Nutritional Facts

Some thoughts:

Proteins- they make up about 50% of the organic matter in our bodies, so ya, it's pretty important. In order to get all the necessary amino acids needed to build new protein within our bodies, us vegans/vegetarians need to get creative. For example, rice and legumes are limited in their nutritional content, but if you eat them together they compliment one another. Combined they provide all the amino acids needed to build new protein. Chickpeas are one of my favourite types of complete protein because I never get sick of hummus!! I eat it on all my sandwiches or as dip with raw veggies. Bonus: the olive oil and tahini in hummus provide essential (and good) fats, so munch away.

Omega 3-6: as anti-inflammatories, they are good for you. Sources include: flax seed oil, blackcurrent oil, borage oil.

Potassium - helps with muscle and nerve function. I remember that my mother always said the best snack was a banana and some peanut butter. Not only does it fill you up, but it's high in potassium and the sugar helps restore your energy. Guess Mom was onto something....

Thai Salad Rolls

Last night, we ate at a Thai restaurant where they made the most delicious salad rolls. For anyone who has never tasted a 'salad roll' before, they are fresh veggie rolls wrapped in rice paper. Lucky for me, they are not only tasty, but ridiculously easy to make. So today for lunch I'm going to made homemade tofu salad rolls.

Ingredients

• Rice paper sheets (found in every grocery store- and super cheap!)
• Firm Tofu
• Sesame seeds
• grated carrots
• Romaine lettuce
• Brussels Sprouts
• Lime
• Frank's Hot sauce (optional)

Directions

Prepare your vegetables and tofu first. Cut the lettuce and grate the carrots. Slice the tofu in 1/3 inch thick slices. Boil water. Drop the rice papers into the water and after about 10-15 seconds take them out using a spoon. This can be a little tricky because the rice paper will stick to itself. Place it onto a plate or counter top and using your hands, pull it open. In the centre place your tofu, lettuce, sprouts, carrots, sprinkle sesame seeds, drizzle lime juice and hot sauce. Fold the edges over and roll it into a cylinder/spring roll shape. I like to use at least two rice paper sheets per salad roll.

Once you've made all your rolls, enjoy them with some peanut sauce or on their own.

Sunday Night Dinner

This Sunday I'm having a dinner party at my house. I will have to cook enough food for eight hungry friends. The biggest challenge? Making something that is vegan but satisfying for non-vegetarians. Since most of my friends are not vegans, I know they're a little apprehensive about eating my food; some worry they'll still be hungry afterwards. My one friend recently told me that he eats a full dinner before he comes over to eat at my apartment! Crazy. We vegans/vegetarians like to eat too. So this Sunday I'm determined to prove them all wrong and make them "Thanksgiving Dinner Full" (sweatpants are going to be needed).

Here's what's on the menu: Vegan Shepard's Pie.

Ingredients

Potatoes

• four medium potatoes
• 1/2 cup of non-dairy milk
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp sea salt

Lentils

• 1 1/4 cup of lentils (green)
• 2 1/2 cups of veggies stock

Vegetable Filling

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 chopped onions
• 3 chopped carrots
• 5 chopped brown mushrooms
• 2 celery stalks
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp tomato paste

Directions

Boil potatoes. Drain, mash them with milk, oil and salt. Set them aside.

Combine lentils and veggie stock. bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 40 mins. Stir occasionally.

Preheat oven 350 F. Heat oil in a saucepan and saute the onions. Add carrots and saute for another 5 mins, or until the carrots start to get soft. Add celery, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, coriander and salt. Once everything is soft, stir in your tomato paste. I also added a couple tsp of water to prevent it all from sticking.

Put your veggie filling into an oiled casserole dish, top with the mashed potatoes and sprinkling some olive oil and light thyme on top. Bake for 25 mins. If you want to brown the top, turn on the broiler for the last 5 mins, it'll get nice and crunchy. Remove and serve.

Double Chocolate Chip cookies

Life Lesson: Never go to a party empty handed, especially if it's a dinner party. My friend Amy loves to bring people flowers (tulips in the Spring), my sister likes to bring wine, and me, I like to bring cookies. I think it's a nice touch when you bake for someone, it shows you care! Not to sound too much like Martha Stewart, but it's true. Tonight I'm going to my sister's for dinner. I have an hour and have decided to make double chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of flour


• 1/2 cup of cocoa


• 1tsp baking soda


• 1/4 tsp of salt (pinch)


• 1 cup of vegetable oil


• 1 1/4 cup of sugar


• 1 ripe banana


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 1 1/4 cup of non-dairy dark chocolate chips but these would also be tasty with white chocolate chips, mind you they have dairy.


• 1 cup of chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Set it aside. In a separate bowl mash your banana, add vanilla and oil. Add the wet ingredients and stir it until it's well-mixed. Fold in chocolate chips and pecan.

Roll your dough into small size balls and place them onto the greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten each ball. Place your tray into the oven for approx. 12 minutes, or until the top is crispy but the inside is still soft.

Let them cool and serve with soy ice cream or almond milk for dipping!

Veggie Barley Soup

I don't typically cook soup because to be honest, I don't really like it. Essentially, it's like having a glass of veggie juice for a meal and for the life of me I can't understand how people feel full after a cup of soup?! (unless it's couple with a giant French baguette!). The only time I do enjoy soup is when I'm sick. It's ridiculously comforting and keeps you warm. Lucky for me, I have the world's best roommate who made me this soup when I was bedridden with the flu. The recipe ended up making quite a bit, so we put the leftovers in the freezer.


Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes chopped up
• 1 leek cut into round slices
• 3 carrots roughly chopped
• 4 chopped celery stick
• a handful of chopped spinach
• 1 cup of barley (or quinoa would work)
  
• enough water to cover
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place all the veggies except the spinach into a large pot with the barley. Cover well with water, boil and simmer until everything is cooked. Add the spinach and salt and cook for another 5 minutes.


Enjoy!

Iron Tea

For some iron boosting tea place one cube-chopped lemon in a tea pot, add one tablespoon of molasses. Let it steep for two minutes and serve. Molasses is high in iron and the citrus allows your body to fully digest all the nutrients. Yum.

Earth Day Resolution

Earth Day is just around the corner... well not really; it's wednesday April 22nd but why not start early. Spring brings flowers, warm weather and new life resolutions. This year my resolution is to live more "green", especially around the house. After receiving our latest hydro bill and given the current world market, I knew I had to start shaping up.

I asked around and was surprised to learn that everyone I know seems to have a few green tips. Here are just a few:

• Turn off the shower when you're shampooing or take colder/shorter showers
• unplug your cell phone charger, laptop etc. Leaving plugs in the sockets when you aren't using them does waste energy
• make your own body scrub: mix honey and brown sugar in a glass jar and voila- a moisturizing and cheap body wash

For more, check out http://www.greenlivingtips.com/categories/

DeDutch Tulip Party

Tulips: My all time favourite flower! Sadly, we can't all move to the Netherlands and spend our days biking through tulip fields (sigh) so a few fresh cut flowers on the coffee table will have to do.

Now, I might be pushing it but I do believe that tulip season is right around the corner... Yah! You can't deny that they're pretty and I like to think that everybody smiles when they see them (*insert more girlie statements).

Tulips come in an array of colours and you can usually find some well priced flowers at the markets. Since I'm a notorious plant killer, flowers are a perfect alternative because they're temporary! One day I'll figure out how to keep my plants alive, but in the meantime I'll happily stick to cacti and cut flowers.

Tip: To keep them standing upright longer, gently poke them with a safety pin. I honestly don't know why this works but I promise that they'll shoot back to life for another day or so.

A New Cookbook

I recently discovered this amazing bookstore called Duthie's on 4th Avenue. I believe it's locally owned and even though the selection is somewhat small, they're able to order anything and everything in record time. I spent a solid hour in the store trying to stick to my student budget....luckily I found this great cookbook called "Get It Ripe". The author is a nutritionist and the first half of the book is nutritional facts. Bored yet? it gets better! Her recipes are really simple and tasty. I love when vegan cookbooks stick to basic ingredients. In real life not every cupboard has nutritional yeast or Hawaiian flower syrup (you get my point).

With my new cookbook in tow, I've been on a breakfast cooking rampage. I plan my breakfasts with great care because it IS the best way to start the day. And yes i realize that sounds a little like a Folger's commercial but it's true!

This weekend's mission: homemade bagels! I can't wait. I would have made them tonight but i only just realized that I don't own any yeast. Saturday morning here I come...

Baba Ganouj

Sometimes planning dinner can feel like a full-time job. One of my favourite "ugh it's 7pm, what am I going to make?" meals are grilled veggies and roasted potatoes, or better yet baked yams. I recently ran across this recipe for homemade baba ganouj and it goes quite nicely with roasted veggies.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of eggplant
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup of minced parsley
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp flax seed oil (or olive oil)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 260 C. Poke the eggplant and roast it in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove it once it's soft throughout. When it's done, slice open the eggplant and scoop it out into a strainer. Let it drain for a few minutes. Put it into a food processor to blend. Add the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, tahini, salt and blend it all together until it's almost smooth. Add the necessary salt and pepper. Stir in the flax oil.

Enjoy!

xx

Accidental Blueberry Pancakes

This morning I got up bright and early to make fresh muffins. Unfortunately, the recipe went terribly wrong and I found myself with a giant bowl of blueberry oatmeal liquid. After a much needed cup of coffee I decided I would try to make pancakes. Lucky for me, they worked! They were a tad fluffy but I have since altered the recipe so they should be perfect. I topped them off with some real peanut butter and I've been in a good mood ever since!

There's something about breakfast that when it's done well, it always makes for a great day! I am a huge fan of waking up early just to make breakfast muffins, oatmeal or banana bread; that's not to say I do it often, but I'm still a huge fan! I love when the apartment smells like fresh baking and it really only takes about 30 mins; granted sometimes 30 mins seems like too much time for us sleep deprived students!

So here is the recipe for blueberry pancakes:

ingredients:

• 2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup of flax seeds (whole)
• 1/2 cup of wheat germ (not necessary but a nice touch)
  
• 1/2 cup of sugar
  
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tbsp baking power
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-2 cups of Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions

Mix the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry into another. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry bowl. It'll seem really runny but if you keep stirring it for 30 secs then the baking powder will kick in. Add the blueberries.

Preheat the pan with a bit of oil or vegan margarine. Cook the batter like any old pancakes. They should only take a few minutes. Serve with your choice of peanut butter or maple syrup. Enjoy with a lovely cup of coffee and sliced bananas....yum!

xxx

Frank's Lentil Meatloaf

This is a recipe for "meatloaf". Sounds a little bit like Sunday dinners at Grandma's place, no? Before you jump to any conclusions brought about by a traumatic childhood experience, I must warn you, this meatloaf is more like lentil & hot sauce goodness. So to all you meatloaf haters out there, don't be scared! I got this recipe off the Frank's Red Hot Sauce website and altered it a little till perfection....

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup dry brown lentils, sorted and washed
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup cooked wild rice
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/4 cup barbecue Sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sage

Directions:

Bring vegetable stock to a boil. Add lentils and 1 Tbsp. soy sauce. Simmer 30 minutes until lentils are tender. Do not drain. Transfer to large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, stirring vigorously to mash lentils. Pack the mixture into a greased loaf pan. Brush with 2 Tbsp. soy sauce. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes or until outside of loaf is crisp. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Finally, add lots and lots of Frank's Hot Sauce before serving!

ENJOY

xx

Peanut Butter Cookies...

Peanut Butter Cookies always remind me of my Step-Grandma. She is constantly baking and for a few years, our cupboards were overflowing with 'PB cookie goodness'. This is a quick vegan alternative.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup of Peanut Butter/Almond Butter
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbspn applesauce

Directions

Mix all your wet ingredients. Add the dry stuff. Roll the dough into 2-inch balls and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using a fork push flatten your cookies slightly. Place them in the oven at 400 C for 10 minutes.
xx

A Phase of Curious Looks

I have noticed that there are phases in my "vegan life" during which time I am confronted with a great deal of hostility. If it's not something you agree with, it can be difficult to understand that being a vegan isn't about losing weight or denying yourself chocolate cake. It is my conclusion that many people assume that they know a great deal about you once they learn your diet choices and in some ways, this is true. When I mention I'm a vegan, I can see eyes begin to glaze over and I can almost hear their inner monologues; "is this girl crazy? She must be a hippy. Is she on a diet?". Answer: No. Well, some might consider me a wee bit of a hippy but who isn't?... don't answer that.

Like I said, some of the assumptions made about vegans are true. First of all, there is a certain amount of idealism. That's not to say that I think my being a vegan will save all the animals on the earth. I am accountable to myself and personally I think factory farming as unethical and cruel so I'm making an effort, albeit small, to not turn a blind eye and participate in it's profitability.

Secondly, veganism is a healthy lifestyle so I won't completely discredit the diet claim. It's not about losing weight and if that were to be a 'vegan's' intentions I would give them a week before they go back to cheese and meat. Instead, changing your dietary habits is an educational process that benefits you in the long run. It could just be me, but every week I seem to come across some food product that has been banned or recalled. Am I being extreme? Probably. But there are many foods that we eat everyday and we have no idea where they're coming from or what's inside of them. Eliminating as many chemicals from your body might be a good idea! Milk, cheese, meat are all very good for you. They provide iron, protein and essential vitamins but just its equally important to be conscious of where your food is coming from.

And since when did it become uncool or stupid to try to be healthy? If eating vegetarian or vegan means that you choose fruit over cupcakes, why is that a bad thing? It is as if not eating a slice of greasy pizza makes you an outsider!

xxxx

Ciabatta Lunch Goodness

I love making sandwiches for lunch; not those gross sliced bread ones with PB & J but fresh vegetable, fresh cheese, fresh bread bun type sandwiches...yum. Here is one sandwich I especially like to make. It's perfect on the weekends right after you've gone grocery shopping at the market.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium eggplant, cut lengthwise
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 8
• 1 red bell pepper, quartered
• ciabatta bread! (or any type of fresh crusty bread)
• Fresh mozzarella (optional)
• Fresh basil leaves

Directions

Coat your baking sheet with a bit of cooking spray; place vegetables on the sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant and zucchini with vinegar mixed with olive oil; add a little salt for taste. Put it in the oven at 300 for 7 to 8 minutes, or until soft. Turned them once. Lightly brush the bottom slices of ciabatta with remaining vinegar mixture; pile veggies and basil on each of the slices. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and toast your sandwich for about 4 minutes. Enjoy!

Other options: add mozzarella cheese or pesto.

Polenta for Dinner

A month later....

Since I've been MIA in the blog world for a bit it seems appropriate to start with a difficult, if not time consuming recipe; just for all 'em ambitious folks!

My sister sent this recipe to me and it's very tasty. It seems like a lot of work but in all honesty it doesn't have to be. For a quick version, roast a few vegetables with olive oil in the oven, bake the polenta and add pre-made (eek) tomato sauce. Enjoy Moody's delicious vegan polenta!

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked instant polenta
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided (optional but you can buy soy parmesan at Capers on 4th)
• 1/8–1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or oregano) or 1 tbsp dried
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 asparagus stalks, ends trimmed
• 8 scallions, trimmed
• 2 small Japanese or Italian eggplants, trimmed and halved
• 1 medium-large yellow squash (about 1/2 lb), cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes

Sauce

• 1 jar (12 oz) prepared roasted red peppers, drained
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, basil or parsley (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

Bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add polenta in a stream, whisking to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/3 cup Parmesan and season with cayenne and salt. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Transfer polenta to pie plate, smooth into an even layer and let cool 15 minutes.

Whisk garlic, thyme, lemon juice and oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss vegetables with dressing. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange vegetables in 1 layer (or in 1 layer in a grill basket). Broil vegetables about 4 inches from heat until tender and slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter.

Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Sprinkle polenta with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan. Broil polenta in pie plate until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, then cut polenta into 8 triangles. Divide polenta among 4 plates. Top with vegetables, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with chives. Yum!

x