Swiss Chard Pie and Making Vegan Cheese

I have written about this recipe I think twice now and finally, yesterday, I made it! I have also made some tweaks to the recipe from Colleen Patrick Goudreau now that I have actually tasted it and now I can post it too.

One of the reasons why I wanted to make this recipe so badly and why I had held off for so long was that it involved homemade vegan cheese. I don’t know why it scared me, but it did. In fact over the past couple years, I have been scared off by a lot of vegan ingredients, recipes and techniques. Vegan cheese freaked me out for a few reasons. Before going vegan, I was a self-proclaimed cheese addict. To me, adding cheese was how you could make any recipe better. It added flavor, fat and salt. It was my biggest fear when I went vegan… how do I replace cheese. The first couple months, I actually stayed away from anything I would normally add it to. I basically lived on Asian-themed dishes for a long time.

I attempted a couple times to make a vegan mac and cheese and while I guess it was a success, it never really killed the craving that still lingers inside of me. Also, anytime that I have faltered off the vegan wagon (yes, I have and one day I’ll even share more perhaps), cheese was what I went to.

The thought of making my own cheese seemed a little daunting. It couldn’t be easy to do, could it? Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s recipe is similar to many other cookbook authors. It is a combination of vegan milk, nutritional yeast flakes, something tangy (lemon in this case) and salt. A lot of vegans call this nooch and basically the end result is a cheese-y sauce.

One thing I will say for this recipe is that it definitely is my favourite one so far. Something about it seemed to hit on the underlying craving much better than ones I have attempted in the past. It has a good hit of salt and even though I don’t think it tastes like cheese, it doesn’t taste like an odd vegan concoction either. This recipe even has a modification to make it a slice-able cheese. I am very curious about that one and my next grocery run will have to involve some agar agar so I can try it.

When I made the Swiss Chard, I stuck to the original recipe, but I have now tasted, made notes and have a few changes that I would make to make this dish even better for me. Think of it like a crustless quiche or strata. The egginess comes for tofu and I am not totally sure that is my favourite way to go. You could nix the tofu and use white beans instead. Here is a link to a non-tofu quiche I made once and it have great results.

Swiss Chard Pie

* Serves 6, about 2 hours to make total if the cheese isn’t prepped.

Ingredients:

• 1 Yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch of Swiss Chard (Or spinach)
• 1 block of pressed, firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp Tumeric
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1 cup of cheese sauce (Your choice of type)
• 2-3 Tbsp Bread crumbs
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp Basil
• Sundried Tomato

First thing you will need to do, if you haven’t is make cheese sauce. I don’t know if there is a store-bought version out there, but you could use anything that is a cheese-whiz consistency. To make a basic cheese sauce, bring 1 cup of milk, 1 Tbsp of arrow root (or corn starch), ¼ cup nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and a Tbsp of lemon to boil. Simmer it for 10 minutes or so until it becomes thick. While cooking get cashews or another nut and process to a fine grind. Add the liquid to the nuts while it is processing. Once fully combined, chill it for an hour or so.

Cooking the cheese sauce - kind of like making a white sauce

Grinding the cashews - this makes the right consistency

Combine....

and done.. I realize this does nto look like traditional cheese.. but it tastes good.

Now to make the pie – pre-heat the oven to 375 F. In a large pan or wok, sauté onion and garlic in a bit of oil for 5-7 minutes. Add in the greens and cook them until they are wilted down. While this is cooking, put the block of tofu into a food processor and blend until it is a good mash. Add the turmeric, nutmeg and salt pepper and pulse to combine. Add this to a large bowl and stir in the vegetables.

Sauteing the vegetables

Now stir in the cheese sauce and stir until it is well-combined. In a small bowl add the bread crumbs, paprika and more salt and pepper.

Grease a 9” pie pan and add this mixture to the pan. Add the filling mix to the pan and top with the bread crumb mixture. Finally add the basil and the sundried tomato.

Ready to bake! Can pre-make this and keep it in the fridge until you're ready.

Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until it is golden brown.

This was relatively easy to make when I had the cheese sauce ready to go. It does make for a lot of dirty dishes, but sometimes there is no way to avoid this. I found the original recipe I used was good, but a little bland overall. The bread crumbs and sundried tomato help add some texture that that this recipe really needed.

And.. ready. Serve with veggies

One thing I really did like about this one was that it really didn't need a crust. I thought that would be the ultimate downfall of this recipe, but the bottom and sides of the pie actually crisp up enough that it is pretty tasty. You could definitely use a crust with this too. Store-bought vegan pie crusts are not easy to find in my area. I have made them before, but still working on perfecting that. This is a nice way to have a quiche without the hassle of making pie crust. That I definitely liked!

Clever Rabbit... I love you!

To finish this meal off, I had an awesome chocolate cake that I bought at Clever Rabbit. It was the first time I had seen a cake there, so I really could not pass it up. Have to say, it was delicious. I am so appreciative of having somewhere I can buy a treat once in a while. If it wasn't for the Clever Rabbit, I would have been baking an entire cake at home… resulting in me eating an entire cake at home. I have no will power when it comes to these things. 

How I Made Brussel Sprouts Taste Good

I remember as a kid my mom cooking all day to get thanksgiving dinner on the table. Me, being the difficult, ungrateful picky eater of the family, I always had a running commentary going in the background. The one and only time I tasted brussel sprouts was during a thanksgiving dinner where I took one bite and said, "Brussel sprouts taste like ear wax!" I likely followed this with refusing to eat or dry heaving at the table.

Scary, scary brussel sprouts!

I have not eaten brussel sprouts since and I don't know if my mother had another family thanksgiving ever since. There was a small twinge of guilt as I made this recipe. When I was a kid, I was the pickiest eater in the world. Only in the past five years have I really opened my horizons to trying new foods and retrying things I hated as a child. Going vegan took it to a whole new level.

Life Lesson: Your taste buds change over time.

So, brussel sprouts... a hated vegetable of children and a regular attendee at holiday meals. t are they healthy? Yes, yes they are. Brussels sprouts are full of nutrients and contain tons of vitamin C. One serving of Brussels sprouts contain the adult daily requirement for vitamin C. Brussels sprouts contain indoles, which are known for their cancer fighting properties and they are also a decent source of folate, potassium, vitamin K, fibre and beta carotene.

So, I think it is time for me to retry this weird little holiday veggie. In order to get over my bad memories of brussel sprouts, I knew I needed to jazz them up a bit. I found a very yummy looking recipe in Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's book Color Me Vegan. I put my own spin on her recipe to give brussel sprouts a second chance in my life.

Autumn Brussel Sprouts 

Adapted from Color Me Vegan
Makes 4 servings, approx 15 min

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 12-14 large brussel sprouts, chopped in half and sliced (fill your pan)
• 1/8 cup raisins (I used dried pomegranate)
• 1 small apple, diced or slice thinly (peel on)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 handful of pumpkin seeds
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
• 1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1 lime, zested (save the juice)
• 1 handful of pecans, toasted and chopped coarsely
• 1 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped (optional)

In a small pan, toast the pecans and set aside. In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Chop up the vegetables and once hot, add the shredded brussel sprouts. Toss in the oil to coat and saute for about 8 minutes, or until they are bright green and looking cooked. Next add the garlic, apple, maple, balsamic, lime zest, pecans and pumpkin seeds. Stir well and a cook for about 5 minutes or so until it is heated through.

Coleen Patrick-Goudreau was right, it is worth shredding these

The Sprouts brighten once you cook them, easy to tell when it's ready

Remove from the heat and toss in the raisins, lime juice and the cilantro. Serve along side your favourite grain and protein or with your thanksgiving dinner!

Voila! Serve with your Thanksgiving Dinner... or be like me and just eat it on its own

I have to say, If I hadn't added so many strong flavours, I am not sure if Brussel Sprouts would be one of my favourite vegetables. On their own, they are OK, but combined with all of these bright flavours and this is one healthy side dish they I will eat any day! In fact, this may end up being my lunch tomorrow! :)

My vegan roommates cried the whole time I was making this to see if I would share. I didn't. I am sure they are plotting revenge as we speak. It was worth it!

Ever seen an angry guinea pig? Well, meet Gizmo.. Cavy 101, pigs always get fed first or people die!!

Blackberry-Cherry Breakfast Bars

I hesitated when I titled this as a breakfast bar. They kind of remind me of a blackberry-cherry crisp or crumble. That said, I have been eating these for breakfast and they are a great way to start the day. Who needs a boring breakfast when you can snap your taste buds awake with this fresh, sweet and tart bar.

Above = morning bliss

I adapted this recipe from Colour me Vegan. The book's version has only able 150 calories per bar, but with my changes... they are definitely more than that, but my addition of peanuts and pecans also add some good fats and protein which is good to have in the morning.

Either way, these are worth the time it takes to bake them. The labour is minimal.

Blackberry-Cherry Bars (Breakfast or Dessert)!
*makes 12-16 bars and takes about an hour

• 2 cups of berries (I used about 1 cup blackberry and one cup cherry, but do as you like)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup ground chia seeds
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 handful (about 1/8-1/4 cup) of chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup melted margarine
• 2-3 Tbsp melted peanut butter

Alright, preheat the oven to 350 F. In a sauce pan, combine the berries, sugar, water, lemon, vanilla and cinnamon and stir well. Cover and bring to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer and stir often for about 8-10 minutes. While the sauce is cooking combine all remaining ingredients except for the margarine and peanut butter. Stir the dry ingredients well. Pour into it the melted margarine and peanut butter and stir until its combined. 

Action Shot!

Take half of the mixture and press it into a 8 X 8 pan. bake it for about 20 minutes or until it is golden. At this point the sauce should be done. Remove it from the heat and set aside while the base cooks. Once it is finished, pour the berry mixture on the base and then top with the remaining dry mix. Press lightly and then cook it again for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving if you can... If you can't wait, it will crumble, but still tastes good!

Yes, the plate is dirty because I couldn't wait and ate one before the picture! BUSTED

Whew, that was a lot of ingredients, but these bars pack a powerful punch. Full of healthy ingredients (and some not so healthy... but hey no one is perfect). I can;t think of a better way to start the day... All I have to do now is find some will power to not eat them all before the morning!

Lentil salad - Healthy alternative to rabbit food

I have been trying (with limited success) to eat healthier this summer. However, I find that when I do try to do this, I end up eating a lot of green salad. It is easy to bring to work, you don't need to heat anything up, it is cheap and easy to make. However, I get bored of it and sometimes just want something a bit more filling. I have been meaning to try a lentil salad for quite sometime and today was the day!

Photo credit:http://www.chiropractic-help.com/lentil-protein.html

Lentils are amazingly healthy and filling. They can be eaten warm or cold and added to stews and soups to get some extra protein in your diet. One cup of lentils has about 230 calories, more than 17 g (35% of your daily requirement) of protein and 15 g (62% daily requirement) fibre and are an excellent source of folate, molybdenum, B1, Iron and much, much more! They are also free of saturated fat (as is pretty much everything vegan). They help lower cholesterol and help moderate  blood sugar levels.

Lentils have been a valuable food source dating back into prehistoric times. They are found in hundreds of cultures, so while they may not be considered mainstream in North American diets, they are found just about everywhere else. There are many types of lentils as well, black, green, red are the most common. Black and green will hold their shape well in salads and soups and red will get really soft and I usually use them in stews.

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau has a great podcast on lentils and she makes them sound so delicious I figured if I was to try to recipe, I should start there.

Warm Lentil Salad
Adapted from Colour me Vegan
Serves 4-6

Time: 1 hour from scratch, 15 minutes if you have cooked lentils

• 1 cup black lentils
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or water, but broth is better)
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped coarsely
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or other fresh herb, basil would be a good one)
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup yellow pepper, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Note: Use whatever vegetables you have. The original recipe did not have the pepper, red onion, tomato. I added these after testing the recipe.

First, cook your lentils, combine the lentils and broth in a pot and bring to a boil, stir, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until the water is absorbed. While it is cooking, chop up all the veggies. In a frying pan heat 1 Tbsp of the oil and add the onions and the peppers. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Set aside.

Prep, prep, prep - makes cooking a million times easier!

Once the lentils are cooked let them cool for a bit (you could also cook in advance and serve cold). Combine all the ingredients now in a large bowl and stir well. Serve in a bowl or on romaine lettuce and enjoy warm or cold!

When I put the salad on lettuce, I made some lettuce wraps with it and it was really good. I nice way to serve them, though a little messy.

Lentil salad, served with purple and yellow potatoes

What an easy way to add some nutrition to lunch! :)

Vegan Burgers: Beet It

During the summer, it is always good to have some burgers on standby. In the past I have been really into black bean burgers, but I found a very interesting recipe for a beet burger and figured this would be a great way to get into cooking with beets. Beets are vegetable I do not cook with much. While I think they taste good and are pretty healthy, I also think they are super messy and since I am so clumsy, I didn't want to be staining my clothes and floor messing around with such a messy vegetable.

Photo Credit: http://thebubbaeffect.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/nobody-eats-beets-not-even-to-survive-p/

Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains and known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification qualities. They also are rich in carotenoids which is very good for eye health. I read somewhere that the powers of carotenoids in beets may be as much or more important to eye health than beta carotene. A serving of beets is high in folate, manganese, potassium. They are low in calories and like many vegetables, have been linked to reducing the risk of cancers.

There are lots of good sources out there that can provide more details. Beets are an excellent way to get a red food into your diet. Oh and I heard you can use beet juice for food colouring!

Beet Burgers
*Adapted from Colour me Vegan

• 2 cups of grated beets (2-3 beets)
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 1/2 toasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
• 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper

The steps to this recipe are very simple. combine everything in a bowl and mix. I ended up using my hands to really get in and mix it all up. If you don't want to use wheat gluten/flour, you can substitute for another flour and increase to 3 Tbsp. I did this the first attempt and I found the burgers didn't hold well, but in the end worked.

To cook, I BBQ'd them. Heat the grill to medium heat, and cook for about 7-10 minutes a side. You can also bake in the oven (About 350 F for 7-10 min a side) or fry them. Up to you.

Makes 4 large burgers or 6 small.

Quiche fit for a mom brunch.. and Granita!

Wow, my hiatus was much longer than I expected! My apologies. No excuses, I got busy and then at home laziness took over, but I am back now and ready to share some recipes!

This may be my last decadent recipe for then next little while. I am about to embark on some mega dieting to fit into a bridesmaid dress. That, I am not looking forward to. I hope to find some tasty low calorie salads to get me through the next few weeks. Please send along suggestions!

Now before I ran away from the blog world, I was invited to attend a mom's group brunch party. I am not a mom, but somehow I got my in. Of course, I had to get some vegan treats involved in what is normally a meat/dairy fest style meal. I went to my vegan bible, veganomicon and decided to attempt a vegan quiche. I wanted to avoid the usual tofu-based dish since this was being served to a group on non-vegans. I don't know why, but something about tofu can freak the omnivores out. I think this group would have been fine, they were pretty cool and with the except of some scary birthing stories, it was an excellent time! I think the quiche was a big hit, and I certainly went for seconds. My sister, the vegan flirt, got into the groove and made an amaaaazing watermelon granita. So, so tasty; I could have ate the whole tray (you can see why a diet may be in order for me)

First off, the quiche:

Asparagus Quiche with Tomatoes and Tarragon (From Veganomicon)

• 1 pie crust
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup of vegan shortening
• 1/4 cup of cold water
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Lbs (about half a large bunch) of asparagus, trimmed
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 can of navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup of tarragon, chopped
• 2 Tbsp tarragon, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• pepper
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs
• 4 slices of a large tomato

First, make the crust (I did this the night before to save some time for sleeping). Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the shortening in small batches and cut it into the flour mix until it is crumbly and pebbly. Combine the vinegar and water and add to the flour in small batches and stir with a fork until well combined. The dough should hold together when you pinch it. You may need to add some extra water, add by spoonfuls. Now, take the dough and kneed a few times. Prep a work space with parchment paper and flour. Roll the dough out until it is about 12". Then use the parchment paper to transfer it to the pie plate.

The trick to making the dough is to make all ingredients as cold as possible. Keep even the flour in the fridge if you can. The colder the better.  In the end my crust was tasty, but the heat in my apartment made it a bit tougher than it should be. Hot apartment dweller beware!

OK, back to the quiche! cut the tips off of 4 asparagus spears and set aside. Heat a skillet to medium heat and add the oil. Saute the asparagus for about 5-7 minutes. While it is cooking, add the walnuts, 1/4 cup of tarragon and the nutmeg in a food processor and pulse into crumbs.
Remove the asparagus from the heat and set aside. Saute the shallots in a bit more oil in the same pan and saute for 3 minutes. Next add the garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer this to the bowl with the asparagus to cool.

Now, add the veggies to the food processor and pulse a few times. Add the beans and puree until smooth. Add the cornstarch and process again. Put the mixture back into the bowl and cool for 45 minutes or so.

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Cover the pastry in the pie plate with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Once done, add the mixture into the pie crust and smooth it out. Sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs and drizzle with oil. Add the sliced tomato and asparagus tips on top then sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs, pepper, salt, and tarragon. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake the quiche for about 45 minutes. Let it cool a bit before serving!

Whew - a lot of ingredients and a lot of instructions, but the plan is simple. Cook the veggies process it all together and bake in a prepped crust! It took about 90 min from start to finish. Two changes I will make next time, add some cornmeal to the pastry crust. I made a crust like this before and I think it would do well here. At the party Tara suggested that I don't fully process all the walnuts and asparagus to give more texture. I think with would make it even better! But the recipe alone is a hit. If you have some time, try it.

Now, the granita... this recipe came from Colour me Vegan by Colleen Patrick Goudreau and as my first granita, I am sold. I want to eat granita every day. It is not labour intensive, but you do need to be at home for like 3 hours to make it.
Watermelon Granita (From Colour me Vegan)

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup of water
• 4 cups of watermelon chunks (about half a watermelon)
• Juice of one lime
• Mint leaves for garnish

Make a simple syrup by combining the water and sugar on the stove over high heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
Add the cooled syrup, watermelon and lime to a blender and puree. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish (casserole or something similar) and put it in the freezer. after one hour, take it out and rake it with a fork. Put it back in the fridge and repeat this 3 times. Serve in pretty glasses and garnish with watermelon slices and mint (Don't forget to spank the mint for a beautiful aroma).

Perfect treat for a summer night... or morning!

Whew, this recipe was way less to write about. I hope to make this one again and maybe adding different fruit. A must try and a total hit of the party!

OK, coming up this week will be some salad recipes I think and other low calorie ways to eat vegan (It is harder than you may think!) I vow not to become a stereotype of living on guinea pig food, so I will be trying to find some for real tasty low calorie treats!

Bye for now!

Review: Color Me Vegan

I cannot believe how long it has been since my last post! I have no excuse, but I am back now. I thought I would get back into this with finishing what I had started with the review of Colour Me Vegan, Colleen Patrick Goudreau's latest cook book (available here).

I have been using this book now for a while and I have a tried a number of dishes. Overall, I think this book is a great buy; vegan or just flirting or even just looking to add new recipes to your arsenal this book is a good addition to your shelf.

The way this book is organized is by colour rather than by meal. I have to say that there are upsides and downsides to this. First, the upside:

Organizing the book by colour first I felt took me away from restricting dishes to specific times of day. Not that I have ever followed the rules.. I have eaten pancakes for dinner, leftovers for breakfast, and pasta I feel is an any time of day snack... but I think this book forces you to rethink what should be breakfast, lunch and dinner. Colleen addresses this in her introduction and notes that the purpose of the book is to focus on the different phytochemicals found in the plant-based foods out there and the benefits found in the different colours. So instead of searching in the entree, or dessert sections for recipes, I found myself trying to make combinations of colours. In the end I had colourful and nutrient dense meals that I may not have thought of before.

Another upside to this book, is that it teaches you about the colours in food and provides tips on how to get more into your diet. As someone who is still learning about the nutritional benefits found in food, I can honestly say I learned a lot from this book.

Lastly, there is nutritional information. I have been finding that many vegan cookbooks do not have the nutritional information with their recipes and I always sit and wonder... How healthy is what I am eating? Just because a dish is vegan, does not guarantee that it is low fat (well, I suppose there is the guarantee that it is saturated fat free), low calorie. Regardless of whether you are on a diet, some people want this information and it was nice to see it there.

Now, what I did not like about this book.. Some recipes call for reserving ingredients and do not note how much. If you are like me and never fully read instructions and impulsively jump into a recipe, you will likely have mess-ups along the way... I did (See the post on the Raspberry-lemon muffin loaf!) I found a few recipes that this happened. So my advice, read all instructions before starting!

Another down-side is that it can be difficult to find things in this book. I kept flipping through and seeing things I liked, but then when I would go back, I couldn't find them. This was not the end of the world, there is an index. A lot of the recipes will be under one colour, but likely have more than that colour in them. Colleen acknowledges this and admits she had to make executive decisions on some items.

In the end I tried eight recipes out of this book. I loved all of them. Anything that did not come out right was my own fault. The book is well-balanced and has a number of recipes I had not seen before. Total score in my opinion and I highly recommend that you give it a go!

Recipes that are must-tries (and I may post on soon):

• Farro and fresh vegetable medley
• Sweet and spicy almonds
• Blueberry Buckle
• Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
• Garlicky Greens Pasta
• Lemony Pan-fried chickpeas with chard
• Raspberry Lemon Loaf
• Eggplant with sweet miso sauce

OK, that is it for tonight! Stay tuned for some new recipes another book review and new travels. I am heading east and will have full reports on my travels in Montreal, Atlanta and Savannah. Anyone reading from these areas, please send any restaurant recommendations my way!

Night all!

Raspberry Lemon Loaf

Seems like suddenly it is spring. I cannot be more relieved. Since it is Alberta, I will remain pessimistic until I see leaves on trees and green grass, but I think there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

This inspired me to try out a brighter, sunny recipe and since It was midnight at the time, I figured why not get an early start on breakfast.

In Colour me Vegan there is a great recipe for raspberry lemon muffins that I just had to try. Unfortunately, I broke a very important cooking rule.. I skipped pre-prep. I made my batter, had my oven heated and ready to go and turn to grab my muffin pan and to my surprise; it is nowhere to be seen! I searched everywhere and I am sure my neighbors were wondering what the hell I was doing smashing pots and pans in the middle of the nigh. Gone, gremlins got it.

So, with my batter ready, I had to improvise and made a loaf. I should have went with my instinct on the timing and temperature, but I didn't and the the end result was classic 'oven too hot syndrome' Little dry on the outside and a little too moist on the inside. Ah well, I am the only one eating it, so it is not the end of the world. The important this is that this recipe is seriously good.

Raspberry-Lemon Loaf

• 1 small container of vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup of milk (I used sunflower)
• 3 Tbsp canola oil
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup of sugar (I used white granulated)
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

Preheat the over to 400F (375F if you make a loaf) Mix together the wet ingredients and set aside. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and stir until it is just combined (Lumpy batter is fine. Over mixing muffin batter is bad, don't do it!).

Fold in the raspberries (Note: While making this in the middle of the night, I was sure it said two cups, so I used about a cup and a half of raspberries and then a handful of mixed berries. This may be another reason why my end result was a little too moist in the middle! Lesson learned? Only to read recipes twice. I will cook in the middle of the night forever)

Pour into a greased muffin / loaf pan. If cooking muffins, bake for 20 - 25 minutes. If cooking a loaf, this will be trickier. Start with 30 minutes, then you will have to watch it. Mine ended up taking about 50 minutes in total, but that included taking it out of the oven at 30 minutes thinking it was done, then remembering to check with the toothpick 15 minutes later, realizing a mistake was made and throwing it back in the oven.

I am amazed something edible came out of this, but obvious it was not the recipe's fault. Totally my fault this time.

I love to put brown sugar mixed with a bit of cinnamon on top of muffins, so if you are OK with extra sugar, go for it!

Makes 12 muffins or 1 loaf.

The book includes the nutritional info, so make sure to grab the book, or send me an email and I can get it to you. Red foods are rich in anthocyanins and lycopene (and plenty of other nutrients) and they have been linked to lowering the risk of cancer, aging and neurological diseases, inflammation,  diabetes and bacterial infections. If that isn't enough for your to try... how about this - it tastes awesome! Nuff said.

Other red foods:
Red pepper, Berries, Beets, Red miso, Red quinoa, chard, tomatoes, water melon, red lentils, Apples and many more.

Ways to increase red foods in your diet:

• Add apples, red pepper, tomato to salads
• Eat tomato salads
• add red lentils or tomato paste to soups and stews
• Add red berries to cereal or smoothies
• Drink red berry juices or tomato juice
• Keep apples at your desk

This is a fabulous red recipe, but could be considered a yellow one too. Really brightened up my Monday morning. The only thing to make this morning complete was to have a little pig time.

Prince Henry, chilling like a villain and looking a little pissed that I am not sharing!

Garlicky Greens Pasta

This is my first recipe attempt from Colour me Vegan, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's latest cookbook. Now, this not only was a pretty safe start, but it was so good that I decided I needed post. I can't believe I never thought of making this before. Colleen also has a garlicky greens soup that is fantastic, so i knew this would be good.

I, of course, did not follow the recipe exactly, so I am going to post how I made this one.

Garlicky Greens Pasta a la Caity

• 1 bunch of kale
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups of whole wheat pasta
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp basil
• 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted
• salt and pepper

Check Collen's book for her original recipe.



First get a big pot that you would use for your pasta, fill with water and bring to a boil. Add the kale and boil for about 5 minutes or until well cooked. Remove the kale with a slotted spoon and add it to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Do not drain the water.

Next add the pasta (Wait a minute or two if the water isn't boiling) to the water from the kale and cook according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. Next, add the red pepper flakes and cook another minute or so. Squeeze all the water out of the greens and then add it to pan with the remaining ingredients and saute for 2-3 minutes.

When the past is done, strain it and add it to the greens and toss. Cook for a few more minutes so the flavours are incorporated.

 Serves two.

I am planning to try a few recipes out of Colour me Vegan this week and will let you know how it goes. I have a feeling it is going to be a yummy week! Colleen's book is available online at Amazon, or through her website: http://www.compassionatecooks.com/

Compassionate Cooks is a resource that I go a lot. I find if I have a non-vegan slip, or feel that I might, the Compassionate Cooks podcast gets me back on track every time. There is also a lot of resources and FAQs available that are handy when people ask those common how do you get your...? type questions. Highly recommend.