Baby Eats: Coconut Oil Banana Almond Butter

I am starting to have to sneak stuff into the boy. He has gone from ridiculous fantastic eater, to classicly picky kid. We have alway done the "hide it" in pancakes and muffins routine, but I recently branched out and ventured into the world of spreads and dove into coconut oil.

While I use coconut oil on his face and butt regularly, he had yet to have any in his diet and since the little dude could stand to grow a bit more, I thought it may be a good addition to his healthy fat intake.

Anywhoo, since he is basically part monkey and can't even look at a banana without losing his mind, I opted to use his fave fruit as part of this experiment. I was not wrong in assuming that he would enjoy it. Kiddo almost screams when he sees the jar of this coming his way now.

SUCCESS! Now get growing baby boy!

Coconut Oil Banana Almond Butter

• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium banana
• 4 tbsp almond butter

1. Blend everything together and enjoy! Will do best in an airtight container in the fridge to keep the oil firm

Garlicky Herbed Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Hallelujah!

Finally after ages of searching and many a kitchen disaster, I have managed to come up with a tasty and EASY vegan alfredo sauce. How do I know its tasty, well the hubby and kiddo both dive in when I make so that speaks volumes in my book.

I chose to use coconut milk for its thick, rich body and flavour, but I am sure that this would work just as well with any other milk alternative.

And to make it super yum, I like to add in a variety of garlic sauteed veggies to my pastas; this week it was asparagus, kale and grape tomatoes.

Garlicky Herbed Vegan Alfredo Sauce

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced 
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Water

1. In a medium saucepan, cook garlic in oil until golden brown
2. Add flour slowly, whisking to remove any lumps while combining oil, garlic and flour
3. Cook over low heat for a few minutes, whisking continuously (do not burn!)
4. Add in entire tin of coconut milk, rosemary, oregano and salt & pepper, whisking to combine
5. Bring to a boil adding a tsp of water at a time (if needed) to reach desired consistency - sauce should be thick and cover noodles well.
6. Keep warm over low heat (and keep whisking to ensure no lumps!) until pasta is ready or transfer into resealable container and keep in fridge for future use.

Baby Eats - Quinoa Oatmeal Peanut Butter Pancakes

I love cooking, and now that I have a tiny gourmet on my hands I have even more reason to ensure we are always eating well.

Little E has been a champion eater since we started solids at the 6 month mark but I am always looking for ways to ensure that he is getting everything he needs. He is a vegan baby so I have to be aware that he is always getting enough protein, iron, calcium etc, from non-animal sources. For me this is easy, for him I sometimes find it challenging - not to get the food into him but to keep it interesting and not to offer the same meal every single day.

Pancakes are our go-to in the AM and today I tried to mix it up a bit. This has been my standard recipe for a while now (http://www.colourfulpalate.com/2011/06/22/vegan-banana-oatmeal-pancakes/) and as you can see its super simple. I've done an apple cinnamon version, a pumpkin spice version and a pear version and those went over super well, so I decided to be a bit adventurous today.

Since we ventured into peanut butter yesterday I thought a Peanut Butter Banana version may work well. And for an added UMPH, I tossed in some quinoa. And I was not wrong. LOL - E gobbled up 4 full sized cakes, in addition to an entire banana and 1/2 a pear. This boy has an appetite!

Quinoa Oatmeal Peanut Butter Pancakes

• 1/4 cup toasted quinoa
• 1 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 medium banana
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 cup water

1. In blender (I use my Nutribullet) blend together quinoa, oats, flour and baking powder
2. Place dry mix into large mixing bowl
3. Again in blender, combine banana, peanut butter, milk and water
4. Add wet mix to dry and stir until combined 
5. If you find you mix is too thick add a tbsp of water until your desired consistency is reached
6. Cook up and enjoy!

Makes about 22 full sized cakes - I use a ice cream scoop to portion out my batter

Each one of these bad boys packs in:

• 70 calories
• 3g protein
• 10g carbs
• 3g fat
• 4g iron
• 2g sugar

Sunday Yumday!

Even though I am on mat leave and I don't go into an office Monday - Friday, I still love me the weekends. DH and I have come to an agreement on sleeping (He take a lie in on Saturday, I get Sunday), we get to hang out as a family of 3 in PJs as long as we want, we can take long walks and spend way too much time on the swings and best of all I get to cook big yumtastic brunches!

Today was my fave go to - Scrambled Tofu, but with a slight twist. Usually there is a mild salsa in my tofu for spice and flavour, but had none on hand today. So I winged it and man - what that a delish little adventure. And I felt a bit wacky after that so I turned them into wraps, but it is just a yum to  with a side of hash browns, yam fries or toast.

Breakfast Tofu Scramble Wraps

• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 block drained firm tofu (not pressed)
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Basil
• S&P to taste
• 1/4 cup water (or vegetable stock and omit veg paste)
• 1 tsp Better than Bullion Vegetable Paste
• 1/2 avocado, mashed
• Greens (I had spinach and sunflower sprouts on hand)
• Whole Wheat Tortillas

1. Over medium heat, saute onions in oil for 2 min - add in tomatoes and cook until onions start to brown
2. Crumble in tofu, using the natural liquid from it to deglaze the pan of all the delish stuck bits of onion & tomato. 
3. Add in spices & water/stock and simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes or until liquid is gone
4. You can add in water as needed to re-incorporate bits stuck to pan - a tbsp at a time
5. Warm tortillas in oven or over flame, spreading avo over centre, layer greens and tofu, wrap and devour!

Neon Cupcake Love

I have been playing with cupcake recipes over the last few days in an attempt to come up with something that is quick and tasty that I can make up as a Birthday Project for when Peanut arrives.

Well, needless to say that has not happened, as with all attempts to veganise any standard recipe (and yes I know there are already dozens of vegan cupcake books out there - but where is the fun in that?), there are more steps, thought and time required than seen at first blush.

BUT, I have had a fun and tasty time in the process and have come up with a few batches that were both gobbled up and fun to make and look at.

**NOTE** I am not a baker by any stretch and have noticed that the cakes are coming out rather dense and short. Any suggestios on how to get them fluffier would be great!

Very Vanilla Cupcakes

Time for some fun!

Test batch on the way ...

looking good!

Colourful and yummy - a great combo!

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup becel Vegan margarine

• 6 tbsp water

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 1/2 cup almond milk

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tbsp egg replacer

• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream together sugar and margarine, then add in vanilla & almond extract, water and milk
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, egg replacer and baking powder
4. Add dry ingredients to wet, and mix until smooth
5. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until testing stick comes out clean
6. Let cool in tin for a few moments before moving to rack

** to make rainbow cakes
Separate completed batter into as many bowls as you want colors
Add in food colouring to your desired shade
Spoon in coloured batter into liners, layering colours as you like until ¾ full

Freaking Delish Stuffed Pepper

The only way to describe these is Freaking Delish!

Stuffed Peppers

• 1 tbs olive oil

• 2 onions, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp basil

• 1 tsp dried green onions

• pinch of salt

• 1 pkg Yves Ground Round

• 1 can diced tomatoes, w liquid

• 4 cups cooked rice

• 6 medium peppers, any colour

1. Pre-heat oven to 350

1. In a large pan, over low heat, sweat out onions and garlic until soft and transparent

1. Add in ground round, oregano, basil, and green onions, cook  about 3 minutes

1. Add in rice and cook until warm

1. Add in tomatoes, simmer for about 10 minutes or until liquid is mostly gone

1. Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds and veins

1. Stuff each pepper with warm rice mixture and place in shallow baking dish

1. Bake for 20 minutes, or until peppers are cooked but still firm and tops of stuffing are golden brown

1. Let sit for a few minutes to cool and dig in!

Hoppy Easter

Well here it is, the last Easter as Two ... this time next year there will be a 11 month old roaming the grounds, being filled with tales of the Easter Bunny and a few goodies I am sure.

So, while I am in super nester-mode and in realizing this will most likely be the last holiday meal I prepare for a while I decided to whip up a classic meal: Tofurkey, Rosemary Roast Potatoes, Sweet Roasted Carrots, Buttery Peas and a giant Apple-Blueberry Pie (my first attempt at a lattice top, meh, but I am sure it will taste good!)

Tomorrow is Adventures in Cooking Part #2 as I begin to prepare all my freezer meal for when Peanut makes their grand appearance. On the list:

• Chickpea Cutlets
• Rice & Lentil Casserole
• Sheppard's Pie
• Tofu Balls
• Chili

Mexican Tofu Scramble

I have never actually had a tofu scramble that I like. They all seem to have that awful nutritional yeast in them - YUCK! Sorry fellow vegans, but I will never be able to accept that that stuff is suppose to be a "cheese" replacer. Tastes like feet, smells even worse.

So needless to say I have been forever disappointed in my filling, hearty typical vegan bunch options. So needless to say I needed to come up with something of my own, and by golly I have to admit- Momma done good.

Mexican Tofu Scramble

• 1 medium onion - diced
• 2 cloves garlic - diced
• 1 tbsp vegetable stock
• 4 cups sliced mushrooms (I love crimini for their hearty flavor)
• 1 pkg organic tofu - firm & pressed
• 2 cups chunky salsa

1. Over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in vegetable stock for about 5 minutes
2. Add in mushrooms and continue to saute another 5 minutes
3. In a small bowl, break tofu into crumbles 
4. Add tofu and salsa to pan and cook for 10 minutes over low heat, or until all juices have been absorbed.

Serve and enjoy!

Food Porn

Finally got some snaps off my droid. Enjoy


Whole Wheat Bread  - A success!

Baked manicotti w tofu ricotta and sauteed mushrooms - Delish!

My massive and to die for veggie lasagna (whole wheat noodles, marinara, tofu ricotta w fresh spinach, sauteed mushrooms and sweet peppers and onions)

Organic Blueberry and Banana Loaf - So moist and wonderful!

Baked vegetable Creste di gallo with marinara and tofuballs - Just one word: Amazing.

I'm Back Baby

Yup, all 4 of you may have noticed that I was AWOL the last few months. And this is 100% due to life and its never-ending rollercoaster of crap.

But whatever, its all behind me now and I am back and ready to roll.

The last few months I have been a big ball of exhausted, nausea, headachy, moody, bathroom dashing craziness. And if you can read between those few lines, you will have realized that all of that is because I am PREGNANT! Yes, again for the 3rd time in less than a year I am with child, but this little Peanut is so far here to stay. I am 14 weeks in and so far my team (yes, team) of Drs is very happy with all the progress, hubby is super positive and I have started to come around to Team Excited from Team Paranoid.

And now that I am officially in the 2nd trimester, it seems that all the ick that is accustom in the 1st tri has passed and I am back to my old energetic non barfy self. ABOUT TIME! Geeze.

So to celebrate I have been back in the kitchen and cooking my butt off (now that I can stand the smell of anything other than bread and rice -oh ya, its been a fun 12 weeks).

Last weekend was India Fest at Chez M. I made a mean chana masala, spinach saag, and a super tasty aloo gobi. Alas, i forgot to take any photos in my mad desire to eat!

Today however is different. We have some lovely dinner guest coming over in the next few hours and so I started cooking yesterday for my massive fave: Lasagna. I sauteed mushrooms and onions in veg broth, cooked up some delish tomato basil garlic sauce and master crafted some of my famous, omni-tricking tofu ricotta. This morning I started off the day with a fantastic Blueberry Banana Bread and  finished up my lasagna bits and bobs with some fresh chopped organic spinach and sauteed sweet peppers and onions. And then I layered one kind of goodness on top of the other and created, what I may say is my lasagna masterpiece.

Food porn photos to come ...

Ohhh, ya. I am BACK baby!

Vegetable YumYum

I stole this name from an old and dear friend. Back in the good old college days, we would get together for movie fests and hunker down with a few brewskies and some vegetable yumyum. What on earth was Vegetable YumYum you may ask. Well it was poor college food at its best; mashed potatoes covered in hot vegetable soup mixed with other assorted veg (corn, peas, carrots whathaveyou).

Simple and effective.

So last night while I was staring into the abyss of my fridge I can up with a new, more grown up version of Vegetable YumYum and man, did it ever turn out good.

I love when kitchen experiments turn out well!

• 1 medium onion, diced
• ½ tbsp coconut oil
• 2 zucchinis, diced
• 1 yam, peeled and diced
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp cumin
• 2 cups water
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 can tomato paste

1. Over medium heat melt coconut oil and lightly sauté onions until clear
2. Add in turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning spices
3. Add in zucchini, yams, cayenne pepper, water and bring to a boil
4. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until yams are cooked through
5. Add in tomato paste and cook a few minutes longer until everything is warm

I served this over some lovely organic quiona, but it would ne great over rice, couscous, or any other grain or starch you like!

Village on a Diet

I have admittedly become a fan of this show. As with Biggest Loser, I find myself more interested in the people and their stories and background than their weight loss. I feel for them, I want to see them succeed. And while I have defeated my weight demons (for the most part), there was a day when this little 5'0 gal was pushing 170 lbs. I was not so TINY then.

So I get it, I know where they are coming from. Plus there is no cash carrot dangling in front of them. They have to want to do this for themselves.

I bring this all up because I have been following this VOAD review column and find it interesting that the author chooses to pick apart the people and attack the production of the show.

Its only episode 3 and he is making noise about various things, like the fact that food and diet choices are only now being addressed (again, its EPISODE 3, not 12) and that the participants are being told to overhaul their diets in full and start from scratch. He complains that there is "No discussion of calories, just the same old, "servings". Ummmm, why on earth is that an issue? Screw calories, these people need to learn to eat right and learn to eat less. 10 oz of steak is too much for ANYONE (no steak at all would be preferable of course), let alone an obese 23 yr old mother.

Sure, the CBC is out to make profitable TV. Is that any sort of secret?

Get over it. Watch the show and be entertained, get emotional and maybe even get inspired to get off your ass and move.

Weighty Matters: Village on a Diet episode 3 recap: Nobody yelled!

And if you want to read more abot the show and its the LIVE RIGHT NOW program, here you go:

CBC Winter Season Focuses on Canadians' Health

19th Annual Wellness Show

I love attending these kinds of events. They are always so interesting and educational .. and full of samples and FREEBIES! And who doesn't love a good freebie?

Choices presents the 19th Annual Wellness Show at the Vancouver Convention Centre, Canada Place. Designed to bring holistic living to the forefront, the Wellness Show features exhibits and guest speakers for all

ages. With upwards of 300 exhibitors, there is sure to be something for everyone at one of Canada’s largest health and wellness showcases. This year, the public has a number of engaging lectures and workshops to

choose from including the following:

• Two cooking demonstrations, focusing on buy local, eat fresh, will take place at the Celebrity Cooking Stage, featuring Choices' Chef, Antonio Cerullo and the winner of our Health Appetizer Contest.

• A talk on Eating Well with Diabetes featuring Choices' Dietitian, Nicole Fetterly, RD.

• A talk on Iron, It's in Your Blood, Or is it? featuring Dr. Cathy Carlson-Rink, ND, RM, Canada’s first naturopathic physician and certified midwife. (I will be at this one for sure!)

General admission tickets for the Wellness Show are $12.50, seniors and students are $10, children 6–15 years are $5, children 5 and under are free. Three-Day Passes available for $27. Tickets now available online at www.thewellnesshsow.com or may be purchased at the door. 

Adventures in Bread

Never, has it ever crossed my mind to make my own bread.

A few times I may have had a fleeting thought about getting one of those fancy bread makers, but nothing has ever come of this idea.

But for whatever reason, last week while I was out shopping I stopped in front of the baking section and the yeast packages started to stare at me. I never really noticed them before, but today they were all I could see.

I took this to be a sign, grabbed a few and checked out.

Back at home I grabbed my trusty La Dolce Vegan and flipped through until I found this: Easy French Bread.  It seemed really straight forward, with a long, but not overly involved process.

So I jumped in and was up to my wrists in bread dough before I knew it. It was so enjoyable to see it come together and start to resemble ... bread.

After letting it rise, pounding the crap out of it again and then shaping it, it was time for the oven. The oven
scared me the most since mine is beyond temperamental. I kept a close eye on the bread at the last 10 minutes or so, not wanting to burn it at the very end.

Time for the oven!

What came out was a stunning, crispy on the outside, soft (but a bit gummy and dense, so I clearly have work to do on my skills) on the inside. It was awesome. I was so proud of my self. I made bread from scratch. Gold Star for Me

Once I perfect the Easy French Bread I want to move onto raisin and pumpernickel ... and maybe eventually rye.

Ooooooh let the adventures in bread begin!

Freshly Baked

Tiny's BIG Salad

If can I squeeze in a Seinfeld clip, know that I always will.


I made this when I realized that I had a bunch of odds and ends in my pantry. I was inspired by all the fantastic salads that I grab from from Whole Foods now and then (they have a lentil one that is unreal).

With that in mind, I decided to toss together a salad that turned out quite well. It needed a bit of a kick so I added a few red pepper flakes at the end, and think that after it sleeps in the fridge overnight the favours will pull together.

This BIG Salad is very filling, chock-a-block full of fibre and protein and big on taste.

Enjoy!

TINYs BIG SALAD: Mixed Bean & Quinoa Salad

2 cups mixed dried beans (I used kidney black, pinto and black-eyed)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn nibblets
2 cups Quinoa
Water

Soak beans in cold water over night, rinse well

In crock pot add beans and enough water to cover them
Cook for 2 hours on low heat
Drain beans and set aside

Cook Quinoa according to directions and set aside

Steam peas and corn and set aside

Combine beans, peas, corn and tossing in dressing
Add Quinoa and incorporate into bean mixture
Add Sale & Pepper to taste

DRESSING

I make a bunch of this at once and keep the leftovers in a jar in the fridge. It settles after a while so make sure you give it a good shake.

½ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp lemon pepper mix

Add ingredients together in glass jar and shake!

FREE Vegan Resources

On the heels of my rant on ex-vegans, I have found this interesting link that requires sharing.

Virginia Messina of the Vegan Examiner gathered together a great list of FREE vegan online resources.

The opening paragraph of her article also made me laugh:

There’s just no excuse for a star like Angelina Jolie to abandon her vegan diet. After all, the rich and famous can hire personal nutritionists and private chefs. Eating a healthful plant-based menu should be a breeze for them.

A must read for ALL VEGANS new and old.

Be Educated, Be Smart

Five must-have resources for new vegans (and they’re free!) - National vegan | Examiner.com

This one is my recommended reading. http://www.veganoutreach.org/guide/gce.pdf

She also had some funny words for my massive girl crush: Angelina Jolie.

Can't everyone just listen to Jack Norris when he says: “Something as simple as not eating enough calories might be a problem for an uninformed person who decides to give the vegan diet a try for a few days. They might only be aware of low-calorie vegan foods (e.g., salads, vegetables, fruits), and eating only these foods for a day might leave them feeling hungry and weak.”

The Vegan RD | Thoughts On Being Vegan: A Dietitian's Viewpoint

NOW this is a resourse page!

If you are at the start of, or just begining to think of adopting a vegan lifestyle then go no further than HERE:
The Vegan RD | Thoughts On Being Vegan: A Dietitian's Viewpoint

This amazing site has it all covered: Health, Eating Guides, Nutrition, Recipes and loads more.

And its very accessible, easy to read and not at all intimidating.

So give a whirl, do you homework and then MAKE THE CHANGE!

Spicy Lentil Soup

This recipe is easy, delish and perfect on our now cool, crisp fall days. I was bored one afternoon and had lentils to use up and just tossed a bunch of stuff into my crock pot and let it cook away for 4 hours. What came out was a rich and subtly spicy soup. I blend it up to make it thicker but if you like your soup thinner just blend 1/2 and mix it back in with the rest, simmering over low heat until its warm.

Super yum with a hearty slice of my favourite bread: Silverhills Bakery Squirrelly Bread

E's Spicy Lentil Soup

6 cups Water
2 cups Vegetable stock
1 cup Red Lentils, rinsed and sorted
1 cup Green Lentils, rinsed and sorted
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
3 Celery hearts, diced
4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp each Red Pepper flakes & Cumin
3 Bay leaves
1 tbsp Canola oil
1 Onion, peeled and diced
Salt & pepper to taste

In crock pot combine water, vegetable stock, lentils, carrots, celery, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin and bay leave.

Over medium heat sauté onion in canola oil until translucent.

Add onion to crock pot and stir all ingredients to combine.

Cook for 4 hours

Let soup cool slightly before blending (its usually too hot to put straight into the blender from the crockpot)

Skim off any foam and ENJOY!

This soup freezes wonderfully and this recipe makes about 8 servings.

Real or Fake?

When I was a new vegan I took to the fake meats like a fish takes to to water (teehee - like my animal reference? Dang I am funny). It made the transition easier and like this article notes, it was nice to have comfort foods around and to be able to indulge in things that were familiar.

However, now a year into my veganism I feel that I can stand here and say: FAKE MEATS ARE BAD FOR YOU (and they taste gross too) with a clear conscious and the knowledge and education to back it up.

Why do I say this? Well, BECAUSE THEY ARE FAKE (and duh) are highly processed and full of preservatives. Mmmm, fake dead cows made of high fructose corn syrup, grain powders, artificial flavourings and color. Dosent that sound delish? ICK!

So keep on walking, move away from the fake chicken nuggets, “beef” strips and deli slices. Go onwards and find that veggie isle and dry goods bulk bin - Dive in head first to legumes, lentils, beans and whole grains. I promise, you will not be sad you did.

Sure, fake meats serve a purpose when you are at the start of your vegan conversion and help to bridge gaps that may be hard to cross at the beginning. But they should only play that bridging role and be something that you move away from as you become more confident in the kitchen and find better and FAR TASTIER ways to replace meats and dairy products in your diet.

There are endless website and books devoted to yummy, easy vegan cooking. Even here on my blog you will find tons of recipes that are tasty and simple (trust me, I ain't no Martha, but I do know my way around my kitchen).

So ditch the fake stuff and go for the good stuff, the REAL stuff: FOOD!!

GO VEGAN WEEK

The 5th Annual GO VEGAN WEEK is taking place between October 24 - 31.

If you are not currently living a vegan lifestyle, take the plunge and try it - Even if just for the week.

Sign up and take the Vegan Pledge and go vegan for 7 days.

Take action, for the animals and the planet. A plant based diet not only improves your health, it significantly reduces your carbon footprint and helps to preserve our natural resources for all our future generations.