One episode discussed food waste and it made me reflect on my own purchasing of produce. I hate to admit it but I have recently wasted food. During Vegan MoFo, I was creating new recipes too frequently to eat it all. 30 recipes in 30 days was too much food for Mark and I. Food was forgotten; a burger that I meant to put in the freezer was now two days too old, half an onion went bad, a cup of soup left unattended in its tupperware, and an avocado was now blackened in the back of the fridge. I did not mean to do this on purpose. I thought to myself that I would get around to it but I didn’t and food was thrown away. As a food blogger, I am purchasing food based on its looks and disregarding those knobby vegetables or sub-par looking fruits, despite the fact that they are good to eat. I want to move away from this mentality since I am a part of the issue. I have committed to a simplier lifestyle with a smaller ecological footprint by not consuming meat or dairy. If I continue wasting food, I am still contributing to the issue of global warming.

So what to do about it?

I took a hard look into my fridge and asked myself, “What do I eat?” Seems like an odd question but I noticed a few things; I had chard that was looking pretty wilted, dill that had definitely gone bad, and a container of soy yoghurt that was expired and I was too scared to actually open it. Turns out, I just don’t like these things and that is ok as long as I don’t continue to buy them. I wanted to apply the same method I use for “How to Stock Your Pantry” to my fridge. I asked myself what do I love to make and wrote down some ideas for what to use the produce for. For example, I don’t actually eat bananas on their own but I use bananas for smoothies, overnight oat bowls, and nice cream. For greens, I prefer kale and spinach over chard, rapini, and argula (I like argula but Mark hates it). I love most fresh herbs but I felt the need to give dill another chance. Nope, still hate it so I put it on my Don’t Buy list.

I have come to realize that it is ok to not like certain foods however it is not ok to buy things and then waste them.

My carrots don’t have to be the most perfect looking carrot for me to appreciate the work and resources that went into growing this carrot for me to eat. Food should never be taken for granted.

Waste not, want not and that is precisely what I mean to do.

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made a recipe from this post? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

Golden Cauliflower Chowder

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Golden soup that is full of flavour, vitamins, and easy to make. This chowder has anti-inflammatory properties from the garlic, ginger, and spices to keep you feeling awesome despite the cooler weather. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, grain free, soy free, and nut free. It serves about 4 large bowls of chowder or 6 as a small side.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 3 small garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1.5 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 cups bite sized cauliflower florets, about ½ head
• 6 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• salt + pepper*
• 
  
• Garnish
• Chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the cumin and coriander until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the oil and heat. Once the oil is heated, add the onions and carrots. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are softened.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the turmeric, cinnamon, and cauliflower and stir to coat the vegetables in the spice mixture. Add the vegetable stock, turn up to heat to high and bring to boil. Once the soup is boiling, turn down heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is almost fully tender.
4. Add the chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Serve with warm flat bread and enjoy!

Notes

* I added ¾ teaspoon of fine grain sea salt but the stock you use may have a different sodium quantity than mine. Start with ½ teaspoon and adjust to your taste. I adjust mine right before serving since the stock will reduce as it cooks. I added a little less than ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper.

3.4.3177

The post Golden Cauliflower Chowder + Food Waste appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Does anyone actually follow the serving suggestion on a tub of hummus? Two tablespoons is the serving size on most purchased hummus. Like on one pita chip right? If you follow this serving suggestion then you have a greater will power than I do but I am just a mere mortal who loves her hummus. If I feel I have been indulging a little bit more than usual or eating a lot of takeout, hummus is one of those things that help me get back into the groove of healthful eating. I know I have food in the fridge if there is hummus and I have been known to really bunker down and eat my fill of it. Can you overdose on hummus? To me, the limit does not exist. (Still love Mean Girls)

Since starting school again I have noticed my hunger levels have gone up but my brain needs to be alert, focused and fuelled with good unrefined foods. Nothing is worse than a caffeine/sugar crash mid-test or exam so it is better to get your brainpower from whole food rather than stimulates like caffeine. Traditional store bought hummus is pretty good but uses a lot of canola oil (generally the second or third ingredient on the list) so it isn’t the best kind of fat you can eat. Store bought works in a pinch if time is not on your side and you need a snack ASAP!! I call these moments Snack-Attacks when I come home from work or school and literally tear apart the fridge on a mission to find the fastest snack I can shove in face. The hunger is animal-like and nothing can stand in my way.

Cooked dried beans make the best hummus. I don’t say this lightly but it is well worth the effort to soak and cook the beans for hummus. Cooked beans take the hummus to a freshness level that canned beans simply cannot and are way less expensive, even organic beans. I buy mine in bulk to make them even less costly and store them in large mason jars on my pantry.

Za’atar is a new spice in my pantry and I find myself eating more hummus because of it. This Middle Eastern blend consists of dried thyme, sumac, toasted sesame seeds and sea salt, making it a perfect pairing for hummus. Mark and I sprinkle it onto warm naan or pita bread drizzled with olive oil. A friend of mine who was raised in the Middle East says that at the Starbucks there they serve za’atar on warm buttered croissants. Sprinkle this spice on any Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dish that you fancy but also on roasted vegetables, hot rice with a squirt of lemon juice and with this hummus.

The post Lemony Za’atar Hummus appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

This week my younger sister Sarah came up to Toronto to visit me. She and I could not be more different since we disagree about almost everything. I wrote in an old post how incredibly picky my sister is and apparently she has not grown out of it.

She likes gummy candy and I prefer chocolate.

She will wear flip-flops until snow is on the ground and I bust out my knee-high boots at the first sign of Fall.

My sister is a big carnivore, not really liking fruits or veggies and I put kale in my breakfast smoothies.

I am a city girl and she is all about the suburbs.

She prefers mild, dare I say bland food while I am all about the heat and smokiness.

Sometimes I wonder if we are even related! But there are very few but important things that we do agree on: pajama pants are to be put on immediately upon arriving home, Disney movies are always the first choice when we hang out and plates are not required when eating cupcakes.

So when I asked her what she wanted for dinner we really didn’t have a lot to agree on but thankfully there is always chili, the only problem being the heat level. I told her I would make her a spiced but not spicy chili. I still needed some heat to please my palate without having to make two separate recipes.

I decided to make a sofrito, usually a raw sauce consisting of tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices but I decided to roast the ingredients to give the sauce a little more depth and to enhance the smokiness. I blended the charred mixture so it was easy to add to the chili for the heat-lovers. A mild but flavourful version with Cashew Cream for her and a smoky spicy version for me. Now we just have to pick out a Disney movie to sing along to after we feast on chili, crusty bread and beers in pajama pants of course. 

12 recipes down, 8 more to go!

The post Vegan Beer & Chocolate Chili with Smoky Sofrito Sauce appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Halfway there! It is kind of crazy how time flies by when you are having fun or when you are stressed out about deadlines for posts but for this first time MoFo’er it has been such a great experience. I am not sick of my kitchen just yet so it is full steam ahead in the second part of this month.

This recipe is inspired by my mother and her love for old black-and-white movies. When my sister and I were growing up, we did not have cable, just the old rabbit ears with tinfoil balls on their ends so we did not watch a lot of TV. My mother only enjoyed a select few cartoons like Animaniacs or Bugs Bunny (which I know them now to be incredibly violent!) so needless to say we did not watch a lot of kid-shows either. During my teen years when all my friends were obsessed with Dawson’s Creek, Friends and Passions (yes the soap opera) however my mother had no patience for 90’s teen TV characters complaining about how everything was just so tragic. “I will show you real tragedy,” she would say as you popped in a VHS tape. So I spent most Friday nights watching Gregory Peck in the Maycomb courtroom defending a wrongly accused man while Jem and Scout watched from the balcony, Audrey Hepburn in her trench coat, soaked and looking for Cat in the rain and of course Humphrey Bogart saying goodbye to his true love all for the greater good but meeting a friend along the way.

How I love Ilsa Lund’s (Ingrid Bergman) jewelry sparkling softly in the low lighting, the way she sipped champagne so elegantly, her large brimmed hats and her amazing capability to keep a white suit stain-free and glowing.

Rick’s Café Américain is what I thought every nightclub was like: large bandstand with talented musicians in white dinner jackets, a piano player playing beautiful love songs, fancy hats and gambling underground until I actually went to one and upon arrival some pimple-faced kid barfed near me, spattering it across my shoes. That place was no Rick’s.

Casablanca is still my favourite old movie as well my mothers. I imagine Morocco’s air to be full of warm spices, gin joints to get a stiff drink and having a grand but tragic romance with my true love. But in the meantime, I will just enjoy these Moroccan Spiced recipes with a drink in hand.

 10 recipes down, 10 more to go! Woot!

The post Moroccan Spiced Chickpeas: 3 Ways {Vegan & Gluten-Free} appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Thankfully I got my lazy butt in gear and made something wholesome, filling and delicious. Planning your meals, even just your lunches for the week can be a huge relief in your day to day routine since it is one less thing to worry about when you are heading out the door in the morning. Just assemble while your morning smoothie is blending up and you are all set! Mark and I ate this for lunch all week in wraps, stuffed in whole-wheat pitas or on The Big Salad (recipe below).

Though store bought dip can be convenient, it can contain a lot of junk masking as a health food. When I buy packaged food, even healthy food I find it has a certain “packaged” taste to it. Maybe it is the taste of canola oil? I can’t quite put my finger on it. A recipe like this is effortless to make at home, is healthier and tastes better than the store bought stuff. All the more reason to make it for your lunch this week!

 Notes:

• This recipe does make a lot of dip (about 3 ½ – 4 cups) so feel free to halve it.
• Use as a spread on toast, top with sliced avocado and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and ancho chili powder for a serious protein packed breakfast.
• Only top with an optional topping if serving right away since avocado tends to go brown etc
• Don’t skip the blanching step for the onions and garlic. If you do, the dip will taste like an onion punched you in the face.
• This recipe is gluten free, oil free, nut free and soy free

 Oil Free Black Bean Dip

•  ½ cup chopped red onion
• 3 small cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 Roma or plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 1/3 cup packed cilantro leaves (not minced, just the whole leaves)
• 1 tablespoon white or black chia seeds
• 4 cups cooked black beans or 2-15 ounce cans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn kernels (I used thawed frozen corn)

Toppings (Optional)

• Avocado
• Mango
• Cilantro
• Cherry Tomatoes

Set the onions and garlic in a small bowl and cover with boiling water and let sit for 5 minutes. Drain the water and the garlic and add to a food processor bowl. Add the diced tomatoes, salt, cumin, ancho and cilantro leaves; pulse the ingredients until chunky but not pureed.

Empty the contents of the food processor into a large bowl. Sprinkle the chia seeds on the salsa mixture. Add the black beans to the food processor and pulse until only a few whole beans remain, like a chunky hummus.

 No need to clean out the bowl from the salsa since they are going to be mixed together. 

Add the black beans to the salsa mixture and stir until well combined; stir in the corn. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to blend the flavours. Top with optional toppings, I used a mix of mango and avocado. Serve with pita chips, corn chips, veggies etc.

This dip is also great in a wrap with some smashed avocado and lots of romaine lettuce or my version of The Big Salad.

 The Big Salad

This salad is not your typical wimpy salad. It is hearty, filling and a meal in itself. A great salad to get anyone out of their basic chopped vegetable salad rut. The toppings are completely up to you and this isn’t so much a recipe as it is a formula. If you like more tomatoes, add more or if you don’t like something don’t add it at all.

•  Romaine Lettuce
• Diced Red Peppers
• Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
• Smashed or Sliced Avocado
• Cilantro
• Oil-Free Black Bean Dip
• Pita Chips
• Roasted Sweet Potato Coins

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub and dry a long sweet potato and cut into ½ inch coins, leaving the skins on. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and line the sweet potatoes in a single layer. Drizzle with 3 teaspoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Flip sweet potatoes over, coating the bottom of the coin with oil and add a pinch more salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes on middle rack, flip and cook for another 5-7 or until browned but not burnt.

Assemble the salad and top with Lime-Cumin Dressing.

Lime-Cumin Dressing

This dressing does not last since it contains fresh chopped herbs. The cilantro will turn brown when left overnight but it is a quick dressing to make anytime. Don’t like cilantro? Parsley is a good second choice.

Serves 2

• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ tablespoon fresh lime juice
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cracked black pepper

Put all the ingredients in a mason jar, secure the lid and shake away!

The post Oil Free Black Bean Dip and The Big Salad appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.