Chocolate energy shake

I just finished watching the movie May I be Frank which is about a man called Frank off course who is overweight, sick with diabetes and Hep C. He's dealing with a lot of anger. He embarks on a 42 day raw food and holistic healing journey. I highly recommend the movie.

I'm a smoothie junky, specially green smoothies and I love trying new ones. What's not to love, super food in a glass:) In the movie Frank drinks a smoothie that just sounded so good I decided to try to make it. It's amazing and now part of my daily routine. It keeps me full for a long time and gives me a little kick instead of drinking coffee.

1 cup almond milk
1 tbs almond butter
2 dates, pitted and chopped
1 tbs cocoa powder
1 tbs cocoa nibs
1 tbs Green superfood ( I used Amazing Grass green superfood)

Golden beet & lentil salad

I woke up feeling rested this morning and I think it had something to do with the amazing relaxing yoga class I took last night. James also made it to class after I got home, so we literally just exchanged kisses before he headed out but I find we both really do so well when we do yoga and happy parents makes happy kids.

I found beautiful golden beets at the farmer's market this weekend. I love eating baked beets with just some olive oil and salt but I also like them in salad such as this one with beets and arugula. Beets are high in potassium, fiber and folacin. Don't throw away the beet greens because they are very nutritional and contains protein, calcium, fiber, beta carotene, vitamins A and C, and some B vitamins. They're known in the arena of natural healing for their ability to purify the blood and the liver. We use beet leaves in green smoothies or in stir frys.

1 1/2 cup brown lentils, cooked and drained

1/4 cup green onions, minced

1 cup packed arugula

4 small golden beets, cooked, peeled and diced

2 tbs flax seed oil

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

2 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp garlic salt

Salt & pepper to taste

Blend flax seed oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Combine lentils, onions, arugula and beets in a bowl and toss with dressing. Enjoy with with warm bread for a complete meal!

Swiss chard pesto

Back to normal again, whatever that means. Bella and James just left for school and Noah is trying to to talk him self to sleep while I'm working and cleaning up.

Bella wanted pizza for dinner last night but I felt like pasta with pesto so we compromised and I made pizza with pesto. I used swiss chard to switch it up a bit and skipped the raw garlic so Bella would like it better and she did. For the pizza I used this recipe and spread the pesto on instead of tomato sauce and then sprinkled grilled zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and shiitake mushrooms. If you think the pesto is too "raw" for pizza you can always make it creamy by mixing it with some cream cheese.

2 cups swiss chard

2 tbs capers

1/2 cup almonds

Garlic salt to taste

1/2-3/4 cup olive oil (maybe more if it seems dry)

Salt & pepper to taste

Combine swiss chard, capers, almonds and garlic salt in a food processor or blender for 20 seconds. While machine is still running, slowly add the olive oil until smooth and combined. Stir in salt and pepper by hand.

Beans in a creamy taco sauce

I still had some green, yellow and purple beans I had bought for Thanksgiving dinner so they were served as a side dish with neatloaf, mashed potatoes on Friday night.

I'm beat after this weekend and after a week with no school which off course means I have to be even more creative than usual:) I know Bella is so happy to be back to school tomorrow and see her friends again. It's a good feeling with when your child loves her school.

2 cups green beans, ends and tops cut off

2/3 cup hot water

1 tbs taco spice (maybe more)

1 tbs dijon mustard

2/3 cup sour cream

Salt to taste

1/4 cup chopped Brazil nuts

Place beans, hot water, taco spice and mustard in a saucepan and bring t a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes or until beans are al dente. Add sauce cream, salt and simmer for another minute or so. Right before serving, sprinkle nuts on top.

Stir-fry cabbage and kale in a creamy balsamic sauce

This dish came out very pink and purple which was quit funny because it matched Bella’s outfit for the day and what better way to get your kids to eat vegetables than if they match themJ Otherwise, kids usually like this dish because it has a slight sweetness from the balsamic vinegar. I served this dish with quinoa but it will taste great with rice or noodles too.

¼ cup green onion, diced

1 cup purple cabbage, chopped

1 cups kale, stems removed and chopped

1 tbsp. canola oil

¼ cup hot water

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

2 tbsp. sour cream  (I used Tofutti sour cream)

Heat oil in a wok on medium heat and cook onions, cabbage and kale for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add balsamic vinegar and hot water and cook for another 5-10 minutes until cabbage is al dente. Remove from heat and drop sour cream, sat and pepper in and blend.

Chickpea & date tagine

This North African dish I found the recipe for in the current issue of Vegetarian Times. I've been receiving so many fresh dates from Sea Breeze lately so it was perfect recipe to try a lazy day like this. Tagine is a slow-cooked stew combining savory with sweet such as apricots, raisins or like in this case dates. Dates comes in many different kinds and is sticky and sweet. In contains very good amount of dietary fibers and flavanoids that is anti-flamatory as well as potassium and iron. I changed the recipe and omitted the lemon juice and added kale and corn to add more vegetables. I didn't have a couscous so I served it with quinoa instead.

Bella has a slight fever so we're cuddling and taking it easy today. I'm planning to go to a yoga class later and hopefully and wonderful walk in the sunshine.

1 tbs olive oil

1 large inion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1tsp coriander

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup kale, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup corn

3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-oz cans

1 cup whole-wheat couscous

1 cup pitted dates, halved

1/4 cup lemon juice (optional)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook 10 minutes, or until starting to brown, stirring often. Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, and sauté 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, kale, corn, chickpeas and 1/4 cup water; simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast couscous in small saucepan over medium heat 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add 1 1/4 cups water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
Stir dates and lemon juice into tagine and season with salt and pepper if desire. Serve over couscous and cilantro.

Happy Thanksgiving and neatloaf

I have so much to grateful for this year; my beautiful children, wonderful husband, friends and family and wonderful readers. I hope you all have a great day.  The sunny yoga kitchen is buzzing with all the cooking that’s going on and this is what’s on the menu for today.

• Walnut and buckwheat neatloaf
• Cranberry and pomegranate sauce
• Gravy
• Green bean and creamy mushroom casserole
• Corn bread stuffing with apples and dried cranberries
• Mashed potatoes
• Home baked breads and crackers
• Desserts by Jessica

Someone once asked me if we only eat the side dishes on Thanksgiving. I found it funny but realize that if you never been around vegetarians or been one you really have very little idea what we eat during the holidays. I know many vegetarians and vegans eat tofurky on the holidays and we have too. The past 4 years I’ve been making neatloaf instead which has been loved by vegetarians as well as meat eaters.

This year I’m planning to make a walnut neatloaf made with buckwheat to make it very hearty and protein rich. I find that neatloafs can be made so many different ways and you can be adventures and add all kinds of things that sound good. I don’t know why I associate walnuts with Thanks Giving and Christmas but I do and besides it add great flavor to a neatloaf. I like using buckwheat cereal as a base because it adds a lot of nutritens and also makes it easier to shake and cut the loaf.

1 ½ cups walnuts

½ cup yellow onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, grated

1 tbsp. canola oil

2/3 cup creamy buckwheat cereal

1 cup water

½ bullion cube, crumbled

1 tbsp. dried thyme

Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to F400. Process the walnuts in a food processor or blender until you’re left with a fine meal. Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat and cook onions and garlic for a few minutes. Add buckwheat, water and bullion cube and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add thyme, pepper and walnuts and blend well. Spread the batter into a greased small loaf pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Let loaf rest for 10 minutes before removing and slicing. Enjoy as a neat loaf sandwich, or with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy.

Cream of mushroom soup and green bean casserole

When I was a little girl and traveled with my mom by train to see my grandfather, we used to eat lunch in the restaurant on board the train. They served a cream of mushroom soup which I thought was heaven. I loved sitting there looking at the country side and cities passing by while sipping my soup. Yesterday I made a creamy mushroom soup and when I tasted it brought me back to that memory and it’s funny how food can do that.

I’m going to make this soup on Thanksgiving to use it for a green bean casserole. I will just lightly steam green, yellow and purple beans and place that in the bottom of a baking dish. Pour sauce over and sprinkle some slivered almonds. Bake for 15 minutes in F400. 

2 cups white mushrooms, sliced thin

2 canola oil

1 tbsp. spelt flour

1 cup milk ( I used plain almond milk)

2/3 cup cream (I used mimic unsweetened cream)

Bragg’s liquid amino’s or Tamari

Black pepper to taste

1 tbsp dried parsley

Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a frying pan and a single layer of mushrooms at the time, until browned. Remove from frying pan place into a sauce pan. Then repeat, add more oil and keep doing this until all mushrooms are browned. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and then combine with milk until there are no more lumps. Bring t a boil on medium heat while stirring. Add cream and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Add bragg’s, black pepper and parsley.

Gingerbread caramels

I love holiday’s and cooking for it. As soon as we getting closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas I start to cook and bake holiday food. These little caramels are divine and in my option a perfect present to bring to a hostess, friend or family. The gingerbread flavor is perfect for the holiday.

50g butter

1 ½ cup sugar

1 ½ cup cream ( I used mimic unsweetened cream)

½ cup corn syrup

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

½ cup dark chocolate chips

Melt butter in a saucepan and add cream, sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes, stirring often. The caramel is done when you can shape the batter to a ball after dripping in some cold water or if you are using a thermometer, the temperature reaches F260. Add pumpkin pie spice and chocolate. Stir until combined. Pour on to a parchment paper on a baking sheet or baking dish. I used candy silicon molds to make them look pretty. Place in fridge until stiff. Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut. And then wrap in paper.

Polenta terrine

I saw this dish being made non-vegetarian off course on Top Chef long time ago but when I found I had some corn meal in my pantry I was reminded of it and decided to make polenta terrine with vegetables and soy sausages.

There are a lot of different element to this dish and it has to be chilled over night so maybe not a dish for a regular weekday when the family is starved but for a cold Sunday dinner it was perfect.  I served the terrine with a simple tomato, basil and arugula salad but for the little ones maybe steamed vegetables would be more appreciated.

Polenta:

1 ½ cup vegetable broth

½ cup milk ( I used oat)

1 cup corn meal

Salt to taste

Bring broth, milk and salt to a boil on medium heat and add corn meal. Stir contantly until polenta is smooth and lump free, about 5-10 minutes.

Filling:

½ large red bell pepper, diced

1 small zucchini, end and top cut off and diced

1 large soy sausage, diced

1 tbs olive oil

Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to F400

Place vegetables, sausage, oil, salt and pepper on  a baking sheet, toss to combine. Bake for 10 minutes.

Place plastic wrap in the bottom of a terrine mold. Pour half of the hot polenta in the bottom and then the filling in the middle before spreading the final layer of polenta on top. Place in fridge over night. The next day, preheat oven to F400 and slice terrine carefully and place on a baking sheet . Sprinkle cheese over if so whish. Bake for 5-10 minutes to give it a slight color and warms it up.

Cranberry and pomegranate sauce

This weekend I have been working on preparing for Thanksgiving so I've been making cranberry sauce, crackers, cranberry baguettes, whole wheat spelt loaf and ginger bread caramels. I'm finally done and my poor feet are super tired. I was lucky that Bella went to the movies with my friend Jess and Noah took a long nap so I could work undisturbed, a rare occasion for any mom.

For years I've been making the same cranberry chutney for Thanksgiving and Christmas which has been very appreciated but this year I decided to make a new version because I had beautiful pomegranate and I wanted to use them. I personally things this sauce is amazing and I used it on a sandwich yesterday with tofurky on a cranberry baguette.

1 bag cranberries, washed

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp cinnamon

3 cloves, grounded

1 tsp dried ginger

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Combine in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil on high/medium heat, covered with lid. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, until it resembles and syrup consistency. Let it cool before pouring into bowls, glass jars etc.

Pumpkin curry

Last night we had planned to take Bella to Sea World se experience their winter wonderland. We're all ready to go and was waiting for James to come home. Finally 30 minutes late he arrived just to inform us there is a bad accident where we had to drive to get there so we could not go. Bella was devastated but with a promise to take her either on Sunday or Monday changed her mood.

With a stay a home night I made pumpkin curry with was a appreciated by everyone but mostly by Noah. It's a mild curry with sweet hints from the pumpkin but which can be made more spicy for the adults.

1 tbs coconut oil

2 cup pumpkin, diced

1 cup broccoli

1 tbs yellow curry powder

Bragg's or tamari to taste

1 cup hot water

Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

1 cup light coconut milk

Heat oil in a large sauce pan and cook pumpkin and broccoli on medium heat. Add curry powder, bragg's or tamari and hot water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 5-10 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add coconut milk and cayenne pepper if using and simmer for a few minutes. Enjoy with rice and chutney.

Lentil soup

Days go by so fast these day and on top of this is so dark all the time. I can't believe it's Thanksgiving next week already. When you're out and about your can feel people's holiday stress building so I try to stay away from stores and malls as much as possible.

I made a flavorful lentil soup for dinner last night to help make the day a little more colorful. I like lentil soup because they are so easy to make and easy to make nutritional. My daughter is not a big fan of tomatoes but she like this soup and calls it tomato soup. Hey whatever works:) I added cayenne pepper to make the soup a little but spicy for us adult but I added it after I served the kids.

1 tbs canola oil
1/2 yellow onion
1 large garlic cloves, grated
2 tsp garam masala spice
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
1/4 cup red lentils
1 cup hot water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup kale, chopped
Bragg's or tamari to taste

Heat oil in a large sauce pan and cook onions and garlic on medium heat. Add garam masala, lentils, hot water and diced tomatoes. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the  kale and return to cook for another 5 minutes. Add bragg's or tamari as well as cayenne pepper if so choses.

Roasted brussel sprouts with pomegranate

I've planted brussel sprouts in our garden earlier this year with the hopes I would have some to harvest for Thanks Giving dinner. Well that didn't work out so instead I bought some local ones at the farmers market. Brussel sprouts used to be one of two vegetables I was not keen on my once I learned how to cook them and make the fabulous they are now one of my favorite vegetables.

Brussel sprouts are naturally rich in dietary fibers, vitamin C and specially in the  natural health promoting compound glucosinolates which is a cancer fighting property.

I like to roast them with a little honey, oil or in the case balsamic vinegar to make them slightly sweet. I also added some pomegranate I had leftover from a lunch salad and it made a very nice combination. I served them with me roasted seitan and mushrooms and couscous with garlic and herbs.

1 pound washed brussel sprouts

2 tbs olive oil

3 tbs white balsamic vinegar

2/3 cup pomegranate seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to F400
Cut of the ends of the sprouts and if they are quit large like mine where, cut them in half of even quarters. Place in a baking dish along with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and blend well. Roast for about 25-30 minutes, until tender. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over before serving.

Coconut lentils

I have determined  that we kind of  obsessed with kombucha here. Amanda and I drink at least one a day so now I wonder if I should start making my own since they are so pricey. If someone has a kombucha recipe please do share!!!

I found a recipe for coconut lentils that sounded fun in Whole Food's "the whole deal" and gave it a try. I give it thumps up because both kids really liked it so I feel it's a perfect lentil dish for kids or anyone not so sure about lentils.

1 tbs coconut oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 tsp ground ginger ( I used fresh instead)

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 1/4 cups brown lentils

1 cup dates, pitted and chopped

2 tsp tamari or bragg's 

1/2 cup shredded coconut

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soften and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in ginger and turmeric and cook 1 minutes. Add 6 cups water, lentils and dates and bring to a boil. reduce heat to medium/low and simmer 30 minutes. Preheat oven to F350. Stir in tamari or bragg's and transfer lentils to a 2-quart baking dish or casserole. Cover and bake 30 minutes, then uncover, top with coconut and bake 15-20 minutes longer or until lentils are tender and coconut golden.

Cranberry spelt baguettes

This is a bread I bakes last weekend and it's one of my favorites now and I will bake this again for Thanksgiving. I like baking and cooking with spelt flour since it better for you. Whole wheat spelt flour is more nutritional than white spelt flour but by using white it's still good option to white all-purpose flour.

7 cups white spelt flour

1/2 package dry active yeast

2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups warm water

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp honey

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Combine flour, yeast, cranberries and salt in a large bowl. Mix warm water, oil and honey until honey is dissolved and add to flour. Work dough until combined and elastic, about 5 minutes. Set aside covered with a towel to rise for 1 1/2 hours. Place dough on a surface sprinkled with a little flour.

Knead the dough by folding sides over and over again for a minutes. Divide dough into four and shape each to a baguette by twisting each end carefully. Place on a baking sheet and cover with towel. Rise for another 30 minutes. Preheat oven to F425. Place a small baking dish with 1 cup water in the bottom of oven. Brush each baguette with water. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Braised red cabbage and apples

Fall is all about warm colors, warm fires and warming food such as braised cabbage and sausages. I found vegan beer brats and I love the combination of salty/spicy with sweet & sour taste of braised cabbage. Bella did not like the sausage but loved loved the cabbage and ate it with quinoa instead.

2 cups red cabbage, chopped

1/4 cup green onion, minced

1/2 cup apples, peeled, cored and diced

1 tbs canola oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbs honey

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in a pan on medium/low heat. Saute onion for a few seconds. Add cabbage and apples and sauté for 3 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and cook covered with lid for 20 minutes on low heat. Stir once in awhile. Serve with peppered tofu, brats, seitan or beans.

Orange ice cream

We had a very lazy morning at home where both kids still wore their sleepwears at lunch time, good day indeed. I went for an amazing massage with Andrea Liddle and now James and Bella have gone swimming while Noah is sleeping. We're planing to go out for a short hike to enjoy some sunshine when he wakes up.

 I was way to tired last night to post my orange ice cream recipe so here it is instead. This ice cream taste great served with brownie, warm chocolate sauce or like I served it with ginger bread muffin.

1/2 cup fresh sqeezed orange juice
Zest from 1 organic orange
1/2 cup plain cream cheese, I used tofutti
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped out and used
1 cup mimic whipped topping

Mix everything in a blender or food processor. Pour into ice cream machine and run until solid. Yum!!!!

Ginger bread muffins

We woke up to a rainy day but we love it because we know it means tons of family fun times indoors. We also are getting a lot of things around the house we been putting off such as cleaning the garage and organizing Bella and Noah's toys. Me and Bella also went out to jump in muddy puddles and boy did we have fun but we both got soaking wet and cold. It's so much fun to just be like a child and not care how wet you get.

Off course you need to make a yummy dessert to eat while watching the rain fall. In the case I made ginger bread muffins which is good eating just like they are with a cup of to tea or like we did served with  a side of orange ice cream. The combination of the spices and sweet orange is divine. I will post the orange ice cream recipe later tonight or tomorrow. Have a great Saturday everyone!!!!!!

Rain, rain DON"T go away, we need you today!

1/2 cup fresh dates, pitted and minced
1 tbs pumpkin spice
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbs dark muscovado sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup oat milk
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/8 cup canola oil
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup hot water
2 cups whole wheat spelt flour

Preheat oven to F350. Combine dates, pumpkin spice, sugar, salt, maple syrup, oats milk, flax seed meal, canola oil in a large bowl. Mix baking soda with hot water and add to other ingredients immediately. Add flour and blend quickly. Pour batter into greased muffin tins. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until center is dry.

Honey lime marinade

Great morning because I can breath through my nose again thanks to an amazing acupuncture treatment by Jackie Bensinger at Vibrational Healing Art. We don't take very much pharmaceutical drugs at home but rather trust in natural healing through herbs, food and acupuncture. I think it works because our kids are not sick very often and if they are they recover so fast.

Today is a stay at home day for Bella so we're having a lazy morning and later she is going to accompanying me to a yoga class and then lunch. Since daddy is home too, afternoon will be family time with games and I hope a long walk.

Dinner is already marinating in the fridge. We're having grilled honey-lime marinated seitan. I think I will serve it with roasted purple potatoes and other fun veggies. I think this marinade would work well with vegetables too.

1/8 cup olive oil

1/8 cup lime juice

Lime zest from 2 limes

1 tbs honey

Chili pepper

1 tbs Bragg's or tamari

Combine everything and marinate seitan or vegetables for at least one hour in fridge.

Spelt berry risotto

!'m finally feeling better today because I woke up without a fever for the first time in four days. Perfect timing too since James left early this morning for a business trip.

 I made risotto yesterday but made it more healthy by using spelt berries instead of white rice. The combination of spelt and mushrooms made a very earthy risotto with was amazing and just what a house filled with sick people needed.

Spelt berries are an excellent source of dietary fibers, iron and proteins making them perfect for anyone on a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

2 large garlic cloves, grated

1 tbs olive oil

1 cup mixed mushrooms, sliced

1 cup spelt berries

1 1/2-2 cups of warm vegetable broth

1/4 cup chives & garlic flavored cream cheese

1/4 cup cream

Heat oil in a skillet on medium/low heat and sauté garlic and sliced mushrooms until mushrooms are slightly browned. Remove from skillet and add spelt berries and 1 cup of the broth and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer for 30-40 minutes. Stir once in awhile so spelt does not burn in the bottom. Add more broth as needed. Combine cooked spelt with cream cheese, cream and mushrooms. Serve with steamed vegetable, beans or/and a salad for a complete meal.

Flu and healing juice hopes

Well I guess I have the flu and I still feel terrible. I've tried almost everything to get better; acupuncture, herbs, yoga and now wheat grass and veggie juice. So far nothing has worked so I guess I'm just on for lots of rest, HA not easy with two kids. Yesterday I send James out for a veggie burger with the kids for dinner because no way I was going to cook.

My appetite is very low so I focus of drinking lots of fluid and healthy juices. This morning I drink some wheat grass juice and then a mixed veggie juice with ginger. You do need a juicer to make this one.

Mixed veggies juice (1 glass)
1 large apple
1 handful beet greens
1 large beet
1 small piece of ginger
1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Place everything in the juicer and drink fresh

Broccoli cheese pasta sauce

Here I'm down for the count with a major cold. So annoying when I have so much work to do. Yesterday when I arrived home from my yoga class I was miserable and not hungry at all. Unfortunately my family still looked for me to cook them dinner so I make pasta with a simple broccoli sauce which off course was a huge hit with my broccoli loving family.

1 1/2 cups broccoli, steamed

1 1/2 cups water mixed with 2 tbs white spelt flour

1/4 cup chive & garlic cream cheese

Salt to taste

Pinch of nutmeg

Bring to a boil water mixed with flour in a sauce pan. Whisk the whole time. Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes and stir in cream cheese, salt and nutmeg. If the sauce seems too thick stir in some water or milk. Remove from heat and combine with broccoli. Serve over pasta. 

Oat buns

Yesterday's bake mania resulted in bread for the week in the shape of oat buns. I love Sunday evenings after the kids are asleep and I'm sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea with a warm bun with butter next to me whole I work.

1 1/2 cup oats

2 cups white spelt flour

3 cups whole wheat spelt flour

2 tsp salt

1 package active dry yeast

2 1/2 cup warm water

2 tbs honey

2 tbs olive oil

In a large bowl or kitchen aid, combine flour, oats, salt and yeast. Mix water, honey and olive oil together and add to flour. Combine and work dough to form an elastic dough ( about 5 minutes with a kitchen aid, longer by hand). Set to rise covered with towel for 30 minutes. Place dough a flour covered surface and knead dough for 5 minutes. Divide into 16 pieces and shape each into a roll. Place on a baking sheet covered with  parchment paper. Leave covered with a towel to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to F400. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Healthy brownies, does that exist?

With the time change the kids went crazy this morning and seemed to take turns sleeping. This way they could to most damage to us, at least that's how it felt at 4:30 am when we had all split up and I ended up with a Bella who asked every 10 minutes if it was morning yet.

Off course when you're so tired and on top of things it was a grey and rainy day, you crave sweets. So among cleaning, cooking and baking bread for the week, I banged out a healthy brownie. The secret is it's a low fat and high protein brownie because it's made with black beans, shhhhhhhhh. Everyone here loved it so finally there is a healthier version of brownies. The recipe came from here but I changed it a bit as usual.

15 ounce black beans, canned or cooked but no salt added
2 whole ripe bananas
1/3 cup agave nectar
5 drops of almond extract
1/4 unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 vanilla bean, sliced open and seeds used
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup instant oats

Preheat oven to F350
Grease an 8x8" baking pan. Combine all ingredients except the oats in a food processor until smooth. Scrape down sides a couple of times. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and  pour batter into baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until center is dry. Let cake completely cool before slicing it.

Tomato and lentil soup with kale

Today was Harvest festival at Bella's school so we were there all day, James with the kids and me as a vendor. Since I know we would be out all day I made a lentils soup that would be good for all of us and which I could put in a thermos so we could eat it at the festival.

1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed 3-4 times
1 cup water
2 tbs pindjur ( A roasted vegetable spread I found in the ethnic food aisle at Trader Joe's)
1 tbs plain cream cheese ( I used tofutti)
2 tsp Herbs provencal
2 tsp agave nectar
1 cup kale, stems removed and chopped
2 tbs bouillon powder
Salt and black pepper to taste

Bring tomatoes, lentils and water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add pindjur, cream cheese, herbs provencal, agave nectar, kale and bouillon powder and simmer for another 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Good green morning!

Today we're having a big storm hitting us with winds and lots of rain. It's nice to be inside by the fire and cuddle and that's what we've been doing this afternoon. Noah is mesmerized by the rain and loves looking out at it.

Noah meditating while watching the rain fall

I love drinking green smoothies because it's pure nutrition in a delicious drink. There is also no better way to get kids to eat green they might not normally eat such as spinach, kale etc. The mornings smoothie was even more green than usual because I added avocado and zucchini to it. The avocado makes a very creamy smoothie and the coconut water makes it perfectly sweet. I like adding chia flour and spirulina to add more protein to the drink. After drinking this smoothie I swear I lasted many hours, even taking a yoga class before I felt hungry again.

I hope my garden will be as green as this smoothie after all the rain

1 1/2 cup coconut water
1/2 cup zucchini, peeled and diced
1/2 cup kale, stems removed and chopped
1/2 avocado 
1/2 cup cantaloupe
1 tsp spirulina powder
1 tsp chia flour

Puree coconut water, zucchini, kale, avocado, spiraling and cantaloupe in a blender until very smooth. Add some water if it seems too thick. Stir in the chia flour and enjoy right away.

Bell pepper & tomato sauce and marinated tofu

Yesterday’s dinner was a chaotic zoo with both kids whining or crying about everything and nothing. James was late so I was on my own. I was feeding Noah while Bella was trying to negotiate with me and singing her little heart out the same time. On top of this I was starved and I could hear our bunny stomping his feet as to say, what about my dinner? I ended up eating my dinner standing up while rocking Noah, (not good for digestion) and when James finally came home, I was happy to say, “here are YOUR kids”.

However, dinner was so good with herb roasted vegetables, marinated tofu and an amazing rich flavored sauce with that. The sauce is so easy to make that I know I will do it again soon. The sauce is creamy but there is not an ounce of cream in it, cashews are what makes it creamy. The tofu I don't know the exact measurements because I did it pretty fast but it's a very tasty way for a quick marinade.

Bell pepper & tomato sauce

1 large garlic clove, grated

2 tsp. canola oil

1 cup ripe tomatoes, chopped

½ cup red bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Salt to taste

Chili pepper to taste

½ cup raw cashews

Heat oil in a skillet on medium/low heat.  Sauté garlic for 1 minute. Add bell pepper and tomato and cook for a few minutes. Puree vegetables in a blender or food processor along with apple cider vinegar and cashews. Return to skillet to reheat and add spices.

Marinated tofu

1/2 package extra firm tofu

Bragg's liquid amino's or tamari

Grated fresh ginger

Lemon juice

honey

Mix everything or the marinade and blend with diced tofu. Let it soak up the flavors in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 

Grilled cheese & pumpkin sandwich

For Halloween the kids wanted grilled cheese sandwich instead of pumpkin soup. To stay in the spirit of Halloween I made a pumpkin and grilled cheese sandwich for them which they loved. In my cookbook I have a recipe for a sweet potato & lentil quesadilla which my friend Annie adapted and made her version with pumpkin instead inspiring me to make these little goodies.

Did you know that pumpkins are loaded with pure goodness such as vitamins, minerals, fibers and antioxidants? Pumpkins contains very good amount of fibers, vitamin C, K and E as well as carotenoids, magnesiums, potassium and iron. So make pumpkins part of your diet all year round, not just for Halloween and Thanks Giving.

2 sandwiches

2 slices of whole grain bread

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

A couple of sliced cheese per sandwich

Canola oil to cook them in

Spread 1/4 cup pumpkin puree on two of the bred slices. Add cheese and then place leftover bread slices on top. Heat oil in a skillet on medium/low heat. Fry each sandwich a few minutes on each side until crispy and golden brown and cheese has melted.

Quinoa and mushroom casserole

Today is International Vegan day so lets celebrate eating wonderful food everyday!!!

Oh boy there are a slow crew at home today. We're feeling the lack off sleep because we went to sleep later then usual.It's hard to get a five five year old to bed when she's been playing all evening. Noah went down for a nap already at 7 am. I'm heading to a yoga class later with the amazing Bahava Ram and I can't wait. Today is one of those days I really need some quit time for both body and mind so this class will be perfect for me. I already prepared lunch since I won't have time to cook it later and today it's a old favorite; quinoa and mushroom casserole.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed in hot water
1 tbs canola oil
6 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1/4 cup green onion, diced
1 cup broccoli, cut into smaller pieces
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup black bean
2 cups warm vegetable broth
1/2 cup garlic 7 chive flavored cream cheese
1/2 cup red peppers, diced
Salt & pepper to taste


Preheat oven to F400
Heat oil in a pan on medium to low heat. sauté onion and mushrooms until slightly browned. Place quinoa in the bottom of baking dish. Add mushrooms, broccoli, corn, black beans, broth and cream cheese and combine very carefully. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until vegetables are soft and quinoa cooked. Add salt and pepper as needed and sprinkle red pepper over before serving