Lately, I’ve been having consultations with the lovely Caroline Marie Dupont who wrote what is perhaps my favourite food book, Enlightened Eating: Nourishment for Body and Soul (Cheaty HIGHLY recommends):

In our most recent meeting, some mornings ago, Caroline invited me into her kitchen and made me a chai — because she knows I have that, erm, wretched little GRANDE STARBUCKS SOY CHAI LATTE addiction. I didn’t expect much, to be honest, because nothing thus far has compared to Starbucks’ chai, and I’VE TRIED EVERYTHING. But, I decided to humour her, and I watched with great interest as she pitted the dates (best sweeteners, by the way, for smoothies).

Much to my surprise, this chai FAR SURPASSED Starbucks’. Yes, Caroline did it again. So, I told her I HAD to share it with my readers. And, since this recipe is not in her book, she typed it up just for us. Enjoy! But, first, Caroline’s cat — because LOVE….

ALMOND CHAI (SERVES 4)
A richly spiced creamy treat.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup soaked almonds
4 cups fresh water
1 ½ Tbs ginger
2 tsp cinnamon, or 2 inches cinnamon stick
½  tsp nutmeg
½  tsp cardamom
1 tsp allspice
¼ tsp black pepper, or 4 black pepper balls
pinch sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup soft dates, or soak ½ hour
2 Tbs raw honey (vegans who don’t eat honey can substitute with 1.5 tbsp agave nectar, or to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse soaked almonds and blend with water and all other ingredients at high speed until smooth.  Pour through a fine strainer, pressing with a spoon to remove all milk. Or, use a nut milk bag available through naturallyalive.ca (or do a search under “nut milk bags” on the internet). Taste and adjust sweetness if desired.

Serve slightly warmed, chilled or at room temperature.

Serves  4

Caroline and I sipped our smooth sweet chais during the consultation in THIS lovely room that OOZES spirituality (an area in which I have been GRAVELY lacking of late)….

BLISS!

Love!

xo Haley-O

There comes a time in every vegan’s life, I’m learning, that s/he has to get off her arse and cook — and start bringing her own food to Friday night dinner at it’sgrandma’s because it’sgrandma has enough individual palettes to satisfy.

So, I’m cooking for myself. Even if I have Rascal at my feet, tugging at my lululemons, I’m cooking for myself — not just rice and beans — but FANCY stuff. Well, I’ve made one meal. But, it’s served me well for THREE DAYS, and the monkeys enjoyed it, too (sort of — they only REALLY like “treats”). The apple in this dish DOES taste like APPLE PIE, though!

As a vegan dish, this is wonderfully nutritious and convenient: a mixture of grains and legumes makes it a good source of protein; the sweetness of the light coconut milk helps satisfy sugar cravings, and it’s oh-so-nutritious; the dish is loaded with fiber, beta carotene; and, finally, it’s LIGHT, one-pot, easy-peasy.

I adapted the recipe from Dreena Burton’s wonderful cookbook Vive le Vegan!

Check it….

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 4-6)

2-3 cups cooked/canned chick peas (and/or kidney/aduki beans)
1 (400 ml) can of light coconut milk (I’m sure you could try this with vegetable stock instead — let me know, if you try that)
1/2 onion (chopped)
1-2 sweet potatoes (chopped)
2 parsnips (sliced) (optional, but nice because adds more variety with each bite)
1 cup celery (sliced) (optional)
1-2 apples (peeled, cubed)
1-2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tbsp curry paste (optional) (I didn’t have any on hand….)
1.5 tbsp grated fresh ginger (or around 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric (for orange glow…, and more importantly for its HEALTHY properties)
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp allspice

2 cups cooked quinoa (or other grain)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Place all the ingredients in a large pot or casserole dish.

3. Stir it up ’till nice and combined.

4. Bake for 60-70 minutes, stopping midway to give it a stir.

5. Let it sit for a bit, and then serve in individual bowls with quinoa (or other grain)!

6. ENJOY!

(By the way, check author Dreena Burton’s food blog HERE!)

It’s time to get back to basics, Gorgeouses. I have been a bad BAD foodie. I’ve been JUST GETTING BY in the kitchen lately, and my children’s PICKY EATING is, I think, a reflection of my lack of passion about the food they eat. And, in turn, my lack of passion about food is a direct result of my utter EXHAUSTION lately. Which is, in turn, a direct result of bland diet which is, in turn, a direct result of my lack of passion about food.

OY! It’s a chicken-egg scenario. Only, of course, I don’t eat chicken. Or eggs. Or dairy. Or anything animal. Which makes PASSIONATE FOOD a bit of a challenge — both for myself and the kids.

SO, to end this DOWNWARD SPIRAL into doom and gloom and BLAND FOOD. I’m menu planning. At least for the kids. And, I’m getting out all my ammunition, as follows:

1. Better Food for Kids

2. The Eat-Clean Diet for Families & Kids

3. Wholesome Meals for Babies and Toddlers

4. Organic Baby & Toddler Cookbook

5. Brain Foods for Kids

That’s A LOT of kids’ and kid-friendly cookbooks. I have NO excuse for not getting edible food on the table.

And, I KNOW, I’m being hard on myself. Most kids are picky eaters. There’s not a WHOLE lot I can do. But, I want to try a little harder to APPEAL to their senses….

I’m not sure how much I’m going to take from the books, but there are tons of ideas in all of them. I’ll share recipes with you throughout the week. Anyway! Here goes. Weekday Menu Plan for THIS WEEK. CHECK IT!

BREAKFAST:

Will be easy this week. I’m going to make my — now famous, apparently — nutrient-packed VEGAN MUFFINS. When I run out of those, I have our favourite waffles….

LUNCH & DINNER:

Monday:

Lunch: Macaroni and cheese (a healthier version than Kraft). Sliced tomato and cucumber, and a fruit. I’m going to sneak in some PUREED butternut squash into the macaroni and cheese. The squash adds a richness to the colour, a subtle sweetness to the taste, and, of course nutrients and fiber.

Dinner: BAKED SALMON (recipe from Better Food for Kids to come). The monkeys LOVE salmon, and I never make it. Let’s give it a try…. I’ll bake some SWEET POTATO wedges, and steam some broccoli (sprinkled with almonds?) on the side. Recipes to come.

Tuesday:

Lunch: (Aka HELL DAY because I teach yoga at 1pm, which leaves me only HALF AN HOUR, after I pick Monkey up from preschool, to feed them). Leftover Mac and Cheese, sliced tomato and cucumber, and a fruit.

Dinner: Organic (Hallelujah brand) Chicken fingers and veggies (because I’m getting tired just LOOKING at this menu plan, AND Josh-O has dinner plans).

Wednesday:

Lunch: HUMMUS and vegetable wraps. Mmmm, something I can enjoy with them. VEGAN LUNCH. You should see my little Rascal eating a wrap. So fancy!

Dinner: IT’SGRANDMA’S COOKING.

Thursday:

Lunch: Peanut butter and jam on a bagel/toast. Milk/chocolate milk (for the monkey). Fruit.

Dinner: FRITTATA TIME! (recipe to come)

Friday:

Lunch: Hummus and pita, veggies, fruit.

Dinner: IT’SGRANDMA’S COOKING.

Who am I kidding. It’s such a lot of cooking and cleaning ALL THE TIME — this motherhood thing. Nobody tells you there’s going to be SO MUCH COOKING and cleaning ALL THE TIME. So, here I am telling you.

I also noticed that my kids wouldn’t eat MOST of the recipes from the above cookbooks. So much for my ammunition…. I’ve been flipping and re-flipping through them all and thinking MY KIDS WILL NEVER EAT THAT! Sigh….

So, you tell me, Gorgeouses! What are some of your favourite kids’ meals? (And, you don’t have to be a parent to answer this!)

It’s been a LONG while since I’ve even glanced at Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious….

But, today, I wanted to bake something special for my little monkeys. Maybe it’s a first-day-of-school syndrome for us moms. Anyone else go crazy in the kitchen today?

Anyway, I had some cauliflower in the freezer, and I was in the mood to party purée and fill my picky eaters with VITAMINSES. So, I pulled out the most “deceptive” cookbook I own…. And, with a few modifications, her “Banana Bread” recipe did not disappoint. CHECK IT!!!

BANANA MUFFINS WITH HIDDEN PUREED CAULIFLOWER

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes 12 Muffins)

Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar (I USE 1/2 CUP SUCANAT)
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1.5 cups banana puree (about 3 ripe bananas)
1/2 cup cauliflower puree
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat MUFFIN TIN with cooking spray.

2. Mix flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.

3. In another larger bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix the oil and sugar (or sucanat, for a healthier alternative) until nicely combined. Stir in the egg whites, cauliflower and banana purees, and vanilla.

4. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.

5. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin.

6. Stick it in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the centre comes out clean. Let it cool for about 10 minutes.

ENJOY for breakfast, snack, or dessert! They’re DEELISH!

I can’t get enough of this quinoa dish, Gorgeouses. I’ve made enough for what I thought were a few days, but it’s lasting me FIVE WHOLE DAYS. Quinoa’s just so FILLING, you know?

I got the recipe from a cookbook I am LOVING….

This cookbook is so deliciously healthy. I love it. It focuses on whole foods — which I am ALL ABOUT — and encourages a sensible balance of proteins, complex carbohydrates and fat. Author Tosca Reno suggests simply that each meal should contain a moderate amount of healthy protein. There’s no counting or weighing. It’s all common sense. A VERY DOABLE program. I did own her diet book at one point, but I sold it, because I found all the information and RECIPES I needed in the cookbook AND in her AWESOME NEW RELEASE (which I bought, of course), The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids:

I’ll talk more about this ULTIMATE family cookbook SHOON. For now, back to Reno’s fab quinoa recipe WHICH I adapted, as I always do, to make it just a WEE bit yummier and even more filling. Check it:

QUINOA WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES

Look how fluffy that quinoa turned out!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6):

1 tsp best-quality olive oil
8 sundried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
2 minced shallots (I used green onions — is that the same thing?)
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium, low-fat chicken or vegetable stock (OPTIONAL)
1 cup dry quinoa
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (OPTIONAL)
1 tsp sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper

About 1 cup of CASHEWS!!!

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse quinoa grains in fine mesh sieve (to remove the bitter saponin layer) until water runs clear (about 1 minute).

2. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add tomatoes, shallots, and garlic. Sauté until shallots are softened. (I used green onions, by the way, so this took very little time).

3. Add stock OR water and bring to a boil.

4. Stir in quinoa and cayenne pepper. Return to boil.

5. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

6. Let stand for 5 minutes, and fluff with a fork.

7. Mix in the seasonings!

8. CHEATY SUGGESTION: Place small handful of cashew pieces (you can break them up individually — very easy) in each dish for an extra CRUNCH and an extra filling PROTEIN PUNCH. YUMMMM!

9. Enjoy! And, let us know how you liked it in the comments (which are now working again thanks to my GORG designer — YAY!).