Tag Archives: meatless mondays

{meatless mondays : a simple spring recipe – creamy bok choy with sauteed garlic scapes}

14 Apr

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have you ever used garlic scapes?! they are also referred to as “green garlic”…

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first of all – how fun and wild-looking are they?!  …reminds me of my hair in the mornings 😛

you can start to find them popping up in some specialty stores, organic grocers, and maybe even at a farmer’s market…if you’re lucky to live where you can shop at one now!

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i just love garlic scapes!  they are not nearly as strong as garlic itself, and provide a fun texture to a dish. the “scapes” are the “flower stalks” of the plant, and are typically pruned or discarded in gardening practices.  however, this foodie knows better and has learned that they can be an amazing substitute for garlic itself. Continue reading

{meatless mondays : my first millet experience}

7 Apr

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i’ve been wanting to try to play with millet for a while now.  i have had a package of it on the shelves for a good bit now and i thought it was high time to give it a whirl.

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i like to store things in glass jars… packaging just annoys me! 😛

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millet is a tiny grain that reminds me of something from my youth… when cooked, it is almost like a pilaf. i read online that it also can turn into more of a mashed-potato like consistency, if cooked the right way. Continue reading

{meatless mondays : colourful roasted mushrooms w/ veggie ribbons}

24 Mar

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i noticed a few new followers have joined the fun – thank you and welcome!

in case you don’t know this about me, i love to eat anything with colour. i believe in living by the motto… well, a lot of “mottos” really – but one of them is “eat the rainbow.”  if your food has colour naturally, it is good for you!  this dish definitely meshes with that motto.  i whipped it up last week when i was doing a short veggie cleanse.  i just love mushrooms – do you?!

this is a great vegan dish, or a healthy random way to get in a ton of veggies all at once.  sometimes i’ll construct meals entirely of vegetables… this one i just made up on the spot, when inspired by the fresh-looking produce in the market.

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simple ingredients : portabella mushrooms, zucchini, purple cabbage, shredded carrots.

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i’m fascinated by the intricate insides of certain vegetables – like cabbage. Continue reading

{meatless mondays – vitamix breakfast cookies : a new holiday tradition}

23 Dec

this is my third year making my vegan thumbprint cookies {AKA “vitamix breakfast cookies”} to give as gifts or to share at work… or eat all by yourself 😉

so, here’s the original recipe in case you missed it…

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these are always always always a hit.  i’m not much of a baker, but when i find something that is easy to make and that people like, i try to perfect it and make it my own.  i have yet to quite create the perfect consistency for these {i’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to anything i make or do}, but i do think i found the right name for them.  the ingredients are so simple and healthy that you could literally eat them for breakfast – and not feel at all guilty about it!! they are also great for holiday parties or after school snacks. a good source of dietary fiber and protein as well as healthy fats.

yields about 3 dozen cookies, depending on size variation.

as always, i’m a huge proponent for using as many organic products as possible when i cook or eat…

– 1 cup almonds or pecans or a mix of both

– 1 cup rolled oats {gluten-free works, too!}

– 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

– 1/2 cup maple syrup

– 1/2 cup canola or safflower oil {which i haven’t yet tried}

– 1/4 teaspoon salt {i believe this constitutes as a “pinch”}

– your favourite jam or conserve {i have wanted to try a savory jam like jalapeno berry or something}

begin by preheating your oven to about 400 degrees. Continue reading

{meatless mondays : rainbow quinoa featuring my homegrown tomato!}

9 Sep

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as i mentioned saturday, i harvested my first tomato from my early girl tomato plant… it was so exciting!

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i used it in this quinoa dish with some chopped zucchini and sauteed sweet onion…

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i ate two slices just to savour the flavour of hard work and dedication… plus, it’s the only one i’ve had all season so far!!  sigh… patience. Continue reading

{meatless mondays : heirloom cherry tomato risotto}

2 Sep

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you know how i feel about risotto right?!  that it’s like the greatest thing ever and i love to make it and eat it all the time?!

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like here

this was great, too.

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for this recipe, i featured these beautiful cherry tomatoes…

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i love the different colours and shapes… like humans! 😉

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hehehe 😉 Continue reading

{stunning and scrumptious squash blossoms}

19 Aug

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i mean, these are just gorgeous… right?!

i’ve always wanted to make something with squash blossoms, but due to the fact that they are hard to find and have a small window of availability, i often miss my opportunity…

…but not this time 🙂

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goat cheese stuffed squash blossoms… stunning and scrumptious.

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i could’ve had full-on foto shoot with them, but i got hungry… so this will have to suffice…

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…for now 😉 Continue reading

{meatless mondays : rainbow quinoa w/ volcanic garlic and heirloom tomatoes}

29 Jul

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quinoa dishes are great for many reasons.  one thing i love about them is they are great served hot or cold.  quinoa is a wonderful source of protein and it is even a complete protein which means it contains all 9 essential amino acids.  this makes it particularly good for vegans or vegetarians.  i also love quinoa because i find it sustains my active body for a good while.

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i whipped up a quick batch to take to lunch for a few days using my amazing volcanic garlic, 1/2 a sweet onion, and 1 medium beautiful heirloom tomato.   Continue reading

{healthy snack options – quick and easy kale chips}

15 Jul

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one of my favourite snacks – grab a head of kale and break up into “chip” size pieces… then rinse, sprinkle on oil of your choice {i stick with EVOO, but coconut oil is great, too!} and then smother in nutritional yeast.  i use a bag and shake it up really well, then add more on top just before baking in the oven @ 350 degrees until crisp…

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they don’t last long… and they are great on top of salads, soups, or just as they are!

 

{meatless mondays – farmers market pasta!}

24 Jun

oh my goodness was this a lovely meal. the whole day was lovely yesterday : there was such amazing energy in the air!  that supermoon energy was flowing all around me and through me, it was awesome!!!!  did any of you get a chance to see the super moon?  it was too cloudy here, so i will have to camp out next year 🙂  but i definitely still felt the energy this weekend!!!!

i took a little trip to a farmers market a little north of me in search of some kirby cucumbers to make pickles with.  no luck in that department, unfortunately… however i did discover some amazing things while there! and with most of the ingredients i purchased yesterday, i made this incredible pasta dish!

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farmers market pasta.

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most everything in this dish was purchased fresh from the market yesterday…

– garlic chive pasta from pappardelle’s {amazing!!  family-owned company and they have over 100 kinds of pasta!}

– organic heirloom tomatoes

– garlic scapes

– volcanic garlic {i can’t wait to blog about this!}

– fresh chives from my friend’s yard

– basil dressing, cream cheese, tomato paste, and a little parmesan {not from the market, but perfect to have in the fridge for this dish :)) Continue reading

{meatless mondays : quinoa pasta w/ sauteed ramps, simmered pear tomatoes, & fresh english peas}

17 Jun

that’s a mouthful, and a really long title for a blog…but that is essentially what is in this dish, and to leave out any part just seamed wrong.  those are all amazing and wonderful things and when you put them all together you get this incredible dish :

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super healthy, keeps well in the fridge, easy to make, delicious… cute. 🙂

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i mean, seriously though – it’s cute… sure – it’s pasta, but it’s cute. 😛

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i’ve mentioned this pasta before – i love it for a bunch of reasons, including the fact that it is non-gmo, organic, and gluten-free. Continue reading

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