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Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich
I’m sad to say that my 3-month challenge at GoodLife Fitness has come to an end. I’m honestly feeling so good about the work that I’ve done in the gym, and feeling pretty confidant about tackling some decent hikes this Summer. Even the Grouse Grind…. This Vancouver weather is insaneeeeeely beautiful, and I’ve been getting plenty of exercise outside. Last week I went on a nice 8km hike in Golden Ears with my friends Kate and Lindsey. Even though I had only had three hours of sleep, getting outside for a hike always feels amazing. I made this curried chickpea sandwiches because I wanted a versatile meal that I could…
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Star Of The Show with Chef Michael Smith + Canadian Lentils
I’m back from PEI and my #StarOfTheShow experience with Canadian Lentils and Chef Michael Smith. What a trip- full of surprises, new experiences, lots of learning, and new friends!! Keep your eyes peeled…the videos from all 5 of us winners will be out June 1st on the Canadian Lentils website. Check out this article on the CBC website for a sneak peek at what went on! I made my vegetarian lentil shepherd’s pie and worked with Chef Michael Smith to perfect the recipe! It was so eye-opening to see how Chef Michael approaches recipe writing for his cookbooks, and I hope I can translate some of his super skillz into my…
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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread with Orange-Cinnamon Butter
This recipe is for some killer banana bread with a fancy flavoured butter just to kick things up a bit, and I think it would be perfect for Easter weekend! Banana bread is nice and easy to make and you don’t need any special equipment. Just a couple bowls, a whisk, and a loaf tin. Make sure to use really really ripe bananas for this recipe. Ripe and spotted bananas will add a lot more flavour then super fresh ones. I’ve tried to make this recipe a little heathier by using coconut sugar as the main sweetener. Coconut sugar can be found in most grocery stores now, or else it’s…
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Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
I recently became a member at GoodLife Fitness in Vancouver and I’m participating in their 3-month challenge. I’ve set some realistic goals for myself when it comes to fitness, and I’m excited to start hitting the gym again after a few months off. After doing the Couch 2 5k running program last year I have kept up with running and can still do a decent 5k but I’m going to try and work up to 10km by the time Summer rolls around. The treadmill and stairmaster are my best friends right now….to not only help me get my cardio in and work on my stamina, but prepare for some awesome…
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Cheezy Vegan Nacho Dip
This month’s recipe for the Drop Dead Clothing blog was a rich and creamy Cheezy Vegan Nacho Dip. This is the perfect way to get your queso fix without any dairy, and with lots of sneaky vegetables. The base of the dip is made up of cashews, carrots, and onions. With just a few other flavourful ingredients you are ready to blend everything together, top with your favourite salsa and get ready to serve! It couldn’t be easier. This month’s recipe is as simple as it gets- just a few ingredients quickly sautéed and then blended together to create rich, cheezy queso dip. Queso dip, or nacho cheese dip is usually…
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Drop Dead Recipes- Caramel Almond Popcorn
It’s that time of year! Halloween is just around the corner and those mini-chocolate bars get so freakin’ tempting, don’t they? Once you start you just can’t stop, so don’t even go near those suckers, and instead make a REFINED SUGAR and CORN SYRUP FREE Caramel Almond Popcorn to munch on instead! I am absolutely pumped about the flavour of this popcorn. To be honest, I don’t even like caramel popcorn, but everyone is going crazy about this one. It’s sweetened with coconut sugar and maple syrup, and has great healthy fats from coconut oil and almond butter. Forget the candy thermometer and a complicated caramel process- this comes together…
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Drop Dead Recipes- Raw Cashew Cheesecakes
I just wanted to take the time to post a little update and let you know where I’ve been at over the Summer, as my Koko’s Kitchen posts have definitely slowed down. Lots of changes have been happening, and I really want to get my recipes back up regularly again! First of all, I’ve been busy with Koko’s Kitchen the business. I’ve been selling juice at Back Roads Family Farm Market all summer, and I attended markets at the Tsawwassen Saturday Market as well. I’ve been filling orders for 3-day reboots (juice cleanses) and keeping busy with a full-time job as well. It’s been a bit overwhelming this summer to…
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Drop Dead Recipes- Chickpea Omelette
This month’s edition of #DropDeadRecipes is all about breakfast! I’m not a huge breakfast person, mostly opting for a smoothie and a coffee, sipped on the go as I head to work in the morning. Sometimes, however, I get a craving for something a little more special, and something to be enjoyed say, sitting down at a table- hah! This recipe is my take on an omelette…but there are no eggs involved. I guess technically this is more of a crepe or savoury pancake, but it’s prepared in the pan as you would an omelette. Call it what you wanna call it- it will taste the same either way! There…
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Drop Dead Recipes- Jalapeno Poppers
This month’s edition of Drop Dead Recipes is a recipe for a super fun appetizer- jalapeno poppers! Jalapeno poppers always remind me of the Brill family trip to Mexico in 2010. The whole family had a pretty interesting day, but my mom found my brother on the beach at 3am, smoking a cigar and eating jalapeno poppers surrounded by a bunch of racoon-like animals. Ah, memories…jalapeno poppers are Jordan’s favourite but he likes his as cheesy as possible and maybe even bacon wrapped. I think he could still enjoy my plant-based version, though!! I’ve made a cashew ‘cream cheese’ filled with smoky, spicy flavour to stuff the jalapenos with. Then,…
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Plant-Based Poutine
Canada Day is coming up on July 1st, so I thought I’d come up with a little tribute to a classic Canadian dish – poutine. For those of you unfamiliar with this delicacy, it consists of french fries, gravy, and melted cheese curds. Maybe it sounds strange- but I promise, it’s delicious! I changed things up (obviously…) and baked french fries, with a plant-based “mozzarella” and a miso gravy that I could literally drink straight from the bowl. Depending on how many potatoes you use, you may have some leftover gravy. I love this gravy on Buddha bowls, or with roasted veggies! Gravy: 2 Tbsp coconut oil 1 medium onion,…
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Drop Dead Recipes- Veggie & Bean Tacos
For this month’s Drop Dead Recipes, I decided on veggie tacos with lots of fresh flavours from a variety of vegetables, beans, and broccoli slaw. To take this recipe to the next level, be sure to make a batch of my plant-based chipotle mayo! It’s the perfect sauce for these tacos. Check out the recipe on the Drop Dead Clothing blog.
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Pesto White Bean Dip
Its been a really busy week. A little bit stressful but full of learning opportunities. Yesterday I catered an event for 35 people. It was my first time doing something like that! I came up with a menu for morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea. It was a vegetarian menu with gluten free and vegan options. There was a lot of prepping throughout the week, and it all came together yesterday. My mom and I were in the kitchen all day getting all the food out. (Thanks for helping mom, I couldn’t have done it without you!!). We got some great feedback and I’m feeling proud of what we accomplished.…
