Fruit crumble is one of the easiest desserts to throw together and when summer fruit is available it is extra delicious. Baking it in individual dishes like this makes serving really easy and keeps portion sizes moderate. In my family, no dessert can go by without the men competing on who can eat more, which means I have to hide extras if I want leftovers for the next day. Crumbles usually have white flour, sugar and butter but swapping in nut butter and maple syrup increases the nutrient content with more protein, healthy fats, minerals and vitamins. Continue Reading →
Strawberry Kiwi Avocado Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
Strawberries and avocado are pretty much guaranteed to turn out a good salad when they are paired up. Spinach, a delicate leafy green, bulks it up and adds some iron, an important mineral for energy production. The pre-washed clamshells of baby spinach are a really fast and easy option, the smaller ones have about 8 cups in each, a good size for a large salad for around 4 people. I find spinach to be one of the dirtiest leafy greens and their tenderness makes them get kind of limp if handled too much, so they can take a while to prep for a salad. Continue Reading →
Blackberry Orange Mango Roast Chicken
After several years of strict veganism learning to cook meat again was very intimidating. Chicken especially has been my nemesis. Making it flavourful and moist but cooking it enough to avoid salmonella can be pretty tricky as it is a fine line between potential food poisoning and overcooked and dried out. I have found that roasting whole chickens with fresh herbs and fruits or vegetables is a consistent success and using ones that are butterflied/spatchcocked (the backbone is removed and the chicken is opened like a book) cuts down the prep and cooking times and makes them a bit easier to work with. Continue Reading →
Cucumber Hummus Bites
With all the diets that come and go the Mediterranean based eating style has stayed in the spotlight for some time now. It is based on good quality plant-based foods including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds along with some lean animal protein sources like fish and chicken. Seasoning is accomplished with herbs and red meat is limited, though red wine is regularly on the menu. This is an eating style abundant in nutrients that helps promote healthy bodies from efficient digestion to strong hearts. Continue Reading →
Mediterranean Salad with Spiced Lemon Vinaigrette
The first time I ever went camping was with three foreign foodies in a remote site on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Like many of the best hideaways in BC we had to spend over an hour on an old gravel logging road to get there. Accompanying me was a girl from Turkey who maintained connections to her homeland through flavourful Mediterranean cuisines, a girl from Australia of Lebanese descent who could add just the right spices to make simple dishes impressive and a guy from Australia who had picked up many diverse cooking techniques in his extensive world travels. Needless to say we had more exotic food than the traditional American options like hot dogs and smores (not that I don’t love those too). We made this salad every day and it never got old, a few years later it has come to be one of the main dishes I associate with easy summer food and hot, lazy evenings sitting around with loved ones sharing food and stories. Continue Reading →
Piña Colada Popsicles
There are few things more refreshing on a scorching day than sweet, melty popsicles. They are really easy to make and they can be way healthier and tastier than many of the store bought options out there. This version only requires two ingredients- equal parts coconut water and pineapple. The secret is using really ripe fruit, when it is at its peak of flavour. Continue Reading →
Creamy Strawberry Lime Tarts
Raw vegan treats are basically made from blends of nuts, seeds and fruit, and require no baking. They set then stay fresh in the freezer, making them a perfect cold, sweet snack for summer. These tarts have a date and almond base with a strawberry cashew mousse for the filling. Lime juice adds some fresh, bright flavour, maple syrup sweetens up the strawberries and chia seeds thicken up the mousse. The tarts are very nutrient dense and filling but they feel lighter on the body and won’t leave you feeling heavy like many more traditional treats can. Continue Reading →
Cherry Edamame Salad with Peach Dressing
Eating the rainbow is especially accessible in the summer when vibrant produce is freshly available. A salad like this provides a range of flavors, textures and nutrients through combining vegetables and fruits with seeds and legumes. Continue Reading →
Strawberry Watermelon Coconut Smoothie
This is the kind of snack or light meal to enjoy out on the patio or out at the beach as the days get hotter. Smoothies are really easy to digest so they provide fast nutrients on lazy summer days. This combination features hydrating watermelon with fragrant strawberries, rich coconut meat, creamy cashew butter and a date for extra sweetness. Continue Reading →
Za’atar Envelope Vegetables
Za’atar is an Egyptian spice blend that commonly features sumac, sesame seeds, sea salt and some combination of thyme, marjoram and/or sage. The citrus notes in the sumac balance the nuttiness of the sesame and earthiness of the herbs, and the blend goes well with any vegetables you have on hand and like baked. It offers enough flavor for adventurous eaters but is not too overpowering for the more demure palates. Continue Reading →