A Veggie-Q for my QT!

Being a vegetarian does not mean that you can’t enjoy summer parties, potlucks and BBQ’s. You just need to get a little creative and have fun with it. So this past weekend was my fiances birthday. He  wanted a low key night, a dinner in with some family and close friends. Of course what this means, is that I am making dinner! Which is no problem of course, I  love providing delicious goodies, especially things that everyone can enjoy! Not everyone who was coming was a vegetarian, but that didn’t matter, my mom took care of some chicken for the group, and I handled the rest!

Make sure that when you are in this situation, you find out what all your hunny’s favourites are – and go from there (hopefully you know them already!). Luckily everything that Ryan loves, are things that everyone could enjoy – and they also make great compliments to the main meal.

So we started off with some yummy appetizers,  There was a  home made guacamole, parsley-hummus, along with an organic store bought salsa – lots of spelt flatbread and organic corn chips for dipping. Then we had a selection of side dishes – Ryan’s favourites include (quinoa tabule,  pasta salad, yam fries and “caesar” salad) and the main meal for us was Organic Sunshine Burgers (which  are truly scrumptious) simple ingredients and are so easy to enjoy at a summer-Q with or without a bun!

Of course the night was topped of with Ryan’s all time favourite – a tender Chocolate Cake – made from spelt flour (all vegan and sweetened with maple syrup) crowned by an almond butter, cocoa icing – this is his number one request on a annual (or more like weekly) basis! So I paired this with coconut-mint (from my garden) cacao ice cream (the colour green in the ice cream is actually from Ormus Super Greens). No one even questioned why the ice cream was so bright green! I may even post this recipe too since it was soooo fantastic!

So there you have it, an amazing, wholesome meal that everyone can enjoy – lots of variety, flavour and texture. You want to keep your crowd happy, but most importantly you want to make your CUTIE smile on his birthday!

If you are in need of some delicious summer recipes – there are still a few spots open in this weeks SENSATIONAL SUMMER RECIPES CLASS on Wednesday night!

The Dips – post enjoyment!

I meant to take this picture before they were all devoured!

Quinoa Tabule – a perfect summer recipe!

Brown Rice Pasta Salad with Garden Snow Peas!

My Delicious Plate of Goodness!

Vegan Caesar on left and Sunshine Burger on right- under the guac and hummus

My Award- Winning Vegan Chocolate Cake!

Vegan – Mint Cacao Coconut Ice Cream

Chocolate Cake with Mint-Cacao Ice Cream

Me and my QT (Ryan)

Mint-Cacao Coconut Ice Cream

2 cans of organic coconut milk

1/4 cup vanilla rice milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp fresh stevia leaves (only the fresh leaves or else leave it out!)

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (or you can use a few drops of peppermint oil)

1-2 tbsp Ormus Super Greens (it has a minty flavour)

1/4 cup cacao nibs

Place all the ingredients except the cacao nibs in a blender and blend until smooth, creamy, and green.

If you have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture in and begin to churn, adding the cacao nibs after a few minutes.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in a large bowl for about an hour, then remove and stir in cacao (so they don’t all sink to the bottom).

Then continue to freeze for another hour or two (depending on the consistency you like).

ENJOY!!

If you are in need of some delicious summer recipes – there are still a few spots open in this weeks SENSATIONAL SUMMER RECIPES CLASS on Wednesday night!

Please share what veggie dishes you like to make in the summer for special events and occasions!

Thriving on a Plant Based Diet

It is quite possible to gain extreme  health benefits on a plant based diet. You can attain not only your fitness goals but your health and your weight goals as well. Long gone are the days that we need meat and dairy to get that lean physique. A low carbohydrate diet is not the answer either – your body need carbs in all it’s forms (except refined ones of course!) along with good quality essential fats and protein! Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and sprouts are the way to go. Not only do our bodies assimilate the nutrients from plants much quicker, but they are much easier to digest – leaving you feeling great with exuberant amounts of energy and attaining all of your health and fitness goals.

There are many health gurus and products that have dedicated their effort to prove the benefit of plant based foods on your health and fitness goals. There are now world renown athletes that consume these diet and thrive! Brendon Brazier for example,  the man behind the Vega product line – not only stands as an example of a triathlete that has attained extreme gains in his fitness through a vegan diet, but has also provided the world information, supplements, protein powders and food bars to help others get there.

Other products that support this is my latest found love – Sun Warrior Protein - which has happily been in my life now for over a year. I can’t even begin to tell you how great I feel on this product. The raw fermented brown rice protein that sun warrior provides my cells – is like nothing else. It gives me energy before a workout, replenishes me after a workout and provides me with balanced smoothie and a whopping 15 grams of protein per serving (which is the perfect amount – in addition to the other goodies in my smoothie!).

It may not be enough for me to say it myself, you may have to pick up a book (The China Study, Thrive (Fitness), Food Matters, In Defense of Food, Green for Life , Superfoods) to believe me, but plant based foods will help you reach your fitness and health goals – I promise. And as I said you will not only feel great, but you will look great and you will only want to do great things!

To learn in person from me or learn how to make some super delicious high plant protein, complex carbohydrate and healthy essential fat recipes – then join my Fit and Fabulous class on April 14th!

Here is how you can start to Thrive on plant based foods: ( just add one or more of these foods into your diet and you are on your way!)

1. Coconut water -replenishes your cells and your energy before of after a workout

2. Hemp seeds – will give your salad a protein boost with high quality essential fatty acids – while giving it a nutty kick

3. Quinoa (and other gluten free whole grains) – are easy to digest forms of complex carbohydrates that will give you long lasting energy

4. Almond butter – will give your body protein, calcium and healthy fat to keep your bones and muscles strong

5. Kale and other leafy greens – provides magnesium and chlorophyll to cleanses your blood and invigorate your cells

6. Avocado – gives your body essential fatty acids while nourishing your nerves and your skin

and don’t forget to use a variety of SUPERFOODS like goji berries, cacao, maca, mesquite, bee pollan and spirulina – full of  protein and essential vitamins and minerals!

Please share with others how you thrive on plant foods or how you fuel your body pre/post workout! We all want to hear!

Carob Fig Frozen Fudge

these are high in plant protein, rich in calcium and make a perfect pre or post workout snack!

1 cup figs, soaked

1 ½ cups filtered water

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

1 ½ cups almond butter

1 ½ cups raw carob powder

½ cup hemp seeds

1. Place the figs in a bowl and cover with water and soak for about an hour, until soft. Drain reserving liquid.
2. In a blender, blend the figs, and vanilla until smooth, slowly adding soaking water as needed to form a creamy consistency.
3. Transfer the fig mixture into a large bowl, add the nut butter, and stir to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the carob and hempseeds.
5. Gradually add the dry carob mixture into the wet fig mixture. Stir well. Press evenly into a 10 by 18 inch brownie pan, 1 inch thick, and freeze until firm (about 3 hours).
6. To serve, cut into 1 inch squares.

A Coconut a day…

I have recently been struck with coconuts. I am talking the real deal, whole, full and ripe young coconuts. It can’t get much better than this (well yes it can, if only I lived under a coconut tree!). But this is still pretty good. So I have been enjoying cracking them open, putting in my glass straw and sipping my way to health. A coconut is only good if you can share it! So of course I had to extend the invitation to my favourite 2 year old – Andy. He is the most delicious little guy who not only drinks “coco-mutt” right from the source but enjoys such things as kale chips, blueberries, smoothies and any other concoction that is mom has in store (which is pretty much the cleanest diet that a kid can eat!). Did I mention that he loves just about every bite of it! If only we could get kids these days to eat coconuts, kale, quinoa, dried apples – instead of wonder bread, peanut butter, candy and coke, then we would be heading in to a much brighter future for generations to come! There are ways to get these vital ingredients into children. You have to start young and you have to make it fun for them. They need to know that “healthy” food can be colourful, interesting and delicious. If it is anything short of that – they will be at the vending machines in no time!

In my last post The Full Package, I discussed the importance of having a litter- less lunch packed full of yummy snacks. This is great for not only a child to take to school, but also for moms on the go – that way there are always healthy snacks available for any time of the day.

If you make it fun at home by making snacks with your kids, and showing them that you too love to eat healthy food, then hopefully they are sure to follow. I can’t speak from experience yet – but if Andy’s mom can do it with three kids – then anyone can!

Have you ever seen a kid so happy to drink a smoothie that was made with the purest of ingredients? This ones got chia, avocado, banana, cocoa, rice milk and Sun Warrior Protein!

What about here where he is eating just pure blueberry puree and loving every second of it?Or here, this is the best one, because he can’t wait to get his hands on these delicious and nutritious kale chips!

This just goes to show you a that kids can get excited about healthy organic and nutritious foods that will most definitely…keep the doctor away!

Please send me your best kids pictures or favourite healthy snacks that your kids just LOVE to eat!

For those of you still in question about Coconuts and their extreme health benefits and relevance to the human body – please CLICK HERE!

My Favourite Vegetarian Meal!

This is a tough one for me, but I assure you – I do have a favourite vegetarian meal and so do you!

But first let me tell you about my favourite meal and then read on to find out why yours is important too.

Okay, so my favourite vegetarian meal is one that I like to create when I want something nourishing, warming and revitalizing. In which case I pretty much go for the foods that connect with this energy and make me feel amazing. My go to grain is usually quinoa, this is the best foundation for a wholesome dish. It is nutty, light, high in protein and digests immediately. Then I like to add in all of my favourites – starting with some baked marinated tempeh for it’s juicy and hearty texture, roasted sweet potatoes for some natural sweetness, steamed kale – a meal isn’t a meal without some greens, avocado – for it’s creamy and smooth consistency and then some chopped almonds for some raw crunch. Then to top this dish off I like to add in some tamari – natural salty flavour and tahini for a rich boost of calcium. This is my absolute favourite meal!

Now why am I telling you this, because I want to make it apparent that everyone has a favourite food or a favourite meal, maybe it’s a snack or a drink. Whatever it may be there is something that you have eaten that has made you feel amazing – and I want to know what that is – especially if it is plant-based!

So if you tell me, this is going to work out for you because I am having a contest in which you will have a chance to win a FREE Fully Nourished Cooking Class!

Yes you heard me, you can attend any one of my cooking classes for free!

Well… there are some conditions that this contest is based on.

The premise: Tell me your favourite plant based/vegetarian meal, snack or drink. It can be raw, cooked, gluten free, sweet, savoury – anything you like! Just nothing that comes from an animal (this means NO fish, chicken, meat, eggs, cheese).

The reason: I want to know WHAT about this plant based or vegetarian food item that made you feel happy, excited, proud, energized, nourished, balanced etc…You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to do this or have had this experience!

There is significance and purpose to this contest. Not only will I highlight the winning answer on my blog, but the winner will also get to come to any on of my vegetarian Fully Nourished Cooking Classes absolutely free of charge (value over $100). This contest will also demonstrate to people that plant based foods not only taste amazing but have an incredible impact on your health and I want as many people as possible to exploit and share their experiences!

So there are many factors that this veggie experience can be based on. It can be the taste, texture, smell, colour, flavour of the meal – it doesn’t matter to me. I just want you describe what it was and what it did to you that made you excited about healthy plants based food. This can be anything from a simple salad with pumpkin seeds to a coconut banana smoothie. Please share your story, your experience – the more detail you give me, the better chance you have to win.

I am giving you (my readers) one week to post your foodie delight in my comment section – share it on twitter, share it on facebook. And then after that week, I am going to pick my three favourite ones and post them and then you (my readers) will be the judge and pick your favourite one. Then I will contact the winner personally and invite them to come to any vegetarian cooking class of choice to have more amazing experiences eating delicious plant based foods.

I have one more question…are you ready?

Get posting!

This could be you!

“Burger” in a bowl

A burger doesn’t always need to go in a bun. A burger can be eaten on a salad, on a pile of grains or just alongside some steam veggies. When I refer to “burger” here, I am talking about an all natural veggie burger made from whole food ingredients. See Recipe Below!

If I were to put my burger on bread, it would be bread made from either spelt, kamut or sprouted grains. Companies such as ShaSha, Little Stream and Grainsfields make excellent breads that are easy to digest, high in protein, fiber and taste delicious!

But in this particular case, I have deiced to put my “burger” in a bowl. Not just in a bare bowl all on its own, but a bowl filled with quinoa, steamed green veggies (broccoli and snow peas from my garden), steamed sweet potatoes and then topped with tahini and tamari toasted almonds. Wow what a bowl! It was a random occurrence of ingredients, but that is the best way to make a meal – especially a vegan one. You can get as creative as you want and just throw a whole bunch of things together and you have yourself a whole foods, balanced meal. Not only is this meal colourful and full of texture but there is also an amazing amount of calcium, protein, fiber, beta carotene, b vitamins, minerals etc… all jammed packed into one little bowl.

Making a homemade veggies burger is also a great way to get in some healthy nutrition and fulfill that urge to eat something that is burger like and has a “meaty” or rich texture. By meaty, I mean (hearty/grainy) so in this case you can use grains, beans, root veggies, nuts and seeds and not even have to go the length of using a faux meat or soy based substitute to get that “patti or juicy burger” option. There are much more naturals options!

So the next time you want to get a little creative and make a burger and throw it in a bowl – make sure to fill both the burger and the bowl up full tasty and nutritious ingredients!

If you have a veggie burger recipe that you would like to share…please leave a comment!

Black Bean Veggie Burger

1 cup black beans, soaked overnight or use 1 can or Eden organic black beans

1 cup sweet potatoes, shredded

1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup red onion

1/4 cup spelt flour

2 tablespoons tamari

3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon cumin

Procedure:

1. Rinse soaked beans, place in a pot with water (cover by 1-2inches). Bring water and beans to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1-11/2 hours. Remove from water and drain. Or rinse and drain can of organic black beans.
2. Place beans in a bowl and mash. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Scoop 1/3 cup of batter at a time to form burger patties.
4. Place burgers on a baking sheet (you may need two)
5. Bake in oven on 350 F for approx 45 minutes.
6. Serve with sprouted buns, a salad or  and enjoy!

PASSOVER those cookies please!

Passover, the Jewish holiday celebrated this time of year is known for its traditional recipes and ingredients that have been used for centuries. The premise is to make savoury and sweet recipes that do not “rise”. In this case, many families have become accustomed to purchasing either pre-packaged “kosher for passover” treats or making their own “unhealthy” desserts. In which case, many of the ingredients are either full of fat, sugar and other processed ingredients that are tasteless and unsatisfying – (not to mention the digestive back up that comes along them).
I want to assure you that you don’t have to settle for bland desserts and cookies during Passover- there is another way!

All that is required is a little creativity and knowledge of what grains and alternative flours can be used and what other natural ingredients can be put together to make delicious treats that are not only comprised of butter, eggs, sugar and matzah!

So, I got a little crazy in the kitchen concocting all sorts of amazing passover cookie recipes. I wanted to prove to my own family that passover desserts can not only taste great, but also have some amazing nutritional properties (protein, fiber and heart healthy fats)!

I took some traditional cookie recipes and modified the ingredients by using almond flour, quinoa flour and amaranth flour as the main ingredients. (For the record these are not only kosher for passover, but are also gluten free!). Then I used natural sweeteners like agave nectar, maple syrup and brown rice syrup and oils such as grapeseed, organic canola or coconut oil and then some added in some fun ingredients like nuts and seeds, chocolate chips, coconut and naturally sweetened raspberry jam.

It is simple and may even save you some money to make your own treats this year! So enjoy and have a little fun in the kitchen. Then pass-over your own healthy and delicious cookies to everyone in your family!

Passover Friendly Jam Dot Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds, ground to fine meal
1 cup quinoa flour
1 cup amaranth flour
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup melted coconut oil, sunflower, canola oil
½ cup maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt
Raspberry or Apricot Jam

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350, line 2 baking sheets with Parchment paper.

1. In medium bowl, combine almonds, both flours and cinnamon. Mix well to combine.
2. In separate bowl, blend oil, maple syrup, and sea salt. Add to nut mixture and stir to combine.
3. Roll into walnut sized balls. Place on baking sheet and press down with thumb.
4. Fill indentation with jam and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Gourmet and Gluten Free

Despite what people might think, eating a gluten free diet is not limiting at all. In fact you can get more variety eating a gluten free diet than most people do eating their average diet. When people don’t have any limitations, it is ironic, but that is when people tend to eat the same thing day in and day out. When one is restricted to a specific diet either for health reasons (allergies, intolerance’s, sensitivities or digestive problems) – it forces you to become more creative and add more variety to your everyday eating.
On Wednesday night at my “Gourmet and Gluten Free” cooking class, my participants learned just that. By incorporating gluten free foods in your diet you can have more variety, colour and balance then you ever would have dreamed. For example we made these delicious “Everything Cookies” (recipe below) that had just about everything in them – except for gluten! Based on the response – these cookies tasted better than anything they had ever expected. Also included in the menu was a creamy carrot ginger apple soup, a quinoa pilaf salad with cashews and cherries, a tofu vegetable stir fry with buckwheat soba noodles, black bean and yam burgers, a pesto sauce on brown rice penne pasta and guacamole with blue corn chips. As you can see, there is no lack of flavour, variety, colour and texture in this menu. Gluten free grains are also extremely high in protein, calcium, vitamins, minerals and best of all they don’t make you bloated! You don’t have to be intolerant to gluten to have this variety in your diet – just be creative and have fun.

A word on Gluten:

Gluten is the protein in wheat that many people nowadays have difficulty digesting. If someone is gluten intolerant, they are likely to have Celiac Disease. This can be an extremely severe situation for some people as everyday digestion is compromised causing inflammation of the small intestine.
People who suffer from Celiac Disease need to stick to a gluten free diet indefinitely.
If someone is just simply sensitive to gluten containing foods it is important to stick to gluten free foods as much as possible to keep the gut lining nourished and soothed.

Examples of Gluten Free Grains:

Grains & Grain Products
GF Grains: amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn (cornmeal, corn grits), fava, flaxseed, garbanzo bean (chickpea, besan, gram or channa), hominy, hominy grits, kasha (toasted buckwheat), millet, pure uncontaminated oats, quinoa, rice, sago, tapioca

GF flours: bean flours (garbanzo, fava, romano), pure buckwheat flour, buckwheat bran, cornstarch, cornmeal, corn bran, garfava flour (garbanzo + fava bean flours), mesquite flour, quinoa flour, montina flour (made from Indian rice grass), nut flours and nut meals, pea flour, potato flour, potato starch, rice flour (white and brown), sorghum flour, soy (soya) flour, teff (or tef) flour

Breads and baked goods made with GF grains and free of other gluten-containing ingredients

Pastas made from rice, beans, corn, potato, quinoa, soy, wild rice and other GF grains
Cold cereals: puffed corn, amaranth, buckwheat, millet or rice, rice flakes and soy cereals
Hot cereals: hominy grits, soy grits, cream of buckwheat, cream of rice, puffed amaranth, rice flakes, quinoa flakes, soy flakes
Rice: brown, white, basmati, jasmine or wild rice
Grains: buckwheat, millet, amaranth, rice, corn, quinoa

Corn or rice tortillas

Everything (but gluten) Cookies

Ingredients:

1/3 cup maple syrup or agave
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp brown rice syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. almond butter
1/3 cup tahini
1 cup quinoa flakes
¼ cup puffed amaranth
¼ cup brown rice flour
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup chocolate chips
¼ cup ground flaxseeds
1/3 cup currents
1/3 cup sesame seeds

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease 2 large cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, honey, vanilla, almond butter and tahini.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Pour wet mixture over dry and stir to blend well.
4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared bake sheets.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cookies will firm up as they cool.

Makes 20-24 cookies.

Nourish yourself this year!

Start off the year right. You owe it to yourself to nourish your body with fresh delicious food and your mind with the satisfaction that you can make the choice to be the best YOU this year. Make the right choices now, or else January will pass by to quickly. Then in February… well no one feels like starting anything new in February. Then March comes and you tell yourself you may as well wait until the spring or summer to start eating right or getting in shape or going on a cleanse. Well I am telling you that if you start right now, by the summertime you will already be looking and feeling great!

So the key is to get yourself motivated today. Start up a new exercise program and fill your kitchen full of healthy choices. You may even want to take a COOKING CLASS (see side column for details) or two, get yourself loaded with health supportive and tasty recipes to get you on your way – just email me if that is your plan!
I am also offering a WHOLE FOOD MAKEOVER WORKSHOP series starting next week that should definitely get you on your path to good health and well being. Sometimes you just need a little push in the right direction to get you on your way.
But if you are the type that just wants to do it yourself, then let me at least give you a few tips to get 2009 to YOUR best and most nourishing year ever!

1. Choose fresh and whole foods everyday
2. Choose organic and bio-dynamic foods as often as possible
3. Choose food that is fresh, local and seasonal
4. Choose foods that are colourful, vibrant and that vary in texture, flavour and shapes (this is great for kids too!)
5. Experiment cooking with different grains, legumes, vegetables and spices for variety
6. Limit your consumption of fried, processed, packaged and sugar laden foods
7. Limit your consumption of commercial meat and dairy (instead select naturally raised or organic whenever possible)
8. Start up a new exercise program, even if that means taking a walk around your block!
9. Find alternative methods for relaxation, healing and rejuvenation (massage therapy, aroma therapy, acupuncture, tai chi, yoga and pilates).
10. Have Fun!

Quinoa with Porcini Mushrooms and Dried Cranberries

Ingredients:

1-cup quinoa
2 cups water or vegetable broth
Salt
1 ounce (3/4 cup) dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup minced red onion
1 garlic clove
1 stalk celery
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 cup dried cranberries or currents
½ toasted pinenuts or pecans
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley or thyme

Procedure:

1. Rinse quinoa and place in large pot and dry toast on a low heat for a few minutes. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil with salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Combine 1 cup of water with porcini mushrooms in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mushrooms soak for 20 minutes. Then drain the mushrooms, reserving the mushrooms and the liquid separately. Roughly chop the mushrooms.
3. Warm the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 7 minutes. At the last minute add the spinach.
4. Add the reserved mushrooms, the garlic, and the cranberries and sauté until the cranberries are heated through about 2 minutes.
5. Add the pinenuts, quinoa, salt and black pepper to taste, and the mushroom soaking liquid. Cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve hot.

Whole Grain Goodness

They Deserve the Very Best!

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