Tag: vegan

Back with a Fresh Perspective and New Inspiration

Sometimes a change of scenery is just what you need to kickstart your creativity and breathe new life into your businesses. I recently adventured to the beautiful Greek island of Crete with my *mom and business partner at Better Than Yia Yia’s Mediterranean Catering.

We spent one food and adventure-filled week exploring the island, sampling local cuisine, and seeing some of the most incredible natural phenomena imaginable. Crete is one of the most unique places in Greece and, in my opinion, the island produces some of the most delicious food in the whole country. They are probably best known for their mountain honeys, olive oil, and local cheeses, which are always featured in their traditional dishes.

I will be posting more details about our trip, including where to stay, how to get around, and (most importantly) what to eat when you are there. For now, here are some highlights of the Better than Yia Yia’s Tasting Tour #btyytastingtour.

*Special applause to my mom who, at 58 years of age, decided to launch her own catering business, and at 59, joined me to travel across the largest island in Greece; jump off pirate ships; walk across rock landscapes and climb mountains.

CleanWorkout.com Recipes: Superfood Cookie Butter

I have teamed up with the Professional Personal trainers at CleanWorkout.com to bring you a delightfully decadent tasting, yet somewhat guilt-free, snack: SUPERFOOD COOKIE BUTTER!

Balance is key to a healthy lifestyle, as well as to a good diet. Part of maintaining that balance is never feeling like you are depriving yourself of snacks and treats. To create the perfect healthy Cookie Butter, it needed to have a rich, satisfying texture, and bold, spicy flavours.

Coconut Oil is such a versatile ingredient – You can use it for making flaky vegan pie crusts or as an intense moisturizer/cleanser/tooth whitener in beauty applications. When kept below 24 degrees Celsius, it has the perfect buttery consistency.

We use the same spices in our Better than Yia Yia’s Gingerbread cookies, which is the perfect flavour profile for traditional Cookie Butter. We added turmeric for an extra health kick and black pepper to help absorption in the body. Toasting the spices in oil for a few minutes helps them release their essential oils, bringing out deeper flavours, and removing any chalkiness that sometimes happens with ground spices. Pink Himalayan Sea Salt was chosen for its extra minerals, but table salt or fine sea salt can also be used.

Since this is a dessert, we have to have some sugar. We chose richly flavoured sweeteners like brown sugar, molasses and pure maple syrup, because a little goes a long way. Maple syrup also has a low GI, which means that it does not spike your blood sugar, leading to fat storage; The calories you consume are more quickly expended as energy. Molasses also help with the classic gingersnap cookie flavour, and help with the smooth, thick consistency of the final product.

To preserve the healthy oils in the cooked spices and to keep your Superfood Cookie Butter fresh, keep it in the refrigerator up to four weeks. Remove it about 15 minutes before digging in.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 tbsp + 1/2 cup Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
2 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Ground Clove
1 tsp Ground Ginger
Pinch of Turmeric
Pinch of Black Pepper
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Grated Nutmeg
Pinch of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Sweeteners

1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 to 2 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
1 to 2 tbsp Fancy Molasses

 

TIP: Make it Chocolate Cookie Butter by adding 1 tbsp of Cacao Powder

TIP: Make it Crunchy Cookie Butter by folding in chopped nuts

 

How to Enjoy Superfood Cookie Butter

  • Blend it into Smoothies
  • Spread it on Toast – Top with Chopped Nuts like Almonds, Pecans or Walnuts for a crunchy breakfast
  • Try Baking with it – Mix Clean Cookie Butter Swirls into Cakes and Cupcakes
  • Use it as a Dip
  • Melt it and Pour it onto Ice Cream or Greek Yogurt
  • Eat it on a Spoon

1. Warm your spices in 3 tbsp Coconut Oil over low heat for 1 – 2 minutes. You want to warm the spices to bring out their oils to give your Cookie Butter more flavour. I also find that cooking spices like turmeric and cinnamon soften their flavours, giving them more sweetness and less of a chalky taste.

2. Add your sweeteners. Continue warming the mixture over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the molasses are combined.

3. Turn off the heat and let cool for 20 minutes.

4. Add room temperature spice mixture to 1/2 cup Coconut Oil.

5. Stir to Combine. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes until the mix starts to solidify.

6. Remove from the refrigerator and shake to redistribute spices and molasses. Chill for another 15 minutes, or until it reaches a ‘Peanut Butter like’ consistency.

7. Stir your Cooled Cookie Butter and Enjoy!

CleanWorkout.com Recipes: Japanese Balance Bowls

I recently had the pleasure of teaming up with CleanWorkout.com to create more Delicious, Healthy, Nutritious and Versatile Meals… Japanese Balance Bowls.

I was inspired by my travels through Tokyo last year. Major department stores like Shinjuku’s Isetan and Shibuya’s Tokyo Hands had large underground grocery stores and patisseries. Filled to the brim with fresh fish, meats and produce, simple preparations are best to let the beautiful ingredients shine.

These Balance Bowls are so simple to prepare and can be customized to suit your tastes. Plus, you can make them ahead of time and store them in the refrigerate them for a quick, balanced lunch or dinner.

 

Countdown to Easter: Part Five

For the fifth instalment of my Countdown to Easter series, I am featuring some beautiful, fresh produce from the Farmer’s Market.

This is a traditional Vegan Greek Stew that is a perfect, hearty meal (especially when paired with warm, crusty bread for dipping!) See what looks good at your own market and be creative!

Enjoy!

Countdown to Easter: Part Four

For Part Four of my Countdown to Easter series, I am making delicious, versatile and healthy vegan Stuffed Peppers, or “Gemista.”

Ingredients:
6 Bell Peppers (or Whole Tomatoes)
1 Leek, Thinly Sliced
2 Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
1 Shallot, Thinly Sliced
4 Small Garlic Cloves, Chopped
1 Celery Stalk, Sliced Thinly
1 Carrot, Sliced Thinly
1 cup Arborio Rice
Water
4 or 5 Potatoes, Chopped into 3/4 inch cubes
3/4 cup Tomato Puree + 1/4 cup Water or Stock (for Rice Mixture)
3 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Large Handful Chopped Mint
2 Large Handfulls Chopped Parsley
1 cup Tomato Juice (or 1/2 cup Tomato Puree + 1/2 cup Water or Stock) for topping peppers and potatoes
1. Sautee the leek, green onions, shallot and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent.
2. Toast your rice in the leek mixture for a few minutes to absorb the flavour.
3. Add your vegetables and 1 cup of water or stock to the leek and rice mixture (try carrot, celery, tomato, eggplant, zucchini or squash). Simmer the rice for 8 minutes.
4. While your rice is simmering, peel and chop your potatoes. Season them with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Set aside.
5. Carefully slice the tops off your bell peppers (or tomatoes) and clean out the seeds and ribs. Keep the tops so you can cover the rice for cooking.
6. Place your potatoes into the pan between the peppers.
7. Season the inside of each pepper with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano.
8. Before filling your peppers, add 3/4 cup of tomato puree, 1/4 cup water and 3 tbsp tomato paste to your rice. Fold in fresh parsley and mint, and taste for seasoning.
9. Fill your peppers with rice and top each one with roughly 3 tbsp of tomato juice. Cover the peppers with their tops and drizzle the remaining tomato juice over the pepper tops and potatoes.
10. Bake at 350 F for 75 Minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.
11. Enjoy immediately or as leftovers… Gemista are even better the next day.

Four Essential Honey Masks

I love using natural products in lieu of store bought beauty products, and I love honey! Honey is known for its health benefits but is often underrated for its cosmetic uses.

Honey has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and healing properties that give you healthy skin and hair. It is also rich in enzymes that calm your skin, and draws moisture into the skin. I recommend using raw honey for beauty treatments since it has not been heat-treated and contains the most enzymes.

Tip: If you do not have time for a full mask, use a dab of raw honey as a spot treatment to heal blemishes.

The next time you are treating yourself to a spa day, try one of these all natural masks. Which one is your favourite?

 

CleanWorkout: Easy Homemade Multigrain Bread

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Thank you, CleanWorkout, for letting me showcase this recipe!

This recipe was so good that I had to share it on my blog, as well!.As part of my role creating digital content for CleanWorkout.com, I have been working on healthy recipes and adaptations for their website and for their clients. This recipe for Homemade Multigrain Bread is delicious, easy, and healthy! Plus, it is vegan!

The recipe is slightly time consuming, but it is the perfect project to take on during a lazy Sunday or rainy day.

The link to their full article is available here (I highly recommend checking it out to learn some of the nutritional benefits of millet and the other superfoods used in the recipe), but I am copying the recipe below.

Enjoy!

Clean Recipes: Homemade Multigrain Bread

Bread Ingredients (Yield: 1 Loaf)

  • 3/4 cup Homemade Multigrain Flour Mixture*
  • 1 1/3 cups Boiling Water
  • 2 tbsp Liquid Coconut Oil* or Melted Unsalted Butter or Olive Oil
  • 2 tbsp + 2 tsp Honey
  • 2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
  • (Optional) 1/2 tsp Bread Improver / Vital Wheat Gluten (to improve the softness of the loaf)
  • (Optional) Extra Whole Grains
  • Roughly 2 1/4 cups Wholegrain Flour (may need more or less depending on kitchen humidity)
  • 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 tbsp Oats, For Topping
  1. Start by making your Homemade Multigrain Flour Mixture. In a food processor, combine equal parts of whatever grains you would like to add to your bread. Try the following mix, but feel free to add additional grains, or use what you have available:
    • Flax Seeds
    • Millet
    • Quinoa
    • Buckwheat*
    • Barley
    • Oats
    • Brown Rice (or Rice Flour)
    • Corn (use Corn Flour or Polenta instead)
    • Wheat (use Semolina)
      • Clean Recipe Tip: Make extra Multigrain Flour and store it in your freezer or refrigerator. Mix it with all purpose or wholegrain flour in your regular baking recipes.
  2. In a large glass bowl, mix your Homemade Multigrain Flour with boiling water. Stir to combine and let stand 20 minutes until it is just warm.
  3. Mix in the liquid fat (coconut oil, melted butter, or olive oil), then the honey. Stir to combine completely, then add yeast and bread improver (if using). Mix with a spatula and let stand another 10 to 15 minutes for the yeast to activate.
  4. Add one cup of flour and knead – you can knead your bread in a stand mixer or by hand. Next, add in your Extra Whole Grains, if you are using any. Continue kneading, adding half a cup of flour at a time. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is no longer sticking to your fingers.
  5. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand 1 hour in a warm place.
  6. Sprinkle your risen dough with sea salt and knead for 5 minutes. Cover again and let stand for another hour.
  7. Grease your loaf pan with butter, coconut oil or oil. Roll dough into a loaf shape and place into greased pan. If you like, lightly press oats onto the top. Let rise 1 hour before baking.
  8. Bake your bread in a pre-heated 375 F oven for 28 – 32 minutes. Your bread will be golden brown and slightly hollow sounding when tapped.
  9. Remove loaf from pan and cool on a rack.

  10. There is nothing better than warm, fresh bread and butter… especially when the bread is packed with superfood grains like millet, quinoa, buckwheat, flax and chia seeds. This bread is loaded with fibre, protein and healthy carbohydrates.

    Enjoy your bread warm from the oven (the best way!) with a little butter, or enjoy it throughout the week. Bread keeps well in the freezer, so you can also freeze a loaf to have another time. Homemade bread is also a great gift for friends and family (no need to tell them how healthy it is before they taste it!)

Countdown to Easter: Part Three

I love finding new ways to enjoy chickpeas – they can be used for so much more than hummous!

For Part Three of my Countdown to Easter Series, I use chickpeas two different ways – first as delicious crunchy, spiced chickpeas (warning: these are addictive and healthier than chips!), and second as a spicy vegan soup that is loaded with superfood spices.

Keep up the fasting!

Countdown to Easter: Part Two

How are you doing with your lenten fast? Things are about to get a lot easier (and tastier!) with my recipe for Beets and Skordalia.

This simple salad features three main ingredients: beets, potatoes and garlic. This dish will keep you full, energized, and keep the vampires at bay.

Stay tuned see what is next on my Countdown to Easter Series.

Countdown to Easter: Part One

Easter is one of my favourite holidays and not just because of the food (which is epic!). It is a time of year to be thoughtful and to make small sacrifices during lent.

The Orthodox calendar is fairly strict when it comes to fasting, and while it is not good to make excuses, I am just terrible at following it. Aside from certain days when I try to avoid meat and dairy altogether, instead of exactly following the rules, I simply try to eat more vegan and vegetarian meals and limit eating red meat during lent.

I will be showcasing some of these delicious, hearty and simple veggie-based meals over the next few weeks. To kick off my Countdown to Easter series, here is a recipe for Spanakorizo (translation: Spinach Rice).

This dish can be a filling meal, or can be served as a side dish. I like to load it up with lots of spinach to make it extra healthy. Use the biggest pot you can find – it will make wilting down your greens a lot easier. Throw in as many onions, green onions, leeks, or shallots that you have – they will make it even more delicious!

Be sure to check back for more on my Countdown to Easter series. Enjoy!