Falafel Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Here's a light summery dish that's healthy and fresh.  And bonus: if you have fresh tomatoes or lettuce growing in your garden here's a way to enjoy your harvest.  

Falafel Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Serves 2 as main, 4 as side
Falafel
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
4 dates, soaked 30 min
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 c almond meal
1 small handful parsley
1/4 c chickpea flour
2 tbsp sesame seeds (I used black)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Saute onion over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add garlic.  Saute for another 2 min, stirring so it doesn't brown.  Remove from heat.

Process dates in food processor until paste forms.  Add 1-2 tsp water if needed.  Add chickpeas and parsley and process until broken down but not smooth.  Transfer to bowl.  Add almond meal, chickpea flour and sesame seeds.  Stir in onion and garlic mixture.  Add lemon juice and spices.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Form into 8 patties, about the size of your palm.  Flatten each patty to 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Lightly spray with cooking spray (I used coconut oil cooking spray).  Bake for 45-55 min, flipping halfway through.  Remove and cool completely.

Dressing
1/4 c tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 clove garlic
2-4 tbsp water (to thin, as needed)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine in a food processor until smooth.

To Assemble
2 big handfuls of baby spinach
1c shredded purple cabbage
1/2 c minced fresh tomato
1/4 small red onion, slivered

Arrange a handful of spinach, 1/2 c cabbage, 1/4 c tomato and a few slices of red onion on each plate.  Top with 4 falafal.  Drizzle dressing on top.  Serve immediately. Pin It Now!

Raspberry Cream BlissCake - vegan, gf, raw

Here's an even creamier take on my Lemon Blueberry BlissCake with an added "secret ingredient" for an even silkier texture: pureed fresh young coconut meat.  The hardest part of this recipe is removing the coconut meat from the coconut (the video tutorial I used the first time I tried can be found here).  Once you have done that, the rest is about patience.

The crust is fast, but the middle layer and topping take a long time in the food processor, up to 10 or more minutes per layer.  It might even take you longer if you don't have a great food processor.  You could do the raspberry topping in a Vitamix or ultra high speed blender as well, but the middle layer might be too thick.  With the added coconut it also sets quicker in the fridge, so you can enjoy it even faster.

Raspberry Cream BlissCake
Crust:
1c raw pecan pieces or halves
1/2c dates
1/2c raisins

Process all ingredients in a food processor until they start to clump into a ball.  Press evenly with your fingertips into an 8 or 9 inch springform.

"Cream" Filling:
1 and 1/2 c macadamias nuts, soaked at least 30 min and up to 2h
1/2 c young coconut meat, pureed
1/2 c lemon juice
1/3 c coconut oil
1/4 c maple syrup
6 dates chopped1 tsp lucuma powder


Puree all ingredients in a food processor until completely smooth (approx 5-10 minutes).  Spread evenly over crust.

Topping:
2 c fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
3/4 c chopped dates

Puree ingredients in food processor until smooth (approx 5+ minutes).  Spread evenly over filling.

Refrigerate for 2 or more hours or until set. Store in refrigerator.

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Recipe: Miso Ginger Kale Chips

 Ok it's been awhile.  I have been busy busy busy back at work after a year of maternity leave.  And we have been on vacation. There have been birthdays.  And weekend visitors.  And in-laws.  And trips out of town.  I have still been cooking yummy goodness, I just haven't had the time to post.  So here's a fantastic recipe to bring it all back, along with an invitation to join me on an adventure as I test the limits of my new dehydrator.  Compelling, I know.

So here's the first: Miso Ginger Kale Chips.  I have made kale chips in the oven many, many times.  Of the several dozen batches I have made in my oven, I have over or undercooked at least half of the batch every single time.  Enter Excalibur Dehydrator.  Yep, they definitely take time. But its not active time.  The dehydrator is the slow cooker of the raw food world.

If you don't have a dehydrator you can do them the old fashioned way in the oven at 325 for 15-20 minutes, picking out the cooked ones as the timer runs out and leaving the leafier ones to continue to toast.  Either way, you'll surely enjoy them.

 Miso Ginger Kale Chips

1 bunch kale, rib removed, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces 
1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp miso paste
juice from 1/2 lime
1 tbsp Nama Shoyu or Soy Sauce
2 tbsp olive oil

Place kale in large bowl.  Combine the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  Drizzle miso ginger sauce over kale and toss to coat. 
Transfer to dehydrator and dehydrate for 12-18h or until crisp. If you don't have a dehydrator, spread on parchment-lined baking sheets in single layer and bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes, removing crispy pieces as they are done.

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Rainbow Salad with Black Bean Dressing

The real star of this salad is the black bean dressing.  It has great texture: its creamy and smooth and flavourful.  If you want it chunkier, us the "pulse" on your food processor rather than puree, or reserve 1/2 a can of the beans and stir them back in when you dress the salad.


Rainbow Salad with Black Bean Dressing
Serves 4

3 ears of fresh corn, grilled or baked and cooled, corn cut off the husks
1/2 c red onion, minced
1 orange bell pepper, diced small
1 red bell pepper, diced small
2 c romaine lettuce torn into bite sized pieces

Black Bean Dressing
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
juice of 1 lime
1 shallot, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 tsp hot sauce (I use Valentinas)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chilli powder
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine corn, red onion, bell pepper, and lettuce.

Puree black beans, lime juice, shallot, olive oil, vinegar, hot sauce, cumin and chilli powder in a food processor.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix black bean dressing into salad and toss to mix. Pin It Now!

Toddler Love and Recipe: Peanut Butter + Jelly Muffins (Vegan)

Toddlers are such fun: they see the world differently; they find joy in the most mundane things and beauty in the unexpected.  At the corner store last week, my three year old son came up to me after wandering around the store looking at knickknacks and said excitedly and wide-eyed, "mommy, there are beautiful things over there!"  Melt my heart.

As you may know if you follow my blog, my little guy loves to bake with me.  He and I made these muffins together this morning, on this chilly, rainy June (?!?) morning while his baby sister slept peacefully.  Healthy and delicious, they are a real hit with the under 5 crowd and grown-ups alike ;).

Peanut Butter + Jelly Muffins
Makes 12

2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c coconut sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, let stand 5 min)
1 ripe banana
1 c natural peanut butter
1 1/4 c non-dairy milk (I used coconut)
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 c (12 tsp) jam or jelly
rolled oats for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray with non-stick spray

In a large bowl, combine flour, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt and mix until well combined.  In a separate bowl, mash banana well until smooth.  Add peanut butter, non-dairy milk, flax egg and maple syrup and whisk until well combined.  Stir wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined.  

Fill muffin cups 1/3 of the way full with batter.  Make a well in the centre of each using a small spoon dipped in water (so it doesn't stick).  Put 1 tsp in the centre of each well.  Divide remaining batter among muffin cups, covering jam as best you can. Sprinkle tops with rolled oats.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until tops are golden and springy when you gently press down on them.


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Some Avocado Love and Recipe for Cherry Tomato and Avocado Relish

Oh avocado, how I love you.  In dips, spreads, and salsas.  Smashed, mashed and sliced on toast.  In rich chocolate puddings and cakes (and more on those to come).

But sometimes I want avocado to taste like avocado.  I want to enjoy its creamy flavour without too much seasoning.  As much as I love cilantro and cumin, sometimes they overpower avocado's mild freshness.  And as much as I love guacamole that is silky and smooth, fluffy and light, sometimes I enjoy biting into a perfectly ripe avocado's firm yet soft textured flesh.

So here I keep it simple. Serve it on toast, tortilla chips, or eat it au naturel. Light and fresh, with mild ingredients (tomato, lime, sea salt) that bring out all of the goodness that is avocado without overpowering its mild disposition. 

Cherry Tomato and Avocado Relish
Makes approx 1.5 cups

1 large or 2 small avocados
1/4 yellow onion, minced fine
2 garlic cloves, minced fine
5-6 cherry tomatoes, seeds removed and diced fine
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 dashes of hot sauce (I use Valentina's)
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
pepper to taste

Cut avocado(s) in half lenghwise by cutting through to the pit in a circle and twisting. Remove the pit with a spoon or a knife, then scoop out the flesh, intact, onto a cutting board.  Cut into 1/4 inch dice and transfer to a bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mash lightly with a potato masher or the back of a fork.  You don't want to over-mash the avocado; make sure there are still plenty of chunks.

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Black Sesame and Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Did I mention that I love veggie burgers?  Well I do.  I have been in a creativity slump when it comes to cooking for the past few days.  Its probably because we are moving in JUST 2 WEEKS and so I feel unsettled.  Which is weird.  But something about uprooting your family, your kitchen, your stuff, your home... its enough to throw me off my routine. 

I did, however, have enough creative juices to come up with this bad boy - black sesame and ginger veggie burgers.  They are Asian-inspired and packed with flavour.  Hopefully this kick-starts my creativity or it's toast with hummus for the next two weeks!

Black Sesame and Ginger Veggie Burgers
Makes 4

1/2 c red quinoa, uncooked, rinsed and drained
1/2 block of extra firm tofu
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water, let stand 5 min)
1/2 yellow onion, rough chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp rough chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp miso paste
1 tsp sracha
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp nama shoyu (soy sauce)
2 tbsp vegetarian hoisin sauce
1/4 c black sesame seeds
1/2 - 3/4 c panko bread crumbs

4 burger buns
condiments for burgers


Cook quinoa in small saucepan with 1c water.  Bring to a boil uncovered, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 10 min.

Meanwhile, rinse and pat dry tofu, and crumble into the bowl of your food processor.  Add flax egg, onion, garlic, ginger, miso paste, sracha, dijon, soy sauce and hoisin sauce.  Puree until smooth.

Transfer tofu mixture into a medium mixing bowl and stir in sesame seeds and cooked quinoa.  Add bread crumbs slowly, stirring, until mixture holds together but isn't too mushy.  You should be able to roll it into a ball and it still holds its shape.

Roll into 4 equal balls and flatten into patties.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before grilling.

Grill on an indoor electric grill that has been sprayed with non-stick spray for 10 minutes.  Transfer to burger buns and top with fixings of your choice. Pin It Now!