Category Archives: healthy recipe

Recipe: Quinoa Tabbouli Salad

Posted on April 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

Tabbouli is a salad that I have always loved and purchased frequently from falafel shops. I tried a version with quinoa and have made it a constant in my quick lunch ideas. The combination of flavour from lemon juice, parsley, tomato, shallot, onion and cucumber makes it one of my favourite ways to eat quinoa. If you have it on hand, try one tablespoon of chili macadamia oil (found in Hawaii) and one tablespoon olive oil for extra special flavour. Serve it on a bed of baby spinach for some extra veggie intake.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups veggie stock/chicken broth or water
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of one lemon

1 shallot, finely chopped
2 green onions finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped cucumber
1-2 plum tomatoes seeded and finely chopped
1 cup parsley (at least half a bunch) finely chopped

Cook quinoa in stock/broth and salt. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for about 15 minutes or desired tenderness. Let the quinoa cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, toss quinoa with olive oil and lemon juice. Add chopped shallot and green onion. Mix well. Add cucumber and tomatoes, toss together. Add chopped parsley and mix well.

Serve at room temperature.

Note: May 20, 2013. I have been making this recipe lately with a mixture of parsley, cilantro and mint which adds an extra depth of flavour. Serving it with lightly cooked french beans is also a nice addition of veggies.

 

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Posted in healthy recipe, Vivian Law

Mushroom Soup Recipe (vegan)

Posted on March 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

This is a simple, absolutely delicious and rich tasting vegan mushroom soup. The secret is the homemade veggie stock and dried shiitake mushrooms, which add depth of flavour.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound organic cremini mushrooms finely chopped
3 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water overnight
4-5 cups homemade veggie stock
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp celtic sea salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
In a large pot, saute the garlic and shallot in olive oil. Add chopped mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms start to brown. Add veggie stock, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add thyme and let simmer for 20-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let soup cool slightly and puree with hand immersion blender until relatively smooth. Makes 4-5 servings. Enjoy!

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Posted in healthy recipe, Vegan

Recipe: Multigrain Carrot Muffin

Posted on March 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

This is a healthy muffin recipe that is adapted from bestselling cookbook Spilling the Beans. Pureed white beans add extra fibre and nutrition to the muffins, as does the different flours and ground flaxseed. The ingredients sound a little strange, but the muffins are tasty with a moist texture. Organic ingredients are preferable if possible.

Multigrain Carrot Muffins
1 cup organic whole wheat flour
1/3 cup oat flour
1/3 cup millet flour
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple, unpeeled coarsely grated
1/2 cup currants
1 cup white beans
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup sunflower or safflower oil
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large bowl. mix together the flours, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Add the carrots, apple and carrot and combine.
In a food processor, puree the white beans. Add buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla and process until smooth.
Add buttermilk mixture to flour and carrot mixture. Stir until just combined.
Fill muffin cups until almost full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are springy to the touch. Makes up to 18 muffins.
Enjoy the same day, refrigerate for 2-3 days or freeze. The muffins have a short shelf life due to the organic ingredients.

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Carrot Apple Juice

Posted on March 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

Let me preface this by saying that I really dislike eating raw carrots. I make an effort, but have never enjoyed the taste of a raw or cooked carrot much. I do understand that carrots are a healthy food to include in your diet. I was doing some research on juicing and came across the idea of fresh carrot apple juice. I made some and it was delicious, even someone who dislikes carrots enjoyed drinking it!

Carrot Apple Juice
Makes 1 glass
(just double, triple or quadruple the amount of carrots and apples to make your desired quantity)
2 peeled organic carrots
1 organic royal gala apple, cut into quarters
small sliver of fresh ginger if desired for flavour
Place carrots and apple into the juicer and enjoy the juice immediately.

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Recipe: Hummus

Posted on February 5, 2012 | Leave a comment

Hummus is a delicious and healthy snack that is good to have anytime. Great choices for dippers include, endive, baby carrots, celery sticks, cucumber, grape tomatoes, baked chips, and high fibre crackers such as Finn Crisp. Pita wedges is a tasty classic pairing, but try to have just half a pita each serving.

Here is a recipe that was inspired by Keith Froggett’s recipe that was printed in the Globe and Mail last year. I cannot find my copy that I clipped from the paper or on the Scaramouche website. I do recall that he had said it was one of his most requested recipes. I can understand why, this hummus is delicious because of its purity of flavour. Note that this recipe does not contain tahini. Using the highest quality olive oil delivers the best flavour. I cook the chickpeas from dry myself, because I find this form of preparation eliminates the issue of gas.
Hummus
1 cup dry chickpeas or one can
1 clove garlic, slivered
Juice of one lemon
1-2 tablespoons high quality extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Soak chickpeas in a bowl full of water overnight. Cook on stovetop or in slow cooker until tender.
Place chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil into the bowl of the food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Store in a airtight container if there is any left, it will keep for up to a week.

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Posted in healthy recipe, Vegan

Recipe: Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

Posted on February 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

Here is a recipe that I whipped up one afternoon last April when I was inspired by a book I had read, The Thrive Diet and by a young lady who was told me she was consuming too many delicious cupcakes from D’Lish. She wondered if they would make a vegan version, as her roommate was vegan and she also figured it might be healthier. I suppose a vegan version would eliminate butter/eggs in the cake and the dairy in the cream cheese frosting. However, a cupcake will most likely contain sugar, which is something we should consume in moderation.

D’Lish does make the best cupcakes I have had in Toronto. With the red velvet flavour being their most popular. D’Lish does a fantastic job of rotating the flavours each day of the week much like they do at Magnolia in New York. I would even dare say that I prefer the D’Lish red velvet cupcake to the one I had at Magnolia…
I discussed the health consciousness issue with the owner of D’Lish last year. The purity of the ingredients he uses and the final delicious product is of utmost importance. Of course, I agree that a small cupcake that is made with natural ingredients is simply a delightful treat.
If you are vegan or want to create a moist, tasty vegan cupcake (hard to tell when you eat it) as an alternative treat, give this recipe a try. I will admit was not as successful with a vegan cream cheese like frosting, so best wishes for that endeavour.
Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup flour with added bran
1/4 millet flour
1/2tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1tsp beet extract for colour (use food colouring if you would like)
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix together dry ingredients in a small bowl, set aside.
In another small bowl, mix together coconut milk and lemon juice.
In a large bowl, cream coconut oil and sugar together until well combined and somewhat fluffy with an electric mixer. Add cocoa, mix well. Add applesauce, vanilla and beet extract or food colouring, mix well.
Alternately add flour mixture and coconut milk mixture in 3 additions, mix well each time. Add baking soda and lemon juice together, mix well.
Spoon into paper lined tin. Bake for about 25 minutes or until toothpick is clean. Makes about 9 cupcakes.

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Posted in healthy recipe, Vivian Law

Recipe: Red Lentil Soup

Posted on January 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

Here is an easy soup to make that is tasty, simple and nutritious. Lentil soup is a great way to start adding more legumes to your diet. They are a little easier to digest than beans, so it is a good way to get your body used to having more legumes with a minimal risk of gas. It is seasoned with tumeric (also gives the soup the yellow colour) and cumin, both of which have numerous health benefits, so use liberally to your taste. The soup is perfect with half a sandwich or a substantial salad as lunch or as a starter for dinner. Studies have shown that having soup aids in weight loss, because soup is satisfying to eat, but can be low in calories. Try this soup!

Red Lentil Soup
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
I tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 plum tomato, finely chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
In a strainer, rinse lentils until water runs clear or foaming stops.
In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium high and saute onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and tomato until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add lentils, then broth, water, spices and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil, and simmer until lentils are soft about 25 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Blend with an immersion blender if desired.

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Posted in gluten free, healthy recipe, plant food, Vivian Law

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