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!!

This is a special guest post, the opinions expressed are those of the author’s.

Give me five mins and I’ll provide you 1 great reason to become vegetarian.

While fish is the major dietary source of the long-chain omega-3s eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, which were shown to be crucial in supporting brain health, low intake of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in vegetarians does not adversely affect mood, as stated by a new study (Nutr J. 2010;9:26. DOI:10.1186/1475-2891-9-26).

A research team from Arizona State University conducted a cross-sectional study to match the mood of vegetarians who never eat fish with the mood of healthy omnivorous adults.

A total of 138 healthy Seventh Day Adventist adults living in Arizona and California (64 vegetarians and 79 non-vegetarians) were enrolled in the study and completed a health history questionnaire, food frequency questionnaire and two psychometric tests, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and the Profile of Mood States.

Vegetarians had significantly lower mean intakes of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and the omega-6 arachidonic acid; they had higher intakes of the omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid and the omega-6 linoleic acid.

“Seed oils are the richest sources of α-linolenic acid, notably those of rapeseed (canola), soybeans, walnuts, flaxseed (Linseed oil), clary sage seeds, perilla, chia, and hemp.”

However, the vegetarians also reported even less negative emotion than omnivores in psychometric tests. Mean total psychometric scores were positively in connection with the mean intakes of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid , and inversely in connection with alpha-linolenic acid and linolenic acid intake.

The study team noted there is also the possibility that vegetarians may make smarter dietary choices and may generally be healthier and happier.

If you’d like to try it out, here’s a good example of vegetarian recipe according to Italian cuisine

Italian Spaghetti with Zucchini

Ingredients:

* 17 oz. Spaghetti

* 24 oz. Of thin sliced zucchini

* A half cup of walnuts oil

* Some basil leaves

* 2 tablespoons of yeast flakes

* Salt and pepper

In a large skillet heat the oil and when hot, add garlic and zucchini. Raise heat and stir often to finish their cooking. They need to be golden and crispy outside and tender inside. Cook the pasta, drain and sauté in pan with zucchini, basil and yeast. Serve immediately.

Zucchini contain fewer calories and have no fat. But they are a good source of potassium, vitamin e, ascorbic acid, folate, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Most of these nutrients are very sensitive to heat and to enjoy their benefits you need to look for a quick way to cook or even eat raw in salads.

From the therapeutic point of view, zucchini have laxative, refreshing, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and detoxifying action.

About the writer – Louise Infante writes for the vegetarian daily menu blog , her personal hobby blog focused entirely on vegetarian food preparation tips to help individuals live better.

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.

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!!

This is a unique, and ultra creamy soup. The subtle chamomile flavours pokes through the dish just enough for one to taste it, but not identify it. The chamomile tea takes the place of any herbs and spices, and a nice pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper is all you need to enhance the lovely flavour of the soup. This soup took about 20 minutes to make- it was so simple. I love how the cauliflower is just so creamy and smooth, without the addition of any actual cream- or any dairy at all, for that matter. For a vegan soup, I think absolutely anyone would enjoy this.

Chamomile comes from a flowering plant of the daisy family. It has been used for centuries to help with insomnia, anxiety, skin conditions, headaches and stomach problems. The smell of chamomile just brings relaxation to mind. This soup is a great way to enjoy chamomile in a form other than tea.

Chamomile Cauliflower Soup (adapted from Cooking with Tea)

• 7 chamomile tea bags
• 3 cups water
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• chopped frresh parsley, for garnish
• olive oil, for garnish

Boil the water and tea bags in a large saucepan for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and squeeze the excess liquid into the pan. Add the cauliflower to the tea, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving the liquid.

In a small saucepan, saute the shallot and celery in the olive oil until the shallot is clear. Put in a blender with the cauliflower, plenty of salt and pepper to taste, and a cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Blend until smooth and add more liquid if necessary until desired thickness is reached. Pour into bowls, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly chopped parsley, and enjoy!

If you can remember back to this post, I made a meal inspired from the Middle East. This particular dish is a cumin- carrot salad. I used organic carrots and they were so fresh and sweet, it added an entire element of flavour compared to regular carrots. Yum! For those of you that don’t know, cumin is an extremely healthy spice. It has a unique flavour and wonderful properties that aid in digestion, help fight off colds, and cumin is actually very rich in iron. It’s also a powerful antioxidant, and has even been said to aid those suffering with insomnia. It’s used extensively in Ayurvedic healing, and you can see why! Try this salad, and experience the benefits of cumin.

Cumin-Carrot Salad (adapted from the NY Times)

• 1 lb of organic carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• pinch of salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup black olives, sliced

Place the carrots in a steamer above 1 inch of boiling water, cover and steam 5 to 8 minutes, until tender. Remove from the heat, rinse with cold water, and drain on paper towels. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan and add the garlic and cumin. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in carrots, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, remaining olive oil, parsley, and olives. Serve at room temperature. Serves 4.

Here we are, already setting the clocks ahead and getting ready for Spring! We’ve been having unusually sunny weather here in Vancouver for most of February and then suddenly got snow this week, and now the sun is back, trying to make an appearance! Strange strange strange. Regardless of the weather, I decided to make a light, refreshing and healthy pea soup. Anything to do with peas just tastes like Spring to me- the flavour is so fresh! This made a pretty big batch, but I’ll definitely be freezing it in single portions for whenever I need a quick bite! Hey! I just thought of something- what a great dish for St. Patrick’s day! Eat a nice healthy pea soup and then go and drink pint after pint of green beer! :p

This week I will be graduating from culinary school with a Certificate in Baking & Pastry Arts (hopefully! If I pass all my exams ). This consisted of me taking 3 months of culinary courses and 3 months of baking & pastry courses. It has been a big learning experience for me and there is much that I can take from traditional French cooking and pastry, and apply to what I think modern food should be- tasty and nourishing for your body, mind, and soul. From here, I will be finishing my last few courses as well as my case studies in becoming a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. I’ve made some great friends over the last few months, and it’s going to be strange not going to school. I can’t say I’ll miss the 4:45am mornings, though! Onwards and upwards…..

Spring Pea Soup

• 1 kg package frozen peas
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon (I might use an entire lemon next time- I liked tasting the citrus!)
• 1 tsp dried basil (I didn’t have fresh in my garden!)
• 1 tsp dried mint (same here!)
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil

Heat a large pot over medium heat with 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Add shallot and garlic and cook a couple of minutes, until softened. Add frozen peas, vegetable stock, herbs, salt and pepper, lemon zest and juice. Cover and bring to a simmer. Puree in a blender. Return to pot and heat until hot. Garnish the soup with a small lemon wedge, chives, and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Enjoy!

* If you wish to make this soup a bit richer, simply add a dollop of creme fraiche, yogurt, or some heavy cream.

I love veggie burgers because they are so easy to make, healthy, and filling. For a long time I have been wanting to make my own veggie burgers- avoiding soy, preservatives, and unneccessary ingredients. Many people think that when they are buying packaged veggie burgers in the grocery store, that they are ‘veggie, and therefor healthy’, but that’s not true. A lot of brands use nasty ‘improvers’ to help flavour the burger, and they can be really awful for your body. Not to mention extra sugar, and artificial colours.

I based this burger around two kinds of beans- chickpeas, and red kidney beans for healthy fibre and vegetable protein. I added vegetables, spices, and seeds for extra yummy flavour, and used chickpea flour to bind the burger together. I lightly coated the outside of the patties in panko bread crumbs and baked them in the oven with just a small drizzle of olive oil on each one.

I loved these burgers, and my meat-eating family enjoyed them too! I put mine in an wrap with ketchup, mustard, avocado, and lettuce. Yum!

These almost remind me of a burrito in burger form! So without further ado, here is the recipe:

Veggie Bean Burgers

• 2 19 fl oz cans of beans- I used chickpeas and red kidney beans
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 2 Tbsp crushed pecans, chopped
• 1/4 tsp each smoked paprika, cumin, coriander
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup oats
• 3 tbsp chickpea flour
• 1 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• Panko bread crumbs
• olive oil to drizzle

Combine all but the last three ingredients  in a food processer and pulse until a chunky paste is made (ie. a few whole chickpeas should still be visible)

Remove the mixture to a bowl and stir in oats, chickpea flour, and cilantro until mixed. To make the patties, spread panko crumbs onto a plate. Take 1/4 cup of the burger mixture at a time and make into a ball. Press down on the ball to make an even veggie patty. Coat top, bottom, and sides in panko. Place on a parchment-line sheet tray and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and bake for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve in a bun or tortilla, with all your favourite toppings!

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!