chocolate p-nut butter squares

I made these bad boys during a sweet-tooth craving and they certainly did the trick. They are a delicious snack with a base of oats, a layer of peanut butter, topped with chocolate. They give the feeling of a healthy/vegan Reece's Pieces...

Chocolate P-Nut Butter Squares

Oat Base:

1 cup oats

1/2 cup flour (kamut works well)

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp maple syrup

3 tbsp sunflower oil

Peanut Butter Center:

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I prefer almond milk)

Chocolate Topping:

3/4 cup non dairy chocolate chips

1/3 cup non-dairy milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare the oat base: combine dry ingredients, stir in maple syrup and oil, until well combined (consistency should be crumbly yet hold together when pressed). Transfer to a lightly oiled (or parchment paper) 8x8 inch pan and press evenly. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove and let cool.

While cooling, prepare the peanut butter center: in a saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients together. Stir occasionally until it becomes smooth and uniform, and thickens (do not boil). Pour mixture evenly over the oat base and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the chocolate topping; in a small saucepan over low-medium heat, combine the chocolate chips and milk. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate and milk melt together and are smooth with no separation of the mixture. Remove from heat. Once the oat base has chilled, pour the chocolate topping evenly over top. Refrigerate again until completely cool and cut into squares.

Recipe by

Dreena Burton

from her awesome, family oriented cookbook

Vive le Vegan

. Check out her blog at 

http://vivelevegan.blogspot.ca/

Frito Misto by Sublime

Our favorite dish at Sublime Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale was the Frito Misto appetizer the waiter brought over as a complimentary taster to wet our palates. I think he felt bad since our 2 year old fell off his chair and hit his head, which then led to a lot of crying, Levi passing out in my arms, and then lots of free tasters. Unfortunate how it happened, but this is how we came across an amazing way to serve cauliflower. We ended up buying the restaurants cookbook, so naturally the first recipe I tried out was the Frito Misto. I can't say it turned out exactly the same as the original, but it was only my first try...

Roasted Butternut squash + stir-fried veggies + rice

With temperatures dropping below -20 I've been craving meals that warm the heart as well as the kitchen. Here's a nice little combo...

Roasted butternut squash

1 butternut squash 

one whole garlic 

olive oil

maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375. Cut squash into 2 halves, rub with olive oil, place flesh side down on baking sheet. Cut tips off garlic, place on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes, taking garlic out after 30mins. Scoop out squash, squeeze out garlic, mix together. Add a drizzle of maple syrup.

Stir fried veggies

Olive oil

Onion

Garlic

Beet stalks

Mushrooms

Yellow pepper

Spinach

Tomato

Sea salt

Thyme

Fry onion in olive oil for 5 mins, add garlic, beet stalks and mushrooms. Stir and fry for another 5 mins. Add remaining ingredients plus a splash of water. Cover and simmer for 3 mins.

Serve along side rice or your choice of grain.

Sublime

vegan cutlet & lasagna

On our way back from the Bahamas, we had a quick stop over in Fort Lauderdale so I checked my Vegman app to see if there were any vegan restaurants close by. It turned out that the renowned vegan restaurant

Sublime

was just a 15 minute walk from our hotel. The food was delicious, and the waiter kept bringing us over little samples of other dishes on the menu that I wouldn't have ordered for myself, but ended up asking for the recipe! Luckily they had a cookbook which we ended up buying. I haven't tried to recreate any of the meals yet, but two of our favorites (which were both little samples complimentary of the chef) were Mediterranean Polenta Squares & Frito Misto. Next time you're in Fort Lauderdale check out

Sublime

!

so tired from all the traveling, Levi slept through the whole meal

"100% of Sublime's profits support animal welfare. Sublime is the vision of owner Nanci Alexander. In 1989, Nanci founded the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) and has been volunteering as president since. She has been recognized by national and local organizations for her work on behalf of animals. The creation of Sublime is an extension of her efforts to reduce animal cruelty. Animal agriculture today represents the world's greatest source of animal cruelty, and the most significant step any individual can take to reduce this abuse is to move to a plant-based diet. The goal of Sublime is to show that plant-based food can indeed be sublime. Additionally, 100% of Sublime's profits will go to organizations that promote animal welfare and a vegan lifestyle."

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

A nice alternative to muffins, these tasty treats make a healthy snack; vegan & gluten free. Plus they're kid friendly - tried, tested & approved by Levi Dylan Kent 2.25 yrs old

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

Author:

Monique of

AmbitiousKitchen.com

Recipe type:

Vegan, Gluten Free, Breakfast, Healthy Snack

Serves:

16

Note: I used regular oats & baking powder, and chose coconut oil over olive oil (I always try to avoid baking with olive oil as I find the taste overpowering)

Ingredients

• 3 cups gluten free oats
• 2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8×11 or 9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Make oat flour: Place oatmeal into blender or food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until oatmeal resembles flour. You may need to stop blender and stir oats a couple of times to ensure that all oats have been blended.
3. Measure out just 2 1/2 cups of the oat flour and place in a medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices; set aside.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla extract, oil, and applesauce for 1-2 minutes until the consistency is smooth and creamy. Slowly add in oat flour mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Gently fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Timing will depend on what size pan you use, but definitely check around 15 minutes. Once finished baking, cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Cut into 16 slices.

Notes

Bars can be frozen. Simply bake, cool, cut; store in ziploc bag. Reheat individually for 30 seconds in microwave. Make sure you read all ingredients and nutrition info to ensure recipe is gluten free/vegan, if that is what you desire.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 

1 bar

Calories: 

128

Fat: 

4.3g

Carbohydrates: 

21.6g

Sugar: 

9.2g

Fiber: 

2.5g

Protein: 

2.6g

Quick Miso Soup

Miso is great for boosting your immune system. What better way to eat it than in a warm bowl of soup! This recipe is taken from the "

Everyday Happy Herbivore

" by Lindsay S. Nixon, recipes designed to be on the table in 30 minutes or less. It calls for Shiitake mushrooms, but I rarely have them in the house, so I substitute with regular white mushrooms, and I'll add in some carrots and tofu if I'm not pressed for time.

Recipe serves 1 person. Double, triple or quadruple it for more.

Quick Miso Soup

3 green onions

2 cups water

1 cup shiitake mushrooms

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 tbsp miso

low-sodium soy sauce (optional)

kelp (optional)

Line a medium pot with a thin layer of water. Add mushrooms, saute until mushrooms start to soften. Add red pepper flakes and miso, stirring to prevent clumps. Add onions and remaining water, bring to a near-boil. Reduce heat, add more miso or soy sauce if desired and any other extra ingredients. Simmer until everything is cooked and warm.

Yoga Isn't for Sissies

In Honour of Movember

Every once in a while I am approached by a woman after class asking me how she can get her boyfriend/husband to do yoga? How good it would be for his back/stress/insomnia. I don't have the answer, my husband started because I had just begun teaching yoga and the classes were very small, so he was there as a filler, to make the other people feel more comfortable. From there, I guess it grew on him, and he works at the studio, so the classes are conveniently located.

When the women do drag their husbands in, they often arrive with an air of arrogance. They extend their arm for a quick handshake and in their eyes seem to say "Lets get this lame class over with". Although I'm not a very competitive person, I'm always up for this challenge. My favourite part is mid way through class when I look over to see him sweating profusely with a deer-in-headlights look on his face while his wife/girlfriend flows seamlessly through the sequence. I know it's a little evil on my side, but it's satisfying to burst another bubble of misconception that yoga is for sissies.

After class the men are always humble and grateful, and most of them come back. I'm always proud of them for getting through it and stepping far out of their comfort zones. I know it's difficult to walk into a yoga studio, especially if you think you're not flexible, and especially if you are a man coming into a female dominated space, but times are changing and we have one of the highest percentage rates of men at our studio. My husband often boasts to his musician friends about the benefits of flexibility and focus, and to the single guys about it being a great place to meet woman. What's sexier than a guy who does yoga?

I'm not saying this is the case for every guy, we have lots of men who come to the studio, and several who have dragged their wives to class, but the reaction I get from most men is that yoga is lame, and not enough of a physical challenge for them. There are many different styles of yoga and some are lame, but you have to at least try before bashing it.

As a personal challenge this month, I will go out of my comfort zone into the male dominated world of cross-fit and take a class with friend & coworker Tom. The last time I was in a gym was high school 532 gym class! I invite you to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself this month. Don't wait for your body to break down before you take care of it.

My Mom's Red Lentil Soup

This has become one of my regular go-to soups. It's fast and easy, and doesn't require a lot of ingredients + it tastes great. It comes from a handwritten recipe I got from one of my Mom's cookbooks. 

Nutritional fact: lentils are a great source of protein

Red Lentil Soup

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

optional: chili powder/cayenne if you like it a little spicy

1 litre veg stock

2 cups water

1 cup red lentils

1 large carrot

juice of 1 lemon

3 tbsp cilantro

Fry onion, add garlic. Stir in spices, add broth & water, lentils & carrots. Simmer 30 mins. Puree half. Stir in lemon juice.

Quick Kale & Soba Noodles

Here's a delicious, healthy meal that can be made in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for the weeknight supper! I put this together with fresh veggies from the market and garden. Mix it up with seasonal vegetables. Our 2 year old loved this dish (although he did pick out the kale).

Quick Kale & Soba Noodles

Soba noodles

1 bunch Kale

1 Yellow Pepper

1 Tomato

3 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 clove garlic

Sesame seeds

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add noodles, after 4 minutes add chopped kale. Continue boiling until noodles & kale are ready. Drain and rinse.
In a small bowl mix together tamari, oils & garlic.
Pour mixture over noodles and kale. Mix in fresh, chopped tomato and pepper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Enjoy!

a couple cheap vegan options

People often think being vegan is difficult and expensive, but there's lots of great options within non-vegan restaurants. Here's a couple of my favorite cheap vegan finds in Montreal...

Vietnamese veggie sandwiches in China Town

tofu dogs & fries at Lafleur

vendantanator sandwich (you can get it with no cheese) at Depanneur Le Pick Up

Grilled Portobello & Peach Burgers

Every year we spend a weekend at our friends Pat & Marissa's camper. This year we were spoiled with a full menu of vegetarian delights! The Portobello & Peach Burgers were definitely a highlight. The combination of sweet peaches with salty mushrooms was perfection! I highly recommend these.

Grilled Portobello & Peach Burgers

Makes 6 burgers

Ingredients

6 portobello mushrooms
6 peaches6 sweet potatoes
6 burger buns of your choice (If you don’t eat gluten, we have a quick gluten-free bun recipe on the blog.)
100 g fresh pea sprouts
5 small roman tomatoes, sliced
5 small spring onions, sliced
fresh thyme
olive oil
salt & pepper

Marinade Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 tbsp fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves
1/2 lemon
salt & pepper

Guacamole Ingredients

4 avocados
5 small Roma tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation: Clean the portobello mushrooms by carefully removing dirt from the caps with a kitchen towel or cloth; you can use a little water if needed. Pat dry. Cut the peaches in halves and remove the pits.

Making the sweet potato fries: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the sweet potatoes in 1-inch thick, 5-inch long sticks. Put them on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil, salt and thyme over them and put in the oven. The fries need around 30 minutes before they are ready, but you need to stir after 15 minutes.

Making the marinade: Pour olive oil in a small bowl. Add one chopped rosemary sprig, chopped thyme, mashed garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Stir around. Use the other rosemary sprig to brush the mushrooms and peaches with the marinade. When the grill is ready, grill the portobello and peaches for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, while you use the rosemary stick to brush the marinade over them one more time.

Making the guacamole: Chop avocados, tomatoes and parsley roughly. Add them to a small bowl with mashed garlic. Squeeze lemon juice over it, and mash everything with a fork. It’s okay if it stays a little chunky.

Assembling the burger: Slice the buns in halves. Let them get some color on the grill. When done, place a big dollop of guacamole on the bottom bun, and add pea sprouts, tomatoes, spring onion, one portobello mushroom and two peach halves. Add the top of the bun, and insert a stick to hold it all together. Enjoy!

Recipe from http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/

String Bean & Cranberry Salad

This is a fresh easy salad that can be made in 10 minutes!

Fresh string beans

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt

Lemony Rice Salad

Summertime is a great time for fresh salads. You can throw this together in 10 minutes using leftover rice and whatever veggies you have in the fridge.

lemony rice salad

Lemony Rice Salad

1 cup cooked rice

1 green onion

1 pepper

1 carrot

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 olive oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

 

Chop veggies, mix with rice. Add parsley & walnuts. Pour remaining ingredients over top. Stir and enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Perfect muffins for strawberry rhubarb season! I made these with fresh rhubarb from my mom's garden, and strawberries from the market. They turned out delicious! New favorite recipe.

2.5 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup rhubarb cut in small pieces

2/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup applesauce

1/3 cup buttahmilk (1 tbsp apple cider vinegar + non-dairy milk)

1/4 cup sunflower oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup sliced strawberries

Optional topping: 1 tbsp sugar + 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Mix dry ingredients. Add rhubarb. Mix in wet ingredients.

Bake for 25 minutes at 375.

Recipe from Jae Steele's Ripe From Around Here cookbook

Fennel, Sweet Potato & Kale

Just back from a holiday, I was keen on buying and cooking a whole bunch of fresh veggies. Here's a mix of delicious side dishes put together to create a colorful & yummy meal. Serve with your choice of grain.

served with couscous

Garlic Roasted Fennel & Pepper
Cut up fennel & pepper into chunks, add olive oil & garlic cloves (to your liking), sprinkle with thyme. Roast for 20 minutes, mix. Roast for 10 more minutes.

Sweet Potato
Cut into chunks. Boil for 10 minutes. Add vegan margarine, sea salt & pepper.

Kale
Steam kale (you can steam it over the boiling potatoes). In a frying pan, fry onion in oil. Add steamed kale, a dash of rice vinegar & tamari. Fry for a couple minutes to absorb flavors.

vegan handbag from co-lab

I've been looking for a new handbag for a while, so I was super excited to discover Christopher Kon's co-lab handbags at my favourite store in Hudson; facade. It can be challenging to find a good quality handbag that's not leather. Montreal's co-lab is a great vegan, local find!

colourful, cute & vegan

Roasted Veggie Pizza on Pita

Here's a quick and easy homemade pizza recipe on pita. It saves you the time of making the dough, but still allows for a homemade feel. You can make this pizza with any assortment of your favorite roasted veggies.

delicious, quick, homemade pizza

Roasted Veggie Pizza on Pita
1 small aubergine, sliced
1 medium courgette, sliced
1 red onion, cut into small wedges
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 individual pizza bases or pieces of pita bread
150 ml tomato sauce

• Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/Gas Mark 7.
• Combine the vegetables, oil, vinegar, thyme and pepper in a large baking dish and toss to mix well. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Set aside.
• Place the pizza bases or pita bread on baking sheets. Spread about 2 Tbsp. of the tomato sauce on each base or pita then top with the roasted vegetables. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 4 servings
Recipe from PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Vegan Carrot Spice Muffins

Levi loves muffins, and they make the perfect healthy snack, so I'm always on the lookout for new muffin recipes. These turned out to be light, fluffy and delicious.

Levi approved!

Vegan Carrot Spice Muffins

Recipe from oh she glows (Adapted from FFVK)
Yield: 12 muffins
Dry:

• 1 & 3/4 cup whole-grain Kamut flour (or white whole wheat flour)
• 1/4 cup natural sugar
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3//4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Wet + Mix-ins:

• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (oil replacer)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk OR yogurt - I used almond milk
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp water
• 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup raisins, soaked in water and drained
• 1/3 cup chopped & toasted walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Toast the walnuts (optional) on a baking sheet for about 8 minutes at 300F. Remove and set aside. Preheat oven to 400F and line a muffin tin with liners.
2. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (maple syrup, applesauce, coconut milk, water, vanilla). Add the wet to the dry and mix until just incorporated. Batter will be THICK!
3. Fold in the carrots, raisins, and walnuts. Scoop batter into the muffin liners, filling batter to the top. Bake for about 18 minutes at 400F until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/04/11/vegan-carrot-spice-muffins-for-grandpa/#ixzz2QAT2FSD9

Vegan Traveller

We love to travel to the small Family Islands of the Bahamas. Not much seems to grow on these islands and they are often limited on food so it's almost impossible to be vegan. We bring as much food supplies as we can, but here's a meal that can be put together in most parts of the world; pasta & salad.

We brought our own brown rice pasta and bought a tomato based sauce to put on top. As a side we put together a salad with tomato and cucumber. Voila!

Masala Burgers

These are delicious & easy to make. Most veggie burgers fall apart quite easily, but these hold together well.  Recipe from Everyday Happy Herbivore; vegan meals in 30 mins or less!

Masala Burger topped with tomato, pickle and veganaise. Served with a side of home fries & ketchup.

Check out Happy Herbivore for more quick, easy & nutritious vegan recipes