Mediterranean Tofu Scramble

This recipe was created for the 2021 Recipe Reset and it was an instant favourite. Say goodbye to that dry tofu crumble. This dish is quick and easy and packed with flavour your whole family will love! In this recipe you will find a few great ideas for pantry items to have available such as olives, artichokes, sundried tomatoes and pickled vegetables. Having these flavour boosters in your fridge or pantry make throwing together a meal so much easier! I buy a lot of these items at Costco and keep them at the back of my pantry when I need a last minute meal such as pizza toppers, brunch additions and an easy flavour boosters for salad! This is an excellent brunch item to serve as it can be kept warm in advance and feeds/pleases a crowd of all nutritional needs as its dairy/egg/gluten free! I suggest serving this with a bit of feta or vegan cheese to be added at the end, topped with some parsley and fresh tomatoes . It would be delicious in a breakfast wrap as well. If you want to follow the same recipe with eggs it would work well too. You could even do half and half to incorporate different types of proteins.

Dressing

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon garlic

powder

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

1 lemon squeezed

1 block firm tofu

Filling: Optional

1 cup artichoke

1/2 cup olives

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes

Onion or top with pickled onions

Kale or spinach

2 Tbsp capers

Parsley chopped

Feta cheese to top

Greek Yogurt/Sour cream to top

Method:

1. Crumble your tofu (I do this with my hands) and place in a small bowl. Heat a skillet with a bit of oil I use my cast iron because I like the crispiness it gives. Mix your spice mixture together with the oil and then add to the tofu.

2. 2. Let your tofu sit and marinate while you add the olives artichoke sun-dried tomato, capers, greens and if you're using, red onion to the pan. Let this cook together for about 5 minutes so that the greens and onions saute.

3. 3.Mix in your tofu mixture and make sure it is all evenly coated in the sauce. Let this cook for about 20 minutes on medium low heat. You want it to get a bit crispy on the bottom. Alternatively you could cook this in an ovenproof skillet and transfer it to the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

4. Top with feta, pickled vegetables or hot sauce. This makes great leftovers!

Pimento Cashew Dip

Pimento Cashew served with plain chips as a yummy super bowl snack

This dip is something I dream about, it reminds me of that nacho cheese that you would get as a kid that has a mild peppery taste and creamy texture. It’s perfect for all sorts of eaters as it’s dairy free, but will be hard to notice for even the most loyal cream cheese fans. You can replicate this dip with other flavours as well. Consider substituting artichoke for the roasted red peppers for a classic game day dip.

The probiotics will add a really nice fermented flavour. I recommend keeping a jar of capsules in your fridge. They are great for stomach upsets and can be used for making yogurt as well. Try this as a dip for watching the game or a movie, or add it to sandwiches, wraps and salad bowls. With the creaminess of cashews and flavour of peppers, this dip will become a staple in your fridge! If you don’t have probiotic capsules you can make this dip as in and just store in the fridge once you have made it.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews
1-2 tsp chili sauce or hot sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 large pieces of roasted red pepper
3-4 tbsp of water as needed
Nutritional yeast

2 probiotic tablets (you will open them up and use the powder, discarding the capsule)

Method:

First step- soak those cashews. I suggest placing them in a bowl covered in water overnight but if you don’t have time then you can soak them in hot water for 30 minutes to an hour.

Add all your ingredients minus the water and probiotic capsules to your blender or food processor. Slowly add in water as needed. You do not want your dip to become too much of a liquid. Blend the mixture until creamy- continuing to add water and stir to create a creamy texture.

Once creamy, open your probiotic capsules and add the powder to your blender. Blend briefly until mixed about 20 seconds.

Spoon the mixture into a container. Cover with a tea towel and leave out overnight, taste-testing until it reaches your desired tanginess. Once you have obtained the taste you like, place in the fridge to be enjoyed.

Serve alongside vegetables, chips, on a board with crackers or on sandwiches. It adds a really nice flavour and texture to any salad bowl too.

The Sunshine Vitamin-> D

I Woke up to grey weather this morning after a weekend of blue skies...and somehow I am thrilled about it!! am guilty of enjoying a rainy period that just seems to force the city to slow down...and also means snow in the mountains :) As much as I do love the grey skies, it also means less sunlight exposure- which means it's important to keep our body happy with the vitamins it needs in the winter. Here in Canada that's Vitamin D!

The Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin D is considered the sunshine vitamin as it needs sunlight to help complete its process and function for our bodies. As we don't experience much sun in the Great White North, it's important to supplement through the winter! I can say this is the one vitamin I am strict about taking daily and I do 'encourage' my friends to take it as well. This vitamin is fat soluble and so it's helpful to take alongside fatty food. I most often take mine with my smoothie or morning drink that I put either coconut oil or ghee into.

Why Vitamin D supplementation?

Though I love to focus on food based nutrition, Vitamin D is a hard vitamin to get in just food alone. This is why supplementing daily throughout the year is so important.

The functions of Vitamin D make up a very long list, from calcium absorption to heart function and nervous system health, it is so important we are getting enough of this gem of a vitamin. It's also very easy to take, I personally prefer taking it in drops, they're affordable and quick and easy to travel with.

Vitamin D3 is an animal-derived form (fyi for all those veg/vegans out there), but is also considered the easiest for our body to absorb. I buy an organic brand that is 1000 IUD per drop. This New Roots Herbal is a great choice it's clean, budget friendly and available in most health food stores. Alongside taking a supplement, vitamin D can be found in small amounts in eggs, fatty fish as well as a few vegetables such as mushrooms which contain Vitamin D2. But remember this comes in trace amounts in food and so supplementation is the most effective way to get this vitamin!

As always be sure to check with your healthcare provider as every body is different!

Bowl Of Oats Breakfast Smoothie

I am a big fan of starting my morning with oats, I am also known for eating oats at dinner- that’s how much I love them. But as we see temperatures rise, it becomes less appealing to start our day with a steaming hot bowl of any kind. It is for this reason that I invented the Bowl of Oats Smoothie. The perfect way to get the goodness of oats in a quick, easy and nutritious way!

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen berries

1 whole frozen orange

1/4 cup rolled or quick oats

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup cold water

1 date (depending on how sweet you like it)

greens- I prefer spinach for the smoother texture

Extras- hemp hearts, flax seed, protein powder

A Post Summer Plum Spread

These guys are my favourite type of plum, I think they are Sugar Plums.

I absolutely love plums in all forms, fresh, baked and boiled! I bought a pint of these guys while driving through Keremeos in the Okanagan. They have the cutest road side stands with the most beautiful produce. I not only made this delicious plum jam from this post but I also made 2 plum cakes, (1 is still in the freezer), plus plums in muffins and pancakes. This must be THE easiest recipe around.

Plums have a beautiful combination of natural sweetness and a tart finish. I love that when cooked they don’t become too sweet like other stone fruits but instead maintain a flavour that can be a great addition to either sweet or savoury dishes. This plum spread is perfect alongside peanut butter on toast or an addition to a meat main as a glaze.

Ingredients: Plums + spices like cinnnamon/cardamom or cloves,

Method

Chop your plums in half (doesn’t matter which variety, they all stew well) and remove the pit. Throw them into a saucepan with a tbsp of water and simmer on low heat until soft, about 20 minutes- can be longer if you like. I like to add spices at this point, cinnamon, cardamom and clove are great additions as a warming spice. Once the plums have cooled a bit, use your blender- I love using my handheld blender for this (I use this one). Blend until smooth and store in a jar. This should keep in the fridge for a few weeks. I like to freeze a portion to pull out later in the season. The last few mornings I have enjoyed this on top of my waffles, a layer of peanut butter, plum spread, sliced banana and hemp hearts. YUM

3 Ways to Use Radishes this spring!

3 ways to use radishes! It's the season for these little beauties and just last week I received a bunch in my CSA from @harvestunion here in Vancouver. I have struggled in the past with the best way to serve this cruciferious veg as it can be quite a powerful flavour, but once you find the right combinations and the appropriate way to serve it, this vegetable can be a game changer. Not only are they delicious and beautiful, they also are an excellent source of both Vitamin C and fibre- these help to support digestion as well as our collagen production which is so important when it comes to the building blocks of our health!

Here are 3 simple ways to use radishes this spring.

1. Salads: add them to a side salad of mixed greens at breakfast, they add the perfect spice which means all that’s needed is a simple oil drizzle, be sure to slice them nice and thin (or use a mandoline). They make the perfect companion to potato salads for a day at the beach or a backyard bbq. Added to a mixed grain salad is such an easy way to get in some extra fibre while also adding a nice color pop.

2. Roasting: When roasting potatoes or other root vegetables I love to add radish. These vegetables have a much lower starch content than other root vegetables, making it a healthy choice for a side dish. You won’t believe how much the flavour changes when you cook these beauties- they become sweet and delicious.

3. Pickling: Adding these to a jar of other vegetables for pickling or fermenting (Such as sauerkraut or kimchi) is an excellent way to add color, flavour and nutrition to your usual salads and various dishes. I love to keep a jar of mixed vegetables pickled in the fridge for an easy addition to each of my meals- breakfast included. They are also a great way to add color to your table and plate.

My Simple Steps to Isolation Shopping

I don’t know about you, but I have found one of the greatest impacts I have felt during this time of isolation is my meal planning and prepping. Whether it’s missing ingredients at the grocery store, or increased time and energy devoted to meals- my routine has definitely changed! But a few of my meal planning techniques have stayed the same, or have been even more helpful for my personal cooking and grocery budgeting!

I have compiled a list of the steps I take each week to plan out my meals, keep myself on budget and reduce my overall time spent in grocery stores, and of course the number of trips I make each week. I hope you can find some of these tips helpful in your own weekly planning!

Step 1: Get Inspiration- skim through some of your favourite cookbooks, or search online for a few recipes you love! I like to save recipes I want to try to my instagram under ‘meal planning’ which helps me to get inspiration and keep my meal planning interesting for both my personal and client plans! With more time at home (for some) this could mean getting to try out more intricate or time sensitive recipes that you may not have otherwise considered. If you can plan for these recipes in advance you are more likely to execute and it will also support you in feeling accomplished at the end of the day if you have conquered something new!

Step 2: Make a plan- Previously I would grocery shop based on what I saw in the store and what I felt like in the moment, which resulted in a lot of random meals and spending over my budget. Now I try to always shop based on what I need for specific recipes and meals! This makes it a heck of a lot easier in the time of isolation to do your shopping and make alternates to what I need. When we enter the grocery store our options are more limited and our time spent in the store should be reduced, if you have your plan you can stick to those simple ingredients with a rest assured feeling that you have gotten what you need on your list!

Step 3: Go To List- Having this list during this unpredictable time means that you can keep up on what you need without needing to hoard or run out. For example I always try to keep a can or two of coconut milk, fresh ginger/garlic and some frozen vegetables in my freezer. These are items that I am constantly using and can be perfect for whipping up a quick meal! The best way to do this is to think back on the last few weeks, what are your go to meals? What do you LIKE to eat and what ingredients do you need to have to make some of these simple meals? Things don’t always go as planned at the grocery store and so having a few key things up your sleeve can be just the thing for making a few meals in a flash! Before heading to the grocery store I skim over this list and stock up (you only need a small amount if you keep it stocked week to week) when I go to the store for my weekly shops. This is also so important as our grocery stores work to ensure items are on the shelf and helps prevent us from buying six cans at a time!

Step 3: Grocery List - When making a grocery list I love to be as detailed as possible, especially through this isolation time when shopping needs to be done efficienitly with little contact with the items. This means I can plan my groceries based on the flow of the store which allows me to efficiently shop and plan. You can even add a few alternates to your list so that you can ensure that if the ingredient isn’t available you will have another way to make that meal!

Simple Coconut Chickpea Curry

I have to admit that even outside of pandemic isolation, I love a good pantry meal. This curry is creamy and flavourful, providing the perfect combination of textures. It is a quick and easy meal that provides great plant based protein and fibre. If you use a jar of curry paste you can freeze any leftovers to use when you’re in a pinch. Enjoy this meal as a creamy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

2 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)

1 onion diced

1 tbsp turmeric powder or freshly ground

1 tbsp ginger ground/fresh

2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds (2 tbsp ground cumin)

2 tbsp green curry paste

1 can chickpeas

1 can coconut milk or cream

1 zuchinni chopped

2 cups veg stock

rice for serving

Methods

Add, oil to your pot, followed by onions and all your spices. Saute until aromatic and then add in your curry paste. Mix this in for about 2 minutes and then add your drained chickpeas. Coat the chickpeas in the spices and then add your coconut milk. Let this come to a low simmer and add vegetable stock and chopped zuchinni. Let this simmer for about 10 minutes, serve hot over brown rice.

Chicken Kamut Pesto Pasta Salad with Fresh Tomatoes and Olives

I’m pretty much always into pesto, but especially at this time of year when all this beautiful sunshine is on it’s way to bringing us some beautiful basil! But don’t feel confined to just the classic basil and pine nut pesto, there are some excellent alternatives that add just as much flavor and are full of phytonutrients. I love to use parsley and spinach as well as carrot tops- just be sure to add some extra garlic and lemon juice. I also tend to use sunflower seeds as a more affordable option or walnut bits from the bulk bin as they are often a bit cheaper! This salad keeps well in the fridge and so it makes a perfect meal prep choice, especially as we head into spring and summer when you are feeling less inclined towards a warm meal.

Ingredients

Pesto

1-2 cups spinach/arugula (could also save some to add to the salad)

2-3 cups basil

2-3 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2 cup nuts/seeds (always a good idea to soak these guys in advance)

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup Olive Oil

Salad- measurements based on personal preference

Kamut pasta

sundried tomatoes

grape tomatoes

olives

bell peppers

Chicken

Method

Turn your oven to 400. Place your chicken in a bowl with lemon, garlic, salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. Massage this through your chicken and add to the oven. Cook for about 20-25 mins depending on how large your pieces are.

Using a food processor or blender, add all the pesto ingredients (minus the olive oil). Blend until smooth, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mix until you get that creamy texture, don’t be afraid to add a bit of water if you feel it’s too thick.

Cook your choice of pasta and once finish let it cool and drizzle with oil. Chop your veggies into bite size pieces. Allow chicken to cool and then slice and either add directly to your salad, or simply place on the side when you are ready to eat!

I use a big mixing bowl and toss all the ingredients together. I find this salad gets better with age and so makes a perfect meal prep for lunches throughout the week!

BBQ Jackfruit Pizza

This pizza is a quick and easy alternative to a meat based pizza with all the same flavour and texture! I love to keep Jackfruit in my pantry to add to tacos, pizza, sandwiches and soups. It has a very neutral flavour and so is perfect to add to dishes that pack lots of their own flavours!

You can mix up toppings and flavours when creating this pizza, I usually use it as an opportunity to use up whatever ingredients I have in the fridge. Try it out!

Ingredients

1 can of jackfruit

1 medium yellow onion

1 cup bbq sauce

1/2 cup kimchi

1-2 cups tomato sauce

cheese of choice

handful of spinach- fresh/frozen

dough - rosemary spelt flour

Method

Mix your dough as suggested in recipe I like this dough recipe. You may need to do this in advance depending on the recipe you choose.

I like to eliminate dishes when prepping and so I use my cast iron pan for all the toppings. Beginning with a drizzle of oil and adding the sliced onion. The most important thing with caramelizing onions is that you don’t overcrowd the onions and you leave them be. Check on them while preparing your other ingredients but let them sit enough so they can get that nice browned effect.

While those cook, open your can of Jackfruit. Depending on what kind you have you may need to chop it up a bit smaller. You want it to look a bit like pulled pork and so you can use a fork to pull as well. Set this aside and if your dough is ready you can get it precooking. I like to first precook it at about 374-400. I oil my tray with a bit of oil and then add cornmeal- this adds a great texture but also helps the dough to stay in place. I coat this with oil and a sprinkle of rosemary. Put this in the oven for about 10-15mins depending on your oven and dough thickness.

Once your onions are nicely caramelized you can place them in a bowl and add your jackfruit to the pan. I add kimchi because I love the spicy and sweet combo. Add the bbq sauce and mix well. Let this heat while your pizza cooks. Once the precook is done, add your tomato sauce, layer on your jackfruit. I then add a bit of frozen spinach to my pan to clean it up a bit- this can be placed on the pizza before serving. Add your onions and cheese and place in the oven for about 10-15mins.

Once this is finished you can add your spinach and then add a drizzle of bbq sauce or some balsamic reduction. I love to serve this with greens and a simple lemon and oil vinaigrette.

Creamy Cashew Asparagus Soup

As spring slowly appears in grocery stores and markets, we know that means fresh and beautiful asparagus spears. I absolutely love asparagus, but sometimes I like to mix up the usual grilled or sautéed choices and try something a bit more smooth, like this creamy soup that is perfect for cold and flu season. This is a quick and easy lunch recipe that requires few ingredients and is packed with flavour! You could also change out the cashews and add in milk or cream if that’s an option for you! Asparagus is an excellent nutritional option and is a source of Vitamin C, A and K, as well as packed with fibre and folate! Add this to your spring shopping list!

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus- ends broken off and chopped into 3-4 inch spears

1 shallot or onion diced fine

4 cups stock

1 cup soaked raw cashews

1 lemon squeezed

add couscous, greens or grain of choice

Method

Heat your pot with a bit of oil or butter. Add your onion or shallot. Let heat until fragrant and translucent. Add chopped asparagus with a squeeze of lemon juice and pinch of salt. Let cook for 5-10 minutes on medium-low heat. Slowly add in your chicken stock and bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Add your soaked cashews (can also substitute milk of choice). Take off heat and blend with an immersion blender or let cool and add to your blender. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, more salt to taste and a drizzle of olive oil or cheese. Serve alongside greens or poured over grains- I did it with couscous and it was perfect!

Banana Oat Muffins

As you read this, we are currently in the midst of a global pandemic, most definitely a very odd feeling. In the state of panic, many have decided to purchase large quantities of dry goods, one of those items being flour. This has lead to shortages across Vancouver grocery stores and so this muffin recipe began. I had lots of both rolled and quick oats in my pantry, lots of very ripe bananas and a desire for a recipe packed with goodness. I adapted this to my liking from another recipe, where I removed sugar and flour and replaced it with more bananas, flax meal and oats! I hope you find them as tasty as we did!

• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil

• 2 eggs

• 3 mashed ripe bananas

• ¼ cup milk of choice or water

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 1/2 cups ground quick or rolled oats

• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds

• ⅓ cup  rolled oats

• 1/4 cup hemp hearts

• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, or nuts/dried fruit

Method

Preheat your oven to 350’. Whisk your eggs, add banana and mash. Proceed with all the rest of the ingredients and slowly mix in the flour 1/2 cup at a time. I like to do it this way as I hate dishes (also don’t have a dishwasher) and so this is the easiest way to keep sanity first thing in the am when I make muffins.

Grease, or line a muffin tin with 12 cups. Spoon your cups about 3/4 or right to the top, depending on how big you like your muffins.

Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Simple Golden Ginger Miso Broth

Ingredients

8 cups water

1 tsp kombu (type of seaweed) powder (or strips of kombu)

1 cup chopped green onions

1 chunk grated turmeric (minced)

1 chunk grated ginger (minced)

2-3 pieces of grated garlic (minced)

1/2 cup white miso paste

2-3 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)

1 tsp maple syrup or honey

1 tbsp acid of choice, citrus squeeze or vinegar

Veggies of your choice I’ve used spinach, bok choy peppers

medium tofu cubed or tempeh- could also do hardboiled egg served alongside

Could also add noodles to this- I like to cook them separately and pour the miso over the bowl

Method

Begin by heating a large pot of water. Let this boil and add in kombu. Once this is aromatic add the chopped onions, grated ginger/turmeric/garlic. Let this simmer for about 10 minutes.

If you are cooking heartier vegetables add them with enough time to let them cook. Otherwise I chop my vegetables very thin and add them at the very end so they don’t become mushy.

In a small bowl add a cup of the hot broth and whisk in your miso. This helps to prevent chunks of miso and integrates the miso into the soup.

Once your broth has been simmering for about 15-20 minutes, add your miso paste and tamari- taste test. If you like it stronger add a bit more miso and if it’s too strong add more water. Finish with a drizzle of sweet and a bit of acid to help complete the flavours.

This can be served on it’s own or over a bowl of steamed vegetables and rice or noodles.

Plant Based Cream of Mushroom Soup with Wild Rice

I recently made this soup for a client and it was a huge hit! I played around with a few recipes and wound up with this combination of flavours and ingredients. This soup is creamy, packed with those earthy goodness flavours and satiates you through the day! This recipe can be made with the rice substitute but I do find it makes for a delicious texture and provides a bit of a deeper flavour profile! While cooking this one, someone made a comment about how it smelled like thanksgiving, it’s that cosy and delicious!

Ingredients

Mirapoix: 1-2 celery stalks, 2 carrots 1 large onion finely chopped (I cheated and used my food processor)

1 large leek

1-2 tbsp vegan or regular butter (can use oil, but I find this really brings out the leek flavour)

4-5 cups mix of mushrooms (can just use brown as well)

1 cup wild rice

2-3 tbsp all purpose flour

1 can coconut milk

1 cup soy milk (optional)

few sprigs of fresh thyme/oregano/sage whichever you choose

6 cups veggie stock (or more depending on the texture you like)

Method

Add melted butter to a heavy bottomed pot. Chop the entire leek in fine strips and cook with the melted butter. Let these guys cook down until fragrant and nice and soft. Add the mirapoix and let this cook down (the longer the better). Add the herbs and salt + pepper to taste.

Once fragrant and soft about 10-15mins, add the chopped mushrooms. These guys need to keep cooking until they release their juices and are quite reduced in size. Add the flour slowly as you stir in through the mixture. You want all the liquid to dry up and then add in a bit of the coconut milk to deglaze (cleans up all that delicious browning on the bottom of your pot). Add in the wild rice and coat it in the veggie mixture.

Add your veggie stock and let cook for about 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked. Remove the herb sprigs. You can take a few pieces off (just the leaves) and add them back in. Add in your coconut milk and soy milk and blend slightly. If you have an immersion or handheld blender just give it a few pulses. If you have a blender take a few scoops and give it a good blend. This is simply to help bring out all the flavours and bring in a bit of extra creaminess!

Serve this once the whole soup is hot and simmering.

Simple Steps To Homemade Oat Milk

2019 was the year I fell in love with Oat Milk. But really, it truly hit all my ‘must-haves’ affordable, sustainable, easy steps,nutrient dense and quick!

The best part about making oat milk is no soak time! These little oats are good to go right from the start! Simply add 2 cups of oats to your blender, pour in the water and whatever flavours you enjoy. Blend quickly for about 25-40 seconds (be sure to not let it go too long or else it gets really gooey).

Once blended pour through a fine mesh strainer or a nut milk bag. I like to do this into a large bowl and let the strainer sit over the bowl to continue to leak through. Once it’s totally strained, you can pour back into your blender and then use that to cleanly pour this back into a jar. Seal this and enjoy for up to a week.

Low Waste Hack: Use those dried out oats in smoothies or baking! I added it to my muffin recipe last week without a hitch! It adds a bit of fiber and means you aren’t losing all the nutrients when you make your milk! I think it’s important to remember ‘experimentation’ when you make different foods at home. I hate throwing things out and so I have random bags and containers of all sorts of stuff- trial and error can be a lot of fun!

Remember that Oats are naturally very mucilaginous and so it will be thicker than store-bought Oat Milk as the enzymes are not added. You will need to give the jar a good shake before using to get everything mixed in!

Ingredients

4 cups water

2 cups rolled oats

2 tsp natural sweetener (I like molasses as it’s a great source of iron)

1 tsp cinnamon

14/ tsp salt

Susgrainable Cookies

There is no baked good more comforting to me than than a fresh baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. When they are packed with fibre and help to reduce food waste that's even more appealing!

These cookies are ooey gooey and made with beer. Well not beer per se, but with flour that is made from spent grain used in the beer making process! I first heard of spent grain at the Mt Pleasant @vanmarket in the summer and was instantly intrigued! The thought of a product that was created from food waste and was packed with nutrients seemed pretty incredible- and it really is! @susgrainable is the brand behind this intriguing product and has delicious cookies and baked goods available and is in the midst of creating breads! I purchased the flour and have used it in all sorts of creations. Remember it's not like normal flour and is much more dense, so it's important to consider this when making these cookies!

You can find @susgrainable products at retailers in Vancouver and online! Check them out!

1/4 cup butter/coconut oil

1 cup Susgrainable flour

2 cups rolled oats

2 tbsp nut butter

1 tsp baking powder + baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp Hemp Seeds

3 eggs

1 Very Ripe Banana

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 cup Chocolate Chips/crushed Chocolate Bar

1/2 cup milk (add this sparingly so to avoid overdoing it)

Optional: dried fruit like cranberries or raisins

Add all wet ingredients to your bowl and then slowly mix all dry ingredients in! Once the texture is thick but not too dry, mould into balls and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes or more depending on the size!

Sweet Potato Date Bliss Balls

I love getting to work with young promising cooks in the kitchen and that’s why I love being involved with Sprouting Chefs! This week we are getting back into the swing of things with our school programs and I can’t wait for what’s to come in 2020!

Earlier in the winter Barb and I taught a workshop for a Burnaby Youth Leadership program. It was so much fun working with these students to create meals that served them through a busy day, providing alternatives to processed convenience foods.

We made these delicious Sweet Potato Date Bliss Balls and they were a hit! We were working to reduce the amount of sugar and being in a school setting we also did not use nuts!

This was definitely experimental as we worked with the students to create a texture and taste that would be nutrient dense and still delicious!

When following the recipe try to slowly add in the ingredients until you reach your desired consistency (you want it to maintain a ball shape) and depending on the size of your potato there can be variation!

Ingredients

1 medium cooked sweet potato

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

6 dates

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 tbsp flax seeds

1 -2 tsp nutmeg/cinnamon/cardamom (your choice)

1/2 cup Rolled Oats

Milk of choice as necessary

Method

Add dates to your food processor and pulse until they form a ball. Add remaining ingredients slowly and pulse in between to keep things mixing.

You may need to add more dry ingredients like oats, or wet like milk and potato, keep playing with it until you find the right texture!

Once mixed, roll into balls. We put these in the fridge for an hour and then rolled them in coconut and stored them in the freezer for the youth to have during their program days.

Breakfast Traditions: Dutch Baby A New Way

I have always been a breakfast fan. It’s that time of the day where though it tends to be a rush, it can actually be quite relaxing. I love getting up and knowing the next meal is around the corner...I also love food.

My family has always been big into Saturday brunch, growing up we would all pile into our (tiny) kitchen and join in the fun. Nowadays we all live around the country and so it’s actually become even more special as we are often together on holidays. This means no timeline and lots of caffeine :)

Dutch Pancake as my family refers to it as, is a family favourite! It’s simple and you most often have all the ingredients, it’s also just a whole lot easier than making a bunch of individual pancakes. Now it’s a staple in my own apartment and with many of my brunch dates.

Though it’s delicious there is something about breakfast that really makes me want to get all the goodness out of a meal. It’s the first food that will hit your stomach and it really does set the tone for the day. For that reason I love to mix up the traditional recipe and instead pack it with all kinds of goodness!

I often alternate Conventional Flour with Oat Flour. There is something about those Oats that really get me. They are an affordable grain, I always have them in my kitchen and they are packed with vitamins and fibre!

For this recipe I simply blend them in my coffee grinder and though it makes the pancake a bit more dense- I still love it. You could even just sub in a bit of the Oat Flour!

Ingredients

6 eggs

1/4 cup butter/coconut oil

1 1/2 cup milk of choice (coconut would be nice too)

1 1/2 cups Oat Flour (or can stick to All Purpose Flour)

1/4 tsp salt

Method

Place butter in 425 degree oven. Let melt (but watch so it doesn’t burn).

In a large bowl mix eggs, milk flour and salt until just mixed. Pour the batter over the melted butter and return to oven for 20-25mins. I often will add something directly to the batter such as berries, or something savoury like cheese. You can also make a Chia Jam (check out my recipe) and add it when serving!

I serve mine with yogurt, syrup and fruit but you could also add cheese and serve it with tomatoes and avocado and take the savoury route!

5 Tips To Building a Beautiful Nourishing Board!

The Holiday Season is in full swing and that means lots of parties! Whether you’re hosting a party, celebrating something or just looking for munchies on the dock on a warm summer night- a board is always a good idea! It reminds me of breakfast, you can basically get away with eating anything when it’s plated onto a piece of wood. From smoked salmon to fresh figs to a deliciously stinky cheese, all bets are off with a board and it can be left to your own creativity and discretion as to what you want to create!

Often though, with this much flexibility it can make it even harder to make a decision! For this reason I have created a simple list of what I consider when building my board. Both aesthetic and flavour are equally as important to me and so here is my list of how to build that beautifully balanced board!

1. Textures: Crunchy, crispy, soft and chewy. You want to be sure to hit all the markers when it comes to diversifying the texture. By adding a variety of crackers, vegetables, cheeses, dips and nuts you can be sure to please all the indulgers!

2. Colour: Opt for vegetables that provide a pop of colour like heirloom carrots cut vertically to show off their gorgeous jewel tones. Radishes are also a beautiful addition. By chopping these in thin slices you can roll into florets or simply layer between vegetables and on dips. Remember anything goes so try those weird looking vegetables at the market they may suprise you and your guests. Let’s be real anything tastes good dipped in Hummus ;)

3. Dishes: Don’t settle for just the board add depth with different dishes I love to collect little bowls at thrift stores and while travelling. This way you can find just the right complement to your dips. By adding in dishes of various sizes it helps prevent leakage from items like olives and red onions. I also love the way it looks to have various shapes and colors all seamlessly intertwined on platters. Whether you plan your board on a giant butchers block or a simple marble platter, the depth will create the most beautiful piece of art!

4. Palette: Consider all aspects to the flavour palette, salty, sweet, sour, umami. By incorporating a variety of flavour palettes you can be sure to hit all the notes needed for a unique grazing platter experience. I look to include a variety of taste in each bite such as a bitter endive for scooping a sweeter beet hummus. It can be so much more than meats, cheese and typical veggies!

5. Balance: Yes we all love a good amount of cheese but also consider that these are ‘grazing boards and so people often want to have a few healthier alternatives such as crunchy veg for dipping, satiating olives and

Here are a few of my favourite additions to a board; Sliced Kohlrabi, Endive Boats, Pickled anything, bitter chocolate(who says chocolate should be considered at dessert- when it’s a good dark its the perfect bitter complement).

Happy grazing!

12 Days To a Clean Christmas: Day 12 Give the Gift of Good Food

Day 12: Give the Gift of Good Food

• Support a Female Owned Business

• Support a Small Business

• Conscious of Environmental Footprint

• Delicious :)

It wouldn’t be a Christmas list at Rebecca Douglas Nutrition if I didn’t share the gift that keeps on giving- Meal Planning! This package if I might say so myself is great value and an ideal gift for those who are looking to get inspired in the kitchen, find themselves too busy each night to cook elaborate meals and are spending way too much on groceries!

This package is a four week plan, with a new menu, grocery list and tips + tricks each week! I share some of my favourite pantry hacks, tools and low waste shopping ideas!

In honour of my 1 year Anniversary of starting my business tomorrow!! I will be putting this on sale for 15$ for 1 day only! If you want to get in on this send me a dm or email or sign up through the link in my bio!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this roundup and found some options for a unique Christmas Gift!