Kale Walnut Pesto with Watermelon, Feta, Mint Salad

Kale Walnut Pesto with Watermelon, Feta, Mint Salad

ingredients

bowtie pasta (or your pasta of choice)
bunch of kale
1/3 cup walnuts
1 lemon (juice and zest)
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano
salt to taste
pepper to taste

watermelon
mint
feta

directions

1. Cook or steam chopped kale slightly for 30-60 seconds just so its tender

2. Combined kale, garlic, walnuts, parmigiano-reggiano cheese, lemon zest in a food processor

3. Blend ingredients while adding olive oil, or just add the full amount and blend

4. Store in jar, or freeze in ice cube trays to make pesto cubes for later use

Tuscan Bread Salad

Tuscan Bread Salad

Bread? As a salad? Yes Yes and Yes! Who doesn't love croutons? Why not just skip over the whole green leafy part for a change and make the croutons the star of the show.

ingredients

baguette or crusty french or italian bread
grape or cherry tomatoes (or any kind of fresh tomato)
cucumbers
red onion
green onion
salt
pepper
garlic powder

dressing: olive oil, white wine vinegar or balasmic, salt, pepper, dijon mustard

directions

1. Slice bread into good size cubes, which will be the big juicy croutons of the salad.

2. Chop cucumber, tomato, red onion into bite size pieces to be mixed with bread.

3. Heat some oil in a pan, and once its hot, toast your bread cubes in it. Toss around the cubes to make sure they don't get burnt and that each side gets slightly brown.

4. While the croutons are still warm. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
5. Mix bread with diced up vegetables.

6. Add in your salad dressing made from oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, dijon mustard. Or whatever salad dressing you want but preferably oil and vinegar.

Chickpea Sweet Potato Cauliflower Kale Curry on Cauliflower Rice

Chickpea Sweet Potato Cauliflower Kale Curry on Cauliflower Rice

This coconut curry was delicious! It was the first time I added sweet potato to a curry and I think it turned out very well. By getting some of the sweetness from the onion and sweet potato, I found I had to add less sugar to the curry itself (as I like mine a little sweet pared with the coconut). The cauliflower rice was an idea I got from Jamie Oliver.

ingredients

1 can chickpeas
1 can coconut milk
1 onion
1 sweet potato
1/4-1/3 cauliflower
A handful of kale
1 tbsp of curry powder of paste
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 turmeric (mostly for colour)
1/2 coriander
1/2 brown sugar
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp salt

directions

1. Start by prepping all your ingredients by chopping the sweet potato into chunks, dicing the onion, slicing the kale into thing strips, and opening your cans of chickpeas and coconut.

2. Begin cooking by frying your onions in some kind of flavourless oil until they are translucent. You can then add in your spices and garlic. Cook them for a 1-2 minutes to reinvigorate them.

3. Toss in your sweet potato, chickpeas and cauliflower as they will take longer to cook than the kale. Then add in your coconut milk (including most of the liquid if you want it a little soupy, if not try to use most of just the creamy parts) and any spices you haven't already added.

4. At this point things will need to cook for a while. Maybe 10-15 minutes. But this is the most important part because you need to taste the sauce of your curry. You want to find a nice balance. It needs enough salt, sweetness, and heat to really work.

5. After the sauce is tasting good and it has cooked down a bit and your vegetables are cooked through. Add in your kale. This should cook through in a few minutes.

6. Serve with rice or quinoa. Or you can blend some cauliflower in a food process until its the shape of rice. Steam it. And perhaps lightly salt it with a fine salt.

Kale and White Bean Soup

Kale and White Bean Soup

I have totally gotten into kale lately thanks to my friend Tara who kept telling me to make Kale Chips, and man they are so delicious! The broth of this soup I felt had a lot of layers and substance for a veggie soup.

ingredients:

1 can of navy beans, or cannellini beans, or white kidney beans

big handful of kale
tomato
onion
veggie stock
garlic
salt
pepper

directions:

1. Caramelize onions in a large pot. Once caramelized, throw in some chopped tomato, and garlic. Stir and mix with the onions. Season with salt and pepper. After a few minutes pour in 1 container of veggie stock, or use veggie boullion cubes.

2. Drop in the white bean of your choice into the soup. You could mash some of the beans first, to give more texture to the broth of the soup, and then drop the rest in whole. Then add lots of fresh chopped kale. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, to make sure everything is cooked through and give the flavours of the soup a chance to meld.

Herbed Dumpling and Chickpea Soup

"Those are some big balls!" The dumplings have herbs, and parmesan cheese inside. They were fun to make. :)

Cranberry, Walnut, Green Bean Quinoa Salad, With Veggie Burger

Cranberry, Walnut, Green Bean Quinoa Salad

This is a great quinoa salad to eat as a side, or bring to a pot luck. (as long as there are no nut allergies that is...). It is packed full of flavour and is also really healthy for you. I saw something like this first made at the Vegetarian Food Fair in Toronto, but it had oranges and it didn't have this dressing.

ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
dried cranberries
chopped walnuts
fresh green beans
balsamic vinegar
olive oil

pepper
salt
garlic powder

directions:

1. Cook quinoa in slightly salted water in a pot. 1 part quinoa, 2 parts water. Bring to a boil, and let it simmer until quinoa absorbs all of the water.

2. Set the cooked quinoa aside, and let it cool a bit. After it has cooled, fluff it with a fork.

3. Slice fresh green beans into more bite sized pieces, and steam them so they are cooked through. Blanch them in ice water immediately after to stop the cooking process. This will keep them crisp, and not soggy for your salad, as well as bright green.

4. Mix your dried cranberries, cooled green beans, and chopped walnuts into the quinoa.

5. To make the dressing for the salad, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder into a vinaigrette. The ratio of oil to vinegar should be 3 to 1. 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar. Mix through, then pour on salad and mix til it is fully coated.

Honey Garlic Tofu with Quinoa Pilaf

Honey Garlic Tofu with Quinoa Pilaf

One of the fastest and easiest ways I found to cook tofu was to fry it, and sauce it. This honey garlic tofu was a play off of those sesame chicken dishes I used to eat a lot in university.

ingredients:

1 block firm tofu
2 tbsp corn starch
pinch of salt
pinch of ground pepper
oil

1/4 cup soy sauce
2-4 tbsp honey
2-4 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp ginger
sesame seeds

directions:

1. Cut firm tofu in half, or use the whole block, depending how many people you are feeding. Cut into small cubes, about 2 centermetres each. Dredge the tofu cubes in a mixture of corn starch, salt and pepper. The corn starch coating will help create a crust on the tofu, and help the sauce adhere to it.

2. Pour a little oil into a frying pan or wok, and toss in the tofu. Mix and flip the tofu around to make sure all sides get cooked. You don't want uncooked corn starch.

3. In a small pot, combine soy sauce, honey, garlic, and ginger, and boil. Then simmer and reduce it down into more of a sauce if needed. If you want, you could add corn starch to thicken it up. If you are really pressed for time, or don't feel like making sauce, just use store bought. You can use honey garlic sauce, or even BBQ sauce.

4. Toss fried tofu cubes with sauce and make sure everything is evenly coated. Drizzle with sesame seeds for a little crunch, and to make it more presentable.

Vegetarian Christmas Dinner, Miso Gravy, Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce

Vegetarian Christmas Dinner

When I was vegetarian, one of the things I missed the most was gravy. When I discovered miso gravy was a thing, I decided I must figure out how to make it. So it was close to christmas time, so I made this faux chicken and miso gravy feast. The stuffing is veggie as well. Actually, it all is veg!

ingredients:

faux chicken
zucchini
potatoes
milk
butter
salt
pepper

stuffing:

bread
egg
apple
onion
celery
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder

directons: Toast the bread and cut it into cubes. Beat eggs and mix with bread so it's coated. Fry chopped onions and celery in a pan. And add those with the apple to the bread mixture. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Put in a casserole dish and cook in an oven at 400. Maybe 20-30 minutes.

cranberry sauce:

1 bag of fresh cranberries
1/4 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup sugar

directions: Put cranberries, orange juice (and zest if you have it), and sugar into a small pot at medium heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes. The cranberries will burst on their own and the pectin in the cranberries will turn it into a sauce on its own.

miso gravy:

1 and 1/2 cups veggie stock (or water with veggie bouillon cube)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
3 tbsp miso paste
corn starch or flour

directions: Add your veggie stock into a sauce pan, mix in your miso paste, add your oil (for fat), dijon mustard (for tang), and some garlic powder. Mix with a whisk. Thicken with a corn starch mixture, or flour, until it is a gravy consistency.

Lentil Goulash

I put the goo in the goulash...

Spicy Schezwan Tofu - The Ultimate Stir-fry

Spicy Schezwan Tofu - The Ultimate Stir-fry

Have you ever wanted to make a giant stir-fry? Here's how!

ingredients:

1 pack firm tofu
handful of bok choy
red pepper
snow peas
onions
garlic
soy sauce
honey
rice wine vinegar

bean sprouts
celery
carrots
onions

rice
soy sauce

directions:

1. Cut firm tofu into bit sized cubes. Maybe 1/2 an inch, by 1/2 an inch. Marinate tofu in soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and garlic over night if possible.

2. Cut bok choy into 1 inch chunks, and red pepper and snow peas into similar sized pieces.

3. In a large frying pan or wok, add in a little bit of oil. Then toss in your tofu. Add in some chopped garlic as well. Cook tofu until it starts to for a bit of a brown crust on the outside. Then toss in your vegetables. And toss the mixture until the vegetables are cooked through.

Vegetable Soup

Vegetable Soup

This soup is most definitely vegetarian and vegan.

ingredients:

2 carrots
2 onions
4 celery stalks
1/2 head broccoli
handful of frozen corn
1 potato
veggie stock of veggie bouillon cube
4 tbsp flour
butter
salt
pepper

Chickpea Curry

Chickpea Curry

Ingredients:

1 can Chickpeas
1 Red pepper
1 Green pepper (Sometimes I will do orange instead)
1 Onion (white or yellow)
1 Garlic Clove
1 can Cocunut Milk (or 1/2 can)
1 tablespoon Curry Powder
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric (mostly for colour)
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
Salt
Olive Oil
Water

Instructions:

1. Dice up a red pepper, green pepper, and onion. Mash up some garlic. Add these elements into a frying pan, in perhaps some margarine. Add some salt to help release the water in the vegetables. Add 1 can of chickpeas. Then cover with water so everything is submerged. Cook on
medium heat.
2. After a while, the chickpeas will soften, you will see the skin start to peel off a bit. And the water will evaporate.
3. Once the water has evaporated, it is time to add the spices. Put in 1 tablespoon curry, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
(you can add more if you want it hotter but I really recommend this amount) and at least 1/2 can of coconut milk. (I usually don't shake the can up and just add the creamy half floating on the
top and chuck the rest)
4. Let that cook down, so the coconut milk and spices reduce and become sticky. Once sticky, add in a little olive oil and mix it together. (oil isn't necesarry but maybe helps bind it and give
it a little shine)
5. Serve with basmati rice.

Vegetarian Curry Pad Thai

Vegetarian Curry Pad Thai

Ingredients:

1/2 pack of pad thai noodles
1/2 pack (250 grams) firm tofu
1-2 cup fresh bean sprouts, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Salt
Oil or margarine for frying

Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder

Garnish:
1 or 2 green onions
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts - just a small pile to put on top
1/2 lime or lemon, cut into small wedges (lemon is probably better because it is sweeter)

Instructions:

1. Soak the dried rice noodles in cool or lukewarm water for 30 minutes, or until they're limp but still firm to the touch; later cooking in the wok (or big frypan) will soften them more. Drain the noodles thoroughly in a colander and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.
2. Chop 1 green onion, and 1/4 cup of peanuts into small pieces. Leave to the side for the end.
3. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and curry powder; stir well to melt the sugar. Taste and adjust flavors to the desired combination of salty, sour, and sweet. Marinate tofu in this over night.
4. Fry 1 egg scrambled on the side, with maybe some salt. Don't overcook it because you are gonna add it in later. I just like to make sure it is fairly cooked before going in. Break it up, or cut it into strips/ribbons of egg.
5. Heat a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat until it is hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and stir-fry the tofu with some crushed garlic (when you remove the tofu from the marinade, remember to save the sauce on the side). When tofu starts turning golden brown, add in noodles
and remaining marinade. Let the noodles soak up the marinade. Add a little extra water if needed.
6. Add the chopped bean sprouts and egg once the noodles are pretty well cooked, and cover with a lid. Leave until the bean sprouts are cooked.
7. Add chopped green onion and peanuts on top as garnish. Add lime or lemon wedges on the side. Squeeze lime juice over each portion before eating.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

1/2 block Firm Tofu
1/2 can Kidney Beans
1 cup frozen Peas and Carrots (you could use fresh...)
1/2 Onion (white or yellow)
2 Cloves Garlic
Soy Sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Ketchup
Pepper

Potato Topping:

4 potatoes
Margarine
Salt
Water (or milk...)
Sour Cream (If you want them extra creamy)

Instructions:

1. Boil 4 medium sized potatoes.
2. Crumble 1/2 block of Firm Tofu into a dish. Cover with soy sauce so that all the tofu has some on it and turns brownish. Marinate this over night if possible. (Instead of doing this you could use ground round or whatever... but I never do. I always just crumble tofu and add soy sauce for my fake ground beef)
3. Fry tofu with diced onions, and garlic. Add a dash of pepper. Once the tofu starts to brown. Add 1/2 can of kidney beans, 1 cup of frozen peas and carrots or however much you wish, 1 tablespoon of ketchup, and then 1-2 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce (you can get this vegan if you wish, the normal stuff has anchovie paste in it)... I never measure the worcestershire sauce... I just add and taste it.
4. Mash potatoes in a pot with some margarine and add salt to taste. Add water (or milk) to help the mashing process. Maybe 1-2 cups. Add it bit by bit until you get the consistency that you want.
5. Take a square casserole dish, like 9 x 9 inches. Fill the bottom with the tofu and beans mixture and flatten. Then spoon the mashed potatoes on top of that and flatten. Score the top of the potatoes with a fork to make it look all pretty.
6. Put in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Flip it to broil for 5-10 minutes at the end until the top gets slightly brown. (the scoring with the fork will make this more noticeable).

Chickpea and Carrot Salad with Kalamata Olives

Chickpea and Carrot Salad with Kalamata Olives

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (I have bought pitted ones at Loblaws)
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onion/scallions, finely chopped

Vinaigrette:
1 medium garlic clove, minced/crushed
Zest of ½ lemon and juice of the whole lemon
1 tbs. ground cumin
2 tsp. paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt
black pepper, to taste
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, olives, carrots, cilantro and scallions. To make the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until emulsified. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Grapefruit, Avocado and Spinach Salad

Grapefruit, Avocado and Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 Grapefruit
1 Avocado
1 bag of Spinach (baby is better if you have it)
Olive Oil
White Vinegar
Sugar
Salt
Pepper (A lemon pepper works well too)

Instructions:

1. Scoop out avocado and cut into segments. Salt slightly.
2. Cut grapefruit into segments, BUT save excess juice. Squeeze extra juice from the grapefruit carcass into a bowl with the excess juice.
3. Take excess grapefruit juice, and make it into a grapefruit vinegarette. Add a little white vinegar if you don't think you have enough grapefruit. The grapefruit is meant to serve as the acid (vinegar) of the vinegarette. Add 3 times the amount of olive oil. Ratio (3 to 1, oil to vinegar). Add a little sugar to taste, maybe a spoonful. Then a little salt and pepper to taste. I think I've used lemon pepper before and that worked pretty good.
4. Dress spinach or baby spinach with the dressing. Place chunk of avocado and grapefruit on top.