HookedOnPlants

When getting hooked is a good thing

Winter

Blueberry Maple (Jules Fuel) Quinoa Oatmeal

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A hearty, delicious and easy breakfast packed with superfoods to fuel any adventure.

I can’t believe it’s been over a year since I started Hooked On Plants, and I still haven’t posted about my breakfast cereal!

Well, now you know, I have my own organic breakfast cereal AKA: Jules Fuel.

What’s in it?

The whole quinoa seed, oats, goji berries, chia seeds, flax seeds, raisins, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, and….

THAT’S IT, THAT’S ALL.

No added sugar, unprocessed, takes 10 minutes to make 6 servings, and keeps for 10 days in the fridge when it’s done.

You can grab your bag of fuel in any Whistler grocery store, a few across Vancouver, and online from Spud.ca!

(Score $20 of free groceries by using CRVAN-MURJUB at the check out 😉

Yes, Jules Fuel is packed with the goods, but then you add Hares’ Farm organic, from just down the road, massive, juicy, firm, sweet blueberries to the mix and you have yourself one of the most nutrient-dense bowls of breakfast I can think of!

These blueberries though….

I mean, berries are good, but these ones are from another planet. I eat them by the handful. And I’m more than OK with that.

These babies are SO fresh and ready to buy by the 10 lb box for only one more week, so get your order in!

Waking up to a bowl of this goodness while on a camping trip has to be one of my favourite things in this life.

Benefits:

  • Jules Fuel is low glycemic, high antioxidant, fibre-rich, packed with 8 whole food ingredients and has all the amino acids needed. This stuff will sustain your energy for hikes, biking missions, workout classes, paddle board sessions, or just on one of those days you really need to use your brain. You’ll get omegas from the chia and flax seeds (for your brain), iron from the pumpkin seeds and raisins (for your blood), complete plant protein from the quinoa (for your hair, nails and healing), vitamin E from the sunflower seeds (for your skin), antioxidants from the goji berries (for staying young), selenium and zinc from the oats (for warding off disease)…plus sooo many more vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients from these whole food ingredients.
  • Blueberries have a mega-antioxidant content, which helps our bodies combat disease and literally SLOWS the aging process (can I get a what what!? YES). Getting your blueberries from a local, organic farm like Hares’ Farm, means they’re even more nutrient-dense because of the minimal travel time. Plus, since blueberries are so delicate, conventional berries have to be sprayed even more than your typical harder-skinned fruit, so buying organic is extra important.
  • Maple syrup is one of the best sweeteners you can use. It’s low on the glycemic index, meaning it won’t spike your blood sugar as quickly as even honey, or sugar of any kind. The slower release of glucose into your system gives your body more time to assimilate the nutrients it comes with. Plus, it’s Canadian and delicious. Win win win.

Blueberry Maple Quinoa Oatmeal

Serves: 6

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag of Jules Fuel quinoa breakfast blend
  • 1 cup (or 2!) Hares’ Farm organic blueberries (only 1 more week to order fresh 10 lb boxes for $45!)
  • Drizzle of maple syrup per bowl

Directions:

  1. Non-soak method:
    • Pour contents of Jules Fuel and the blueberries into a pot.
    • Add 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil.
    • Stir, then simmer for 10 minutes
  2. Soaking method (this will make the Jules Fuel nutrients even more bi0-available by starting the sprouting process and removing the enzyme inhibitors):
    • Soak 2 cups of Jules Fuel (contents of one bag) in a pot overnight in 3 cups of water
    • In the morning, add blueberries, then bring to a boil.
    • Stir, then simmer for just 7 minutes!
  3. Serve in your favourite bowl with a drizzle of maple syrup.
  4. Other Jules Fuel variations:
    • Top with coconut yogurt, apple sauce, jam, or nut butter of your choice
    • Cook it with:
      • Sweet banana: 1-2 mashed bananas & 1-2 tbsp molasses
      • Peachy: peach chunks
      • Choco peanut butter: 1 tbsp peanut butter & 1 tbsp cacao powder
      • Chai spice
      • Cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg
      • Any chopped fruit!
      • Date chunks
      • Your favourite nuts
      • More oats to make a bigger batch
      • Let me know YOUR creations!!!

*** Tag @hookedonplants and #hookedonplants so I can see your creations!

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Chickpea No-Tuna Wrap with Avocado | Vegan Lunch Box

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Looks like tuna, tastes like tuna, must be tuna?

But nooooo.

There were no fish harmed in the making of this lunch.

The mighty chickpea mashed up with whole food ingredients like seaweed, capers, celery and avocado (instead of the typical mayo), give this no-tuna salad an A+ in the nutrition department.

One of the trickiest questions to wrap my head around going plant-based was ‘what do I fill the lunch box with’?

Sandwiches used to be centred around the meat, and always had to have cheese.

What kind of sanny do you want today? Tuna? Turkey? Ham? … These were the normal go-to’s.

So, turning plant-based brought on a lunch box challenge. How do we keep it quick, simple, tasty, satiating and, most importantly, above and beyond just carrots and lettuce (because that’s all vegans munch on, right)?

Now, I realize how easy and delicious plant-based lunches can be.

These days the sandwich’s best friends are:

Tempeh

Chickpeas

Hummus

Guacamole

Shredded veggies

Seared Tofu

Cauliflower wings

Rice & beans

Jackfruit…

And today, the spot light is on the versatile little chickpea turned ‘tuna salad’.

I can whip this up on the morning of in just 10 minutes, then have enough for 3 lunches.

Benefits:

~ Chickpeas are packed with easily digestible plant-protein and insoluble fiber, which is great for digestive health and controlling your blood sugar levels.

~ Seaweed of any kind is more nutrient-dense than any land vegetable! It packs tons of micronutrients like folate, calcium,, zinc, iron, selenium, magnesium and iodine.

~ Avocado in replacement of mayo (vegan mayo or not), gives you the benefits of using a whole food. Minimizing oils from processed ingredients like mayo, and replacing them with a natural source of fat from a plant food will allow you to receive the whole package of goodness. Vitamins, minerals, water content, and fibre all come with the avocado.

Why reduce seafood consumption?

  • if we don’t drastically reduce our demand for fish, we could be seeing fishless oceans by 2048 
  • 80% of all fish stocks are in a state of collapse
  • Mercury, toxins and heavy metals are stored in the fish flesh that can lead to memory loss, tremors, fatigue, birth defects…
  • Farmed fish are polluting the ocean with waste, pesticides and antibiotics
  • Wild fish are getting harder to come by each day
  • Bycatch is the term for the millions of tons of unintentional marine life each year that is caught and discarded back to the sea, dead or wounded. This represents 40% of global marine catches, that are just thrown back into the ocean, dead or wounded.
  • A fisherman will catch 20 pounds of by catch for every 1 pound of targeted fish (dolphins, whales, porpoises, sea turtles, sharks, seals, stingrays, other fish)
  • Invasive fishing methods (trawl nets and explosives) destroy the ocean floor and coral

On the bright side?

  • You could save 225 fish per year by ditching seafood, or make a difference by reducing your consumption
  • By removing fish from your diet (including supplements) you can help marine animal populations make a come-back, plus minimize unhealthy toxins to yourself
  • Plant-based food is delicious and mega nutritious

 

Chickpea No-Tuna Wrap

with Avocado

Time: 10-15 minutes

Serves: 2-3 lunches worth

Ingredients:

  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1-2 celery stalks, minced
  • 1 green onion, minced
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1/3 cup mixed seaweed flakes or dulse flakes (or 1 nori sheet made into flakes either minced or ground with a coffee/spice grinder)
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • juice of 1/2 lemon (or one full small one)
  • 1-2 pinches cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1/2 avocado

Directions:

  1. Strain, then in a big bowl, mash the chickpeas with a potato masher, fork, or pulse them in a food processor
  2. Mash in the avocado
  3. Mix in the rest of the ingredients evenly
  4. Serve it up in a wrap, a romaine boat, collard green wrap, in a sandwich, on a salad, or on an open-face toast with melted vegan cheese!

Fudgy Quinoa Brownies + Vegan Camping Eats

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Holy fudgerama. These brownies are tasty.
You would never know there are hidden superfoods in these babies.
Dense & chewy. That’s what these brownies are all about.
The base? Quinoa and dates. Throw in some superfood ingredients like cacao and cinnamon, and you’ve got yourself a health food that tastes incredibly sinful.
A healthy version of a decadent brownie. YES.
You could eat these for breakfast.
These brownies are also PERFECT for a camping trip.
You know, for those times when you’re hanging around the campsite and need something sweet and luscious to sink your teeth into… Or  for that extra boost of energy on that hike of yours.
These brownies are packed with whole food ingredients, with out any refined sugar or gluten.

Raise the roof for these morsels of awesome!

On the camping thought, camping as a vegan isn’t as hard as you may think…
What else to eat as a Vegan Camper?
  • Breakfast:
    • Jules Fuel – my superfood quinoa oatmeal!
    • Banana pancakes – pre-make these, then throw them on the fire with some tin foil!
    • Overnight oats – fill a mason jar with oats, buckwheat, maple syrup, dried fruit and seeds, then fill it up with almond milk, shut the lid, and throw it in the cooler!
    • The Vegan Egg (trying this for the first time this weekend while we’re camping) with some Tempeh bacon, tomato, avo, and Chao cheese in a whole grain wrap.
  • Lunch:
    • Roasted weiners (still possible) and dijon wrapped in a bun or romaine – Field Roast and Gusta are the best in my books!
    • Sandwiches: bring your bread slices, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, hummus, and tempeh (either pre-cooked, or cooked on your skillet)
    • Pre-baked sweet potatoes: wrap them in tin-foil, then throw them on the fire at your campsite. Top it off with nut butter, maple syrup, or a pre-made tahini sauce
  • Dinner: Make it a one-bowl wonder by pre-cooking one of these:
  • Snacks:
    • Trail Mix
    • Apples, oranges, bananas, dried fruit
    • Dates
    • Popcorn
    • Dip-ables: hummus & veggies, chips & guac & salsa
  • Dessert:
    • Roasted vegan mellows
    • Roasted bananas: leave the banana peel on, slice vertically half way through, add some nut butter and vegan chocolate chips then wrap in tin foil and throw it on the flame
    • Fire-roasted apples
 
Benefits of these brownies:
  • Quinoa – complete with all 9 essential amino acids, this little seed will provide you with ample protein, and tons of minerals! This is what makes these brownies so satiating.
  • Dates – nature’s candy! These amazing fruits are so sweet, but they also come with the fibre, nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs. Because they’re packed with fibre, they’re a great sweetener that won’t spike your blood sugar like the usual suspects (white refined sugar being the worst, and maple syrup being the next best thing to dates).
  • Cacao – hello antioxidants! The raw cacao powder is not only and aphrodisiac, but also a start when it comes to preventing disease.

Fudgy Quinoa Brownies 

Vegan & Gluten Free

Serves: 12-15

Time: Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients: 

  • 2 cups quinoa, cooked (I used red, but you can use white instead!)
  • 2 cups pitted dates, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water, then drained
  • flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water = let sit for 5-10 minutes)
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil (plus 1 tsp for oiling baking dish)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup cacao powder
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla (powder or extract)
  • 1/2 cup cacao nibs or chopped pecans

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350, and oil 8 x 8 baking dish with coconut oil and a paper towel
  2. In a food processor, add the pre-cooked quinoa, baking powder, cinnamon and blend until sticky and almost pasty
  3. Add the cacao powder, vanilla, coconut oil and flax egg. Blend until nearly smooth
  4. Add the drained dates into the food processor and blend until smooth and a ball starts forming. Scrape down the sides when needed
  5. Add half of the cacao nibs, or chopped nuts and blend until combined (not too much!)
  6. Spread mixture out evenly in the dish, about 3/4 inch thick
  7. Bake for 25 minutes, then top with the rest of the cacao nibs or nuts.
  8. Bake another 5 minutes. Test for ready-ness by poking a toothpick in the brownie (if it comes out clean, they’re ready)
  9. Let cool, then slice into desired sizes
  10. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze them then take them to-go straight from the freezer!

 

Vegan Turmeric Cheese Log

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This was a hit as an appy at the last dinner party!

Especially with Eve’s Crackers on the side.

The vegans were all over it, and the surprised words ‘it tastes like cheese’ were heard over and over again from the non-vegans.

Success!

The beauty Holly (who has done some amazing work with Peta over the years) loved it, plus, I was finally able to put the neglected cheese knife to great use.

This version of nut cheese making is the quickest and easiest you will find.

There are longer versions of how to make nut cheeses, some as long as one week of fermenting!

Fermenting the nuts for the cheese will give it more of a tangy, aged cheese taste, but when you’ve got a day to figure out what to bring to impress your pals, this is a great go-to recipe to curb those cheese cravings.

I’d still start it the day before you will be serving it up, just so you get all the soaking time possible.

Just soak and strain the cashews, blend the ingredients, strain in a cheese cloth, let it chill in the fridge & roll shape it up.

The turmeric in this mixture tricks you into believing you’re eating the orange cheddar you used to indulge in.

Get creative with the herbs that make the outer layer. What fresh herbs are hiding in that fridge of yours? Use them!


This is one of the many recipes up on Instagram for the 2nd #VancityVirtualPotluck organized by Piquant Marketing!

Check out my Instagram (@hookedonplants) to see the dishes before and after this yummy cheese (over 80 total)!

Benefits:

–Cashews are packed with minerals and antioxidants. Because of the magnesium and calcium, your nerves and bones will thank you. The copper in these babies will ward of colon cancer and help keep your hair vibrant!

–Turmeric is nature’s anti-inflammatory. All disease starts with inflammation within the body, so warding off inflammation is the key to longevity and health! Eating turmeric with a tiny bit of pepper makes curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) WAY more easily absorbable for your body,

–Nutritional yeast (NOOCH) is a vegan’s best friend when it comes to anything cheezy. Plus it’s packed with B12, all vegans and non-vegans need more of this! B12 is found in microbes in the soil (which is eaten by animals, then humans eat the animals), but the soil is becoming depleted of nutrients and vitamins, so the best way to ensure you’re receiving all the B12 you need is to eat fortified B12 foods (like some plant-based milks), eat nutritional yeast every day, or be safe and take a B12 supplement. But, ‘Nooch’ is the most delicious way to get your B12.

Vegan Turmeric Cheese Log

Serves: 6-8

Time: Actually ‘doing stuff’ time: 10 minutes. Soak and chill time: 7-24 hrs

Ingredients:

Cheeze:

  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight, then strained and rinsed (OR if you’re in a hurry, pour boiling water over your raw cashews and let soak for 1.5 hours)
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • zest of half lemon (zest before cutting and sweezing the lemon)
  • juice of 1 lemon

Outer herbs:

  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh chives, minced

Directions:

  1. Blend all ‘cheeze’ ingredients together until smooth and creamy in your food processor (scrape down sides)
  2. Place mixture into two layers of cheesecloth or a nut milk bag and squeeze into desired shape (you can re-shape after too). Tighten by twisting the mesh cloth.
  3. Leave your ‘cheeze’ in the fridge over a colander (some liquid may drip out) for at least 6 hours (the longer the better!)
  4. Take it out of the cheese cloth and roll it into a log, then coat it with thyme and chives (a bit messy but helps the log keep it’s shape!)
  5. Serve with your favourite crackers, chips, or veggies! I’ve used my friend Eve’s Crackers here!

Tarragon Black Bean Sweet Potato Burgers | No Pre-Cooking Needed

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Grill-able, flavourful, quick & easy.

Perfect for spring BBQ action!

You know how burgers recipes seem easy, but then you get into it and there’s all the pre-cooking you have to do before you even start to mix things together?

WELL, not this time!


You can whip this burger up without having to pre-cook any of the ingredients.

Just blend up the ingredients in your food processor, fire up the barby, and you’re good to go.

And yes, these patties stay together enough to throw them on the BBQ, just like your omnivore days.


My favourite is romaine bunning them up. It takes some messy skills to eat this, but you get all of the benefits of sticking to a whole-food plant-based meal. If you’re using buns I recommend finding some sprouted whole-grain buns at Spud for example. Sprouted breads are super nutrient-dense.

High fives to that.


Benefits:

  • Tarragon is a delicious spice that is great for your digestion because it aids in the production of bile by the liver. Also, it’s packed with antioxidants to neutralize free radicals. Plus, it helps build muscle mass by increasing muscle creatine absorption.
  • Sweet Potato is an ingredient you should learn to love, if you don’t love it already! It’s packed with beta-carotene (antioxidant), fibre, vitamins, minerals, plant-protein. In short, they “decrease the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and overall mortality while promoting a healthy complexion, increased energy, and overall lower weight”… all hale sweet potatoes!
  • Black Beans are legumes! And, every day needs some kind of legume. Dr. Gregor’s orders. Black beans are great for your digestion, cardiovascular system (form the soluble fibre, antioxidants and inflammatory attributes), blood sugar regulation (again that fibre), and they’re packed with phytonutrients (see ya later cancer).

Tarragon Black Bean Sweet Potato Burgers

Makes: 6 patties

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Patties:

  • 1 can black beans (398ml can)
  • 1 cup sweet potato
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp tarragon
  • 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (Tamari works here instead)
  • 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp coconut oil (for cooking)

Toppings:

  • Whole wheat buns (or use romaine leaves)
  • Tomato
  • Avocado
  • Red onion
  • Dijon mustard
  • Sauerkraut
  • Dill pickles
  • Sprouts of choice
  • Dairy-free cheese (optional) – my favourite is Chao

Optional Cilantro Hummus:

  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1/2 juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tsp tahini
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Directions:

  1. Grate sweet potato (easiest is the grater attachment in the food processor if you have it!). Set aside
  2. Blend oats into a rough flour in food processor
  3. Add dry spices, blend to mix evenly
  4. Add beans to flour mixture, blend until smooth.
  5. Add grated sweet potato, blend until evenly mixed.
  6. Heat pan to medium heat OR heat BBQ to medium heat
  7. Form 6 patties
  8. Add coconut oil to pan OR use baster to spread coconut oil on cook side of patty if BBQing.
  9. Cook 4 minutes per side. Add slice of dairy free cheese for last 2 minutes if you want!
  10. Get your toppings ready – slice pickles, red onion and tomatoes, mash avocado.
  11. Make hummus – blend all hummus ingredients until smooth in food processor
  12. Make your burger!
  13. Cool any leftover patties to room temperature, place a piece of parchment paper in between each one, and freeze. To reheat, just pop in the toaster.