CURRIED TEMPEH SALAD IN LETTUCE CUP

Tempeh is a fermented soy product, and the fact that it is fermented means that it promotes the good bacteria (probiotics) that our bodies need.  It aids with digestion, weight loss, is high in both fiber and amino acids, and it is also a great source of protein. It has a nutty flavor and a slight crunch to it.  I personally love tempeh, not just for the health benefits, but also because of its versatility.

This was super easy to make. So if you are looking for something healthy, fast, and yummy, look no more! The tempeh salad could be used on its own, in a sandwich, or on top of a green salad. I prefer the lettuce cups because they are light, but there are definitely many ways to serve this delicious tempeh mixture.

CURRIED TEMPEH SALAD IN LETTUCE CUP

Ingredients:

  

For the salad:

• 1- 8oz package of  tempeh (preferably organic to avoid GMO's), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup of red onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1/2 yellow, red, or orange pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of coconut flakes
• 1 mango, skin removed, pitted and sliced thin
• 1 avocado, skin removed, pitted and sliced thin
• 1/2 cup of broccoli sprouts (any sprouts would work)
• 8 lettuce leaves (butter lettuce works great)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

For the curried mayo:

• 1/2 cup of vegan mayo
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1/2 tablespoon of mango chutney
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of dry ginger
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. In a steam basket over boiling water, place the tempeh cubes, and steam for 8-10 minutes. 
2. Remove from the heat, and let it cool.
3. In a medium sized bowl, put the chopped onions, celery, carrot, pepper, and coconut flakes.
4. Crumble the tempeh and add it to the mixture.  Mix well.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. In a separate small bowl, mix together with a spoon, all of the mayo ingredients.
7. Add the mayo to the salad, and mix until all the veggies and tempeh are covered.
8. Place the lettuce leaves on a plate, and split the tempeh salad evenly over the lettuce cups.
9. Garnish each lettuce cup with mango slices, avocado slices, and broccoli sprouts. 

Serve as a pretty appetizer.

This will make 8 lettuce cups (4 servings)

STRAWBERRIES STUFFED WITH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Everyone loves chocolate and strawberries, and this creation will be no exception. Both sweet and refreshing at the same time, this dessert is sure to win some praise. The best part: it is made with wholesome, unprocessed ingredients. There's even avocados in it.  But if you don't tell, no one will know, I promise!

The farmer's market has been filled with merchants selling strawberries lately. They are big, very red, and so juicy. It makes such a difference to buy them fresh, organic, and in season!

They are rich in anti-oxidants, fibers, and nutrients.  They also offer  many health benefits such as: lowering high blood pressure, maintaining a healthy heart, slowing down skin aging, helping with weight loss (even though they taste sweet, they are pretty low in calories!), and boosting of the immune system. So many good reasons to indulge! They are definitely among my favorite fruits!
Don't be afraid to indulge, this dessert is good for you!

STRAWBERRIES STUFFED WITH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Ingredients:

• 2 small ripe avocados, pitted and skin removed
• 1/2 cup of raw unsalted cashews (preferably soaked for 2 hours in water to release the enzyme blockers, then rinsed)
• 2/3 cup of non-dairy milk (I used my homemade vanilla cashew milk but any non-dairy milk will work)
• 1/3 cup of raw cacao powder
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 20-25 large strawberries (the quantity will depend on the size of your strawberries)

Preparation:

1. In a high speed blender, put the avocados, the cashews, the non-dairy milk, the cacao powder, the maple syrup, and the salt together, and mix until very smooth. This will be your chocolate mousse.
2. Cut off the top of the stems of the strawberries, and a little bit of the base so they can stand. 
3. Using a small paring knife or a small spoon, hollow out the inside of the strawberries, and set aside.
4. Put the chocolate mousse in a piping bag.  Fill the strawberries with the chocolate mousse mixture. Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

                     

                          



Bon appetit!

This will make 20-25 stuffed strawberries (4 servings)

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH QUINOA ALLA PUTTANESCA

Italy seems like such a great place to visit. Among the reasons are: the architecture, the food, the wine, the people, and the history.  It is definitely somewhere I am planning on going in the next few years.

Italian food has always hit the spot.  It's both so satisfying and flavorful. The Italian's have a reputation for being a passionate bunch, and you can taste their passion through their food!

Just talk to someone from Italy for a few minutes and you will be taken to a world of vivacious stories, love for life, and an animated conversation about just about everything that they believe in.  

As much as I love Italian food, a lot of it is on the heavy side, high in carbs, or smothered in rich sauces.  It is certainly not the healthiest of cuisines. Here I decided to make a lighter, and healthier version of a popular dish; Pasta Alla Puttanesca.  Let me introduce you to Quinoa Alla Puttanesca instead... voila!  We are now having a quality dish, both high in complex carbs, and protein. Yum :)

Stuffing them in tomatoes makes them very pretty to serve, but that step can be avoided if you are pressed for time and just want a quick meal.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH QUINOA ALLA PUTTANESCA

Ingredients:

• 8 tomatoes
• 1 cup of dried quinoa, rinsed

For the puttanesca sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 10 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup of white beans cooked (about 1/3 cup dried, click how to cook beans to learn how to cook them)
• 3 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
• 1/3 cup of pine nuts
• 1/3 cup of white wine
• 1 tablespoon of Bragg liquid amino
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp of dried basil
• 1/4 cup of dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red peppers (optional, spicy)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

For the quinoa:

1. In a small sauce pan, bring the quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat, put the lid on, and let it stand for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork before using

For the tomatoes:

1. Remove the top, and hollow out the inside of the tomatoes. Reserve

For the sauce:

1. In a large pan, heat up the olive oil under medium-high heat and add the onions.  Cook 3-4 minutes until they are translucent.
2. Add the mushrooms and garlic, cook another 5 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, cook another 10 minutes.

To assemble:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F
2. Add the cooked quinoa to the sauce, mix well.
3. Evenly divide inside the hollowed tomatoes to stuff them.,
4. Place the stuffed tomatoes on a baking sheet, covered with foil or parchment paper, and bake 15 minutes.
5. Serve warm

Enjoy!

This will make 4 servings (8 stuffed tomatoes)

BLUEBERRY OAT PANCAKES

Even though I love pancakes, I don't eat them too often as they are more of what I consider a treat. Mostly due to the fact that they are often made with processed flour and loads of refined sugars. These little pancakes are far from being naughty.  Although they tasted like they were, they actually are more like eating a bowl of oatmeal in pancake form. Much healthier and very delicious! 

Another good thing about these pancakes is that if you are stressed for time in the morning, you can make them the night before, store them in the refrigerator, and reheat them lightly in the toaster in the morning when you're ready to eat . Because they're made with old fashioned oats instead of flour, they are actually a little more dense, and hold their shape very well once cooked. So don't be afraid to double up the recipe so that you have more stored away!

BLUEBERRY OAT PANCAKES

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1 cup of non-dairy milk (I used my homemade cashew milk but any non-dairy milk will do)
• 2 cups of old fashioned oats (gluten free if avoiding gluten)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of aquafaba* or 1 flax egg**
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1 cup of blueberries
• 1/3 cup of walnuts

Preparation:

1. Put the old fashioned oats in a blender, and blend until you get a flour consistency.
2. In a medium bowl, put all of the ingredients together, and mix well until you get a nice batter (can be done with a spoon).
3. Let it stand 15 minutes to set slightly.
4. In a frying pan, heat up a little bit of oil (I used coconut oil) under medium heat.
5. Add about 2 tablespoons of the batter. Since it is a denser batter, you will need to shape the pancake (you can use a spoon to do so).  They should be about 3 inches in width, and about 1/2 inch in thickness. If you make them bigger than that, they might not cook properly in the center.
6. Cook 2-3 minutes, carefully turn the pancakes over, and cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side.
7. You will need to make a few batches as they will not all fit in the pan. 
8. Serve with toppings of your liking.  Some popular ones are: maple syrup, fruits, jam, coconut whipped cream, or chocolate syrup.

Enjoy!


This will make 8-10 small pancakes ( 4 servings)

*Aquafaba is the liquid you get when cooking chickpeas or any white beans, You can use the liquid from a can of chickpeas, or fresh homemade ones. It works as an egg replacement.

** To make a flax egg: use 1 tablespoon of flax seeds, grind it in a coffee grinder, and then mix it with 3 tablespoons of water, Let it stand a few minutes to thicken. This will also work as an egg replacement.

BANANA PUDDING WITH 4TH OF JULY TOPPINGS

Happy Fourth of July!
Also known as Independence Day, this federal holiday celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain on July 4th 1976.  It is one of the most celebrated holidays in America. BBQs, picnics, parades, fireworks, and gatherings are the most common ways to rejoice on this occasion. I jokingly like to call this day, "the day that my dogs thinks the world is ending!"  as my poor babies gets really scared from all the fireworks.  But it's all good, they have survived it every year, and I'm sure this year will be no exception!

There are so many recipes that I can think of that would be great for the Fourth of July. Some fun appetizers (try my Stuffed mini sweet peppers with veggies and lemon dill cashew cream cheese filling), veggie burgers for the grill (try my Southwestern black rice and red  bean burgers), delicious salads (try my Summer corn salad with chimichurri dressing), refreshing cold soups (try my Gazpacho soup), or a colorful dessert like this recipe that I am about to share with you; my famous banana pudding with 4th of July toppings. I made this dessert in the past, and it was such a hit!  Plus it's healthy and easy to make, but that can be our secret!  ;)

BANANA PUDDING WITH 4TH OF JULY TOPPINGS 

Ingredients:

For the pudding:

8 bananas
6 dates, pitted (if they are hard, soften them by soaking them in hot water for 30 minutes)
1/2 cup of raw cashews 
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla essence
1 tablespoon of lemon juice

For the toppings:

1 cup of coconut flakes 
1/2 cup of blueberries
1 cup of strawberries, chopped

Preparation:

In a high speed blender, put all of the pudding ingredients together, and blend until very smooth.
Transfer to 6 small rectangular individual bowls and leave in the refrigerator to set for 1 hour.
Place the toppings to make a USA flag (see pictures) on top of each puddings and serve.

Enjoy!

This will make 6 puddings

BROWN RICE PRIMAVERA WITH ARUGULA AND ALMOND PESTO

I personally try to avoid white rice.   I eat it on occasion, and it's practical as it cooks faster, but there is a reason why that's the case (and it's not a great one). See white rice would be brown if they did not remove the side hulls and bran. They are full of protein, thiamine, calcium, fiber, magnesium, and potassium. They do add to the cooking time, but their benefits are way worth the extra mile!  Most manufacturers will add back those vitamins and iron in a synthetic form to white rice  and label it as "enriched" or "nutritious".  But at the end of the day, I think we can all agree that all things equal, its best to get the natural form of vitamins and nutrients, as opposed to the man made synthetic ones.  Brown rice also has a much nuttier texture and flavor, which I absolutely love. 

This recipe calls for a few nice summer veggies, so it is full of nutrients. The pesto, made with arugula and almonds instead of basil and pine nuts, was a nice touch as it brought the flavors to a whole new level. I seriously wish I made a double batch, as this was gone in no time, and I am now craving some more!  This can be enjoyed warm or cold, so you can make it ahead of time and pack it for lunch as well. 

BROWN RICE PRIMAVERA WITH ARUGULA AND ALMOND PESTO

Ingredients:

For the rice:

• 1 1/2 cups of dry short grain brown rice
• 3 cups of vegetable broth 
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup of zucchini, grated
• 1 cup of carrots, grated
• 1 1/ 2 cups of broccoli florets, cut small
• 3/4 cup of frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup of spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the pesto:

• 2 cups arugula
• 1/2 cup of raw almonds 
• 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of avocado oil (can substitute with olive oil if you do not have)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. In a small sauce pan, bring the vegetable broth to boil, and add the rice.
2. Reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 45 minutes.*
3. Once the broth is mostly absorbed, remove from the heat, and let the rice strand for another 10 minutes, covered.
4. In the meantime, put all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Reserve.
5. In a large saute pan, heat up the olive oil under medium heat, and cook the onions and garlic for 4-5 minutes until translucent,
6. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook another 7-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
7. Add the rice and the pesto, mix well, and adjust the seasoning.
8. Serve warm, or put in the refrigerator for later use if you want to eat it cold.

Enjoy!

This will make 4 servings

*If using a different kind of rice, your cooking time will vary, so please verify with the manufacturer's instructions to be safe.

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY FREEZER FUDGE

Happy Canada day!

Since the Canadian flag is red and white, I decided to go with a decadent dessert to show off these two colors.  This recipe for freezer fudge is nothing like the fudge I grew up with, which was made with processed ingredients, and also high in refined sugars.  These are made with real, whole food ingredients that actually nourish your body.  They also happen to be very satisfying. Since they are kept in the freezer, you can definitely save them for a longer period of time, and enjoy them when you really have a sweet tooth craving.

Now keep in mind that although this fudge is healthier than the ones you will find in most stores, it is still quite high in fat and calories.  So indulge knowing that it is made of whole ingredients, but do not go overboard with them... especially if you are trying to lose weight! They are what I like to call a decadent treat. Which are great to have from time to time.

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY FREEZER  FUDGE


Ingredients:

For the fudge:

• 2 cups of raw unsalted cashews
• 2 cups of raw cacao butter, melted
• 1 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup of coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of water

pure raw cacao butter

For the raspberry coulis:

• 1 1/2 cups of raspberries
• 1/3 cup of agave

Preparation:

1. In a high speed blender, put all of the fudge ingredients together, and blend until very smooth.
2. Line a pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper (I forgot to do that step and had a really hard time getting the fudge out of the pan). 
3. Top the lined pan with the fudge batter.
4. In a clean blender, mix the raspberry coulis ingredients together until smooth.
5. Drop spoon fulls of the raspberry coulis on top of the fudge, and use a knife or a fork to swirl it together.  The trick is is to not mix it fully. Take your time and add more of the coulis as you go.
6. Place in the freezer, and let it set for a few hours to overnight. The time will depend on the size of your pan ( I used a 8 X 6 pan and it took about 5 hours to set. It also made a very high fudge. I think  a 9 X 9 pan would have been better). 
7. Once set, remove from the freezer, and cut into small squares, to the size of your liking.
8. Store any left overs in the freezer.

Enjoy!

JICAMA, BLACK BEAN, AND MANGO SALAD WITH AVOCADO LIME DRESSING

Oh this salad was yummy!  It's packed with some of my favorite ingredients, and also very filling.  It was perfect as a meal on it's own. but you can certainly you can serve it as a side dish or appetizer as well. 

So many people stir away from eating avocados because they are high in fat and calories, but it is a huge mistake!  Avocado's fat is the 'good fat', the kind that our body needs. Plus it's a very alkaline food filled with so many nutrients. Of course, that doesn't mean you should have 5 a day, but a little bit here and there is definitely good for you. So please do not shy away from them. 

I left my dressing chunky as I like to eat pieces of avocados in my food, but if you would like a creamier version, just blend it longer. All I did was a few pulses in the blender to achieve the chunky version.
It really a matter of personal preference. 

JICAMA, BLACK BEAN, AND MANGO SALAD WITH AVOCADO LIME DRESSING

Ingredients:

For the salad:

3 cups of cooked black beans (about 1 1/3 cups of dried beans. Click here to learn how to cook beans)
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 mango, pitted and skin removed, diced
1 1/2s cup of jicama, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 jalapeno, seeded and copped very small
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
Sea salt and pepper to taste

For the chunky avocado dressing:

2 avocados, pitted and skin removed
1/3 cup of fresh squeeze lime juice
2 tablespoons of agave nectar
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Put all of the salad ingredients in a bowl.
In a blender put all of the dressing ingredients together and pulse a few timse if you would like it chunky, or blend until smooth if you prefer the dressing creamier.
Add the dressing to the salad, and mix until well combined.
Serve on it's own, or on a bed of lettuce.

Enjoy!

This will make 4 servings

CAJUN CREAM OF ZUCCHINI SOUP

So I was at the farmer's market last weekend just as they were about to close. One of the merchants had only a few things left for sale: a few gigantic zucchinis, a few eggplants, and some hot peppers. They really didn't want to bring them back so they let me have it all for an amazing deal... $4 for the whole lot. They were organic as well! I felt like I had won the lotto.

The size of the zucchini's were unreal; one of them was nearly 2 foot long! I was a bit worried about how the insides would look like as I thought they would be mushy and have a lot of seeds.  But they were surprisingly firm, with only a moderate amount of seeds. I have a feeling there will be a few recipes with zucchini in my near future!  

Since the size of those zucchinis were pretty unusual, I cannot tell you exactly how many to buy, but I did measure 6 cups of them for the soup. So the quantity will depend on how large yours are. Usually between 4-6 should be enough, but like I said, since mine were the largest I have ever seen, I used only 1/2 of the largest one.  That should give you an idea of how big of a green monster I dealt with.

This soup has a really nice little kick.  If you are into spicy food, this will be right up your alley.

CAJUN CREAM OF ZUCCHINI SOUP


Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 6 cups of zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups of red potatoes (I left the skin on as this is where most of the nutrients are), cubed
• 1 roma tomato, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 5 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

The large one was almost 2 feet long!

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, heat up the olive oil under medium heat.
2. Add the onions and garlic, saute 4-5 minutes until translucent
3. Add the zucchinis, the potatoes, the tomatoes, and the jalapeno, and saute for 3-4 minutes
4. Add the vegetable broth, the Cajun seasoning, the paprika, the cumin, the salt, and the pepper, and bring to a boil.
5. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium- low, and simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
6. Puree the soup in a blender (you might need to do this in a few batches).
7. Serve warm

Enjoy! 

This will make 6 servings

LENTIL SLOPPY JOE'S

Sloppy Joe's were not part of my childhood memories. We did not have them in Quebec (where I grew up) as a staple food. So when I moved with my two year old daughter to Toronto, and then to the USA, it was something new. Everyone seemed to like them, so I had to give them a try. I can see why they're so popular, as it's definitely very tasty!  It was also part of my daughter's childhood's memories, and turned out to be among her favorite things to eat. So when I was testing a vegan version, I had to have her over to be my food tester... she happily obliged!

Sloppy Joe's usually consist of canned tomatoes, a few veggies, spices, and ground meat, all stewed together and stuffed inside hamburger buns. Not the healthiest food on the planet! 

I decided to make a much better version instead using lentils, veggies, fresh tomatoes, and spices. It was both delicious and daughter approved.

Canned tomatoes are one of the worst things one can eat.  Most of the cans contain BPA.  Tomatoes being acidic, will make the BPA release from the can even moreso than any other canned good. Since BPA has been linked to both cancer and many diseases, I try to avoid canned food. Especially canned tomatoes.  It also doesn't hurt that fresh food tastes so much better. 

So here is my healthier version of this American staple. 

LENTIL SLOPPY JOE'S

Ingredients:

For the lentil filling:

1 cup of dried lentils

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

1 red pepper, core removed and diced

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 carrot, grated

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

Sea salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

1 cup of vegetable broth

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (if they are hard, pre soak them for 30 minutes in hot water to soften)

1/4 cup coconut nectar

1 tablespoon Bragg liquid aminos

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 medium tomato, chopped

Sea salt and pepper to taste.

For the bread:

6 of your favorite gluten free or whole grain hamburger buns

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to boil, add the lentils, reduce the heat, and simmer for 25 minutes. Drain and reserve.

In a large saute pan, heat up the olive oil under medium heat. 

Add the onion, and saute 4-5 minutes until translucent.

Add the red pepper, the celery, the carrot, and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and saute another 15 minutes until the vegetables are softened.

In the meantime, place all of the sauce ingredients in a high speed blender, and blend until very smooth.

Add the sauce and the lentils to the vegetable mixture, mix well, and cook for another 5 minutes. 

Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Put some of the mixture between your favorite hamburger bun (you can toast the hamburger bun before stuffing them if you would like) and enjoy.

This will make 6 sloppy Joe's