Chickpea "Tuno" Salad

Fresh and vibrant are my two favorite words when it comes to food. I mean, there are a million words with which food can be described, but when a dish is made of pure fresh and alive ingredients, it just resonates with me. The way it tastes combined with the amazing feeling of fresh foods is incomparable. 

Even better, is making some food that "someone" was craving but just doesn't fit in our usual arsenal of healthy and plant-strong foods. Sometimes, when you've eaten a certain food your whole life, in this case tuna, it resurfaces as a comfort food craving.

It happens to everyone! The fun thing is, it gives me an awesome outlet to be creative in choosing healthier foods, that still fulfil that craving! This chickpea based "tuno" salad is vibrant and delicious served as a lettuce wrap, a sandwich or a topping on a salad.

It has a nice "fishy" taste from both the seaweed and capers, although they can be used interchangeably I find that the combination of the two really gives it the perfect flavor profile.

Dig in!

Chickpea "Tuno" Salad

Ingredients:

- 2 cups chickpeas, cooked

- 1 avocado, mashed

- 1 sheet nori, crushed finely

- 1-2 tbsp capers, minced

- 2 tbsp lemon juice

- 1 green onion, chopped

- S/P

In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas until they are just flaking. Be careful not to overdue it, we don't want hummus wraps!

Add in all the other ingredients and stir well to combine evenly.

Serve in lettuce wraps with tomatoes, in a sandwich or on a salad.

Enjoy!

Baked Falafels

This months has passed in a crazy fast whirlwind of busyness. Although I haven't been blogging much due to some complicated internet issues, I have been working hardcore behind the scenes to get a few things complete for the next step of Plates for Plants

My partner and I have been working lonnng hours to get the new Plates for Plants website up and running. It is looking pretty darn good if I do say so myself and will blow what it currently looks like out of the water! I've been on  steady learning binge with HTML and CSS terms being crammed into my brain. I'm loving it!

Also, I;ve been working hard on the next eBook. I'm planning for a July release, just in time for this blog's first anniversary! I can't believe it's already coming up fast. I'll be releasing sneak peeks and details throughout June to get you guys as excited as I am about it!

Now let's get to the REALLY important stuff. The food! This was my first time making falafels, not to mention oil and fat free ones. They come out a bit denser than their fried counterparts, but just as delicious. I used the traditional method of using chickpea that haven't been cooked prior. They just soaked overnight and I poured some boiling water over them the next morning to soften them a bit. That being said, since these are being baked I think that a short 10 minute par-boil would make them less dense. I'll try that next time I make some.

These are perfect for a late afternoon snack on their own, or on a salad as pictured. I'm excited to try them in a wrap as well! The salad was fairly simple, just leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, olive and parley with some hummus for a dressing. A simpel Tahini-Lemon dressing would also be great here.

Baked Falafels

Ingredients:

- 1 lb dried chickpeas, soaked overnight

- 1 large onion, minced

- 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped fine

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 2 tbsp lemon juice

- 1 tbsp cumin

- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper

- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

- 1 hot pepper, minced (opt)

Pre-heat oven to 350F

Drain your chickpeas and toss them into your food processor or blender. I had to do this in batches, so I added a relatively proportionate amount of the other ingredients in the blender per batch.

Pulse until everything is well incorporated and ressembles a paste. But be careful not to make it a mush either! This isn't hummus. It should still be visibly flakey. 

Toss everything into a large bowl and mix in with your hands to get everything evenly distributed.

Test to see if the mixture holds together, if it's too wet add a bit of flour, if too dry, add a little water.

With your trusty hands, start forming balls of equal size, then lay them out on a parchment paper line baking sheet and flattem them to disks as pictured.

Bake for about 30 minutes. I found that I didn't have to flip them, but you can do so if desired at the halfway mark.

Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Experiencing the rainy season here is interesting. Some days it threatens to rain all day, but not a drop. Other days it's bright and sunny in the morning, then turns dark and gloomy pretty quick. Today is one of those days. Planning hikes and fruitlucks isn't obvious at this point, but we are risking a beach day on Saturday to hangout with a few fruities in the area. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll be sunny!

Being here has really taught me to be much more self sufficient when it comes to food. In Canada we are so used to things like salsa and hot sauce being both easily accessible and reasonably priced. Here they are usually expensive or full of preservatives and msg or salt. So I've got into the habit of making them myself so thatI can control the ingredients and lower my sodium intake drastically. Not to mention I get to actually pile it on instead of rationing those tiny jars they sell.

Something that may seem like alot of work is actually pretty simple and not too time consuming when you roast the majority of the ingredients. We are salsa obsessed around here, so we go through a large batch a week. No need to can it.

I'm sure it would be pretty simple to can though, I'm just no expert and prefer making batches that will last us a week at most. There are endless variations you can make to this salsa to change up the flavors. This is a basic roasted tomato recipe that is a great place to start from.

To serve with our salsa, I just toasted up some corn tortillas to dip in. We also use it to top our evening meals like rice and potatoes.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

- 5 lbs of tomatoes

- 4 medium/large onions

- 3 large red bell peppers

- 1 tbsp cumin

- 2 tbsp hot sauce of choice or roasted hot peppers

- 1/2 cup lime juice

- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (opt, not shown)

- S/P

Heat Oven to 400F

On a large deep baking sheet line up the tomatoes, onions (skin on) and red bell peppers. Roast for 35-40 minutes then let cool until they can be easily handled by hand.

Skin and core the tomatoes, and skin and de-seed the peppers.

In a large bowl, dump all the tomatoes and squish then with your hands until they reach the texture that you desire. You can also use a food processor for this step if you aren't the hands on type. Drain about half the water, depending on how thick you like your salsa (My partner like to drink the juice, it's quite good!)

Chop the pepper and onions to desired size and add into the bowl. 

Add in the spices, cilantro and lime juice. Give it all a good stir and let sit in the fridge in a tightly covered bowl until ready to serve. It tastes even better the next day!

Tex-Mex Stacks

This post is officially the most time consuming one I have ever posted. 

Not because the recipe was complicated or anything. But because our internet suddenly decided to go back in time to the 90's and act like dial up. 

I think the total time with page loading, image uploading and waiting for other various things to work properly, this will have taken me 6-7 hours to get up on here. If that doesn't display passion and perseverance, I don't know what does!

On the other hand, this may be curbing my social media obsession, Pinterest is impossible to load right now...

Back to the food! This little beauty came to life from various leftovers and odd and ends I had to use up. It comes together in a second if you have cooked rice and potatoes ready to go. The tex-Mex flavors are strong and delicious. You can also amp up the heat with a generous coating of hot sauce.

I was going through quite the roasting phase for awhile and I think the way the tomatoes came out on this was the reason for it. I've started making my own salsa and hot sauces as a result and I don;t think I'll ever go back to buying them pre-made.

You can easily make this recipe fat-free by omitting the guac and the coconut cream if you are monitoring those macros. Although the plantains dipped in guac are sooooo good!

Tex-Mex Stacks

Ingredients:

1.5 cups refried beans

4 tomatoes, sliced

4 cups rice, cooked

2 large potatoes, sliced

1 recipe guacamole
4 tbsp coconut cream (coconut meat and water blended)
Oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes, S/P

In a casserole dish layer the ingredients as follows: potato, refried beans, rice, potato, tomato. Sprinkle with the spices as desired.

Bake at 350F until heated through and the tomatoes are cooked.

Top with guacamole and coconut cream and serve with baked plantains. 

Enjoy!

Lemon Roasted Potatoes

Coming out of a 3 day water fast, I am seriously more appreciative of food. I did it for several reasons, I have some health issues that are being stubborn and need to be addressed but no way of getting any tests at the moment without a massive bill at the end of it all. It is not something I would generally recommend anyone to do without having actual health issues. It's no juice fast.

The intensity was manageable until the last day, where the watermelon waiting for me was just looking far too good to resist. My goal was to do three days, so I am prettyyyyy happy about it. I'm now in the "re-feeding" process and taking a few days to a few weeks to keep my diet uber simple and very high raw if not 100%.

Good thing I plan ahead and makes recipes ahead of time. These lemon roasted potatoes are amazing and reminiscent of the greek potatoes you can get at fast food places (without all the fat and sodium).

I have a salt addiction and I always find that adding lemon or lime to my dishes instead of copious amounts of salt usually satisfies me. Or at least has me adding only a smidgen or it instead. Also, my partner isn;t a big fan of added salt and prefers to have none, so I compromise and often only add some to my portion.

Enough of my babbling: presenting Lemon roasted Potatoes for your viewing and munching pleasure!

Lemon Roasted Potatoes

- 2lbs potatoes

- 1/3 cup lemon juice

- 1 tbsp lemon rind, grated

- 1 tsp dried oregano

- S/P to taste

Pre-heat oven to 375F

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and then toss in the taters and coat. Leave them to soak up all the goodness for at least 20 mins, up to 1 and a half hours. Make sure to toss it all now and again to coat. If you are going to marinate for a longer time period, put it covered in the fridge.

Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, liquids and all. 

Bake for 45 mins to an hour.

Enjoy!

*** SIDENOTE***

I've just release a FREE ebook "12 Quick and Decadent Smoothie Recipes". You can get it right now by signing up for my newsletter in the right sidebar. Enjoy!

Black Bean Tacos and How to make Corn Tortillas

We've moved yet again!

Our new home (for the next 3 months) is a MASSIVE improvement on the last one. The kitchen is truly equipped and functional, we are a 5 minute ride from our fruit stand and everything is much more accessible even if we are further from the beach. Also, no more of these holiday plates.

We also have a few waterfalls nearby that we'll be exploring shortly! My birthday being Friday, we'll be going to the most popular of them that afternoon.

I love birthdays! I even make mine out to span a week (IMO everyone should). Which means food and fun activities for me and my partner. Maybe even some pampering...

Since being here, I have learned how easy it is to make corn tortillas. It's ridiculous really. In Canada, I was always complaining how hard they are to find fresh, and the ones you buy at the grocery store are like cardboard. With the time it takes to actually make them, and the low cost, there is no excuse now.

So now tacos, fajitas and even burritos are a routine thing around here.I even made a pizza crust with the same method and it turned out really good! But that's for another post.

Black beans are definitely my favorite legume, so I though it would be appropriate to present my first taco recipe as being filled with them. You can sub whichever bean you prefer here, or mash them up to make them "refried" beans.

I also made a fresh mango salsa to go with these, gave a great savory-sweet balance that is one of my favorite pairings.

Black Bean Tacos with Mango Salsa 

Ingredients:

- 2 cups cooked black beans, seasoned to taste.
- 1 small head nappa cabbage, shredded
- 10-12 corn tortillas (below)
- 1 recipe Mango Salsa (below)

Assemble your tacos as desired.

I seasoned my black beans with cumin and S/P.

A great addition to this would be some guacamole, coconut sour cream and hot sauce.

Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

- 1 large mango, diced
- 2 large tomatoes, diced.
- 1 bell pepper, diced.
- 1 small red onion, minced
- 1 lime, juiced.
- S/P, cumin, cayenne, cilantro (optionnal)

Combine all ingredient in a bowl and let "marinate" for at least 10 minutes, up to 2 hours.

Corn Tortillas

Ingredients:

- 2 cups masa harina
- 1 cup water

The masa harina is the key ingredient here, you should be able to find it in a local grocery store, but call ahead to ask instead of having to go to a gazillion different ones until you find it.

Mix the masa harina (corn flour) with the water until is forms a solid dough. You don't want it to be sticky or too dry, so add the water a little bit ata time until the texture seems right.

Divide the large ball into 10-12 smaller balls. At this point there are a few ways to proceed. You can use a tortilla press or some parchment paper and a rolling pin, or do like I do without wither of these and use an XL ziplock freezer bag with a bit of flour so that it doesnt stick and a rolling pin (or glass).

Roll out the little balls until they are as thin as you like. Then, on a hot griddle or pan (something that will not stick), cook the tortillas for about 1-2 mins on each side. Voila!

ENJOY!

*** SIDENOTE***

I've just release a FREE ebook "12 Quick and Decadent Smoothie Recipes". You can get it right now by signing up for my newsletter in the right sidebar. Enjoy!

Meatless Monday's: Mushroom Gravy

I've come to realize that making otherwise non-vegan friendly comfort foods into healthy vibrant dishes is sort of becoming my thing. I'm loving that I can eat all these things without a deep-fryer, excess salt and all that jazz. That being said, I don't really want to box this blog into just being that one thing.

Challenges could also be considered my thing.

Although this gravy is barely a challenge since it's been around in the standard diet for quite some time and probably one of the easiest things to make without oil or animal products. I've had it over a million different dishes and now it's always a pleasant surprise to find many restaurants using mushroom gravy instead of their meat based counterparts.

Since I'll be reembarking onto the raw fruity wagon as of my birthday on the 7th of March, I'll be posting many more raw recipes: smoothies, salads, dishes, snacks... However I do have many recipes still in reserve so those will be popping up now and again as well.

Onto the food!

Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

- 4 cups sliced or diced mushrooms (I used portobellos)

- 1 medium onion, minced.

- 2.5 cups broth or water

- 2-3 tbsp gluten-free flour

- 2-3 tbsp Braggs Soy seasoning or tamari

- Generous pinch black pepper

In a deep pan, sauté the onion with a bit of water until translucent, add the mushrooms and cook until they start releasing juicy goodness.

Add in the broth/water, braggs and black pepper. Then whisk the flour in a bit of water until well combined and add it a bit at a time to the pan while whisking it continuously and waiting a bit between each addition until you've reached the consistency that you enjoy.

Serve it over mashed potatoes, rice, veggies... Whatever feels right!

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

Like what you see?

Check out and LIKE the Plates for Plants FACEBOOK PAGE and see updates, pictures and new posts and sign up for our NEWSLETTER for exclusive content and a soon to be released ebook! (See the top right corner to sign up!)

Meatless Monday's: Lentil Sloppy Joe's

Lately I've been spending far too much time looking at party foods. Appetizers and mains of this kind were definitely my kryptonite, until I found sneaky ways to make them healthy. Not just kinda healthy, but follow all my guidelines healthy. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too.

I mean, yeah, there is a place for a little indulgence of a different kind now and again, but if you can make it just as tasty (or better) without the oils, salt and questionable ingredients, then why not?

And thinking of all this awesome food without being able to make any of it really sucks.

We've been having issues with keeping food stocks up. The place we're renting at the moment is literally at the top of a mountain, and we use our bike to get around. Since the road up here is getting more and more dangerous, bringing up 30-50lbs of fruit and veggies for dinner is not exactly easy. Thankfully, we are moving at the end of the month!

Although, we haven't decided where yet... Seems to be a theme with us. We're off to town today to get it all sorted.

Okay, back to food. I whipped this up a few months ago when I was still in Ottawa, working away at finishing school and in need of an awesome meal to keep me going. 

This is definitely one of those super healthy meals that doesn't look like one, heck I even put kale in these bad boys!

Lentil Sloppy Joe's

Ingredients:

- 1.5 cups dry brown lentils

- 1/2 cup finely chopped kale

- 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

- 1/3 cup finely diced peppers

- 1/3 cup chopped carrots

- 1 medium onion, minced.

-  2 tbsp tomato paste

- 1/2 cup organic ketchup

- 1/2 tsp chili powder

- 1/2 tsp cumin

- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

- Sriracha, to taste

- S/P to taste

- 1/4 head chopped cabbage or coleslaw

- Pickles of choice

- 4 ezekiel or GF buns (or cabbage cups)

Cook the lentils according to the instructions on the packaging.

In a large pan, water sauté the onions until translucent, add the carrots and cook about 5-7 mins. Add the peppers, tomatoes and kale.

Add in the spices and hot sauce and let cook for just about a minute, then add in the lentils, tomato paste and ketchup. Let it all cook until thick and saucy.

Assembly time! Bun, sloppy mixture of goodness, coleslaw or cabbage and pickles. I also prefer my bun a little toasted, gives the whole dish that perfect touch.

On nom nom....

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

Like what you see?

Check out and LIKE the Plates for Plants FACEBOOK PAGE and see updates, pictures and new posts and sign up for our NEWSLETTER for exclusive content! (See the top right corner to sign up!)

Top Ten Foods To use on Your Body

I love food.

Which is pretty obvious I know.

But I don't only love eating food, I also love slathering it on various parts of my body to make them smooth, soft, heal and smell nice. There are so many benefits to doing this.

You have most of these items in your kitchen, so it's very accessible. It's also much much more affordable than those thousand dollar high-end products that are so full of chemicals and are mostly plant-derived anyways. So hey, just make 'em fresh in your kitchen instead and get amaazing results!

1. Coconut Oil:

Pretty much everyone has heard of the trendy coconut oil. It has amazing properties that help dry or irritated skin regain vitality and gets rid of itchiness. I love using it on my hair daily, on sunburns or rashes.

2. Fresh Aloe

This one is truly a lifesaver. When I get a bit too much sun, this in combination with coconut oil relieves the pain and tenderness overnight. It's also a great thing to add to your daily regiment for both face and body, leaving skin super soft.

3. Bananas

Bananas are an amazing hair mask, just mash one up very well, or give it a good whirl in the blender, and spread it out in your hair evenly. Leave it in for 10 minutes and rinse well. It cleanses and refreshes your hair while adding shine and softness.

4. Avocado

This powerhouse is great in a multitude of ways. Spread it through your hair for one of the deepest treatments, or as a facial mask.

5. Papaya

This fruit is great to tighten up skin, just mash it up and leave it on until dry. Rinse off with cold water and feel your skin getting tighter and vibrant.

6. Lemons

A great addition to the previous three treatments, lemons are also a great astringent used to clean your face of impurities. Start using it diluted with water first, using it pure can cause reactions to sensitive skins.

7. Oats

Combining oats with lemon, coconut oil or avocado and sugar gives you a great exfolliant that is gentle enough for both face and body. Use it once a week to gently but effectively cleanse your pores.

8. Mango

One of my favorite fruits, mango is a great toner and rejuvenator. Alternate it's use with papaya and have forever young looking skin.

9. Strawberries

The high levels of antioxidants in berries or any dark red fruits help protect your skin from the daily damage it is subjected to.


10. Watermelon

While eating the fruit is amazingly hydrating, if you need an extra boost in moisture, rub some on your face as you feast. It will help lock in moisture and keep your face fresh and flake free.

CTFU Creamy Beet "Soup"

Sometimes, when one experiments in the kitchen, the outcome isn't exactly what you were going for. On some occasions, that means a disastrous goup that is pretty much inedible.

Other times, it's a delicious masterpiece.

This is one of those times.

Going to the farmer's market anywhere in the world always gives you such amazing ingredients to work with that, for me anyways, it's hard not to be inspired to combine them to make simple yet delicious dishes.

I finally got to go to the big farmer's market in the next town/city over. The produce is so fresh and there is a decent variety. Most of which we can get at our local Fruteria, but with even better prices. We even got some ripe soursop to chow down on while waiting for our bus back.

Having a farmer's market nearby is a blessing. Taking advantage of it wherever you are is essential. You can speak directly to the farmers, ask what seeds they use, what fertilizers, pesticides if any... This means that you know exactly what you are eating. It's easier to avoid GMO's, support heirloom varieties and organic farmers. The produce is always cheaper too.

Even better? Get a CSA box! You are essential becoming an investor is a small local organic farm and getting amazing produce in return. This one also has the perk of providing you with new varieties of local fruit and vegetables to try out.

So they had these amazing beets at the market, and I've been daydreaming about making some kind of borstch like soup deal. I've never had it and it has always tickled me as something that would be delicious. Now I am far from following a traditional approach to this one. I like my meal carb heavy, so I added more potatoes and some rice to make it extra carbolicious.

The plates we have here are quite festive I must say.

Creamy Beet Soup

Ingredients:

- 4-5 medium potatoes, diced.

- 1 massive beet or 2 large, 2/3 diced, 1/3 shredded.

- 5-6 medium tomatoes, diced.

- 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded.

- 2 cups rice

- 4-5 cups of water or low-sodium broth

- 1/3 cup chopped chives or green onion

- S/P to taste.

In a large pot, boil the potatoes until tender, set aside to cool.

While the potatoes are boiling, prep the beets. When they are done and cooling, add the beets and tomatoes with the water or broth and bring to a boil, turn down to a strong simmer. Once the beets are about half done, add the cabbage and the rice with extra water if needed. About 5-6 minutes later add the potatoes back in and season. 

Let it all simmer until the rice is cooked through. Mine came out as much more of a stew consistency.

Garnish with chives or green onions and serve.

Enjoy!!

Like what you see?

Check out and LIKE the Plates for Plants FACEBOOK PAGE and see updates, pictures and new posts and sign up for our NEWSLETTER for exclusive content! (See the top right corner to sign up!)