Cooking Delights

January

2008-02-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

Starting off January with an old-trusty favourite, pie! I think it was raspberry pie to lift our spirits towards summer on a dreary winter day!

Another healthy dinner, "Eat to Live" style. Notice how half the plate is teaming with a leafy green salad. I have taken to using only home made dressings on my salads, after being spoiled by Nicola when I take my yoga students on retreat at Harmony Dawn Retreat Center. My favourite dressing is the tahini dressing from Dreena's Vive le Vegan cookbook. Served with the salad was a quinoa and chickpea pilaf. Blogger won't let me put the image up right now, so I will try to post it later!

Next is a mellow mushroom and brown rice soup, which was honestly a bit of a bore. But, the muffins were outstanding! They were packed with protein, made with quinoa and almond flour. I got the recipe from Veganomicon. I will definitely be making these again. They are not much to look at, but they sure tasted good.

Where to start?

2008-02-04T09:16:00.001-08:00

I didn't even know if blogger was going to let me in, I haven't been here in so long. This is my busiest time of year as a lifestyle coach, yoga and pilates instructor, and blogging has definitely fallen by the wayside! I'm still cooking and eating healthy. Here's a look at what I have been cooking and eat.

Check out this healthy dinner! I don't even remember what it is! Looks like a burrito with fresh salsa on top. Notice the nice big healthy green leafy salad, "Eat to Live" style.

Look at this beautiful tea my friend Carolyn gave me for Christmas. They came in a gorgeous silk bags. My favourite was something rainforest... actually they were all good, and gone pretty quick too!

The last thing from December was this nifty chili recipe, with a built-in corn bread recipe. It didn't turn out quite right, but the chili was awesome. We ate a lot of chili in December, it went with our terrible colds!

I'm getting ready for my Thai vegetarian cooking class on March 1, 2008. I have most of the menu settled, but I am still looking for a green curry recipe. If anybody has a favourite, feel free to send it along!

Back on track!

2007-12-16T07:53:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been busy, busy. Top that off with a nasty flu that lasted a week and you get no blog entries. I got a new camera last week, so I am adjusting to that as well. First, you will have to be exposed to some shiny pictures. I only learned how to turn off the flash last night.

First up, a healthy salad. This salad has hemp seed nuts for protein and pumpkin seeds for iron. This salad is topped with Dreena's garlicy tahini dressing from Vive le Vegan. I love this dressing. It is my absolute favourite.

Next up is a new chili recipe from Dreena's Eat Drink and Be Vegan. This recipe has cocoa, coconut, and coconut milk in it! Let me tell you this is one rich chili!

Finally, yesterday I made the chickun pizzza from Dreena's Eat Drink and Be Vegan. What took me so long? I loved this pizza. It is so delicious and you don't even miss the cheese! I served it with a fresh salad of leafy greens topped with cilantro and bean srpouts! Crispy and yummy!

Last two cooking classes

2007-11-11T07:08:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I have hosted two cooking classes since my last post. Maybe that explains why I haven't had time to post! On October 27th I hosted a healthy vegan baking cooking class. We cooked up some of Dreena's best baking recipes from chocolate cake, to healthy rice krispie squares (my favourite) and apple streudal. Dreena was kind enough to donate a cook book for a giveaway. We had a very happy winner of her new cook book, Eat Drink and Be Vegan.

We had such a great time. We made all the desserts in the morning and then sat down to a plate of desserts for lunch with tea at about noon.

Last night I hosted another fantastic vegetarian cooking class. Asian Feast was back by popular demand. We made spring rolls, summer rolls and Buddha bowls. We had such an amazing time.

I can't wait until my next vegetarian cooking class on December 1. This one is a must attend for all vegetarians, vegans, selectatarians, and vegequarians alike. We are going to cook up a wonderful holiday feast for all those who avoid turkey on Christmas day.

Mexican Lasagna

2007-10-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe from Dreena's new cook book Eat Drink and be Vegan. This recipe is super healthy. The legumes give a great boost of fiber and protein. I wasn't overly fond of the cooked avacado, but next time I think I would just leave it out. I love these layer casseroles.

Happy Thanksgiving - Canada

2007-10-09T08:49:00.001-07:00

For Thanksgiving this year I made Walnut, White Bean & Spinach Phyllo Rolls from Dreena's new cook book, Eat Drink and Be Vegan. I folded the phyllo into triangles and served it as appetizers to my family. Then the vegans in the family ate the rolls with cranberry sauce for their main dish. It was yummy and received rave reviews. I also made the chocolate pumpkin pie. I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of it, but here is Dreena's picture here.

Cafe 668, Toronto

2007-10-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Cafe 668 is my absolute favourite veggie restaurant in Toronto. Now with their new digs down the road it is actually a place you can go for a nice dinner out. Add to that the fact that they now serve alcohol and you have a proper evening out.

Here I am raising a glass to our dinner. The front of the restaurant looking out onto the street is glass from floor to ceiling.

This is the famous and very delicious cafe 668 salad.

We also started with pan fried dumplings...notice we forgot to take a photo until half way through. My daughter, Trinity, loved these.

This is the crispy house noodles. YUMMY!

We always order the curries here. I love the texture and flavour of these coconut curries. This is the vegetable curry.

This is my favourite dish, the coconut curried eggplant.

At the front door they have these really cute pinapple plants.

Here's my husband, Tim, getting fancy with the photography using the mirrors on the west wall. Check out the new digs for Cafe 668. They are totally gorgeous and the food is absolutely delicious.

My first recipe from Eat Drink and Be Vegan

2007-10-06T04:06:00.001-07:00

I was totally starving and exhausted after all my coaching calls last night, but hubby was out with the car which made take out a mute point. I decided to whip up the sun dried tomato pesto from Dreena's new cook book, Eat Drink and be Vegan. This recipe was super easy and delicious. I think I whipped it up in the same amount of time that it would have taken me to get take out. This recipe is satisfying without any cheese and filled with nuts for protein.

I served it with a nice Shiraz. This South African red wine was bold and full of flavour, just the way I like it! Isn't the cork cute with the giraffe on it?

Mango Bundles

2007-10-05T06:47:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week Trinity and I made these darling mango bundles from Quick Fix Vegetarian. These were really fun and easy to make. I cut up the mango and Trinity did all the assembly work. They were quick and easy and really impressive. Tastey too!

I got mine!

2007-10-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Today I received my copy of Eat Drink and Be Vegan in the mail. Dreena has really outdone herself this time. I can't wait to try the white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies, chocolate pumpkin pie and the more natural rice krispie squares. Oh yeah, there are lots of recipes of food too, not just desserts! LOL! Congratulations Dreena!

Broccoli and Walnut Topped Perrogies

2007-09-29T04:25:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the Quick Fix Vegetarian. You can click here for some of the recipes from her cook books. This recipe was super simple and well received by the whole family. Even a slight human disaster on the stove (inadvertantly melting the perogie package to the wrong burner cover) couldn't keep this meal off the table in less than thirty minutes.

I don't often eat broccoli, but I probably should more often. Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli contains the phytonutrients sulforaphane and the indoles, which have significant anti-cancer effects. The walnuts of course are a source of omega 3's for vegetarians.

I love cupcakes!

2007-09-28T10:22:00.001-07:00

I took these to yoga class the other night. One of my coaching clients was celebrating her birthday. So we all got to partake in the celebrations! These are lemon gem cupcakes with lemon butter icing. No redeeming nutritious qualities, however, pretty delicious!

My newest cookbook

2007-09-26T23:52:00.000-07:00

No, my copy of Eat Drink and Be Vegan has not yet arrived, sigh. Amazon.ca is still giving me a projected delivery date of December 5th on my pre-order!

However, I did treat myself to this cook book by Robin Robertson, author of Vegan Planet. I do like the recipes out of Vegan Planet, however I find them a bit time consuming. Quick Fix Vegetarian on the other hand has loads of great recipes for very simple suppers. The recipes are what he calls pure vegetarian - meaning vegan, no dairy or animal products of any sort on the ingredient list. So far I have made a couple of recipes from the book and I am really impressed. Another exciting feature of this book are some quick fix appetizers and desserts! Gotta love that! Watch for some upcoming posts of recipes from this cook book.

Chocolate Butt Cakes!

2007-09-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Every time I see this picture on Dreena's blog, I get all side tracked from what I am doing and all I can do is think about chocolate cake. On Sunday night I was dreaming all night about this cake. Seriously, in my dream I couldn't find my Everyday Vegan cookbook and I was totally distraught over not being able to make this cake. When I woke up in the morning I found my copy of Everyday Vegan on my cook book shelf and sighed a huge sigh of relief. I vowed to make this cake as soon as I could.

There was only one problem... can you believe I don't have round cake pans? So, we decided to make them into cupcakes instead. This worked out well because I had about half enough ingredients for the icing! Trinity and I got to work. After mixing the flour and all the other ingredients Trinity and I realized we didn't have any canola oil in an aerosol can to spray our cupcake liners. Whenever you have an emergency like this and your hubby is out with the car it is a total life saver to have a friend and neighbour like mine! Off we went to Karyn's house. "Karyn we need spray oil!" When we got to Karyn's house, Karyn said, "Trinity, what is all over your bum?" I have to tell you that Trinity is one of the most tactile children I know.... hands in the flour, hands on your bum, flour on your bum. Karyn said, "You're not making cupcakes, you're making butt cakes!" And there you have it, the name stuck. Here are our butt cakes. They were so delicious and super easy to make!

This super trimmed down, non-fattening cake will definitely make an appearance at my healthy baking vegetarian cooking class. Whether it will be cake or butt cakes, I'm not sure yet.

Enchilada Casserole

2007-09-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is another super simple supper for my next vegetarian cooking class on Saturday September 22nd at 5:00 p.m. This was a really simple vegan enchilada casserole. The process of rolling enchiladas is eliminated by creating layers in a casserole dish. I made it vegan by cutting out the cheese sauce on top and topping it with a avacado cream sauce from Dreena's Vive le Vegan cook book. I think next time I will just skip the avacado dressing and do a simple guacamole instead. I served the casserole with salsa and a simple cole slaw. Not too pretty, but nice and easy and tasted great. Hubby gave it two thumbs up and came back for seconds.

Vegan for a day?

2007-09-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

I came across this article in my research about metta meditation today. It was located on a blog through the yoga journal website:

Celebs go vegan for peace

Christy Turlington, Russell Simmons, Sting and Donna Karan are participating in the Global Mala Project, an international effort that uses yogic events to raise awareness and funds for global causes on the United Nations' International Day of Peace (Sept. 21), by going vegan for the day. According to the United Nations, the waste emissions from animals raised for food contributes more to global warming than all the car and truck emissions in the world. How many of you are vegan or vegetarian? Why did you decide to eliminate animal products from your diet?

This little article has got my knickers in a knot. I am excited about the Global Mala Project, in fact I am hosting two events on Saturday September 22nd to support it. I appreciate that celebrities are raising the consciousness around global warming and the raising of animals for food. But really, how hard is it to go vegan for a day? How hard is it to call up your personal chef and say, "Can you make it vegan today?" Let's see some commitment with guts! How about vegan for a year. If you really care about the planet, how about just switching to a vegan lifestyle for the rest of your life?

Vegan Fettucine Alfredo

2007-09-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

More recipe testing for the September 22 vegetarian cooking class. People have already started registering, so I'm sure it will be sold out! This one is a definite keeper. I still can't believe that it tasted like traditional fettucine alfredo, without the cheese!!! You can't believe how happy I am about this! It is good for you too! I won't give away all the secrets here, you have to come to the cooking class. I served the fettucine alfredo with a fresh salad topped with avacado, pears and red peppers. I whipped up a simple raspberry vinagrette to drizzle over top.

Tortilla Soup and Southwestern Rice and Black Bean Salad

2007-09-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

More recipe testing for the next vegetarian cooking class. This cooking class in particular is easy and fun to prepare for since it is simple suppers. Pictured first is a Southwestern rice and black bean salad. This was super easy to make and was tastey.

Below is a really unique Mexican inspired tortilla soup. It was tastey too!

My daughter has become really interested in baking. Here are some vegan oatmeal raisin cookies from Dreena's Everyday Vegan.

West African Peanut Stew

2007-09-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I am testing for my next Vegetarian Cooking Class. The next class is a simple suppers class and this was pretty easy to put together. The broth for this stew is thickened with peanut butter (I used almond butter) which gives it a little extra protein punch. Not only to almonds give vegetarians some protein, but they also help to lower LDL (the lethal kind) cholesterol and lower your overall risk for heart disease. It also has cabbage and okra.

Cabbage is a super nutritious food. The many phytonutrients is cabbage work as antioxidants to disarm free radicals before they can damage DNA, cell membranes and fat-containing molecules such as cholesterol. Now, new research is revealing that phytonutrients in crucifers, such as cabbage, work at a much deeper level. These compounds actually signal our genes to increase production of enzymes involved in detoxification, the cleansing process through which our bodies eliminate harmful compounds. A cleanse is just what I can use after a week of "all inclusive resort food" in Cancun Mexico.

Before I go...

2007-08-24T04:07:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Cancun Mexico for a week in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. I should let you know what I have been cooking over the last week or so. It has been a time of indulgence to say the least. Cooking and eating some of my favourite things!

Pictured above is the swiss chard and tomatoes for my garden. This meal has been a staple this summer.

Swiss chard and tomatoes tossed over organic whole grain pasta.

Pictured here is a mango/lime thai salad from the Harmony Dawn cook book. It was super yummy!

Peaches are in season, so I made peach pie. Yummy!

Problem is, it was so good I ate half the pie myself and gave myself a tummy ache.

Here are some yummy banana pancakes from Vegan with a Vengance. My hubby adored these. Apparently they were light and fluffy enough for this picky pancake eater.

More veggies from my garden to make....

This yummy home made vegetable soup. This soup was designed to use up as much as I could from my garden and my refridgerator before I head off to Cancun tomorrow morning. I succeeded in cleaning out my garden and my crisper with this delicious tomato and swiss chard soup. I served the soup with lemon poppy seed muffins from Vegan with a Vengance. (They are really just cupcakes with poppy seeds in them... super yummy!)

I have made Dreena's Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies twice in as many days. These are the ultimate cookie and crowd pleaser. Do you know how many people coincidently stop by my house every time I bake these? They never last long!

An oldie, but a goodie

2007-08-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

This is vegan pad thai from 125 Best Vegan. It is probably the best recipe in this cook book. This was probably my first vegan cook book before I found out about all the good ones like this one and this one. Nonetheless I have not come across a better pad thai recipe than this one. Now I have been wanting to get this cook book for a while now. Does anybody have this Thai Vegetarian Cook Book? I want to make some green and red thai curries... oh and some singapore noodles. The green and red curries usually have fish sauce in them, so I am anxious to see how they replace it. I guess I should just pick it up and start planning a Thai Vegetarian cooking class!

Fresh from the Garden

2007-08-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

Pictured here are some tomatoes fresh from my garden. Man tomatoes straight from the garden are sweet and juicy. A lot of my dinners have been looking like the picture below. Swiss chard from my garden with some garlic and fresh tomatoes. You can't beat it!

Yummy Noodles with Spicy Tofu Peanut Sauce

2007-08-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

When I took my yoga students on a yoga retreat at Harmony Dawn last June I picked up a great cook book by Nicola Lawrence called
The Dao of Harmony Dawn Cooking.

This recipe comes from that book. It was so good with lots of peanut butter and Asian ingredients. I will definitely be making this one again.

Retreat time is coming up again soon. Spaces are filling up quickly. So, if you are thinking of attending. Make sure to register soon!

The most cupcakes I have ever made at one time...

2007-08-13T05:07:00.001-07:00

On Friday July 27th, my friend and lifestyle coaching client, Becky Peister got married. For her wedding present I made her 168 cupcakes for her wedding. This was a BIG project. I have never made that many cupcakes at one time! I decided on Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Lemon Gem's from her cookbook, Vegan with a Vengance. What I decided to do was double the batch from Vegan with a Vengance and make it seven times.

I divided the project into two days.

The first day was spent baking and the second day was spent icing. For the icing I made a variation on the butter cream frosting from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I changed up the recipe a bit adding some lemon juice and lemon zest to make the cupcakes more lemony. The final cupcakes had beautiful edible flowers on them. All in all it was totally fun. I'm not going to go into the cupcake catering business, but when my sisters and friends get married, I think this makes a lovely wedding gift!

My latest obsession

2007-08-10T04:57:00.001-07:00

Have any of you tried any of the sabra hummus available on the market now? I am totally addicted! I can't get enough of this stuff. My favourite is the roasted red pepper hummus, but I've also tried the spicy hummus and it is good too. I know it seems crazy to buy hummus when it is so easy to make, but this stuff is worth the extra pennies. We love it with the fresh artisan breads and baby carrots. We get it at Sobeys in case you are wondering where to find it. I honestly think I could live on this stuff. I always have at least two containers in my fridge now.

So if you wonder what I have been cooking lately, the answer is not much. On those days when it is just too hot to do anything in the kitchen I am sitting on my back deck with a container of sabra hummus and artisan bread and I'm done.

200th Post!!!! Simple Summer Supper

2007-07-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

This was another simple supper this summer. Another recipe from The Tao of Harmony Dawn Cooking Pictured here are Sunflower Crackers. Aren't they cute in the heart shape? They were so yummy. I served them with hummus and a fresh green salad.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

2007-07-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

This has quickly become a favourite at our house. I first had this salad when I led my retreat at Harmony Dawn Retreat Center in June. It comes from Nicola's cook book, The Tao of Harmony Dawn Cooking This is the kind of recipe that has so much flavour that you don't mind that it is vegan. The flavour comes from all the fresh herbs in the salad. I think we have been eating this about once a week since the retreat.

When I was at Harmony Dawn Retreat Center, I was spoiled with home made dessings at each meal. Since I have been home I have been unable to stomach commercial dressings. This salad dressing comes from Dreena Burton's Vive le Vegan cook book. I believe it is a tahini dressing. It is an absolute favourite. And now with my Magic Bullet, I can whip it up in no time.

I'm sorry I have been so negligent in posting! I have been cooking, just not posting. I find it really hard to find the time to get everything in that I want to do in a day.

More Reasons to go Veggie

2007-07-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

I'm preparing curriculum for a telecourse right now on "Overcoming Emotional Eating." One of the books that I am reading in preparing for the course is, Dr. Neal Barnard's Breaking the Food Seduction. While there are lots of interesting tips on overcoming food cravings in this book, I was quite surprised that meat fell into one of the categories of addictive foods!

Dr. Barnard states that more life-threadtening inllnesses have been linked to a meat-based diet than just about any other factor in our lifestyle or environment. Diseases such as cancer, heart-disease, diabetees, kidney problems, obesity and food-borne infections can all be linked to meat. What can you find in meat? Cholesterol, salmonella, e-coli, mad cow disease and foot and mouth deisease. Not only that but meat gets 20-70% of its calories from fat.

So, what makes meat addictive? When meat hits the tongue, opitates are released in the brain. Also, meat stimulates a surpisingly strong release of insuling, just like a cookie or piece of white bread. Insulin reseases dopamine between brain cells and dopamine powers the brain's pleasure center.

Need more reasons to switch to a vegetarian lifestyle? In 1990 Dr. Dean Ornish showed that a vegetarian diet alone could re-open blocked artieis in 82% of his research participants. A vegetarian diet can prevent and reverse heart disease. Vegetarian diets have been shown to prevent alzheimers by lowering cholesterol. Also the protein building block - homocystaine – that comes from the breakdown of animal proteins has been shown to increase the risk of alzheimers. Breaking the meat habit cuts your overall risk for cancer by 40%. Animal proteins are higher in sulfur containing amino acids which leach calcium from our bones leading to osteoporosis.

The addictive quality of meat might help to explain why 1 in 4 Americans in a research study wouldn't give up meat for a week even if they were paid $1, 000 to do so!!!

Lemon Bundt Cake

2007-07-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

Pictured here is the Light Lemon Bundt Cake from Compassionate Cooks. I love this web stie. I think I am going to have to order her new book, The Joy of Vegan Baking. Should there be a limit to the number of cook books one can own? When I became a vegetarian four years ago, there were hardly any good cook books. Now there seems to be a plethora of them! Lucky us!

We ate the cake as is without even adding the icing. It was totally delicious. It was the first time I got to use my bundt pan and it was well worth the wait!

Curried Quinoa Salad

2007-07-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

Pictured here is a curried quinoa salad. I got the inspiration from the Whole Foods Recipes web site. This particular salad is a variation on the curried couscous salad. I loved the coconut and coconut oil in this salad. It was really yummy!

Cooking Meditation

2007-07-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

1. Leave your preoccupations and worries at the kitchen door. As you wash your hands, imagine the day's concerns being rinsed away with the physical dirt and impurities. Wipe over work surfaces in the same frame of mind.

2. Bring together all your ingredients. Handle them carefully as the offerings of other life sources. State your intention to increase the happiness of those you are cooking for. Declare it out loud, if you like.

3. Let the activities of washing, chopping, and stirring suffuse your body and mind. Surrender yourself to each task, letting it be an outward sign of your inward state - calm, untroubled by distractions, and full of love.

4. As your mind gets drawn away by thoughts, constantly anchor yourself to the task at hand and to your intention = to satisfy with good food and love.

5. As you work, visualize the food you are preparing nourishing the diners with love, and see this love spreading out from the dining table as they take it with them out into their own lives and interactions.

6. Present the food beautifully - not carved vegetables and florid napkins, but by honestly and mindfully placing it on the plate. Now, even before it is eaten, the recipient will absorb feelings of caring and emotional sustenance.

Yoga Retreat Food

2007-07-01T05:28:00.000-07:00

I'm embarrased that it has been a month since my last post. June was a busy month with my yoga and pilates classes, telecourses, and of course the yoga retreat.

The food at the yoga retreat was absolutely fantastic. Nicola is a first rate chef. She created the most nourishing and nutritious food imaginable for our reatreat. The first night there we enjoyed a delicious Moroccon Coconut Curry pictured below. I think it was my most favourite meal of the weekend. The curry was served over a bed of black rice and with a fresh green salad.

Of course, I picked up Nicola's cook book. I am looking forward to cooking some delicious meals from it this week. So, I will keep you posted.

One other quick victory for me. I believe I have been "cheese-free" for almost 20 days now!!

Last of the simple suppers

2007-06-02T05:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. I have been very busy with cooking classes, yoga workshops, and telecourses as of late! It is good to be busy, but I will also be happy to have some time to poke around the kitchen a little more.

My last vegetarian cooking class, "Quick to the Table" went really well. I couldn't decide what to make, so I gave them five recipes and then we made three on the actual day. They ended up choosing the nachos (picture below), the gnocchi and the polenta recipes. It was so funny because at a normal cooking class we usually sit down to eat at about 8:00 pm, by the time we are finished eating. This cooking class we had made three complete meals and were finished eating by 7:30 pm. So, I guess it worked, they were dinners that were really quick to make.

Pictured here is a black bean salad (which we made at the last vegetarian cooking class) along with an easy quesidilla. Don't you just love my fishy bowl?

You all probably know about this resource, but have you seen the great recipes at Whole Food Markets website? I'm making this one to take to a friend's for dinner tonight. I'm replacing the couscous with quinoa and I will probably add some chick peas. I'll add a picture later today.

So that's it for me for now. Watch out for lots of delicious grilling ideas over the next few weeks as I prepare for my next vegetarian cooking class, "The Vegetarian Grill." It will be happening June 16 at 5:00 pm.

Yet another simple supper!

2007-05-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favourite simple suppers. I love this taco salad from Nava Atlas Vegetarian Family Cookbook. I served it with some yummy nachos. This was a REALLY filling meal! The count down is on until my next vegetarian cooking class. Only four more days!

A NEW Idea for Leftovers - Vegetarian Style

2007-05-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we had our friend Jen over for dinner. I made roasted vegetable sandwiches with a lentil salad for dinner. My leftover roasted vegetables usually sit in the fridge until they are past the point of no return. Not this time! I got the genuis idea to make wraps out of the leftovers. Voila, another simple supper! Pictured below you can see the before and after photo. Before roasted vegetables accompanied by the lentil salad. Fold the tortilla shell, place it in the foreman grill, and there you have it, a tastey leftoever, no fuss dinner!

More Simple Suppers

2007-05-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Must be the time of year, because my cooking has been getting really quick and easy. I've been preparing for the upcoming vegetarian cooking class with lots of simple suppers. Don't worry if you are planning on coming, I won't be showing you how to make pita pizzas or roasted veggie sandwiches - which aren't actually that quick. I do think I will be showing my participants how to make three quick meals, then in the recipe booklet I will include some really simple ideas, maybe ones you have forgotten about.

Simple Suppers

2007-05-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying preparing for May's already sold-out vegetarian cooking class. The theme for this month's class is weekday meals that are easy to get to the table. Let me tell you this is an unusually easy class to prepare for in terms of time cooking in the kitchen. It does require a little more on the creative end. But, man, these meals are easy to put together.

I have been continuing with my beans, grains and greens theme as you can see here. Pictured below are a couple of pasta dishes with sides of bean salads and greens.

Today I made a swiss chard frittata and served it with spelt and wild rice toast. I didn't get much sleep last night, so you can see the slathering of sugar... er I mean jam on the toast for a pick me up!

Beans, Greens and Grains

2007-05-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about how to organize a salad plate that we could put on the menu, or as a feature item at the Black Dog Pub. Not only that, but as the spring and soon to follow summer creeps in here, I want to be able to make quick and filling meals to eat on our back deck. This morning, while I was flipping through Nava Atlas'Vegetarian Five Ingredient Gourmetcook book, it dawned on me! BEANS! GREENS! and GRAINS! All I need is a green salad, with a bean (legume) salad coupled with a grain salad... and voila you have a nutritionally balanced salad plate meal! I wasted no time putting it together my first beans, greens, and grains salad plate for lunch today.
Pictured here is lunch. I served a lentil salad, a coleslaw, hummus, a baguette, some brie cheese, grapes and strawberries. YUMMY!

We enjoyed this lunch after doing a little bit of planting this morning. Pictured below is my herb garden. The oregano is coming back strong from last year. I decided to plant LOTS of basil (can you say I love pesto) some lavender, sage, garlic and corriander/cilantro. I also planted some individual pots of parsley, and much more basil. I will have enough basil to make pesto this year.

Excuses to buy more cooking appliances

2007-05-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to buy some cooking appliances as of late. My mini food processor broke. I have a hankering for a coffee grinder to grind salba and hemp seed nuts and I have been eyeing those KitchenAid Mixers for some time now. Here is a justification for them all, and one appliance I probably don't need (the griddle). Enjoy!

Setting Up Your Kitchen by Leanne Ely, C.N.C.

Getting the basics for your first kitchen or paring down your kitchen to
only have tools you need requires a good list of great, can’t live without
appliances. These apparatus (apparati?) are here because they either do
one job well and better than anything else or they are efficient
multi-taskers. Here then, The List and it’s a short one:

1. Mixer. God bless KitchenAid for coming up with their heavy-duty (and
heavy to lift, I might add) stand mixer. In order to mix well, you need
some horsepower behind the metal, or watts (as in 325 watts, more or less,
depending on your model). Power is what separates a great mixer from a not
so great mixer. This contraption can whip cream and egg whites in a flash,
knead a few loaves of bread, mix together anything worth mixing together
and look incredibly cool at the same time. I have a standard issue white
Kitchen Aid but you can get them in pretty much any color, including
different metallics, like nickel and chrome. A must for any kitchen. Comes
with a whip for whipping, a paddle for mixing and dough hook for kneading.
You can get other attachments, including a pasta roller and meat grinder
if you actually have time for those two pursuits.

2. Griddle. I don’t use this everyday, but when I do, I am very happy I
have it—especially when I’m cooking for a crowd. The griddle I am fond of
is a large one that can cook a pound of bacon at a time, all plugged in
and sitting on my countertop. There is a little hole in the griddle and a
cup too, to catch the hot drippings. After the bacon has been cooked, the
nonstick surface is cleaned up (easily) and a boatload of pancake making
can ensue. Big griddles help you make big lumberjack sized breakfasts and
will allow you to brown, cook off and fix food for a dozen in no time
flat. I use the griddle to make several quesadillas or grilled cheese
sandwiches at one time. If you ever intend to have a bunch of people over
at any given time for a meal, chances are you will haul this appliance out
and use it over and over again.

3. Blender and Food processors. I know some people use their food
processors for blenders, but I have found food processors to leak when
making something liquid-y, like smoothies. I use my blender for smoothies
and making creamed soups. Only two things, but smoothies are an everyday
affair at my house. Food processors, slice, dice, chop, puree and make the
best pie dough in the world. I make pie dough maybe once a year, but it
only takes a minute and it’s the tenderest, flakiest crust ever.

4. Mini-food processor. Need a quick chop or a blend for something small?
The little mini-food processor is excellent for this job, weighs less than
a cheesecake and can do all kinds of breathtaking things like, chop nuts,
hard veggies and make a quickie pesto. I love my little guy and I suggest
you get one and love yours, too.

5. Coffeemaker and grinder. I don’t have a combo appliance, but I put them
together because in my mind, you cannot make a decent cup of joe unless
you grind your own beans. I have been grinding my own for well over 20
years now and every morning (that I am home at least), I perform the same
ritual of grinding the fatted bean, brewing it till just finished (then
keeping it warm in a carafe—don’t leave it on the burner to burn!) and
drinking a divine cup of morning brew. I make it stronger than most people
(opting for 2 tablespoons vs. 1 tablespoon of coffee per 6 ounces of
water) and I have my first cup by itself, my second with my morning
cereal. My coffee is exquisitely important to me (ask anyone who knows
me!) and making it well requires two good appliances—a grinder and a good
coffeemaker. I have a Cuisinart coffeemaker that beeps when it’s ready
(you gotta love that!) and does a fine job all the way around the block.

“What,” you say. “Is that it?” What about IT, the mother of all
appliances, the Crock Pot!!!?

Ah yes, the crock pot. My very favorite and esteemed above all appliances.
If you want to know more about that lovely apparatus, stay tuned. I
promise to gush over the wonder of it all and why anyone who doesn’t own
one must repent and purchase one today.

Hope to be back soon with some food posts... man I have been really out of the loop for shopping, preparing and presenting good vegetarian food as of late!

Polling my American Vegetarian Friends

2007-04-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

I have a lifestyle coaching client who is going to be travelling through the U.S. over the next couple of weeks. She is looking for some good vegetarian restaurants to try. I told her I would take a poll of the people that visit my blog to see if there are any "don't miss" places while she is on her travels. She will be travelling to:

Cleveland, Ohio

Cincinnatti, Ohio

Covington, Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Thanks in advanced for your help!

My latest gig!

2007-04-27T01:40:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to tell you about my latest gig. I have been working closely with the owners of Black Dog Pub lately teaching them private yoga sessions in their home. They are extremely committed to a healthy, holistic lifestyle and this commitment has extended to the amazing food they serve at their restaurant.

It is amazing to know that in the far east end of Toronto one can get a healthy, and vegetarian meal at a local pub. The Black Dog Pub has recently integrated a Healthy Lifestyle Menu with several vegetarian options to choose from. We were there for lunch the other day and my husband and I enjoyed the veggie burger with a side of salad. Although we were in a burger mood that day we could have also chosen the grilled tofu and vegetable wrap made with a choice of whole wheat wrap, rice paper wrap or plain or mulit-grain pita, served with tomatoes, sprouts, herbed mayo, dill pickle & sweet potato fries. We also could have chosen their version of a ‘Buddha Bowl’ with brown basmati rice chick peas, sunflower sprouts, marinated grilled tofu steaks, diced tomatoes, red onion, raw & toasted nuts & seeds in a mildly spicy tahini sauce. Anyway, you get the picture, there were several choices! Pictured here is the veggie burger which was a yummy chick pea based burger.

For dessert we had the best carrot cake I have ever had in my entire life. This carrot cake is the Black Dog's own Spelt Carrot Cake with tofu cream cheese frosting which is both dairy & sugar Free. This cake is a healthy meal in itself. I have been known to stop by the pub and pick up a piece when the craving hits!

Anyway, back to my latest gig. I have been asked to work with the Black Dog Pub as a celebrity vegetarian chef of sorts to come up with vegetarian and vegan feature items. So I will be consulting with them on vegetarian and vegan items that they will be offering right along with their other special features. I will also be working with them to further develop their vegan and heart smart menu. I am totally psyched about this. Anyway if there are any vegetarain or vegan options that you would like to see at local restaurants, now is your time to speak up. Also, I would love to hear about your favourite vegetarian and vegan restaurants so I can check out their menus for ideas too!

Vegetarian Sushi Cooking Class

2007-04-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

I have to say, last night's vegetarian cooking class was my favourite of the bunch I held. I just loved making vegetarian sushi with the people that came. We each had our own little work station and made sushi to our own tastes. I love the aesthetics of Japanese cuisine. Did you know that when you are serving sushi you should never fill the serving platter, individual plates or dipping bowls to capacity, as this is considered rude. I bought some pretty plates for this cooking class. We made sure to not fill them to capacity. Speaking of etiquette, you should never pour your own drinks. Offer to serve others and wait for someone to offer to fill your cup. And, by the way, it is completely acceptable to eat sushi with your fingers.

Pictured below was the amazing dessert sushi. It is a mango slice secured with a strip of nori on coconut and lime flavoured rice. These were amazing!

Happy Easter Part II

2007-04-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

I just had to share these adorable cupcakes that I made for Easter. Really, does it get any cuter than this? Little bird's nests with mini eggs in the center. I also made mini cupcakes with just one mini egg in the nest.

Too much cuteness, and everybody knows that cute food is good for your health.

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I tried my hand at my first lemon merengue pie. My husband's parents had invited us for dinner and I offered to bring along dessert. I made the pie yesterday morning and had a heck of a time keeping my husband and daughter off of it until we ventured out to my inlaws for dinner. Of course we couldn't actually wait for dessert so we did the civilized thing once we arrived and had the pie before dinner for afternoon tea. It was awesome and lemony!

Sushi Take II

2007-04-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

My next vegetarian cooking class is fast approaching so I am testing lots of sushi recipes. Pictured above is a sushi recipe with asparagus and red pepper in it. The rolls themselves are lined with a special sauce. These were fantastically yummy. I also made some cucumber rolls that you can see on that plate.

I was happy to receive my Vegetarian Sushi cook book in the mail from amazon last week. It contains lots of helpful tips and interesting recipes.

Finally I tried my hand at some hand rolls. I had a hard time making some picture perfect cylander shapes, but these avacado hand rolls were to die for! YUMMY! Here are the best step by step direction on making sushi hand rolls that I could find.

This vegetarian cooking class is going to be so much fun I can hardly wait!

My favourite muffins

2007-04-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

I am really loving my new cookbook. There are already a couple of favourites in this cook book. One is these amazing pumpking muffins pictured above. Another is the amazing museli recicpe that everybody raves about and is super nutritious.

These muffins have the coolest texture because of the millet in them. Why is millet good for you, you ask?

Although oats have been widely publicized for their heart-protective properties, millet is a grain that should also be included on your list of heart-healthy choices because of its status as a good source of magnesium. Magnesium has been shown in studies to reduce the severity of asthma and to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. Magnesium has also been shown to lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack, especially in people with atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease. Niacin (vitamin B3) can be of help in lowering high cholesterol. A cup of cooked millet provides 26.4% of the daily value for magnesium.

I also love the idea of re-celling our bodies with the nutritious food that we eat. Millet contributes to that project as well!
The phosphorus provided by millet plays a role in the structure of every cell in the body. In addition to its role in forming the mineral matrix of bone, phosphorus is an essential component of numerous other life-critical compounds including adenosine triphosphate or ATP, the molecule that is the energy currency of the body. Phosphorus is an important component of nucleic acids, the building blocks of the genetic code. In addition, the metabolism of lipids (fats) relies on phosphorus, and phosphorus is an essential component of lipid-containing structures such as cell membranes and nervous system structures. A cup of cooked millet will give you 24.0% of the daily value for phosphorus.

I also love the roasted pumpkin seeds on top. I have been using a lot of pumpkin seeds lately as a means of adding more iron to my diet. Did you know that just 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds contains almost 30% of your daily requirement of iron?

Do Vegetarians Get Enough Protein?

2007-04-06T01:15:00.000-07:00

The answer is yes!

I have a lifestyle coaching client who is a vegetarian, endurance athlete and nutritionist to boot! As a nutritionist employed by a food company (don't worry, it's a good one) my client has access to some amazing software that tracks the exact amount of nutrients you are getting from your food. My client has generously agreed to allow me to share some important information about protein with you.

Here is what she found:

"The RNI (recommended nutrient intake) for women 25-49 is 51 grams of protein per a day . This is for a 59 kg woman. I am 63.5 kg so my requirement would be 54.8 g. However, athletes do require more protein. The Manual of Clinical Dietetics recommends 1-1.7 g of protein per a kg of body weight for athletes consuming a plant based diet. For me, this works out to 63.5 - 107 g of protein per day. I tracked my protein intake for 2 seperate days. One day it was 80.87 g and the other day it was 74.02 g. So, I am exceeding my requirments as a "regular" person and within the range for athletes. I feel confident that I am getting the protein that I need. The main sources of protein in my diet were beans, grains (oatmeal was a surprisingly good source), nuts, seeds and dairy. The main difference between the 2 days was the museli. On the higher protein day - I ate the museli for breakfast, the other day regular cold cereal. So, thanks again for the museli recipe - it definitely helps contribute protein (as well as a lot of other nutrients!) to my diet."

Vegetarian Sushi Take I

2007-04-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Well, my next vegetarian cooking class is vegetarian sushi, so beware of lots of sushi experiments in the next few weeks! Pictured here is some avacado sushi, made with brown rice. All in all they turned out really well. They tasted fantastic. I need to get some sushi rice so that the rice sticks together. That will make them much, much better! Stay tuned for much, much more vegetarian sushi!

Free Telecourse: Why diets don't work!

2007-03-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

I thought I would let some of my friends in blogger land know about a free telecourse that I am holding next week.

Why Diets Don't Work
We don't fail diets, they fail us!

Are you frustrated, discouraged and depressed over trying to lose weight? Do you think why bother? Are the emotional and physical deprivations of diets getting you down? Then you need to join us for a lively and informative phone call where we will discuss why diets are an ineffective means of achieving long term health and weight loss. The problem is not personal will power. Diets are unnatural and unrealistic and present health- threatening restrictions that you should know about.
Date: Tuesday April 3rd, 2007
Time: 8:30 p.m. EST

To take charge of your health and your weight e-mail info@melissawest.com to register for this free phone call.

What's a telecourse?
Instead of having to book a flight, hire a babysitter, find a hotel and schlep through airport security to attend a seminar, you simply dial-in to the teleseminar phone number at the scheduled time. You’ll join your fellow participants and the seminar leader on the phone call. Teleseminars consist of lecture, Q&A, and discussion, all over the phone.

Lentil Patties

2007-03-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

These are the pumpkin seed crusted lentil patties from Dreena Burton's Vive le Vegan. I grilled these babies up on my George Forman grill. I almost gave that grill away when I went vegetarian a number of years ago, but I'm glad I didn't. They are great for grilling veggie burgers, which have a tendency to fall apart and not hold together as well as meat burgers. I love that these patties are coated with ground pumpkin seeds. It gives the patties really nice crispy coating and a good boost of iron for those vegetarians concerned about getting enough iron in their diets.

Another successful vegetarian cooking class

2007-03-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

Last night I hosted another vegetarian cooking class. The menu was spring rolls and summer rolls with ginger dipping sauce. We made these first, stopped and enjoyed our appetizers and then went back to cooking and made the buddha rice bowls.

Pumpkin Millet Muffins

2007-03-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

My mother in law recently gave me a gift certificate to purchase a new cook book. I rushed out the door to choose a vegetarian cook book from the local bookstore. I decided on Rebar Modern Food Cook Book. They have an interesting ecclectic mix of recipes. This is one of them. The pumpkin millet muffins have a wonderful texture and taste. I loved the crunchy millet, pumpkin flavour and toasted pumpkin seeds on top. This recipe made a big batch too, which was nice. This allowed me to enjoy them for breakfast, during breaks between teaching yoga classes, and to share some with my friends.

Signature Salads

2007-03-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

Finally blogger is letting me upload images! I have been trying to post for a number of days, but I really didn't want to without a photo!

Pictured here is a typical salad that I eat everyday. I think salads are an extremely important building block of a nutritious meal. It is with salads that we can get a lot of vitamins and nutrients as well as raw digestive enzymes that help us digest our cooked food. That being said we can also get into salad ruts. I try to keep my salads exciting by using nuts, seeds and other additions. This salad has pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds and other veggies.

According to Brendan Brazier, pumpkin seeds are iron-rich. Iron is a nutrient that some people have trouble getting enough of, especially if they don't eat enough meat. I like to add pumpkin seeds to my salad for some extra iron in my diet.

Hemp seed nuts are a great way to add protein to a meal. Hemp seed nuts are probably the finest source of raw protein in nature. Hemp is a nutreint-rich whole food in its natural state. There is no need to create isolates or extracts from it. The protein present in hemp is complete, containing all 10 essential amino acids. Since hemp protein is raw, its naturally occurring digestive enzymes remain intact, allowing it to be used by the body with greatest ease.

I love cupcakes!

2007-03-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had a family get together so I volunteered to bring cupcakes. Pictured here are lemon gem cupcakes from Vegn with a Vengance iced with lemon buttercream icing adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Also from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and pictured here are the Chai Latté cupcakes. Now, these were a hard sell next to the ones frosted with lemon buttercream icing... however, I think on their own they would have been very much appreciated. They were a delightful little tea cake.

I'm back!

2007-03-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

Wow! Does it ever feel better to be back in the land of the living! You have no idea what a drag it is for a foodie to loose all desire for food! I kept thinking about how little I had to contribute to my blog and whether I would ever have anything to contribute again! LOL!

Here is lunch from today. Roasted red pepper pesto pasta with spinach salad. I garnished the spinach salad with toasted almonds, mandarins and PC Mango Vinegrette This is definitely a five minute meal that I will add to my menu for my April cooking class. It was so quick and easy it wasn't even funny. I can think of a couple of things that I would do to tweek the recipe... but this one is definitely a keeper.

Nutritionally speaking this dinner is also a home run. The walnuts in the pesto are of course are a great source of omega 3's. Spinach is a good source of iron. Boosting iron stores with spinach is a good idea, especially because, in comparison to red meat, a well-known source of iron, spinach provides iron for a lot less calories and is totally fat-free. One of my nutrition and lifestyle coaching clients is making the switch to vegetarianism and is concerned about how to find certain nutrients that are commonly found in the meat kingdom, in the animal world. So there you go, no need for red meat to get your iron, or fish to get your omega 3's. You can have a well balanced nutritious diet as a vegetarian.

More good news about chocolate

2007-03-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

Still not much cooking going on here. Gastro intestinal challenges mean there is not much more exciting than green tea and toast happening here. So while I am taking a cooking break I thought I would leave you with more good news about chocolate.

Not only is it good for your heart, but new studies show that good quality dark chocolate is also good for your brain! A special cocoa, designed to retain naturally occurring flavanols, could help maintain healthy brain function. This could eventually lead to new weapons against cognitive decline and dementia. Several studies have indicated that flavanols could improve blood vessel function. My February newsletter discussed the health benefits of chocolate... now here is another benefit to add to the list.

The flu

2007-03-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

We have been suffering from a bad bout of flu in our house so there has been very little cooking going on here. I thought I would stop by to give you some tips on avoiding the flu. I myself have been making sleep a top priority and have definitely experienced way less symptoms of the flu than my husband and daughter. We have been eating foods that are very easy on our stomach including waffles, pancakes, and crepes. Above is a picture of a ginger pear waffle from Isa Chandra's wonderful cook book Vegan with a Vengance. So stay well, get lots of rest, avoid sugar, eat lots of garlic, keep your stress levels low, exercise and wash your hands. Be Healthy!

Treats!

2007-02-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

I like to give my vegetarian cooking class participants party favours to take with them at the end of the night. I usually like to tie it in with the theme of the class. For example, last class, the cooking with tofu class, I gave everybody a box of mori nu tofu. Since the theme of this class is legumes and ancient grains I had the awesome idea to give away bags of Lundberg Rice Chips. These crunchy chips are made with brown rice and black beans!!!! What a perfect combination for this class! I also like to suggest these chips as a snack to my nutrition and lifestyle coaching clients. They are definitely a better choice than commercial potato chips.

A lot of my health conscious clients are not that interested in wine with their dinner. So, as an alternative to wine I will be serving Amé Sparkling Elderberry and Lemon The lady helping me at the health food store told me that these sparkling spring waters also aid in digestion.

So, with these extra treats, I am looking forward to my cooking class tomorrow.

A couple of easy meals to keep us going

2007-02-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

Now these are some easy, peasy meals to keep you going.

First up a grilled cheese sandwich, served with sweet potatoe fries and a hearty salad. I topped the salad with walnuts for extra omega 3's.

I love this easy dinner. Organic corn chips topped with black beans, corn, salsa, and a sprinkling of cheese.

Of course Tuesday was pancake Tuesday. So I made this delicious pancake recipe. Hubby wanted to go to the local church, but I put my foot down since they would likely be serving Aunt Jemima all white flour processed pancakes. I said, "Honey, stay home, I'll make you pancakes that will have you pooping from here until Saturday" So, he did. I served the pancakes with Heinz baked beans in tomato sauce and drizzled real maple syrup over the pancakes. On the side, a little bit of pear.

Here's what you need:
1/4 cups milk (or soymilk--I use an Omega 3 fortified soymilk)
1 cup rolled oats

1 tbsp oil
1 ripe banana
2 eggs (you can use 3 if you want, for extra protein--it doesn't hurt them)
1 tbsp brown sugar (optional, since the banana makes it sweet too)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground flax
some wheat germ (no more than 1/4 cup)

optional extras: frozen blueberries, apple or plum cut into small pieces
[plum is super tasty], walnuts, whatevah tickles your fancy, no more
than 1/2 a cup of it though.

What you do:

1) put oats and milk in a small bowl and let it sit while you do the
next steps

2) combine banana, eggs, oil and brown sugar until a soupy mess (either
mash, or just put it all into a cuisinart or something like that)

3) In a separate bowl, mix the flour, flax, wheat germ, baking powder
and salt. (N.B. you can add cinnamon to this if you like)

4) Mix banana mixture with milk and rolled oats mixture. Add dry
ingredients and stir until just mixed. It's pretty gloopy, but if it's
too thick from the added wheat germ and flax, you can add a bit extra
milk/soymilk. Stir in your extras.
Cook like any other kind of pancakes, but keep them small. I usually
make them 2-3 inches across. They seem like they will be really heavy
and dense--don't worry, they aren't. They don't flop around like a
flapjack, but somehow, they are nice and light.

Last, but not least (if you got this far!) I have just had two spaces open up in Saturday's cooking class. If you are still interested I would be happy to honour the early bird price. Drop me an e-mail at info@melissawest.com. Would love to have you!

Cooking Class Preview

2007-02-19T10:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't been getting to blogging much lately. I was away for a while doing some more training for my nutrition and lifestyle coaching practice.

February is flying by! It has been a busy month. I can't believe my cooking class is coming up this Saturday! Anyway, I have been doing some recipe testing and tweeking in preparation for the big day.

First up is the kamut and adzuki bean soup from Dreena's Vive le Vegan This was my first time working with kamut or adzuki beans so I am on a bit of a learning curve. I chose it for the cooking class because it uses some less well known grains and legumes and, well, that is the theme of the class: grains and legumes. Anyway, this will require some tweaking because my adzuki beans were "al dente" and my kamut was over cooked. I think by the time the cooking class comes I will have these glitches sorted out.

Second is definitely an old favourite from Vive le Vegan. These are the carob and coconut cookies. Now, I said they were sugar free, which they are not. However, they don't have very much sugar in them at all... which is why I missed it when writing my promotion for the cooking class.

And since Dreena Burton is the legume, grain, nut and seed queen (not to mention all round great person) I will be giving away one of her cook books at my cooking class!!! Any ideas on how I should give this away as a prize? I am thinking some sort of a fun contest is in order!

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

This past weekend my husband and I treated each other to a weekend of love. We made reservations at our favourite romantic restaurant and booked a hotel room downtown Toronto. It was totally extravagent, romantic and amazing.

I started with the amazing apple and ginger juice and a bowl of black bean soup.

My hubby had the peppery rocket arugula dressed in a cranberry vinaigrette with pears, pumpkin seeds and seared tempeh in a poppadum canoe.

For the main course we shared sliced shiitake and crimini mushrooms mixed with shredded spinach in cashew cream wrapped in a filo pastry puff and fresh lemony spinach pesto mixed with hand rolled barley and potato gnocchi (g) tossed with asparagus and olives. (the gnocchi picture didn't turn out so well).

For the first time ever we ordered dessert. At Fressen they have one dessert. We have often ignored it, but since it was the weekend of love and we were going for total indulgence we decided to give it a try. It was quite honestly the best dessert I have ever had. I'm not sure exactly what it is called, but those dark chocolate wedges were as divine as the chocolate mouse hidden in the fruit. The chocolate was so bitter that the fruit played off it deliciously. Everything was dairy free - made rich with avacado, almond cream and cashews that there were no nasty side effects from eating such a rich dessert.

After dessert we headed back to our hotel room....

The next morning we headed back to Fressen for brunch. We had, probably the best ever breakfast I have ever had out. Tim had the scrambled seasoned marinated tofu served with a crispy black bean tortilla. The scrambled tofu was amazing - how they got it to taste so much like scrambled eggs is beyond me!

I had a roasted vegetable sandwich with marinated tomatoes and lettuce on a home made bun with potato salad and greens.

Miso Soup and Noodles

2007-02-10T04:31:00.000-08:00

Here are some really simple and quick to prepare recipes from Nava Atlas' The Vegetarian 5 Ingredient Gourmet. I love this cook book because it has loads of easy recipes that are quick to the table. Here I cooked an Asian style soup. I actually changed the recipe quite a bit. I used miso for the first time which was really lovely.

The salty taste and buttery texture of miso, a fermented soybean paste originating in Japan, is becoming increasingly popular in the West as a versatile condiment for a host of different recipes. Once only found in specialty stores, miso is available year round in many local supermarkets.

Although miso is usually made from soybeans, it can also be produced from rice, barley or wheat by adding a yeast mold (known as "koji") and other ingredients that are allowed to ferment. The fermentation time, ranging from weeks to years, depends upon the specific type of miso being produced. Once this process is complete, the fermented ingredients are ground into a paste similar in texture to nut butter.

Miso is a soy paste that is created by inoculating trays of rice with the vitamin B12 synthesizing fungus, Aspergillus oryzae, then mixing in a ground preparation of cooked soybeans and salt, and letting the mixture ferment for several days before grinding it into a paste with a nut butter consistency. Because it is fermented with a B12-synthesizing bacteria, miso has been commonly recommended as a B12 source for vegans. Miso is quite high in sodium (1 ounce contains 52% of the recommended daily value for sodium), but a little miso goes a long way towards providing your daily needs for the trace minerals zinc, manganese, and copper. In addition, a single tablespoon of miso contains 2 grams of protein for just 25 calories. An impressive nutrient profile for a flavoring agent! Use miso in your cooking instead of plain old salt and reap a variety of benefits in addition to enhanced flavor.

The soup also has some wonderfully healthy baby green bok choy. I think it was shanghai bok choy? Anyway it was a pretty green with no white parts!

I served the soup with some simple brown rice noodles flavoured with sesame oil. Another recipe from Nava Atlas' The Vegetarian 5 Ingredient Gourmet.

Wacky Pizza

2007-02-08T18:55:00.000-08:00

This is a wacky pizza that I made a couple of days ago. I had it in my mind that I didn't have any tomato sauce in my cupboards (pasta, pizza or otherwise) so I was looking for alternatives. (Of course, after the pizza, hubby pointed out a can of pizza sauce of all things! LOL!) I had made some baba ganoush a few days ago, so I decided, what the heck, why not make pizza with baba ganoush. I also cut way back on the loaded with saturated fat mozerella cheese. In its place I used a heaping tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a terrific food supplement for vegetarians, providing nutrition, enhancing flavor, and adding taste to your foods.It is an excellent source of protein (52%), containing essential amino acids. It is also rich in vitamins, especially the B-complex vitamins. To boot it is an excellent source of folic acid, which is important for formation, growth, and reproduction of red blood cells. I know most of you vegetarians and vegans already know this, but my participants might not!

I am also using olives on pizza, an idea I got from Fressen, one of our favourite vegan restaurants. The olives give the pizza a salty zing similar to cheese. Olives are concentrated in monounsaturated fats and a good source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant. It goes after and directly neutralizes free radicals in all the fat-rich areas of the body. In combination, stable monounsaturated fats and vitamin E add a significant safety factor to cellular processes like energy production, a process that generates free radicals even when things are running smoothly.

Energy Cookies

2007-02-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

I am back to recipe testing for my next vegetarian cooking class on February 24th. Since February is heart and stroke month in Canada I thought I would offer a class that encourages eating more whole grains and legumes. February is the month that we in the wellness industry focus on lowering our risk of heart disease and stroke. The heart and stroke foundation recommends eating more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and high fiber foods to reduce your risk of heart disease. The soluble fibre found in grains and legumes helps to reduce "bad" LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol. The insoluble fibre helps to keep your bowels healthy and regular. Additionally the heart and stroke foundation encourages people to enjoy meatless meals a couple of times a week since they are both nutritious and easy on the pocket book.

These are Dreena Burton's Energy Cookies from Vive le Vegan. I have already promoted these cookies with my pre and postnatal clients as a healthy snack. I also encourage my holistic nutrition lifestyle coaching clients to eat healthy snacks and these would be a fantastic choice. These cookies feature nutritious whole grain flours, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, hemp seed nuts, AND are wheat free, sugar free and loaded with lots of goodies. Best feature yet, even my five year old daughter eats and ENJOYS them!

Vegetarian Chili and Using up what's left in the kitchen

2007-02-04T05:13:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in such a long time. It was a really busy week plus, I need to go grocery shopping so badly right now it isn't even funny.

Here is a yummy vegetarian chili from Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Family Cookbook. Chili is so nutritious packed with vegetables and legumes. This chili was made with crushed tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans and corn.
In the area of food and phytonutrient research, nothing has been hotter in the last several years than studies on the lycopene in tomatoes. This carotenoid found in tomatoes (and everything made from them) has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. The antioxidant function of lycopene-its ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage-has been linked in human research to the protection of DNA (our genetic material) inside of white blood cells. Prevention of heart disease has been shown to be another antioxidant role played by lycopene.

Research published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry indicates that black beans are as rich in antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins as grapes and cranberries, fruits long considered antioxidant superstars.

When researchers analyzed different types of beans, they found that, the darker the bean's seed coat, the higher its level of antioxidant activity. Gram for gram, black beans were found to have the most antioxidant activity, followed in descending order by red, brown, yellow, and white beans.

In addition to providing slow burning complex carbohydrates, kidney beans can increase your energy by helping to replenish your iron stores. Particularly for menstruating women, who are more at risk for iron deficiency, boosting iron stores with kidney beans is a good idea--especially because, unlike red meat, another source of iron, kidney beans are low in calories and virtually fat-free.

On the second day I took the chili and put it between three tortillas topped with some cheddar cheese.

Finally I took the ends of the bananas that my daughter doesn't eat and fried them up with a little butter, maple syrup and tea masala spice. Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana contains a whopping 467 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The effectiveness of potassium-rich foods such as bananas in lowering blood pressure has been demonstrated by a number of studies.

Happy Birthday Trinity, Part II

2007-01-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

Well, the birthday goes on. Today we had family for Trinity's birthday party.

For appetizers I chopped some fresh veggies and served them with Dreena's Creamy Hummus. I love this hummus. We were already on the nutritional home run with raw veggies and hummus for protein.

I made a fantastic lasagna, for which I losely followed a recipe. I made this lasagna healthier by cutting the cheese in half and mixing tofu, crumbled, into the spinach/cheese mixture. So, this was a spinach, mushroom, and eggplant lasagna made with whole wheat lasagna noodles.

For dessert, of course we had cupcakes. I love how this photo makes the cupcakes look like a bouquet of roses. These are the sexy low fat cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, iced with buttercream icing. I cut back on the sugar in the cupcakes by 1/4 cup, but I don't recommend it. They needed some extra sweetness.

Happy Birthday to my little girl!

2007-01-27T16:38:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that my precious little angel turned five this week. She is the light of my life. I love watching her to grown into a beautiful person each and every day. One of the highlights of this week was to make mini-cupcakes for 20 or so little JKers.

Easy, easy, easy

2007-01-23T07:34:00.000-08:00

OK, so not the cutest picture. This was one of the simplest things I have ever made. It comes from Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Family cook book It basically involves boiling some noodles of your choice, sending a box of mori nu through the blender and adding in some cheddar cheese. This was so easy. My daughter loved it too, so it definitely passes the kid test. I thought it was a great way to healthy-up traditional mac and cheese.

28 cooks teaches me to make glazed nuts

2007-01-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

Fiber at 28 cooks recently featured a trio of glazed nuts. Here are her chai walnuts, but I used almonds. Almonds lower your LDL cholesterol and help to reduce your risk of heart disease. These were scrummy... although fiber says they will last for a week in an air tight container, ours lasted under an hour and it was really hard to wait for them to cool.

More recipe testing....

2007-01-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

Well, it was back to the kitchen to try more tofu icing today. I even consulted with the cook book author on this one. Today I tried the raspberry icing from Dreena's Vive le Vegan cookbook. This was my second try at this recipe. I tried it before for my hubby's birthday last June 10. Let me just say that with the tips from Dreena and the agar powder I am all set to go with this recipe. I think this is the one that I will go with for Saturday. I think sexy low fat vanilla cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World together with raspberry icing probably has more appeal than ginger cake with lemon icing. Tonight will be the real test though. I have packed these babies up in my brand spankin' new for Christmas cupcake caddy and I am taking them to yoga class tonight. Lucky yoginis! I am looking forward to what these mindful ladies will have to say about these little cakes.

Weekend Breakfast

2007-01-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Sunday is the only day that I am not scheduled to be out the door by a certain time. Weekdays are a rush since my daughter has to be at school by 8:00 a.m. Even on Saturdays I start teaching at 9:30 a.m. It is nice to take a slower pace on Sunday mornings and spend more time on breakfast. Yesterday, inspired by Laura at Eden in the Kitchen I decided to make pumpkin waffles for breakfast. Now, just in case you thought I was perfect (ha ha!) I will let you in on a few disasters in the kitchen yesterday morning. First of all, I had to go grocery shopping before I could make these babies. That took until about 11:00 a.m. By then I was starving and losing brain function. So, I plugged in the waffle iron and proceeded to blow a fuse. From there I moved the waffle iron to the only other working outlet in the kitchen on top of the stove (not very convenient). The first waffle was a complete disaster - for some reason it didn't cook and stayed completely flat. (probably had something to do with blowing the fuse) The second waffle I burned to a crisp - how did the temperature on the waffle iron get turned up so high???? Third time was a charm and we all enjoyed beautiful pumpkin waffles with heinz beans in tomato sauce. YUMMY! Lucky I didn't give up! I spiced the pumpkin waffles with this masala tea spice that I found at my grocery store. It has ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ground pepper in it. It is fantastic in everything from pumpkin waffles to oatmeal cookies.

Recipe Testing for Cooking Class

2007-01-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

Today it was time to test out two of the items for next Saturday's cooking class. I started by baking a cake this morning at the break of dawn. I got the idea from Albion Cooks to try out David Lebovitz' Fresh Ginger Cake. Now this cake is right up my ally. It is chewy on the inside with an outer layer that is cracked and crispy, just like good brownies. The reason for making this cake, was actually to test out a lemon, maple tofu icing for next Saturday's cooking class. Thanks to my good friend Carolyn, I was able to secure some agar powder and now the world is my oyster when it comes to tofu frosting. Having worked with guar gum in the past, I must say agar powder is WWAAAYYY easier. I was quite pleased with the results of this cake and the icing. The icing is not too sweet like a lot of other icings. The only thing is, I'm not sure everybody will share my complete love affair with anything gingerbread flavoured. I will probably be testing some raspberry icing later this week to compare.

For dinner tonight I cooked up a eggless tofu quiche. This recipe was tweeked from Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Family cook book. I made this quiche with artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes. The meal was a hit with my family and is definitely ready for the cooking class.

There are two spots left in the cooking class, so let me know if you want to join us!

Roasted Squash Soup and Cheddar, oat crackers

2007-01-13T03:39:00.000-08:00

I am getting to that point where it is really time to do a grocery shop, but I am still trying to use up the rest of the ingredients in my fridge. I found a butternut squash and some sweet potatoes in the back of my cupboard and decided to make Dreena's roasted squash soup from The Everyday Vegan. I did change up the recipe a bit, however. I was out of onions, so no onions. I decided to roast a bulb of garlic with the squash and sweet potatoe. This addition made for a very rich soup and er, um, lots of flatulence! LOL! I love roasted garlic, but whoa nelly, does anybody else find it gassy? I am also finding that I am unfortunately developing a food sensitivity to sweet potatoes! Now who in the heck of it develops a food sensitivity to sweet potatoes? My tummy just finds it too much, which is really too bad because sweet potatoes are super nutritious. The cheddar oat crackers were fun, they are from Nava Atlas' Soups and Stews book, under the accompianment section. These are really neat. You cook them up in the fry pan until they are golden brown. I decided to get fancy and make mine heart shape. They were a nice accompaniament to the soup and a nice change from bread. The oats make them super healthy. I also used a combination of flours. Since I was pretty much out of whole wheat flour, I used a combination of kamut and whole wheat. Turned out great. Too bad my daughter wasn't that interested in them. I was hoping they would make a nice alternative to store bought crackers and even a great healthy snack to pack for school. Can't win them all I guess.

Another Preview

2007-01-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

Here is another preview of the yummy creations we are going to make with tofu at Saturday January 20th's cooking class. This tofu pudding is kid-proof and husband proof. Even the most paranoid tofu-phobes will be fooled. This is a great snack that packs a lot of punch with its protein and satisfies the sweet tooth at the same time. I only have a couple of spaces left so register asap to avoid disappointment.

Cooking Class Saturday January 20th

2007-01-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

With a new year comes renewed energy to cook with healthier ingredients. One of the number one questions I get as a vegetarian is, "How do you cook with tofu?" or "Do you have any good tofu recipes?" Let's face it tofu is pretty dull on its own, but prepared properly can be a healthy contribution to any nutritious meal. This seemingly bland food can miraculously take on the flavor of its surrounding ingredients making it a highly versatile as well as highly nutritious part of a healthy diet.

Tofu is an excellent source of protein. Research on soy protein in recent years has shown that regular intake of soy protein can help to lower total cholesterol levels by as much as 30%, lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels by as much as 35-40%, lower triglyceride levels, reduce the tendency of platelets to form blood clots, and possibly even raise levels of HDL (good cholesterol). Soy has also been shown to be helpful in alleviating the symptoms associated with menopause. Additionally, most types of tofu are enriched with calcium, which can help prevent the accelerated bone loss for which women are at risk during menopause. Fish isn't the only good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Tofu provides 14.4% of the daily value for these especially beneficial fats in just 4 ounces. Tofu is a very good source of iron, providing 33.8% of the DV for this important mineral in 4 ounces.

With all these health benefits you are going to want to know a few ways to prepare tofu in a delicious way that the whole family can enjoy.

On Saturday January 29th I will be hosting my second cooking class. In this cooking class we are going to learn four different ways to cook tofu.

Main Course Tofu

Sweet and Sour Tofu

Tofu Eggless Quiche

Tofu for Dessert

Chocolate Pudding

Cupcakes iced with delicious tofu icing

Here is a preview of the sweet and sour tofu that we will be cooking on Saturday January 20th. This dish is a favourite at our house. Apparently it is really good as leftovers as well, but we wouldn't know, because there is never a morsel left.

Here it is in the pan, cooking.

Here it is served with brown basmati rice and stir fried vegetables.

Come to my place and learn to cook delicious food and desserts with tofu in a fun, informative, and relaxing environment.

Cooking Class Features
Each class is limited to five people so that you can get the attention you deserve and enjoy hands on experience preparing your tofu. You will receive recipes, nutrition tips, and cooking instruction. Feast on a relaxing sit down meal after learning to prepare a delicious dinner and dessert with tofu.

When: Saturday January 20th 5:00 p.m.

Where: My place

For information on pricing and directions to my place contact me at: info@melissawest.com. Space is limited so reserve your spot early to avoid disappointment.

Aloo Gobi

2007-01-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

The other night I decided to try my hand at aloo gobi. I had some cauliflower in my fridge, which is unusual, because I don't often buy cauliflower. I find it hard to imagine that something so white could have any nutritional qualities, so I usually skip it. Cauliflower lacks the green chlorophyll found in other members of the cruciferous family of vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and kale, because the leaves of the plant shield the florets from the sun as they grow. Cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale, contain compounds that may help prevent cancer. These compounds appear to stop enzymes from activating cancer-causing agents in the body, and they increase the activity of enzymes that disable and eliminate carcinogens. We now know that cruciferous vegetables contain both glucosinolates and thiocyanates (including sulforaphane and isothiocyanate). These compounds increase the liver's ability to neutralize potentially toxic substances. Did you know that a one cup serving of cauliflower provides you with 91.5% of your daily intake of vitamin C. I guess I am going to have to give this nutritious vegetable another chance!

I served the aloo gobi with brown basmati rice and a home made coleslaw featuring cabbage, carrots and dried cranberries.

Good Nutrition for your Brain

2007-01-08T06:03:00.000-08:00

Brain of a six month old.

I have been reading Dharma Singh Khalsa's Brain Longevity book. In addition to inspiring my yoga practice it has also influenced my eating habits. According to Khalsa "A substandard diet is the number-two preventable cause of death in America today, right after smoking. Smoking kills about 425, 000 people a year, and dietary mistakes kill at least 350, 000" (Khalsa 1997, 200). Khalsa's instructions for proper nutrition for your brain are relatively simple.

1. Eat a low fat diet.

2. Eat a nutrient dense diet. Empty calories stress your body in terms of digestions, assimilation, and elimination.

3. Avoid hypoglycemia. Don't let your blood sugars get too low. When your blood sugar is low, your brain functions poorly.

4. Eat a relatively low-calorie diet. Don't go hungry, but don't overeat.

5. Eat a balanced diet. That doesn't mean to eat from the "four basic food groups," rather eat a balance of whole grains, vegetables, fruits and non-animal based protein.

6. Take supplements.

7. Eat real food. Not processed food. Not pesticied-poisoned food. Not embalmed food.

It probably won't surprise you that Dr. Khalsa recommends a vegetarian diet. "Adequate protein can be consumed without eating meat, and virtually all meat is high in fat. Even the leanest types of white chicken are much higher in fat than almost any other high-protein foods" (1997, 207).

The reasons that fat takes its toll on the brain are two fold. "Excessive consumption of fat impairs cerebal circulation by clogging arteries with 'bad' low-density lipoprotein (or LDL). LDL decreases the elasticity of the brain's blood vessels" (Khalsa 1997, 225).

"High fat intake also creates a huge number of free radicals, because fat oxidizes so quickly that if you pour oil into an open container, it will become infused with air in just a few seconds. This infusion of air (or oxidation) will quickly turn the oil rancid, and rancid oil contains some of the most destructive free radicals that exist. When free radicals from fat meet your neurons, they quicly damage the neurons, and begin to kill them" (Khalsa 1997, 225).

Now if that doesn't motivate you to improve your nutritional intake, I'm not sure what will!

I'm a lucky girl....

2007-01-06T19:12:00.000-08:00

I was treated today, first to a face lift in my kitchen and then to dinner at my favourite restaurant.

When we moved into our house about a four years ago it was completely white washed. Four years and a doctorate degree later we hadn't done anything to the house. We decided to try to spruce up the kitchen. I don't have a true before picture of my kitchen, but the cupboards used to be a really ugly beige laminate. We painted the cupboards white and the walls yellow. The yellow turned out much more like highlighter yellow than "lotus flower yellow." sigh

Before

After

Today we slaved over adding these handles to the cupboard doors and drawers. Even though my husband cursed a lot through the experience I think it was worth the vision I had for my kitchen.

Tonight we went to one of my favourite vegetarian restaurants in Toronto, Café 668 This food is so incredibly tastey there is nothing I can write to give it justice. You have to go and check it out for yourself. All I could think about was how much my brother in law, Martin would appreciate this food, since he can often be quoted as saying, "this is some serious flavour" while enjoying his food.

First up is a vegetarian curry. How do southeast Asians make their curry? I need to know, because this is absolutely my favourite type of curry sauce. I have tried lots of different curries, but I definitely love this one the most. This dish has tofu and some faux bbq pork in it. I love the faux bbq pork!

Next up is crispy fried noodles with four different mushrooms. Crispy noodles has to be one of my favourite things about Asian cuisine. Sorry about the photo here, as soon as the food arrived we dug in and forgot about taking the picture until we had already destroyed the presentation.

Last, but certainly not least, one of our favourites at this restaurant, curried eggplant. They lightly batter and deepfry the eggplant and then cover it with their perfect curry sauce. Once again, apologies for the photo, we had already started eating before we took the photograph, again!

Behind the Apron

2007-01-05T17:50:00.000-08:00

Fiber over at 28 cooks is hosting a "Behind the Apron" round up to try to get to know her fellow food bloggers out there in food land.

Here I am! I am the proud mother of a beautiful and spirited five year old daughter. I've been married to my awesome husband for ten years. Professionally I am a nutrition and lifestyle coach, vegetarian chef and cooking class instructor, yoga, pilates, and fitness instructor and freelance writer. I just completed my doctoral dissertation in communication and culture in December of 2006, which makes me Dr. Melissa West. I love to cook. My favourite thing to cook is probably cupcakes. That's it, that's me. Did I forget anything?

New Year's Day Celebrations

2007-01-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

We had my sister in law and brother in law over for lunch yesterday and a late Christmas gift exchange. I made a couple of great recipes out of my new cook books.

The first recipe is from Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. This is a Brazilian Black Bean Stew.I served it over brown basmati rice. The rice was made with a mixture of tomato juice and water which made for an interesting flavour. This was the first time I made rice without my rice maker and it turned out great.

I served the brazilian black bean stew with Mediterranian Salad Stuffed Bread from Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Family Cookbook.. This recipe was an interesting mix of lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sun dried tomatoes mixed with olive oil and lemon juice. You were supposed to make this bread ahead of time to let the flavour soak into the breat. This made for bread that was a bit mushy. Next time I might heat the whole thing up in the oven and avoid soaking the bread. I didn't mind it but my hubby found it too mushy.

For dessert I whipped up apple blossoms made with puff pastry. The great thing about puff pastry is that it makes everything taste like it comes from an expensive bakery. I used up the apples I had in the fridge. Since I was out of white sugar I mixed the apples with brown sugar. It turned out fine, even though I think white sugar is better.

What did I get for Christmas from my sister in law you ask? I got this wickedly cool cupcake carrier and a cupcake tin to make mini-cupcakes! I'm excited.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

We were at a friend's place for a house party to ring in the new year last night. I decided to take some festive cupcakes with me. I used the basic vanilla cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I had some "good intention" icing in the fridge that I had planned to use for sugar cookies of some sort. I also had a plethora of candy canes that I had taken off the tree earlier that day. In an effort to "waste not, want not" I used up these holiday staples to make New Year's Eve cupcakes. The cupcakes were a hit with the crowd. In fact, I scored a gig to make 150 cupcakes for a friend's wedding in July. How cool is that?

Muffin Tin Popovers

2006-12-31T06:14:00.000-08:00

Back to "normal" eating this morning. These are the muffin tin popovers from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook. My daughter was practically crying because I wouldn't make her an egg "hamburger," but even my little picky eater enjoyed this variation on eggs/muffins. I thought they were quite tastey. The texture reminded me of Yorkshire pudding. They are basically made with soy milk, eggs, and whole wheat flour. Quite a yummy, nutritious and satisfying weekend breakfast!

Cleanse Day 3 - Busted!!!!

2006-12-30T17:24:00.000-08:00

Well I almost made it through three days of the cleanse. Today started out alright, but by late afternoon I was ready to throw in the towel. We spent all day painting the living room, dining room and front hall. By four o'clock in the afternoon all I could think about was having a normal meal. No amount of veggies was going to satisfy me! I needed some seriously uncomplex carbs!!!!!

This morning I started out with some tropical quinoa. I had hoped the coconut would have a little more kick. I think coconut milk is the only thing that would have pumped up this number! It was actually good, I was just missing my soy milk and some kind of sweetner - maple syrup would have been good.

Island Surprise

Ingredients:
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups Spring Water
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Pineapple Chunks
1/4 cup of Coconut, toasted
1 tsp. Cardamom, ground
1/2 tsp.Cinnamon, ground

Method:
Wash the quinoa to remove the seed cover. Lightly boil water and mix in quinoa, cinnamon and cardamom. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let mixture simmer for 15 minutes as the quinoa absorbs the water. After the quinoa mixture is completed, stir in the other ingredients and chill for 20 - 30 minutes.

For lunch I made a bulgar chick pea stew from Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Soups for all Seasons. This would have been good with something a little more exciting than one slice of wheat free, yeast free, spelt and wild rice toast. Megan the Vegan's empanadas for example would have balanced out this super nutritious stew quite nicely. As it stood it was just too nutritious to really enjoy.

So we made it through the afternoon and three hours of painting. Hubby went to have a shower after the painting and luckily came out waving a white flag. I was totally relieved when he said he couldn't do it anymore! We headed out to our local thai restaurant and enjoyed deep fried spring rolls, spicy thai eggplant, green vegetable curry, shanghai noodles, jasmine rice and a glass of wine. As luck would have it a cupcake store just opened in the same strip plaza called frostings (or something like that) so we went in a picked out a pecan pie to enjoy for dessert. We ate our pie with earl gray tea and Silk soy milk. Ahhh, sweet pleasures. My seratonin levels are starting to return to normal.

Day 3 Verdict:

When it started to feel like there was no pleasure left in life I knew it was time to call it quits. Hopefully almost three days isn't too shabby for my first cleanse. I don't feel a whole lot better than I did before I started the cleanse. Not lighter, not more refreshed, not more energized, nothing too different. I think we will stay off the band wagon for a couple of days and get back on after New Years celebrations.

Cleanse Day 2

2006-12-30T05:22:00.000-08:00

So I made it through the second day of the cleanse. For breakfast I enjoyed some Fruit Quinoa.

Fruit Quinoa

Ingredients:
1 cup Water
1 cup Quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 Apple - small chopped
1 Pear - small chopped
4 Dried Apricots, dried non-sulphured, chopped
1 Tbs. Almonds, soaked and chopped
1 Tbs. Orange Juice, fresh squeezed
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Mace, ground
1/8 tsp. Allspice, ground
1/8 tsp. Cardamom, ground

Method:
Bring water to a boil, add rinsed quinoa. Stir and reduce to low. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork.
Add the apples, pears, apricots and almonds.

Lunch and dinner I had some very delicious minnestrone soup. The recipe was from my new Nava Atlas Soup and Stews cook book. The flavours in this were really delicious. I think it was the Italian seasoning and bay leaves. I made the soup first thing in the morning and let the flavours stew all day. That makes for the best soups I find.

Day 2 Verdict

Day two was definitely easier than day one. I had far less side effects. The achy flu-like symptoms were totally gone. I was at a party last night with about a million different kinds of cheeses. That was difficult. I munched on a bowl of fresh fruit and I may have cheated a little with several rain forest crackers. I think they are gluten, wheat and dairy free, so I may be OK. The ones I enjoyed had dried fruit, nuts and seeds in them. They were delicious. Hope I can find some in the health food stores around me.

Let the Cleanse Begin!

2006-12-28T13:22:00.000-08:00

I have never done a cleanse before, but with two weeks off and only one yoga class to teach each week, now seems like a pretty good time. I have always wanted to do a cleanse, but I waited until I was done my dissertation. On the advice of my nutritionist pal, Vilma, I decided to try the ReCleanse gentle cleanse. You can eat on this cleanse, it is just quite restricted. No white flour, sugar, white potatos, yeast... you can pretty much eat fruit, veggies, some grains, and proteins.

This morning started with the juice of half a lemon in a glass of purified water. This I could definitely add to my daily regime. I love lemon in water. My hubby on the other hand had a hard time choking it down. The lemon water was accompanied by two colon cleanse tablets.

For breakfast this morning I had oatmeal with two tbsp. of walnuts, seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg. No (soy) milk, no brown sugar or maple syrup.

After breakfast we went grocery shopping for some interesting ingredients: kombu, kelp, braggs, quinoa, brown rice, mung beans, adzuki beans, almonds - all of which will be staples over the next seven days.

We were pretty late getting back from grocery shopping so I whipped up this heavenly sprouts salad. It was dressed with an interesting combination of tomato juice, lime juice and olive oil. We the salad with one slice of organic spelt and wild rice bread (no yeast) garnished with Dreena's awesome hummus. The secret ingredient is 1/2 tsp. of sesame oil. I can see this hummus becoming a staple over the next few days.

After cleaning up lunch I continued in the kitchen by making Dreena's quinoa casserole. I roasted red peppers, zucchini, and anise to top the leftover hummus and freshly made quinoa.

Day 1 Verdict
I feel achy, cold, and a little hungry and irritable. I am disappointed by the lack of movement through the colon, but maybe there will be more action there tomorrow. I would love to have a plate of cheese and crackers, some home made nuts and bolts or a cup of earl gray tea with the home made shortbread my Mom made me. Other than that, I survived day 1/7.

Christmast for a Foodie

2006-12-28T05:30:00.000-08:00

As a vegetarian, Christmas eating can be a bit of a challenge. We start every Christmas at our house with a brunch. This year I kept it simple with an egg casserole, beans, a chelsea roll, fresh fruit and cheese. The casserole is really easy, mash some potatoes, make wells in the potatoes and crack an egg in each one, sprinkle with cheese. We were fortunate enough to have cherries and raspberries with our breakfast. Of course we toasted breakfast with some mamosas.

Foodies get goot presents for Christmas. I got 3 of Nava Atlas's cook books. I can't wait to start cooking up some of these recipes. My sister gave me some really nice flavoured olive oils - roasted garlic and sundried tomatoe and lemon. I can't wait to use these.

I think the best present was given to my Dad. Check out Molson, isn't he adorable?

Merry Christmas

2006-12-24T07:58:00.000-08:00

I've been totally exhausted and suffering from an upper respiratory tract infection. Without much energy or appetite there hasn't been much cooking going on here. I thought I would drop by today with a picture of the gingerbread house I made with my daughter. Have a very happy holiday!

I'm back!

2006-12-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

It has been a crazy couple of weeks. On Tuesday I defended my doctoral dissertation. That means I am now officially Dr. West. How cool is that? Anyway, to get back to blogging I thought I would start with a yummy little dessert that I whipped up. This is from La Dolce Vegan. It is really simple. Bananas, peanut butter and chocolate chips in phyllo. Great idea for those pesky over ripe bananas. Anyway, I hope to get back to regular blogging now that I am finally PhinisheD!

Minnestrone Soup

2006-11-29T09:12:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from the best vegetarian. I love it because it has turnip in it and it gives the soup a really nice flavour. Turnips, like other vegetables, are poor in calories. It can be part of a diet menu. Moreover they have diuretic properties. This vegetable is high in vitamin C (11 mg for 100 g of turnip and 30 mg for 100 g of turnip greens). Vitamin C has a powerful antioxidant, meaning that this vitamin quenches free radicals and neutralizes destructive oxidation reactions. Vitamin C also promotes the absorption of iron. Turnip is therefore an interesting vegetable for vegetarian since they always strive to meet their need in this mineral. Turnips are also a good source of calcium, phosphor and magnesium. Turnip greens provide larger amounts of these vitamins and minerals and are especially rich in folic acid. This vitamin is essential for the normal growth and maintenance of all cells and vital for the reproduction of those cells within the fetus. I served this soup with a cheddar cheese loaf from Looney Spoons.

Spring Roll Crazy!

2006-11-28T05:38:00.000-08:00

This is my second attempt at spring rolls. They are really easy to make. These ones had rice noodles, carrots, and nappa cabbage in them. This time I mixed my noodles and vegetables with a little rice vinegar and soy sauce. I think they turned out better than the last batch that I made with hoison sauce. They are baked in the oven instead of deep fried so you can eat as many of these as you want guilt free.

I made them with a yummy Asian soup. This soup had pretty much the same things in it as the spring rolls. It would have done well with some tofu as well. I had three wrappers when I was finished so I took some raspberries and apples and made a pie like filling and baked these up for dessert.

Healing Gingerbread Cupcakes

2006-11-24T06:13:00.000-08:00

I took these gingerbread cupcakes with me to my pilates and yoga classes last night to share. One of the massage therapists at the Wellness clinic thought it was aboslutely hilarious that I would work the girls out and then feed them "junk food." The thing is, cupcakes could never be classified as junk food. Especially since they are made with way more love than a bag of doritos. The spices that I used in these cupcakes have many benefits to the body. Black pepper puritfies the blood, cardamom is a digestive aid, clobes benefit the nervous system, cinnamon strengthens the bones and ginger heals colds and flu and increases energy. So, I offered these healing cupcakes as a commitment to health and well-being. Cupcakes along with physical exercise and a positive attitude are one of the great pillars of total health.

More cupcake therapy

2006-11-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

I made these cupcakes to celebrate my Mom's birthday. Their aesthetic appeal and yummy goodness were equally enjoyed by all who celebrated.

More sexy cupcakes

2006-11-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

Look at these gorgeous little pieces of heaven....

Oh and here they are again....

And again....

....Sigh

My first attempt at spring rolls

2006-11-16T18:01:00.000-08:00

Inspired by all of Megan the Vegan's spring roll creations I decided to try my hand at making spring rolls. I especially loved her discovery that you can bake the spring rolls in the oven and not deep fry them. I meant to take pictures of all the stages, but unfortunately I forgot. Anyway, these spring rolls have rice noodles, nappa cabbage, mushroom, and carrots in them. They were quite yummy and even better warmed up. I served them with Nancy's delicious tofu over more rice noodles stir fried with orange pepper and nappa cabbage. Did you know that cabbage optimizes your cells' detoxification and cleansing ability? For about 20 years, we've known that many phytonutrients work as antioxidants to disarm free radicals before they can damage DNA, cell membranes and fat-containing molecules such as cholesterol. Now, new research is revealing that phytonutrients in crucifers, such as cabbage, work at a much deeper level. These compounds actually signal our genes to increase production of enzymes involved in detoxification, the cleansing process through which our bodies eliminate harmful compounds.

Easy Dinner, but a favourite at our house

2006-11-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

The one meal that my hubby can cook is beans on toast. Well, here you have mushrooms on toast, beans on the side, with some potato chips. Since cooking mushrooms was involved, I prepared the meal. Good old comfort food. These are heinz beans in tomatoe sauce (the only ones my husband will allow me to buy). And, who knew mushrooms were so good for you? The range of traditional nutrients found in crimini mushrooms is impressive. Crimini mushrooms are an excellent source of selenium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), copper, niacin (vitamin B3), potassium and phosphorous. Selenium is needed for the proper function of the antioxidant system, which works to reduce the levels of damaging free radicals in the body. Selenium is a necessary cofactor of one of the body's most important internally produced antioxidants, glutathione peroxidase, and also works with vitamin E in numerous vital antioxidant systems throughout the body. These powerful antioxidant actions make selenium helpful not only against colon cancer by protecting colon cells from cancer-causing toxins, but in decreasing asthma and arthritis symptoms and in the prevention of heart disease. In addition, selenium is involved in DNA repair, yet another way in which adequate intake of this mineral is associated with a reduced risk for cancer. Five ounces of raw crimini mushrooms provide 52.6% of the daily value (DV) for selenium.

More Cupcakes!

2006-11-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

This time I tried the lychee cupcakes. These cupcakes had a fantastic flavour as they were made with coconut milk, lychees and the juice of the lychees. They were a bit of a disappointment overall because they turned out more muffin-like than cupcake-like. When I was mixing them up the dough seemed kind of dry so I will definitely try them again, but this time with more lychee juice. I also won't fill the cupcake liners quite so full.

Curried Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

2006-11-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made this yummy curried pumpkin and black bean soup from 28 cooks. As soon as my hubby smelled the curry wafting through the house he ran out and picked up some somosas and chipati to go with the soup. An excellent addition, I must say. I love this soup because it is made creamy with soy milk and has black beans in it. The black beans add a nutrition boost both for their fiber and protein count. My soup didn't turn out nearly as orange as 28 cooks, but it was still yummy.

Immunity Boosters

2006-11-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

Colds have been whipping through our household since my daughter started JK this fall. Yoga Journal had an Immune Booster Soup in their December 2006 magazine. So, I made the immune booster soup and squeezed some oranges for fresh orange juice to go with it.

Immune Booster Soup

4 cups of mushroom broth

1 small yellow onion chopped

4-10 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

1 carrot grated

4-8 shitake mushrooms, sliced

1-3 tbsp. grated gingerroot

1 fresh lemon, juiced

3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Bring the broth, onion, garlic, carrot, mushrooms nad gingerroot to a slow boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on low, covered for 15 minutes or until the veggies are soft.

2. Remove from heat; add the lemon juice and parsley. Cover and steep for 5 minutes.

My soup doesn't have any shitake mushrooms or parsley, because I wasn't feeling well enough to go to the grocery store and get some. This soup truly makes you feel better, immediately. I ate multiple bowlfuls of it two days in a row.

Apple Swirl Loaf

2006-11-09T10:34:00.001-08:00

This is the apple swirl loaf from Dreena Burton's The Everyday Vegan. It was nice and sweet with an apple swirl right through it. I love how Dreena uses maple syrup to sweeten and ground oats as a flour. The ground oats help to release the sugar into the blood stream more slowly making this a healthy snack. I was going to send it with my daughter for snack, but it was gone before I had the chance.

Fun with Puff Pastry

2006-11-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

I bought a box of puff pastry last time I was at the grocery store. Puff pastry has to be my most favourite cheat right now. Whenever I am craving something rich and baked, only puff pastry will do.

The first creation is made with an apple pie filling. I modified the recipe from the back of the box.

The second creation was made with pears that were on their way out. They were a little too ripe and therefore too runny. I think it would have tasted better if the pears weren't so ripe. All in all a nice treat.

Nutritionally redeeming qualities? Not too many, but they are made with fresh fruit. Well, in the case of the pears, not so fresh fruit.

Cooking Delights

January

Where to start?

Back on track!

Last two cooking classes

Mexican Lasagna

Happy Thanksgiving - Canada

Cafe 668, Toronto

My first recipe from Eat Drink and Be Vegan

Mango Bundles

I got mine!

Broccoli and Walnut Topped Perrogies

I love cupcakes!

My newest cookbook

Chocolate Butt Cakes!

Enchilada Casserole

Vegan for a day?

Vegan Fettucine Alfredo

Tortilla Soup and Southwestern Rice and Black Bean Salad

West African Peanut Stew

Before I go...

An oldie, but a goodie

Fresh from the Garden

Yummy Noodles with Spicy Tofu Peanut Sauce

The most cupcakes I have ever made at one time...

My latest obsession

200th Post!!!! Simple Summer Supper

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

More Reasons to go Veggie

Lemon Bundt Cake

Curried Quinoa Salad

Cooking Meditation

Yoga Retreat Food

Last of the simple suppers

Yet another simple supper!

A *NEW* Idea for Leftovers - Vegetarian Style

More Simple Suppers

Simple Suppers

Beans, Greens and Grains

Excuses to buy more cooking appliances

Polling my American Vegetarian Friends

My latest gig!

Vegetarian Sushi Cooking Class

Happy Easter Part II

Happy Easter!

Sushi Take II

My favourite muffins

Do Vegetarians Get Enough Protein?

Vegetarian Sushi Take I

Free Telecourse: Why diets don't work!

Lentil Patties

Another successful vegetarian cooking class

Pumpkin Millet Muffins

Signature Salads

I love cupcakes!

I'm back!

More good news about chocolate

The flu

Treats!

A couple of easy meals to keep us going

Cooking Class Preview

Happy Valentine's Day

Miso Soup and Noodles

Wacky Pizza

Energy Cookies

Vegetarian Chili and Using up what's left in the kitchen

Happy Birthday Trinity, Part II

Happy Birthday to my little girl!

Easy, easy, easy

28 cooks teaches me to make glazed nuts

More recipe testing....

Weekend Breakfast

Recipe Testing for Cooking Class

Roasted Squash Soup and Cheddar, oat crackers

Another Preview

Cooking Class Saturday January 20th

Aloo Gobi

Good Nutrition for your Brain

I'm a lucky girl....

Behind the Apron

A NEW Idea for Leftovers - Vegetarian Style