Those who know me well know there’s no food I love more than a good ‘ol sandwich🥪. This smoky tempeh, lettuce, avocado and tomato (TLAT??) didn’t disappoint! I smothered it with garlic aioli for some delicious zing. You can buy tempeh bacon ready-made, but I used a combo of vegetable stock, tamari, maple syrup, liquid smoke and smoked paprika to make a marinade.
In need of an easy, eggy dish for brunch or lunch? Made this watercress & ricotta frittata and it was delicious!!! The lemon zest made it so fresh tasting. Watercress is an under-appreciated leafy green with a lovely peppery flavour and loaded with nutrients. If you have trouble finding it, it can be replaced with spinach, kale or arugula.
Ingredients:
– 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
– 1 onion, chopped
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 bunch (2 cups) watercress, rough ends trimmed, coarsely chopped
– 8 large eggs, beaten
– 1.5 cups ricotta
– 1/3 cup grated parmesan
– Zest of 1 large lemon
– ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
– Salt & pepper
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375
2) In large, ovenproof skillet, heat oil, swirling to coat edges
3) Sauté garlic and onion until translucent. Season with salt and pepper
4) Add watercress and sauté until wilted (1-2 minutes)
5) In large bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, parmesan, lemon zest and nutmeg
6) Pour ricotta mixture over watercress
7) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until just set. Slice and serve. Makes 6-8 portions.
This Middle Eastern-inspired dish was a hit. Made with bulgur, otherwise known as cracked wheat, and chickpeas, it is packed with protein and fibre. The minted tahini and cucumber add some wonderful freshness. Super simple to put together and sure to please!
Ingredients:
– 1/2 Onion, chopped
– 2 Garlic cloves, minced
– 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
– 2 Tomatoes, diced (or 1/2 can diced tomatoes)
– 1 Can Chickpeas, drained & rinsed
– 1tsp cumin
– 1 tsp curry powder
– 1 Cup bulgur wheat, uncooked
– 2 Cups vegetable stock
– ½ Cup Cilantro, chopped
– Salt & pepper, to taste
Minted Tahini:
– 1/3 Cup Tahini
– 1/2 Cup mint leaves
– 2 Tbsp lemon juice
– 1 garlic clove, minced
– 1/4 tsp Salt
– 1/2 Cup water
For Topping:
– Diced cucumbers & tomatoes, cilantro
Directions:
1-Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant.
2-Add chopped tomatoes. Cook until sauce-like consistency.
3-Add chickpeas, cumin and curry powder, salt & pepper and bulgur. Stir well.
4-Add vegetable stock. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until
bulgur softens, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in fresh cilantro at the end of cooking
time.
5-Blend all sauce ingredients until smooth.
6-Serve chickpea mixture topped with diced cucumbers and tomatoes. Drizzle
with sauce, remaining cilantro.
*Makes 4-6 servings
Made a very festive vegetarian appetizer and dessert. The veggie pate is super delicious and simple if you have a food processor (recipe below). The minted pomegranate fruit cup is a perfect, refreshing dessert after a heavy meal. Simply combine pomegranate seeds with diced oranges. Combine with fresh mint muddled with sugar and serve in a pretty glass.
Veggie Pate:
Ingredients:
– ½ can lentils, drained & rinsed
– ½ Cup sunflower seeds, toasted
– 1 Tbsp olive oil
– 3 shallots, chopped
– 2 Cups mushrooms, chopped
– ½ Cup parsley, chopped
– 1 Tbsp rosemary, dried
– ¼ Cup nutritional yeast (optional)
– Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions
1) Toast sunflower seeds in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant.
Place into food processor.
2) Return pan to heat and add oil. Saute shallots until translucent. Add
remaining ingredients. Saute until mushrooms cooked, about 4-5 minutes.
3) Place mushroom mixture into food processor and pulse until a pate
texture is reached.
4) Press into a container and cool in fridge.
*Makes 6-8 appetizer servings
Just made this quick & delicious Veggie Caesar Salad for lunch. I topped it with pan fried smoked tofu and homemade croutons. My not-so-secret ingredient in the dressing and croutons? Nutritional yeast. Mmmmm – so much better than it sounds 😂. Can easily be replaced with Parmesan if you don’t have any on hand. So good… I may just have it again for dinner 😬🤣.
Ingredients:
– 1 large head Romaine lettuce, chopped
– 1 block smoked tofu, cubed and pan fried
For Croutons
– 1 Cup bread, roughly torn
– 1 Tbsp olive oil
– 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
– ½ tsp garlic powder
– ½ tsp oregano, dried
– Salt & pepper, to taste
For Dressing
– ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
– 2 Tbsp lemon juice
– 1 Tbsp olive oil
– 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
– 1 clove garlic
– ½ tsp capers
– 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
– ½ tsp oregano
– Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut/ tear bread into chunks and place in large bowl. Toss with nutritional yeast, oil, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake for another 5 minutes oruntil golden and crisp.
2) Combine all dressing ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. 3) Pan fry tofu over medium heat.
4) Toss lettuce in dressing and add croutons. Top with tofu & serve.
