I really love having healthy muffins on hand for snacks- I just keep them in the freezer and then heat them up whenever I need a little boost. I really find that so many muffins are more like dessert than healthy snack so I think it’s better to just make them at home. These ones are fantastic- very little sugar, healthy protein packed quinoa, flaxseeds, and great flavour. I topped these muffins with a bit of butter and honey or almond butter. The quinoa makes them have a unique chewy texture that I had to get used to- they never tasted bad, I just hadn’t had a muffin with that texture before. Vegan or not, these are very enjoyable and you can feel good about eating such a nutritious muffin!

Almond Quinoa Muffins (adapted from Veganomicon)

• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (I used slightly less)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup currants or dried blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin. In a bowl, whisk together the almond milk and ground flaxseed and let sit for one minute. Whisk in oil, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extracts.

In a seperate bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the cooked quinoa and currants/blueberries and mix until the large lumps are gone. Pour into the muffin tin and bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

When I went to Mexico, one of my favourite meals was at a Mexican restaurant in the resort. There was a great salad bar and one of my favourite salads was a corn salad. It had a mystery flavour to it, but it made it fantastic. After a couple bites, I realized that the flavour was cinnamon! A strong cinnamon flavour. I knew that when I got home I would be making a salad with corn and cinnamon. Instead of stopping at a corn salad, I decided to add the cinnamon flavour to quinoa, and make that the base of my salad. I added black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and feta cheese and it made a truly beautiful, healthful salad. I took the flavour up another notch by making a roasted red pepper vinaigrette to top the salad.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups cold water
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• pinch of salt and pepper
• zest of one lime
• juice of one lime
• tobasco, to taste
• 1 avocado
• 3-4 tomatoes
• 3/4 cup canned or frozen corn kernals
• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 cup cubed feta cheese
• 2-3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly and put in a pot with cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper, lime zest and juice, tobasco, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from stove and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and toss. Enjoy!

The other day I randomly thought about making ratatouille- I had never made it before but I wanted to try it. That night, the movie Ratatouille (so cute) was on TV and  so, I was convinced. I adapted the Ratatouille Provencale recipe from the Joy of Cooking. Ratatouille is usually a side dish but is also great as a main meal. I chose to serve mine over quinoa for some extra protein instead of rice, or noodles. Though not usually a part of ratatouille, I thought some mushrooms would have been nice and I will be sure to add them next time. I used chopped tomatoes but I felt that using canned tomatoes might have provided a juicier ratatouille, which is what I was looking for. Either will work depending on your preference! I chose to add parmesan cheese to mine but omit for this dish to remain vegan.

Ratatouille Provencale (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

• 1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tbsp
• 2 chinese eggplants (about 1 pound)
• 1 pound zucchini
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 3 garlic cloves, fienely chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes or one 14 oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 chopped fresh basil
• parmesan cheese

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add eggplant and zucchini and cook, stirring, until golden and tender (about 10-12 minutes).

Remove the vegetables and reduce heat to medium high. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and onions and cook, stirring until the onions are slightly softened.

Add the bell peppers and garlic and cook until tender (about 8-12 minutes). Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add tomatoes, thyme and bay leaves. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the zucchini and eggplant back in and cook until everything is tender, about 20 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in chopped basil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve over quinoa, rice, noodles, or plain. Enjoy!

For the month of October, instead of having a Cookbook of the Month, I will be having a Flavour of the Month. This flavour will be the alllllllll too popular PUMPKIN! I adore pumpkin and could never get tired of it. I recently spent an entire day making everything pumpkin from oatmeal to scones and brownies and pie. I will be posting these recipes in future posts as well as others part of the flavour of the month. If you know of any interesting and unique pumpkin recipes, let me know because I would love to try them out!

This week I’ve really had the urge to make nice dinners for myself. Sometimes I am just too tired after work, but not this week! I recently was given a new cookbook and started a little project from it (more on that in a later post!) and then I got to work on dinner. I had some tofu in my fridge and I’ve really been trying to up the protein in my diet, so I was thinking about quinoa as well. After a quick search on Tastespotting, I found a delicious-sounding recipe from Vegan Yum Yum and adapted it. The result? A wonderful Thai-inspired dish packed with protein! The tofu was wonderful- I had never dry-fried tofu before and I loved the texture it took on. It was almost crusty on the outside and the glaze that coated it was deeeeeelish! It was great to pick some fresh lime from my garden, as well. I didn’t use a vegetable in this dish though, as I have been drowning in swiss chard lately (courtesy of the garden) and that was all I had on hand that would fit.

Thanks for a wonderful recipe Vegan Yum Yum!

It’s Wonderful Wednesday! I’m feeling tired and I wanted a quick but yummy dinner. I once made a teriyaki quinoa dish from Dreena Burton’s “Eat, Drink, Be Vegan”. I have since created my own version that I like to call Citrus Quinoa. It is delicious! It comes together in only a couple of minutes and it has a great balance of flavours- ginger, tamari, chewy quinoa, and a hint o’ sesame with plenty of zesty citrus flavour! I paired it with steamed broccoli accompanied by a miso-tahini dipping sauce and was very happy with my simple, lovely dinner.

I have created my own version of a teriyaki quinoa, using the flavours that I enjoy with teriyaki. I present my Citrus Quinoa

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 1 3/4 cups water, 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (based on your tastes)
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated (* I freeze my ginger and grating becomes so easy!)
• 4 tbsp tamari
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• 2 1/2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp raw sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp raw cashews, chopped
• 1/4 cup green onions
• zest of one lime
• 1 carrot, julienned (*Optional- add for extra crunch and colour!)

Give the quinoa a good rinse. Add the quinoa, water and orange juice, garlic and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn of the heat and add the ginger, tamari, lemon and lime juice, honey and toasted sesame oil. Re-cover and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Stir, or fluff quinoa with a fork. Add red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, cashews, green onions, lime zest, and carrot (if using). Enjoy!

Being a vegetarian, I find it difficult to find breakfasts that include protein- no eggs, no bacon, no sausages…you get the point.

After searching for a wholesome, nutritious breakfast recipe that didn’t take too long to make, I stumbled across a recipe for Quinoa Porridge- just what I had been looking for!

Quinoa is an ancient grain that happens to be closer to the beet and leafy green families than to other grains like oats or barley. I have even seen it referred to as a “vegi-grain”. Quinoa is packed with protein and contains all of the essential amino acids, including lysine (rare in protein-containing cereal grains).

This particular recipe is adapted from Feasts and Fotos.

Quinoa Porridge (serves 2)

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (rinse!!)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup milk (I used plain Silk, although I think Almond Milk would be delicious)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp chopped pecans
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp plain yogurt (optional)

Add quinoa, water, cinnamon and 1/2 cup of the milk in a pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk, pecans and raisins and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency (it will gradually get thicker).  Once it reaches the consistency you like, add the honey and the yogurt (yes, yogurt!) and stir to combine. Enjoy!