HookedOnPlants

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Ratatouille Smoked Tofu Pasta Bake

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A vegan Thanksgiving dish to bring to any dinner to curb those fall comfort food feels!

Rainbow forests, crunchy leaves, crisp mornings & cozy teas.

Does that count as poetry?

But really, I do love fall. Seasons make you truly appreciate each one when you’re in it. The summer (as usual) went by in a blink. We always pack it to the brim with as much adventure in the sun as we can fit.

Paddle boarding. Biking. Camping. Hiking. Dancing.

Now is the time, with the changing of seasons, to have an excuse to take a step back.

Cooking, minimizing the closet, dinner catch ups, catching up on … everything?!

Well, here is a recipe to add to your autumn vibes. Even if this holiday is traditional with the turkey and all, this is a perfect vegan Thanksgiving recipe to bring for everyone to try.

After living in France for years in her 20s, ratatouille is something my Mom has conquered and makes all the time. I decided to give it a bit of a twist this time to make it even more comfort-food approved.

This recipe tastes ‘melt in your mouth-y’, and gives you that feeling of eating something heavy, but it’s actually packed with veggies and nutrients, light on the tummy, great on the digestion, and nice to your waist-line.

Win win.

This passed the comfort-food taste test from the comfort-food lover (aka Davey), so I’m confident that you’ll get those comforting vibes from this dish too.

I always get my smoked tofu from Spud, but if you head to any vegan meat section of the grocery store these days, you’ll be able to find an organic smoked tofu block.

You can use any vegan cheese for the topping (this is optional, but totally takes it to next level awesomeness).

Or, top it off with some vegan parmesano with this easy recipe from here.

Benefits:

  • Eggplant is a great veggie for weight loss because it’s packed with fibre, with no fat or cholesterol. It’s also beneficial for bone health, not only because of the calcium content, but also the potassium content to help the uptake of the calcium! Also, if you’re worried about anemia, eggplant is the veggie for you because it’s packed with iron. It’s brain food too because of all the phytonutrients it packs!
  • Brown rice pasta has just 2 ingredients; brown rice & water. SO many people are afraid of pasta, or any carbs for that matter. But white pasta, refined sugars, and overly processed or fried carbohydrates with a bunch of ingredients are giving carbohydrates a bad name. Carbohydrates, even pasta with minimal whole food ingredients, are what our body thrives on. So go for it with the brown rice pasta, quinoa pasta, soba noodles, baked potatoes, and brown rice! It’s brain food and good energy that our body loves.
  • Veggies galore! This recipe is a great way to pack in a bunch of veggies. The more veggies we have in our diet, the longer we’ll live and the better we’ll feel. Duh.

 

 

Baked Ratatoullie Pasta with Smoked Tofu
 
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A perfect vegan Thanksgiving dish to bring to dinner this year!
Author:
Recipe type: vegan thanksgiving main, comfort food dinner, dinner
Cuisine: french, Canadian
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 3 onions, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 10 small cremini or white mushrooms, diced
  • 2 red peppers, diced
  • 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder (or 1 cube, or ½ cup vegetable broth)
  • 1 tbsp garam masala spice
  • 1 large eggplant, cubed
  • 2 zucchinis, cubed
  • 1 small can organic diced tomatoes, OR 5 chopped roma tomatoes
  • 1 package smoked tofu, diced
  • 1 package brown rice pasta
  • Vegan cheeze of choice for topping (I used Gusta) or top with Vegan Parmesan
Instructions
  1. Oil-free sauté the onions, add garlic after a few minutes
  2. Add mushrooms, red pepper, zucchini and eggplant. Sauté for a few minutes with ½ cup water.
  3. Add diced tomatoes (or can of tomatoes).
  4. Stir, then let simmer 20 minutes.
  5. Pre-Heat oven to 350°F.
  6. Bring pasta water to a boil.
  7. Cook pasta according to directions, then strain.
  8. Mix pasta and smoked tofu into the ratatouille pot.
  9. Sprinkle with cheeze (the Gusta was amazing. It's easy to grate and browns up!)
  10. Bake, lid-on for 5-10 minutes, and continue baking with the lid off for 3 more minutes to brown to top layer.

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Chocolate Blueberry Turmeric Smoothie

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Smoothies….The best way trick your body into eating an entire head of greens.

My day isn’t complete without one.

Typically, the blender is packed 3/4 with greens, then topped off with a big handful of berries, and a couple frozen ‘nanas.

Sounds like a whole forest of greens, but once you blend it all up they hide from your taste buds just like black beans in brownies.

Blending is one of the best ways to get your fruits and veggies in. In smoothie-town, you get to keep the fibre, along with all of the vitamins, phytonutrients, and minerals. Efficient or what!

The more whole, plant foods you can get into your day, the better your body will feel, and the more energy you will have. In other words… a blender is definite BFF material.

Adding in a scoop of this chocolate vegan protein powder that packs in sacha inchi, spirulina, chlorella, maca, greens and all 22 amino acids, takes this smoothie to the next level! The beauty of adding this powder is that you can add even more veggies, and the bitterness of extra kale or chard will be masked by the chocolatey goodness.

And it’s chocolate goodness to the max, with the only sweetener being stevia (a zero calorie plant that’s 200 times as sweet as sugar and related to the daisy!).

Smoothie tips:

  • chew your smoothie! This is why I like to add less liquid sometimes and make it into a smoothie bowl I eat like a soup. Sounds weird, I know, but it’s important to chew your smoothie to start the production of digestive enzyme, amylase, in your saliva. The mouth is where the breakdown of carbohydrates starts. Adding cacao nibs to your smoothie is a great way to remind yourself to chew your smoothie, rather than guzzling it down in a hurry. This makes sure you’re not sending undigested chunks of food down to your stomach.
  • add the greens and additional powders first, then the heavy stuff like berries and bananas on top. This order of things will help the greens blend up without air bubbles and stalls.
  • start your blender on low and pulse a few times, then crank er’ up to the top speed. If it’s not blending, use a tamper.
  • make a mega smoothie in the morning (fill your blender to the brim). Then you’ll have a smoothie in the morning and more waiting for you in the fridge for the afternoon. Having a smoothie ready to grab all day long will kick that afternoon junk food craving in the a$$ and give you a burst of clean energy.

Benefits:

  • Blueberries are packed with antioxidants and vitamin C. The vitamin C helps you absorb all of the iron from the spinach and other greens, and the antioxidants protect you from cell oxidation that comes from pollutants and other stressors leading to early aging, illness or cancer.
  • Turmeric is nature’s anti-inflammatory. All disease begins with inflammation, so the less inflammation you have, the healthier you’ll be and the better you’ll feel!
  • Greens are the most nutrient-dense food group, packed with minerals, vitamins and fibre. Get them in ya whenever you can. Pack that blender with greens… then add one more handful.


Chocolate Blueberry Turmeric Smoothie
 
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An easy, chocolate-y smoothie recipe packed to the brim with greens, with a kick of anti-inflammatory turmeric.
Author:
Recipe type: breakfast, snack
Cuisine: Raw Vegan
Serves: 2 large full mason jars
Ingredients
  • 1-2 cups blueberries (or other berries of choice)
  • 3 cups (or more) of packed greens (spinach, lettuce, kale, collards)
  • 1 cm of fresh turmeric, or ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 -3 frozen bananas (un-frozen works too)
  • 1½ cups almond milk or this hemp milk
  • 1 scoop of chocolate Ground Based Nutrition powder
  • 1 tbsp cacao nibs (optional)
  • water (optional)
Instructions
  1. Add everything except the cacao nibs to the blender. Start with the greens, turmeric and powder on the bottom, then top it with everything else
  2. Blend! Pulse a few times, then slowly increase the speed to max and blend until smooth.
  3. Add water if you want a thinner consistency
  4. Pour into your fave jar and top with cacao nibs

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No-Pork Pulled Jackfruit Tacos

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I know, I know what you’re thinking… Fruit in a taco???

YES and, you gotta try it.

Vegan Jackfruit Tacos… it must be 2017.

Vegan Jackfruit Tacos

Jackfruit falls nothing short of magical when it comes to a whole, unprocessed, vegan meat substitute.

It’s going to absorb all of the flavours you douse it with. Plus it easily and tenderly pulls apart with a fork, and the texture is perfecto.

It’s lighter on your belly, easier to digest, packed with nutrients, and spares the little piggies.

No-Pork Pulled Jackfruit Tacos

These Jackfruit tacos go (insert Mexican accent here) muchos buenos with guacamole, salsa, vegan Cashew Sour Cream, and a side of margarita!

Jackfruit tacos

Plus, they’re carnivore-approved. SO, next time you need to impress your friends with a comfort food, meaty kind of soirée, resort to this recipe and you won’t disappoint.

 

What is Jackfruit?

Jackfruit, AKA the ‘Jack of all fruits’, is grown in Southeast Asia, Hawaii, Brazil, and Africa. If you buy the whole fruit in the tropics, it’s super sticky when you cut it open, so you have to use coconut oil on your knife (believe me, I’ve tried). Otherwise, buy it dried (to eat as is, and it tastes like bubblegum), or if you want to cook with it, you can buy it in a brine like this can from Cha’s Organics, or baggy that’s pre-marinated and ready to heat and eat. It has zero cholesterol or saturated fats. It’s packed with vitamins like vitamin C (immunity), vitamin A (healthy hair) and minerals like magnesium, zinc, iron and niacin. It’s also packed with antioxidants to fight free radicals and phytonutrients for optimal health. Plus, it has the texture of pulled pork, and takes on any flavours you give it. Miracle fruit or what?!

Vegan Jackfruit BBQ tacos! Mexican fiesta time.

No-Pork Pulled Jackfruit Tacos
 
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A delicious BBQ flavoured, non-pork, pulled jackfruit taco recipe that's perfect for your next mexican fiesta!
Author:
Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
Pulled jackfruit:
  • 2 cans of jackfruit (I used Cha's Organics jackfruit)
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
BBQ sauce:
  • ¼ cup tamari
  • ⅛ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds
  • ½ cup onion, diced
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp cumin
  • small pinch ginger powder
  • ⅛ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp molasses
  • 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
Taco makings:
  • 1 package organic corn tortillas (or iceberg or romaine lettuce boats)
  • avocado, mashed
  • 2-3 tomatoes, diced
  • ½ red onion, minced
  • fresh cilantro
  • cashew sour cream
  • sriracha (optional spicyness)
Instructions
  1. Rinse the jackfruit. Strain and set aside.
  2. In a your pot, bring the vegetable stock to a boil.
  3. Add the jackfruit to the pot, then simmer for about 20 minutes, or until most of the stock is absorbed.
  4. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  5. During the simmering time, add all of the BBQ sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
  6. Scoop jackfruit out of the pot and into a bowl. Crush the pieces with a potato masher to get the “pulled pork” texture.
  7. Mix the BBQ sauce in with the jackfruit.
  8. Spread the sauced-jackfruit on a parchment paper-lined (or on a reusable baking sheet) baking pan and bake for 15 minutes turning over once at the half way mark.
  9. In the meantime, prepare your taco toppings!
  10. Assemble your tacos and enjoy.

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Creamy Cashew Sour Cream | Raw Vegan | 5 Ingredients

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It’s not all about carrots and celery (all though… dip those in this and you are winning).

This creamy, easy recipe is living proof that ‘vegan comfort food’ is NOT an oxymoron.

With just 5 ingredients and a blender you will have yourself a decadent, tangy, sour cream-like sauce for your tacos, stuffed taters, lunch wraps, to drizzle on roasted veggies, and… and… and…

You should probably have a jar of this in your fridge at all times. It makes life better.

Just sayin’.

Sauces are the spice of this plant-based life. So get a few recipes in your repertoire and keep stocking that fridge of yours with your faves!

Benefits:

  • Avoiding dairy (in the form of sour cream, cheese, milk, ice cream, whey, butter) means your avoiding IGF-1, hormones (naturally occuring and sythetic), antibiotics (in some cases), carcinogenic casein, addictive casomorphins (opiate-like substances formed by consuming dairy, that leave you craving more), steroids, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers, veterinary medications, synthetic preservatives, additives, cholesterol, saturated fat and white blood cells (aka pus).
  • Cashews are packed with vitamins B6, E, and K, minerals like copper, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron, and the antioxidant, selenium. The magnesium in these kidney-shaped nuts helps regulate calcium and balance your muscles and nerves. The monounsaturated fats in cashews are great for your heart health and blood sugar regulation.
  • Lemon helps to create an alkaline environment in your body. If you’re alkaline, and not acidic, your chance of disease, sickness and cancer is extremely low!


Creamy Cashew Sour Cream | Raw Vegan | 5 Ingredients
 
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A delicious, creamy, vegan sour cream for your tacos, potatoes, and bowls! By the way make sure you soak your nuts before you start!
Author:
Recipe type: sauce, condiment
Serves: 5
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked 8 hours, then strained (or Quick Soak: boil water, pour over cashews, let sit 2 hours)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp water (or unflavoured, unsweetened almond milk)
  • **optional, chopped chives for topping
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to high speed blender or food processor (works best with the smallest container attachment)
  2. Blend!
  3. And done! Top with chives 🙂

 

What else happened this week?

We paddled a river, hiked 8 hours, slept on top of a mountain, and round mountain bikes.

All in between eating delicious plant-based meals 😉

For more of this, follow my daily adventures on instagram:  @hookedonplants and @juliamurrayski 

Having so many amazing trails around Whistler to ride on makes me so happy. #Fuelledbyplants 😉

 

Literally walking in my backyard. Holy #grateful. Loving my Maloja clothing for hikes and adventuring!

 

Taking the Elaho Kahuna Paddle Board for a river rip.

Hooked On People Interview with The Raw Advantage + Simple Banana Pudding

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Time to meet Chris Kendall AKA ‘The Raw Advantage’. He’s a raw foodist who is all about spreading the message of positivity, living foods, and high energy vibes. He does this through his youtube channel, his Costa Rica Retreats, his e-books, and his speaking engagements. His excitement for the raw food lifestyle is contagious, even through social media. After going through a period in his life with poor lifestyle choices and bad injury recoveries, he decided to make a change. At 18 he started making major lifestyle changes and by 23, he switched to the raw food lifestyle and never looked back.

I have so many questions to ask Chris because he’s such an inspiration when it comes to the raw food lifestyle!

But, I will try to keep it simple today and for those who want to know more they can find him on Youtube, Instagram, his website, or just join him at a Costa Rica Retreat !

Hooked On Plants (HOP): At 18 you came to the conclusion that you needed to change your lifestyle. What was the catalyst for this change?

Chris Kendall (CK): Really, the catalyst was being burnt out, depressed, and having a harder time physically in terms of recovery and energy, to skateboard. The first thing I found was yoga, which helped immensely and pointed me in the direction of healthy, compassionate living.

HOP: How long did it take for you to see the benefits of the raw food lifestyle?

CK: Over a period of 5 years I vastly increased the amount of raw food in my diet, starting with a fruit breakfast and going from there. At 23 I jumped into an all raw food diet and experienced the biggest leaps and bounds in my health, vitality, mood, spiritual connection, endurance and passion. These changes happened virtually over night for most, and within the first week for the rest.

HOP: What were the main changes you saw in yourself, and ones that people could expect to see in themselves if they decide to focus on raw foods?

CK: In those first 24 hours my heart centre literally blew open. I felt such a deep connection to the spark within and recognized it in everyone and everything around me, this was more than profound. I felt a deeper connection to my purpose and gained a clarity in my life path that I hadn’t experienced. My joy and lust for life increased and I simply felt bouncier and more prone to move and enjoy myself. Each person’s time line of experiences and shifts is different and fully dependant on their previous lifestyle and particulars. I had been steadily improving my diet and had fasted numerous times before going raw, so when I did it was like rocket fuel.

HOP: I’ve yet to go to the Woodstock Fruit Festival, but this raw food festival looks like a blast! How many times have you been? Will you be prepping the raw-food for all of the attendees this year?

CK: I love love love the Woodstock Fruit Festival, it’s such a great time with so much opportunity for connection, education, fitness, great food and more! I have been a part of every single one (flowing as chef / speaker / yoga teacher) since its conception in 2011. This summer will be their 8th festival including the one in Hawaii. Together with Naturally Ashley we will be making 3 sauces / dressings per night to accompany the daily salad bar 🙂

HOP: You met Dr. Douglas Graham at a Vegan festival in 2004, and went 100% raw overnight! What did he say to you that inspired you to do so?

CK: I first met Dr Graham at “A Taste of Health” Vegan festival in Vancouver B.C. It was as much of what he said as what I picked up from him. I went to 2 of his 3 lectures on the first day, one recipe-based and one nutritional-based. The science driven but common sensed style of his approach really hit home, and it felt like the last piece of a puzzle that I had been looking for finally fit. Beyond that he was literally glowing, in my past I ate lots of magic mushrooms and would sit in nature, at times able to see aura’s around trees and people, seeing Doug glow when I was straight and sober really left me feeling like he had something to offer.

HOP: Dr. Graham’s 80/10/10 lifestyle is one that so many people are thriving on. Even professional athletes, like the ones below, have been seeing amazing results in recovery and performance:

Many aren’t familiar with the 80/10/10 lifestyle, which is 80% carbohydrates, 10% fat, 10% protein, mainly coming from raw fruits and vegetables. Can you enlighten everyone on the benefits you’ve seen with this lifestyle?

CK: Absolutely, plus I’d like to point out these numbers are guidelines over the week month and year and not set hard rules for every meal or even day. Generally stating for optimal health, it is good to aim to get 80% or more of total calories from carbs and 10% or less from protein and fat.

  • I’ve personally become a lot clearer in my head and heart, and found renewed passion for living and growing with my purpose in loving service.
  • I have found it incredibly easy to maintain muscle mass, put some on if I want and stay at a low body fat percentage.
  • Feeling lighter, bouncier and more energetic I am able to go faster, push harder and recover faster than ever before.
  • I love that I don’t smell like I used to, in the bathroom or after working out.
  • My skin tone and appearance has improved and I have been told countless times I look much younger than my age.
  • Clean up time in the kitchen is so much easier and I have found such a joy in creating raw food meals and dishes.
  • Fruit and fruit hunting has become a real joy in my life, as has traveling to exotic places and enjoying time with other fruit hunters.
  • The biggest benefit by far though has been seeing the ripple effect around me as more friends family and acquaintances improving their diet and being more conscious of their spirit and power.

HOP: There have been countless people that have improved their digestive, adrenal, thyroid, and overall health with a raw food lifestyle. Not to mention those who have reversed diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer by eating raw foods. Who are your favourite, inspirational examples for this?

CK:

  • John Kohler is amazing and reversed major issues with raw food
  • Megan Sherow reversed stage 3 brain cancer within months
  • Janette Murray-Wakelin reversed cancer in her 70’s and went on to set a world record for consecutive marathons (366 in a row every day)

HOP: I find myself eating mostly raw foods, especially throughout the daylight hours. Most people see the raw food lifestyle as extreme. Can you give 3-5 ways to make eating this way easier, more convenient and seem ‘normal’;)?

CK: 

  1. Think about the fact that all animals eat the foods they are designed to eat one food at a time, in its whole, raw, natural state until they’re full. They don’t worry about nutrition, they simply eat what they are designed for. We, like our closest living relative the Bonobos, are designed to eat fruits and tender greens
  2. Start with breakfast, fruit is best eaten on a completely empty stomach, so breakfast is the easiest way to do it. Make a big smoothie, fruit salad or green smoothie and enjoy all you care for then a few bites more. With raw, low-fat, fruit based meals, its really tough to over eat, so it’s better to err on a little more rather than a little less
  3. Read raw recipe books to get inspiration for new recipes, then once you find 4-6 recipes you love, the lifestyle gets so much easier
  4. Look for inspiration in Youtube videos, books and by connection with coaches / other raw foodists to share experiences, ask questions and make the transition easier. In my coaching practice I often find 1 hour can make the difference between years and, in some cases, decades of struggle as opposed to streamlined growth and ease. I offer coaching by donation 🙂
  5. Realize that this is all as big of a deal as you make it. For example, I know it is a big deal health-wise, environmentally, and for the animals, but also know I do not need bring that up all the time or judge others for their choices. Being calm confident and happy while simply being the example leads to more people being curious and receptive than any lecture.

HOP: What is your favourite music right now? Who’s your favourite band?

CK: I love most forms of music although wouldn’t consider myself a music person, it’s rare I pick up a new band or search for new music, in fact I am not a avid concert goer either. I like the classics like Bob Marley, Neil Young, The Doors, and newer stuff like Fantan Mojah. Lots of old school hip hop and some new too, but mostly rock and reggae!

HOP: When is your next retreat and how many are you doing this upcoming year?

CK: My next set retreat is March 3rd – 10th, 2018 at The Farm of Life in Costa Rica. It will be another Raw Food n Yoga Surf Adventure retreat, everything but the raw food is optional hahaha:) I plan to do 1 this year, and if it fills up quick I may do another.

HOP: What’s you’re next big project you’re working on to spread the Peace, Love and Seasonal Fruit message?

CK: I always have things on the go. I have a few new books coming out, new shirts, and a huge update on my free raw recipes app for iPhone. I’m always looking at ways to grow the TRA Dream, a charity I created to actualize donation-based healing and educational raw food permaculture and yoga centres / communities around the world.

HOP: What is your favourite spring (or maybe camping) raw food recipe?

CK: I would have to say simple banana pudding as you do not need any tools other than a bowl and your hands.

Raw Advantage’s Simple Banana Pudding

Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2-4 people

Ingredients:

  • 12 bananas
  • 3/4 cup raisins
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 stalk celery, minced (optional)

Directions:

  1. Peel 10 – 11 bananas and place them in a bowl
  2. Mash bananas well using your hands, a fork or a potato masher.
  3. Add the raisins, cinnamon and optional celery, mix and enjoy!

Optional additions: carob powder, dried mulberries, date bits

Want more of The Raw Advantage?

  • Check out Chris’s Ebooks!
  • Get 2 free ebooks just by signing up to his mailing list, and a free recipe in every mailing list post too, join here.
  • For his Free Raw Recipes Playlist head here.