HookedOnPlants

When getting hooked is a good thing

hooked on plants

Caramelized Onion Sage Cream BBQ Pasta

By

Lucky for you, you’ve found yourself on a page with the secret to my new favourite sauce…all mixed up with the pasta that tells me ‘summer is on, baby’! This creamy vegan pasta could easily become a staple for those summery patio days.

Serve it up family style. Picture this… an outdoor picnic with a big bowl o’ pasta, a salad bowl packed with greens drizzled with this flavourful oil-free dressing, and a bowl of smokey vegan parm…now all that’s missing is funky tunes and fruity popsicles.

Caramelized onions give anything a deeper, sultry taste. Double or triple the caramelized onions I call for in this recipe, just so your fridge can be a good friend by having it on hand for your next savoury meal.

The BBQ’d veggies give this pasta a smokey flavour, and keep the house a little cooler than the oven would on a hot summery day.

And fresh sage… the ingredient that makes any dish seem more professional that it really is. Take a simple meal, sage it up, and voila: Top Chef material. Sage is so easy to grow outside or on a window sill (unlike basil, which somehow likes to wither away anytime I try to give it a good life…)

Benefits:

  • Zucchini has a good dose of antioxidants to help prevent disease, vitamin C to boost your immunity and potassium to help balance electrolytes and blood pressure.
  • Sage is commonly used for digestive issues, like bloating, gas, diarrhea and stomach pain. Plus, it’s fantastic for depression, memory loss and the prevention of Alzheimers
  • Onions contain sulfur, which is needed for the synthesis of the antioxidant glutathione, plus it helps strengthen hair and nails.


Caramelized Onion Sage Cream BBQ Pasta
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A simple dinner packed with nutrients. A go-to weeknight scramble recipe. Make lots of it, because the leftovers taste better by the day!
Author:
Recipe type: pasta, dinner, bbq
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
  • 1 package of brown rice pasta (or any other pasta with just 2 ingredients...like quinoa + water)
  • 3-4 sweet onions, de-skinned, halved, then sliced in ⅛ inch pieces
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 zucchinis, halved lengthwise
  • 2 red peppers, de-stemmed, halved lengthwise
  • 3 portobello mushrooms (crimini or white work, too)
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • Salt + Pepper
  • Vegan sausage of choice (I used Gusta)

  • Sage Cream Sauce:
  • ½ cup cashews, pre-soaked overnight or for 10 minutes in hot water
  • ½ cup fresh sage
  • 2 tbsp miso paste
  • ¾ cup caramelized onions, with a few tablespoons of the liquid
Instructions
  1. Caramelize onions: heat large pot to medium, then add onions. Let brown a few minutes, then add ¼ cup water. Turn down the heat, add the garlic and let simmer for 30 minutes, lid on. Stir every 10 minutes or so to make sure they're not burning. If they're sticking just add a bit more water.
  2. Heat the BBQ to 400°F.
  3. Prep the veggies by adding the coconut oil to your hands and massaging the oil all over each piece of veg and place on the grill. Twist some salt and pepper on them, and let cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add a dash of salt and pour in the pasta. Cook according to time on the package.
  5. Flip the BBQ'd veggies, and salt + pepper the other side. Let cook another 10 minutes.
  6. Throw the sausages on the BBQ. Cook for 8 minutes, rotating every couple of minutes.
  7. Strain the pasta and pour the pasta back into the pot.
  8. Make the sauce: add all sauce ingredients to your blender, and blend until smooth.

 

Want more?

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants.

This week was all about manipulating your genetics with diet!

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

By

Nothing like a decadent, creamy, lemony, thick sauce to douse that vegan brunch with! This vegan hollandaise sauce is even delicious on dinner your plate (think taters & sauce, broccoli & sauce, glory bowls & sauce, burritos & sauce…)

Being plant-based, means falling in love with sauces. All the sauces.

Tomato-based, bean-based, cashew-based, tahini-based, nooch-based, miso-based, veggie-based… endless bases of sauciness.

Today’s all about this cashew raw vegan hollandaise.

It’s time to cure those creamy cravings with total satisfaction by drizzling this stuff over any savoury dish to create a culinary masterpiece.

Super simple.

Super delish.

With just 7 ingredients and a blender, you’ll be on your way to sauce o’clock, saucy heaven, 10 on the sauce-o-meter, 100% sauciness… You get it.

Benefits:

  • Cashews are packed with minerals, and dietary monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to help the body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and vitamin K and produce fatty acids needed for yo’ brain!
  • NO DAIRY – this is a big plus. Typical hollandaise has a whole lotta butter and eggs. Replacing these two with cashews will help you prevent cancer, inflammation, acidity, weight gain and animal suffering 🙂 Go nuts.


Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
 
Save Print
Prep time
Total time
 
A hollandaise sauce to bring back those eggs benny memories. Make a bunch of this because you'll be wanting to pair it with everything.
Author:
Recipe type: sauce, vegan sauce, brunch
Serves: 1 cup
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup cashews, soaked over night (or 10 minutes in hot water), then strained
  • ¼ cup lemon juice (juice of 1½ lemons)
  • ½ cup unsweeted, unflavoured plant milk (almond, coconut or soy)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
  1. BLEND! Seriously. That's it. Until smooth.
  2. Drizzle away.

Want more?

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants

This week’s email was all about NYC vegan goodness and Main Street Vegan !

Mermaid Bowl ~ Raw Vegan Soft Serve with Boosh Chunks

By

Gaze away at this swirly masterpiece…OK, now go make yourself one. This mermaid bowl is ready in no time and provides all the dreamy, guilt-free spoonfuls your taste buds desire.

Just in time for the LONGEST day of the year. Bring on that sunshine and those mermaid bowls, who’s with me?

The base? bananas.

The colour? phycocyanin.

The topping? fermented kombucha bar chunks (from Vegan Rob’s).

The result? The bowl of my dreams.

In just a few minutes you’ll have an antioxidant packed mermaid bowl filled to the brim with live phytonutrients and fermented goodness! Ahh.

I brew my own ‘boosh‘ at home, but I never had heard of kombucha being in the form of something you chew on – like a granola bar. Well, it’s possible! Vegan Rob‘s just came out with their Kombuchabar (what?!)… So I topped off this mesmerizing soft-serve with chunks of it for some nice texture and added probiotics for digestive and gut health.

The beautiful blue-ness comes from the crazy sounding and intense looking active ingredient in spirulina (phycocyanin). I found a small package of it here. More on the benefits of it below…. I personally love it just for the crazy mermaid colour it gives to anything, because who ever made up that whole.. ‘don’t play with your food’ thing anyway?

Benefits:

  • Phycocyanin is a super potent antioxidant powerhouse. It’s the active blue pigment protein complex of the blue-green algae, spirulina. Phycocyanin is used for photosynthesis in the algae, as it directly absorbs sunlight. In humans, when ingested, it’s complex structure resembles the powerful antioxidant ‘bilirubin’ and it has the same intense affects on our body as bilirubin. It’s an immune enhancer, disease preventer, and anti-inflammatory, this stuff is magic.
  • Kombucha Bar that I’m using to top off this magical mermaid bowl is the first bar I’ve found that has the probiotic benefits of kombucha…but in the form of solid food! Crazy talk. The fermented kombucha in these bars help the gut microflora thrive. Fermented food are a must, because 90% of the cells in our bodies are bacteria cells and just 10% are human. Most of our bacteria live in our micro-biome/gut, so we have to make sure we’re feeding our gut the right things to help the cells flourish…and fermented foods is where it’s at.
  • Bananas are a staple around our place. I get a case of smoothie-ready bananas every week from Spud. I freeze half of them for bowls like this, and the everyday green smoothie I whip up. They’re packed with potassium to help balance your blood pressure, and iron to combat anemia.

 


Mermaid Bowl Soft Serve
 
Save Print
Prep time
Total time
 
This bowl tastes just as magically delicious as it looks. Packed with fermented benefits and a mega antioxidant-boost!
Author:
Recipe type: breakfast, dessert, snack, smoothie bowl, ice cream
Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
  • 5 frozen bananas, halved
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1-2 tsp phycocyanin powder
  • ½ cup plant-based milk (almond, coconut, cashew, hemp)
  • 1 kombucha bar, chopped (found at Vegan Robs)
Instructions
  1. In food processor, blend all ingredients except the kombucha bar until smooth. Add a bit more milk if you want a softer texture.
  2. Spoon it into a couple of your favourite bowls and top it off with kombucha bar chunks.
  3. Devour.

Want more?

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants.

Last week was all about acting with love instead of fear throughout your life, biz, relationships and to yourself.

Vegan Quiche with Smoked Tofu & Cauliflower Crust

By

Diner-approved vegan brunchin’. This comfort-style vegan quiche has Father’s Day breaki written all over it.

An egg-y texture, with smokey bits and creamy hollanadaise, all on a cauliflower crust.

Comfort food with benefits… and lots’a tastiness.

Plus… it’s soy-free, gluten-free & oil-free (triple bonus).

I’ve been pumping out the treats over the last few weeks… cardamom muffins, cookies, parfaits, matcha cheese cake, so I had the urge to share some savoury goodness with you so you can create a masterpiece for your Pa this weekend.

Depending on the preferences of that Dad in your life, either take the savoury route with this quiche, or this omelette, or sweeten things up for the special occasion with these simple pancakes.

‘Quiche’ …the first thing that came out of Davey’s mouth when I asked him for a savoury comfort food recipe idea. Davey’s my professional taste-tester and cuts all BS when it comes to telling me whether it tastes good or not… And as the ‘cheese egg king’ before we went plant-based, he gave this quiche a 10/10 for eggy-ness and tastiness.  Winner.

The lemon-y hollandaise takes it to the next level on the brunch-0-meter.

When I told my G-Ma I was whipping up a vegan quiche, she didn’t get it. Quiche usually means eggs, cheese, butter, bacon. It’s pretty much an oxymoron. But the code is cracked, folks.

Plus, the cauliflower crust brings this quiche to a new level. It’s a cake-y crust with zero gluten and a good dose of cruciferous awesomeness.

Benefits:

  • Cauliflower is so versatile. Cauliflower Roast, Buffalo Cauli Wings…and this crust is totally usable for pizza crust too. Don’t let the white colour fool ya, cauli is packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Plus it’s part of the cruciferous fam-jam (known for cancer prevention).
  • Chickpea flour is the magical ingredient in the filling to create that egg-y texture. It’s packed with amino acids, and gluten-free for those with sensitivities.
  • Veggies!!! They’re good for ya. Duh. You can pack in as many veggies as you want in the filling and they’ll be surrounded by delicious egg-like texture and go down real easy.


Vegan Quiche with Cauliflower Crust
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A quiche for an occasion... veganized! A flavourful filling all on top of a gluten-free cauliflower crust.
Author:
Recipe type: breakfast, brunch, lunch, comfort food
Serves: 8
Ingredients

  • Cauliflower Crust: (or use any other kind of crust you like)
  • 3½ cups cauliflower, chopped, steamed 10 minutes (until soft)
  • 3 flax eggs (1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal + ¾ cup water in a jar, let sit for 5 minutes)
  • 1 cup flour (I used amaranth)
  • ¾ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

  • Filling:
  • 1½ cup chickpea flour
  • 1¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tsp black salt (optional - but an amazing ingredient for that 'eggy' taste)
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 4 cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
  • ¼ cup red onion, diced
  • handful spinach
Instructions

  1. Make Crust:
  2. Pre-Heat oven to 400°F
  3. Place steamed cauliflower in a cheese cloth or nut milk bag. Let sit in the fridge for a few minutes (until you can handle it without yelping). Then squeeze as much liquid out of cauliflower into the sink as possible.
  4. In food processor, pulse the cauliflower, flax eggs, flour, nutritional yeast, tahini and spices until a creamy dough forms.
  5. Press and spread dough with a spatula on a 9-inch pie dish (non-stick, or lined with parchment paper) along the bottom and up the sides about ¼ inch thick.
  6. Bake crust for 20 minutes.
  7. At the same time, spread the mushrooms, red pepper, and cherry tomatoes on a parchment-lined (or reusable baking sheet-covered) baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, make the filling: blend or whisk together chickpea flour, water and spices until smooth. Then stir in the roasted veggies, spinach, onion (and if you're fine with soy, add in ¼ cup of chopped smoked tofu YUM)
  9. Pour filling into the crust.
  10. Bake for 45 minutes.
  11. Remove and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
  12. Serve each slice with a drizzle of the hollandaise sauce from this recipe and a basil leaf or two:)

Want more?

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants

This week was all about celeb vegan Dads 🙂

HOP Interview: Essential Oils 101 + Naturally North Van’s Cardamom Muffins

By

Mariko Michasiw aka ‘Naturally North Van’ is all about healthy livin! She’s a Mama of 2, and an essential oils guru! Her jam is wellness, and she’s an incredible educator when it comes down to it. After going to an essential oil workshop and hearing about all of the benefits of oils from Mariko, it completely opened my mind to essential oils, so I had to interview her to share the goodness with all of you…along with her Cardamom Apple Breakfast Muffin recipe with essential oils (what!)

Side note: I have no affiliation with dōTERRA, but find that all of the benefits of essential oils is so fascinating.

Hooked On Plants: Mariko, how were you introduced to essential oils and how long have you been using them for? 

Mariko Michasiw: I have actually been using the most common essential oils for years! I used Tea Tree for face spot treatments in high school and then Lavender for relaxation in adulthood. The thing is, at that time, I had no clue what the oils could do beyond those two things. It was actually my husband that got me interested in oils because he bought a diffuser (to make my house smell better) and then bought a few pre-made roller bottles for various things like digestion and immune support.

When I was invited to my first essential oils class, I was intrigued but it took me about 6 months of pondering it before I ended up attending one. I am so thankful that I did because the knowledge that was shared blew my mind! I couldn’t believe that you could use oils for so many things! As a natural mama, I embraced the idea of using plant medicine to support my family as a first defence. Don’t get me wrong, I was totally skeptical, but then I kept having AHA! moments with these oils. From pain relief, to immune support, to stress relief, I kept having positive experiences. I had used so many other brands prior to dōTERRA and honestly didn’t think that any of them worked. These were special. The purity and potency was beyond anything I’d experienced before. I’m about a year and a half into using these oils and they have completely changed my life! I rarely use pharmaceuticals now and my home no longer needs harsh toxic chemicals for cleaning.

HOP: What are all of the ways can you use essential oils?

MM: There are typically 3 ways to use essential oils! Aromatically, topically and internally.

Using essential oils aromatically is as simple as opening a bottle and smelling it, but could also be using a diffuser, or putting a drop on your clothes or pillow. My favourite pick me up in the middle of the day is taking a drop of peppermint and rubbing it in my hands and cupping them in front of my face so I can deeply breathe in the aroma. Aromatic use is actually the fastest way to use oils for emotional support. By smelling the oils, we have a direct link to our limbic system which is responsible for our emotions, behaviour and memory. This means that we can use essential oils to quickly calm us or brighten our spirits. Pretty cool right?

For topical use, I always recommend diluting essential oils (especially spicy ones like oregano or cinnamon) with a carrier oil like coconut, almond or jojoba. This not only makes our oils go further but also holds it in the tissues rather than flashing off into the air. The molecules in essential oils are so small that they can easily penetrate the skin. The best places to apply oils are on pulse points, the bottoms of feet, or directly on the area you are trying to treat. Be sure to avoid your eyes, ears and nose though!

When I speak of internal use of oils, I am only talking about dōTERRA because they are pure and go through many levels of testing, but not every oil is ok to consume. I do not know the quality of other oil brands so be sure to check the label to see if it is approved for consumption. I use a citrus oil like Lemon daily in my water (one drop is plenty) for it’s alkalizing effects on the body. I also love using citrus oils in my salad dressings as a replacement for zest. When I don’t have a specific herb or spice at home, sometimes I’ll just substitute a drop of essential oil in a recipe. 


HOP: Can you let us know the top 5 general benefits of diffusing essential oils in your home?

MM:

1) Air purification – remove odours and airborne pathogens.

2) Emotional support – diffusing certain oils can promote relaxation or reduce anxiety, others can uplift and energize.

3) Improved immunity – anti-inflammtory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties in many essential oils can boost our immunity and fight pathogens.

4) Better sleep – fall asleep faster and sleep deeper by diffusing oils like lavender or roman chamomile in your bedroom.

5) Amazing aroma without the chemicals – ditch the candles for this cleaner alternative.

HOP: Who can benefit from essential oils?

MM: Anyone and everyone! The beauty of having 100% pure essential oils is that you can moderate the quantity that each person receives by diluting them with carrier oil (ie. coconut, jojoba, sweet almond). While diffusing essential oils is often enough for tiny babies, we also have the option of heavily diluting oils for them if they need digestive support or pain relief, for example. Essential oils are effective for supporting emotions, especially for children who are very responsive to oils. I love using dōTERRA Balance and Wild Orange to help my children feel calmer. My kids have stopped napping so this combo is now my “quiet time” blend.

They’re amazing for adults to calm stress and anxiety (my favourites are dōTERRA Serenity and Vetiver)! They boost our immune systems (On Guard), and help with sleep. They are also a great alternative for seniors who are often put on many medications to deal with their symptoms without ever knowing the root cause of their issue. The nice thing about essential oils is that there are very few side effects to using them, however it is important to remember that they are both powerful and potent. It’s always a good idea to do your own research on what is safe based on other medication that you may be taking.

Pregnant women can also find a lot of relief by using essential oils. I wish I had been educated on essential oils during my pregnancies to help with the nausea, cold and flus, and other discomforts that I was feeling.

Infants, toddlers, pregnant women and the elderly are more sensitive and should dilute more than adults when using essential oils.

The last group, pets! While not all oils are safe for pets (do your research before using them), there are many that are very supportive for them. Treat them like the previous group and dilute because they are more sensitive as well (especially their sense of smell).

HOP: The ways to use essential oils are endless! But, what’s your personal favourite way to use them? Do you have a favourite oil?

MM: It’s so hard for me to say a favourite way, but I have a ton of custom rollers floating around my house, purse, and car. Rollers are perfect for on the go application, and I love convenience!

My favourite oil can change minute to minute, but I have a special place in my heart for Balance! It was the first oil I ordered beyond the intro kit because it was described as the Grounding blend and who doesn’t need more Balance in their lives?! As a mom of 2 tiny kids, it sounded perfect to me. It has a ton of wood oils along with Frankincense and I feel connected to the earth when I use it (versus the previous head spinning I was experiencing). It kind of smells like a walk in the woods and blends really well with a few of my other faves: Serenity, Citrus Bliss, or Wild Orange.

HOP: You can make recipes with oils! So amazing. Can you give us your favourite recipe with essential oils and let us know what benefits do you get from it?

MM: These muffins have so many benefits that you can eat them for breakfast! Super nutritious, and delicious!  Another awesome benefit is that Cardamom oil is supportive for the digestive system and it’s an aphrodisiac… Not all oils are ok to ingest…doTERRA is approved for ingestion by Health Canada. Enjoy these babies anytime of the day!

You can find all things Naturally North Van at:

@naturallynorthvan on Instagram and on Facebook

Read her blog at www.naturallynorthvan.wordpress.com and my feature here!

Order dōTerra oils through her here! 

Mariko is passionate about educating people about the benefits of essential oils and helping them along their wellness journey. She teach classes in people’s homes and does lifestyle overviews (in person or over the phone) to help integrate these beautiful oils into your homes. She has a ton of education resources and groups that people can follow along to learn more. Connect with her and she’ll hook you up!

 

Cardamom Apple Breakfast Muffins
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Vegan muffins with cardamom essential oil! Breakfast or snack-worthy muffins to take with you on the go
Author:
Recipe type: muffins, dessert, snack, breakfast
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients

  • Wet Ingredients:
  • 4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup of non-dairy milk
  • ½ cup agave or maple syrup
  • 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax seed + 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes)
  • 1-3 drops of doTERRA cardamom oil*
  • 1½ cup chopped apples

  • Dry Ingredients:
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1½ cups of rolled oats (gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 cup flour (I used amaranth)
  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • Optional add-ins:
  • ½ a cup of dried fruit/nuts
  • ½ cup grated carrot
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F
  2. Combine the wet ingredients and mix well.
  3. Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
  4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients remaining ingredients and stir until combined.
  5. Spoon into silicone covered muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes
Notes
*For bite-sized muffins, use mini muffin tins and cook for 20 mins!

*When cooking with essential oils, start small. Add one drop and then more if necessary to keep the oil from overpowering the recipe.

Want more?

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants