Pineapple Sorbet

I like to keep it really simple most days, and Wednesday posts is where I really want to showcase how eating very simply can be amazingly delicious and satisfying.

I was looking through my list of recipes that we're already photographed and realized I didn't really have anything that would fit that mission. Until I dug through some realllllllyyy old pictures I had taken in Toronto when I had no idea what taking a good food pic meant!

It's great to really see the progress I've made over the last 9 months though.

This pineapple treat could not be easier to make. It requires a bit of pre-planning to cut and prep the pineapple for freezing (or you can just buy it frozen). But other than that, all you need is a good blender or food processor and you are set. 

Did you know that its takes about 2 years for a pineapple to grow to maturity?

This is the type of recipe that really got me into raw foods in the first place. The ease in which you can make a wide variety of frozen treats is astounding. The variety is limitless and you can have ice cream for breakfast. Score!!

Sorbet has always been one of my favorite frozen treats and while you can find plenty of vegan choices at the grocer store, many of them have dairy and/or gelatin of all things. Not to mention preservatives and all those nasties. So why not whip up a little pineapple goodness in the comfort of your own kitchen?

Pineapple Sorbet

- 1-2 large ripe pineapples, cut into chunks and frozen overnight

This is as simple and delicious as can be. Dump all your pineapple into your food processor with the S blade. Process until smooth.

Note: You may want to let the pineapple defrost a bit before processing, it’ll make it easier and faster.

Enjoy!

Meatless Monday's: Creamy Chipotle Potato Soup

I think that the food group people worry about missing the most when going plant-based is dairy. Which isn't surprising because not only is it actually addictive, the taste and texture is seen as hard to mimic.

Nowadays, this couldn't be further from the truth.

With the development of nut cheeses as well as the soy and tapioca based ones, there is a wide array to choose from on that end. They are great transition foods, and a treat now and again.

There are some things that can make creamy delicious dishes without any of them AND be low-fat. The magic is in the potatoes! (or cauliflower, but that's for another post)

I also used a little homemade coconut milk to make it even more decadent, but it isn't essential if you want to keep this meal fat-free.

You can choose to top this with any vegetables, but I found that roasted broccoli was the perfect compliment. Any wilted greens would also work very well.

Creamy Chipotle Potato Soup

-       10-12 medium potatoes (I used a mix of red and yellow)

-       2-3 cup of water or veggie broth

-       1 onion, diced.

-       ¾ cup nutritional yeast

-       1 tbsp chipotle flakes (or more depending on how spicy you like it)

-       1 cup coconut milk (I used homemade)

-       S/P

Toppings:

-       1 head broccoli, cut into florets

-       1 onion, sliced

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.

On a cookie sheet, spread out the toppings and roast for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.

In a large pot, boil the potatoes until tender. I always slice them into smaller pieces to speed up the process. Whole potatoes take an eternity.

Drain the cooking water and in batches, blend the potatoes with the rest of the ingredients, making sure to use enough liquid for each batch to get super smooth and creamy. Put it all back in the same pot, or soup container thing (see pictures, I can’t think of the proper name…). Either top the serving bowl with the broccoli mix, or each individual bowl.

Serve hot, with a simple salad.

Enjoy!!

ALSO: as I have mentioned I have some plans to grow the blog. I would LOVE your input and have put together a short 2 minute survey. I would be eternally grateful if you could fill it out.
Here's the link. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YJ6PH75

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What I eat Wednesday's and Homemade Coconut Milk!

Welcome to the first What I eat Wednesday.

The purpose of this series is just to give a bit of a glimpse of what this blog is really all about. Lifestyle encompasses more than just the recipes I post, and along with the food I eat I'll talk about other subjects like fitness, meditation, self-love, gratitude and other lovely things that have proven to lead to better health and vitality.

I would also love some guest bloggers for What I eat Wednesday's, so if you feel up to it, send me a message or comment below.

I will also pop in a recipe now and again. Today it's something fairly simple: How to make fresh as can be Coconut Milk.

But first, let's start with breakfast!

The first meal of the day consisted of a beautifully ripe pineapple before the day's exercise (sprints and squats). It was really sweet and I'm guessing much higher in calories than any of the pineapple I've eaten in Canada. This is the biggest issue with fruit that's picked unripe and shipped, it just has no flavor, never ripens properly and cause digestion issues. I couldn't eat a full one because my mouth burned after 1/2. Now I eat to my heart's content!

Meal numero dos was a simple banana smoothie, I'd say about 10-12 medium ones. Just pulse blended in the blender with some pure water to the right smoothness and enjoyed throughfully.

I had another pineapple in the afternoon, I swear I could live on them!

Dinner was no doubt the most complex meal of the day. Rice with yams, red peppers, onion, nappa cabbage and a raw curry sauce made with homemade coconut milk.  The sauce is so simple, just one coconut worth of milk, 2 tomatoes, some curry powder and lime juice. If you use salt, add some in. I've been on a no-salt kick since January 1st and it's still taking some adjustment.

How to make Coconut Milk!

It's as easy as buying a coconut, I usually like using young thai coconuts, but whatever you have access to will work perfectly. Here, they have these yellow or green coconuts which are sometimes sweet, sometimes not so much. Anywho, cut open your coconut. There is a range of techniques and tools to do this, I've become pretty good at just using a knife. I suggest looking at a few youtube videos to see what works best for you. It's really worth learning!

Pour the water into your blender carafe. Now the trickier part, to get the meat out you can try a few things. The easiest way that may not get all the flesh is to just use a spoon from the opening you made to get the water out. Another way, which I always get my partner to do for me, is to smash the coconut on some hard surface (usually cement) to crack it open.

Once you've got the meat out, put it into the carafe with the water. Blend it until smooth. If you are going to cook with it, you don't need to add anything but if you want a sweeter milk, add in some soaked dates or coconut sugar along with 1/2 tsp of vanilla.

Enjoy!

Super Simple Collard Burrrrritos and Guilt Free Tortilla Chips

Sometimes you just have to take it as it comes and find a way to make it all work.

After a rather uneventful move from Toronto to our temporary home here in Ottawa, I came to discover that we don't have high speed internet, just an internet stick that quite frankly reminds me of dial up after having a crazy fast fiber connection at our condo. But hey, it's better than nothing.

With adjusting to my temporary life here, I've been struggling to get organized and get everything rolling again. Between prioritizing schoolwork so that I graduate before our big move to Costa Rica for the winter and working a new job with more hours than I had at the restaurant in Toronto, blogging has been a constant on my mind, but not something I've been very successful at apparently.

Hopefully I've gotten all under control now and post will return to their normal frequency.

Today's recipe is warming, simple and comforting. The three main things on my mind lately when it come to nourishment. Fruit quality and availability isn't really comparable here in Ottawa to what it is in Toronto, especially with the access we had to the Ontario Food Terminal. So we've been eating a bit more rice, potatoes and other whole food carbs to fill in the blanks.

When avoiding gluten and most flours, it may seem difficult to make certain dishes that used to be staples. When it comes to wraps, most ones on the market that are conveniently pre-made are either not to my taste or just full of things I'd rather not consume. The best part is that you don't have to settle if you feel the same way. Collards are the perfect replacement that are just as easy to use, plus you get a serving of greens in. There are a million ways that you can fill them, this one is easy, fast and bursting with flavor.

I chose to also include in this lovely meal, a side of home-made fat free tortilla chips that are so easy to make that they barely warrant a recipe. All you need to find is some 100% corn tortillas (I bought mine at Whole Foods) and cut them into triangles, bake at 450F until crispy. If you want them flavoured, you just need to toss the triangles with desired spices (maybe a bit of liquid to get them to stick, although I haven't tried this, so experiment at your own risk).

Super Simple Collard Burrritos

Ingredients:

- 4 large collard leaves, stem cut off.

- 3-4 cups of cooked rice

- 1 cup black beans

- 1 bell pepper, chopped

- Salsa, as desired.

- Chili powder

- Cumin

- Hot Sauce

Optional Toppings:

- Guacamole or avocado

- Refried beans

- Chopped red onion

- Cashew Sour Cream

Rinse collards well and pat dry with a kitchen towel, then gently slice off the thick part of the stem that runs through the leaf, being careful not to tear the leaf. Then at the top, where the stem was cut, slice off a bit of each corner of the leaf. 

Pile on the toppings, starting with the rice, spices, hot sauce, beans and finishing with the peppers and salsa, leaving a third of the bottom and sides empty

Fold closed as follows: 

Grab the bottom third and fold it over the toppings, then grab the sides and fold over, keeping it closed with a toothpick threaded through.

Serve with guilt-free tortilla chips and dip of choice.

Enjoy!

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