Breaking the Breakfast Routine

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Hi friends,

Happy holiday season! I hope you are feeling more peaceful and organized than I am — my To Do Before Christmas list seems to be getting longer not shorter! Still, it’s my favourite time of year and I’m looking forward to Christmas full of family time and good food!

I’ve already introduced you to my friend Kimmy, a holistic nutritionist who blogs at Rock My Vegan Socks. I have invited her to join me at Earthgiven Kitchen with a guest post on healthy eating. Read on below as she shares her tips to break out of a food rut with six gluten-free, soy-free vegan recipes to supercharge your breakfast. Think outside the cereal box! (Especially if it’s full of sugar, salt and additives like many of them out there.) I don’t know about you, but I pretty much stick to the same three options for breakfast: smoothie, green juice or granola. Thanks to these great recipes, I’ll be changing it up! And starting the day off first with a nice glass of warm water and lemon juice. Thanks, Kimmy!

Breaking the Breakfast Routine
guest post by Kimmy from Rocky My Vegan Socks

Are you guilty of having the same thing for breaky, day in and day out? Or do you perhaps grab something in your mad rush out the door after having promised yourself to make time the previous morning as your rushed out the door? I know, I know – you are busy! You have a job to get to, and kidlets to get out the door and breakfast isn’t exactly one of your priorities. I get it, trust me.

What if I helped you get out of that breakfast rut and back in love with the most important meal of the day? I have the magic! I have loads of great ideas for super quick and easy breakfasts, along with a few more complicated ones when you’re in the mood and have time.

Before we get to the good stuff, let’s take a closer look at breakfast and mornings. When you get up in the morning, your body has just finished detoxing after (hopefully) a good night’s sleep. Your body wants a gentle wake up, so instead of jolting it awake with caffeine, try a nice cup of warm water with some fresh squeezed lemon. This will help get your digestive juices flowing. While you’re getting ready, try pausing to drink a glass of water to rehydrate yourself (this helps with energy for the day as well as keep your joints lubricated and help combat dry skin). Try waiting until you feel true hunger before eating your breakfast. This may mean having to take it to go, which is fine, just be sure to eat it in a calm & relaxed environment and to thoroughly chew it. This will give you energy and keep you going until lunch if you just don’t have time for a mid-morning snack. And it’ll keep you from grabbing a doughnut to stave off your hunger.

If you just don’t have time to make breakfast in the morning, make it the night before and take it with you. I adapted this recipe from Oh She Glows’ Easy Vegan Overnight Oats.

Chocominty Overnight Oats

1 medium banana
1/3 cup gluten free oats
3/4 cup almond milk
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp carob powder
a few drops of mint extract

Before going to bed, place the banana in your favourite breakfast bowl and mash up a banana. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir really well. Pop in your fridge until the next morning and enjoy cold. This one is a nice spin on my favourite chocolate mint combination but is stimulant free.

If you have even just a few minutes in the morning, make yourself a nice, green smoothie. This is also something you could make the night before and have in the morning before you head out (or take with you).

Another important tip for breakfast fare (and all day eating) is the importance of rotating your grains. Do you remember not being able to bring peanut butter to school when you were a kid? It was unheard of when I went to school, but seems to be some sort of epidemic nowadays. Food sensitivities are on the rise and one of the largest contributing factors is overeating a particular food. Switch it up! Don’t eat the same things day in and day out. Try a 4-day rotation with your grains. Have Millet Mondays and Teff-rific Tuesdays. Try some new grains like teff and amaranth and buckwheat, which all make wonderful breakfast options. You could even just have a large serving of fresh fruit for breakfast some days. Get creative and have fun!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Millet Porridge

1/2 cup millet
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp maple syrup or agave
cinnamon to taste (optional)
toppings: fresh fruit, nuts, coconut, etc.

Cook up the millet in the coconut milk and add maple syrup or agave. I like adding cinnamon to mine as well. Bring it to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone. Put it into a bowl and add some fresh fruit and chopped nuts (I also added flaked unsweetened coconut).

Amaranth Pudding

1/4 amaranth
1 cup liquid (I used 1/4 cup almond milk and 3/4 cup of water)
1/2 tsp maple syrup or sweetener or your choice
topping: chopped nuts, hemp seeds, etc.

Place amaranth into 1 cup of liquid. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring frequently and then simmer it on low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes until liquid is mostly gone. Add 1/2 tsp maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice) with some chopped nuts. Try adding some flax or hemp seeds.

Green Smoothie

I’m sure you have your own ideas for smoothies, here are a few more for you to consider. Start with some greens (spinach, romaine, mixed, kale), add some frozen fruit, some almond milk and some add-ins (flax seeds, chia seeds, goji berries, hemp seeds, maca powder, lacuma powder, spirulina, cinnamon, carob or cacao powder, coconut flakes etc) and blend away. I always seem to buy too many berries when I head to the market on Saturdays and always have some leftover by the end of the week which I like freezing for smoothies.

Buckwheat Parfait

I love soaking and dehydrating buckwheat as it is so versatile! You can add buckwheat to smoothies, cereal, trail mix or make your own little breakfast out of it. This is coconut yogurt layered with fresh fruit and dehydrated buckwheat. I got this idea from Sarina of course =) Check out her recipe here.

Homemade Cereal (adapted from Oh She Glows)

1/3 cup oats
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp maple syrup
chopped nuts
topping: fresh fruit

I also got this idea from Oh She Glows. I start with oats and add a pinch of sea salt, cinnamon (careful – if you aren’t used to adding cinnamon, start out small and work your way up), maple syrup and I chop whatever nuts I have on hand (I’m always pretty psyched if I have almonds, pecans, walnuts and cashews all on hand) and mix it with the oats and then add some chopped fresh fruit on top.

Bon Appétit!

The Chocominty Overnight Oats were submitted to Wellness Weekends blog hop.

Fuel your body and mind at Thrive Juice Bar

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

I am often asked for recommendations for places to eat near my work in Waterloo, and I don’t have to think long before giving my answer: Thrive Juice Bar. The place used to be quiet, the best kept secret in town. A place to sip your Coconut Cashew Medjool Date smoothie in peace. But now the word is out and the place is almost always packed, a line occasionally snaking out the door. Beyond having the most delicious food in town, the staff are friendly and the decor is modern and gorgeous — overall a very enjoyable place to eat.
Thrive started as a vegetarian gourmet health food restaurant with vegan options with the motto “fuel your body, fuel your mind”; last year they announced they would be exclusively vegan, though their menu options so accessible and delicious (no “weird hippie food” or fake meat here) our omnivore friends are just as addicted as my husband and I. You’ll hardly believe that food this tasty is good for you. They say they are the “freshest, cleanest and greenest establishment in town” and I would have to agree!

Here are some of the food we’ve enjoyed there lately:
Black Bean Chipotle and Avocado burger. Thrive’s veggie burger has been evolving since they opened in 2010 and they have all been delicious. It’s latest incarnation is a bit spicy, so if you like your burgers with a bit of a kick, you’re in luck. Also, if you like your burgers so generously humongous they can hardly fit in your mouth, you are also in luck. Tip: you can ask for your burger on bread instead of the big buns. It’s served with chips, salsa and hot peppers on the side.
The Big Green Sandwich. Avocado, sprouts, cucumbers and more with a delicious garlic aioli sauce. My husband’s favourite item on the menu.
The Thai Wrap. Sesame tempeh, sprouts, greens and a sweet chili sauce that goes perfectly. I’ve ordered this one at least ten times, it’s one of my favourites.

Falafel Wrap. This item is newer so I’ve only had it once but it was hearty and tasty. The sauce is an edamame hummus with tahini garlic dressing that’s very nice.
The Little Big Kids Meal. A grilled cheese made with Daiya and served with tortilla chips, sprouts, pickles and a green juice. My kids love it all, including the green juice.
Chocolate cupcakes. These were absolutely wonderful. Sweet but not too sugary. We got this one for my hubby’s birthday. The dessert options change regularly, so you’ll have to go in and see what the chef has prepared fresh that day.
Juices and Smoothies! These smoothies will ruin you for all other smoothie bars. I’ve tried so many smoothies from fancy juice bars and none are as good as Thrive’s. The Coconut Medjool Date smoothie is absolutely addictive and tastes like dessert. If you only try one item on the menu, this should be it. Others we love are the Kale Mojito, Chocolate Avocado Ganache and the Big Red Smoothie and the Big Purple smoothie. Thrive are affiliated with Brendan Brazier (the vegan endurance athlete who wrote the Thrive book series) and the VEGA products so in addition to being able to enhance your drinks with assorted supplements, you can buy VEGA products there too. Assorted hot beverages are also served.

Other items on the menu we recommend: the pad thai noodle salad, the Mediterranean rice bowl, the caesar sprout salad and the A.L.T. (avocado, lettuce and tempeh).
A couple of notes if you are planning a visit: their menu online is not up to date, you’ll have to pop in to see the current offerings which change seasonally (so don’t get your hopes up for pizza). While there is an item for kids on the menu, we don’t find it the best place to bring young children as there are no highchairs and the chairs are high and tippy; I find it best to leave the kids at home and enjoy a nice lunch out with grownups or get a takeout meal. There are gluten-free and raw options. The soup of the day is always excellent. Check their hours before you go, they are not open for a late dinner. The prices may be higher than you’d expect for lunch but portions are generous and ingredients are often organic and locally-sourced, well worth it for a high quality meal.

Thanks to Thrive and especially passionate owner Jonnie Karan, for showing Waterloo that vegan can easily be the healthiest and the most delicious food you can find!

Thrive Juice Bar is located in the Bauer Lofts at 191 King Street, Waterloo, Ontario.

What does a vegan eat anyway? (Inaugural WIAW post)

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

What I Ate Wednesdays is a weekly blog party hosted by Peas and Crayons that celebrates food. The entries mostly focus on healthy plant-based eating, but not exclusively. Every Wednesday, bloggers are invited to share what they ate one day that week. Since I’m often asked by omnivores “what the heck does a vegan eat anyway?”, participating in WIAW seemed a fun way to answer that question.

So here’s what I ate last Sunday….

Breakfast: Chocolate banana smoothie (frozen banana, Vega chocolate protein powder and coconut milk), fresh organic fruit and walnuts for breakfast.

Lunch: Cherry chocolate chip banana muffins and raspberries and strawberries from my garden. The muffins were fresh from the oven and delicious. I think I had three, plus I couldn’t help eating some muffin batter (no raw eggs!) The recipe for the muffins is coming soon!

Snack of hummus and crackers.

Dinner at my parents’ house: I made gardein (wheat and soy protein) marinated in garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce and stir fried. I also ate potato salad, spinach and pine nut salad and corn on the cob with Earth Balance butter. Yum!

Look at the fruit salad in a watermelon my mother made for dessert! Creative and beautiful, just like my mom.

I intentionally ate fairly healthy through the day because I had made a decadent dessert to share and was looking forward to indulging….

Almond fudge rice crispy bars! Click for the recipe for this addictive dessert. I had two pieces. Okay, maybe three. I have no willpower when it comes to these chocolatey squares.

Thanks, Jenn at Peas and Crayons, for creating and hosting WIAW! I look forward to reading everyone’s posts.

Blueberry Coconut Smoothie

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Are you keeping cool? This heat wave is intense! We’ve been beating the heat by hitting the local pool, eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies and drinking cool drinks like this refreshing smoothie that’s packed with antioxidants, vitamins and protein.

This recipe works with frozen berries, but if you can get some Ontario blueberries that are just about ready, all the better.

Blueberry Coconut Smoothie
1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
2 cups coconut milk beverage
1 frozen, chopped banana
4 dates, pitted
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp vanilla Vega protein powder
cinnamon to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor then serve. Optional: add ice cubes to make it an icier smoothie. Makes two smoothies.

This smoothie is my submission to Wellness Weekend and Healthy Vegan Fridays.

Chocolate Chai Mudslide

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

It’s the first day of summer and a scorcher! Perfect day for a frosty smoothie.

The inspiration for this drink came from The Naked Sprout restaurant which uses Brazil nut milk and chocolate-chai tea in their Mocha Chai Mudslide. So many of my favourite things in one smoothie!

Chocolate Chai Mudslide
2 frozen bananas
1 cup chai tea, cooled (see note below)
1 cup chocolate almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 pitted dates
1 Tbsp raw cacao powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in blender. Makes two smoothies. For a frostier drink, pour chai tea into ice cube trays and freeze, then use the iced tea cubes in the smoothie. Happy summer, everyone!