BAKING BACKWARDS: Spring

CHOCOLATE CHIP SUPER MUFFINS! Better for you and just better!

9:55 PM

Cinco de Mayo Brunch: Fiesta Porridge Bowl!

11:00 AM

Cinco de Mayo Week continued: Chili Night and a thirst quenching surprise

11:47 AM

Chili Night! Vegan 'Chili con Quinoa' with 'No-Corn Bread' and 'Chilly Chili Limeonade'! What a fantastic meal!

Chili is one of those great dishes that can be personalized, not to mention it is well-rounded enough to be an entire meal in a bowl. Veggies, protein, spice, its a pot of gold sure to leave you satisfied.

I love chili.

Chili was a regular meal in my house growing up. My dad was the cook in our family and made what he enjoyed most. He loves anything spicy and hearty so chili was a staple. He made it in a few different ways. He made a great bean-filled fiery vegetarian chili and a delicious chili con carne (meat chili). My dad always leans towards vegetarian cooking when given the opportunity. He enjoys many meatless meals and loves beans more than anyone I know. The food he cooked the most for us as kids was definitely Tex-Mex. He loves cowboy-style baked beans, chili, tacos, fajitas and nachos. He douses anything and everything with hot sauce, hot pickled banana peppers and red chili flakes for an extra kick. I can remember a few meals where the food was so spicy my mom refused to eat.

Beyond my dad's cooking, I enjoy chili every summer at an annual 'corn roast' held at my mom's book editor's farm. The couple invites all their friends and family for a day of hay rides, homemade chili, corn on the cob, baked beans, and more desserts than you can try. I love going out there. The food is delicious and the setting is breathtaking. The last time we went, I introduced my husband to our tradition. Several plates of potato salad and seven slices of pie later and we could barely muster the energy to play anymore ping pong (barely).

This week, in honor of my dad, our corn-roast roots, and Cinco de Mayo (this Sunday May 5th) I made a hearty vegan chili.

The chili was an experiment and turned out totally awesome. It was also bean-free!

I have really cut back on eating beans for the past few months. As a vegetarian with a soy allergy, this choice has been hard to stick to. For the past several years, beans have been a staple in my diet and my main source of protein. I love Middle Eastern food, especially hummus and falafel, so going without beans has been hard. I made the choice because I have a really hard time digesting beans and pulses. I often end up with intense stomach pain right after eating them and end up bloated the next day. I decided the flavors weren't worth the sacrifice and began to seek alternative protein sources.

Enter quinoa.

Quinoa is such a fantastic food -- a super-food in fact. It is loaded with protein and amino acids. My husband has been pushing it on me for years but it was only recently that it became a staple in my kitchen. I now bake with it and add it to a variety of savory meals.

After falling in love with quinoa I discovered amaranth.

The distinctions between the two seeds are small. They are nearly identical in fact. Amaranth is not bitter, it has a bit less protein but higher levels of vitamins and minerals per serving. I use the two super-seeds in different ways. I prefer quinoa for heartier meals and amaranth for thickening and for desserts and porridge.

I used both amaranth and quinoa in my chili recipe. I used amaranth flakes as a thickener for the chili and used whole quinoa as a meat substitute.

What I ended up with was 'Chili con Quinoa', a delicious and hearty vegan take on 'Chili con Carne' without a bean in sight.

The day my husband and I settled on making my new chili I started thinking that chili really needs a bread accompaniment. Its one of those dishes that needs something to mop up the flavor. My first thought was to fry some small savory pancakes or flatbread but then inspiration struck -- cornbread!

Since I had set my sights on a bean-free chili, I decided to challenge myself by making a vegan corn-free cornbread.

Instead of corn meal I used millet grits, amaranth flour and amaranth flakes. I added savory spices, pumpkin seed butter and nutritional yeast for cheesiness, grated zucchini for texture, and some pear sauce for a hint of sweetness. Sounds gross but trust me it comes together beautifully!

What I ended up with were cheezy, savory vegan zucchini no-corn bread muffins.

Once they cooled in the fridge their texture was perfect as they really firmed up.They were the right savory flavor but a bit too soft (but delicious anyway) right out of the oven. They keep well too, we have some leftover muffins in our fridge from last Friday that my husband is still enjoying.

To make up for the lack of beans in the chili, I added a ton of veggies and some amaranth flakes to thicken the tomato base. I also added red and black pre-cooked quinoa which gave the chili a real meatiness. I even topped our bowls of chili with a batch of "Danielle's Tex-Mex Quinoa Meat" to add another layer of texture and flavor.

I have been collecting chili trade secrets for years so I added a few special spices and condiments to make the flavor of the chili come together.

The result was some damn fine chili, even my husband agreed. It was also damn filling! He could only get through one serving of it before he was too stuffed to continue (and he can eat a lot). The fact that he loved this chili speaks volumes because he was very skeptical that a vegan chili could be good without beans.

"But chili needs beans" No, it doesn't.

I know that some of my ingredients may sound a little unusual but trust me and use them. The cocoa powder makes this chili amazing and the pumpkin seed butter and nutritional yeast create a richness that takes the chili to another level of awesome.

WARNING: THIS CHILI RECIPE IS SPICY!

Chili is a dish that begs for serious spice. If you can't handle the heat you can always use less chili powder -- I wouldn't recommend this. To me, chili powder provides more than heat, it adds a unique flavor that can't be replicated. I really encourage you to use the full amounts and specific spices I list in the recipes below. My suggestion is to serve your chili with some cooling sides.

Chilli needs heat and accompaniments to cool the burn. The no-corn bread is great for numbing the fire. I have also included a recipe for a vegan lime crema which is flavorful way to cut the heat. Think Indian raita or sour cream.

If you plan to prepare this meal I highly recommend making a batch of my Chilly Chili Limeonade along with it (recipe follows). This vibrant and healthy tonic will not only compliment my chili con quinoa and no-corn bread perfectly, it will also soothe your body and soul. Spicy lemon water is an elixir for the liver as well as a truly detoxifying tonic. By using chili powder instead of cayenne pepper (traditional recipe), and lemon and lime juices instead of only lemon juice, this drink bursts with Mexican flavors. With natural sugar-free sweetness from the addition of stevia, you've got yourself a seriously healthy and addictive lemonade.

All of the following recipes are:

Chilly Chili Lime-onade
Makes 1 large serving or 2 small servings.

1/2 large organic lemon, juice of

1 1/2 large organic limes, juice of

10-15 drops liquid stevia (or more if needed)

cold filtered water to fill your glass

1/4 tsp chili powder

Mix all ingredients together well in your chosen LARGE drinking glass. Taste! Add more stevia drop at a time if not sweet enough. Add more lime if not tangy enough (depends on how much water you add) Garnish with a slice of lime or lemon inside the glass or on the rim.

Zucchini No-Corn Bread
Makes 18-20 muffins.

Preheat to 350 F

Dry Ingredients:

3 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tbsp kelp flakes
3 dashes coarse sea salt
2.5 tsp chilli powder
1/3 cup nooch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup millet grits
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup amaranth flakes
1/4 cup quinoa flakes

Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Wet Ingredients:

1.5 tbsp chia seeds soaked 10 mins in 1/3 cup veg broth and 1 tbsp pumpkinseed butter, mixed well
2 cups grated zucchini
1/8 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cup veg broth
1 cup filtered water
2.5 tbsp pear sauce
2 dashes rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

Add olive oil to dry mixture. Mix thoroughly. Add chia mixture and stir to incorporate. Add veg broth and stir through. Add water and stir through. Add zucchini and stir through. Add. pear sauce and stir through. Add vinegar and stir through. Leave batter alone 5 minutes. Scoop into muffin/cupcake cups in a muffin pan(s) and fill 2/3 full. Should fill 18 muffin cups.

Bake in center rack in oven until slightly firm to the touch, about 20-25 minutes. These muffins are the right texture after some time in the fridge. They can also be enjoyed hot from the oven but you may find them too soft in texture. After refrigeration they can be heated up again before serving in an oven or toaster oven.

Chili Con Quinoa
Makes 4 large servings or 8 small servings

1/2 cup chopped red onion

2 small zucchini, chopped

1.5 large red bell peppers, chopped

1.5 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 large garlic clove, chopped

2 dashes sea salt

1.5 tbsp Kelp flakes

3 tsp Cocoa powder

4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/4 cup amaranth flakes

2 tsp chia seeds

2 tbsp chilli powder

4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup veg broth

1 large can diced organic tomatoes

4 tbsp pear sauce

3 dashes rice wine vinegar

1/2 lime, juice of

1 tsp pumpkin seed butter

Saute oil , onions and spices (not nutrtional yeast) together over medium heat until onions are soft. Add garlic, and peppers and zucchini and stir. After a minute add 1/2 cup veg broth and stir. Cook for 3 minutes then add tomatoes. Stir, reduce heat to simmer. Add pear sauce, amaranth flakes, lime juice, vinegar and chia. Stir and bring to a simmer.

Add nutritional yeast and stir. Cook 2 minutes. Add pumpkin seed butter and stir through, cook 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of your cooked quinoa and stir, reduce heat to low.

Use the rest of the cooked quinoa to make Danielle's Tex-Mex Quinoa Meat .When making the linked recipe for the quinoa "meat", add a 1/2 tsp of cocoa powder to the onions (when frying the spices in the beginning of the recipe) for extra flavor.

Lemon or Lime Crema
Makes 1-2 servings

3 tsp vegenaise
1.5 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice
1.5 tbsp water
1 heaping tsp chia seeds
1.5 tsp onion powder
2 tsp kelp flakes
1/2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp chilli powder or 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients except vegenaise together thoroughly in a small bowl. Allow to sit in room temperature for 5-7 minutes before stirring through vegenaise. Allow another 5 minutes to thicken. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use.

To Serve Chili:
Makes 2 large servings

1/2 english cucumber, grated with a cheese grater

1 batch Danielle's Tex Mex Quinoa Meat

1/2 batch Chile con Quinoa

1 batch vegan lime crema

2-4 no-corn bread muffins

Once the "quinoa meat" is ready, serve warm chili in large bowls, topped with half the "quinoa meat", grated cucumber and a drizzle of the vegan lime crema on top. Each bowl should be served with 2-4 no-corn bread muffins.

Big Salad: Spring in a Bowl

11:46 AM

I love salads. They are incredibly good for you and so versatile. We should all eat more greens.

Salads make perfect meals and side dishes for Spring. Produce at this time of year is flavorful and fresh and there are so many colorful and nutritious ingredients available locally. Spring is the season when I am most inspired by fresh vegetables. I am constantly thinking up more ideas for meals than I have time to make!

I am a Canadian living in Toronto. Most years our winter is pretty rough. This year was no exception. It really took its sweet time to pass. Thankfully it seems to have ended and Spring is finally here. Leaves are budding and flowers are blossoming.

Vibrant vegetables are filling the grocery stores and spring roots are as sweet as ever.

When I finished University I had a brief professional stint as a Produce Department manager at a healthfood store. I actually really enjoyed the job because I would get nearly daily deliveries of fresh beautiful fruits and vegetables. I even started ordering some exotic seasonal vegetables and fruits whenever I could.

Watermelon radishes, fiddle-heads, candy cane beets, white asparagus, purple cauliflower...they all come to my table in Spring.

If you haven't tried any of the veggies listed above, you should if you can find them near you. They are all so pretty and delicious. I would describe Watermelon Radishes as psychedelic. They are so awesome. Green on the outside, tie dye pink and green inside.

There is a popular vegetarian restaurant chain in Toronto called Fresh Restaurant. It has been cornering the vegetarian market in Toronto since the 90s. The restaurant originally went by the name Juice for Life. When I was little, Juice for Life was my first formal introduction to vegetarian cuisine. My older sister was in highschool at the time and was going through a veggie phase (that didn't last long) and insisted we go there. Back then I really didn't like their food. I ordered the most 'normal' sounding item on the menu -- french fries with miso gravy. I was...disgusted. The gravy tasted like a boozy cheese sauce and I was really not expecting any cheese flavor. I felt...misled. My drink, however, was amazing. I ordered the Frozen Raspberry lemonade. I was like a tart raspberry 7-11-style slushy. If you don't know what 7-11 is, its like a supersized convenience store chain in Canada, and the "slushies" they sell are like the "squishees" sold at the Quick-E Mart on the Simpsons....

It wasn't until the end of highschool that I became a vegetarian. It wasn't a hard sell -- most of my favorite foods were vegetarian anyway.

My dad was diagnosed with high cholesterol and we all adjusted our diets to support him. I pretty much gave up meat then and there. I ate mostly vegetarian (with some fish) for many years after and ate at Fresh restaurant happily. Oddly enough as an adult I came to love their signature miso gravy -- until I became allergic to soy that is.

These days I am mostly vegan. Overall I prefer veganism because it makes me feel good.

I am not a strict vegan -- I make exceptions when I eat out from time to time and sometimes I really crave ice cream and give in to that too. I love the way dairy products taste but dairy makes me feel sick for days after eating it so I try my best to avoid it.

Today's recipe is for a dairy- free cream style dressing which pairs really nicely with Spring salads, cooked vegetables, pastas and grains. It is really easy to make and tastes like a creamy dill dressing.

I enjoyed my dill dressing on a vibrant Spring salad bursting with colorful vegetables.

This salad reminds me a lot of the giant salads sold at Fresh Restaurant. They offer huge meal-sized salads that are full of raw and cooked vegetables and are usually topped with a creamy vegan dressing. They are really awesome healthy meals that most people (vegans to carnivores) can appreciate. My dill salad dressing would also be great on steamed asparagus or roasted spring vegetables. It would also be nice on cooked quinoa or rice or perhaps make a tangy sauce for a pasta salad.

Today I have included my recipe for a really delicious and Big Salad, drizzled with my vegan creamy dill dressing. Yesterday was Earth Day so this huge Spring salad makes a great and totally appropriate meal if you forgot and still want to honor the holiday. It is cruelty-free and vegan so its a nice way to show your love for the Earth and its beautiful bounty.

If you don't care about Earth Day, think of this salad as an homage to the Elaine Benes character on Seinfeld who always ordered a "Big Salad" at Monk's diner.

If you try out this dressing, I hope that you enjoy it too.

Vegan Creamy Dill Dressing

Makes 1 serving

3.5 tsp soy free vegeanise

1-1.5 tsp vinegar (I used white wine vinegar but you could use apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice or orange juice)

1.5 tsp finely chopped fresh dill

1.5 tsp filtered water

1/2-1 tsp onion powder

2 dashes ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp kelp flakes

dash of ground cinnamon

Bowl method:
In a small bowl mix together all ingredients thoroughly with a whisk until slightly frothy. Taste! adjust seasonings to your taste. For more saltiness, add more kelp. for more savory flavor add more onion powder. For more herb flavor add extra dill. Pour over your salad, cooked vegetables. cooked grains or pasta and toss to incorporate.

Mason Jar method:

Add all ingredients to a mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Seal the jar with a lid and shake the jar thoroughly until the dressing is thoroughly mixed and slightly frothy. Remove the lid and pour over salad, cooked vegetables. cooked grains or pasta and toss to incorporate. OR refrigerate in the sealed jar until ready to serve.

Big Salad

Makes 1 serving

2 cups roughly chopped greens (I used green kale and rainbow swiss chard)

1/4 candy cane beet (also known as a chiogga beet), peeled and grated with a cheese grater

2 tbsp finely chopped red onion

1/4 cucumber, grated with a cheese grater

1 zuchini, grated or sliced finely

handful of grape tomatoes

2 dashes kelp flakes

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 dashes cinnamon

Put each grated vegetable in its own bowl and set aside. Steam half the greens until vibrant and remove from the heat.

Assemble salad. Add your remaining raw greens, your tomatoes and your sliced zuchini to a small bowl. Add the spices and kelp and mix through. Add your prepared salad dressing (reserving 2 tsp of it) and mix all together thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to your serving plate or bowl. Top the mixture with your steamed greens, and then a layer of grated candy cane beets, followed by your grated cucumber. Drizzle remaining dressing over top. Serve.