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!

st. paddy’s day green monster dip

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

source

It’s almost that time of year again! When the entire world is Irish for a day, when drinking at 11 am becomes acceptable and green becomes the new black (or whatever colour is in style). St. Paddy’s Day!!

I was never a huge fan of the holiday until living in Ireland for a while. Now this day fills me with nostalgia for the beautiful country, amazing people and life-changing experiences I had while I was there. I can’t help but celebrate, even if all that means is eating some green food.

This is also a nutritionist’s dream holiday! One day of the year when everyone endeavours to get more green on their plate- what an amazing opportunity to get people to choose green whole foods like spinach, kale, avocados and spirulina! I know many people often end up simply adding green food dye to their dishes, but let’s kick things up a notch this year shall we? Let’s infuse real nutrition AND a fun green colour to our food!

I have a couple green dishes planned, but I’ll kick-off with this super green dip that also doubles as a delicious pasta sauce or sandwich/wrap filling.

I used avocado and parsley to help give it a greenish tinge, but also upped the ante with the addition of a greens powder. The greens powder is totally optional though and you will still have a green dip without it!

This dip has tons of flavour from the lemon, parsley and dill and is packed with fiber and healthy fats from the chickpeas and avocado. It’s creamy and delicious and would be a welcome addition to any packed lunch or even as a snack on a St. Paddy’s Day party table. I mean, you need some nutrition and fuel to keep that all day drinking going right?

And while we’re on the subject of drinking, make sure to check out the site barnivore.com to help you source vegan, cruelty-free brews, wines and cocktails to help make your St. Patrick’s day ever more wonderful! There are also apps for your pub-crawling convenience!

St. Paddy’s Day Green Monster Dip (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-free)

Ingredients (~ 2 cups)

1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1 1/2-2 cups chickpeas
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 tbsp olive oil (or hemp oil for an even greener dip!)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1-2 tsp dill (I love dill so I added 2)
1 scoop greens powder, optional (I used Oriya Organics)
sea salt and pepper to taste
water if needed for blending

Instructions

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to add a little water to help it get smooth if needed.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

In other news, I have become OBSESSED with Instagram lately! It's such a fun way to share beautiful images, inspiration and delicious eats with friends and followers! I have had it for ages, but only recently really started using it.

one of my favourite pics I've instragrammed lately! chickpea flour pancakes with pineapple sauce. YUM!

I'd love it if you'd all follow me @gabbyouimet and if you have an account I'd love to follow you back! Leave me a comment with your username and I will!

Does anyone else get as excited for St. Patrick’s Day as I do?

Does anyone else get as much amusement from apps and social media sites becoming verbs as I do? Instagrammed, facebooked, tweeted, pinned…our own modern language ;)

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

raw coconut avocado fries with sweet chilli sauce

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

Hello friends!

Wow this week is flying by, I can hardly believe it’s Thursday! This past week has been so full of new things, I feel like I’m stumbling through it, barely aware of what I’m doing!

School has started and I have to say I love it so far! My classes are so interesting and totally right up my alley. And while they’re awesome, they move so fast and cover so much, my head is reeling and I have no idea where I’m going to find the time to study and learn it all! I already have two tests next week, gah! Needless to say between school, work, catching up with old friends and exploring the city, I haven’t been cooking very much, at least nothing interesting. Luckily I have a couple recipes on reserve to share with you all.

This recipe is one I’ve been trying to get right for a while and I’m so pleased I finally got it just right. Not that I minded endless trials of it. Because let’s face it, anything with avocado in it is sure to be good.

Today I’m going to share with you my raw coconut avocado fries with sweet chilli dipping sauce!

If you’ve never had avocado fries before, you’re in for a treat. They get all crispy on the outside and stay rich and creamy on the inside. These are coated with a coconut-flax “breading” that brings a bit of tropical sweetness to them and dipping them in the sweet chilli sauce adds some heat. These fries with their sweet and heat really pack a flavour punch!

The sauce on it’s own is amazing too. I found myself putting this sauce on everything! Raw zucchini noodles, pasta, rice, raw veggies, steamed veggies, in wraps, you name it! It’s a great alternative to your store bought chilli sauce being unprocessed and completely sugar-free not to mention it’s raw, meaning all those precious food enzymes are preserved.

this sauce is amazing with sweet potato wedges!

I used a coconut-flax breading on these, which is a great way to get lots of healthy fats in your diet. Omega-3s from the flax, medium-chain triglycerides form the coconut and mono-unsaturated fats from the avocado! Lots of anti-inflammatory bases covered here!

If you don’t have a dehydrator you can definitely try these in your oven on it’s lowest setting, but I wouldn’t recommend using the breading if you are going to bake them at a higher heat. The omega-3s in the flax are very susceptible to high heat, so if you bake them you increase the risk of free radicals forming. Free radicals are nasty little things that act on cancer cells and not in the way we want! So lets all be safe and keep these raw yes?

These would be great as an appetizer or side dish, or you could go really crazy and make them your main meal, I won’t tell anyone ;)

Raw Coconut Avocado Fries with Sweet Chilli Sauce (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Raw)

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Avocado Fries

3 small avocados or 2 medium
1/4 cup coconut flour
almond milk
1/3 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup ground flax seed

Raw Sweet Chilli Sauce (adapted from this recipe)

1/2 cup chopped red pepper
2 tbsp chopped sundried tomato
1/4 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 a red chilli pepper, with seeds
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
15-20 drops stevia (or to taste)

Instructions

Avocado Fries

First slice each avocado into wedges. I got about 4 wedges per each half of a small avocado.

Set up you dipping stations! You want to mix the flax seed and coconut flakes and pour onto a plate, a bowl of almond milk (I didn't measure this but a small one is fine) and a small plate with the coconut flour on top.

Now comes the messy part! It's really helpful here to have a "wet" hand and a "dry hand. First coat each wedge in the coconut flour, the dip into the almond milk, then coat in the flax and coconut mixture until the surface is completely covered. Place on a teflex-lined dehydrator tray and repeat for all remaining wedges.

Dehydrate at 105 F for 5-6 hours, until the outsides are crispy. Serve warm, straight from the dehydrator with the sweet chilli sauce.

Raw Sweet Chilli Sauce

Blend all ingredients together. Keeps well refrigerated for about a week.

Serve with the avocado fries and enjoy!

…

Hope you all enjoy this recipe! I’ll see you all tomorrow for Healthy Vegan Friday!

I'm sharing this recipe on Slightly-Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Keepin' it Real Thursday, Raw Foods Thursdays, Foodie Friends Friday, Gluten-Free Friday and Wellness Weekend!

wiaw #26: so much hummus

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

Morning my lovelies! I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday! The last couple of days whooshed past in a blur. Yesterday was my last day working at my job and it hit me hard. I wasn’t expecting to have that kind of reaction! I was almost in tears as I left and no one wanted to see me go either. All my coworkers wrote me a lovely card with the kindest words, which made leaving that much harder.

And while I was sad to go, it does make me happy that I found a place I enjoyed working so much with some really amazing people :)

Now onto the next phase of my life!

…

I wasn’t going to blog today. But I found myself with a spare hour this morning so instead of packing, which I probably should be doing, I’m sitting down to share with you all one of my most favourite foods lately. Something I’ve been eating pretty constantly for 2 weeks- as a dip, dressing and sauce, this baby does it all!

I have rediscovered my love for hummus in all forms.

Even things that shouldn’t be called hummus, such as dips of the white bean variety are getting roped into this new obsession. There’s something about the creamy smooth dip alive with bold flavours, that is at once filling and light that just does it for me.

Protein packed and filling, hummus really is a vegan’s, or really anyone’s best friend!

This What I Ate Wednesday is therefore and ode to hummus :)

And not just any hummus, rather my little creation of Sundried Tomato and Lemon Hummus.

Alive with the super savoury and flavourful hits of sundried tomatoes and brightened with lemon zest, this dip will dress up any plain veggie, bread or cracker. It makes your tongue do a little happy dance :) In fact, I dare you all not to eat spoonfuls of this straight out of the food processor. I may have eaten at least a quarter of the batch before even moving it into a bowl.

Now this hummus isn’t just a dip! It’s a flavour powerhouse that can jazz up any meal! Stir it into pasta, thin it out for a dressing, spread it onto a sandwich or spoon it on top of cooked grains.

I swear this hummus has magical powers.

Gone are the days of boring food.

Enter: Sundried Tomato and Lemon Hummus

Sundried Tomato and Lemon Hummus (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free)

Ingredients

One 19oz can chickpeas, heated (navy beans work well too!)
juice and zest of one lemon
2 tbsp tahini
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (sulphite-free is best)
2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Heat the chickpeas in a pot on the stove top. This will help your hummus become a more creamy consistency.

Put all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and run until the beans are broken down and a smooth consistency is reached. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the processor is running until full incorporated.

It’s that easy!

Now that this mildly embarrassing gushing session has finished, I wish you all a marvellous Wednesday! I get to go have my hair done. It desperately needs to happen and I just love chatting with my hair dresser. Plus who doesn’t love a little pampering?