Meatless Monday's: Cheezy Miso Quinoa Bowl

Ah Monday's, such an under-appreciated day!

I totally get why, for most it's the day that you get to go back to the daily grind. Which is why I totally support the Meatless Monday initiative. It's a great way to start off the week on the right foot. Filling yourself up with some quality nutrient dense food will help make this day better.

Also, I need to start learning to post earlier.

I'm still trying to get the hang of this scheduling thing that I told myself I would keep up with as a New Year's goal. I don't call them resolutions anymore, since I make a pretty decent list of things that I want to accomplish in the next year. They aren't all year long commitments, but I make my health and fitness goals every year. Like this year I want to run a half marathon and do a sprint triathlon among a few other things. There's also things like wanting to publish an e-book, a 30 day meditation and yoga challenge and coming here to Costa Rica. 2014 is going to be busy! Just like I like it!

Anywho, this bowl is one of the things that I just love to eat whenever I'm in the mood for some comfort food. The sauce has been a recipe of mine, that's been changed up a bit, from my very early vegan days when I was craving cheezy things often. Now, having said that, it doesn't exactly taste like cheese by any means,but has a very similar flavor profile that I find definitely hits the spot. It's also great as a Mac n' Cheeze sauce, over potatoes, broccoli...

Cheezy Miso Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients:
- 2-4 cups quinoa
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets.
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced.

Sauce:
- 2-3 cup almond milk
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp miso (or to taste)
- ¼ cup gluten free flour
- 2/3 cup salsa
- 2 tbsp turmeric

Cook the quinoa and the sweet potatoes in the same pot, about 20 minutes.

While the quinoa/s-p’s are cooking, sauté the onion with a bit of water until translucent, then add the rest of the veggies with ¼ cup of water and cover to steam.

In another pot, combine the nooch, turmeric and flour until well incorporated, then whisk in the almond milk and miso. Heat on a medium-high heat, whisking frequently until it has thickened up. Now add the salsa.

Assemble your bowl! Quinoa, sweet potato, then veggies and as much sauce as you prefer! I basically drown my bowl in sauce, but then again I am a sauce addict!

ENJOY!!

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Holy Moly Low-Fat Chili Cheese fries

Sometimes I spend hours of my time just thinking about how to make favorite foods into healthy alternatives. Not even just my favorites, but everyones. It's a question I love asking people. I think I might be obsessed...

My partner and I had a guilty pleasure restaurant in Toronto that made epic vegan Chili Cheese Fries. I was hooked. But they we're so full of fat and processed foods that I felt terrible after eating them. I wanted all the taste and satisfaction without the unhealthies.

So, as I have been known to do, I brainstormed up a healthy delicious way to make these something I could have for dinner whenever the craving came on.

The trick here was making everything from scratch with quality ingredients that taste amazing on their own, and even better when combined.  The techniques themselves are simple and easy to accomplish.

I think that this would be an epic dish to serve at the Super-bowl, or any party really. Or dinner. I actually made these for the first time at a Grey Cup party that I hosted. I wasn't exactly doing it for the game. I was much more motivated by great company and being able to whip up a bunch of food to share with everyone.

As a small side note, There is the suggestion of using Daiya, which is vegan cheese. It is on the processed side of things, but I think that it's a great product to use to introduce the vegan lifestyle. You can also make a simple cheeze sauce with nutritional yeast to get that cheezy flavor. I'll be posting an easy one soon!

Holy Moly Chili Cheese Fries

Ingredients:

- 1/3 batch Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

- 1 batch Oven Fries (below)
- 1 recipe Guacamole (below)
- 1/2 recipe sour cream
- Nutritional Yeast or Daiya or Cheeze sauce of choice
- Green Onions, chopped.
- Hot sauce of choice

Assemble into a bowl as follows: Fries, Cheeze or nooch, chili, guac, sour cream and green onions. Hot sauce to top it off if desired!

To keep it low fat, only use about a tablespoon of guac and sour cream per bowl.

Dig in!

Oven Fries:

- 10 medium potatoes, cut into fries or wedges
- Hot water
- Seasoning of choice

Soak your potatoes in hot water for at least 3 hours, if you don't have that much time, soak them for 20-25 minutes in water that has been boiled.

Pre heat oven to 415F

On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, spread out the potatoes in one even layer and season to taste (I used a salt-free cajun spice mix).

Cook fries for 20 mins, flip and cook another 10-15 until cooked through. If you want them to have a bit of a crisp broil on high for a few minutes but make sure you watch them carefully! I almost burnt a batch once or twice by getting distracted by other things.

Guacamole:

- 2 medium or 1 large avocado
- 2 tbsp minced red onion
- 1 small tomato, diced.
- 1 lime, juice of.
- Cumin, pepper, cayenne.

Mash avo, mix in the rest in, Voila!

Sour Cream:

- Meat of 2 young thai coconuts
- 1/2 cup pre soaked sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp or so lemon juice
- Water to get it all going.

-Blend, Blend, Blend... Blend more. Until smooth as, take a bit between your fingers to ensure it's totally smooth.

ENJOY!!

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Whole Food Blonde Macaroons

I've never actually had a traditionally made macaroon.

The first one I tried was at the raw vegan restaurant I was working at in Toronto, and man were they addicting. But the ingredients we're not my general M.O., cashews, coconut oil... 

By no eans is this recipe low fat, it's packed with coconut goodness, but it is whole food, nut-free-, gluten-free, flour-free, dairy-free goodness.

They're great for serving at parties (hint, hint: New Years) since they are a handheld goody that just melts in your mouth. Plus, they are so easy to make, that you can get your non-kitchen savvy friend to make them to help you with all the preparations. 

Parties, while they used to be frequent in my life, are now usually reserved for special occasions. The crowds aren;t my scene anymore. I much prefer the intimate small dinner "party" but I'd throw a party anytime just for an excuse to make these. (It's also great that I can downsize the recipe to make just a few, party for one?)

That being said, I've had my fair share of gatherings the past few weeks and I can't wait to get to Costa Rica and have a nice schedule of writing, training and making magic happen!

T minus 4 days until departure!

I've had about as much winter as I can enjoy, once the -25C starts coming along, I'm pretty much sick of it. I'm so lucky to have the opportunity this year to stay warm! Now, I will still be delivering the recipes, some cold weather comfort, some raw tropical goodness. 

Back to the Macaroons!

Macaroons 

Ingredients:

- 2 cup + 3 cups dried coconut divided

- 1/2-1 cup water

- 3/4 cup maple syrup

- 1 tsp vanilla

- If chocolate, add 1/2 cup cacao or carob

- Pinch salt. 

Pre-heat oven to 180F/

In a high speed blender or food processor, dump in the first 2 cups of coconut, maple syrup, vanilla and salt (and cacao/carob if using), Start blending, adding water if needed, until the mixture is smooth.

In a large bowl, pour the blender contents in and add the other 3 cups of coconut. Fold in well until everything is homogenous. 

With an ice cream scoop, form the "dough" into it and then place on a parchment lined backing sheet. 

Place in the oven for 2 hours, until the outside is slightly crispy but the insides are still moist.

Enjoy!!

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Green Bean Casserole Pasta

Mushroom soup and I have a long lasting relationship. As a kid, it was one of my favorite lunches. Once I went vegan though, we had a little bit of a break. But had I known how simple it was to make it, I don't think that would have happened!

Although, now I have to find a low fat raw vegan way to make it, so that I can have it more than once in a blue moon... If you haven;t guessed, it isn't exactly a low fat recipe, which is what I strive for. However, there is nothing wrong with a high fat meal meal now and again. I stick with an 80/10/10 mentality, which is 80% carbs, 10% or less of each protein and fats in terms of caloric intake. This is something that I like having over time, so it's not like I'm strict on having my ratio.

After going through every kind of "diet" imaginable, this makes me feel at my best. No need for restrictions or fancy foods, just what nature gives us in it's simplest form or very minimally processed, combined to make great tasting meals. Also, having tried the low carb approach, I would never recommend it simply because I (and others I know)felt horrible on it, and the cravings are enough to make anyone go coo-coo. There is also so much scientific evidence against forgoing carbohydrates that everyone should take a second look. I am planning on writing an entire post or series on healthy eating and a more nutrition approach to food. 

This recipe is so simple, yet so flavourful, it'll knock your socks off and warm your feet.

I chose gluten free quinoa penne for my vessel, but it's also great over rice or even potatoes.

Green Bean Casserole Pasta

Ingredients:

- 2 cans of coconut milk, or equivalent home-made*

- 2-3 cups green beans, cut into thirds.

- 2-3 large Portobello mushroom caps, minced.

- 1 medium onion, minced.

- S/P

Pasta of choice (or rice, quinoa. Can also be served on it's own as a soup)

In a large deep pan, or pot, saute the onions in a few tablespoons of water until translucent. Add the mushrooms and beans and let cook until mushroom begin to release water. Make sure to shake your can of coconut milk well before adding them in. If you prefer a much thicker sauce without using flour, only put one full can coconut milk and the fat from another. Let cook until everything is nice and melded together. Taste and add seasoning to personal preference. 

If you find that the sauce doesn't thicken up like you want it to, add a bit of flour whisked into water to thicken up. I don't usually use flour, but I prefer doing this than cooking down the coconut milk because it can be finicky and decide to separate if overcooked. 

* Try to avoid using the boxed coconut milk, it isn't thick enough and doesn't cook as well as canned.  If you want to avoid cans, make your own coconut milk instead.

Serve over any kind of carbohydrate and...

Enjoy!

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