Sunday, September 16, 2012

Steamed Brussels Sprouts tossed in a Maple Tahini sauce


Brussels sprouts are not the average person's favourite but heres a quick way to make them tasty.  This Maple Tahini sauce is definitely one of my new favs.

3 cups brussels sprouts
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Braggs aminos
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp grated ginger
dash of cayenne


Steam frozen brussels sprouts for 7-8 minutes.  While that is happening, whisk the ingredients for the sauce together.  If you want the cause a little thinner add a tsp of water.  After steaming, toss the brussels sprouts in the sauce.  I sprinkled a few chia seeds on the top but you do your thing and enjoy these healthy buds.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Vegan Omelette


This is one of those breakfast/brunch type comfort foods that I've been meaning to try to make for sometime but was always scared of end result disappointment.  Somehow it all worked out the first time around.  To get that yellowish colour that generally associated with an omelette, it's best to use turmeric and nutritional yeast which in my opinion add to the flavour as well.  Below I listed what I used for the filling in this particular one, but the sky really is the limit based on your level of available time, creativity, experimentation etc. Enjoy!

1 package medium-firm tofu
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
3 tbsp almond milk(soy, hemp etc)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp tahini
1 tsp Braggs aminos
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 clove of garlic or dash of garlic powder (optional)
dash of cayenne (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth. This is enough for two so pour the ingredients, half at a time, into a non-stick, slightly greased pan(I just spray a little olive oil) at medium heat using a spatula or spoon to level it out into a thin but not too thin circle(think thin pancake or thick crepe).  Cook until the underside becomes a golden or a darker brown colour.  Lower heat and spoon your filling of choice on one side, then folding the other half of the omelette carefully over the filling.  Let it sit for another few minutes on the pan before serving.

The filling I used

2 cloves of garlic
1/2 small onion
6-8 mushrooms thinly sliced
handful of spinach
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Daiya Cheddar cheese(or your preferred vegan cheese)

Warm the oil, then saute all of the ingredients for about 4-5 minutes at low-medium heat except the spinach.  Lowered the heat, then added the spinach for another 2 minutes.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

A little something I tried tonight.  I'm a fan of just a hint of heat in my chocolate and thus the Cayenne


Chocolate mousse
2 avocados
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 cup raw agave nectar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp almond milk
pinch of sea salt
dash of cayenne

Cashew whipped cream
1 cup raw cashews(soak in water for at least an hour)
1/2 water
1/2 cup raw agave nectar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
pinch of sea salt


1. Mix all of the ingredients for chocolate mousse in a food processor
2. Mix all of the ingredients for the Cashew cream in a high speed blender
3. Spoon mousse into cups, then layer with the cashew whipped cream, top with berries of your choice and enjoy





Sunday, September 2, 2012

Vegan Mexican Pizza

Hello all!  Once again I took a little too much time off so I decided it was high time I post again.  This time around I decided to tackle a Mexican style pizza.

What I used:
Whole wheat flour tortillas
Tomato paste
Jalepeno
Red bell pepper
Blackbeans
Red onions
Tomato
Avocado
Cilantro
Nutritional yeast
Garlic powder
Chili powder
Daiya cheese

I started with two whole wheat flour tortillas, sprinkled some Daiya Cheese in between them and then loaded all the toppings except tomatoes, avocado and cilantro.  I put it in the oven at 350ºF for about 12 minutes and then added those last three ingredients.  Some may like there tomatoes heated with everything else but I always prefer my raw along with the avocado and cilantro.
Enjoy amigos!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Raw Vegan Blueberry and Blackberry Cheesecake

As is the question for a lot of people that make raw almond milk: 'What can I do with the pulp? I don't want to throw it out!', I found myself googling different ideas and thought I would try using it in the crust of a raw vegan cheesecake.  Never having tried this before, I was happy how it turned out so I figured I'd share.  One thing I did do that I'm not entirely sure was necessary, was I dehydrated the crust for about an hour as I felt there may have been a little much moisture in it. 

Crust ingredients:

1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw almond pulp
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1/4 hemp hearts
1/8 cup coconut oil (melted)
pinch of sea salt
Filling ingredients:

3 cups raw cashews
3 cups blueberries
1 cup blackberries
3/4 coconut oil
1/2 cup raw agave nectar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt


For the crust put the walnuts into a food processor and chop them up until the are fairly fine, then combine with all of the other ingredients for the crust.  Do not forget to melt the coconut oil which is generally a solid at room temperature.  You can do this by sticking the bottle of coconut oil into a sauce pan of warm water until it becomes a liquid.  
Take your springform pan, grease it lightly with a little bit of the coconut oil and press mixture into the pan.

After soaking the raw cashews for several hours, I soaked them for about 3 hours, blend all of the ingredients together.  Depending on the size of your blender you may need to do this in two stages.  If so, just mix together in a bowl after and then pour mixture on top of the crust in your pan.  Put it into your fridge or freezer to harden for a few hours.  This will allow the coconut oil to harden once again and help make it a little firmer. 
Then decorate as you wish.  I just topped it with a few berries and made a quick sauce out of some blueberries, agave nectar and lemon juice.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Panko

Mushrooms can be one of those polarizing foods.  Some love 'em, some hate 'em.  I love them and thought I'd try my luck with Portobello mushrooms.  It's a fairly simple meal that takes about 45 minutes from start to finish.  I don't usually measure my ingredients that much when I make food so these amounts are approximate.  

2 portobello mushroom caps
1/4 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 kale leaf
1/4 red bell pepper
1/3 cup vegetable broth
1 cup panko
1/2 cup Daiya cheddar shreds
1 tsp Earth Balance original spread 
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF

2. In a food processor or blender, blend onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, kale, red pepper, vegetable broth, 2/3 cup panko, 1/4 Daiya, salt and pepper into a chunky mixture

3. De-stem mushroom caps and scrap gills out

4. Brush olive oil on a pan or on tin foil on a pan and place the mushroom caps in the pan.

5. Fill caps with the mixture

6. Place in oven for about 20 minutes

7. Mix remaining Daiya and panko with the Earth Balance spread

8. Top with the Daiya/panko mixture and broil for a few minutes until the 'cheese' is melted and the panko crumbs start browning

Enjoy!