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Puffed Quinoa Dessert Bars

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Simple, no-bake, mouthwatering, chocolate-y, fudge-y dessert bars.

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Totally a go-to for any day of the week.

This recipe is adapted from on of my favourite food bloggers, Dana at the Minimalist Baker.

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I was lucky enough to grab a signed copy of Dana’s book at her book signing at Nourish Cafe after her and the lovely Erin Ireland‘s cooking demo! It’s an amazing new cookbook, Everyday Cooking. Every single recipe is simple and drool-worthy. She and her husband, John are both over-the-top inspiring.

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These bars are perfectly scrumptious snacks or desserts. Just sink your teeth into them once.

You’ll see.

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Here are the changes I made:

I used quinoa puffs as well as rice puffs, pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds, maple syrup instead of agave syrup, and a mixture of sunflower seed butter and almond butter instead of peanut butter.

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Benefits:

–Quinoa, AKA the mother grain, contains all 9 essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce themselves. So these bars are packed with plant-powered protein and nutrient-dense energy.

–Maple syrup is one of the least processed liquid sweeteners you can use. It’s packed with antioxidants and has a low glycemic index compared to most other sweeteners. This means you avoid the sugar spike, and inevitable crash like you would get from more refined sugars. And it’s Canadian, yo!

–Raw almond butter has healthy unsaturated fatty acids and fibre. In treats like this, go for it, but I don’t recommend over-eating nut butters because of the high saturated fat content, but the un-roasted, organic, raw versions do carry fibre and vitamins, and can be a small part of a healthy diet 🙂

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Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 12-14

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of nut or seed butter of choice (raw almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup chopped dates (medjool or bahri)
  • 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 2 cups quinoa puffs
  • 1 cup rice puffs
  • 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Prepare about a 6″x 8″ cake pan by spreading parchment paper or plastic wrap on bottom and over edges.
  2. Add almond butter, PB2 paste and maple syrup to a small pot. Heat on low heat and stir until mixture is smooth.
  3. Add almond butter mixture to a bowl with chopped dates. Stir to combine.
  4. Add quinoa, rice puffs and pumpkin seeds. Mix with wooden spoon until evenly combined.
  5. Spread out mixture in the prepared pan. To flatten evenly, use parchment paper between your hands and the mixture and press down firmly.
  6. Remove the top parchment paper, and place pan in the freezer to set for 10 minutes.
  7. While the deliciousness is freezing, prepare your chocolate sauce.
  8. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler on the stove, or in 30 second increments in a bowl in the microwave (stirring each time), until you have a smooth sauce.
  9. Take the bars out of the freezer, and drizzle chocolate sauce over with a fork.
  10. Throw that pan of goodness back into the freezer and wait (the hardest part) for 10 minutes until it is set.
  11. Cut into shapes of your choice and gobble up.

 

Easy Vegan Pizza

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Going plant-based doesn’t mean you have to miss out on pizza parties. No way. You can make that pizza and eat it too.

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Vegan pizza can be just as delish, yet way more nourishing than your usual suspects on the pizzeria menu.

Homemade roasted tomato sauce, thinly sliced potatoes, a truck load of veggies, and you’re on your way to a pizza party packed with pizzaz. There will be more than enough satisfying tastes and textures so that you can call it comfort food.
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The thinly sliced potatoes first up on the layering order, give the pizza a decadent texture when you bite into it. These spuds laying on top of the italian roasted, roma tomato pizza sauce will sky-rocket your taste buds to pizza heaven.

I like mine without the vegan cheese, but Davey still doesn’t get how pizza can be pizza without some kind of cheese 😉 I’m sure lots of you are in the same boat.

So, we used Follow Your Heart mozzarella shreds for his, and a healthy sprinkle of nutritional yeast for mine.

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Benefits:

-Roasting tomatoes actually increases the availability of their phytochemicals. Eating plants in their raw form is usually the way to make sure you receive all the nutrients they are carrying, but tomatoes are one of the very few  that actually become more beneficial to your body when you cook them.

–Red Peppers bring you some of the highest amounts of vitamin C (for immunity), vitamin A (for eye health), antioxidants, and folate (to help prevent anemia). Green peppers are actually just unripe red peppers with half the vitamin C, and a bitter taste! Go for the most colourful red option.

–Nutritional yeast (I wish there was a better name for this!) is packed with B Vitamins! B vitamins are vital for your nervous system and energy. It’s also antiviral, anti-bacterial and immune-boosting. Plus it’s a great source of protein and B12 (great for vegans).
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Serves 6 (great for left overs)

Takes 1 hour

Ingredients:

Tomato Sauce:

  • 8 roma tomatoes
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp basil
  • Pinch of Himalayan rock salt

Pizza:

  • Pizza dough for 3 pizzas- use your favourite store-bought, or here is a good recipe
  • 5 new potatoes, thinly sliced with mandolin (or by hand)
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 2 red peppers, chopped
  • 5 white or crimini mushrooms, sliced
  • zucchini, diced
  • a few handfuls of spinach
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour, or your flour of choice (for rolling dough out)
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil (to spread on pan for non-stickyness) ALTERNATIVELY just use parchment paper
  • Follow your Heart mozzarella vegan cheese
  • OR….
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

  1. Make tomato sauce: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, slice roma tomatoes length-wise and place cut-side up, single layered on parchment paper covered pan and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 25 minutes (you will see caramelization in action). Blend tomatoes in high speed blender with spices until smooth.
  2. Lightly oil pizza pans with coconut oil, or just use parchment paper. I often use my cookie sheets, and make square pizzas.
  3. Sprinkle coconut flour (this is gluten free, but you can use any flour) on clean counter and roll out pizza dough as best you can! I’m no expert here.
  4. Spread dough onto pan. Cover with pizza sauce.
  5. Layer the thinly sliced potatoes all over the pizza.
  6. Layer the rest of vegetables on the pizza.
  7. Sprinkle with cheese (or don’t).
  8. Bake in 425F oven on the middle rack for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown crust.
  9. With one minute remaining, sprinkle the spinach across your pizza.
  10. Sprinkle on nutritional yeast when served.

 

Turmeric Butternut Squash Chickpea Stew

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Stew, Soup and Chili ~ 3 of the many reasons I love Fall.

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Add in some torn rustic bread plus cashew ‘parmesan’, and you have yourself Fall in food-form.

This stew features my favourite squash. Butternut. Just saying the name makes me drool.

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This week has been all about moving house. So cooking up a batch of this comforting, nourishing, warming pot of goodness that will last for a week was much needed. Who has time to cook every night when you’ve got walls to paint, boxes to unpack, bed frames to build, lights to put in, house tours to do and clothes to get rid of? So yes, this stew is perfect for a busy week.

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And be prepared to have a kitchen that smells better than your mom’s cookin’.

You could make a big batch and have a dinner party, or keep it for yourself as left overs in the fridge. The flavours will become better buds by the day as they chill together in the fridge.

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The one, two, three, fours of cutting up your butternut squash. Cut, empty, peel, chop.

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Benefits:

Butternut Squash is low in fat and high in fibre. This is the perfect combination for longevity and heart health. It’s also packed with potassium (bone health), and vitamin B6 (nervous system functioning). Now is the time to eat squash and pumpkins! Eating local and seasonal is the most nutrient-dense way to go.

Turmeric is incredibly anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is the precursor of disease, so keep this at bay by eating your turmeric! It’s also known to help depression and ward off cancer. It’s bright orange colour is packed with vitamin C. If you can get your hands on the turmeric root, do it! Fresh is best. Make sure you add in the pepper to help your body absorb the turmeric and experience all of the amazing benefits of this little orange root.

Chickpeas like all legumes and beans are packed with easily-digestible plant protein, low in fat, and high in complex carbs. They’ve got antioxidants like selenium to enhance the immune system and they’re high in manganese, magnesium, vitamin K, and calcium to help with bone health.

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Serves 6-8

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cm long thumb of fresh turmeric, grated (or 2 tsp turmeric powder)
  • 1 tbsp curry spice (or curry paste)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (himalayan is best)
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 5 cups)
  • 1.5 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 cups coconut milk  (out of a carton, not a full fat can)
  • 1 small can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 4-5 kale leaves, stemmed and roughly chopped

Cashew Parmesan:

  • 1/2 cup cashews (or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free version)
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

  1. Sweat the onions, carrot and celery with a splash of water in a deep pot for a few minutes (until onions are translucent).
  2. Add in garlic, spices, salt and turmeric. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add in butternut squash, stir for a minute to coat.
  4. Pour in vegetable broth and coconut milk, then bring to a boil.
  5. Stir, then simmer for 15 minutes, or until you can poke through the squash with a fork.
  6. Make cashew parmesan while you wait. Blend all ingredients together in food processor (mini processor is best) or high-speed blender until a parmesan consistency is achieved. If it gets stuck at the bottom of your machine, just double the recipe! You can store in a fridge for a few weeks.
  7. Ladle half of the stew into a blender and blend until smooth.
  8. Pour blended stew back into pot, then add chickpeas and kale.
  9. Let simmer another 2 minutes, et voila!
  10. Serve in your favourite bowl with warm bread on the side and cashew parmesan on top.
  11. YUM IN THE TUM

Crunchy Quinoa, Sweet Potato Salad with Lemon Maple Tahini Dressing

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It’s always good to have a batch of quinoa salad kickin’ around. It’s especially good to have one packed with raw veggies and sweet potatoes, drizzled with a glorious dressing.

Impress your friends and the next potluck, or just impress yourself on your next camping trip.
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This passed weekend was filled with quinoa salad and the Best Soba Noodle Salad as we Stand Up Paddled the Thompson River on our Kahuna Paddle Boards for 3 days, finding beautiful camping spots along with way. These salads pack away in the cooler easily in a big zip lock bag (so gourmet, I know).

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These salads plus a couple heads of crispy romaine…What more do you need for dinner on the river?

I don’t know about you, but I thoroughly enjoy wrapping everything in romaine leaves. Lettuce wraps all the way.

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Benefits:

Quinoa, AKA the ‘Mother Grain’ contains all essential amino acids (what does essential mean? Well, in this case it means that the only way you can get these amino acids- the building blocks of protein- is to eat them. This is because your body can’t produce them on it’s own. These building blocks are great for  hair and nail growth and tissue healing).

Sweet potatoes are the staple of the ‘centenarians’ (people who live passed the age of 100) of Okinawa. Include lots of these in your diet to get beneficial, complex carbohydrates, plus a magnitude of vitamins and minerals. Another benefit? So delicious.

Celery not only adds a nice crunch to this salad, but it also brings a natural salty taste. Any time you want to avoid the salt in recipes (to minimize water retention and puffiness), just throw in some celery. It’s also packed with fibre, water content, antioxidants, potassium, folate, and vitamins C, K, and B6. Your liver will thank you, and so will your skin.
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Makes 6 servings

Prep time: 1 hour (unless you pre-make your sweet potatoes!)

Ingredients:

For Salad:

  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, diced into bite sized squares
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 stalks of celery, minced
  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 cup black beans (either use a can, or pre-make your own by soaking 2-3 hours or overnight in water, rinsing, then bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours)
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • Sprouts (your choice – I used mung bean sprouts)
  • 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped

For Dressing:

  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

  1. Roast sweet potatoes: pre-heat oven to 400 F. Toss the diced sweet potatoes with garlic powder. Lay out on parchment paper covered roasting pan (or use a non-stick re-usable cooking sheet on your pan). Roast for 45 minutes.
  2. Cook the quinoa: throw the quinoa and water into a pot, bring to a boil, give it a stir, then simmer it for 15 minutes. Fluff with your fork.
  3. Make dressing: blend all ingredients together in a blender or mini food processor. OR use your hand power – just whisk tahini and lemon together, then mix in the rest of the ingredients.
  4. Mix all salad ingredients with dressing together in your favourite bowl! Garnish with extra sprouts and parsley.

The Best Soba Noodle Salad

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This soba noodle salad will blow your taste buds’ palate!

No kidding.

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This weekend we are off on a big adventure that includes paddle boards, camping gear and a river. Yup, so we’ve got to eat the good stuff to keep us satisfied and energized for our hours of Stand up Paddling down rapids, and likely a lot of falling off paddle boards in rapids.

Exciting, right!

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With 3 days on the river ahead of us, I needed to come up with some recipes to keep us going (and ones that can live in a big zip lock bag until we’re ready for them).

This one is perfect! It’s great cold, it is packed with clean-burning energy, and it tastes DARN GOOD!! The man in my life will be impressed. And, he’s a harsh critic I tell ya. Especially since he’s still transitioning onto the vegan train (and loving it more and more with each passing meal). So, I’m always doing my best to show him how delish vegan eating can be (even more delish and creative than the traditional way in my personal opinion).

ANYways, onto the recipe! Please make this, and enjoy, because your taste buds really will thank you.

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Benefits:

Buckwheat Soba noodles are gluten free, so are ideal for those with sensitivities. Buckwheat also contains all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Who says you can’t get enough protein on a plant based diet!?

Wakame seaweed, and all seaweeds for that matter, are SUPER high in minerals, esspecially magnesium. Magnesium is great for relaxation, sore muscles, the production of protein and the transport of energy. Plus, it inhibits the accumulation of fat in the cells and stimulates fat oxidation (great for weight loss!)

Tofu is low calorie, gluten free, contains all essential amino acids, plus is high in calcium. Great for your bones kids! Buy organic to avoid any GMO nonsense. But, don’t be afraid of soy – it’s a health food.

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Prep Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For Salad:

  • 1 package buckwheat soba noodles
  • 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • 2/4 cup edamame beans
  • 2 carrots, spiralized in a spiralizer (or minced)
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup wakame seaweed, chopped to bite sized pieces (you could use sushi nori instead)

For tofu:

  • 1 package organic firm tofu
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder

For sauce:

  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos (gluten-free and soy-free, made from coconut sap – instead you could use soy sauce or tamari)
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

  1. Press tofu to drain liquid (for at least 30 minutes). For this, I slice the tofu in half so it resembles two patties. Then, wrap them in paper towel, and sandwich them between two cutting boards. Place a heavy book or pot on the cutting board to squish the liquid out so you can have crispy tofu, just the way we like it!
  2. Make sauce: Blend (or whisk) all sauce ingredients together.
  3. Cook tofu: Heat pan up on medium heat (so water sizzles). Chop tofu into bite sized squares, toss in a bowl with coconut oil and spices. Pan sear tofu in the hot pan for about 10 minutes, flipping every few minutes, until browned.
  4. Cook soba noodles according to directions, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside in bowl.
  5. Edamame and Wakame: In a small pot, bring water to a boil, pour in edamame and let cook for 2 minutes. At the end of the two minutes, add seaweed for 5-10 seconds. Drain in colander.
  6. Mix everything together in a large bowl.