Beet Pasta
I'm starting to think I say this a little too frequently, but, I promise, this dish tastes much better than it looks!    I discovered this recipe watching 'Nadiya's Time To Eat' on Netflix.   Here is the link, if you would like to check out the original recipe.  I like that show, and this dish, because everything is easy to make quickly! 

Here is how I made this dish:
I picked about 10 small to medium sized beets from the garden.  I rinsed them, and then put them in a steamer basket and steamed them until they were soft enough to easily poke through with a fork.   Then, I plunged them in cold water, and pushed the skins off with my thumbs.  I combined them with the following ingredients in my Vitamix high-speed blender:

• four large cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• about a half cup of raw cashews
• about a quarter cup of olive oil
• salt, to taste
• about a half cup of water
• about a teaspoon of dried dill 
• about a teaspoon of chili sauce

I blended them all up until the sauce was smooth and hot. Then, I boiled up these amazing organic black bean spaghetti noodles, drained them, and put the sauce on top.   Besides being high in protein, one of the things I really like about these noodles is that they don't stick together after they cool down!

Kale-Onion Dehydrator Crackers

So, after years of debating whether or not it was worth the investment, I finally bought a dehydrator!    I really lucked out, because the first cracker recipe I tried was glorious!   

Also, for those of you contemplating the purchase, I was brave and didn't buy an Excalibur, despite its reputation as being the best on the market.  Instead, I bought a Cosori.   I had expected to let it rattle along in the basement; but I discovered it looks great on the kitchen counter, is relatively quiet, and it warms up the kitchen in the winter!    It was also MUCH cheaper.  

Here is the recipe for these amazing crackers.  The only way I deviated from the recipe (because, of course, I wanted to make it easier) was to score the crackers at the start of dehydrating, so that I could just set it and not think about them anymore.  They turned out amazing!  

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin seeds soaked overnight in water with a ½ Tb of salt, then drained
• 2 cups kale
• 1.5 onions
• ½ cup chia seeds soaked in cup water minimum 30 minutes, up to overnight
• 2 Tb extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ Tb thyme
• ½ Tb rosemary

Instructions

• In a food processor, pulse together pumpkin seeds, onions, kale, salt and herbs.
• Drizzle in the olive oil while running once you have a chunky paste.
• Stir in the gelled chia seeds to combine well.
• Spread onto squares of parchment paper about 0.5cm thick. (You’ll need about 3 sheets.)   Score them into the size of crackers you'd like, I used the edge of a spatula.  
• Dehydrate @ 140ºF for approx. 12 hours

* I did THE STUPIDEST THING I'VE EVER DONE when I was making this recipe.  I was using my mother's food processor, and I got impatient and tried shoving the kale through the feed tube with a butter knife.  Of course,  it slipped from my fingers and fell into the running processor, which immediately seized and irreparably died.   So, that was sad, BUT, it meant I had to buy a new food processor, which I'm actually pretty excited about!   Stay tuned, I'll probably want to show it off!  

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Somewhere along the lines, I got it into my head that cauliflower pizza crust always has egg in it.   Turns out, that is not at all true!   Besides seasoning, this crust only has three ingredients - cauliflower, chickpea flour, and ground flax.   Even better, it's pretty easy.   As usual, I tried to make the recipe a bit easier, and I got away with it!    I don't actually think you need to purchase 'cauliflower rice,' you could just as easily buy frozen cauliflower, and give it a quick chop or spin around the food processor.    I did a side by side comparison in the grocery store recently, and the two products seemed like a comparable price, by weight.  

Oh, and to report back, once I figured out 'gram flour' is actually chickpea/garbanzo bean flour....well, it's actually lots of places in North Bay, including my favourite grocery store - Freshco!   

So, as follows are the alterations I made to this wonderful recipe: 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds frozen cauliflower rice (this was one inner bag from the product available at Costco, which I thawed in the sink in some hot water in about 20 minutes)
• 3 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup garbanzo/chickpea flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Put the cauliflower rice it in a nut milk bag. Use your hands to squeeze the rice, removing all of the excess moisture from the cauliflower. There should be quite a lot of liquid that comes out.   I couldn't find my nut milk bag, so I used one of the reusable thin mesh produce bags you can buy at Metro instead (after giving it a quick wash).    If you don't have that, you can use a thin dish towel. 
• Place the drained cauliflower in a large bowl, then add in ground flax, chickpea/garbanzo bean flour, salt, garlic, and dried oregano. Stir well to mix, using your hands, if needed, to make it stick together. You can add a tablespoon of water, if needed.
• Press the mixture into the parchment-lined baking sheet, using your hands to shape the crust into your desired size. The thinner and flatter you can press the crust, the better, but try to keep it as even as possible for a sturdy result. 
• So this is what the recipe says "Bake the crust at 400ºF for 45 minutes, checking on it after 30 minutes to make sure it's not starting to burn. You want the crust to be dry to the touch and nicely golden. (Tip: You can roast vegetable toppings for your pizza at the same time! I put sliced tomatoes, red onion, and mushrooms on a separate pan, and take them out of the oven around the 25 minute mark so they don't burn.)"   However, mine only needed to bake for 25 minutes.   This may be because I put it on my cast iron cookie sheet?
• Then, I peeled the parchment paper off the crust, flipped it over, added my toppings, and baked it for an additional 10 minutes.   ​

* Pro tip, store your ground flax seeds in the freezer!   Once they are ground, their oil becomes very prone to going rancid.   Similarly, if you have the space, and you're not going to use them rapidly, you can do the same for anything else that is ground, including flour.   

Vegan Frittatas 

These are relatively easy to make, and can be used for breakfasts during the week.  When I serve these, people almost always ask for the recipe!  I used this recipe, from The Simple Veganista, with the following modifications.   In North Bay, at the moment, the only place I can find reasonably-priced garbanzo bean flour is at Walmart, but you can also get it made by Bob's Red Mill in health food sections, and at bulk stores.    However, I just realized, from looking at the recipe closer, that 'gram flour' is garbanzo bean flour!!!   Now, I have to go and check all the international sections again, I'll bet it is at Freshco!  

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cups chickpea flour (aka, garbanzo bean flour, gram flour)
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• whatever veggies you have handy (I used a zucchini, a red onion, about 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, and sliced black olives)
• vegan shredded cheese. My new favourite brand is Violife, but I used Daiya for this batch 

Instructions: 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If not using a non-stick muffin tin (I use a silicone muffin pans these days), lightly grease with oil or use muffin liners.
Prepare the veggies: Fry the veggies in advance OR you can finely dice them.  
Mix: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpea flour, optional nutritional yeast, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and basil. Whisk in the water (batter will be runny, but that’s normal). Add the veggies, mix to combine.
Scoop: Using a ¼ measuring cup, scoop the batter into the muffin tin, filling all 12 holes. Top with the shredded vegan cheese.
Bake: Place in the oven, on the center rack, and bake for 35 – 45 minutes (depending on the veggies used). Do the toothpick test by sticking it in the center of a muffin, if it comes clean, frittatas are ready. If cooking for 35 minutes and the center seems soggy, let them cool, and they will stiffen up nicely.
Remove from oven, turn out frittatas, and place on a cooling rack to cool.
Store: Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator, or on the counter. Reheat in the oven.​

,Jerk Kidney Bean Stew

I have a patient, who is a vegan athlete, who asked me to put together a meal plan for him.   It was a great challenge!   I did a bunch of research so that my suggestions could be as current, and evidence-based, as possible.   It was a great reminder that sesame and chia seeds are top-notch sources of calcium.   It also led me to the book 'The No Meat Athlete Cookbook by Matt Frazier and Stepfanie Romine.'   Here is a link to Frazier's super informative website.   It's an amazing book and resource!  It's just the way I try to approach food - making it practical, varied, and healthful.  

So, this recipe comes from the cookbook, but I modified it so much, I'm actually not certain whether it isn't my recipe now.  Also, I can't find a link to the recipe available online.  I like nothing more than an easy dish that has new flavours!

So, I made this seasoning:

• one tbsp garlic powder
• two tsp brown sugar
• two tsp dried thyme
• two tsp onion powder
• two tsp salt
• one tsp black pepper
• one tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Then, I made the dish itself with: 

• one large bunch of chard, rinsed and roughly chopped
• one yellow onion, diced
•  one 796 ml/ 28 fl oz can of diced tomatoes
• one 540 ml can of dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• about 300 ml of strained tomatoes 
• three tbsp of the jerk spice
• and, one package of frozen cauliflower rice to serve it on

How I did it: 

• first, I fried the onion in olive oil
• then, I added the spice and fried everything for a few more minutes
• then, I dumped everything else in the pot, and cooked it at a medium heat until it reduced a bit
• last, I served it on the cauliflower rice 

Lentil Loaf

I don't remember my parents ever making meatloaf as a kid, or being served it much as an adult, but I'm certainly enjoying the vegan versions now!   

A lot of people have difficulty digesting beans and lentils.   This can be for four main reasons:

• a food sensitivity 
• a deficiency in digestive secretions that we use to break down beans
• an imbalance in the population and location of bacteria in your digestive tract
• a reaction to some of the compounds naturally found on beans, such as phytic acid

If you're wondering about which of these applies to you, best to talk to your health-care practitioner.   For me, my reaction is definitely the last one, and I find that when beans are made in a factory it breaks down the phytic acid better than any amount of soaking, sprouting, boiling, and pressure cooking I can do at home.   So, for me, the toxins that come from the can lining are the lesser of two evils. 

* Side note - Never, EVER, prepare beans at home by just slow cooking them!   You've got to bring them to a rolling boil for a few minutes first!  

Anyway, back to the dish at hand.  I used this recipe, with the following modifications:

Ingredients

• one 540 ml can of cooked lentils, rinsed and drained (the recipe calls for just over one cup of cooked lentils, if you want to make from scratch)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ½ large onion about 1 heaping cup, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 rib of celery chopped
• 1 carrot peeled and chopped
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 3 Tablespoons tamari
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Maple Sweetened Glaze:

• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 ½ Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• pinch of sea salt

​

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 375°F
• Toast walnuts by spreading them onto a baking sheet and toasting in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a medium sauté pan and cook onions, garlic, carrots and celery until they've softened and become fragrant. About 5-10 minutes. Once cooked remove from stovetop to cool.
• Add lentils (reserve ½ cup for later), cooked veggies, toasted walnuts, oats, tamari, tomato paste, ground flaxseed, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, thyme, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, ground pepper and sea salt to the food processor. Pulse until mixture is just combined and the texture is to your liking. You want the mixture to be combined enough to stick together, but you don't want it to be completely pulverized.
• Stir in the reserved lentils and press mixture into a silicone loaf pan.  The recipe calls for a parchment lined loaf pan (9" x 5" x 2½").
• In a small bowl stir together glaze ingredients and spread the glaze over top of the loaf.
• Bake covered with silicone pot or bowl covers for 25 minutes. (I learned this trip from a friend!   Instead of using foil once and sending it to the landfill, just put silicone over top of your dish when it needs to be baked covered!)  Uncover and bake for about 8 more minutes. Let the loaf rest 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
• Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Or freeze for up to 1 month.

Pasta Salad - Christmas Colours Edition

Kind of funny that my last post was a chickpea noodle salad too!   I winged this salad, and it turned out SO, SO GOOD!    

First of all, a shout out to Dags and Willow, where a few of these new (to me) ingredients came from!  

Secondly, OH MY GOSH these chickpea noodles from Maria's homestyle Noodles were so good.   I didn't even understand how good noodles could be.  They cooked easily, held their shape, and didn't harden up at all once they cooled down....which is actually a miracle (for those of you familiar with gluten-free noodles).   At first I thought they were a bit pricey, but once I compared the package size with Chickapea noodles (see previous post), they're actually about the same price.   I have another package of their green pea noodles to try, and I'll report back.  I will definitely be placing an online order. 

Last but not least, thanks to Adoro olive oils and vinegars for their delicious products. 

Okay, so this salad was made with (rough estimates, I didn't measure):

• one package of reginette noodles 
• one sliced and lightly steamed zucchini
• two jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
• one half red onion, diced
• one large handful of snap peas, cut into pieces, and left to sit on the freshly drained noodles, so they wilted just a little bit 
• one half of a small jar of sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• one package of cherry tomatoes, halved
• one half cup of pine nuts
• two tablespoons of capers 
• one small jar of Sweety Drop Peruvian peppers  
• one third cup of olive oil
• one third cup of lemon balsamic vinegar 

I'm obsessed with the Sweety Drop peppers too.  

Pasta and ChEEZE

I've never made anything like this before, and it turned out AMAZING!   I wasn't expecting it to be so delicious, and I didn't write any quantities down.  So, following is my best memory of what I did.  I highly recommend noodles made with lentils.  They taste good, they hold together, their flavour doesn't overwhelm dishes, and they make you feel really full.   I recommend you look for noodles that aren't mixed with rice, as we tend to get enough of that in our diet. 

Ingredients:

• One package of lentil and chickpea noodles (pictured below, purchased at Sobeys)
• A few large handfuls of snap peas
• One medium zucchini, sliced
• One third of a cup of home-made chicken broth
• About a third of a package of Daiya Cheddar Shreds
• Five large cloves of garlic, put through a garlic press
• About three tablespoons of nutritional yeast 

Instructions:

• Get a pot of water boiling, and then add the package of noodles, and stir it regularly while the noodles get soft
• Put the peas and zucchini in a large pan with the chicken broth on a medium-high heat.   Once it heats up, add the garlic.   Don't overcook, you're basically just warming the vegetables up
• Once, the noodles are done, drain them and add them to the large pan with the vegetables, the shreds, and the nutritional yeast.  Stir until the shreds melt and the broth has evaporated
• Add salt and pepper to taste

Chili (Leftovers)

I hesitated for quite some time about buying an Instant Pot.  I try not to fill my kitchen with electric gadgets that end up in landfills.   I seriously considered buying a stainless steel pressure cooker (to replace the aluminum one that was passed down in my family) instead (because it would last forever).   I finally decided it was worth it to combine a rice cooker, slow cooker, and pressure cooker in one device.   I WAS NOT WRONG!    It takes a little bit of work to get into the habit of using it, but then it makes life incredibly easy.  All the convenience of using a pressure cooker without any of the fear of a small explosion in your kitchen!   

For leftovers, I have a small collection of thermoses I choose from to carry them to work.  If I pre-warm the thermos with hot water, my lunch is always piping hot, even if I eat it late. 

For the chili, I used this recipe, with the following modifications: 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped 
• 3 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water or chicken stock
• 2 15 oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions:

• Turn your Instant Pot to Saute. Add the olive oil. Add the meat and cook until browned, breaking up the beef as you stir.
• Add the squash, onion, and garlic, and cook for 3 more minutes or until softened.
• Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt, pepper, brown sugar, bay leaves,  and tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
• Pour in the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock and beans and stir to combine. Press MANUAL or High Pressure on the instant pot and cook for 15 minutes. Allow the chili to natural release for 10 minutes.

Salmon and Carrot Salad

The neat thing about this meal, besides it being delicious, is that it is FODMAP-friendly.  

The salad was made with: 

• Arugula
• Raw Celery
• Canned salmon, warmed and seasoned
• Dressing made with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, a bit of mustard, salt, and pepper

AND

Carrot Fries!   I used this recipe, with the following modifications:
Ingredients:

• about four large carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp dried dill weed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp chili powder

Instructions:

• Drizzle carrots with olive oil; then sprinkle the dill, salt, paprika, and chili powder. Toss & bake in air fryer on fry setting for 15 minutes or until crispy enough for you.