Nutty Rhubarb Loaf

Nutty Rhubarb Loaf

 Yield: 2 Loaves

Going nuts for rhubarb :)

Equipment:

Dry measuing cups

Liquid measure cup

Measuing spoons

Large mixing bowl

Meduim Mixing bowl

Two 4 X 8 bread pans

Large baking sheet

Whisk

Rubber Spatula

Cutting Board

Knife

Sifter

Non stick spray

Toothpick

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup brown sugar

2. 1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped

3. 2/3 cup oil

4. 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

5. 1 cup dairy free milk preferably coconut/almond milk (I used Earth's Own)

6. 2 teaspoons white vinegar

7. 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

8. Pinch salt

9. 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

10. 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

11. 2 teaspoon cianammon

12. 2 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped

13. 1/4 cup almonds, chopped

14. 1/4 cup cashews, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease two 4 X 8 bread pans with non stick spray

Prepare and measure ingredients 12-14 and set aside

Prepare and measure ingredients 1-6  into a large mixing bowl and whisk until evenly combined

Prepare and measure ingredients 7-11 into a medium size mixing bowl

Sift the contents of the medium mixing bowl into the large mixing bowl and fold both the mixtures together until just combined

Fold in the rhubarb, almonds and cashews until thoroughly combined

Split the dough between the two bread pans and place both bread pans on a large baking sheet 

Bake in the oven at 350F for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean 

Allow to fully cool before removing the loaves from  the pans 

Slice and Enjoy

Quinoa Taco Salad

Quinoa Taco Salad

Servings: 4

 

A healthy dish with the wonderful flavors of Mexico

Equipment:

 

Medium cooking pot

Large mixing bowl

Rubber spatula

Dry measure cups

Liquid measure cup

Measuring spoons

Can opener

Strainer

 

Ingredients:

 

1. 1 cup quinoa cooked to package insturctions

2. 1 12oz can kernel corn drained

3.  1 19oz can black beans drained and rinsed

4. 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke

5. 1/2 teaspoon cumin

6. 1 teaspoon chilli powder

7. Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions: 

 

Prepare Quinoa to package instructions (one cup makes about 4 servings)

Place the cooked Quinoa  into a large mixing bowl 

Prepare and incorporate the rest of the ingredients into the Quinoa with a rubber spatula 

Serve and enjoy with toppings of choice (see note 2)

Notes:

1. This salad can be served hot or cold. If cold is preferred allow the quinoa to cool before mixing in the rest of the ingredients

2. Serve this salad with toppings of your preference. I served mine on a bed of raw spinach (about 1 cup loosely packed) and topped each individual salad with 1/2 avocado and 2 tablespoons of salsa. This salad would also taste great inside of a tortilla or hard shell taco.  

Pineapple and Coconut Green Smoothie

Pineapple and Coconut Green Smoothie

Servings: 1

A fruity green smoothie! 

Equipment:

 

Blender

Cutting board

Knife

Liquid measure cups

Dry measure cups

Measuring spoons

 

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup coconut water
2. 2 cups of fresh pineapple
3. 1/2 cup coconut milk
4. 1/2 cup packed spinach
5. 4 ice cubes

Instructions: 

 

Measure and prepare all ingredients into small enough pieces to be blended

Place all ingredients into the blender and blitz

Serve in a chilled glass and enjoy

Hummus

Hummus

Yield: Approximately 2 Cups

Nice and creamy without the tahini

Equipment: 

Food Processor

Can opener

Strainer 

Measuring spoons

Cutting board

Knife

Rubber spatula

Ingredients:

1. One 19 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed

2. 2 garlic cloves

3. 1 Tablespoon olive oil

4. 1 Tablespoon sesame oil (see note 1)

5 Salt and Pepper to taste

6. Chilli Powder to taste (optional)

7. 2 Tablespoons sliced pickled Jalapeno (optional)

Instructions: 

Prepare the chickpeas and place them into the food processor

Pulse only the chickpeas a couple of times to break them up

Prepare the garlic by crushing the garlic cloves. This is done by putting pressure on one garlic clove at a time with the flat side of a knife. This will make it easy to remove the garlic skin and garlic germ (see note 2)

Add all the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blitz, scraping down the sides as needed until the hummus is a smooth and creamy texture

Place in an airtight container and store in the refridgerator

Enjoy the hummus by serving it with your favorite vegetables or on sandwiches/wraps. 

Notes:

1. I am not a huge fan of hummus with a lot of tahini so I experimented by using sesame oil instead. It still gives a nice "smoky" flavor and creamy texture to the hummus. A bonus  is sesame oil is not as expensive as tahini.

2. The garlic germ is known to cause the unpleasant gas many humans deal with when garlic is consumed. So to fully enjoy this hummus I recommend to remove the germ. For details check out the following link: http://www.finecooking.com/item/13895/removing-garlic-germ

Pineapple and Mango Juice

Pineapple and Mango Juice

Servings: 2 

Simple and delicious way to get your fruit today!

Equipment:

Blender

Cutting board

Knife

Liquid measure cups

Dry measure cups

Measuring spoons

 

Ingredients:  

 

1. 2 cups fresh pineapple

2. 1 cup frozen or fresh mango

3. 2 cups water

4.  3 pitted dates

5. 2 tablespoons milled flax seeds

6. 5 ice cubes

 

Instructions: 

 

Measure and prepare all ingredients into small enough pieces to be blended

Place all ingredients into the blender and blitz

Serve in a chilled glass and enjoy

 

 

A great video to watch

I really hope everyone watches this video. Especially women and people who have dealt with cancer or any other diseases. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kgnA1yVcIY

Vegan BBQ!

Vegan BBQ!

The best part of summer is the barbeque!! 

 Being new to the vegan lifestyle, I was not sure what I could BBQ.  After some research and a chat with my Chef, I got creative with marinades and discovered that BBQ vegetables are excellent. Vegetables  do not take long to pick up a marinades flavor. I only let mine sit maybe an hour and the flavor was delicious. Also, since vegetables are fat free, they do not char like meat, so that nasty burnt taste that sometimes happens with meat is completely avoided. Just be sure to cook on a medium temperature.

In the photo above, I did grilled eggplant marinated in olive oil, black pepper, sesame oil and soy sauce. The asparagus were done with olive oil, sriracha and black pepper. Simple and delicious. Other favorite vegetables of mine to grill are portobello mushrooms, zucchini and peppers. I also love potatoes with carrots mixed with onions done in tin foil.

  Most vegetables can be grilled so be creative and have a happy and healthy summer!!

Green Smoothie

Green Smoothie

Serves:2 

A delicious and vitamin packed meal replacement

Equipment:

Blender

Cutting board

Knife

Liquid measure cups

Dry measure cups

Measuring spoons

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup cooked quick oats

2. 1 cup spinach, packed

3. 2 fresh basil leaves

4. 1/4 of a large English cucumber 

5. 2 slices of lime, peel removed 

6.  1/8 cup green pepper

7. 1/8 cup red pepper

8. 1/4 avacodo 

9. 2 tablespoons milled flax seeds

10. 1 1/2 cups low sodium tomato juice

11. 6 Ice cubes

Instructions:

Measure and prepare all ingredients into small enough pieces to be blended

Place all ingridents into the blender and blitz

Serve in a chilled glass and enjoy

The Ninja Master Prep Professional

Master The Kitchen!! 

I love this product and I highly recommend it.  It is great to have a product that can be both a blender and a food processor. Can make  pretty much anything with it.  I love making shakes and smoothies with the big guy. The little guy makes great hummus and pesto. I picked it up on sale at Canadian Tire.

The following link is to the Ninja Recipe book: 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/szmanuals/bd7dbacb73490fc04fe307e6080d52b6

This link is to the offical webpage:

http://www.ninjakitchen.com/NinjaMasterPrepPro.shtml?tabID=detailsCont

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Chocolate Chip Pancakes 

 Yield: 4 pancakes

Mmm... chocolate

Equipment: 

Medium size bowl

Sifter

Dry measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Rubber spatula

Whisk

Cooking spatula

Frying pan

Ladle

Oil for cooking/ non stick spray

Ingredients: 

1. 3/4 cup all purpose flour (can do half whole wheat also)

2. 1/4 cup quick oats

3. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

4. 1 tablespoon brown sugar

5. 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

6. 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

7. Pinch salt

8. 1 cup dairy free milk

9. 1 1/2 tablespoons oil (not olive)

10.  1/2 teaspoon vanilla

11. 2 tablespoons dairy free chocolate chips 

Instructions:  

Prepare the batter my sifting the flour and then whisking ingredients 1-10 in a medium sized bowl

Allow the batter to stand 10-15 minutes before cooking to allow the oats to soften

Ladle the batter into a heated, oiled pan and allow the first side to begin cooking

Add some chocolate chips  to the top of the batter of the un-flipped pancake
As soon as the chocolate begins to melt and the other side has browned flip over

Repeat this process until all the batter is gone

Enjoy

Note:

To keep pancakes warm while cooking the others,  have the oven set at a low temperature and put the cooked pancakes on a pan in the oven.

Using Leftovers Wisely!!

 I love leftovers!!

One way to keep on top of healthy eating is to batch cook food. I like to cook large amounts of brown rice and quinoa so I have some for meals for a couple of days. I also often keep a cous-cous bean/vegetable salad on hand. This way if i have a hard day at work, I still have something good to eat. Here is an example of two nights of vegan meals made with the same product and tweaked by adding a couple of different ingredients.  I do not have the recipes done up yet, but can do if requested

Day 1: White bean and tomato sauce quinoa served with balsamic roasted cauliflower and "cheese" sauce. 

 

Day 2: Oven baked zucchini lasagna made with white bean and tomato sauce quinoa 

 

Beet Salad

As a cook in the restaurant industry, I have noticed a recent popularity for beet salads. Sure, beets are great for you, but if you slap on a bunch of cheese and dressing the calories creep up and the health benefits disappear.  The other night for dinner, I used this recipe from The Vegan Stoner to make my own at home.  For my own tweaking, I roasted the beets in the oven at 400F (depending on the size of the beets this could take up to an hour) and when they were cooked, I placed them in an ice bath so I could easily peel them. I then removed them from the water allowed them to rest to fully cool before slicing them.  While the beets were cooling, I made a simple vinaigrette in my food processor by blending olive oil, balsamic vinegar and black pepper until smooth.  As for the "cheese" I blended some fresh parsley, sun dried tomatoes and chopped garlic  in the food processor until evenly combined. I then pulsed my tofu until it was crumbled, placed everything in a bowl, ensured it was evenly combined and allowed it to rest in the refrigerator.  A tip is beet leaves have a very strong flavor, so it may be best to combine them with some other lettuce or spinach. After everything is ready and the beets are cooled, slice the beets to your liking and plate the salad however suits you!! I know this seems like a lot of work, but  the recipe is mostly waiting for the beets to cook/cool. Also, the salad is so delicious and pretty, it is worth the wait. The best part of beets to is they keep for a couple of days so you can have leftovers!!

http://theveganstoner.blogspot.ca/

Best Pre Workout Shake!!

Peanut Butter Apple Shake

Serves: 1

Equipment:

Blender

Knife

Cutting board

Apple corer
Liquid measure cup 
Measuring spoons

Ingredients:

1. 1 apple
2. 1/2 cup dairy free milk
3. 1 1/2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
4. 1-2 tablespoon flax oil / milled flax seed (optional)
5. 6-8 ice cubes

6. 2 tablespoons dairy-free chocolate chips (see note)

Instructions:

Cut apple into small enough pieces so the blender can process it
Add all ingredients to a blender and blitz
Enjoy

Note: 

To make this delicious shake a dessert omit the flax oil/seeds and  add chocolate chips to the mix

Granola Bars / Veganstoner.com

I recently made these granola bars. I substituted the agave for maple syrup and they still turned out very well.  I am a big fan of the website where this recipe came from. It is called the vegan stoner. It contains very simple recipes so anyone can cook cheap, fast and vegan. I do note though that some of the recipes may not be the best for some health conscious people, but most are excellent. 

 http://theveganstoner.blogspot.ca/

Is your drink vegan!?!

Is your drink Vegan??

Beer? Wine? How could any of that not be vegan one could wonder. As a beer enthusiast, I know I did. However, the truth is that many companies do use animal products either directly  in the brewing process or in the filtration process. How to know what is safe?? Barnivore!! It is an excellent website to find the answers to your questions and keep your mind at ease!

http://www.barnivore.com/

Choclate Chai Tea Shake

Chocolate Chai Tea Shake

Serves 1

 A great pre work out shake

Equipment:

Blender
Liquid measure cup 
Measuring spoons

Ingredients:

1. 1 1/2 cups chai tea 
2. 1/2 cup dairy free milk
3. 1 scoop chocolate soy protein powder 
4. 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter (optional)
5. 6-8 ice cubes

Instructions:

Brew and chill chai tea
Add all ingridents to a blender and blitz
Enjoy

Vegan Gluten Free Black Bean Brownies

Black Bean Brownies

Yield: 12

 Chocolate treats that ease your body, mind and soul!

Equipment:

 

Food processor

Food Safe Gloves 

Apron

Can opener

Dry measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Rubber spatula
12 slot standard size muffin tin
Non stick spray 

Small pot

Small metal bowl

 

Ingredients:

 

For The Brownies: 

 

1. 2 large flax eggs (2.5 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water)

2. 1 3/4 cups black beans OR

    1 15 oz. can well rinsed and drained

3. 4 Tbsp natural peanut butter

4. ¾ cup cocoa powder

5. 1½ tsp baking powder

6. 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

7. 1/3 cup brown sugar

8. Pinch Salt

9. Dairy Free Milk

 

For The Topping: 

 

1. 1 1/2 Tbsp almond butter

2. 1/2 bar dark chocolate (50g)

3. 1 tsp  brown sugar

4. Sliced almonds for garnish

 

Instructions:

 

For the brownies:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan

Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then allow to rest for a few minutes

Add ingredients 2-8 and puree until smooth

If mixture seems too thick, add Tablespoons of dairy free milk until very smooth but not runny

Evenly distribute the batter into the greased muffin tin

Smooth the tops by running a spoon along the top

Bake in the oven for up to 20-25 minutes  (until they are easy to remove from the pan)

Remove from oven and allow to stand for 30 minutes before gently removing from pan

 

For The Topping:

 

Once the brownies are fully cooled and removed from the pan melt ingredients 1-3 using double-broiler method until evenly combined

Dip each individual brownie in the mixture top side up

Place sliced almonds on top of each brownie

Allow brownies to stand in the fridge for the chocolate to harden

Enjoy

Note:

 For best flavor choose all  ingredients of the organic variety 

Vegan Blog!!

I am changing the style of my blog. I am changing it from a recipe blog to a Vegan Lifestyle blog. Do not mind the older posts with meat and animal products. This is a new chapter and I hope you all enjoy!!