warm butternut squash, cabbage and dill salad

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

We may be slowly but surely headed into spring, but I am still firmly in squash mode. The distinct chill in the air still has my body craving sweet roasted squash goodness and I am not one to deny my body what it wants, particularly when it’s healthy.

Despite my slightly out of season cravings, the thought of pairing squash with heavier, warm flavours like cumin, curry and cinnamon just wasn’t appealing to me. I wanted something lighter and fresher. And wouldn’t you know it, but I had a bunch of fresh dill in my fridge just waiting to be used.

I’ve never paired butternut squash with dill before, but the combination is amazing! The squash is slightly sweet but the dill totally brightens it up giving it a lighter, more spring-like feel!

Dill has this amazing ability to give a warm-weather feel to dishes don’t you think? I think it’s the herb equivalent of a fresh breeze :)

Included in the salad is also some red cabbage, onion and walnuts, giving it tons of fiber and good dose of healthy fats. Finished with a drizzle of lemon, this salad makes a wonderfully light and flavourful side dish or can serve to stand as a meal on it’s own if served with some greens and maybe some legumes if you choose. Leftovers also taste delicious cold!

And lets face it, the colours in this salad are gorgeous. You all need to make this based on that fact alone ;)

Warm Butternut Squash, Cabbage and Dill Salad (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Paleo)

Ingredients (4 main dishes, 8 sides)

1 medium butternut squash peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 small head purple cabbage, cut into wedges
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup chopped dill
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put chopped squash in a large bowl and toss the squash chunks in olive oil and salt and pepper them well. Arrange in one layer on 2 baking sheets or 1 large one and put in the oven. Roast for 10 minutes. Toss the cabbage chunks in a little oil, salt and pepper in the same bowl you used before, then add the cabbage to the butternut squash. Roast for 10 minutes. Add the chopped onion to the bowl you were tossing the other vegetables in and let them take up the oil and salt and pepper that's left over. Add to the other veggies. Roast until all veggies are nicely caramelized, about 30-40 min. Add the chopped walnuts 10 minutes before the veggies are done.

Put all the veggies in a large serving bowl, toss with the dill, lemon and nutritional yeast and serve.

I'm sharing this at Allergy-Free Wednesday and Wellness Weekends!

Now I’m wondering from you…

What’s your favourite herb? Mine seems to always be changing but dill is certainly near the top of the list!

What spring/summer produce are you most looking forward to? FRUIT and asparagus for me!

Have a great week everyone! xox

clarity and a baby kale and shitake stir fry

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

The universe gives us clues in life, telling us if we are on the right path. If we just open ourselves up to hearing these messages we can correct our course for the better or experience a beautiful sense of peace that we are at our perfect place in this world.

Yesterday, I had a feeling.

Like the perfect calm before a storm.

An experience of total clarity.

That I was right where I needed to be.

Right now, my existence was perfect.

The right place. The right time. The right me.

And that very soon, good things are going to happen.

There’s an energy all around me, and I am loving it :)

Baby Kale, Shitake and Arame Stir-Fry (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Paleo)

This stir fry is just delicious, so full of flavour and packed with nutrition. Baby kale, shitake mushrooms and carrots form the base of the stir fry, while the sea vegetable packs a powerful nutrition punch with it’s high mineral content and anti-inflammatory fucoidans. Tamari, ginger, maple syrup and miso paste infuse this dish with so much flavour. This dish is a reminder that simple meals based on whole food ingredients are the most beautiful, rewarding and delicious.

Could be stretched to 4 servings if you used a few more veggies or added some tofu/legumes to the mix. I opted to forgo this to keep it properly combined in keeping with my digestive healing plan.

Ingredients (~ 3 servings)

1/4 cup arame, dry
coconut oil
1/2 a large onion, diced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup grated carrots
2 cups thinly sliced shitakes
2 cups firmly packed baby kale
1 tbsp tamari
1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp miso
2 tbsp water
scallions, sesame seeds and lime wedges for garnish

Optional quinoa for serving

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

If using quinoa, start it first. Dry toast well-rinsed quinoa over medium heat, just until it becomes fragrant. Add the water and salt, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat but keep it covered and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes before serving.

Take 1/4 cup arame and soak it in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large pan over medium heat and melt some coconut oil in it for sautéing. Once hot, add the onion to the pan and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté another minute, then add the carrots and shitakes. Sauté until the mushrooms begin to release their juices and turn brown. Add the baby kale and stir in.

In a small bowl mix together the tamari, maple syrup, miso and water. Add this to the pan and stir it in, cooking until the kale is wilted and most of the liquid is absorbed. Just before serving mix in the drained arame.

Serve with diced scallions, sesame seeds and lime wedges, on top of quinoa if using.

Enjoy!

wiaw and a vegan delish review and giveaway!

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

Hello lovelies!

Today I’m so excited because not only do I have a day of delicious eats to share with you all, BUT I also get to show off the lovely Carrie’s app Vegan Delish and give a free download code to three of you lovely people!

Now I’m not going to waste any time, so here' goes with What I Ate Wednesday! Thank you to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting!

Some of you might remember from my post on digestive healing, that I’ve started following a 3 meals per day model of eating, much like what is recommended in Ayurveda to give your digestive system a break. Snacking all day basically means your body is constantly diverting energy and resources to digesting as opposed to healing and other important tasks. It also prevents your body from burning stored fat as fuel and instead relied on the foods you are constantly digesting. So, especially for me at this point in my life, this way of eating is win-win! BUT I want to make sure I’m still eating enough and getting enough calories so I’ve been having 3 large meals everyday.

I’ve also been trying to combine my foods properly, but yesterday was not a good example of this. I was very all over the place so if you are trying to combine foods properly, do not use this as a model ;)

Breakfast: I sipped some tea and lemon water early on but I wasn’t very hungry at all yesterday until around 11, so that’s when I ate this. A slice of amazing sprouted grain bread with coconut oil and naturally-sweetened apricot jam alongside a green smoothie. In the mix was a pear, spinach, Sunwarrior protein, chia seeds and almond milk. I topped it with some of Carrie’s Chocolate Buckwheat Brittle from her Vegan Delish App!

Lunch: If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve already seen this and honestly, this is one of the BEST things I’ve eaten in a while and I’m so excited to share with you all the recipe for it! I actually ate this at work but photographed it beforehand to get a better shot. I ate both of these and was incredibly satisfied :)

I think I’m going to call this my Smoky Collard Wrap. It’s a sweet, spicy, smoky, creamy AND tangy wrap all in one. It’s very filling, protein packed and nutrient rich! I actually combined a bunch of recipes together to make it, but once you have them all prepared and ready, this comes together very quickly.

Smoky Collard Wrap (Vegan, Gluten-free)

Makes about 2 wraps, enough to feed one hungry person!

Ingredients (2 wraps, 1 serving)

2 large collard leaves
1/4 cup anti-inflammatory hummus (recipe below)
2 tbsp coconut bacon (recipe below)
1/4 cup sauerkraut
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 tbsp saffron cheese sauce from Vegan Delish App!
sriracha to taste

Instructions

Prep the collard leaves according to this tutorial.

Place half of all the fillings on each leaf.

Wrap like she shows in the above tutorial.

Eat!

Anti-Inflammatory Hummus (Vegan, Gluten-free)

A slight spin on a classic, this hummus incorporates the anti-inflammatory properties of cumin and turmeric!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, well rinsed)
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
sea salt to taste
water to blend

Instructions

Add all ingredients except the salt and water to a food processor and process until smooth. Add water as needed to help it get nice and smooth. Add salt to taste, process again and serve!

Coconut Bacon (Vegan, Gluten-free, Paleo)

This stuff is AMAZING. It's smoky, sweet and crunchy- all the things people love about bacon without any of the unnecessary use of animal products! I modified this recipe from Me-Shell in Your City and I cannot thank her enough for he inspiration!

Ingredients (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 cups large coconut flakes
1/2 tbsp liquid smoke
2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut aminos (can substitute tamari or Bragg's if you want, but won't be soy-free)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all ingredients together except the coconut flakes in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the coconut flakes and mix well to coat. Spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10 min, stir the flakes and bake again for 6 minutes. Take them out, even if they don't feel crunchy yet. They will harden as they cool.

I'm sharing this recipe on Allergy-Free Wednesday!

Ok, back to WIAW!

Dinner: Packed for work, a big salad with mixed greens, carrot, zucchini, sauerkraut, avocado, brown rice, pumpkin seeds, hemp oil and kelp. YUM!

Dessert: Food-combining no-no, fruit right after dinner! Unsweetened applesauce with blueberries and some almond butter on the side. My stomach seemed ok with it though.

Now I want to talk to you all about this lovely app that my lovely blog friend and Healthy Vegan Friday co-host Carrie developed!

For new and veteran vegans and vegetarians, plus those wanting to explore the benefits of a plant-based diet, Vegan Delish is a recipe app available for iPhones and iPads featuring innovative tools such as a digital shopping list and searchable categories including quick & easy, kid-friendly and slow-cooker. Listed as one of the top 20 Food & Drink paid iPhone apps, Vegan Delish inspires users to make whole food, plant-based meals that are as delicious as they are nutritious.

iPhone Screenshot

I am just loving this app! It has so many great features. The recipes are organized by helpful categories like no sugar, oil-free, gluten-free, low sodium, etc., making it easy to find a recipe according to your dietary needs. There are easy functions that let you email and print a recipe and easy Facebook and Twitter Sharing! It lets you rate recipes and save the ones you love to a “Favourites” section. Within each recipe, you can also add ingredients directly to a shopping list which was so convenient! For more involved recipes, you can check off steps as you complete them too and there’s even a kitchen timer in there!

iPad Screenshot

This app is so user friendly and well designed. It’s easy to navigate and is so visually stunning! Not to mention the recipes are absolutely drool-worthy and are all based on whole foods, with no scary ingredients and are 100% vegan!

I’ve made 2 recipes from it so far and already have plans to make more. I made the Chocolate Buckwheat Brittle and Saffron Cheese Sauce which both are featured in this week’s WIAW. They are both absolutely wonderful and were so easy to make!

Chocolate Buckwheat Brittle: great on it’s own as a snack or as a smoothie topping. Chocolatey, crunchy and raw!

Saffron Cheese Sauce: an awesome grown-up, elegant flavour. Great as a sauce, dip, or as one of my friend’s suggested, it would make an amazing vegan cheese fondue! I used it in my Smoky Collard Wrap!

If you want to get your hands on this app go to the site here and download it. It’s only $1.99, seriously such a bargain for the quality!

BUT because Carrie is so generous, she is offering to give it to 3 of my readers for free! Simply enter using the Rafflecopter giveaway below. I will announce the winners next Wednesday!a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ll see you all back here for Healthy Vegan Friday!

digestive healing & an anti-inflammatory african “peanut” stew

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

**Disclaimer: this post is not meant as medical advice. This is simply what worked for me**

It’s been a while since I’ve discussed health issues on this blog and I recently had a few questions from readers about them. I’ve been really hesitant to discuss these things because this is my own journey and I’m still struggling to find what works for me. And what works for me, might not work for you! But since this is a healthy food and living blog, it might interest you all to hear about the goings on, the progress I’ve made and what I’m doing going forward! Plus, as I’m studying to be a holistic nutritionist, this is precisely the kind of thing I love talking about! Of course there will be a wonderfully delicious recipe at the end as well ;)

Older readers might recall that in the summer I was struggling with low iron levels that refused to go up, low energy and fatigue as well as a lot of digestive upset. You can read about those issues in this post. I was extremely fortunate to receive a ton of advice from you all and that combined with some of the things I’ve been learning about in school and by working with a naturopath, I have made some progress while uncovering new problems.

First things first, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my first few things at school is that it all starts with digestion. If digestion is weakened or not functioning properly, this will cause a lot of problems upstream. Did you know that 80% of your digestive system is in your gut?? And not only will faulty digestion impair your immunity (included in this realm is intolerances and allergies), but it will also severely impact your ability to extract nutrition from the foods you consume. They say, “You are what you eat” but it’s actually much more accurate to say, “You are what you absorb”.

source

In saying that, it should have been no surprise to me then, that my iron issues were directly related to my digestive issues. So working to heal my digestion has been a primary focus and I have to say, I haven’t even taken any iron supplements in months and I do feel better! I am not 100% there but there is definite improvement. To find out what has worked for me in this regard, keep reading, if not, scroll down for today's recipe!

Food and Eating Habits

Simplifying food combinations: The idea of food combining was not foreign to me, but it also wasn’t something that I’d followed very closely. There are a lot of competing views on food combining but I think this infographic outlines it quite well:

source

Complicated eh? But adhering to these guidelines for the most part has been so crucial for me. Someone who has strong digestion doesn’t need to worry about this very much, but for anyone who experiences digestive upset, following these rules reduces the stress on the digestive system, meaning food is digested easier and more completely. That means you get more nutrition from your food! It’s been tough- as a vegan some of the combinations that are “bad” are so common! Like nuts are not good with oils or starches, and there is much debate as to whether legumes are actually a starch or a protein. I’ve been feeling best treating them as a protein, meaning no combining with grains! And what’s more vegan than beans and rice??

Simplifying my meals: This simply means that my meals lately have generally had fewer ingredients. So while in the past I have made smoothies that contain 20 different ingredients, lately they’ve focused around 5 or 6, same goes with my salads. This allows the digestive system to properly break down each component instead of competing for different enzymes. Carrot Cake Puree anyone?

source

Anti-inflammatory and non-reactive foods: I’ve eliminated most foods from my diet that have been found to be inflammatory or reactive which included things like gluten, bananas, some forms of soy, nightshade vegetables, etc. Lists of these foods can be found on the internet, but I like this one. In addition to this, I’ve been incorporating lots of anti-inflammatory foods like omega=3 rich hemp and chia seeds, berries, lemon, raw and cooked vegetables and spices like turmeric and cinnamon.

Supplements

source

My supplement cupboard has been looking a bit like a pharmacy, but these carefully chosen supplements have been doing the trick!

Probiotics: often times digestive upset can be linked to a disbiosis in the body, or in other words, an imbalance in the good and bad bacteria in your gut. We need bacteria, they do so many beneficial things for us. But things like stress, illness, medications and food choices can tilt the balance towards the bad ones. A good probiotic can help bring balance back to your system.

Digestive Enzymes: while these are not something I like to rely on, when I’m eating out and don’t have full control over the ingredients in my food, these help to negate any bad reactions to food.

Vitamins A, C, E: These are powerful antioxidants and are crucial to helping your small intestine regenerate and repair.

L-glutamine: This is an amino acid that is used for energy by the cells of our small intestine. Supplementing with this greatly enhances your intestine’s ability to heal

Magnesium and Zinc: critical in so many reactions relating to digestion. Magnesium also helps your muscles and body relax and cope with stress. Stress and digestion are not friends so finding a way to deal with stress is so important!

MSM: Short for methylsulfonylmethane, MSM is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent by helping to remove and detoxify waste products that create inflammation.

Lifestyle Changes

source

Sleep: Getting enough rest is so important to reducing the overall stress on your body, allowing proper hormonal functions and giving your body time to rest and repair. I’ve made it a priority to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

Not Snacking and Intermittent Fasting: This might sound like it’s going against the grain to conventional nutrition advice but eating less often and drawing out the space between my meals allows my system to fully digest the previous meal before tackling the next one. In fact, when I space out the time between my final meal of one day and my first meal of the next by 12-14 hours or more, my body is more able to handle the task. I try to eat only 3 times a day, which believe me, a former chronic snacker, this was VERY hard!

Stress: Reducing stress. Stress affects your body in so many ways from your digestive system to immunity to your hormones, all of which of course are intertwined! Many people who struggle with Irritable Bowel Syndrome of cite stress as one of the main factors as to whether or not they will react to a food or not. This was one of the primary factors to me deciding to go down to part-time at school.

Going Forward

My journey towards healing my digestive system has taken a while, but I do feel like progress is being made! I have been feeling more energized and my digestion is definitely stronger. My iron levels are still low though, so I will incorporate a supplement soon to boost my levels. Hopefully my digestion will continue to heal so I won’t require one at all! I have been told Floravit is an excellent iron supplement which is easily absorbed and doesn’t cause digestive upset like many iron supplements. I will also continue to pay attention to food combining, including combining foods to enhance iron absorption such as with vitamin C.

I’ve also made other discoveries along the way, particularly as it related to my thyroid function. Did you know that dysfunction of the thyroid, particularly hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is actually really common, especially in women? I will save my discussion on the topic for a whole separate post, if you are all interested!

And now, for the recipe I promised you!

I had a craving for something warming and comforting when I went home to visit my parents last week, and a stew seemed like just the thing! However, with my multitude of restrictions coming into play, we had to get creative.

The result was a very delicious, anti-inflammatory, low reactive African “Peanut” Stew that tastes just as good as the traditional version! Substitutions we made from the original recipe:

Almonds and almond butter instead of peanuts: peanuts have a high affinity for mould, therefore aren’t as digestively friendly!
Cayenne in stead of chilli peppers: cayenne is actually anti-inflammatory while chilli peppers belong to the nightshade vegetable family and can be problematic for some
Chickpeas instead of black-eyed peas: chickpeas are one of the best tolerated legumes
Coconut sugar for brown sugar: brown sugar is really no different from white sugar and is acidifying, reactive and high glycemic. Coconut sugar is a much more healthful option.
Added some chopped kale, just for fun and added nutrition!

The almond butter makes this stew incredibly creamy and satisfying with a wonderfully sweet flavour that plays off the spiciness of the cayenne. The cinnamon and cumin enhance the anti-inflammatory properties of the stew and the chopped almonds add great texture!

If you have weak digestion, I suggest serving this over greens as I did. But if your tummy is a powerhouse, feel free to serve over your favourite grain, like my parents.

African “Peanut” Stew (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free)

Adapted from 'The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook' by Robin Robertson

Ingredients (6 servings)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium size sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pinches cayenne (or 1-2 tsp chilli flakes)
1 1/2 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/2 tbsp coconut sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cumin
3 1/2 cups chopped and peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup creamy natural almond butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or one 15 oz. can
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds
3 cups chopped kale

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cayenne, ginger, coconut sugar, cinnamon , and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add the squash and stir to coat with the spices. Add 1 1/4 cups of the water and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.

Put the almond butter in a small bowl and slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup water, stirring until smooth.

Stir the almond butter mixture into the stew, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the chickpeas, almonds and kale and simmer until heated through. Before serving, taste to adjust the seasonings.

Serve over top of your favourite greens or grain.