is nice. This loaded dog is a somewhat healthy version of your standard pimped-out hot dog. It has some nutrition, but mostly it’s good old fashioned comfort in an organic bun.
Totally Radical Pizza with Homemade Sauce
I was watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the other day and realized how long it’s been since I had a good slice of pizza. So I pulled my sprouted grain tortillas out of the freezer, grabbed a couple juicy tomatoes and got to work on a homemade pizza sauce that I found in raw executive chef Ani Phyo’s ‘Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen’. When it was ready, I warmed it quickly in hopes of preserving all the enzymes. This recipe is raw for the most part, sufficiently filling, and totally righteous!
Smoked Tofu and Kale Quesadilla with Daiya Pepperjack Shreds
In case you didn’t already know, Daiya recently released a new flavour of vegan cheese – Pepperjack! We are extremely excited about this! I treaded lightly into my experimentation with this new flavour. I wanted to get a feel for it first and access it’s spiciness factor before going head on into more complicated recipes. The shreds are a bit larger than the cheddar or mozza varieties and i’d rate the spice factor at a 5, maybe 6. Keep in mind though that I like really spicy, burn your tongue kinda spice so…
Black Bean Soup
Black Bean Soup has always been one of my favourite one-pot-meals. There are so many variations of this global staple, but my number one flavour combo is when black beans are combined with exotic spices and a little heat, creating a sumptuous union. Now, this soup does take a while to complete, though the prep is minimal. It’s perfect for making on a Saturday morning while you do some things around your house and when you’re done, the soup is done. You will see pumpkin pie spice blend on the ingredients list (kinda weird, I know) as it happened to have all the sweet, fragrant spicing I was looking for in one package. And lastly, this soup is cheap! It couldn’t have cost more than $6 to make with the beans ringing in at $2.16.
Curried Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Greens
I know, I know, another quinoa recipe? We’re going quinoa crazy over here at The Vegan Project! But seriously, it is so friggen cheap, versatile and so easy to make that we just can’t help eating it at least 2-3 times a week. What makes this quinoa salad special is the aromatic coconut oil in the vinaigrette combined with fragrant madras curry powder. The greens are once again tenderized by the massaging technique as well as the warm quinoa poured over top. Fresh lemon flavour and cayenne pepper give it a tangy heat, making this salad very appealing to the senses. Makes about six cups.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large chard leaves (or kale/spinach), torn into bite size pieces and stem removed
1 celery stalk, finely diced
For the dressing:
1 roma tomato, finely diced
2-3 tablespoons sweet onion, finely diced
juice and zest of one lemon
2-3 teaspoons curry madras curry powder
1/4 coconut oil
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper (optional)
1 inch piece of ginger, minced (I didn’t have any, but I think it would be really nice in this dish)
Method:
Place quinoa and two cups of water into a small saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until water has been absorbed. In the meantime, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad. In a large bowl add, diced celery, chard, chickpeas. Add the vinaigrette and mix well. Get right in there with your hands and rub the chard and toss everything together. It can be a very soothing and meditative experience to get more intimate with your food. Add the cooked quinoa and season with salt and pepper to taste.
~The Vegan Project
Baked Acorn Squash: A Quick and Easy Snack!
These last few weeks of Winter have me longing for warmth and comfort, and I have found a bit of both with my recent near-obsession with winter squashes. The Vegan Project has posted recipes on the Spaghetti Squash, as well as Butternut Squash, and now we’d like to bring attention to their less popular cousin, the Acorn Squash. Abundant in the Winter, this dark green squash is smaller, more dense, and packed with nutrients.
Squash is also one of the simplest snacks to prepare. All you have to do is cut it in half, give it a good rub of olive oil, a sprinkling of sea salt, and whatever else you have kickin’ around. (The little baby you see above also has some dried ground garlic and a sprinkle of cracked pepper.) Then, turn the two halves upside down in a pan and cook 35-45 minutes. I baked mine in my little toaster oven at 425 degrees, and it turned out soft, hearty and simply perfect. You can top it with sauce or seasoning if you like, or simply enjoy on its own.
It takes less than 5 minutes to prep, then you can go about your business for a half hour or so and next thing you know…a warm snack is ready for you! You can also use this, or any squash as a lovely side dish. And feel free to experiment…using coconut oil and maple syrup with a sprinkle of cinnamon is also super yummy and satisfying.
~The Vegan Project
Oscar-Worthy Caramel Popcorn
We hosted a little Oscar party last night and bet on 10 major categories with a $5 buy in. Congratulations to our friend Sam for taking home the $40 pot! The event doubled as a vegan potluck and everyone brought over the most delicious dishes! Our friend Lauren Mote brought a rich and creamy Root Vegetable Gratin, Sam brought fresh, hand-chopped salsa and Jen, sweet and spicy Curry-Chili with homemade Corn Bread. We (Jessica & Bridget) prepared our signature Cashew Ricotta Stuffed Tomatoes, Quinoa Collard Wraps, a Savoury Popcorn and a Caramel Popcorn. Needless to say, it was a feast! Everyone was quite pleased with the Caramel Popcorn and even more so after learning that it’s sugar-free. In honour of one of our favourite vegans and her Best Actress Win last night, a picture of Natalie Portman will accompany this recipe. Natalie is definitely better to look at than the sad little photo we took of lasts night’s kernel explosion. But oh man was it tasty!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil + 1/4 cup
1/2 cup organic popcorn kernels
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Method:
In a large pot with a lid, melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil over medium heat. Line the bottom of the pot with 1/2 cup corn kernels. Cover with a lid and wait until you hear the first few pops. Then start gently rocking the pot back and forth over the element with your hand on the lid. It’s done popping when the smell of fresh popcorn is strong and the pops are few and far between. Remove from heat and toss in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 cup coconut oil. Whisk in brown rice syrup and vanilla. Bring to a bubble and then remove from heat and pour evenly over the popcorn. Sprinkle with cinnamon and toss to coat every kernel. You can eat it warm or for a stickier version, let cool, and then devour. Enjoy!
~The Vegan Project
Oscar-Worthy Caramel Popcorn
We hosted a little Oscar party last night and bet on 10 major categories with a $5 buy in. Congratulations to our friend Sam for taking home the $40 pot! The event doubled as a vegan potluck and everyone brought over the most delicious dishes! Our friend Lauren Mote brought a rich and creamy Root Vegetable Gratin, Sam brought fresh, hand-chopped salsa and Jen, sweet and spicy Curry-Chili with homemade Corn Bread. We (Jessica & Bridget) prepared our signature Cashew Ricotta Stuffed Tomatoes, Quinoa Collard Wraps, a Savoury Popcorn and a Caramel Popcorn. Needless to say, it was a feast! Everyone was quite pleased with the Caramel Popcorn and even more so after learning that it’s sugar-free. In honour of one of our favourite vegans and her Best Actress Win last night, a picture of Natalie Portman will accompany this recipe. Natalie is definitely better to look at than the sad little photo we took of lasts night’s kernel explosion. But oh man was it tasty!
Vegan New Year’s Cocktail Party
This New Year’s Eve we all decided to travel the high seas over to Salt Spring Island for a couple of nights to ring in 2011 with mimosas, hot tubs, and good friends. The plan this evening is to get all dolled up and indulge on a decadent assortment of appetizers and cocktails, transcending into numerous rounds of shots and panties on our heads. Here’s a sneak preview of this evening’s menu:
Super Green Collard Wraps with Creamy Avocado Sauce
Paper Bag Popcorn!
I love popcorn. Sadly, my popping machine mysteriously disappeared last year, and I found myself in a popcorn void, as none of the supermarket options in my ‘hood are without milk products. Last weekend, an old pal told me about this little trick, and I can’t believe I haven’t heard of it before! Ideally, I try to avoid using microwaves, but in a pinch, this snack is cheap and easy…and you know how much we love cheap and easy!