I bring them with me to my desk, reviewing recipes to make or adapt to my liking, I bring them to bed and Mark puts them back onto the bookshelf when I, inevitably, fall asleep while reading. I believe that a well written cookbook can make a reader feel like they are in the kitchen of the writer. Writing a cookbook or blog is inviting people into an extension of their home. I feel I have dined with people I have never met before by making their recipes. I have been following Sprouted Kitchen for quite some time now. Sara’s recipes and Hugh’s photography constantly motivate me to practice just that little bit more, behind the camera and in my kitchen. Their book, The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl and Spoon: Simple and Inspired Whole Foods Recipes to Savor and Share, is one I grab frequently since Mark and I eat a lot of bowls.

The mixture of grains, fresh vegetables, and protein, topped with a great tasting sauce fuels my body and soul. I enjoy its simplicity in making and its variations of toppings. Bowls are a big part of my weekly meal plan and with this book to guide me, the possibilities have grown tremendously.

Some may think the term “hippie” is offensive but, like Sara, I use it with the utmost endearment.

12 recipes down, 18 more to go! See you tomorrow for Day 13: Kitchen Tour. Missed Day 11? Check it out here.

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

FYI: This post does contain an affiliate link from Amazon. If you purchase the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook through the link, I receive a teeny commission from Amazon. It does not increase the cost to you at all. 

SC Hippie Bowl w/ Citrus Miso Sauce

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

This recipe doubles well so you can have leftovers for a work lunch or dinner the next day. If you don't want to use tofu, steamed edamame beans work well.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: vegan

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed
• 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed oil
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• Fat pinch of red chili flakes
• ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1 cup short grain rice
• 2 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and shaved into thin ribbons
• 2 cups finely shredded red cabbage, massaged in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ ripe avocado, cut into sliced
• Black or white sesame seeds (optional)
• Red chili flakes, if you like it spicy (optional)
• 
  
• Citrus Miso Dressing:
• ¼ cup raw cashew butter
• ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white miso
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
• 3 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• Red chili flakes, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Rinse and drain the rice. Add it to 2½ cups of boiling water, bring back to boil, turn down heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Drain any excess water and fluff the rice.
3. While the rice is cooking, toss the cubed tofu in the lemon juice, sesame seed oil, syrup, salt, and chili flakes. Bake for 20 minutes until crispy, flipping halfway through.
4. Meanwhile, add all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside until you are ready to dress your bowls.
5. While the tofu and rice are cooking, prep your vegetables.
6. When the rice is tender, add it to the bowls, then the veg and cooked tofu, and dress with Citrus Miso Sauce. Add sesame seeds and chili flakes if you desire.

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The post Day 12 Vegan MoFo: SC Hippie Bowl w/ Citrus Miso Sauce appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

I am so excited for this year’s Vegan Month of Food! Last year, I posted 18 recipes in just one month but this year, I am committed to doing the full 30. A year has past, I feel more confident as a food blogger, S&C has had a major redesign, I released my (free) eBook, and the response about my new philosophy of 12 ingredients or less has been overwhelmingly positive. A huge thanks to all my readers. If you are new to Vegan MoFo or just want to say hi, leave a comment below to introduce yourself. I will be so happy to e-meet you. 

Let’s get started!

Breakfast is a meal that gets a little neglected since most of us are busy in the mornings and our only goal is getting out the door to go to work, preferably with both shoes on. These days can be tough to get an actual meal in and I admit, I have relied on just coffee more than a few times but I am hoping with these recipes, we can change that.

Normally for breakfast, I have a green smoothie that I drink at my desk while I check over emails and plan my to-do list for the day. The roar of the Vitamix blender means that good things are happening. I eat more greens now than ever before thanks to my blender and green smoothies. Drinking greens in the morning is like my little insurance policy for my health, just in case I don’t have the most balanced diet for the remainder of the day. With this smoothie, you are getting 2 full servings of raw green vegetables, 2 servings of fruits, some healthy fats, and protein from the hemp seeds. Good morning indeed!  But what about those lazy mornings? Those weekend mornings when you sleep in, tuck into a large mug of steamy coffee, and want to eat a big breakfast? Good morning Tofu Scramble!  There was once a time I ate eggs every single day, not the yolks, just the rubbery hard boiled whites. Blah. How I detest the smell of eggs now. I swore off anything that looked like eggs for a long time but thankfully, tofu scramble has won me over. I first had it at a breakfast place that also served tofu scramble along side its regular diner-style breakfast menu. It tasted great but was served white and definitely still looked like tofu. Turmeric, a natural anti-inflammatory spice, colours the plain white tofu into a breakfast that looks more familiar. Pair with some fresh tomatoes, sourdough toasts, and, of course, coffee and you have yourself a fine weekend breakfast. 

1 recipe down, 29 more to go! See you all tomorrow for Day 2: Recreation of a Childhood Meal. 

P.S. The S&C Green Smoothie photographed above is available in my free ebook! Subscribe to get this recipe and 14 other no-cook, vegan, and gluten free recipes. 

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

4.0 from 1 reviews

Easy Tofu Scramble

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

22 mins

 

Breakfast should not be an all day cooking event, especially when you wake up hungry and just want to eat. This Tofu Scramble is as easy (and quick) as Sunday morning. This recipe is gluten free and nut free.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Vegan, gluten free

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• For the Tofu Scramble:
• ½ block extra firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ small red onion, diced fine
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 
  Serve with:
• Toast
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Ketchup
• Salsa
• Hot Sauce
• Maple Sriracha Bacon

Instructions

1. Wrap the tofu in a clean dish towel or paper towels and set under something heavy, like a book, to press the water out of the tofu. Set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet and dice the onion.
2. Cook the onion until softened and slightly brown, about 4 minutes. Crumble the tofu with your hands into the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
3. Grind the spices and salt in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Transfer the ground seasonings to the tofu mixture and stir well to coat. Cook for another 4-6 minutes. I try a piece after the 4 minute mark to see if the raw tofu taste has been cooked off, if not continue to cook.
4. Once the tofu is cooked to your desired taste, serve with your favourite breakfast fixings and enjoy!

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The post Day 1 Vegan MoFo: Weekday & Weekend Breakfasts appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

This is for my mother, who taught me to love who I am and what I do,

Reading is my favourite thing to do beyond cooking, writing or photographing since books have been a wondrous habit of mine since I was young. My mom, a real champ about my book addiction, would stop at garage sales to look for new books for me, would fill out my order card for the book fair at school every year with at least three new books and we were frequent card users at our local library. She was a single parent for the majority of my life, worked two jobs to feed and clothe my sister and I but she never complained or questioned my need for books. Whenever we were at a family gathering and my social anxiety was at an all time high, she never pushed me to “go play with the other kids” since she knew I was most comfortable under a tree in the backyard reading a book. I had a bad habit of hiding in odd places to avoid my younger sister or cousins so I could read in peace. One of my favourite places to do this was the linen closet in the hallway. I would climb up the shelves, tuck myself in between the sheets or towels, turn on a battery-operated push light that my mom taped to the wall and read my book in a little space all to myself. It really freaked my mom out to see a small child’s head amongst the linen whenever she opened the closet. Her reactions were always very funny to me.

When I was eleven, I started reading the Harry Potter series and absolutely fell in love with the magical world, as I am sure all of us who read it did. Money was very tight during this time of my life but my mom, bless her heart, still bought me the newest Harry Potter books when they came out. She told me that there were worse things to spend money on than her daughter’s books and kept encouraging me to read. She hugged me when I sobbed over a character’s death and never once suggested that, “it wasn’t real,” even though I was sixteen when the seventh book came out. She knew that I was emotionally invested in the story and my feelings about it were very real to me. I will always appreciate her compassion. The Harry Potter series is still on my bookshelf, 17 years later, and I have refused to lend them out since they are my most special collection, thanks to my mom.

My sister and I played dress up quite often since we grew up with tinfoil covered rabbit-ear antennas and a VHS player that occasionally ate our beloved Disney tapes, we were left to entertain ourselves for the most part. For Halloween one year, I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast and I loved that bright golden dress with the matching gloves. I definitely pretended I was Belle and would hang out in the yard wearing that dress and reading a book. My mom never said anything about me wearing a Halloween costume in July but simply reminded me to bring out a blanket so I wouldn’t mess up my dress. 

My mother has helped me become a life-long reader and introduced me to my ultimate passion in life. She encouraged me to be myself, that odd book-reading kid who hides in the linen closest to catch up on her R.L. Stine and stood up for me whenever a family member questioned my desire of isolation. Sure, I was a weird kid that got really excited when I saw my mother carrying old dusty books in a grocery bag but she was more than happy to feed my addiction.

A special thanks to my mom for encouraging me to do the things that make me the happiest and allowing me to be myself, despite what others might think. Happy Mother’s Day to you.

Love, Jessica

This recipe is adapted from At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: Celebrating the Art of Eating Well

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a *teeny* commission if you make a purchase using this link.

The post Mother’s Day Special: Roasted Tomato & Herb Quiche appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

I remember participating last year, my first ever vegan community contribution, with much anxiety but what a difference a year can make. Once I received the email from the talented (and wildly patient) host Annie from An Unrefined Vegan about this year’s winter VVP I instantly signed up, loving this round’s feature ingredient: citrus.

 Last year for VVP, I lived in a super cramped basement apartment so my photography was almost awful (don’t look really!) unless I wanted to strap on my boots and take everything outside in -30 degrees. Cooking for my site consumed all of my countertop surface every single time. Thankfully Mark and I have moved up and out of the basement into a super cramped above ground apartment but thankfully with a lot of natural light pouring in. The kitchen (almost) always remains covered with post-it notes with recipe ideas, legal paper with ingredients lists and of course, dirty dishes. There are plenty of things to hate about blogging, especially a recipe blog: the recipes that don’t work out that you REALLY wanted them to (my first idea of this year’s VVP was a total bust), the loads of dirty dishes from an unsuccessful recipe and plenty of ho-hum dinners.

 This recipe is inspired by a particular ho-hum takeout dinner that I bought a few weeks ago. I was Christmas shopping, sweating profusely in my thick winter coat (I firmly believe malls should have a coat check around the holidays), carrying around heavy bags and insanely hungry. What is it about malls that make me so hungry?? I stopped by a “healthier” food court place, wishing I had packed something in my purse. The description of the order (A vegan citrus-sesame tofu noodle bowl) sounded pretty good, it was gluten-free and my hunger was screaming at me. When I got it however it was not nearly as good as it sounded: a generous amount of overcooked rice noodles, spongy tofu, a few shreds of carrots dressed with a greasy sauce. How did I just pay $9 for this? I am not one to send food back since it is exactly what I ordered but it did take a lot of Sriracha to make this dish remotely edible. This is my vow to never again purchase such crappy takeout.

 Making food at home does take longer but it is almost crazy how inexpensive it is compared to eating out and I think we could all save a little moolah around this time of year. This bowl is the dish I wish I had on that shopping day: plenty of wholesome raw veggies with a flavourful sesame-citrus sauce. All you need to eat a large bowl of veggies in the winter is a really good sauce. This one is nutty, citrusy and a teeny bit spicy. If you aren’t a fan of spice, feel free to omit the pinch of chili flakes and go easy on the spice for the tofu.

 Citrus being in season adds some vibrancy to these otherwise grey snowy days and I am so glad it was chosen as the feature ingredient. This dish features two citrus fruits: lime and mandarin orange. If you can’t find mandarin oranges, regular oranges work just fine. The vegetables chosen for the bowl can be substituted for whatever you like as well as the zucchini noodles- if you are feeling chilly, you can get them a light steam or replace them with buckwheat noodles (not all buckwheat noodles are gluten-free so check the label).

 Now I am going to make myself a huge mug of tea to sit down and read all of the blog posts and citrus recipes for this year’s VVP. A big thanks to Annie for hosting as well as the mentors for this event: Poppy, Keely, Angela and Sarah. When I first starting blogging, I thought it was mostly competitive but I quickly realized it is about community, support and events like these to bring bloggers together and be inspired by one another.

 To check out the next blog, click on the icon below. Girl Eats Greens is next up on the VVP blog trail! Happy eating

 To go back to the previous blog, click on the icon below. Art, Health, & Happiness is showing the citrus some love!

The post VVP: Sesame-Mandarin Zoodle Bowl with Chili Lime Tofu appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.