Mint chocolate frozen dessert

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A simple, soothing, and visually impressive dessert (or breakfast).

Ingredients
3 medium frozen bananas (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup baby spinach greens
1/4t mint extract
2T agave nectar, 3T maple syrup, or stevia to taste
20g mint chocolate (I use a fairly traded bar)

Optional: 1t maca powder; trade the bar chocolate for chocolate chips if you prefer.

Instructions
Chop the chocolate. Blend the bananas, spinach, mint extract, and sweetener until smooth. Add 3/4 of the chocolate to the bananas and stir to combine. Spoon out, garnish with the remaining chocolate, and serve.

Curry-spiced, chick pea, spinach wrap

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Chick pea and spinach stir fried in curry spices, in a whole wheat, curry-spiced wrap. A lovely but not very authentic dish with a lot of flavour.

Ingredients

For the dry spice mixture
1T curry powder (1)
1t dried, ground allspice
1/2t coconut sugar

For the filling
1 cup cooked chick peas
1/4t coarse sea salt
1T cooking oil
1T scant dry spice mixture
1t brown mustard
1T passata (or tomato puree)
2T water
1 cup tightly packed, chopped spinach
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: 1T nutritional yeast

For the wrap
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1t dry spice mixture (whatever remains)

1/4t coarse sea salt
1/4 cup warm water
1T cooking oil

Directions

Mix the spices, make the wrap and then make the filling. Mix the curry powder with the allspice, and sugar. Mix the dry ingredients and add the water. Knead until a smooth elastic dough forms. Set aside in a bowl for about 15 minutes to let the dough rest, covered with a warm, wet tea towel.

When the dough has rested, on a floured board, roll out roll out into a small, flat circle (about 8″). Brush with 1t oil. Fold into a half circle. Brush with 1t oil. Fold into a triangle. Roll the wrap out to about a 12″ circle. It should be fairly thin (about 1/8″). Brush with the last 1t oil.

Bring a large frying pan to heat on medium high (or use a griddle if you have one). Add the wrap (dry side down) and fry for 1-2 minutes. Turn and fry the other side. The wrap will be done when it’s lightly browned. Don’t overcook. It will make the wrap harder to roll. Remove from heat, let the wrap cool for a few seconds. Rub very lightly between your palms to soften. Cover loosely with a dry tea towel and make the filling.

Bring the oil and sea salt to heat on high in a small frying pan. Add the curry powder and stir to combine. Fry the spices for a minute or until they are nicely aromatic.

Add the mustard and stir to combine. Add the chick peas and stir to coat. Fry for another minute. Add the passata and water and stir to combine. Fry for about 2 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Add the spinach and stir to combine. Stir fry for another 1-2 minutes or until the spinach is nicely wilted but still green. Don’t overcook. Remove from heat and sprinkle with nutritional yeast if you’ll be using it.

To finish the wrap, add the filling to the middle in an oblong shape, slightly toward the bottom of the wrap. Let stand a minute for the filling to warm the wrap, and then wrap like a burrito.

Fold in the sides perpendicular to the filling gently, fold up the bottom up over the filling. Tuck the filling gently with the bottom of the wrap — but not too hard or you may split your wrap if it’s overfilled. Roll the whole thing over to close the wrap. Let stand 2-3 minutes before serving. I put mine back in the large frying pan to keep it warm, ‘seamside’ down.

  1. The curry powder makes a big difference to this dish. Use one you like with the right amount of heat, preferably one with fenugreek. This recipe uses a powder for convenience. You can always use the whole spices if you prefer. You can also replace the curry powder, allspice and sugar if you can find a Jamaican curry powder blend.

Amaranth with sun-dried tomatoes, kale and chick peas

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A rich breakfast dish or a light lunch with lots of colour and flavour.

Ingredients

For the amaranth
1/4 cup amaranth
3/4 cup water
2T sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (dehydrated, not
the jarred kind)
1/2T fresh garlic, minced
1/4t turmeric (or more to taste — I use 1/2t)
1T nutritional yeast
1T cashew butter

For the chick peas
1/2 cup cooked chick peas
1/2T curry powder
1/4t red Thai chili (or similar and/or to taste)
1/2T tamari
2t cooking oil
Sea salt and red or black pepper to taste

For the kale
1t cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
1 cup green kale, stemmed and chopped
1 scallion, minced (2″-3″ green reserved for garnish)
1T nutritional yeast
Sea salt to taste

Directions

First, start the amaranth, then roast the chick peas and kale. In a small sauce pan with a lid, bring the water to a boil. Add the amaranth, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until the amaranth has formed a sticky consistency. Stir frequently

Add the remainder of the ingredients except the cashew butter and nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Cook another 3 minutes and remove from heat. Add the cashew butter and yeast. Stir to combine. Let cool a few minutes.

At about the 10 minute mark, start the chick peas and the kale. Preheat the oven to 450F. Whisk the curry, tamari, and red chili, and toss the chick peas to fully coat. Toss the chopped kale in the oil, sea salt and scallions.

Add both the chick peas and the kale (separately) to a roasting pan or baking sheet and roast for about 8-10 minutes — until the chick peas are lightly dry but not chalky and the kale is a vibrant green. Be careful not to overcook; remove either if it becomes ready. When done, toss the kale with the nutritional yeast. Season the chick peas, kale and amaranth to taste.

To plate make a small circle of amaranth, add the kale, the chick peas, garnish with the scallions, and serve.

Apple pie frozen dessert with salted, red miso date caramel

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A luxurious breakfast or a light dessert with rich but comforting flavours

Ingredients

For the apple pie syrup
1 cup apple cider
1t fresh ginger, grated and minced
1/4t dried, ground cinnamon (or to taste)

Optional: a pinch dried ground cloves

For the bananas
2 medium frozen bananas (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4t vanilla extract
1t walnuts, finely chopped

Optional: 1t maca powder

For the caramel
1/4 cup soft, dried dates, pitted and chipped
1/2T white pickling vinegar
1/2T red miso
3T warm water
A pinch coarse sea salt

Directions

Start the apple pie syrup, then make the caramel, then the bananas. Whisk the spices with the apple cider. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, reduce the cider mixture to about to 2-3T syrup.

The reduction will take about 20 minutes but depends on the exact amount of heat and the size of the pan. You can stir infrequently while it reduces to about 1/4 cup. At that point, it should start to caramelize. Reduce the heat to low. Stir continuously while it bubbles and remove from heat when you have a thick syrup. Set the syrup aside to cool and make the caramel.

Blend all of the caramel ingredients except the sea salt until smooth. Add the sea salt. Stir to combine. Set aside. Blend the bananas and vanilla until smooth. Add 1t pureed banana to the caramel and stir to combine. Add the maca (if you’ll be using it) and the syrup to the bananas. Blend smooth.

Add 2T caramel to the bananas. Stir to marble the bananas and the caramel. Spoon out to an appropriate dish. Garnish with the rest of the caramel and the walnuts, and serve.

Peanut butter and banana oats with apple pie, date caramel and blueberries

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A warm, filling breakfast with apple, cinnamon, ginger and lots of other great flavours.

Ingredients

For the caramel
1 cup apple cider
1t fresh ginger, grated and minced
1/4t dried, ground cinnamon (or to taste)
1/4 cup scant dried dates, pitted and chopped
1T water

For the oats
1/2 cup quick rolled oats
1/2 cup water
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 small bananas (about 1 scant cup)
1T unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter
1/4 cup blueberries
Sea salt to taste

Optional: 1t maca powder

Directions

Start the caramel, then the oats. Whisk the spices with the apple cider. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, reduce the cider mixture to about to 2-3T syrup.
The reduction will take about 20 minutes, but it depends on the pan and the heat. When the cider has reduced to 1/4 cup and stir until it has reduced to a syrup and caramelized. Be careful to not scorch the apple cider at the end.

While the cider reduces, start the oats. In a small sauce pan with a lid bring the water to a light boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until the water has been absorbed.
Puree the banana until smooth. Add the peanut butter and stir to combine. Add the mixture to the oats and stir to combine. Cover, and over low heat, simmer another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside a few minutes to cool.

When the cider has caramelized, combine with the dates and the water. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add the maca to the oats if you’ll be using it and stir to combine.
Spoon out the oats into an appropriate dish. Add 2T caramel to the oats and stir to marble and top with the remainder. Add the blueberries and enjoy!

Creamy sweet potato, red lentil, and carrot soup

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Garnished with roasted kale, walnuts and sea vegetables, this is a rich, but not overly heavy soup. The recipe will make 2 large bowls or 4 small ones, but easily doubles.

Ingredients

For the soup
2T water
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 scallions, minced (reserve 3″-4″ green for garnish)
1T fresh garlic, minced
1t fresh ginger, grated and minced
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup red lentils
1 cup carrots, trimmed and diced
2t tapioca flour dissolved in 1T cold water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the kale
1/2T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 cups green kale, stemmed and chopped
1T nutritional yeast

For the garnish
2T walnuts, minced
1T black sesame seeds, minced
1t purple dulse flakes
1t green nori flakes
1T plant-only sriracha whisked with 1T apple cider
1 heirloom grape tomato, quartered
Scallion green sliced on an angle (as noted above)

Directions

In a large pan with a lid, bring the 2T water and sea salt to a simmer on medium high heat. Add the scallion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another minute. Add the stock, sweet potatoes, and lentils. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

At the 30 minute mark, reheat the oven to 450F. Add the carrot to the soup. Simmer another 10 – 15 minutes until the lentils are dissolving and both the sweet potato and carrot are fork tender.

Toss the kale in the sea salt and oil. On a roasting pan or baking sheet, roast the kale on the middle rack for about 8-10 minutes or until it’s softened and a vibrant green. Remove from heat and toss with nutritional yeast.

When the soup ingredients are ready, remove from heat and puree until smooth. Return the pan to a simmer and add the tapioca mixture slowly, stirring continuously, until thickened.

Remove the soup from heat and let stand about 5 minutes to cool. While the soup cools, mince the walnut and sesame, and then mix with the dulse and nori. Whisk the sriracha and apple cider.

To plate, ladle out the soup. Add the kale in the middle. Sprinkle the kale and the soup with the minced walnut, sesame and sea vegetables. Garnish with the sriracha and cider, the tomatoes and the scallion and serve.

Blueberry, vanilla frozen dessert on a chocolate fudge brownie crust

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A simple but satisfying dish. The miso in this adds a rich, lightly fermented and salty flavor, but you can leave it out if it’s not readily available.

Ingredients

For the brownie
2T soft, dried dates, pitted and chopped
3T walnuts (reserve 1t chopped walnuts for garnish)
1t red miso
2t lemon juice
1.5T cocoa (I use a fairly trade, Dutch processed brand)
A pinch sea salt

For the bananas
2 small frozen bananas (about 1 cup)
1t lemon juice
1t white pickling vinegar
2t sweet white miso
1/4t vanilla extract
Agave nectar, maple syrup, dates, or stevia to taste

For garnish
1/4 cup blueberries (I use frozen, but fresh would be fine)
1t chopped walnuts (as noted above)

Optional: Add 1t maca powder to the bananas for a
decadent breakfast. Add 2T coconut oil to the bananas and double the brownie recipe for a dessert.

Directions

Make the brownie, then the bananas. In a small food processor, grind the brownie ingredients to a crust consistency (it will start to ball up). Flatten out into a 3″ circle. Let dry covered with a clean tea towel for 1 hour, turning once.

For the bananas, puree the ingredients until smooth. Sweeten to taste. Plate the brownie. Scoop the bananas onto the brownie. Sculpt a flat surface on top, add the blueberries, sprinkle with walnuts, and serve.

Red velvet frozen dessert with lime, walnut, and white miso frosting

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Traditionally, red velvet takes its colour and some of its sweetness from beet juice. This dessert uses a little whole, raw beet in that tradition. It will take some fine tuning to get the colour just right.

Ingredients

For the red velvet
2-3T cocoa (I use a fairly traded, Dutch-process brand)
1T cold water
1-2T raw beets, finely chopped (or beet juice if you
prefer)
2 large frozen bananas (about 1 1/2 cups — extra on hand may be helpful)
Maple syrup, agave nectar, or dates to taste

Optional: 1t powdered maca

Note: The beets will sweeten the dish a bit, but if you us the whole beet, you’ll be able to taste it. If you use dates to sweeten further and/or if you use beet juice rather than the whole beet, you’ll get a darker colour. If you don’t like beets, you can always experiment with raspberries or raspberry juice (although it will change the flavour).

For the frosting
1/4 cup scant walnut pieces
1T warm water
1T maple syrup or agave nectar
1/2T – 1T lime juice (to taste)
1/2 – 1T sweet white miso (to taste)

Optional: Use 2T cashew butter for an easier to mix, off-white and more neutral tasting version. Add 1/2T coconut oil or plant-only margarine for a a richer texture.
Directions

Puree the walnuts, lime juice and cold water until
smooth. Add the sweetener and the miso and stir to combine. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water 1/2t at a time; if too thin, add more walnuts and blend. Note that it will thicken a bit further as it sits. Set aside and make the red velvet.

Mix the cocoa and the water until thoroughly combined. Add the beets and puree smooth. Set aside for a minute for the chocolate to darken. Add the chocolate mixture to the bananas (and the maca if you’ll be using it) and puree smooth. Let it stand a minute.

If the result is not red enough, add additional beet. If it’s not dark enough, add additional cocoa. It’s likely you’ll use the full amounts noted, but start sparingly. It’s more difficult to lighten the dish’s colour (although if you have extra frozen banana on hand, you can do so).

Once you have the colour, sweeten to taste, spoon out, and garnish with the frosting. Add 1T frosting to the red velvet and stir for a marbled effect if you like.

Smoky eggplant, baby kale and tomato wrap

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Eggplant roasted with tamari and apple cider, mixed baby kale and diced tomato wrapped in warm, freshly made, whole wheat chapati. Wrap in a few rice paper rolls for a lighter version. Leave out the chapati, chop the roasted eggplant, double the greens, tomato and dressing for a light salad.

For the chapati
1/2 cup heaping whole wheat flour
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/4 cup warm water
1T cooking oil

For the eggplant
1T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
1T tamari
1t fresh garlic, minced
2T apple cider
1/4t black pepper
A dash liquid smoke (or to taste)
1 large eggplant (enough to make about 8, 1/4″ slices)
A dash liquid smoke
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1T nutritional yeast

Optional: Some fennel seeds would make for a traditional flavour combination.

For the kale and tomato
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/2T balsamic vinegar
1/2t prepared brown mustard
1 cup mixed baby kale (or other greens)

Start with the chapati, then make the eggplant. Mix the dry ingredients and add the water. Knead until a smooth elastic dough forms. Set aside in a bowl for about 15 minutes to let the dough rest, covered with a warm, wet tea towel.

While the dough rests, make the eggplant. Preheat the oven to 450F. Trim the ends of the eggplant and slice length-wise in 1/4″ strips. Start by cutting the eggplant in half, and then cut in slices. Slice as evenly as possible to ensure even cooking. Aim for 8 slices if you can in case you loose a few during the cooking process. Trim the outside skin of the eggplant on the last slice, but don’t peel entirely.

Whisk the cooking oil, tamari, sea salt, apple cider, and liquid smoke. Toss the sliced eggplant in the mixture until well coated. On a lightly oiled, warm roasting pan or baking sheet, roast the eggplant is nicely browned, turning once. Expect 8-12 minutes. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture of the eggplant as a guide. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

While the eggplant roasts, roll the dough out on a floured board to a small flat circle (about 8″). Brush with 1t oil. Fold into a half circle. Brush with 1t oil. Fold into a triangle. Roll the wrap out to about a 12″ circle. It should be fairly thin (a bit more than 1/8″). Brush with the last 1t oil.

With the chapati ready to go, toss the diced tomato with the sea salt. Mix the vinegar and mustard. Add to the tomato. Let stand 2-3 minutes while you finish the chapati.
Bring a large frying pan to heat on medium high (or use a griddle if you have one). Add the wrap (dry side down) and fry for 1-2 minutes. Turn and fry the other side. The chapati will be done when it’s lightly browned and lightly dry. Don’t overcook. It will make the wrap harder to roll. Remove from heat, let the wrap cool for a few seconds. Rub very lightly between your palms to soften if necessary.

Toss the kale greens with the tomato. Layer the eggplant slices into the wrap as evenly as possible, slightly off center toward you. Pack them down into the wrap by hand. Be careful not to overfill. Reserve extra eggplant. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast. Add the kale. Add the tomato. Wrap like you would a burrito.

Fold in the sides perpendicular to the filling gently, fold up the bottom up over the filling. Tuck the filling gently with the bottom of the wrap — but not too hard or you may split your wrap if it’s overfilled. Roll the whole thing over to close the wrap. Let stand briefly (less than a minute) before serving, and then enjoy!

Carrot cake amaranth porridge with ginger and cinnamon

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A breakfast dish lightly sweetened with roasted carrots and dates, garnished with walnuts
Ingredients

1/2 cup amaranth
1 cup water
1t fresh ginger, grated and minced
1/4t dried, ground cinnamon
A pinch dried, ground cloves
3 cups carrots, chopped

1/2t vanilla extract
1T plant only margarine
1T white pickling vinegar
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup dried, soft dates, pitted and chopped (4 reserved for garnish)
2t chopped walnuts
A pinch coarse sea salt

Optional: Add a pinch of saffron if you have some. Trade the margarine for cashew butter for something a little healthier (noting that it will change the colour and flavour a little). Add 1T sweet white miso for some additional salty, fermented flavour and nutrition. Replace the unsweetened soy milk, double the margarine, and sweeten with unbleached sugar for more of a dessert.

Directions

In a medium sauce pan with a lid, toast the amaranth with the ginger and dried spices for 2-3 minutes. Add the water, bring the pan to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15-18 minutes. Stir frequently at the end, as the amaranth will become quite thick.

While the amaranth simmers, roast the carrots. Preheat the oven to 450F. Add the carrots to a roasting pan or baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes, or until they are tender but not mushy. Remove from heat when done.

When the carrots are ready, reserve a few for garnish if you like. Puree the rest with the vanilla, white vinegar and margarine until smooth. Add the soy milk, and stir to combine. Add the mixture and the chopped dates to the amaranth and stir to combine. Simmer for another 5 minutes covered on low.

When done, remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes to cool. To serve, spoon out and garnish with dates and walnuts.