Coconut Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

It's that time of year again when I'm making soup or chili once a week! Growing up, I hated carrot soup. Bleck! Now I crave it! So yummy and so versatile. As soon as the weather starts to turn cold I make (in this order) chili, carrot soup, and chili. Lol True story.

One of the other reasons I love making carrot soup, is that it goes amazingly well with coconut milk. I am obsessed with coconut milk. It's so darn tasty! I cook with it quite often so I always buy the low fat version but this time I went a little crazy and bought the full fat. Woah! Slow down Krystle. ;)

Check out the Winter 2012 version of carrot soup from Krystle's Kitchen:

Coconut Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

4lbs carrots, chopped

2 cups red split lentils

3 roma tomatoes, diced

1 onion, diced

3 garlic

3 lemongrass, chopped, big pieces

3 cups veggie stock

3 cups water

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp saffron

1 tsp ground galangal (or ginger)

1 can coconut milk

Directions:

Place all ingredients except for the coconut milk into a slow cooker and cook on high for 8-10 hours. Once the carrots are soft enough to blend, remove the lemongrass. I cut them into large pieces so that they are easily removed. Pour in the coconut milk and puree with a hand blender until smooth. It will take about 5-8 minutes. If you don't have a hand blender, use a regular blender or food processor! 

Coconut Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

Chopped cilantro would have been nicer as the garnish but I was out and I'm out of town for the weekend so I didn't want to buy it and end up wasting it. But I highly suggest it for yours! This made a boat load of soup. Awesome for lunches. Goes great with a whole grain bun or a nice salad. Keep it clean friends!

Peace

xoxo

K

Vegan MoFo Day 5: Chickpea vindaloo with mango and coconut milk

I have been threatening to cook dinner for my friend Danica for months now but every time we plan on it, we end up going out on some sort of adventurous fun time on the town. Not that I'm complaining cuz we have FUN! lol But last night we FINALLY did it! I made her a feast, we chatted and got caught up and started planning our Halloween costumes. :)

I whipped up a new recipe for her on the fly. I had no idea how it was going to turn out but it was deelish!

Chickpea Vindaloo with Mango and Coconut Milk

Ingredients

3 cups chickpeas

1 mango, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 inch piece ginger, minced

2 tbsp Patak's Vindaloo paste

1 can coconut milk

1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Saute the onions, garlic and ginger with 1 tbsp of grapeseed oil until fragrant and translucent (about 5 minutes) on medium heat.

2. Add tomatoes and saute for another 5 minutes.

3. Add the chickpeas and water, cover and  simmer for 7 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for coconut milk. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

4. Pour in coconut milk, simmer for 2 minutes and serve!

I served mine with brown rice and a bed of organic spinach. Don't give me credit for the bed of spinach, I stole that idea from the Foundation restaurant. Such a great idea to get some extra greens and adds some pretty colours to your meal.

Chickpea Vindaloo

Chickpea Vindaloo close up

My love for coconut has not diminished at all. Our love story is holding strong. lol. I love cooking with coconut milk! It makes food taste so yummy! This was no exception to this statement. :)

Try it out!

Peace

xoxo

K

Picnic in the Park: vegan, gluten free salads

Every Tuesday for the rest of the summer there will be outdoor movies playing at Stanley Park. I LOVE to go watch these. The actual movie doesn't necessarily matter, its just the experience that I like. Its outdoor, different from the usual ways we watch movies and if you're on a date then its kinda romantical.

I whipped up a few salads to take down with us. I love having a picnic. I think its cute. :) It can get pretty chilly at night so bring extra blankets, a sweater, snacks and bevvies. 

Asian Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled, chopped, boiled

1.5 cups cooked edamame

1.5 cups corn

Handful Thai basil

1 cup creamy coconut dressing

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a big bowl and serve.

Creamy Coconut Dressing

Ingredients

1 small can low fat coconut milk (160ml, Organic)

6 tbsp stone ground mustard (Organic)

1 tsp Sriracha

1 tsp tahini (raw, Organic)

3 tbsp organic shredded coconut

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well combined. Season to taste.

I made this dressing before, which you can find here. This time I added some organic shredded coconut. That's the only difference.

SO yummy!!! 

I also put together a quinoa salad. There is no recipe for it. Just quinoa, sprouted mixed beans, carrot, celery, a little grape seed oil, sesame oil, splash of soy sauce, garlic powder, chili powder, chili flakes, 1 lemon juiced and some apple cider vinegar. I think that's it. And no idea on quantities. I was just throwing stuff in and tasting. Seeing how it all worked. It turned out yummy even though there is quite the mix of seasonings in there. 

Then I made my Avocado Kale salad. Which you can get the recipe here. The only difference is the fixings. I didn't use carrots, celery or mustard cuz they are in the other ones. All the rest is the same, which a few handfuls of grape tomatoes. I like making this one cuz you get to massage the kale. Its fun making food with your hands like that. I washed of course. 

Oh yah, I put a container of broccoli sprouts in it too. 

 There is also some hummus and rice crackers. 

My plate! Super nutritious and satisfying dinner. Lots of protein and fats to keep you full.

Lots of boys to snuggle with. ;)

This week was Zoolander. Which I haven't seen in years. So funny! Next week is Spaceballs. I'm pretty sure I've seen it but totally don't remember. Should be fun!

Check out the link for the movies here. Its a great time.

Peace

xoxo

K

Creamy Coconut Dressing

Every Sunday I go grocery shopping for the week and of course I pick up a boat load of veggies. Unfortunately I picked up waaaaayyy too much, forgetting about all the weekend getaways I've been doing. But thankfully, a lot of what I eat are greeny leafy veggies so they are easily steamed and chowed down. Since I had so many of them, I thought I'd just steamed them all and work on it over a couple days. Of course, you need something tasty to dress them with so I whipped this bad boy up. And dayum! DELISH.

If you stop by here often, you already know that I LOVE coconut milk. If you don't know, now you know....

Creamy Coconut Dressing

Ingredients

1 small can low fat coconut milk (160ml, Organic)

6 tbsp stone ground mustard (Organic)

1 tsp Sriracha

1 tsp tahini (raw, Organic)

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well combined. Season to taste. 

I threw together a bunch of asparagus, 1/2 bunch chopped kale (stems included), and 4 cups loosely packed spinach in my wok with a little water and steamed until bright green. Doesn't take long, so watch it. :)

I also had a bucket of mushrooms. Can't live without garlic mushrooms these days. I just sauteed about 12-15 sliced mushrooms with a little garlic powder and sea salt. 

Steamed greens with Creamy Coconut Dressing

All together now

For some added protein and fiber, I sprinkled some hemp seeds on top. Super yummy light dinner which you could use as a side next to some tofu steaks, beans whatever floats your boat. I took this for lunch.

I actually ate this dish cold, but this dressing is yummy warmed up too. I had lots leftover and tossed some quinoa, mixed sprouted beans and steamed mustard greens in it. YUM!!!

Simple is as simple does. 

Peace

xoxo

K

Let's get Vegucated! Cauliflower edition: Creamy cauliflower soup

Cauliflower was on sale the other day at my local No Frills so I picked one up. Usually I roast it and add that to salads or just keep it on hand to munch on for a snack but this time I thought a soup would be nice. If you’re new to the blog you might not know that I’m a big lover of soups. I make them pretty often. I think they are a great way to get a lot of nutrient dense food in one bowl with little effort. If you don’t have a crockpot (slow cooker) then I suggest that you get one. I use mine a lot. Its a great addition to any kitchen but particularly if you are short on time.  You can prep everything the night before (like I do) then pop it in the crockpot in the morning and turn it on. When you get home....voila! Dinner is ready. Just like a good wifey.

 Cauliflower is kind of an underrated vegetable because of its white colour. We are always taught that we should eat colourful veggies, which is completely true. But just because cauliflower isn’t colourful doesn’t mean it’s not full of nutrients. Here is a quick summary of the nutrient profile of cauliflower:

In 100 grams:

·         25 calories

·         0 grams fat

·         0 cholesterol

·         30 mg sodium

·         3 grams fiber

·         2 grams sugar

·         2 grams protein’

·         77% RDI Vitamin C

·         2% RDI Calcium

·         2% RDI Iron

 Pretty good right? So throw in some cauliflower once in a while. I prefer to eat it cooked. Raw cauliflower is not my fave. Cauliflower curry, roasted with lemon and paprika, mashed, in soup, blended, made into a “rice” are some great ways to utilize this veggie. J  Here’s an easy recipe to get you started:

 Creamy Cauliflower Soup with split peas

Ingredients
1 head cauliflower
1 ½ cups yellow split peas
4 celery stalks, chopped
6 garlic cloves
5 cups water
3 cups veggie stock
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili flakes
2 bay leaves
1 160ml can low fat coconut milk

Directions:

Put all ingredients except for coconut milk into a crockpot and cook for 6 hours.  Remove bay leaves, add coconut milk and blend with a hand blender or once the soup has cooled down put into a blender and puree until smooth.

If you don’t have a crockpot, follow the same directions but cook on medium heat until split peas and cauliflower is soft. Remove bay leaves, add coconut milk and blend.

Serve with brown rice or a side salad. J

Hope you enjoyed a little bit of vegucation over here at Vegucated in Vancouver.

Peace

Xoxo

K

Coconut Chickpea Stew with Kale

I made this lovely stew/soup last week for my friend Lauren. I wasn't really planning on making anything special that Friday night because I was just gonna chill at home and watch some TV by my lonesome in preparation of the big day (my 30th bday). But Lauren was looking for a relaxing night too so I thought it would be good to make something. I love to eat out because it's always nice when someone cooks for you and does all the clean up but I have a love affair with cooking. Relaxes me and makes me feel in control. Lol Weird huh? Cleaning does that too. ha

I unfortunately don't have a picture for you of the soup because the pic was on my phone which is now gone from my life. I have major separation anxiety and cannot get on board with my newly reactivated blackberry. I haven't even set up email or facebook or anything for that matter on it because I'm in denial. Lol I will get another one. As soon as I come up with $500. If you want to donate to my fund, please feel free!! HA

Anyhoo, I'm going to give you the recipe because it was DELISH! I'm sure you can tell that I'm pretty obsessed with coconut milk. Its in a lot of my dishes. In fact, its in tomorrows soup recipe.

Coconut Chickpea Stew with Kale

Ingredients

2 cups chickpeas (1 lg can)

1/2 white onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups water

2 cups veggie stock

5 carrots, sliced

2 celery, diced

4 cups kale, chopped

1/4 bunch cilantro, minced

1 can low fat coconut milk

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili flakes

Directions

Pan fry the onion and garlic in 1/4 cup of water (or oil) until fragrant and translucent. Add the chickpeas, water, veggie stock, carrots, celery and spices and cook on medium heat for 40 minutes. Add the kale and cilantro and cook for another 10 minutes. Once done add the coconut milk, heat for 2 minutes and serve.

TIP: the longer you cook this stew the better. I had mine cooking for 1 hour before adding the kale and coconut milk. Just ensure that you add the coconut milk at the end of the cooking process. :)

Sorry for the lack of picture!! But still make this! I promise its very tasty and satisfying.

Tomorrow I will have pics I promise!!

Peace

xoxo

K

Chipotle Coconut Quinoa Salad

This week I went to a potluck with a few of the girls from a group I'm a part of on facebook. Great group of women and it was really cool to be able to meet some of them. We don't all live in town but 4 of us were able to make it to the potluck. It was non-stop chatter about nutrition, life, goals and more. So great to talk with some like minded people. We all brought a dish but I will just share my recipe.

Chipotle Coconut Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

2 cups quinoa

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 green onions, chopped

Dressing

Ingredients

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 cup low fat coconut milk

3 dry chipotle peppers, soaked

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tsp chili flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup water

Optional topping: Hemp seeds

Directions

1. Cook quinoa according to package. Spread out in a pan or big bowl to cool. To cool faster, put in fridge.

2. Dressing: Put tahini and chipotle peppers in a food processor and processor for 15 seconds. Add all remaining dressing ingredients and process until smooth.

3. Combine quinoa, veggies and dressing until well mixed. Serve immediately. If not serving right away, don't mix in the dressing until ready to serve. Sprinkle hemp seeds on top for added protein.

I picked up this tahini recently for the first time and LOVED it. Never used this brand before. Love that its raw too.

Chipotle Coconut Dressing

The dressing was delish. Very creamy.

All ready for the potluck!

So in the potluck we had a sweet potato black bean salad, basil quinoa veggie salad and stuffed Belgium endives. So yummy!! Potlucks are so awesome!!! Not everyone was vegan but we all brought vegan dishes. Which worked out great for me and Abigail as we were the vegans. Yah! Love not being the only one. LOL

Well I gotta get out for a big run and workout. Its my last workout in my 20's so I gotta make it count! LOL I'm thinking I'll run a 10km then head over to the Y and bang out a good upper body workout. My legs and bum are pretty freaking sore from the other days workout. And yesterdays 8km run. Then I gotta get ready for tonight! Its my big bday party! Woot woot! Dirty thirties here I come!

Peace

xoxo

K

Gluten free peanut butter cups

I can't get enough nuts! Lol I know how that sounds, and I intended it to sound that way. But it could not be more true. I love nuts! Love em with my whole heart. I especially love nut butters. Almond is da bomb but peanut butter is numba one. Tried and true. I of course get all natural peanut butter. No added salt or sugar or the 100 other ingredients that's in crappy peanut butter. If you live in Vancouver, and particularly in the West End, the Safeway at Denman and Robson has a nut bar. You can make your own nut butters. The freshly made organic, almond butter with no salt is AMAZEBALLS!!! Like woah. I have never tasted almond butter like this before. But its hella expensive. I've only gotten it once because it was pretty pricey. So get a small container if you decide to try it. But its seriously deeeelish!

Back to the task at hand, protein peanut butter cups with coconut. I picked a jar of coconut manna last week and have been dying to try it out in a dessert recipe. I used it to saute my Thai Fried rice leftovers which was yumtastic. I like that the coconut manna is Whole Organic Coconut. Not just the oil. Which I'm sure I'll try sooner or later but this is a cool product.

WARNING!! These are addictive and will give you feelings of euphoria and intense pleasure. Consume at your own risk.

Protein peanut butter cups with coconut

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut manna

1 cup peanut butter

2 tsp vega (or protein powder of your choice)

1 tsp stevia

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 160ml low fat coconut milk

Directions:

Melt the coconut manna in a small saucepan on med-low heat. Once melted add the peanut butter, protein powder, stevia, agave nectar, vanilla and hemp seeds. Stir until well combined. Remove from heat. In another saucepan or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips. Once melted stir in the coconut milk.

Put 2 tbsp's of each in a muffin tin. Peanut butter mixture first, chocolate on top. Put muffin tins in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Once set use a spoon or butter knife to pop them out. Cut around the edges, but be careful. Keep them store in the freezer. Natural peanut butter is less solid then the crappy stuff.

ENJOY!!!

There could be many ways to alter this cup to your desires. I've made them before with rice crisp cereals and that's really good. But I wanted to keep this grain and gluten free. They are very rich and delish. Maybe graham cracker crumbs would be good. Or ground flax seeds. Yum

Heaven

Seriously, I'm hungry again just looking at that damn picture. LOL Although these are not low fat, sugar free or whatever. They are jammed packed with nutrition. So indulging in one (lets be honest, 2 or 3) of these puppies once in a while is OK by me! I get protein, vitamins, minerals (iron and calcium) omega's, tons of good stuff.

Coconut Manna

I very much have enjoyed this product. I wonder what else I can do with it. I have also never used any of Nutiva's products before. I'm gonna have to check them out. They must have a coconut oil. Maybe I'll try that when I decide to finally give into the current food fad. lol But try this coconut manna product. SO yummy! Its all hard inside but I just scraped it out. I think some ppl melt it in the jar. Adds such a great flavour to your foods. Maybe it would be good in a smoothie......

Happy gorgeous day in Vancouver folks!

Peace

xoxo

K

Thai Chili

I love fusing different types of cuisines together and using ingredients you wouldn't think goes together, but totally does. I think that's what I've done here. I took my love affair with Thai food and Chili to the max by putting them together. It works. BELIEVE me! It was sooooo delish! I usually share my leftovers at work but this time I barely did. I only gave them a bite. I was a greedy little vegan. ha.

Thai Chili

Ingredients

1 can black beans

1 cup red lentils

4 cups water

1 lime, juiced

1 inch piece ginger, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, diced

1 large sweet potato, diced

1 lemongrass stalk

4 tomatoes, diced

1 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp chili powder

2 tsp chili flakes

2 tsp Vegeta (dry veggie stock)

1 can low fat coconut milk

2 tsp green curry

Directions:

1. Saute the onions, garlic, ginger and carrots in a pot with about 1/4 cup water. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until translucent. (or use oil if you like).

2. Add sweet potato, lentils, black beans, tomatoes and 1 cup water. Cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add all remaining ingredients except for the coconut milk and lime juice. Cook for 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft. Add coconut milk and lime juice. Season to taste.

4. Serve over brown rice or rice noodles. YUM!!!

 Total heaven right there. SOOOO YUMMY!!! And pretty healthy too. This recipe makes a HUGE amount. And the only "added" fat was the 7 grams in the coconut milk, and that's in the whole pot so that's almost nothing in each serving! yah.

Ok, so I bought a thing of purple kale and make this amazing salad last night!!! Its so pretty! So colourful and the dressing is the bomb!


Purple Kale Salad
Ingredients:
1 head purple kale, just leaves
1 royal gala apple, diced
1 carrot, shredded

Dressing:
1 large jalapeno
1 lemon, juiced
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:
Put all dressing ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Pour on top of salad fixin's and toss. Use your hands to massage the kale for about a minute. This will soften the leaves. If you have a cut, don't do it!!! The lemon and jalapeno will burn. lol

Prettiest salad? YUP

Such a gorgeous looking salad. And its seriously tasty. I made the whole head of kale and gobbled it all up. I had a lot of it last night and couldn't wait to finish it off for lunch today. Its all gone! lol ;)

SO happy its Friday!!! Got a good night out tonight with some friends. My girl Jess is going back to Germany soon so we have one last night out on the town. Going to have a kick ass dins at Foundation, play some bingo and then head out for some dancing. Then I have brunch, movies, appointments, tough mudder work out and trying Bikrams for the first time! Eeeek Imma scurred. :)

Have a good weekend y'all!

Peace

xoxo

K

Thai Coconut Lentil Soup

Double header today!

I have been dwindling down my collection of soups and chili's in my freezer so its time to replenish. No frills has a sale on 2lb bag of carrots for $1. Yah that's right, you read that correctly, $1!!! I bought 2 so far. I'll be back though. lol 

I decided a nice, warming, carrot soup would be good. So I tossed all the ingredients into the crockpot and set off to enjoy my Sunday. 

Thai Coconut Lentil Soup
Ingredients
2lbs carrots
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves
3 roma tomatoes
2 lemongrass stalks
1 can low fat coconut milk
1 tsp chili flakes
2 tsp Vegeta (dry veggie stock)
1 tsp powdered ginger
2 dried chili's
pepper
2 cups red split lentils
8 cups water

Directions

Put all ingredients into a slow cooker except for the coconut milk and cook for 8 hours. Once cooked, remove the lemongrass stalks and the chili peppers. Add the coconut milk at the end. Use a hand blender or regular blender to process until smooth. Taste and add more seasonings if needed.

Its what I do

YUM

This soup is nice and thick. Super tasty. The spice level isn't bad at all. Personally, I would have liked it to be spicier. But I was lazy. Lol Plus I know I'll be adding sriracha to it later.

I made a very similar one to this before, you can check it out here. Both are awesome. I should have put some green garnish on there for the photo's sake but I was hungry. I also roasted up a squash and a cauliflower for me to nosh on.

Acorn squash

Roasted cauliflower

I did not use oil. For the squash I just scraped it out and baked it upside down so that the steam would cook it nice and softly. Then I sprinkled sea salt, cinnamon and garlic powder on it.

The cauliflower is mixed with a lemon, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder and sea salt. YUMMY. Good snacks. 

Peace

xoxo

K

Thai Coconut Curried Lentil Soup

A couple of friends jetted off to Thailand in December and since then have had a real craving for Thai food. I LOVE Thai food. I eat it pretty regularly. I am a confessed addict of coconut; coconut ice cream, coconut yogurt, coconut milk, coconut meat....ANYhoo, I popped a soup in the good ole crockpot and came up with this bad boy. 

Thai Coconut Curried Lentil Soup

2 cans brown lentils

1 onion, chopped

5 celery stalks, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili flakes

3 tsp Vegeta or any other dry veggie stock

7 cups water

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp turmeric

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp ginger powder

2 inch pieces dry or fresh galangal (use ginger if you can't find it)

1 handful dry lemongrass or one stalk fresh 

1 can coconut milk

Directions:

Put all ingredients except for the coconut milk into your crockpot and simmer on low all day. Add the coconut milk at the end, keep cooking for 10 minutes or until heated thoroughly. 

Serve on its own or on top of quinoa. Super good that way. This soup has a little kick to it. Adjust the chili flakes to your liking. I was totally fine with this, as was my gorgeous friend Jessica. 

I also roasted up a head of cauliflower and broccoli. Tossed it with fresh lemon juice, red onion, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and sea salt. Baked at 350 for 30 minutes.

Since I've busted up all my wine glasses and didn't get any for Christmas, we had to drink our wine outta regular glasses. Meh. I'm just classy like that. Lol. The meal was yummy, warming, nutritious and filling. Went great with a bottle of red, the bachelor and a good gf. We gossiped, judged, ate, drank, and were merry. Ha. I'm not sure about this season of the bachelor....I don't dig Ben. His hair is horrendous. And the chicks seem to be EXTRA crazy this season. Maybe the producers realized he was boring after they signed the deal so they picked insane in the membrane chickies to make up for it......maybe. 

Here's another look at what I eat daily. 

I have this every morning. I usually have 2 smoothies in the morning. Well I make one REALLY big one and add lots of water. I had leftover soup and collard wraps for lunch. I'm totally addicted to those wraps!!! I need to get more cuz I just finished the last of them before lunch. Somebody brought freshly baked carrot orange muffins in to the office and I got hungry. They weren't vegan so I couldn't eat them anyways, but I wanted the wheat so bad. I'm glad I didn't give in. One point for willpower! And my waistline! lol

Tonight I'm making dins for a couple of stud muffins. I'm thinking a chickpea spinach curry, brown rice and steamed gai lan. Not exactly Indian but I need a side of greens. You always needs a side of greens peeps.

Peace

xoxo

K

Thai Curried Split Pea Soup

Last night I prepped a soup for dinner tonight with Kevin. I am trying to create recipes using JUST what I have in the apartment and not having to pick anything up. It makes it more fun and way more creative. It actually took a while to think this one up and it turned out ever so amazing. I LOVE soup. I will eat it any time of year but its always so comforting to have soup in these winter months. 

Thai Curried Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

2 cups dry yellow split peas

2 carrots, sliced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 leek, diced

1 stick lemon grass

3 tsp Vegeta (Veggie stock powder)

8 cups water

2 tsp chili flakes

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp turmeric

1 can low fat coconut milk (400ml)

Directions:

1. Add all the veggies to a big pot and saute for 5 minutes or until fragrant. I used a 1/4 cup of water instead of oil to make it lower in fat. Use oil if you'd like.

2. Add all other ingredients except for the coconut milk and cook on high for 10 minutes.

3. Pour in the coconut milk and cook for another 10 minutes on high.

4. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Ensure the split peas are soft. Serve and Enjoy!

Yummerly!

There it is folks, a BIG pot of soup. I'll have better pics tomorrow. In cute bowls. lol I also made a really delish sauce for a quinoa salad, but I'll post that tomorrow along with pics.

Peace

xoxo

K

Vegan MoFo Day 26: Obsession

My obsession with Coconut Yogurt continues. I didn't make dinner last night because all I wanted was this coconut yogurt. lol So I went to the store and got some fresh raspberries again and went to town. To make it more filling I used quick oats, hemp seeds, trail mix, raspberries and the yogurt.

Oh yah, I also sprinkled some coconut meat on it...........I think I might have to go into detox. I had it for breaky this morn and there's coconut milk in my soup too. LOL

Tonight I'm not cooking either, Kevin is cooking. I MIGHT make the granola tonight though. I really want to cuz I'm so curious to see if it works out and is tasty. I also have been wanting to make an Edamame hummus. I have all the parts so we'll see when I can get that done.

Peace MoFo's

xoxo

K

Vegan MoFo Day 25: Ode to the Coconut

I am a big fan of Coconut. I make a lot of curry in my place so I use a lot of coconut milk. It adds such flavour! I always use the low fat version though FYI. I've always just used shredded coconut or coconut milk. I've never dabbled any further into the wonders of coconut. I knew about the water being filled with electrolytes but I'm not one to buy into any fads like that. So I haven't run out to buy a case of it. (Not to say its not good, I'm just not that into it).

My friend Natasha introduced me to Coconut ice cream. And for that I'm forever in her debt. I didn't go with her recommendation on the flavour or brand, I went with Larry & Luna's Coconut Bliss. It really is blissful. Its sweetened with Agave Nectar instead of cane sugar. That's what sold me. There's only like 5 ingredients, and I know every one of them. 

There's a little visual for yah. I believe I have already blogged about my bliss when eating this delicious ice cream. Which by the way is vegan, gluten free and soy free. Coconut Bliss check it out there.

Now onto my current explorations into the good ole Coconut. My friend Jessica over at The Vegan Project mentioned Coconut Yogurt!!! She even went so far as to say it is a "game changer". Let me tell you, it is. Plain and simple. Coconut ice cream is yummy. I got the vanilla flavour and put it on top of some fresh raspberries and topped it with hemp seeds. YUMMMMMM

Holy Moly ppl! So yummy! Check out all the flavours they have. I only saw 2 kinds at Choices. But I'm sure there are others out there. So Delicious really is So Delicious.

Doesn't that look tasty? I really wanted to have that this morning for breakfast with granola but they always put sugar in it. And I'm not into eating cane sugar very often or lots of it. There is some in the yogurt already so more is not necessary. SO that being said, I'm going to make my own granola!!! I have some ideas on what to use. I'm pretty stoked about it to be honest. Too bad I'm busy till Thursday!!! Maybe I can prep it before I go out tonight.........................hmmmmmm.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my Ode to the Coconut. Its useful to note that Coconut is high in saturated fats so don't go crazy with it. For milk, get the low fat version. It still has lots of flavour. Everything in moderation I always say.

Vegan MoFo Day 24: Thai Carrot Soup

I have never made or been interested in carrot soup but I kinda craved it this weekend and thought I'd give it a go. To my surprise and luck, carrots were on sale at my fave grocery store, No Frills. 2lbs for $1.00!!!! I've bought 2 so far, I think I'm going back for another. My Internet at home is down. Since yesterday. I was pretty bummed about this since I'm pretty sure I just came up with the BEST soup I've ever made. And I make a lot of soup. Good soup.

Thai Carrot Soup

Ingredients

10 carrots

1 ½ cups yellow mung beans

2 royal gala apples, chopped and deseeded

3 roma tomatoes

6 garlic cloves

4 tsp Vegeta

8 cups water

6 red Thai chilies

½ onion

2 lemongrass stalks

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 can low fat coconut milk

Directions:

1.       Put all ingredients except for coconut milk into a crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours.

2.       Remove lemongrass stalks and put in coconut milk

3.       Use a hand mixer or blender to blend until smooth.

Notes: Yellow split peas, red or yellow lentils would work just as great. I wouldn’t use green as it will change the color of the soup.

Believe me when I say this soup is delicious. Its pretty damn amazing. I was shocked at the deliciousness of it. Its got just the right amount of heat for a cold fall/winter day and is hearty enough to keep you full. Give it a go. NOW. lol

So tasty. GET SOME!!

I also made a coconut curry with Butternut Squash. I wanted to blog about it on Saturday and enter the Vegan MoFo Iron Chef challenge but I ran out of time that day and my Internet has been down since. Sucky. 

On the weekends I like to make my own juice and smoothies. I was too lazy on the juicing front but I had just bought some almond milk so I used that instead. This has 1 cup mixed berries, 1 banana, 1/2 cup water, 3/4 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup quick oats, 2 tsp peanut butter, 2 tsp chia seeds, 2 tsp hemp seeds and 1/2 scoop of the berry flavour Whole Health Optimizer by VEGA.

Fueled me for the day and nourished my body. Chia seeds are really great to add to a smoothie as they expand and take on so much liquid. This makes them more substantial which will keep you full longer. They are also packed with vitamins and minerals plus protein.

Vegan MoFo Day 7: Greens and Grains

Sometimes when I'm just cooking for me and/or I've feel like I need to get back to square one I steam some greens and cook up some grains. I feel like cooking a simple meal with very nutrient dense ingredients centers me. Its also good for the digestion to eat liquid meals or meals that are very easily digested.

Greens and Grains

Ingredients:
2 baby bok choy
4 kale stalks, leaves removed
4 tbsp coconut meat
1 lemon
2 tbsp soy sauce
splash sesame oil
Sriracha
1 cup dry quinoa
1/2 tsp dulse flakes

Directions:
1. Cook quinoa according to the package. Add dulse flakes once cooked and removed from heat.
2. In a large pan or wok, add the bok choy and kale with 1/4 cup water, cover and cook until bright green. About 2-3 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, stir and cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Serve on top of quinoa. Add more Sriracha if you want.

Dulse is a sea vegetable (seaweed). It is a good source of calcium, zinc, manganese, potassium, iron, and magnesium. It is also high in iodine which I talked about before. We need it for our thyroid. It has a strong flavour, so add it in moderation so that it doesn't change the taste of what you're cooking. I bought mine at Famous Foods on Kingsway. I hardly use it because I forget its in my cupboard. But now that I know its there I'm going to start using it again. 

There's quinoa under there, I swear

I'm a  bowl gurl. I have 14 bowls in my kitchen. With many more in my future. I don't like eating off plates but sometimes I need to for the pictures sake. 

You can add or use any other greens you like. If I had broccoli I would've thrown it in too, but I didn't. And in case you're thinking that I'm starving myself over here, withering away cuz I'm only eating greens and grains, you couldn't be farther from the truth. I did make some veggie dumplings I picked up from T&T but I didnt' take a pic. I ate this dish first then made the dumplings. 

Tonight I think I'm feeling some Indian food......Channa Masala it is. I always have chickpeas in the house. YUM. Tonight will also be my last run before D Day. The Victoria half marathon is Sunday October 9th at 730am!!! Say wha? So early. How the heck am I gonna get up and eat before running 21km. I can only get up so early. That's intense. We shall see how that all works out. Lol

Thankfully, this weekend is a long one. Yah! Love them. I love being vegan when its holiday time. Everyone runs from party to party and offices get bombarded with baked goods making everyone gain their 5-10 winter pounds, while I stay the same. (I hope!!). People always try to peer pressure you into eating "just one" cookie or whatever, and now instead of just saying no I can say no because they're not vegan! Woot woot!

I'm not sure what I'm going to make for Thanksgiving. I was thinking I'd just pick up a Tofurkey and make the sides vegan, which is SO easy, but I'm thinking maybe the Veggie Walnut Loaf or some seitan or tempeh. We shall see.

Happy Friday folks! Have a great time making food babies and sleeping it off in your food coma's. I'll just be running 21km's then napping. Lol

Peace

xoxo

K

MoFo Day 4: Coconut Quinoa

I didn't have a lot of time last night to cook as I was going to a friend's place to watch a movie so as I was running on the treadmill I thought of what I could create really fast. I came up with this little gem:

Coconut Quinoa

2 cups quinoa
1 cup TruRoots Organic Sprouted Bean Trio (Costco 9.99!!)
4 tbsp coconut meat
1 can low fat coconut milk (160 ml)
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa and sprouted beans according to their packages
2. In the same pot as the quinoa add the coconut meat, coconut milk, sea salt and garlic powder. Cook on low for 5 minutes.
3. Combine the quinoa mixture with the sprouted beans and serve.

Sorry this one is sideways, I tried my hardest but for some reason it won't change. Grr

Seriously easy and packed full of nutrition. This meal was a powerhouse of protein. With the quinoa, hemp seeds and the sprouted beans there is tons or protein, iron, calcium, fibre and a whole lot more. Since I had roasted the ish outta some veggies and had half a leftover acorn squash. I scraped out the insides and mixed it with the Coconut Quinoa. Let me tell you, this was SO good. The squash added a nice sweetness to it. YUM!

That squash is full!!! It was delish.

The leftovers were pretty damn tasty too. I gave some to a coworker and she said it was tasty! It would be good stuffed in a pepper or mushroom too or on its own like I had for lunch.

I'm in a quinoa kinda mood right now. I'm trying to reduce the amount of processed carbs like bread, noodles and pasta I eat. Which really actually isn't a lot. But I like how I look and feel when I'm eating mostly whole foods. Tonight I'm thinking I will make some quinoa dish with a Thai kick. I have some lemongrass in the fridge so we'll see what I come up with.

Stay tuned for MoFo Day 5!!!

Peace

xoxo

K