Pity Party Pizza – Vegan

 

Walnut and Brussels Sprout “Zaa”

 

46 days into prep without a re-feed meal and I was starting to feel like my next check-in email would be responded to with a “guess what? You get a re-feed”….instead, I was told that I looked like I’m retaining water which upped my cardio to an insane level AND changed my overall diet plan again.

This did not sit well with me, Jeff suggested we go for pizza. I had enough will to NOT cave and head for legit dangerous territory but I did need to pretend I ate pizza in order to survive.

I birthed a couple of recipes I hope you can find some enjoyment in.

Water retention. Pfft.

 

Tofu & Cheeze “Zaa”

Without having anything tomatoey, I needed to build a base. I was originally going for a Thai flavour but it ended up being something…else.

 

I utilized my usual vegan prep food for these recipes…but not the asparagus as I am mad at asparagus right now and don’t want to taste it on anything remotely delicious. Stupid, plain, boring and never ending asparagus.
Base:

Ezekiel wraps

1 tbsp sun butter

1/4 cup rehydrated sundried tomatoes (let sit in really warm water for 10-15 mins)

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup water
Cheese:

4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/8 cup water

1 tbsp chia seeds

*Mix all ingredients in small dish with fork and allow to sit for 10 minutes to thicken* voila “cheeze” 

Pizza toppings: 

Roasted brussels sprouts

Roasted broccoli

Chopped tomato

Cubed Tofu

Walnuts

Yellow onions

Maple Syrup

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 425.

Slather on base, then add ingredients as desired. Bake for 10-12 minutes checking back to ensure you aren’t burning the “crust”. On my second effort I sprayed the bottom of the “pizza” with coconut oil. 

Pizza #1 was: 

Base, slivered yellow onion, brussels, tomato, walnuts & drizzle of maple syrup.

Pizza #2 was: 

Base, broccoli, tomato, tofu (measured per my diet plan), “cheeze”.

Winter Salad – Eating in Season

 

A beautiful salad I wish I could’ve chowed down on!

 

Another recipe from my Earl Grey School teaching series in Calgary. Keeping it simple and fun allowed the kids to have a blast putting this one together.

Ingredient by ingredient they identified in season veggies

These ingredients were a great segway into teaching about carbon footprints, our impact on the earth and what it truly means to be a locavore.

The kids love participating ~ even when it’s just emptying out a baggie into a bowl. Hands on is key & food is the way to their hearts and minds.

Another  vegan (nearly raw) recipe requiring no cooking – perfect for you to pick up and make at home with your family.

I was SO impressed by what the kids knew about the items that we discussed. One girl even knew (without using the exact terminology) that broccoli and kale belonged to the same family ~ brassicas ~ faith in some of humanity restored….look at all those hands up in the air!

 

The smart board here is showing my chart that addresses carbon footprint impacts in the food production industry.

With the use of technology we were able to forego our usual paper handouts (which I hope were making it home for parents to have a look at all the continued resources) and put up a lot of great information for the class to have a look through and comment on.

These kids will definitely be thinking more “Earth first” after going through how they themselves can help reduce carbon emissions by the choices they make as little humans – they seemed to come away feeling quite empowered. If you’re looking for the lesson plan I used to accompany this recipe – contact me!

Ingredients:

– 3 cups raw, washed broccoli florets

– 2 cups blanched yams, cubed

– 2 cups frozen or fresh peas

– 1 cup green onion diced

– 3 cups chopped kale (any variety)

– 4 tbsp lemon juice

– 2 tsp grated ginger

– 1 tsp Himalayan salt

Method: 

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, stir and serve. You can also store in the

I think this one works best if you settle it in the refrigerator for a few hours to let all the flavours combine.

Top this recipe with sesame seeds or toasted pumpkin seeds as I have omitted these due to allergies.

Great as a side dish, this recipe serves 8-10 sides.

Falafel Salad with Tzatziki Dressing

A lot of the time new recipes are born of my die-hard desire to not waste any food in my home. Looking in the fridge I noticed there was some Tzatziki dressing that was going to go off ~ chickpeas to the rescue.

This recipe is simple, though not too quick if you’re in a rush but if you prep the whole recipe you’ll have leftovers you can freeze and use easily any time.

Going out for food is absolutely impossible during prep, these made the cut and didn’t equal a cheat because I re-arranged my Macros for the day to accommodate.

You must try this one.

Ingredients:

Falafel

2 cans of chickpeas

1 medium yellow onion chopped

4 large cloves of garlic diced

1 large dried chili pepper (or chili pepper flakes)

2 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp corriander

1 tsp parsley flakes

1 tsp celery seeds

1 tsp salt

1 cup spelt flour

Water as needed to thin mixture

Dressing: 

1/2 cup vegan sour cream

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup chopped dill

Juice of 1 large lemon

1 large clove of garlic

** Place all ingredients in small vessel and using hand blender mix until creamy and smooth**

Salad: 

Cucumber, Kale, Spinach, Peas, tomato – you name it! I keep a big clean bowl of ready-to-eat mixed greens in the fridge that work well with every style of salad.

Method: 

Combine all ingredients in bowl and use hand mixer or food processor to mix well.

“Raw” Ingredients

I liked this a little more on the watery side to ensure they cooked a little more quickly.

Pre-heat a cast iron pan to medium heat and coat lightly with coconut or olive oil. (You can use a non-stick pan if you don’t have cast iron). We are not looking to use oil to deep fry in any way, only to keep the falafels from sticking! I used a small ice cream scoop to set the mix into the pan, this made them about golf ball sized or a little smaller.

Cook over medium heat for approximately 4-5 minutes per side. The ingredients will firm up in the same way as a pancake, where you can see them starting to cook through the middle (from the bottom) and will know it is time to flip.

Don’t over cook these as they can turn into little hockey pucks quite easily, so patience is best when you’re working with this one.

Dress your salad with the falafels, add hot sauce, dressing and top with diced tomato and cucumber.

Enjoy! – Serves 8 (at least) or two plus a tonne of leftovers!

Nutrition Information Falafels: 

Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 158
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 3 g	4 %
Saturated Fat 0 g	1 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 254 mg	11 %
Potassium 211 mg	6 %
Total Carbohydrate 26 g	9 %
Dietary Fiber 6 g	25 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 7 g	14 %
Vitamin A	2 %
Vitamin C	4 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	17 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Nutritional Information Tzatziki Dressing: 

Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 57
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6 g	8 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	4 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 41 mg	2 %
Potassium 24 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 2 g	1 %
Dietary Fiber 0 g	1 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 0 g	1 %
Vitamin A	2 %
Vitamin C	6 %
Calcium	1 %
Iron	1 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

White bean dip – Vegan

  

  

Filling, creamy and a great source of protein. A simple bean recipe can edge out dips and spreads with ease.

Try this simple 5 minute recipe on for size.

Ingredients:

1 large can of Cannelloni Beans with juice

3 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup water in case of dryness

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

Method: 

Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

Serve with crackers or veggies for dip. Use as a great sandwich/pita/flat bread spread!

Kale Caesar

I recently had a full house when my parents came to stay with us and help get our home renovations under way. When you’re cooking for more than one type of person on the fly it can be a daunting task and you may just try to opt for the easy way out – packaged or fast food.

While we did step out to eat (slow food) a few times we did eat at home in our new kitchen as well. On a particularly busy afternoon I managed to find 3 types of protein that worked for the vegan, pescetarian and omnivorous family of the house.

Making a great base and then adding protein afterward is a great way to stick to YOUR dietary needs without singling out anyone in the family or neglecting yourself or them all together.

I hope you enjoy this one. The base Caesar recipe serves 4, protein serving suggestions (per person) below.

Ingredients

3 (women/kids)or 6 oz of protein per serving – salmon/chicken/tempeh

2 bunches freshly washed & chopped curly kale

1 cup washed bean sprouts patted dry

Himalayan sea salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Dressing: 

1 large clove elephant garlic diced

3 tbsp Veganaise

Juice of one lemon

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Method: 

Place washed and dried kale & sprouts in large bowl, set aside.

I use a hand blender and it’s receptacle (Braun) to place in all the dressing ingredients and blend until creamy.

Pour mixture over greens. Toss and coat thoroughly.

Top with protein of choice.

 

 

 

Vegan Irish Cream – Holiday Series

Rarely do I make desserts or work with alcohol (unless it’s for a tincture or homemade extracts) but this month we decided to have our family holiday dinner early so that we wouldn’t miss out while we are in Panama.

My family does not celebrate Christmas, though, not for religious reasons. We are atheists and really don’t celebrate any holidays. Our tradition is to go away each year at this time to spend a week or so together making memories on (usually) the beach. No store bought gifts, just the gift of our company and time.

This year, under the Christmas fern (there is a fern we threw some things under this year to appease Jeff’s family – we had a good laugh) this year were three lovely mason jars of delight as pictured above. Last minute I decided that I was in the spirit (he he) of giving my time and energy to something delicious and seasonally appreciated – Irish Cream!

This recipe takes no time at all, really no skill and is environmentally and animal friendly.

The only hitch is that you have to use quite a bit especially if you like to see your coffee turn white because this isn’t made with heavy cream. I’d say a 50/50 ratio is good!

I’ve included the nutritional information as well as traditional Irish Cream nutritional info so that you can see the difference for yourselves!

Ingredients:

3 cans light coconut milk

1.5 cups espresso/dark coffee

1.5 cups Jameson’s Irish Whisky

3/4 cup natural organic sugar. ( I used brown cane this time)

Method:

On stove top bring coconut milk to a light boil stirring often.

Reduce heat to simmer and add sugar. Continue to stir often for about 10-12 minutes or until the liquid has thickened some. You will be able to tell by feel when you are stirring.

Remove from heat and add whiskey and espresso or coffee and mix well.

This can be stored in a sealed jar for a week in the fridge. If you can this – it will last far longer. I made 2 litres of the stuff with this recipe.

Yummmmmy.

Nutritional Information: 

*Calories come from saturated fats, nearly 90%*

Vegan Irish Cream : Roughly 65 calories per oz

Traditional Irish Cream:  From 130-147 calories per oz

 

Coconut Date Poppers

This is a quick 2 minute recipe to curb that sweet tooth attack and add a few vitamins, minerals and protein in one bite!

Medjool are the sweetest/softest dates you can use…the rest will pale in comparison and be far less buttery.

Make sure you’re working with room temperature dates or allow them to sit out for an hour or so before you put this recipe together to maximize buttery-ness.

Ingredients: 

1 small/medium sized medjool date, pitted

.5 tsp shredded coconut

1/4 tsp lemon juice (fresh)

.1 tsp coconut oil melted

Method: 

Split your date(s) in half but not all the way through. Remove pits.

Add coconut and top with a tiny bit of coconut oil and top with lemon juice.

Repeat for as many poppers as you can handle/fit your diet plan.

Note: I used small/medium dates to come up with the nutritional information below. The extra large californial medjools will blow this out of the water by double.

Great to take on the road as well.

Nutritional Info: 

Total Calories: 93

Fat: 1.5 g

Carbs: 22.4 g

Protein: .7 g

225 g of Potassium & 36 G of Vitamin C!

Tofu & Bean Hash – Vegan

Quick & Painless

This month I committed myself to making some gains in the muscle department and getting a good prep in for a photo shoot in December. This means, you guessed it, meal prepping again.

At the same time I decided to lead a group of over 25 individuals on a 90-day reboot to build their confidence and body image through amazing diet and exercise. I think I need the inspiration to keep on track as well after my week in sunny Cabo!

This is a simple and typical bodybuilding-type recipe that I use for one of my 6-7 meals per day. You could sub soy chicken, tempeh or another protein source if you’re looking for variety.

This recipe takes literally 5 minutes to prepare.

I’ve currently been eating this AND a 1/2 cup of oatmeal….but feel free to add a noodle or carb of your choice for your desires.

Ingredients: 

1 cup chopped steamed green beans

3 oz organic tofu

1/2 tsp avocado oil

1/2 tsp Flavor God lemon & garlic

Salt to taste

Method: 

Heat oil in pan over medium heat.

Add all ingredients and fry until lightly crispy.

If you are using this recipe pre or post workout you can add your rice or quinoa or sub broccoli as well and make it even tastier!

Nutritional info: 

136 Calories

6g fat

5g protein

19g carbs

Pseudo gingerbread latte – Vegan Bodybuilding Series

   

 You all know that this diet is NOT the best, especially at the point where you’re into your last couple of weeks.

I took to trading in some of my fats for the day in order to down an almond milk latte or two.

I found that this pseudo homemade latte hit the spot and was pretty creative if I do say so myself!

The natural essential oils add a sugary / fatty taste where you don’t have to add anything. Not even stevia.

Ingredients:

1 tea bag – chai or gingerbread flavoured

1 cup almond milk, unsweetened & boiled/zapped

1 cup espresso coffee

Dash cinnamon & nutmeg

Method:

In very large mug for superhot espresso coffee and add teabag steeping for two to three minutes.

Remove teabag and stir in milk.

Add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Serve hot.

Chickpea Curry – Vegan Bodybuilding Series

Getting simple recipes down that make the cut when it comes to bodybuilding, well, isn’t an easy task. These quick recipes are meant to inspire anyone on a strict diet or preparing for a bodybuilding competition.

This meal in particular is great for pre-workout in the last 6 weeks or so of prep – for us gals in the bikini category anyway.

Ingredients: 

3 cups canned/soaked chickpeas KEEP THE LIQUID FROM THE BEANS – this is equal to 3 “meals”

1 tsp curry

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup diced onion

2 large cloves garlic

1 tsp coconut oil ( I like the full flavour one here to sub for cream flavouring)

Method:

Heat oil in pan on medium heat, add onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Add powders and mix well.

Add beans WITH liquid. Stir well and cook covered for 7-10 minutes. There should be at least 1/2 cup of liquid in there. If not, add some water.

Remove from heat after most of the liquid is dissolved.

Top with my Sriracha Salt recipe on a bed (1/2 cup) of white basmati rice.

Enjoy!