Vegan BLT Lettuce Wraps with Macadamia Mayo

Hey Sweeties,

My apologies for the long hiatus I took in posting!   

I generally eat pretty darn healthy, but I am currently on a twelve week clean, clean, clean eating and fitness program to get my bod into prime bathing suit condition so for those of you in a similar boat, stay tuned for some clean, low-carb, high protein vegan eats!

This recipe caters to my lettuce wrap obsession and a serious craving for tempeh bacon.

BLT Lettuce Wraps with Macadamia Mayo
Ingredients: 
- 1 head of organic romaine lettuce, leaves seperated
- 3 or 4 ripe organic roma tomatoes, sliced
- 1 package of tempeh bacon, prepared according to package directions, cooled and crumbled
- 1 cup raw macadamia nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- S&P

To make the mayo, combine the macadamia nuts, garlic, lemon juice and water in a high speed blender (I use my VitaMix but the Magic Bullet works great too) and blend on high until the mixture is perfectly smooth and creamy.  If it is really thick, add a little more water.  It will thicken up a bit if you refrigerate it for an hour or so.  Season the mayo with salt.  You could add a little smoked paprika or other herbs right about now too, if your heart desires :)

To assemble, spread some mayo onto each romaine leaf, top with slices of tomato and sprinkle on some crumbled tempeh bacon.  A little diced avocado wouldn't hurt either!  Season the wraps with a grind of fresh pepper and NOSH!

XOXO

Vivacious Vegan

"Cheezy" Quinoa with Broccoli

Hey Babes!

When I cook grains, I like to make up a big batch of them so I have lots and lots leftover for other dishes throughout the week.  Last night, I whipped up a huge batch of quinoa and used some of it to make a yummy and comforting supper:  "Cheezy" Quinoa with Broccoli.  Kind of like mac and cheese with broccoli, but gluten free, low fat, high protein and of course, vegan!  It was so luxurious and rich but yet so nutritious, I knew I would have to share it with you right away!  I used some of the leftover quinoa in my lunch today, a salad with spinach, avocado, sunflower seeds and a lime-macadamia dressing - so good!  The rest of the leftover grains will either get rolled into nori to make veggie sushi rolls or baked into quinoa omelet breakfast muffins!  Recipes will follow. . . <3

 

"Cheezy" Quinoa with Broccoli

Ingredients:

- 1 cup quinoa

- 2 cups broccoli, chopped into itty bitty florets

- 1/4 cup tahini

- 1 clove garlic, finely minced

- 1 tbsp white miso paste

- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

- 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 2 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (or both!)

- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

- S&P to taste

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan and stir in the quinoa.  Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pot with a lid.  The quinoa should be cooked in about 15 minutes.  You'll be able to tell when it's cooked as the little "tails" become present and the grains have doubled in size.   

Turn off the heat, add the broccoli and cover with the lid while you make the sauce.  This steams the broccoli ever so slightly, so the texture is more tender but the nutrients are better preserved.

Whisk together all the other ingredients except the nutritional yeast and season with salt and fresh ground pepper.  If you find that your sauce has turned into a super thick paste (tahini can be funny that way), just add a tablespoon of water at a time and stir it well until a saucier consistency is reached.  

Stir the sauce and nutritional yeast into the quinoa and broccoli and re-season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  

Nosh!

XOXO

V.V.          

Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Cucumber Carrot Slaw

Hello Lovelies,

Lately I have been giving cooking lessons to ATM's cousin Steffie who recently went vegetarian (woohoo!).  Yesterday, when she was deciding what she would like me to teach her to cook, she mentioned her disdain for tofu.  She is certainly not alone in the Tofu Haters Club, more often than not I meet people who shudder at the mere mention of the word.  I believe that almost everyone can like tofu because tofu can taste like anything: chicken-y nuggets, feta cheese, ricotta cheese, chocolate mousse, ranch dressing. . . the possibilities are endless!  Tofu on its own is pretty sad and boring, so preparation is key when winning people over to bean curd love.  Steffie and I made super simple, super delicious Thai tofu lettuce wraps and guess what?  She sure doesn't hate tofu anymore!

 

Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Cucumber Carrot Slaw

Ingredients:

- 1 head of romaine lettuce, or iceberg lettuce, or collards, or savoy cabbage for wrapping

for the tofu:

- 1 package of extra firm tofu

- 1 small onion, roughly chopped

- 3 cloves garlic

- 3 tbsp Thai green curry paste

- 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce

- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

- 1 tbsp coconut oil or veg oil 

for the sauce:

- Juice of one lime

- 1 tbsp agave syrup

- 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce

- Sriracha sauce, or Sambal Oelek, or other chili sauce

for the slaw:

- 1 large English cucumber

- 1 large carrot

- 1 minced shallot

- 1 tbsp lime juice

- 2 tsp agave syrup

- 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce

- 1 small minced Thai chili (or a sprinkle or dried chili flakes)

- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Let's start with the slaw.  Using a vegetable peeler, make the carrot and cucumber into ribbons by peeling and rotating the veggies until there is nothing left.  Toss the ribbons, with the shallot, lime juice, agave, tamari, chilies and cilantro and set in the fridge to get cold and crisp and well marinated.

For the sauce, simply whisk the lime juice, agave, tamari and chili sauce (to your discretion).

For the tofu, place all ingredients except for the coconut oil into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is well combined.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add the coconut or vegetable oil and the tofu mixture.  Saute for a few minutes, or until slightly browned and heated through.    

Separate the lettuce, or leaves of choice, and arrange them on a platter.  To make a wrap, layer a few spoonfuls of the tofu on a leaf, drizzle with the sauce, and top with the cucumber carrot slaw.

XOXO

Vivacious Vegan                  

Raw Vegan Doughnut Holes a.k.a. "Tim Bits"

Hey Loves!

I haven't been able to shake the craving for something cinnamon-ny and sweet lately.  The other day after my lady friends and I took their kids tobogganing, we went for tea and hot chocolate at Tim Hortons' (for my international pals, Tim Hortons is the most popular coffee shop chain in Canada, founded by Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman, Tim Horton).  As I ordered a large peppermint tea at the counter, my gaze turned to the racks of freshly made doughnuts, in particular the doughnut holes (in Canada, we call them "Tim Bits") and I felt my mouth begin to salivate.  I rushed home and whipped up a batch of sweet, dense, spiced little gems that were as good as any Tim Bits, and maybe even better, as they were free of white flour, white sugar and a whole host of mystery chemicals.  Oh and did I mention, they're raw?

 

Raw Vegan "Tim Bits"

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups raw flaked oats

- 2 cups raw Brazil nuts

- 1/3 cup coconut oil

- 1/2 tsp nutmeg

- 1/3 cup maple syrup (it's not raw, so you can sub it our for 1/4 cup raw agave if you're serious about the raw-someness!)

- 1/4 cup coconut sugar

- 1 tbsp cinnamon

In your trusty food processor, pulse the oats until they are very fine, almost a flour-like consistency.  Add the Brazil nuts and process until ground.  Add the coconut oil, nutmeg and maple syrup or agave and pulse until the mixture comes together.  

Refrigerate for one hour.  While the mixture is 'chilling out' (pardon the pun), stir together the coconut sugar and cinnamon.

Roll into bite sized (or two-bite sized) balls, and roll in the coconut sugar/cinnamon mixture. 

Refrigerate for another hour and then devour!  Store these babies in the freezer or refrigerator.

XOXO

V.V.       

Endive Salad with Oranges and Olives

T.G.I.F. Honey Buns!!!

(Just saying that made me want a cinnamon bun all of a sudden...)

Eating salad when it's this cold outside seems like a strange thing to do (why eat salad when you could eat a hot steaming bowl of soup?!) but amidst all the warm, saucy, slow-cooked comfort foods of Winter, your body can crave something light, refreshing, and raw.  Belgian endive is a sturdy leafed member of the chicory family that has a nice crunch and a bitter-sweet finish.  Don't let its pale colour fool you, Belgian endive is packed with folate and vitamins A and K.  Paired with sweet cara cara naval oranges and briny green olives, this salad is Wintery and satisfying, without making you feel heavy.  

Endive Salad with Oranges and Olives
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard 
- S&P
- 3 - 4 Belgian endives
- 3 cara cara oranges (pink fleshed naval oranges), or blood oranges or regular naval oranges, rind and pith cut off with a very sharp paring knife
- 2 pale inner ribs of celery and the leaves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup green olives (or sun dried black olives), pitted and sliced into slivers
- a handful of Italian parsley, chopped

For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil vigorously until emulsified.  Season with S&P.

Using a sharp knife, cut the orange segments free from their membranes.  This technique is a little tricky and takes practice, if you would rather not 'supreme' the oranges, just turn them on their sides, slice them into 1/2" thick slices and then quarter each slice.  

Slice each endive in half lengthwise and remove the tough core.  Slice the endive halves into 1/2" thick slices and place in a large bowl with the celery, orange segments, olives and parsley.  

Drizzle a few spoonfuls of the dressing over the salad and toss.  Add just enough dressing to coat the salad, not too much, or it will get soggy and wet!  

Divide onto four serving plates or eat right out of the bowl!

XOXO
 V.V.    

Raw Vegan "Scallops" with Orange Pepper Cream and Blood Orange Salsa

Hello there!

It has been mighty chilly here in Winnipeg (duh, it's January!) but I have had an excuse to stay inside for the past week - STREP THROAT!  It was a fun-filled, first time experience for me indeed (fun, like someone stabbing you in the throat with a fork)!  I was mostly on a liquid diet but some softer foods made it onto my sick bed menu too (Avocado Carpaccio, anyone?).  And in my antibiotic/Advil stupor, I managed to create an outstanding dish that I am so proud of and so excited to share with you!  King oyster mushrooms are not always easy to find, but I have had no problem finding them in my friendly neighborhood Asian grocery store.  Blood oranges are easily substituted with regular, seedless naval oranges or even grapefruit.  This recipe should serve eight as a starter or four as a main dish.  

Raw Vegan "Scallops" with Orange Pepper Cream and Blood Orange Salsa
Ingredients: 
for the mushroom 'scallops':
- one dozen king oyster mushrooms, bottoms and caps removed
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp nama shoyu or tamari soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- S&P
for the bell pepper puree:
- 2 orange or yellow bell peppers
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 tbsp minced shallot
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
for the blood orange salsa:
- 2 blood oranges, rind and pith cut away with a sharp paring knife and diced (regular seedless naval oranges are fine if you can't find blood oranges)
- 1 minced shallot
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped (or parsley if you are a cilantro hater)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp macadamia nut oil, or pistachio oil or avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 chili pepper, seeded and finely diced (optional)
- S&P

Slice the king oyster mushroom stems into 1/2" thick "scallops".  Mix together all other ingredients and season with S&P.  Marinate "scallops" in the lovely marinade you just whipped up for 30 min - an hour, stirring occasionally.

Dehydrate the "scallops" at 104 degrees for two hours, basting occasionally with the marinade.  Alternatively, if you are not in possession of a dehydrator, but want to keep this dish raw, warm the medallions in an oven on it's lowest setting with the door cracked open.  If you are not in the least bit concerned about the rawness factor, sear the scallops in a pan with 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat until tender.

For the puree, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until silky smooth.  

For the salsa, toss all ingredients together and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

To serve, put a few tablespoons of the bell pepper puree in the middle of each plate and swirl to make a nice circle.  Arrange the scallops in the center of the plate and put a spoonful of the blood orange salsa on top.  Garnish with a cilantro sprig if you like.

Enjoy!

XOXO
V.V.

Roasted Chestnut and Red Lentil Soup

Hey Lovelies!

I decided to try roasting chestnuts on Christmas Eve.  I saw people roasting chestnuts on big, cast iron grills, all over Rome and didn't get a chance to try them.  And they seemed like a totally idyllic thing to eat at Christmas (cue the Nat King Cole).  So I bought some chestnuts, painstakingly scored little crosses on them with my utility knife, tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh rosemary, and waited with anticipation of festive bliss as they roasted in the oven.  

I had ten guests over on Christmas Eve and not one had tried a roasted chestnut before.  Once cooled, I proudly brought a massive platter of the toasty beauties into the dining room as a curious crowd gathered.  After wrestling with the peels a bit, we popped the crumbly innards into our mouths with excitement. . . "It tastes like a dry, baked potato."  "Yeah, a really dry potato, but a bit sweet."  A potato?  A dry potato?!  It was certainly not what any of us were expecting, least of all me.  No buttery crunch?  No toasty, warm nuttiness?  None.  Maybe they're better roasted over an open fire?

It goes without saying that I was left with a massive amount of skin-on, roasted chestnuts.  On Boxing Day (the day after Christmas here in Canada) my darling father took to the task of peeling said chestnuts and reserving their meat in a bowl.  "You can't just waste them!" he argued.  So I did what any chic, modern, resourceful gal would do, I Googled!  And that night, I adapted a recipe by Nigella Lawson (LOVE her!) and made a fabulously festive dinner out of my unconventional holiday leftovers.

Roasted Chestnut and Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients:

- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 2 sticks of celery, chopped
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 2 veggie bouillon cubes
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 cup roasted chestnut meat (To roast chestnuts:  Buy 2 cups of chestnuts.  Deeply and carefully score an X on the flat side of each nut.  Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, S&P and some fresh rosemary if you like.  Place the chestnuts in an even layer on a big piece of aluminum foil and then gather up the foil edges around the nuts, leaving a nice big opening at the top.  Place on a baking sheet and roast in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 30 - 40 min or until the peels curl up a bit.  Let cool and then peel.)
- S&P
-Optional garnish: soy sour cream or cashew cream and chopped parsley

In your favorite soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.  Cook the veg mixture until slightly softened.  

Add the cinnamon, cumin, coriander, nutmeg and bouillon cubes and cook for one minute or until very fragrant.

Add the water, crank the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Add the lentils and reduce heat to medium low.

Add the chestnuts and simmer the soup until the lentils are very soft, about 20 - 30 min.  You will know they are done when you can smush them on the side of the pot with a spoon very easily.  

Puree the soup with an immersion blender (if you haven't got one, go buy one!  They are very inexpensive and make blending soups such a breeze!) and season with S&P.  

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with a swirl of soy sour cream or cashew cream and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.      

This is very festive soup and warms you up from the inside out!

XOXO
V.V.  
 

Vegan Dill Pickle Soup

Hey Sweetums!

It's getting chilly willy in Winnipeg so I figured it is time for yet another Vivacious Vegan soup recipe!  Today, I would like to share a super yummy soup that ATM and I had a version of at a little restaurant just outside of Edmonton.  It was an Italian restaurant, so we were a little weird-ed out when our server informed us that the soup of the day was Dill Pickle.  ATM, a serious pickle lover, ordered it and fell in love.  I became determined to make a vegan version as soon as we got home and it will definitely be on regular rotation during the colder months in our home!  I know it probably sounds a little strange, but it is basically potato soup with pickle brine, pickle chunks and fresh dill.  It tastes just like dill pickle flavored potato chips!

Vegan Dill Pickle Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 6 cups (about 6 medium sized) Yukon Gold  potatoes, scrubbed and diced (you can use whatever potatoes you have, goldies are my fave <3 )
- 6 cups veggie stock (or water with 3 tbsp tamari soy sauce)
- 1/2 cup pickle brine (from the pickle jar!)
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup chopped dill pickles
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill (or 2 tbsp dried) plus a few extra sprigs for a garnish
- S&P

In your fave soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until fragrant (about two minutes).  

Add the potatoes and saute for ten minutes, stirring often.  Add the veggie stock or water and bring the whole shebang to a boil over high heat.  

Once the soup has reached it's boiling point, drop that heat to medium and simmer until you can easily smush a potato chunk on the side of the pot with a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes or so.

Remove the pot from the heat and puree everything to silky smoothness with an immersion blender.  Add the pickle brine, nutritional yeast, chopped pickles and dill and blitz with the immersion blender until everything is well combined, but there are still some chunks of pickle love left.  Return the pot to low heat and simmer for ten to twenty minutes to let the flavors become BFF's.  Taste, and season with S&P.  

Serve and snuggle!

XOXO,

V.V.

Red Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Cherry Tomatoes and Herbs

Hey Babes!

          It's time to admit it.  Summer is coming to an end.  I know this because the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice lattes are back (which are tragically not vegan - order a soy Cinnamon Dolce latte instead, you'll still feel the cinnamony love).  Before things get too chilly, make the most of the last summer tomatoes and try this awesome salad recipe out!  I whipped it up in a hurry to bring to my darling friend Kerri's BBQ and it was a HIT! 

If you love quinoa, you will REALLY love it's scarlet sister, Ms. Red Quinoa.  It still has the bran on it (kinda like the difference between white and brown rice) and is chewier in texture and even nuttier in flavor.  I love it and I know you will too!  

Red Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Cherry Tomatoes and Herbs

Ingredients: 

- 2 cups cooked red quinoa, cooled to room temp (white would be just dandy too)

- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

- 1 pint red cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups, if you're getting them from the garden and not the grocery store)

- 1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes

-  10 to 12 handfuls of organic baby greens

- 1/3 cup roughly chopped mint

- 1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro

- 1/3 cup roughly chopped basil

- 1/3 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

- 6 scallions, thinly sliced

for the vinaigrette:

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tbsp dijon mustard 

- 1 tbsp agave syrup

- juice of 1 lemon

- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

- 1/2 cup olive oil

- S&P

 

Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar.  Screw on the lid.  SHAKE IT BABY!  Taste and season with S&P.  Wasn't that easy?

In a large bowl, layer in your salad greens, quinoa, chickpeas, tomatoes, herbs and scallions.  If you are bringing in to a BBQ, the salad will travel well this way.  When you are ready to serve, drizzle your dressing over the salad and gently toss until everything has a nice gloss.  Turn out onto a serving platter and enjoy with friends or take the bowl and a fork, find a secret hiding place and eat the whole thing yourself. . .

XOXO

V.V. 

Raw Vegan Oatmeal Hemp Macadamia Cookies

Happy Wednesday Sweeties!

Today I am offering a hump day treat that is as delicious as it is healthful.  ATM and I were craving a little something sweet after dinner last night so with a dash of this and a pinch of that, I whipped up these adorable and yummy-licious raw cookies!  I love learning about raw foodism, and while I find eating 100% raw doesn't work for my body, I try to consume as much food in it's natural raw state as I can.  Raw food is so nutrient dense and full of enzymes that are destroyed through the cooking process so your body a favor and try to incorporate more raw goodness into your daily diet!  I throw two big handfuls of raw organic baby spinach into my morning smoothie and it gives me and instant POW of energy and positivity - no kidding! 

And since we're on the topic of changes to the diet that do a body good, I have been steering clear of gluten for a few months and I must say, I feel FANTASTIC!!!  I have way more energy, my skin has cleared up (V.V. is prone to hormonal acne, blahhhh), I am rarely bloated and my weight is super easy to maintain (which is good news for a lazy bones like me!).  Every now and then, when ATM and I go out for dinner with her family to Santa Lucia's on North Main St, I do indulge in their spaghetti with marinara sauce. . . but otherwise I am G-FREE babes, and feeling amazing :)  Gluten is a protein found in wheat and some other grains like spelt, barley and rye.  Some people are very, very allergic to these proteins and can become terribly ill when they consume them.  Obvs, if this sounds like something you are experiencing, give your doc a call, okay honey?  

Okay, enough diet pep talk.  But before I get to the recipe, I just want to emphasize that diet is all about eating in the way that makes you feel your best!  It is a very subjective and personal thing, what works for Suzie might not work for Sherman, so listen to your body and do what is best for you!  For me, choosing a plant based diet is not only good for my body, but good for my animal friends, the Earth, and human kind, and that's something I feel wonderful about every day <3 

Now on to the eats!

Raw Vegan Oatmeal Hemp Macadamia Cookies

Ingredients:

- 2 cups oats (make sure they are uncontaminated if you have a serious gluten allergy)

- 1/2 cup hemp hearts

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 cup raw agave syrup (or maple syrup)

- 1/2 cup raw macadamia nut butter (you could use any nut or seed butter!)   

- pinch sea salt

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together.  It should stick together easily but still be slightly dry.  If you find the mixture is too crumbly, add a little more nut butter.  If you find it is too sticky, add a spoonful of oats at a time until you get the right consistency.  Scoop out a tablespoon of the mixture at a time and roll into little balls then place them on a lined cookie sheet and flatten them slightly into a cookie shape.

Chill the cookies in the fridge for an hour and then NOSH!  

The addition of some cacao nibs and chopped, dried cherries would be so good!

XOXO

V.V.