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Hooked On People Interview Series | Sisley Killam AKA ‘The Pure Life’

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Welcome to the first ever Hooked On People Interview!
Today we have Sisley Killam from The Pure Life. She is a fellow Registered Holistic Nutritionist, and is all about ‘empowering women through delicious plant-based foods and healthy, mindful living.’ Her and I met at Dana’s (The Minimalist Baker) book signing in Vancouver, and hit it off right away. She’s carries with her a great energy, she’s an inspiration to me as a blogger, and a cutie in the kitchen making positive changes in the holistic wellness world. It’s all about getting hooked on plants, and Sisley is making that easy for people with her beautiful blog and delicious recipes.
Let’s get into it!
Why did you start The Pure Life? 
I started my Instagram account when I was transitioning into healthier eating. It was a way for me to keep track of the fun recipes I was creating and to connect with like-minded teens who were going through the same things as me. I launched the blog in late 2015 to share more extensive posts and my love for food and knowledge of nutrition!
When and why did you start eating a plant-based diet?
 
When I was 17, I began struggling with severe digestive issues. After months of tests, surgery and pills I was pretty fed up. I began analyzing my diet, which foods made me feel good and which didn’t. I slowly (and I mean very slowly) cut out gluten, dairy and refined sugar. I was forced to become experimental in the kitchen due to a lack of alternatives in the grocery store. I found inspiration from The Whole Pantry App and the Deliciously Ella blog and simply fell in love with healthy cooking. I was very experimental with different diets, raw vegan, low fat, high fat, high carbohydrate, etc. etc. but finally found a diet that works for me, which is plant-based! I am forever changing and evolving and love that about the health & food industry.
 
What are your top 3 blogging tips? 
1) Be authentic, be yourself.
2) Engage with your online and offline community. Talk to your readers and connect, this is why I love blogging!
3) Just do it. Blogging takes time and patience, but it is such a rewarding job.
 Top 3 photography tips? 
1) Use natural lighting! I love shooting my food outside in the shade on a sunny day. Such a beautiful combination.
2) Learn how to use your camera. I use a super basic camera that I have recently learned how to properly use. Once you learn how to use your camera’s functions, you will be snapping professional looking photos in no time. But I have noticed the new iPhone 7 is also incredible!
3) For food, styling is really important to me. Use fresh ingredients like herbs and greens as a prop, or old rusted pans as a backdrop.
 
Tell us one thing people may not know about you?
I am half German and I speak it! I was born in Germany and have tons of family all over Europe, which is why you’ll see me over there a few times a year. Travelling is in my blood. Plus, the food *drools*.
Top 3 tips for eating more plants? 
1) Drink a green smoothie every day
2) Chop up veggies and keep them in glass Tupperware with about an inch of cold water – this keeps them crisp and fresh in the fridge and easy to grab!
3) Get creative. Try a new vegetable every time you go grocery shopping. This week for me is bok choy – yum!
 
What are you working on right now that we can look forward to?
Setting up my 1 on 1 Nutritional Consulting and working on packages and programs for everybody! I am so excited about this as it has been something my readers have been requesting for years. When I first started blogging, I used to write up meal plans and personalized recipes for my friends all the time. Now I get to do this for a living – it’s incredible!
I also just became an ambassador for SPUD, which I couldn’t be more excited about. So stay tuned for lots of fun things with that!
What is your favourite recipe right now?
Oh man, I have to pick just one?
Well I made these Vegan Salted Caramel Slices the other day and we devoured them so quickly! They are amazing!
Thanks to Sisley for being first up on the Hooked On People inspiring interview series!
You can follow Sisley here:
Instagram @thepurelife

Cucumber Cups with Almond Lime Ginger Butter

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Simple and flavourful. Perfect for your next canapé party.

Because you throw those all the time, right?

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These little cucumber cups are wayyyy too easy to make.

If you need to throw something together quickly and impress some taste buds, look no further.

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The crispy, fresh cucumber with the creamy, smooth almond lime ginger butter is a FANTASTIC contrast and a surprise burst of flavour.

The butter is a bit like thai peanut sauce, but has more of a tangy punch.

Crunchy

Creamy

Fresh

Easy

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Benefits:

Cucumbers are super hydrating and packed with vitamins and minerals. Eat the green skin people! The anti-inflammatory flavonol, fisetin, plays an important role in brain health. The antioxidants will combat disease, and the B vitamins will help lower stress.

Miso is a fermented food, which means it will do wonders for your gut bacterial health. Miso (and other fermented foods like kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi) will help restore the beneficial probiotics in your intestine, which then will improve mood, digestion, absorption, immunity and reduce risk for many diseases.

Carrots as most of us know are very high in beta-carotene which is then converted to Vitamin A in the liver, which will help your vision. It’s also converted into an antioxidant, which combats disease and helps oxidized cells, therefore, slows down aging and helps the skin. So, eat them up!

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Cucumber Cups with Almond Lime Ginger Butter

Serves: 6-8

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 long english cucumbers
  • 1 large carrot, grated
  • 2 green onions, chopped thinly
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Almond Lime Ginger butter:

  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 4 tbsp almond butter
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ginger powder

Directions:

  1. Slice cucumber discs 1/2 inch thick. Then spoon out the middle to create a cucumber cup (don’t scoop all the way through).
  2. Make almond lime ginger butter: Blend all ingredients together (mini food processor works best)
  3. Place a dollop of the ‘butter’ into the cucumber cups
  4. Sprinkle each cucumber cup with grated carrot, sesame seeds and green onion.

**Note: The almond lime butter can be made into a sauce by adding water until desired consistency. This will make an amazing ‘Glory Bowl’ dressing!  Alternatively make it into a dip by adding a bit of water and 1/2 of a zucchini !

Sweet Potato Guacamole Bites

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Talk about a burst of heaven in your mouth.

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Sweet

Savoury

Crunchy

Creamy

These bites have it all.

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Not to mention simplicity.

Some of the best creations are just a few delicious and complementary ingredients.

After some easy steps of roasting, mashing, and assembling, you’ll have a vegan appetizer that will impress even the fanciest cook.

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The warmth and chewiness of the sweet potato along with the creamy guacamole and crunchy mung beans…let’s just say it’s a party in your mouth.

These are a great start to any shindig.

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Benefits:

Mung bean sprouts are high in vitamin K (for healthy bone density), C (immune boosting), and folate (for healthy blood cells). All raw sprouts are total superfoods. Since they have started their growing process, they are an easily digestible, living food with more nutrients per calorie than any other food.

Sweet potatoes have been a staple in the diet of some of the longest living peoples in history (Okinawans). They have more Vitamin A than any other food, they are packed with healthy carbohydrates, antioxidants, and are stars for combatting inflammation and oxidation. Eat em’ up! I always get delicious, organic sweet potatoes from Spud to my door every Tuesday. Man, I love Tuesdays!! Use my code CRVAN-MURJUB for 20$ off your first order.

Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fatty acids. Great for the hair, skin and nails!

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Sweet Potato Guacamole Bites

Serves: 6-8

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 sweet potatoes, sliced in 1/4 inch thick discs
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • 2 avocados
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 garlic clove
  • As many mung bean sprouts (or sprout of choice) as you like

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Lay out discs on parchment covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper and salt
  3. Bake sweet potato discs for 25 minutes, flipping once
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the guacamole: mash the avocados with garlic and lime juice.
  5. Assemble the artwork. Place sweet potatoes on a plate with a dollop of guac, and a few sprouts.

Simple Green Curry | Oil-Free | Vegan

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Brrrr. It’s cold and time for a fave bowl of Thai comfort and flavour.

This green curry couldn’t get any easier.

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Veggies.

Potatoes.

Coconut milk.

Curry paste.

That’s it, that’s all folks!

Plus, it’s oil-free. Why, you ask?

Well, let me tell ya.

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Oil is a refined and has more calories per teaspoon than any other food group out there, with minimal nutrients. For the same amount of calories in 1 tbsp of oil (120 calories), we can eat 3 cups of kale, or 4 red peppers, or 4 cups of cauliflower, or 1 cup of potatoes. When we consume 1 tbsp of oil, it takes up a tiny amount of room in our stomach, therefore, won’t do the job of telling our brain that we are full and won’t lead to satiation. So, oil makes it’s super easy to dose yourself with high-fat, nutrient-deficient calories (in other words, gain unwanted weight).

We want as many nutrients, and as much bulk per calorie as possible.

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This is great! This means, if we choose the right kinds of foods (whole, un-refined, plant foods), then we can eat in absolute abundance! High fives all-around for that!

You can check out Mic the Vegan’s video all about oil.

Below, you’ll see the way to saute without using oil that gives you a great flavour and caramelization.

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Benefits:

Broccoli is like a broom for your intestines. It goes in there and cleans everything up (especially in it’s raw form, but lightly cooked is amazing too. It’s packed with vitamin C and K. It’s detoxifying and anti-inflammatory. As a cruciferous vegetable it’s packed with phytonutrients and fights off cancer and disease.

Onions and garlic have organosulfur compounds that have huge antioxidant properties to ward off disease, oxidative stress and cancer.

Sprouts are the most nutrient dense things you can consume! The opposite of oil. They’re raw and live, easily digestible and packed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals.  Powerful little morsels.

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Serves: 6

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • large sweet onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2cm ginger thumb, minced
  • 2 heads of broccoli, chopped
  • 2 red peppers, chopped
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 jar green curry paste (112 grams)
  • 3-4 potatoes, cubed (could replace with 2 cups brown rice, cooked)
  • 1 cup green peas
  • sprouts for topping (mung bean, peashoots or sunflower sprouts)
  • cilantro, chopped, for topping
  • cashews, chopped, for topping (optional)

Directions:

  1. Steam potatoes until your fork can pierce through them (about 15 minutes). On the other hand, cook up some rice if you like rice more!
  2. Oil-free saute: Heat up a large, deep pan to medium. You know when it’s hot enough be doing the water test (sprinkle pan with water, and if a mercury ball forms, you’re good to go). Add onions to the heated pan. Stir frequently, until the pan is browned (about 5 minutes). Add enough water to de-glaze the pan (the onions should look brown and caramelized).
  3.  Add garlic and ginger. Saute 1 minute.
  4.  Add peppers and broccoli. Saute 1 minute.
  5.  Add half of the coconut milk with the whole jar of green curry. Mix these liquids together with the veggies until the curry is all mixed in. Then add the rest of the coconut milk.
  6. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add in the potatoes and green peas for the last 2 minutes.
  7. Serve it up in your favourite big bowl and top it with sprouts, cilantro and cashews.

Turmeric Ginger Banana ‘Mylkshake’

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The blender. Doesn’t it blow your mind?

With just a few ingredients, you’re on your way to taste bud heaven.

This time, think milkshake… but good for you. REAL good for you.

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If you can get the actual turmeric and ginger root from your local grocery store, DO IT.

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You could use the powdered, but this recipe is so much better with the real, fresh ingredients. If you have a hard time finding them, Spud carries turmeric and ginger root! Just order online from their website and it will get delivered to your door (use the code CRVAN-MURJUB for 20$ off your first order). While you’re at it, add a box of smoothie ready bananas for just 7 bucks and freeze them so they’re ready for your next smoothie session!

Then this creamy, spicy super smoothie so fast and easy to put together.

If you have a high-speed blender, this bevy is amazing blended until warm.

It’s the best thing to come back to after playing all day in the fresh powder.

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By the way HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I’m going to share what I am chatting away about in this week’s email to subscribers (subscribe on the homepage).
Here’s s few things I can leave you with while we’re shooting into 2017:

  1. Try not to get overwhelmed about the things that didn’t happen in 2016, or the things you hope to achieve in 2017. This life of ours is all about the adventure. The best gift we can give to ourselves is to be grateful for each present moment and appreciate the relationships, achievements and things that we have now. 
  2. Don’t be like THIS GUY, trying to get it all over-with and done at once.
  3. Just ENJOY the process! We’ve all got mundane things to do in this life (think chores, some work, etc), but what if we switched our mind-set into being excited to do those things, and ignore the part of our brain that dreads what’s to come? 

I can’t waaaait to answer emails!
I’m SO stoked to do the recycling!
Cleaning the house? YES!!! 

Imagine how fun life would be if we truly believed everything was amazingly fun?  Something to think about… 

OK, now back to winter in a cup.

The benefits of this drink are endless. But, here’s just a few to be excited about…

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Benefits:

–Turmeric is one of nature’s best anti-inflammatory. Eating it with black pepper drastically improves it’s absorption into your hot bod, magnifying the benefits. It’s also great for bloating, digestion, blood purification, skin conditions, cancer-fighting, plus it aids in fat metabolism.

–Ginger is well-known for it’s anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. This makes it a great answer for combatting seasonal flus and making your immune system super-human. Ginger is also a star when it comes to nausea and muscle pain.

–Bananas are packed full of beneficial carbohydrates, with fibre and a bit of protein! They really are an all round healthy food that if I lived on a deserted island, all I would need is bananas. There’s a reason monkeys go bananas over bananas, and it makes up most of their diet. Smart monkeys. They also decrease bloating (especially for that time of the month ladies!), build lean muscle mass, help your muscles recover faster and give you a boost of clean, whole food energy.

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Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Ginger Banana Mylkshake

Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 1-2

Ingredients:

  • 2 bananas, peeled
  • 2-3 centimetres turmeric root, chopped (start with less, and add more if you can handle the spice!)
  • 2-3 tsp ginger root, chopped
  • 3-5 dates (depending on size, but I used 5 small bahri dates. 3 medjool would do the trick)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup almond milk (or less if you want it thicker)
  • little pinch of pepper
  • cinnamon to top

Steps:

  1. Throw all of the ingredients into a high speed blender. Blend for 1 minute (or until warm).
  2. Pour into your favourite mug and sprinkle with cinnamon

Note: This goes well with last week’s Raw Vegan Chocolate Orange Christmas Bites