I made it!!

So, as you know, if you've been following my blog, I set a 31 day goal for myself: survive on a plant-based diet for the month of January. I did it for a few reasons:
1. Just to challenge myself, test my resolve and see if I could make it without cheating
2. The month of December brought with it a whole host of highly processed, highly unhealthy, sweet and delicious temptations... Which I, for the most part, guilt-fully indulged in. Each time apologizing to my organs and cardio-vascular system.
3. To shake things up and start the year feeling revitalized.

I sort of feel weird even feeling accomplished over this because I know several people who have chosen to live their whole lives this way selflessly and do so happily. My reasons were entirely selfish. I wanted to feel healthier... Mission accomplished! Further, while I could definitely sustain this lifestyle long term, my reasons for choosing not to do so are again: entirely selfish. I found myself feeling very restricted in social situations, at restaurants and bars and cafes... Not even being able to have a muffin or certain kinds of bagels or really much of anything at most mainstream establishments because there just aren't many options that don't contain some kind of animal related ingredient. This not only left me feeling left out and not to mention hungry usually, it also made the people I was with feel uncomfortable at times. My reasons for choosing to open my diet back up to include animal products are not because I found eating vegan boring or unsatisfying, which is a common misperception, I believe. It also has nothing to do with feeling I was lacking anywhere, nutritionally... because as I mentioned, I feel phenomenal. It has much more to do with the lack of availability of vegan friendly dining... And while this is improving, especially in the city, it's still sadly lacking. I also found that when I did find restaurants that offered vegan options that looked good in theory, in practice were disappointing and left me wishing I had just cooked at home. Not always, but a good chunk of the time.

So, there you have it! I plan to retain most of my recipes and shopping habits... The end of the month and diet only brings with it the option to eat a veggie burger, even if the bun has eggs in it... Or enjoy eating anything in public, really, without having to ask: "are the vegetables fried in butter?"

In honour of my month-long detour into vegan-dom and as a toast to my veg-head friends: I leave you with an example of how vegan eating can too be delicious, sweet, indulgent and dessert-happy. When you see the ingredients, your first instinct might be to retract into your mainstream hidey-hole, but I would encourage you to give this one a shot. I promise: it's $&@/ing delicious!!!!

Vegan chocolate pudding:
1 avocado
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup cocoa.
Optional: garnish w/ cacao nibs

Mash avocado in a bowl with a fork. Add all ingredients to the bowl and blend with a hand mixer until completely smooth.

Bon appétit!
Talia

Tonight for dinner... I made a mess!!

Most of the time when I research, build a recipe and finally create a meal it turns out fairly impeccably. We all have our talents. I believe that is one of mine. I'm not a chef, I have no real formal training, just a passion for food and nutrition and a good sense for what tastes good with what. Tonight... I made a $&-/ing mess.

That said: sometimes the most beautiful things are born from chaos. Tonight, in addition to a mess, I also made something beautiful (spoiler alert: this story has a happy, delicious ending!)! With less than a week to go on my vegan diet, there were a few things left that I had wanted to try. Tonight I had planned to make vegan pancakes, but I got cocky... I was going to make vegan pancakes out of coconut flour.

All the articles I'd read about coconut flour warned me that it's fickle to work with and not for the faint hearted. But as I mentioned, I was feeling cocky....... And I thought I'd researched enough to be able to muddle my way through this recipe I made up my very first time ever messing with coconut flour. Boy, was I wrong. Coconut flour, chia, banana, baking powder, vanilla almond milk, honey... In the pan... Disaster... Scratch that, try again, this time more flour/less almond milk... Disaster... Now, my stomach is growling angrily, and eating itself and I am growing impatient with now 3 failed attempts at the perfect coconut flour pancake and still no meal!!! What is going on?! More banana? No. More chia? No. More baking powder? No. Baking soda instead? No. What am I doing wrong? There are only so many ingredients and only so many ways to manipulate the combination. I finally relented and tweaked the formula: half conventional flour/half coconut flour. Jackpot!!!!! Moist, delicious... Happy stomach, happy taste buds, everybody wins! Maybe I'll try 100% coconut flour again with eggs next month... I don't like to admit defeat..........

Recipe:
1 tsp chia seeds
2 tsp water
3/4 banana
1 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp raw honey
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

Combine water and chia seeds and let soak for 15 minutes. Mash banana.

Combine all ingredients and soaked chia seeds mix thoroughly. Use a hand mixer if you're having trouble coaxing out the clumps. Pour desired amount in a pan cook on each side for two minutes. Top with fruits, nuts, maple syrup... Whatever suits your mood!! Enjoy!

Bon appétit!
Talia

Overnight oats - the easiest healthy breakfast option in town!

Oats are a hearty grain that I think we commonly take for granted as the hot tasteless sludge grandma used to make under the guise of comfort food. The stuff that, when plopped in front of you, made you want to scream "this was only comfort food when you were starving through the depression!!!" - if you were old enough, you probably made your way to the nearest McDonald's for an egg mcmuffin. I think it's time for a major oats revival!!

Oats are great in a ton of recipes... I've even heard of people putting them in chilli, if you can believe it! They're great for you too! They help reduce cholesterol and keep your heart healthy. They're a great source of antioxidants, fiber, iron, thiamine... They help regulate blood sugar and help keep you satiated between meals.

I challenge you to give oats another shot! They... and you... deserve it! Here's a great way to start: overnight oats! This is a super easy way to incorporate another healthy little gem into your morning routine and maybe even incorporate breakfast if your usual excuse is "I don't have time for breakfast...".

Here's how you can jump on board the overnight oats train and ride it right into breakfast station!

Put the following into a Tupperware container or mason jar and chill in the fridge overnight:
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup of milk or your favourite milk substitute (I commonly use vanilla hemp milk)

... And your favourite fruits and spices. Pictured with a half teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, 4 sliced strawberries, pumpkin seeds and 1 teaspoon chia seeds.

If you have kids, this is a great before bed fun activity. You can have them add their favourite toppings and shake!! Easy family breakfast for school mornings! Can be served hot or cold.

Have a healthy day!
Talia

Ch-ch-ch-chia! (bonus: vegan friendly french toast recipe!)

The chia seed is a happy little powerhouse that makes it easy to make almost anything just a tiny bit healthier and more nutritious. They have a mild taste so they can be added to your morning smoothie, oatmeal, sprinkled on yogurt... Or spread over a clay mock-up of the bust of your favourite Disney character, sing it with me: ch-ch-ch-chia (www.chiapet.com)!!

If you're not using them to make goofy harrier, add them to your favourite recipe in place of eggs, which I promise will make the resulting concoction lighter and easier to digest than if you had used eggs. Other benefits include; omega-3 fatty acids, they are a source of complete protein, calcium, vitamin C, iron, potassium... I could go on, but I don't think I need to, you get the picture... They're good for you!!

Try this!

Note: For vegans who prefer not to use honey, you can use brown sugar or your favourite sweetener in place of honey

French toast
1 tsp chia seeds or chia seed meal
2 tsp water
1/4 banana
1 tbsp raw honey (or favourite sweetener)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1.5 cups vanilla almond milk
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
Bread

Soak the chia seeds in water for 15 minutes. The mixture will turn into a sort of gel. Chia seeds and water prepared this way can be used as an egg replacer in recipes.

Add soaked chia seeds, banana, almond milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, honey and salt to blender or mix with a hand mixer. Pour mixture into tray. Dip bread in mixture, coating both sides. Let soaked bread rest for 15 minutes and grill'em up! On a griddle (a frying pan will do) greased with earth balance butter or coconut oil, fry each side until golden brown and outside is no longer moist/sticky to the touch. Garnish with fruits, jam, maple syrup, honey............. Let your imagination be your guide!

Pictured with strawberries, shaved chocolate and real maple syrup. Served with Yves vegan breakfast patties.

Bon appétit!!
Talia

Pad thai how-to

When I cook, I like to find ways to sneak extra nutrients into recipes. For instance: a few carrots in my fruit smoothie, finely chopped kale and/or spinach to... Well, almost everything!!... Quinoa in my bean salad... You can never do with too much healthy, unprocessed food in whatever you're cooking!! Try sneaking finely diced veggies in your finicky "kids" pasta sauce!! "Kids" in quotes because I know some adults who are far more finicky about vegetables than most kids I know! (Sorry, guys!)

That said, I mixed about a tablespoon of finely diced kale into tonight's pad Thai (for the nay-sayers, I swear you can't taste it and kale is soooooo good for you).

If you need ideas for sneaking healthy food into your "safe" recipes, don't hesitate to reach out :-)

Pad thai:

99g of Thai/Asian style flat rice noodles
2 tbsp soy sauce
The juice from 2 limes
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp sriracha (or to taste)
2 tbsp raw sugar
2 tbsp tofu, diced
4 tbsp green onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp sesame oil

Mix sriracha, soy sauce, lime juice and sugar in a bowl and set aside. Boil some water (enough to cover noodles). When the water is boiled add noodles and boiled water to a separate bowl and soak noodles just until they are soft (not all the way cooked). Sauté sesame oil, garlic and onions in a wok (in a pinch, a pan will do the trick). When onions are softened, add softened noodles and sauce and mix thoroughly. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, to finish the cooking process on the noodles and thicken the sauce.

Garnishing ideas: crushed peanuts or cashews, sesame seeds, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, diced green onions... Use your imagination!

Bon appétit!
Talia.

Wasabi Hummus

Chick peas are an excellent source of protein, antioxidants, folate and fibre. So much fibre in fact that two cups of chick peas amounts to your entire daily dietary requirement for fibre! They're also a great option for staying satiated and preventing the urge to snack. Go chick peas!!!

Wasabi hummus:
1 small can chick peas
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp wasabi powder
1 garlic clove
1 pinch cumin
1 tsp lime juice

Put all ingredients in a food processor (I used my magic bullet). Et voilà!! Super easy, super healthy snack!

Bon appétit!
Talia.

Savoury Vegan Nacho Dip

Nutritional yeast is a staple in the pantry, especially for those of us who have chosen a plant-based diet.  Commercial nutritional yeast, aside from being savoury and delicious, is typically fortified with vitamin B12 which is lacking in a plant-based diet.  Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria and a certain type of single celled organism, animals eat food contaminated with B12 and it is then absorbed into their flesh, this is how animal products come to contain it.  So if you're not eating animal products, you will have to make a conscious effort to include vitamin B12 in your diet either through supplementation or by finding products fortified with it.

I have used nutritional yeast in the recipe below to add a savoury, "cheesy" flavour to the mix.  You can also use it in sauces, sprinkle it on popcorn, make condiments with it..... use your imagination!!  I'm a big advocate of playing with your food. :-)

Note: people who are sensitive to yeast can usually have nutritional yeast without any issues.  It is a deactivated (dried and pasteurized) version of baker's yeast.

Preheat oven to 350f.

Taco seasoning:
4 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp paprika

Dip:
2 avocados
1 tsp cilantro
1 lime
1 can black or pinto beans
1 cup veggie broth
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
3 tbsp flax "milk"
2 tbsp earth balance "butter"
1 tsp flour
1/4 cup taco seasoning

Savoury sauce:
In a pot over medium heat, add the flax milk and taco seasoning and whisk until mixed thoroughly.  Add the earth balance "butter" and allow it to melt while whisking into the flax and taco seasoning mixture.  Add the nutritional yeast and whisk until mixed thoroughly.  Add the flour to thicken this mixture.

Refried beans:
Add broth and rinsed beans to pan over medium heat.  Allow to simmer for 5 minutes and mash or blend until puréed. (For more detailed instructions see my yummy vegan breakfast post :-)

Avocado mixture:
Mash avocados in a bowl (you can use a fork) with the juice from the lime.  Add cilantro and mix.

Dip:
In a casserole dish, spread the avocado mixture over the bottom.  Layer the refried beans on top and the salsa on top of that.  Finish it off with the savoury sauce as the final layer.  Bake for 15-30 minutes.

Bon Appétit!
Talia.