HookedOnPlants

When getting hooked is a good thing

Recipes

Spring Clean Pesto Zoodles

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It’s Spring time.

The birds are chirpin’, the days are longer, the cleanses are happening and the bikinis are coming out of the closet.

If you’re looking for a light, yet satisfying dinner, you have come to the right place. Load up on these veggies and give yourself a pat on the back.

This dish is a mega nutrient boost all wrapped up in a healthy, satisfying, creamy dressing.

Eat as much as you can of these goods, because every ingredient in here is is packed with benefits for your body.

The spiralized zucchini noodles are super low calorie, super high nutrient, with tons of fibre and water.

These ratios, my friends, are the perfect ratios for getting that bod bikini ready.

Count nutrients, not calories……. Eat whole foods, not processed.

And you’ll be energized and laughin!

I kept it simple for you; no need to turn the stove on.

All of the veggies can be roasted together without oil while you make the sauce and spiralize your noodles. That’s it that’s all.

This is a great recipe to double, so you’ll have leftovers for your lunches, dinners, made into wraps, fed to your neighbour, you name it.

Benefits:

~ Zucchini is great for weight loss. It’s high fibre and high water content, along with the dose of nutrients and vitamins help you feel full and satisfied, despite the low calorie count. It’s also disease fighting with it’s Vitamin C and beta-carotene content.

~ Basil is packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. It also contains essential oils that help lower inflammation (the cause of most diseases). The phytochemicals are cancer-fighting. Plus, basil acts as an adaptogen, which means it combats stress and helps your body come back to balance (homeostasis).

~ Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that has sulfur-containing elements. These are known for their cancer fighting properties! It also aids in weight loss, balances blood pressure, boosts brain power, and is great for your hair and bones.

Spring Clean Pesto Zoodles

Serves: 2 + left over cashew pesto

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Roasted Veggies:

  • 2 heads of broccoli
  • 1 large yam
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 5 white mushrooms
  • 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1-2 tbsp garlic powder

Cashew Pesto:

  • 1 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours in 2 cups water, then strained and rinsed
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp chives, minced
  • 2 tbsp red onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 cup basil (loosely packed)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • pinch of salt

Base:

  • 1 large zucchini (you could also use yam, butternut squash, daikon, kelp noodles, or your favourite pasta noodles!)

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 390F
  2. Roast veggies: spread yams on one sheet, and broccoli, onions and mushrooms on another. Sprinkle on some balsamic vinegar and garlic powder. Give it a mix, and put it in the oven.
  3. For yams: roast 30 minutes, flipping half-way
  4. For others: roast 20 minutes, flipping half-way
  5. Make cashew pesto: add all ingredients to blender, blend until smooth
  6. Spiralize your zucchini (favourite part)
  7. Assemble your dish and enjoy!

Cauliflower Mash & Marinated Portobello Steaks

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When you find a vibrant, purple mega cauliflower, you take it home.

Thanks to Spud for carrying all of the local, organic goodness.

With this beauty, I immediately thought… purple cauliflower mash… yes.

As you can see, the mash is more on the grey side, and not so purple after all. But, it still tastes delicious and it’s a different option from your regular mashed taters.

The portobello mushroom marinade is quick, easy, and super flavourful.

This is a great dish to serve if you’re having guests and you want to make it a little fancy! Ya know?

Paired with a big green salad, you’re good to go!

Benefits:

~ Cauliflower of the purple variety has more of the antioxidant anthocyanin. This, along with being a sulfur-containing cruciferous veg, packed with vitamin C and K, gives you the anti-cancer punch that you need!

~ Portobello mushrooms are rich in minerals like potassium, phosphorus and selenium. Plus, they’re pretty much vegan steak when you marinate them like this!

Cauliflower Mash & Marinated Portobello

Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Cauliflower Mash:

  • 1 large head of cauliflower (any colour!)
  • 1/2 c unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • dash of pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1-2 tbsp chives minced

Portobello Mushrooms:

  • 2 portobello mushrooms, de-stemmed and scrubbed
  • 1 tbsp mustard
  • 2 maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 2 cloves garlic

Garnish:

  • 2 green onions, sliced thinly and diagonally
  • 5 pecans, chopped

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F
  2. Make portobello marinade: whisk together mustard, maple syrup, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, water and garlic
  3. Pour marinade over each mushroom (cap-side down). Let sit 10 minutes
  4. Chop cauliflower into even pieces
  5. Steam cauliflower until fork tender (10-15 minutes): fill pot with 1 inch of water, bring to a boil, place cauliflower in a steamer basket and cover. Once tender, pat cauliflower down with a clean towel. Get as much moisture off as possible.
  6. Bake mushrooms in a dish that allows the mushrooms to be covered in the marinade. Bake 15-20 minutes, flipping half way
  7. While mushrooms are baking, make the cauliflower mash: In a food processor, blend until smooth the coconut milk, thyme, chives, pepper garlic, and nutritional yeast to blender with 1/4 of the steamed cauliflower. Then add in the rest of the cauliflower and blend until nearly smooth
  8. Serve by placing the mushroom cap side down on a plate, then fill it up with cauliflower mash, and top it with green onions and pecans. Use the extra marinade as ‘gravy’ over top of the mash!

Hooked On People: Café by Tao + Raw Lemon Blueberry Cake

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Agathe Mathieu is the chef and owner of the North Vancouver raw, vegan and organic Café by Tao. Just stepping into this café and you are overcome with a feeling of health and well-being. Next time you’re in North Van, definitely give yourself a bit of extra time to pop by their beautiful, new location overlooking Lonsdale Quay. Agathe is raw vegan, she has studied raw food at Living Light Culinary Institute, and has owned Café by Tao for 5 years now.

Agathe and her daughter Chrystelle

Let’s learn more…

What made you adopt a raw vegan lifestyle?

A friend lent me 12 Steps to Raw by Victoria Boutenko and I began eating raw the next day.  I have now been eating 100% raw since August 2003!

What differences have you seen in yourself since going vegan? 

·         after only three months on a raw vegan diet, rheumatoid arthritis disappeared

·         extra weight melted away

·         floaters in my vision vanished

·         my rosacea subsided

·         my energy level soared and I still have a lot of energy today!

 

How did Café by Tao start!?

I started first with selling some items wholesale: kale chips, vegan cheesecakes, veggie burger patties, falafel patties, crackers, etc. One thing lead to another, and in March 2012, I opened Café by Tao.

 

You’ve moved to a beautiful new location in North Van! This must mean Tao is doing well 🙂 Have you noticed people becoming more curious about the vegan lifestyle and the foods you create?

 I have definitely seen more interest in the vegan or plant-based lifestyle now than when I first began eating this way. People are more open to trying new foods and there is more emphasis now on adding more plant-based foods to your diet.

 

How long have you been a raw vegan chef? 

 5 years officially with the opening of the café.  In 2007, I took a 3 week course at Living Light Institute.  Being a single mother of three, I came back and continued the learning in my kitchen.  My children were my teachers really telling me if a dish was fantastic or not ;o) Great critics!

 

What are the 3 (or 5) reasons you tell people to go vegan? 

For our health, for our environment, for the animals, to create a better future for our children and our planet.

 

What would you like people to know about Tao ? What is your mission?

   At Tao one discovers how delicious plant-based diet can be, how easy it is to prepare, feel younger and energized! Our mission at Tao is to provide a healthy option to our community and to encourage people to include more plant-based foods in their diet. Our vision is to teach “ Health and Business Training” to open ones’ own organic plant-based café restaurant in their community. How clever of Mother Earth to put the medicine in our food!

Now onto the food!

Agathe’s Raw Lemon Blueberry Coulis Cake:


This flavourful vegan cake is free of wheat, dairy and refined sugar. It’s also made with nutrient-dense ingredients that would make your mother proud. 
 
All you need is a food processor, a blender, and a 6” spring form pan. 
 

Ingredients:
Crust: 

  • 60 g pecans, soaked and dried 
  • 30 g raisins
  • 10 g dates

Lemon Filling: 

  • 45 g maple syrup 
  • 45 g of chopped dates 
  • 50 g lemon juice 
  • 45 g young coconut meat 
  • 140 g macadamia nuts, soaked 2 hours, rinsed 
  • 3 tbsp (45 g) coconut oil, melted 

Blueberry Coulis:

  • 125 g fresh blueberries (if frozen thaw them first) 
  • 60 g dates, chopped
     

Directions: 

  1. Make crust: In a a food processor, mix ingredients until they form a dense ball you can fit in the palm of your hand. Mold it with your fingers at the bottom of the spring form pan to form the crust
  2. Make lemon filling: Mix maple syrup, chopped dates, lemon juice and coconut meat in your blender until smooth. Before you empty out the blender, add the macadamia nuts and coconut oil and continue blending until smooth 
  3. Pour the lemon filling on top of the crust and refrigerate while you make the blueberry coulis. 
  4. Make blueberry coulis:  Mix dates and blueberries in your blender until creamy.
  5. Pour blueberry coulis on top of lemon filling and freeze for 6 hours, then move to the fridge. 
  6. Enjoy!
     

     

     

     

     

Chipotle Buffalo Cauliflower Wings & Cashew Dill Ranch Dip

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It’s pub food, gone healthy!

Bet’chya can’t eat just one!

And this time, that’s not a bad thing.

In just a few steps you’ll find yourself devouring a healthy version of your favourite spicy pub food.

Batter them.

Bake them

Sauce them

Bake them

Whip up the dip

Devour.

Hot wings minus the bones!

And this dairy-free ranch dip is a perfect side kick for these spicy wangs.

Serve it up as a main or an appy!

 

Benefits:

  • Cauliflower is part of the brassicas family, which means it’s a sulfur-containing cruciferous veg. The sulfur helps synthesize the antioxidant glutathione. It’s got disease fighting components, it’s low in fat, high in fibre. Plus it’s high in vitamin C and potassium.
  • Dill is packed with vitamin A (for your eyes), vitamin C (for your immunity), manganese (for your bones and metabolism), plus it’s a great breath freshener!
  • Cashews are packed with vitamin E (a disease fighting antioxidant) and are rich in minerals.

 

Chipotle Buffalo Cauliflower Wings & Cashew Dill Ranch Dip
 
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Wings with a kick, without the chicken! The texture and flavour of these cauliflower wings will satisfy that games day craving. This dip is so creamy and a perfect compliment to these veggie wings.
Author:
Recipe type: appetizer, snack, potluck
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 heads cauliflower florets, chopped into wing sizes (save the stalks for a different recipe or to make veggie stalk)

  • Batter:
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp Himalayan salt
  • 1 cup oat flour (blend up oats in your blender) - use gluten free if needed
  • 1¼ to 1½ cups soy milk

  • Chipotle Sauce:
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp chipotle powder
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (if you don't have this on hand, Tamari or Soy Sauce will work)
  • ¼ cup water

  • Cashew Dill Ranch Dip:
  • 1 cup cashews, soaked for 1 hour minimum
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tbsp)
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup water
  • ⅛ cup chives
  • 1 tbsp dill

  • Extras:
  • 4 carrots, chopped lengthwise
  • 4 celery stalks, chopped lengthwise
  • 2 chive stems, minced
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 F
  2. Mix together the dry batter ingredients in a medium sized bowl, then add in the soy milk a little at a time. You may need it all. The batter should be slightly runny, but not so much that it doesn't adhere to the cauliflower florets.
  3. For each cauliflower floret, dip completely into the batter, transfer to a drying rack with a plate it to catch the drips (this is to ensure the cauliflower isn't too coated with excess batter), place on a parchment covered baking sheet
  4. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping half-way, until browned
  5. While they're baking, make the Chipotle Sauce: add all chipotle sauce ingredients to large bowl and mix thoroughly
  6. Take cauliflower wings out of the oven, then dump them into the big bowl with the chipotle sauce. Toss until the sauce is evenly coated, then with your hands, shake off the excess sauce and spread the wings out on the baking sheet again.
  7. Bake for another 15 minutes, flipping half way. The glaze should be caramelized at the end
  8. While they're baking, make your Cashew Dill Ranch Dip: add all ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth
  9. Take out the wings and let cool 5 minutes, then plate cauliflower wings with chopped carrots, celery and the dip topped with chives!

Butternut Mac & Peas + Vegan Parmesan

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In the spirit of Easter, it’s time to veganize an old-time fave.

Butternut squash and nutritional yeast make this a cheezy pasta that you can feel good about devouring.

Mac & Cheese, hold the cheese, add the peas.

Easter used to mean Mom’s famous Mac & Cheese with baked maple ham. This was a rare occurrence…. a special occasion kind of meal.

My Mom was always the first to tell me to get in my veggies and ditch the processed junk. All organic all the time and hotdogs were out of the question. I was the kid in school with carrot sticks, oranges, potato leek soup and veggie & cheese sandwiches while the other kids around me indulged in chips, pepperoni sticks and chocolate bars. I’d be lying if I didn’t try to make a few trades in elementary school… carrots for chips? I don’t think so…

I thank her for it now though, all the organic goodies and veggie snacks help me develop a palate for healthy deliciousness, and the ability to really taste the true ingredients of whole, organic, unprocessed foods.

But, we didn’t know as much then as we do now about nutrition, animal welfare and environmental impacts of our food system. So, like me, after books, documentaries and research, she has adopted a plant-based diet for longevity, energy, overall health and the environment and she is LOVing it.

Benefits:

  • Butternut squash is packed with dietary fibre to keep you regular, helps your eyesight with vitamin A, keeps your bones strong with manganese and vitamin C, and is chalk full of minerals to prevent osteoporosis. Plus with almost no fat and few calories, it’s a perfect weight loss food that will keep you satisfied, and nourished with antioxidants.
  • Nutritional yeast AKA ‘nooch’ is high in B vitamins, minerals and amino acids. These amino acids are easily digestible. It’s one of the best sources of vitamin B12 – something everyone should be making sure they get enough of, especially vegans!
  • Green peas are low-fat, low calorie, nutrient dense, plant-protein powerhouses. Eat them up! They’re great for weight loss, high in antioxidants for anti-aging, and high in vitamin K to help anchor calcium inside your bones.

Butternut Mac & Peas

Serves: 8-10 (makes great leftovers too, if you don’t have 8 people to serve)

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag/350g of pasta noodles of choice (go for brown rice or quinoa pasta to make it gluten-free!)
  • 1 head of broccoli, chop florets evenly
  • 1 cup green peas, frozen
  • 4 sprigs parsley or sage

For cheeze sauce:

  • 1  – 1  1/2 cups almond milk (unsweetened, plain)
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced (or pressed with garlic press)
  • 1 large butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeds scooped out
  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth, or 1 tbsp veggie broth powder
  • 3/4 cup nutritional yeast

Vegan Parmesan:

  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F
  2. Bake butternut squash: place face-down on parchment paper or reusable cooking sheet covered pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, water sauté onions and garlic: while veggies are roasting, heat a deep pot (the same one you will be using to cook the pasta) to medium, add chopped onions to the pan. When pan starts browning add 2 tbsp water to de-glaze the pan. Continue by stirring and adding more water if it’s sticking too much. Add minced garlic. Sauté until translucent (about 5-10 minutes)
  4. Pour the onions and garlic into your blender
  5. Cook pasta al denté: fill up that same pot with water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, add pasta and cook a couple minutes less than what the directions recommend
  6. Make sauce: add the roasted squash to the blender with the garlic and onion. Add nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, and 1 cup almond milk. Blend until smooth. Add more almond milk to blend if needed.
  7. Mix together: strain the pasta and pour it into a deep dish baking dish. Add sauce, peas and broccoli. Mix until combined
  8. Cover with tin foil and bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove foil and broil on low for 2 minutes
  9. Make vegan parmesan: Blend all parm ingredients together in food processor or blender into a fine meal (can be stored in fridge for several weeks)
  10. Serve with a sprig of parsley and a sprinkle of parmesano.

*Note – you can skip the baking step, and just mix it all together, stove-top, in the deep pot