Beetroot, Chickpeas and Cashew Cheese Salad
This is more of a recipe idea than a recipe, in that it’s really simple, relies on a few good ingredients and can be seasoned to taste, without much measuring involved, if any. It’s a great side dish, or light main course. All you need is some steamed beets, cooked chickpeas, and your favourite fermented cashew cheese, which you could replace with feta or goat cheese if you eat dairy.
Baked Pasta with Artichokes, Leeks and Saffron Bechamel
This baked pasta with artichokes, leeks and saffron bechamel is a great way to celebrate and showcase fresh artichokes when they’re in season. While there’s some effort involved in preparing the fresh artichokes, it’s well worth it. The saffron bechamel is vegan, oil, gluten and grain free and comes together in just a few minutes.
Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu, Vegetable and Quinoa Bowls
These Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu, Vegetable and Quinoa Bowls with homemade smokey BBQ sauce, come together in minutes, and while it takes some hands off oven time before you can get it on the table, the active prep time is fast and simple with minimal steps and ingredients involved. It’s the perfect easy, no fussy, healthy weeknight meal that the whole family will enjoy.
Homemade Smokey BBQ Sauce
This homemade BBQ sauce is tangy, slightly sweet and salty and just the right amount of smokey thanks to the smoked paprika. It’s everything you want in a BBQ sauce and it’s super easy to make, without refined sugars and whacky perservatives, which are all added bonuses in my book.
Halawa Inspired Tahini Coconut Granola
This tahini coconut granola is an ode to my beloved halawa. It’s a flavour bomb of tahini, coconut and black sesame seeds nestled in crispy crunchy oats that’s lightly sweetened with creamed honey. There’s not much to say about this granola, as the taste really speaks for itself. Give it a try, I guarantee you won’t be able to put down the jar, that’s if you don’t eat it all straight off the baking tray first.
Super Crispy Chickpea Cracker Thins
This super crispy chickpea cracker thin is one of our favourite things to whip up for snack times. It’s falvourful enough to eat alone thanks to the chickpea flour, which also makes it gluten free and whole food based. The recipe is 3 ingredients, excluding salt and water and is a fun way to get the kids involved in the kitchen too.
Savoury Cannellini Bean & Carrot Tart with Buckwheat Walnut Crust
This savoury tart is made with a cispy cracker thin buckwheat walnut crust, filled with creamy cannellini beans and topped shaved thyme carrots. It’s delicate and delicious, kid, picky eater and bean hater friendly, completely plant based and gluten free. It’s a perfect addition to a pot luck, dinner party or weeknight dinner with minimal prep that can be done in advance.
Flax & Coconut Granola Cookies
The Flax & Coconut Granola Cookies are made with oats, oat flour, almond flour, flax seeds and coconut, held together by coconut oil, almond butter and a small amount of maple syrup and studded with dark chocolate chunks. They come together in under 20 minutes, most of which is baking time. Whip them up the next time you’re meal planning and prepping and you’ll have a delicious treat to snack on all week long.
Red Lentil & Walnut Paté
This red lentil and walnut paté is so easy to make and comes together in under 20 minutes thanks to quick cooking split red lentils and a few common pantry ingredients. It's a tasty spread for a good sourdough bread, crackers or crunchy vegetables and is loaded with plant based protein, iron, fiber and a host of essential micronutrients to keep you well nourished.
March Vegetable of the Month: The Artichoke
Artichokes are one of my favourite vegetables. When they’re in season, I enjoy few other vegetables as much. From a nutritional standpoint, they’re loaded with fiber, and have long been known for their therapeutic properties. Preparing fresh artichokes can be intimidating and while it’s a time consuming process, it’s well worth the effort. Read on to learn more about artichokes, how to prepare them and their health benefits.
Vegetable Noodle Soup with Tumeric Miso Broth
This nutritious and delicious soup comes together in 20 minutes. The turmeric broth can be made in a large batch and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and makes a great canvas for a vegetable noodle miso soup that you can customize based on your taste preference and what you have on hand.
Banana, Tahini & Chocolate Chunk Muffins
These banana, tahini and chocolate chunk muffins are perfect for the banana lover. They are moist and fluffy and naturally sweetened by the pureed bananas and the addition of pure maple syrup which is balanced out by the tahini and dark chocolate chunks. They’re appreciated by adults and kids alike.
Lentil Salad with Quick Pickled Carrots & Fennel
This lentil, quick pickled carrot and fennel salad is light yet satiating all at once, and full of flavour and crunch factor from the quick pickled veggies. It keeps well in the refrigerator and stays crunchy even the next day.
Spiced & Crumbled Tempeh
This spiced and crumbled tempeh can be prepared in advance, refrigerated and used all week long to complete a meal. Use it to top your salads, fill your tacos and wraps or enjoy warmed up in a pan with leftover roasted veggies. It’s flavourful, versatile, and an excellent source of plant based protein, a good source of plant based iron and calcium, and a rich source of gut healthy prebiotic fiber.
Thick & Creamy Banana Walnut Hot Chocolate
Meet your new favourite hot chocolate. It’s like banana bread in liquid form. Unlike the typical hot chocolate I grew up with, this one is rich, thick and creamy, almost like a smoothie, and 100% whole food based without any added sweeteners.
Artichoke & Pistachio Tapenade
This bright green tapenade is loaded with the goodness of artichokes, pistachios, and parsley with a rich texture and hints of lemon and garlic. It's guaranteed to be an impressive appetizer and crowd pleaser at your next gathering and it’s a great condiment to keep on hand for spreading on sandwiches and crackers.
Red Lentil Ragù
This plant based vegan friendly ragù comes together effortlessly. It requires minimal chopping and a few basic pantry ingredients, and it’s mostly hands off because it simmers on the stove top while you do other things. It’s packed with nourishing red lentils that are loaded with plant based protein, iron and fiber and can be served with your favourite pasta noodles, zoodles, roasted vegetables, grain bowls or even as a topper for baked loaded sweet potatoes.
Vegan Blood Orange & Cacao Pancakes with Whole Spelt Flour
Citrus season is in full swing. Make the most of it while it’s still here with these delicious Blood Orange & Cacao Pancakes. These pancakes are made with whole spelt flour, pure raw cacao powder and fresh squeezed blood orange juice. They’re also vegan friendly and the batter is completely oil free.
Orange & Fennel Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette
This salad is refreshing, crisp and sweet and loaded with vitamin C from both fennel and oranges. The sweetness is balanced out with a light and tangy white balsamic and thyme vinaigrette. It makes a perfect starter or side salad.
Sachertorte (aka Dark Chocolate & Apricot) Truffles
These Sachertorte inspired chocolate truffles are made with a delicious melt in your mouth concoction of almonds, dried apricots, cacao powder and a few other ingredients that are ground together into a creamy paste then formed into balls and dipped in melted dark chocolate, just like a chocolate truffle. They are enjoyed by adults and kids alike.