Tomorrow, I’ll be flying from Toronto to Vancouver and then from Vancouver to Portland, on my merry way to the Vida Vegan Conference! I seriously can’t wait. In my typical fashion, I’ve been dealing with a lot of anxiety about this trip, but I’m sure I’ll be having too much fun to even notice it. I mean, come on – it’s Portland – only one of the most vegan friendly cities in the world! I’m looking forward to meeting the wonderful people behind many of the blogs I read each day.

Of course, before all the fun happens the traveling has to take place. If I’m going to be traveling for 9-10 hours, I want to have something exciting to look forward to (and of course I mean healthy, great-tasting food). What is it about being trapped on a plane that makes me so hungry? With just a little preparation, I’ll be feasting like a queen. A good book, music, and in-flight TV never hurts either!

This week I racked my brain to think of a new food to bring on the flights. At first, I thought of my Endurance Crackers, but then I decided they were slightly too delicate for travel. I played around with the recipe and this is what I came up with. I’m happy to say this power bread turned out exactly as I hoped. It’s bursting with chia seeds (1 tablespoon per slice!) and it also happens to be gluten and nut-free, making it friendly for many travelers. Best of all, it’s perfectly sturdy for travel.

Plus, it’s only 5 minutes to prep which is a huge bonus, especially when getting ready for a flight. Just like my Endurance Crackers, you simply dump the ingredients into a bowl and stir in water. After that, I spread it into a 9-inch baking dish and baked it for 25 minutes.

Now this is some quick and easy bread – ready in 30 minutes flat! It disappears just as quickly. Try it with all kinds of toppings. I personally love hummus, avocado, and Herbamare as well as almond butter and strawberry jam.

Super Power Chia Bread

Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, nut-free, soy-free.

Thick, hearty, and dense – this isn’t your average slice of bread! Packed with 9 grams of protein and over 7 grams of fibre per slice, this bread will keep you going for hours.

Inspired by Endurance Crackers.

Email, text, or print this recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds*
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats, ground into a flour
• 1/4 cup raw buckwheat groats, ground into a flour (or more oat flour)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a 9-inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way.

2. Add rolled oats and buckwheat into a high-speed blender. Blend on highest speed until a fine flour forms.

3. Add all dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir well until combined. Stir in the water and quickly scoop this mixture into your prepared pan. Spread it out with a spatula as evenly as possible. You can use lightly wet hands to smooth it down if necessary. Sprinkle the bread with Herbamare or fine grain sea salt before going into the oven.

4. Bake at 325F for about 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then lift it out and transfer it to a cooling rack for another 5-10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Notes: 1) I made a batch without sunflower seeds and it still turned out great. I’m sure you can play around with the seeds (or even add nuts!) and reduce them if desired. 2) A reader successfully made a batch using brown rice flour and quinoa flour- I’m sure you can play around with the flours too. 3) I’m not yet sure how long this stays fresh for – my guess is a couple days. However, I expect it should freeze well, but I have yet to try it. I’ll update this when I do and be sure to leave your own tips in the comments section!

Nutritional Info

I hope this bread brightens up your own travels or busts you out of a lunch or breakfast rut. I’d love your feedback on this recipe if you try it out or make other variations.

If you’d like to check out what I’m up to at the conference, you will most likely find me on Instagram documenting my journey. If you are attending the conference, I hope to meet you soon! Please come say hello!

What are your favourite foods to pack on a flight?

This frosting is quite possibly one of the best to come out of my kitchen. It’s dangerous in the best way possible – creamy and rich without being overly sweet. I really don’t know how I was able to save enough for the chocolate cupcakes.

Best of all, it’s just two simple ingredients: Full-fat coconut milk and chocolate. That’s it.

Yes, you really can make a luxurious, creamy frosting without butter or shortening! Unlike regular frosting, there’s no fussing with icing sugar messing up your kitchen. Don’t you hate it when the icing sugar leaves a coating of powder over all your appliances and counter? I sure do.

With this recipe, the only thing that got messy was my face because I couldn’t stop eating it.

The flavour and sweetness of this frosting will vary depending on the chocolate you use. Most chocolate should work just fine, although I would caution against using a super bitter variety. Stick to under 70% cocoa and you should be safe. If worst comes to worst, you can always add a bit of sweetener if need be. I threw in a pinch of fine grain sea salt at the end to enhance the sweetness.

Insert face into bowl here.

2-Ingredient Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Email, text, or print this recipe

Yield: 1 & 3/4 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 can (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
• 1 bag dark, non-dairy chocolate chips (approx 285 grams)

1. Chill can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. When ready, flip can over and open with can opener. Pour off the water (you can save it for a smoothie or discard). Scoop only the solid white coconut cream into a pot. Add the chocolate chips into the pot as well and gently melt the coconut cream and the chocolate chips together over low heat. Stir frequently and be careful not to burn.

2. Transfer this mixture into a bowl (cover with wrap) and then into the fridge for 2-3 hours (or overnight) until it firms up enough to whip into frosting. You really just have to eyeball it as I expect the timing for individual batches will differ depending on how cold your fridge is. I put it in the fridge overnight and then left it on the counter for the entire morning until I was ready to frost the cupcakes in the afternoon.

3. When it’s firmed enough to your liking, whip it with electric beaters until smooth and creamy. If it’s still too firm, you can leave it out on the counter for a bit longer. I didn’t need to add any milk to thin it out or any sugar to sweeten – it was just perfect as is! If your batch tastes bitter, you can always add a bit of sweetener to your taste. I also like to add a small pinch of fine grain sea salt to make the flavours pop.

Note: On a hot day, this frosting could melt. Be sure to keep frosted cupcakes in the fridge until ready to enjoy.

Looking for a vegan cupcake recipe? Find my favourite chocolate cupcakes here.

~~~

A note on coconut milk:

Many of you have had trouble making whipped coconut cream with certain brands (including Native Forest) because some cans don’t always separate. I’ve never had a dud yet (knock on wood), but it seems to be fairly common. Ashlae recently wrote a post detailing this exact problem – apparently Thai Kitchen brand delivers really consistent results. Check it out if you are having issues.

Happy Victoria Day to my fellow Canadians!

Turning 30 shouldn’t feel depressing. After all, I’m entering my 31st year. If there was a time to be depressed it was last year. Don’t get mad at me 29 year olds, I’m only joking. Plus, as my stepdad duly notes, you have two options in life – get older or kick the bucket. Putting it that way, aging isn’t so bad at all. Shouldn’t we instead focus on how amazing it is that we are still living after all these years? That’s a lot of heartbeats!

I planned on writing one of those 20 things I learned in my 20’s posts, but I got to the third lesson and quit. It was like pulling teeth (and this was after I told Eric that thinking of 20 lessons would be “easy”). Maybe I need more time to process the last 10 years…

My best friend Allison always makes me laugh, especially when she reflects on our current age. This year she said, “I don’t know about you but I always think of myself as about 22 (until I meet an actual 22 year old and then I’m like, whoa I’m definitely 30, haha).”

Girl kills me!

Eric and I went on a road trip to the Niagara region on my birthday this past Thursday – for once the weather was hot and sunny! We stopped into the outlets in Buffalo for the morning and I found myself gasping at how short the shorts are “these days”. Were they always that short? Did I ever pull this off? When did I start saying “these days”. Also, who is fitting into these annoying Super Skinny Jeans? As if regular skinny jeans weren’t torture enough. I couldn’t even get some of the jeans half way up my calves. I’m going to start a line of jeans called Runner’s Legz.

Yup, I’m officially in my 30’s. At least, articles like this remind me that I’m not alone in my time warp!

It’s been a great decade though, even in spite of all the self-doubt and uncertainty. Thankfully, I remember the ups much more than the downs. I earned an Undergraduate and Master’s degree, married my best friend, moved a handful of times, traveled a bit, turned a passion into a business, and wrote my first book. I’d love to be able to tell you that I feel like I’ve conquered my inner demons and emotional baggage so I can start my 30’s with a clean slate, but that feels far from the truth. I still feel like there is a lot I need to overcome on a personal level. It’s an ever-evolving process. There are so many unknowns about what the next decade will bring, but I do know that I’m excited for the adventure to continue.

and now it’s time to celebrate!

Good morning! I’m popping in today to let you know about a fun interview I did with the lovely Kathy of Healthy. Happy. Life. I’ve been a long-time reader of HHL and I’m continually inspired by Kathy’s enthusiasm for a vegan lifestyle. Her passion oozes out of everything she does from her vibrant photography to her creative recipes. We’ve gotten to know each other through our blogs and I look forward to the day that we can meet in person!

In this interview, I chat about why I went vegan, upcoming projects, blogs/cookbooks/videos, and more.

You can check out the interview here: Oh She Glows, Angela Liddon: Veggie Girl Power Interview

Thanks again to Kathy for the feature!

ps – Sketchie stink eye sighting #43459.

pps- Princess Monster Truck on Instagram. Dying.

ppps- Currently drinking.

xo

If Pineapple Upside Down Cake was morphed into breakfast, this would be it.

Shredded coconut, rolled oats, pineapple, banana, and a shot of coconut rum for good measure, makes this one of the tastiest oatmeal recipes to ever cross my lips. The coconut rum accents the tropical flavours in the dish, but you can always leave it out if you need to. Rum extract or coconut extract would work fine too I’m sure.

Cinnamon and ginger add to the party-in-your-mouth! Oh and it’s a party I tell ya.

This baked oatmeal is sure to win over a crowd and it would be a lovely addition to a brunch menu. Try serving it with some whipped coconut cream to really take it up a notch. Rest assured though, it tastes amazing without any toppings at all. This isn’t one of those baked oatmeal’s that you need to add a bunch of things on top to make it taste good. It’s absolutely amazing served plain straight from the dish.

Throwing it together only takes about 10 minutes and then you’ll need to bake it for about an hour. The smell when you pull it from the oven is just heavenly – the wait was sure worth it.

Once it’s baked the most challenging part is letting it cool down for about 10-15 minutes before digging in. More waiting, I know, but that baby is sizzling h-o-t. When you take it out of the oven, it will look under baked in some parts, but this is totally normal (I reassure myself this multiple times a week in the kitchen!). When it’s still warm it has the texture of stove-top oatmeal (with firm edges), but once it cools completely it’s fairly solid and firm, like a soft oatmeal square. I gave the pineapple rounds a generous sprinkle of cinnamon and coconut sugar before going in the oven – never a bad idea!

Tropical Pineapple Boozy Baked Oatmeal

Vegan, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free (only if using gluten-free oats)

Email, text, or print this recipe

Serves 6

Dry ingredients:

• 1.5 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt

Wet ingredients:

• 2.5 cups almond milk (or coconut milk)
• 3-4 tbsp pure maple syrup, to taste
• 2 tbsp coconut rum (optional – or try 1/2-1 tsp rum extract or coconut extract)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 large banana (or two small), peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
• 6 fresh pineapple rings (about 1/2-inch thick)

1. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 2 or 2.5 quart baking dish. I used a 2.5 quart baking dish (10 cup) and it was a tad bit large, so I think 2 quart would work just fine.

2. Stir all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add the wet ingredients (milk, maple syrup, optional coconut rum or extract, and vanilla) into the dry ingredients and stir well to combine. Fold in the chopped banana and chopped pineapple.

4. Pour oatmeal mixture into the baking dish and spread out evenly. Place the 6 pineapple rings on top of the oatmeal and sprinkle with cinnamon and coconut sugar (or other granulated sugar).

5. Bake at 350F, uncovered, for 55-65 minutes or until the oatmeal is golden and firm in some spots, but still soft in others. Allow the oatmeal to cool in the dish for 10-15 minutes before digging in. Serve with whipped coconut cream to take this dish over the top!

Nutritional Info 

If you’re looking for other oatmeal breakfast recipes, check out these below:

Flourless Strawberry Apple Breakfast Crisp & On the Glo Basic Oatmeal Squares:

And now leftovers are calling my name…

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Two of these posts in less than 1 month? I’m on a roll. Spring, I love everything about you.

Let’s get right down to business!

1. Desert Essence Body Wash. This is my new favourite body wash – well, I can’t decide between the Vanilla Chai and Almond scents because they are both delightful. The lather is quite foamy too which is a big plus for me. It’s 100% vegan, cruelty-free and free of parabens, SLS, phthalates, artificial fragrances or colors, silicones, EDTA, glycol, or petroleum-based ingredients. Bravo, Desert Essence.

2. Frozen Chickpeas. Lately, I’ve been looking for alternatives to canned goods and I came across this line of frozen legumes and vegetables from Stahl Bush Island Farms. Cooking from scratch is always the cheaper option, but let’s face it; sometimes we need something ready in a flash. I just thaw the bag in the fridge overnight and they are ready to be added into dishes or made into hummus. This company has a variety of frozen products from butternut squash to lentils as well.

3. Theobroma Chocolat – Mint Leaves. This is a new-to-me chocolate and I’m hooked. Some days I have to hide it from myself which works for about 3 minutes. If you are a chocolate + mint fan, you will love this bar.

PS- Don’t you love when one square of chocolate is double the size of normal squares? I’m betting a woman designed this bar.

4. Strawberries. Topped with Coconut Whipped Cream for dessert. I’m also playing around with a strawberry vanilla and strawberry orange chia seed jam recipe. Yum, yum, yum.

5. Gabriel Mascara. When I had a nasty skin reaction earlier this year, I really had to overhaul the chemical-laden products I was putting on my skin each day. Luckily, there are so many choices out there these days, but it can be overwhelming trying to navigate it all. Gabriel Cosmetics is a line of vegan and gluten-free cosmetics using 100% natural ingredients that are fragrance-free. This mascara is what I would call a basic, no frills mascara. It gives a very natural, light feel without being heavy or overdone – perfect for what I’m looking for in my normal life. It almost looks like an eyelash stain and while it lengthens, it does not build much volume. I can get a tiny bit of smudging here and there, but it’s minimal and I haven’t noticed any flaking yet. I might explore other natural mascara brands in the future (have any to recommend?), but I can see myself coming back to this one for sure.

6. Sephora Eyelash Curler. I love this pretty curler! It gives a great curl that lasts all day and it comes in a wide range of fun colours. I love seeing the pop of colour in my make-up bag…never gets old.

7. PLAYOFF HOCKEY! Ahhhhh. I’m a hockey girl through and through thanks to growing up with a fanatical hockey fan for a father. It’s in my blood. Can I just say how happy I am to see the Leafs in the playoffs after nine painfully long years? The last time we watched the Leafs in the playoffs was during undergraduate university times. Crazy. I just can’t get enough of the playoffs this year and I’m following as many different series as I can find on TV. Oh, the drama that’s going on! It’s intense. I don’t know how these guys do it. The only thing better would be to score some tickets to see a playoff game in person, but sadly I don’t see that happening any time soon unless I can bribe someone with a home cooked vegan meal. Other things on TV I can’t get enough of are: The Mindy Project and Chicago Fire, but I think the season is winding down quickly.

8. Lightened Up Summer Granola. I’ve been on a big Vegan Overnight Oat kick lately and I love topping it with my favourite light summer granola. Nothing like a 2-minute breakfast.

Other things I’m loving lately? Neon clothing of any kind (I’m an 80’s child, what can I say?), wearing a t-shirt and shorts outdoors for the first time in months, and baby geese (goslings) by the water.

That’s a wrap. Hope your week is off to a great start!

The good news is that my manuscript is submitted to my editor. All 258 pages of it. Holy Crap, holy, crap, holy crap, is what I said to myself when I uploaded it yesterday. I was sweating and my heart was beating fast. This is by far the biggest project I’ve ever taken on, the scariest, most doubt-inflicting project I’ve ever taken on. Writing a cookbook seems like such a glamorous thing, but to be honest it’s scared me to no end. I guess that’s a good thing? I still have 50 recipes to re-make and photograph over the next few weeks – that’s about 2 recipes and shoots per day plus blog posts. So, I’m definitely not over the hump yet or breathing a sigh of relief, but I’m getting there slowly but surely. When I took on this project I truly had no idea how much time it would take me away from this blog and that has been the most challenging part by far. I miss my regular blogging schedule and can’t wait to get back into a groove! Thank YOU for your patience with my crazy schedule over the past year.

More good news? Spring decided to finally arrive here in Southern Ontario! Mainly, the sun came out and it stopped pissing rain all day, every day. Well, I guess that was spring too, but I like this glow-y version much better. I’m fighting the urge to spend all day outside doing aimless things when I should be indoors working my tail off. People are out walking, running, cycling, swatting bugs, laughing, and otherwise just loving life. I’m totally feeling that whole New Beginning Vibe and the fact that it’s my birthday month (a big 3-0 birthday month!), makes it all the more inspiring to do good things with my life. I’m drinking a lot of these apple, beet, cucumber, carrot, lemon smoothies, for instance.

Yesterday, I went out for a few drinks on a patio to celebrate and then I came home and organized my closet. I’m not even joking. I’m one of those people whose house reflects the current state of their life/mind. My closet floor looked like Wal-Mart the day after Black Friday. Or worse? I’ve never been in a Wal-Mart on Black Friday or the day after, but I’ve imagined it many times. Why does it pain me so much to put something back on a hanger after trying it on? I don’t know how Eric puts up with me; he’s such a tidy man and the fact that he shares this chaotic space with me must drive him up the wall. I wrote nice things about him in my book, so I hope that makes up for it?

So that’s where my head is at lately. I’m trying to keep it screwed on tightly, but some days it spins uncontrollably. Such is life. I’m just enjoying this adventure and so thankful for those of you who stop by each week. If it weren’t for your words of encouragement I don’t know if I would have the motivation to see this through. Big hugs!

I believe I have a giveaway winner to announce…

A big congrats to Kiana for winning the Trio of Cookbooks giveaway! Kiana wrote, “I’m reading Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss. Good eye opener book.” I will shoot you an email today to collect your mailing info. Thanks for everyone who entered! I now have a long list of books to check out this summer. Ye-haw.

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m in the final days of finishing my cookbook manuscript and handing it in to my editor. After 15 months of testing recipes, writing, and shooting photography, I finally feel like things are coming together. Very, very slowly, mind you. I’ve shot about 50 recipe photographs so far, but that means I still have at least 50 recipes to remake and photograph. gulp, gulp, gulp. I’ve heard the editing process is pretty brutal, so I’m just taking it one day at a time and not looking too far ahead. The journey of getting my recipes to a place where I’m happy (and all my recipe testers) has taken much longer than I anticipated, but I didn’t want to rush the process. Quality over quantity, I say. If this is the only cookbook I ever write, I want it to be something I’m proud of. And seriously, it might be the only cookbook I ever write!

Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and say hello! I might not be able to post as much as I’d like to over the next couple weeks, but just know that I’m thinking of you always and looking forward to sharing some recipe inspiration as soon as I can. Right now, every creative cell in my body seems to be on hiatus, but it will recharge soon enough. Isn’t that what red wine is for??

Now for the giveaway fun! In my mind, there’s nothing better than curling up with a good cookbook and feeling more inspired with each turning page. Today’s giveaway highlights a couple awesome vegan cookbooks that I have in my collection as well as my favourite recipe creation tool that I reviewed recently – The Flavor Bible! I’m giving away all the books below to one lucky winner. If you happen to already own one or some of these cookbooks, I’ll be happy to send you an Amazon gift card instead. You decide. The books will be shipped new directly from Amazon.

In this giveaway:

Let Them Eat Vegan by Dreena Burton

Let Them Eat Vegan! is packed with 200 plant-powered recipes for the entire family. Dreena offers notes on how to modify her recipes for those with allergies or common substitution questions. Natural vegan ingredients are abundant in her recipes, many of which I already have in my own pantry. See my full review here.

Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

Veganomicon is truly a work of art. With over 250 recipes for any occasion, this is a cookbook I turn to often. Whether you’re in the mood for something quick and easy or something fancy and elaborate, this book will have it. There are also handy user-friendly guides for soy-free, gluten-free, low-fat, and quick and easy recipes.

The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg

The Flavor Bible, described as “the essential guide to culinary creativity”, profiles ingredients and the corresponding herbs, spices, seasonings, etc. that pair well with each of these ingredients. As someone who has grown to love recipe creation, this book is a resource tool that I turn to when I’m looking for a nudge in the right direction. When I have an ingredient in mind that I’d like to cook with, I often look to this book for suggestions of other “compatible” ingredients that I can include in the dish. For my full review, see here.

To enter: Leave a comment below and tell me what you are reading right now or maybe tell me about a book you’ve read recently that you enjoyed. If you’d like a second entry you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest and leave a second comment letting me know you did so. This contest is open to anyone, anywhere and the winner will be chosen at random on Sat April 27th . Good luck!!

Please note: The links in this post are Amazon Affiliate links – if you click on the link and purchase something I will receive a small percentage from Amazon which helps support costs involved for this blog. Thanks in advance!

Whenever my heart feels heavy, lost, or confused I tend to turn to the kitchen to distract myself. Seeking comfort in food isn’t as bad as those ridiculous diet magazines make it out to be. Food can bring us all together and make us pause to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Sometimes, a big pot of chili and garlic bread, creamy avocado pasta, or warm walnut banana bread is just the thing we need in that moment. Other days, it’s a big kale salad or a juicy basket of strawberries and coconut cream. Monday night, I made pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce while we watched the news. I felt like a zombie as I cooked, but I knew we needed something to settle our bellies.

It’s been an emotional week to say the least. I find myself extra sensitive about everything, trying to make sense of all the loss in this world. I haven’t made any sense of it yet and there’s no feeling of progress made in my mind. Despite this heavy heart, I can’t help but be inspired by all the good out there. The selfless people helping in a time of need. The bravery and generosity going on is a beautiful thing to see. Sometimes I don’t always see the good, but it’s there. Love always prevails.

These banana bread bars were my solution to another comfort food craving yesterday. Think of them as soft, doughy granola bars filled with crunchy walnuts, omega-3 lovin’ chia seeds, and a sprinkling of dark chocolate chips. The wet batter is made up of spotty bananas, a generous scoop of protein-packed peanut butter, a splash of vanilla, and just a hint of sweetener to round it all out. I’ve been enjoying them around the clock, so it’s safe to say they work nicely as breakfast, snack, or even dessert. Your call.

Banana Bread Protein Bars

Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, soy-free (if using Enjoy Life chocolate)

Email, text, or print this recipe

Yield: 10 bars

Dry ingredients:

• 2/3 cup gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup raw buckwheat groats*, ground into flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 tbsp mini dark chocolate chips (such as Enjoy Life brand)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt

Wet ingredients:

• 3/4 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 small-medium)
• 1/2 cup natural smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar syrup (or brown rice syrup)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8-inch square pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper, one going each way. Tip – to get the parchment to stick to the pan, give the base a spray with olive oil and do this for the next paper too.

2. Add raw buckwheat groats into a high-speed blender and blend on high until a fine flour forms. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

3. Mash bananas until smooth and measure out 3/4 cup. Stir together the banana and all the wet ingredients in a bowl.

4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well until combined. The dough should be very sticky!

5. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the batter and press it down to spread out the batter evenly. You can also remove the paper and wet your hands lightly and spread it out that way. Make sure it’s as even as possible.

6. Bake at 350F for 22-26 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the bread is firm to touch. Cool in the pan completely (I left it for 1 hour) before removing and slicing into bars.

Nutritional Info

Notes: Raw buckwheat groats are not the same as kasha or toasted buckwheat. Raw groats have a milder flavour than toasted. You can find raw groats online, in some health food stores, or the bulk bins of Whole Foods. I buy mine in bulk from Upaya Naturals online. You might be able to substitute the ground buckwheat for oat flour, but I have not tried this myself. If anyone tries it, please leave a comment and report back.

Behold, non-wimpy asparagus!

Normally I don’t consider asparagus to be one of the most exciting vegetables, but it always surprises me every time I make it. I enjoy it way more than I think I do. A simple, light sauté leaves it tender, but still crisp and fresh. I find it turns out best when I cook it a bit less time than I think I should. Less is more with this guy! I’ve made the mistake of cooking the hell out of it in the past and it’s something I try not to repeat.

A few notes about asparagus:

• Look for firm spears that don’t bend easily. Asparagus doesn’t tend to last very long, so it’s best consumed within 48 hours of purchasing. When you bring it home, wrap the stems in a damp paper towel to extend freshness.
• Asparagus may aid in digestion thanks to its inulin content which is said to function as a “prebiotic”
• In 1 cup of raw asparagus you’ll receive Vitamin K (69.6% Daily Value), Vitamin A (20.2% DV), Folate (17.4% DV), Iron (15.7% DV), Vitamin B1 (12.6% DV), Vitamin C (12.5% DV), 3 grams protein, 2.75 grams fibre, and more.
• It can act as a diuretic causing you to lose more fluid than normal. Be sure to get enough water throughout the day.
• Asparagus is anti-inflammatory thanks to its large composition of anti-inflammatory nutrients.
• Source: World’s Healthiest Foods

Since spring produce seems to be picking up speed around here, I’m celebrating my first spring recipe of the season today – a warm spring salad featuring asparagus, leek, peas, strawberries, and lots of parsley all tossed in a simple lemon olive oil dressing. Easy, light, and super refreshing. If you’d like to add even more protein than what the quinoa + veggies provide I’m sure it would be nice with some white beans, chickpeas, or French lentils thrown in too. Eric also suggested we sprinkle some seeds on top – pumpkin and hemp – and that was a very nice addition!

Keep in mind that the strawberries will turn the quinoa a pinkish hue once tossed. If this is a concern or if you are making this in advance, I suggest adding the strawberries on just before serving.

Cheers to crunchy, fresh spring salads!

Warm Spring Salad

Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free

Email, text, or print this recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or try speltberries, but note they are not GF)
• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 leek, sliced into rounds or half moons
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch asparagus, ends broken off and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup diced strawberries (optional)
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or other sweetener)
• 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt & lots of pepper, to taste
• lemon zest, for garnish

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and place into a medium pot. Add 1.5 cups vegetable broth (or water) and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low-medium, cover with tight-fitting lid, and cook for 15-17 minutes, or until fluffy and all the water is absorbed. Fluff with fork, remove from heat, and let sit covered for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, grab a very large skillet or wok. Sauté the leek and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add in the asparagus and sauté for another 5-10 minutes or until the asparagus is just tender, but still a bit crisp. Stir in the strawberries (optional), peas, and parsley. Heat for a few minutes and then remove from heat.

3. Whisk together the dressing ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, and 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt) to taste. Pour dressing onto skillet mixture and stir in the cooked quinoa. Season to taste with salt and pepper & enjoy! This would also be lovely with nuts or seeds sprinkled on top.

Nutritional Info

Oh, I forgot to mention – this is also fantastic served cold too!