Carrot Surprise Cake!

Today is my hubby's birthday.  He doesn't generally like to make a big deal about it, and I've learned over the years that making him a nice supper and birthday cake is about all he really wants.  Our favorite cake is carrot cake, so I decided to throw in a few surprises this time, just because it's a special day. 

Mix the following dry ingredients in a medium bowl:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup white flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt

Combined the following ingredients in a large bowl:

3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup raw white sugar
3 egg replacers
1 cup melted Earth Balance (or other butter alternative)
2 cups grated carrot
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts

Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

Grease a 9"x13"  glass baking sheet with a little Earth Balance.  Pour in cake batter and smooth the top.

Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees.  Enjoy with your favorite icing, ice cream substitute, or just on its own.

Easy Thai Lettuce Wraps

We hosted a few friends for a games and appetizers night this past weekend.  They're not vegetarian and I wanted to make something they would find familiar - and something they could eat without missing the meat.  I came up with this easy recipe for lettuce wraps.  Enjoy!

You will need:

1 head of butter lettuce
3 cups of assorted veggies (onions, carrots, red peppers, snow peas, etc...), chopped fine or julienned
1/2 cup chow mein noodles (cooked vermicelli noodles work well here, too!)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

For sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp peanut oil 
1 Tbsp tamari/soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
juice of one lime
juice of one orange
1/4 cup cilantro leaves


Put all of the sauce ingredients into your blender, and blend until cilantro is chopped finely.

Saute all veggies in a pan with a little peanut oil.  When veggies are warmed through, and have a little color, mix in the noodles and the sauce.  As soon as all ingredients are mixed, remove the mixture from the pan so the sauce doesn't stick and burn.

Serve individual lettuce leaves beside the bowl of veggie filling.  Garnish with chopped peanuts. 

Delish!

Tomato-tato Soup

I had a soup similar to this at Stella's Cafe several months ago, and I just couldn't get the gorgeous flavor combination out of my head!  I loved the extra spicy hit of black pepper, so I've been quite generous with it in my recipe for this delicious soup.

Start with the soup basics.  Using your biggest soup pot on medium high heat, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil as you chop up 6-8 pearl onions (I leave them in big chunks.  If you don't have pearl onions, use one large yellow onion), one large carrot, and 4 ribs of celery.  Saute them for a few minutes until the onions begin to color. 

At this point, fill up your kettle and boil 1.5 litres of water - you'll need it in a minute.

Dice 4-6 potatoes (I leave the skin on) fairly small (so they cook quickly) and add to the pot.  Season with salt and pepper at this point.  Use at least a teaspoon of pepper - trust me.  Add 2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp thyme, and 2 bay leaves.  Saute for a few minutes until potatoes just start to soften.

Add two large cans of tomatoes and stir.

Add 1.5 litres of boiling water.

Check your seasonings, and add more salt or pepper as needed.

Bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Serve with crusty toasted bread with pesto spread on it.  Yum!

Sweet Potato Hummus

My friend Ashley and I planned a much-needed friend-date for this past Thursday night, and I wanted to bring along a healthy and light snack.  I love hummus but I have a garlic intolerance so I can't eat most varieties out there.  I've tried to make my own hummus at home and generally speaking, it hasn't gone well.  But this time, I pulled out my good friend the sweet potato and... magic!

Start by roasting one large sweet potato in the oven.  Easiest way to get this done:  cut lengthwise so you have two long halves of potato.  Spread on a baking sheet, skin side down, and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast at 350 degrees for about a half hour - but you'll know it's done when the potato is tender.  Pull it out of the oven and peel off the skin.  Put the potato flesh into your food processor.

Add one can of chickpeas (rinsed), 2 Tbsp tahini, the juice of 1/2 a lemon (at least this much, maybe more to your taste), 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp tumeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne (or more to your taste). 

Blend it up until very smooth.  Serve with lemon zest shaved on top.  Dip carrots, celery or pita chips!

Delicious Beet Borscht

Well, friends, I finally committed!  I have been researching CSAs and organic/local farms recently to see about getting a weekly/biweekly fresh veggie basket delivered to our house.  It's easier and less expensive than doing my own grocery shopping, and I'll get to try a variety of produce that I know comes from natural sources and is pesticide/chemical free.

So I found a service and my first delivery was today!  I've signed up for biweekly baskets from Fresh Option Organic Delivery (freshoption.ca).  Today's basket included an amazing assortment of fresh fruits and veggies, and I was immediately inspired to get cooking.  I've just whipped up this easy and flavorful beet borscht and couldn't wait to share it with you!
First things first:  roast your beets.  You'll need about 3 medium beets.  Cut a large piece of aluminum foil and wrap your beets into one package.  Crimp the edges so they're sealed.  Roast for 45 minutes at 450 degrees, and poke them occasionally with the tip of a paring knife.  If they feel tender, they're done.

While you're roasting the beets, start the flavor base for your soup.  Chop into large chunks:  8 pearl onions (or one medium white onion) one large carrot, and 3 or 4 ribs of celery.  Saute for 10 minutes in a large pot with a little olive oil, until onions start to brown and carrots are tender.  Add salt and pepper to your taste.  Dice two red potatoes and add them in.  Saute until potatoes begin to brown slightly.  Add 1-2 tsp of thyme and 1 tsp sage.

When beets are tender, remove aluminum foil and peel them.  This can be done by rubbing with a paper towel, or wearing rubber gloves and rubbing the beets between your hands.  Once peeled, cut the beets into chunks and add to your pot.  Cover the veggies with 3 cups veggie stock and 3 cups water. 

Simmer soup for 15-20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Variation:  if you love cabbage, add some!  Instead of 3 cups veggie stock, make it 5 cups.  After soup has simmered the 15-20 minutes, add two large handfuls of shredded cabbage and stir until just tender but still a little crunchy.  Delicious!

Coconut Rice Curry Soup

This soup is spicy and satisfying, not to mention very easy to make!

Start by dicing up one large onion and sauteing it in olive oil.  Add one diced bell pepper and one heaping tablespoon of thai red curry paste (more if you want it really spicy).  Stir occasionally for four minutes.

Add one cup of rice (I prefer a mix of brown and wild rice, but use what you have) and four cups of water.  You can use veggie stock instead for extra flavor.  I add the water and then two veggie bouillon cubes.  Bring to a simmer and keep it on medium-low heat for 40 minutes.  Stir occasionally so rice doesn't stick to the bottom.

While soup is simmering, chop up one large sweet potato into 1/4" cubes... and decide how you want to cook it.  You have options here:  either roast at 500 degrees until the cubes are soft and browned (about 20 minutes, give or take), or just throw them into the simmering soup after the 40 minutes are up, and let it simmer another 10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.  If you roast the potatoes, coat them in a little olive oil and curry powder.

After the rice is fully cooked, add 1 can of coconut milk plus another cup of water.  Then add 1 tsp tamari (or soy sauce), salt and pepper to taste, and 2 tsp tumeric for color.  Stir the soup and heat it for another 5 minutes until the coconut milk is warmed up and mixed in well with the rest of the soup.  Then pour in your roasted potatoes.

Garnish with cilantro/lime/cashews.  Serve very hot.

what to do with kale and eggplant

Last night, one of our friends stayed for dinner.  Eirik, a self-proclaimed "meatatarian," is a bit of a foodie and honestly, I wanted to impress him and show him that vegan cooking isn't all rice and beans and boring veggie side dishes.  So I created a vegan feast which turned out beautifully (if I do say so myself).  PS - Eirik agrees!

I started out with a gorgeous eggplant and tomato casserole, adapted from Laura Calder's recipe (found on www.foodnetwork.com).  I substituted a few ingredients and it was delicious!  It tastes like a thick and hearty tomato soup, and the eggplant is really filling.  Here goes:

Eggplant and Tomato Casserole

Take 1 large eggplant and cut into 1cm thick coins, then cut in half again so they resemble half moons.  Brush both sides with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste if desired, and roast at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping them over at the halfway point.

While the eggplant roasts, dice one red onion and saute in olive oil until soft.  Add Frank's Red Hot Sauce - about 1 tsp, or to taste and stir for another minute.  Then add 2 large cans of diced tomatoes, and mix well.  Let simmer for 30 minutes.  Then add 3 Tbsp fresh chopped herbs (basil, oregano, sage, rosemary... whatever you have).  Remove from heat.

In a large casserole dish, spoon just a little tomato sauce into the bottom, then spread out one even layer of eggplant slices.  Top with a generous even sprinkle of breadcrumbs, and pour a layer of tomato sauce on top.  Repeat until eggplant is used up.  Top with remaining tomato mixture, a generous layer of breadcrumbs and Daiya mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees or until cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are crunchy.

This recipe makes such good next-day leftovers.  Just reheat in the oven with another layer of breadcrumbs and Daiya.  See?

I knew I wanted to use kale in my side dish, so I made a variation of a recipe found in Kim Barnouin's Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook.  Her recipe for Kale Ravioli is sure to impress any doubtful carnivore.

Ravioli Filling:

**If you don't have any cooked brown rice on hand, start here!  You will need 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, so follow your package directions to make the rice... and then continue making your filling.

Saute 1/4 finely chopped red onion with 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger.  When onions are soft, add 2 cups finely chopped kale (kale should be smaller than bite-sized pieces so it mixes well with the other small ingredients in the filling) and 1/2 cup cooked brown rice.  Cook 5 minutes until kale is wilted.  Mix in 2 tsp tamari if desired (adds great depth of flavor).

Wonton Wrappers:

Whisk together 2 cups white flour and 1/2 tsp salt in medium bowl.  Slowly stir in 1/2 c warm water until dough is stiff.  Knead on floured surface, about 5 minutes.  Dough should become stretchy.  Do not overwork or your ravioli will be tough!  Cover the dough with the bowl and let it sit 20 minutes.  Divide dough into 3 balls and roll each one out very very thinly.  You will need to make 8 3-inch squares from each ball of dough.  Once you have rolled and cut all dough, you will have 24 3-inch squares. 

Assembly:

Place a tablespoon of filling into the center of each wrapper.  Fold in half (diagonally, to create a triangle) and moisten your fingertips to seal the edges.  Steam ravioli for 3 minutes (you may need to do this in batches) then fry ravioli in 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil for 1 minute on each side. 

This ravioli recipe can be adapated as a side dish for many recipes.  Serve with a white wine sauce to accompany an Italian meal.  Or whip up a peanut sauce and pour over ravioli for an Asian twist.  Hoisin sauce makes an easy dipping sauce too.  Try out new filling options:  swap cabbage and julienned carrots for kale; or what about a dollop of mashed sweet potato with curry and chickpeas?  Once you've mastered the basic prep and assembly, you can make these ravioli taste like anything! 

And here's the final product:

Sweet Potato Peanut Curry Stew

I'm in the mood for some good comfort food today.   Outside looks gray and cold, and inside I can't get the house warm enough, so I need some hot food to warm up my insides. 

Here's my take on a sweet potato peanut curry stew, full of veggies and hints of ginger and coconut.

You'll need:

2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion
the equivalent of 1 whole bell pepper, diced (use any combination of green, yellow, orange or red peppers)

Heat the oil in a large soup pot.  Saute the onion and bell peppers until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the following spices to the pot:

1 Tbsp curry powder (at least - or more to your taste!)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Stir together and let cook another 5 minutes.  Then add:

1 large sweet potato, cut in small cubes

Cook another 5 minutes, then add:

1 can coconut milk
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas
1/4 c peanut butter
1-2 c veggie stock (depending on how thick you want the stew)

Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.

Garnish with cilantro, lime, and whole unsalted peanuts.

Enjoy over rice, quinoa, or just by itself!

Cheezy White Bean Dip

This is my take on a bean dip recipe from one of my all-time favorite vegan cookbooks: Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan!  It's easy to make, and has a spicy, cheezy flavor.  And it's healthy, too - a great source of protein!

Combine the following in a food processor:

1 can cannellini beans
1/2 cup nuts (cashews are ideal, but I've substituted almonds and it's still yummy!)
2 tsp vinegar (white wine vinegar is delicious, but you can spice things up with red wine vinegar or even balsamic!

Blend it up until the nuts are broken down.

Then add:

1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp tumeric (optional; gives the dip a nice cheezy yellow color)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
2/3 cup soy, rice or almond milk
1 Tbsp olive oil

My secret ingredient:  2 tsp Frank's hot sauce (or more to your taste).   It gives a nice spicy kick and some great color. 

Blend it up again until smooth and creamy.

Transfer to an oven-safe dish and warm it at 350 degrees until bubbling.

Try with tortilla chips and salsa, or raw veggies (carrots, broccoli, bell peppers) or use as a pasta sauce. 

I could eat this entire recipe in one sitting...

Cheeeeze Sauce

Tonight I had the worst mac n' cheese cravings.  If we had a box of KD in the house, I might have caved and ripped it open... that's how bad the craving was.  Now that I think of it, this craving has been with me all day... I remember thinking about tearing open a pouch of orange powder and stirring it into some pasta.  Hmm.

So at 830pm, I finall decided it was time to make some mac n' cheese.  Nothing like a second supper, right?

I've been checking out other websites for their recommendations, and I think I've come up with a good recipe.  (If I had any Daiya cheese in the house, I would have just melted some over pasta and called it a night... but I had to get creative instead).

Here it is:

Blend 1/2 a small onion until verrry smooth.  Combine with 2 Tbsp Earth Balance in a small pot, and let that cook for a couple minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Add 3 Tbsp white flour, mix well, and give it another few minutes to cook together.  Add 1 cup veggie broth (I use bouillon that I mix with boiling water - it speeds up the cook time for this sauce) slowly, and whisk so there aren't any lumps.  Bring it to just bubbling, and turn off the heat.

Mix in the following:  1 Tbsp + 1 tsp nutritional yeast, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/8 tsp tumeric, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt, depending on your veggie broth.  Mine is salt-free, so I add 1/2 tsp.  And if you're feeling adventurous, add 1/2 tsp curry powder, for great color and extra flavor!  Add more veggie broth to thin the sauce if desired.

Enjoy over pasta, greens, or if you're like me, by the spoonful right out of the pot. 

Looking for a picture?  If your cheeze sauce is thick and yellow, you've probably made it right.

Herbed Rice & Bean Pilaf

The most delicious and filling rice-and-beans I've ever had... if I do say so myself!

You will need:

1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 cup dried bean mix (I love Tru Roots Sprouted Bean Trio)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
4 cups whole baby spinach leaves
1 tomato, diced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Optional:  6 halved bell peppers

Start by cooking the rice and the beans - in separate pots - following the package cooking instructions for each.  Brown rice generally cooks for 45-55 minutes, and Tru Roots Sprouted Bean Trio needs only 5 minutes on the heat, and 10 minutes off the heat.

In a separate frying pan, combine onion, carrot, and bell pepper.  Saute until golden, then add spinach and mix until wilted.  Add tomato, remove mixture from the heat, and stir in all spices.

When rice and beans have cooked, add them to the pan, mix, and season as required.

Optional:  stuff rice pilaf into bell peppers and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Green Lentil Veggie Soup

When I started telling friends and family that I had decided to eat a vegan diet, the most common question I was asked was "How will you get your protein?"   It's amazing how the world seems to think that if you're not eating animals, there is no other way to get protein into your diet.

I've been doing my research recently to find out exactly how much protein a vegan needs, and what the best sources are.  At 23g of protein per 3/4 cup, green lentils are an amazing source of protein - plus they're yummy and have great texture! 

This Green Lentil Veggie Soup is easy to prepare and tastes delicious... and it makes great leftovers, too!

Using your large soup pot, start by frying one diced white onion and 2 diced carrots in grapeseed oil.  After 5 minutes, mix in 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp sage, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Stir to combine, then chop 2 large potatoes into quite small pieces and stir in.  Add one half of a medium zucchini, diced, and cook for another 2 minutes.

Pour 4 cups veggie stock into the pot.  Then add 1 1/4c dry green lentils.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Check the lentils to see if they're cooked:  nice and soft means they're done; tough and chewy means they need to be simmered for longer.  Check every 5 minutes until you like the texture of the lentils.

For a thinner soup, add another cup or two of veggie stock. 

Serve topped with croutons if desired.

Veggieful Corn Chowder

With my fridge full of veggies that are on their way out, I set out to make a corn chowder.  It's a cool fall day and I'm in the mood for some comfort food to warm up my insides.   I've used cauliflower to thicken the soup instead of the usual potatoes.

Veggieful Corn Chowder goes something like this...

Steam up about 1/4 head of cauliflower, blend it until it's in small chunks, and set aside.

Using your large soup pot, fry the following for 5 minutes in grapeseed oil:
1/3 of a large red onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, chopped finely
1 large carrot, diced

Add a good pinch of salt, black pepper to your taste, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp sage.  Stir and fry for another 2 minutes.

Add 2 c vegetable stock and 2 c almond milk.  Bring to a simmer.

Once simmering, add the cauliflower and 2 c frozen corn.  Bring back to a simmer and stir occasionally for 10 minutes.

If you want a thicker soup, add 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with a little water.  Repeat until you reach desired thickness.  If you want a thinner soup, add another cup of veggie stock.

Season to taste and serve with crusty bread and a heap of green salad.

Substitutions:  add steamed potato instead of cauliflower.  instead of bell peppers, add zucchini and frozen peas. 

Cooking with... Acorn Squash

I love to grocery shop. 
I know many people feel it's a chore.  I choose to look at it this way:  I can shamelessly put as many items in my cart as I choose, and it doesn't matter what the bill is, because I NEED TO EAT.  That's how I justify my grocery shopping sprees to my husband, anyway.

While rummaging through the fresh produce aisles in Superstore (if you've been to my Superstore location, you know that it does take "rummaging" to find the produce you want), I passed a whole barrel of acorn squash.  I looked longingly at the beautiful squash, unsure of what I could even make with it!  I passed by twice more and finally stopped to pick the cutest squash I could find, and bring it home to be mine, all mine.

And then I did a lot of Googling.

If you don't like squash soup or baked squash topped with nuts and dried fruit, and if you don't have the time/patience to make ravioli, Google can't help you use up that squash.

So I got inventive. 

Here's my recipe for Thai Peanut Squash Noodles:

I prepped my squash (cut in half, removed seeds, drizzled olive oil, sprinkled salt) and roasted it in the oven at 400 F for 45 minutes. 

While my squash roasted, I fried up half a white onion, and half a yellow bell pepper in some olive oil. 

And I mixed my peanut sauce in my blender:  1/2c peanut butter, 1/4c water, 2 Tbsp tamari, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1/2c unsalted peanuts, 1/4tsp red chili flakes (optional).

And then I boiled some white rice vermicelli (150g or so) for a few minutes.

When the squash was fork-tender, I removed the skin from one half, roughly diced it, and threw it in with my fried veggies until it was a little caramelized.  Then I combined everything (veggies, peanut sauce, noodles) in the noodle pot and mixed.  The squash was so tender, it mushed up and became part of the sauce.

And then I offered some to my hubby.  He doesn't think much of squash and was surprised that it blended right into my sauce.  He ate his entire bowlful... and then asked if I was going to finish mine!

Variations:  top with cilantro and peanuts.  Substitute lime juice for rice vinegar in the sauce.

And then I had half of a roasted squash left in the fridge.

So for lunch today, I made Thai Squash Curry:

I put 1c brown rice into 2c boiling water and let it simmer on low for 45 minutes.

Then I fried up the other half yellow pepper and white onion from yesterday, and added 1/4 head of chopped cauliflower.

In my blender, I pureed up 1/2 of the half squash that was left (so 1/4 of a whole squash!) with 1/2 can coconut milk and 2 Tbsp red curry paste, with salt to taste. 

Then I added the other 1/2 of the half squash to the pan with the mixed veggies, and poured in the squash sauce from the blender.  A cup of veggie stock will thin out the thick sauce.

Served over brown rice.

What I love about these recipes is that they don't take much effort (just throw it into a blender!) and they taste great!  ANNND you're getting vitamins you need!

Hope you enjoy!

Learning How...

Hi Friends,

Good news!  I've decided to become a vegan!
My journey into the vegan/vegetarian world started about a year ago after watching Food Inc., but that's another story.  Two months ago, I officially decided to be a vegetarian, and I've recently decided that I should take the plunge into veganism!

The biggest change I noticed in myself since becoming a vegetarian is that I physically feel different.  Lighter somehow.  I'm not sure what that's all about, but I'm enjoying it!

And many friends told me that my grocery bill would be lower because meat is so expensive.  What I didn't take into account is how many more fresh veggies I consume... so no, my grocery bill hasn't gone down at all.  It might have actually increased with all the began pantry basics (nutritional yeast, agave nectar, etc) I've been stocking up on.

So join me as I learn to eat, cook, and live like a vegan!