I had the pleasure of going to Vancouver’s longest running natural foods restaurant with a few friends. The Naam is located on 2724 West 4th Avenue and has been serving delicious vegetarian food 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for over 30 years. There are live bands every night, too!

It’s super casual and cute inside and there is also a patio if you’d like to eat outside. The portions are just huge, and for an entree that was under $10, I had enough food leftover for 1-2 meals. Their menu is huge, and there is something for everyone- vegetarian/vegan or not. Everything with cheese can be substituted with vegan cheese, and there are plenty of other substitutions that can be made as well. They have a great drink menu as well- so many delicious sounding teas and shakes! The service was super casual, but friendly, and it does get busy around lunch time so you may have to wait for a few minutes.

We were starving and started off with the “Chips & Both” (taco chips with guacomole and salsa).

My friend had the Thai Noodles- “zippy sauce, green & red peppers, onions, tofu, mung sprouts, red cabbage, garlic, ginger, peanuts, and stir-fried rice noodles”. This was so delicious, it was like pad thai. I would definitely order this.

My other friend and I both got dragon bowls (they look the same so there is only one picture). She had the Thai Dragon Bowl which is “a coconut curry sauce on steamed veggies & rice with deep-fried tofu, sprouts, grated carrots, beets, and fresh cilantro”. This was spicy, and she really enjoyed it.

I had the Naam Dragon Bowl which is a “macrobiotic special with steamed veggies on organic brown rice with miso gravy, tofu, peanut sauce, organic alfalfa sprouts, and wakame”. I absolutely loved this. The peanut sauce and miso gravy were delicious and I loved the wakame (I wish there had been a bit more, as there was only a couple of strips!).

Although entering food comas, we decided to share the Shakti Cake because it sounded waaay too interesting too resist!!

The Shakti Cake is a “vegan chocolate carrot cake with hemp protein, pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds, smothered in a vegan hemp cream icing”. It was really different, and quite good. To me it tasted more like zucchini cake, with a molasses-y flavour and I’m dying to know how to make the hemp icing. With all the seeds and grated veg in this cake, you could tell it was healthier, but it made for a great ending to our meal.

I really enjoyed The Naam and I will absolutely be back. There are so many amazing things on the menu that I would like to try- enchiladas, their veggie ’steak’, their burgers and sesame fries. Yum!!

I was at Costco and saw these cute little small eggplants and I had to buy them. I was cruising Tastespotting, as I so often do, and I stumbled across these miso-glazed eggplant. If you all know me, you know my obsession with miso- I made these that night for dinner! It was delicious.

I cooked these on a sil-pat on a baking tray, and the glaze that ran off the eggplant and on to the sil-pat was just pure candy- it was soo sweet and delicious. I think that when I make these again, I might slice the eggplant, roast it, and then at the last minute or so, add the glaze and give it a quick broil.

Miso Glazed Eggplant (from Momofuku for 2, originally from fatfreevegan)

1 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons shiro miso
3 tablespoons sugar
2 Japanese eggplants, cut in half lengthwise*
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
sliced green onions, for garnish

Place the mirin and sake in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 2 minutes to allow some of the alcohol to cook off. Then add the miso and stir until smooth. Stir in the sugar, reduce the heat to very low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, while you broil the eggplants:

Brush the cut sides of the eggplants with the sesame oil. Put the eggplants cut-side down on a baking sheet and place under the broiler of your oven for about 3 minutes, checking often to make sure that they do not burn. Turn them over, and cook for another 3 minutes or until the tops are a light to medium brown. Do not burn! (If your eggplant still isn’t tender all the way through, turn the broil function to bake at 375˚ for a few more minutes; then proceed with the recipe.)

When the eggplants are tender, top each one with the miso sauce and put them back under the broiler until the sauce bubbles up–this should take less than a minute, so watch them closely. Enjoy hot, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

Ahhh, I’m a few days late in putting up a new post, but once again I was in one of my favourite places ever- Whistler. Doesn’t it seem like I just got back from there….? I’m not complaining! This time we got to do one of my favourite Whistler activities….”The River of Golden Dreams” although sometimes this little river is a bit of a nightmare! It’s always fun, but this time was exceptionally fun. There was a bit of beer involved, kayaks flipping into freezing water, a lost and recovered hat and pair of sunglasses (twice!), soaking wet clothes, a lost and not recovered $600 pair of Oakleys, war wounds from getting entangled in surrounding bushes, and an unfortunate duck mama losing two babies that ended with a happy reunion between them.

The guys trying to get all the water out of the flipped kayak…bahaha!

Uh-oh…stuck in the bushes again!

The reunited duck family!

I’m home now, but I can’t say I feel much like cooking anything….I feel like it’s too nice out to be in the kitchen! But when I saw Sweet on Veg post about these falafels, I just HAD to make them! When I was in bartending school, my friend and I would eat at the falafel place downstairs from the school for lunch and we became totally addicted, but I haven’t had any since!

I followed the recipe for the falafels pretty much exactly, but instead of making them in pitas I used wraps, which work just as well. I love how these can be baked or pan-fried. I slathered my wrap with hummus and a bit of tzatziki, and filled it with lettuce, cucumber and tomato. Yummmmm!

Isn’t Summer awesome? Even though it hasn’t been very sunny in Vancouver lately (boooo!), I’ve been trying to make the most of it by jumping outside to soak up the sun when it actually decides to come out, and taking advantage of the long days for relaxing chats and crazy dancing over drinks with friends. Ooh! And riding my bike, how could I forget! Of course, I have also been in the kitchen whipping up cookies, pizza, plenty of salads, and trying to perfect a granola recipe.

Tonight I decided to eat something that I rarely eat- pasta! I was inspired by Heidi of 101 Cookbooks…but if you know me, you know that I see the  word miso and I’m sold! I was really curious as to what the miso would taste like when blended with almonds. It was light and creamy with a touch of garlic flavour and I think this could be a very versatile sauce for using on different vegetables and pastas.

Walnut-Miso Spaghetti (adapted from 101 cookbooks)

• 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped in florets
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/8 tsp red chili flakes
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup + warm water
• drizzle of lemon juice
• sesame seeds for garnish
• fresh chives for garnish
• walnuts, chopped for garnish

For the sauce:

In a food processor, combine the toasted walnuts, olive oil, miso paste, vinegar, lemon juice, chili flakes, garlic, honey and salt. Blend until smooth. Add water little by little until the consistency of heavy cream is achieved.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta as directed, until al dente.

Steam or boil the broccoli until it can just be pierced easily by a knife.

Drain pasta and toss with broccoli and raw red pepper, add sauce as needed, and top with walnuts, chives, and sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

P.S. Thursday is Canada Day! Take a look back at the cupcakes I made to celebrate last year if you need some cute decorating ideas.

So my trip to Creekbread inspired me and once again I decided to make some dough and whip up a couple of yummy pizzas! The dough is so easy to make and can stay in the fridge for up to two weeks- perfect for when you need a dinner on the run. Just leave time for your oven to preheat to 500 degrees F, and get your toppings ready. The pizza should be done after 8-10 minutes, if it needs a couple of minutes longer, just rotate it so it cooks evenly.

This time I made a vegetarian pizza with a base of tomato sauce and I added cheddar cheese, fresh parmesan, corn, red peppers, red onions, tomatoes, fresh basil (YUM!), salt, pepper, a sprinkle of oregano, and roasted garlic. It was so delicious!

The 2nd pizza I made was half pesto-potato and half cheese + salami (a special  1/2 pizza for my brother….it’s not every day you can convince me to make something with meat on it…yucky!). I’ve never tried a potato pizza before, but it was soo good! I was stoked because I got to use my miniature mandolin and the potatoes sliced up so thinly. I’ll definitely be making that one again!

A piece of this, along with a nice big salad is one of my favourite meals! A great way to veganize the pesto-potato pizza would be to use carmelized onions instead of pesto. I can’t wait to try that, I might make it later this week!

My recipes for toppings is very casual- no measurements needed. Just add what you need for the size of pizza you make.

Light Whole Wheat Dough

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tbsp granulated yeast (2 packs)
• 1 1/2 tbsp Kosher salt
• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Mix the yeast and salt with the water in a stand mixer bowl. Mix in the remaining ingredients, without kneading, using the dough hook on your mixer. Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature approximately 2 hours. Use the dough immediately after this, or, refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container for up to 14 days.

For each pizza you make, a one pound piece of dough should be sufficient!

To Cook The Pizza

With a baking stone in your oven, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. Dust your table surface, rolling pin, and the top of your dough with flour. Stretch your dough into a round ball. Roll out your dough to 1/4 inch thick. Grease a pizza peel, and place your dough on top. Add your toppings. Bake your pizza for 8-10 minutes until it no longer feels doughy.

Vegetarian Pizza

• red peppers, diced
• a handful of cheddar cheese
• a sprinkle of fresh parmesan
• a handful of fresh basil leaves
• sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper
• sprinkle of oregano
• corn
• minced garlic (either packed in oil, or drizzle crust with olive oil and then add garlic)

Start with the garlic on your crust and add tomato sauce. Add cheese and other toppings, finish with herbs, salt and pepper.

Pesto-Potato Pizza

• very thinly sliced potatoes (I used little new potatoes)
• pesto
• fresh parmesan
• fresh or dried rosemary
• sea salt and black pepper
• minced garlic

Spread some minced garlic evenly over pizza crust, add an even layer of pesto, layer potatoes and add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

These potatoes taste exactly like a samosa. I’m not a huge potato eater (yams on the otherhand, I adore!) but I really did enjoy these, and it was great to not have to worry about making a dough like you would for a samosa. Same great flavour, though!

Sorry for the slowdown in posts (this has been sitting in my drafts folder for a long time now!), but I am in Whistler, like I said before. I’ll be home very soon, though (with a review on a fantastic restaurant I went to).

In the mean time…this is what most of the weekend looked like- plenty of birthday fun

Samosa Stuffed Baked Potatoes (adapted from Veganomicon)

• 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed, baked, cooled (to bake a potato, preheat the oven to 400 F, poke the potato with a fork several times, bake for about an hour until easily pierced with a fork)
• 1/4 unsweetened soy milk
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato in the skin. Be careful, so you don’t break the skin! Mash the scooped out potato with the soymilk and set the skin aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and coriander seeds and heat for a minute or two until they start to pop. Add the onions and carrots and saute for 7-10 minutes until the onions begin to brown.

Add the garlic and ginger and saute for a minute. Add the cumin, turmeric, and salt, along with a splash of water. Stir well, then add the potatoes mixing well. Add a little more water if it looks to dry. Cook until the potatoes are heated through. Add the lemon juice to taste, and stir.

Brush the insides of the potato skins with a little bit of olive oil. Scoop the filling into the skins. Line a baking sheet with the stuffed potatoes and bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro, and enjoy with Mango Chutney.

Mango Chutney (adapted from Veganomicon)

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp dried chili
• 1 large mango, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tbsp unrefined sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp curry powder

Preheat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the oil, garlic, ginger, and chili to the pan. Saute for 1 minute. Add the mango, sugar, water and turn up to medium. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, until boiling. Add the red wine vinegar and curry powder and cook for another minute, uncovered. Chill until ready to use.

Ketchup is probably my favourite condiment…just slightly ahead of honey mustard. I know that most commercially made ketchup is extremely high in sugar, preservatives, and artificial colours and so I began my quest for a great homemade ketchup! This ketchup is so easy- basically throw a few ingredients in a pot and let it simmer for 45 minutes or so, and then puree in a blender. It makes a giant batch, so leave a little container in your fridge and freeze the rest! Don’t expect this to taste like Heinz…because it doesn’t. It has great flavour, almost like a barbecue sauce ketchup. I’ve already used it on potatoes, calamari, and on a veggie dog. It’s a little more versatile than regular ketchup and it tastes great! In regards to sugar, I used dates instead of white sugar. Still a sweetener, but not processed and refined. I hope you like it

Homemade Ketchup

• 1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
• 1 can (5.5 fl. oz) of tomato paste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup dates
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 2 bay leaves

Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepot and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Let simmer for about 45 minutes until the mixture had reduced. Blend with an immersion blender, or let cool and blend in a blender. Enjoy with whatever you like!

Homemade ketchup aside, I have a couple of crazy weekends coming up! I can’t remember if I mentioned that I’m in bartending school right now, but my exam is coming up this weekend and I hope I pass! I’ve just been introduced to the show Lost (6 years fashionably late…..) so I have become completely addicted to it and almost finished two seasons in a week….which has left little time to study up on all the drinks I may have to make! The reason I’m going to bartending school is because I want to travel in the future and bartending certification is universal- I could use it on a working exchange, or even to make some money if I’m running low while travelling. I want to travel alllll throughout Europe, and definitely head back to Greece for little while.

I had a brand new package of organic bulgur that had been sitting in my pantry for way to long. I wanted to make something other than the traditional tabbouleh with it (don’t get me wrong though, I enjoy tabbouleh!) I found a fantastic recipe from Bittersweet and as soon as I saw it had miso in it, I was sold! I was so impressed with this recipe, it sounds so simple but simple really is best here. My mom and I have been enjoying this over the past couple of days.

In case you aren’t too familiar with bulgur, it’s a Middle Eastern grain. It’s high in fibre and protein, and low in fat and calories. It’s a whole grain, and usually derived from durum wheat. When you buy it, it comes par-boiled and dried. It’s used around the world in pilafs, salads, soups, baked goods, and as cereal. Ya learn somethin’ new every day!

Bulgur Pilaf

• 1 cup bulgur wheat
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp tamari
• 2 tbsp miso paste
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1/4 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted
• 1 tbsp chopped chives

Heat a dry skillet over the stove and toss in the bulgur. Toast for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to keep the bulgur moving, until it smells nutty and turns slightly darker brown. Pour the grains out onto a plate, and place the emptied skillet back over the heat.

Add in the oil, garlic and ginger, and cook for just a minute or two until the spices have browned a bit. Stir in the lemon zest, soy sauce, and miso paste, breaking up any lumps that may form. Stand back a bit while slowly pouring in the water, as it may hiss and splash slightly. Scrape everything off the bottom if it’s sticking, and add your toasted bulgur into the mix, along with the peas. Turn down the heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes. If all of the liquid hasn’t been absorbed by then, simply continue to cook over low heat, uncovered, until it has all evaporated.

Let stand for 5 minutes off the heat, and stir in the almonds and chives.

Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side.

My garden’s lettuce box has been growing like crazy and we have an abundance of arugula, salad bowl lettuce, mesclun green, and romaine. I love love love our romaine- it’s sooo crisp and fresh and you can’t get more local than your very own backyard. I decided to make a caesar salad, because it was a perfect way to showcase this lovely lettuce. My friend was over for dinner and she couldn’t get over how good the salad tasted- she was sure it was the homegrown lettuce! This is a really neat Caesar salad dressing, because it’s completely raw. There is no mayo, or eggs, or anything like that, yet it’s creamy and garlicky, just like regular caesar salad dressing. Instead of using croutons, I just used cashews, as I’m not eating yeast right now. I know the argument that cashews aren’t technically “raw” but I don’t eat 100% so it’s not a big deal for me.

I took some pictures of the other wonderful things we have growing here, too. I think the only things I left out were our tomatoes, marionberry, strawberries, some herbs, and the several kinds of beans that I have yet to plant.

Romaine:

Lettuce Box:

One of the raspberry ‘bushes’….gotta give this little baby some love for the next couple years!

Parsley:

Peas (and those little containers contain personal cantaloupe!):

Rosemary- my favourite herb!!

Rhubarb:

Garlic (I cannot WAIT to harvest this and eat it…mmm….garlic….)

I found this recipe on the internet, but apparently it is adapted from Natalia Rose’s Raw Food Detox Diet Book. It makes about 3 cups, and keeps for about 10 days.

Raw Caesar Salad

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp miso
• 5 dates
• 4 celery stalks
• freshly ground black pepper

Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

I really wanted to try making a dish that I haven’t made before…in fact, I have never even liked dolmades- until I made these! I chose to make a completely vegan version and I was really happy with the results. Dolmades are basically a rice mixture (sometimes with ground meat, or vegetables) wrapped in grape leaves. You can find grape leaves at specialty grocery stores, but I was lucky enough to purchase them from this great little restaurant in Vancouver. I have been eating their awesome falafel wraps on pretty much a weekly basis lately, with my friend, as we attend bartending school (did I mention I was doing bar school!? It’s so much fun!!). They also happen to sell a few items like grape leaves, hummus, dates, etc. and I will definitely be doing a proper review on the restaurant in the next couple of weeks- they’re so nice and make such good food! When I picked up a jar of grape leaves to buy, the man at the till was so kind and he asked me what I was doing with them. I told him I was making vegetarian dolmades and he gave me all kinds of tips to make them just like his mom used to- how cool!! I took some liberty in making these though and probably used some unconventional ingredients, but it’s all about the end result You can definitely roll the dolmades a couple days ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until you want to cook them.

Vegan Dolmades

• about 35 grape leaves, rinsed in warm water for about 30 minutes to wash off the brine, drained, and patted dry, and stems trimmed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup currants
• 1/2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1/4-1/2 tsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 long grain white rice ( I used basmati…)
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1-2 tbsp tomato paste

Line a large saucepan with about 5 of your grape leaves (use the torn or damaged ones if you have any). Set aside.

In a skillet, heat a tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the green onions, and cook, stirring once in awhile until soft. Add pine nuts and currants and stir, let cook for about 2 minutes. Add dill, mint, salt, and rice and cook for about a minute.

Add 3/4 cup of vegetable stock, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer about ten minutes. Stir in peas and turn off heat (keep covered).

Lay out a grape leaf (vein side up) and place one tbsp of the filling into the middle of the leaf.

Fold the bottom stem end up over the filling, fold in the sides and roll toward the top of the leaf. Repeat with all the remaining leaves. This is where you can stick them in the fridge for a couple days before cooking, if you so choose.

If you want to cook them now, put them in your large saucepan that you had previously lined with grape leaves in a single layer. ( I had some double layers because I’m a rebel)

Drizzle with a tsbp of olive oil and add the remaining vegetable stock, and the tomato paste into the pot. Add more vegetable stock if necessary so that the dolmades are pretty much covered. In case you’re wondering, that blob is my tomato paste….it was frozen.

Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer for about 1 hour, until the rice is tender. Lift them out of the pot and you can eat them warm, or cooled. I had them with tzatziki! Enjoy!!