Further adventures at The Naked Sprout

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

On Sunday night, I was perusing The Vegan Woman’s Vegan Food Blog Guide 2013 to see what amazing blogs are out there that I haven’t discovered yet, and just about fell over when I saw my own blog made the list!

I have to admit, my initial thought was dismay: there must be another blog called Earthgiven Kitchen (and much more popular than mine!). I couldn’t believe my baby blog, not even a year old, received mention as one of the top 40 blogs, earning The Vegan Woman’s Recommendation badge for 2013. What an honour to be in the same guide as some of my favourite blogs: This Rawsome Vegan Life, Oh She Glows, Vegan Culinary Crusade, An Unrefined Vegan, Keepin’ It Kind and more. Congratulations to all the honourees.

My heartfelt thanks to The Vegan Woman and those who nominated me, I am quite touched. Checkout the list of top 40 vegan blogs here. What a wonderful celebration of delicious, compassionate eating!

On to a restaurant review!…

I first visited The Naked Sprout, one of Burlington’s two vegan restaurants, last June and loved my visit so much, I knew I’d be going back again before long, despite being an hour away. To my surprise, after my blog review, the manager Jemma thoughtfully gifted me with a gift certificate to enjoy a meal there again, how kind! Thank you, Naked Sprout! I am terribly late in posting this second review, which was a fabulous birthday lunch celebrating my mother. Here is what we ordered:

D’Ambrosio Burger
Have you ever seen a prettier burger? This was a wonderful chickpea-based veggie burger, gorgeously presented with a side of hot potatoes and swirl of spicy sauce. I was quite impressed with this dish, especially the bun, which was the most delicious gluten-free bread I can recall eating. I ate every bite.

BBQ Pulled Tofu Sandwich
We had previously experienced the Pulled Un-Pork Sandwich at Hog Town Vegan, and adored it, so we were keen to try The Naked Sprout’s version of a vegan pulled pork sandwiches. We were not disappointed, it was every bit as good as the Hog Town version, both tangy and sweet and beyond delicious, though this one likely healthier! The jalapeno Havarti cheese was a nice touch. We will definitely order this again!

Coconut Poppers
We shared these breaded coconut strips as an appetizer. It was a unique treat; we’d never seen anything like it before so we enjoyed the novelty of the curry-flavoured crispy coconut strips with cashew ranch dressing. Pretty tasty, but not my favourite item there.

Raw Lemon Cheesecake
It’s hard to tell from the photos of a white cake on a white plate but the cheesecake had two lemony layers with different textures: one firm and tangy and the other softer like a traditional cheesecake. Together with the crunchy crust it was delicious! They don’t have this flavour every day; you’ll have to see what the daily dessert specials are when you go!

Our whole meal was delicious and we finished every bite. The staff were all friendly and professional and the place is so inviting, you’ll find yourself relaxing into the great vibe they have going on. They have plenty of seating and are welcoming of children. Make reservations, especially if you are intending their Sunday Brunch which I hear is amazing and quite popular. Vegan wine and beer are available. The restaurant is all vegan and gluten-free and the say they are over 90% organic….what a great business to support!

I’ll look forward to my next visit at The Naked Sprout!

The Naked Sprout is located at 4040 Palladium Way Unit 11, Burlington, ON.

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup with Lemon and Cilantro

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

If you’ve been following my blog, you know I love to throw sweet potatoes into everything from burgers to burritos to blondies. I recently took my favourite lemony lentil soup recipe, added sweet potatoes, altered a few other ingredients, and came up with what I think is the most delicious soup ever!

It’s perfect to make in large batches as per the recipe below and either feed a whole crowd or make and freeze some for later. I almost always have a container of this lentil sweet potato soup in the freezer. Whenever I know I’ll have a hectic schedule the next day, I’ll move the soup from the freezer to the fridge and by the next day it’s defrosted and ready to take a few minutes to warm on the stove for a quick and easy dinner.

This recipe is adapted from A Quiet Soup from Orangette blog who in turn adapted it from “In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite” by Melissa Clark.

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup with Lemon and Cilantro

4 Tbsp olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
a few grinds of black pepper
pinch of cayenne or chipotle pepper, optional
6 cups vegetable broth (learn how to make your own here) or water
2 cups red lentils, washed and picked through for stones
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (save a few sprigs for garnish)

In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high. Add the onions and garlic and cook a few minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne/chipotle if using and cook another few minutes.

In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add the onions and garlic and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne/chipotle if using, and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the broth, the lentils, sweet potato and carrot and stir. Lower to the heat to a low simmer and partially cover pot. Continue to cook until the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste, and add more seasonings if desired. If it looks too thick, add some more broth or water, stir and heat through. I like Orangette’s idea to use an immersion blender to puree until about half is smooth, so it’s just a bit chunky. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. I garnish the soup with a sprig of cilantro, drizzle it with olive oil and serve with crusty bread.

Makes about 16 cups (8 large servings or 12 – 14 smaller servings).

This recipe has been shared with Wellness Weekends and Healthy Vegan Fridays blog linkups.

Creamy Red Pepper and Hemp Heart Hummus

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

I wasn’t a fan of red pepper until it became obvious when my daughter was a toddler that it was one of her favourite foods. I then looked for new ways to incorporate the healthy veggie into more recipes and grew to like it more myself. She loves red peppers so much she’ll eat them raw like an apple. (Only red ones though, don’t even think about offering her a green one). Despite not being the biggest red pepper fan myself, I LOVE the addition of red pepper to my usual hummus and lately I’ve been making it more than my traditional hummus (recipe here). I’ve also added in the olive oil to the puree instead of drizzling on top as per tradition, which makes for a creamier, more decadent hummus. In the summer, I love making this hummus with peppers freshly picked from my garden.

Red Pepper Hummus
One 540 ml can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
half of a red pepper, cored and roughly chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best)
1/3 cup hemp hearts
1/3 cup filtered water
1/2 – 1 tsp cumin (to taste)
Herbamare seasoning or sea salt to taste
about 1 tbsp hemp hearts and about 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients except garnishes in a food processor until well blended and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings. For serving as a dip, sprinkle with hemp hearts and garnish with chopped parsley.

It’s wonderful as a dip with veggies and crackers or on a sandwich with your favourite fixings!

This recipe has been shared on Healthy Vegan Fridays and Gluten Free Fridays.

5 recipes I’m loving lately

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Hi friends,

As much as I love developing recipes, I’ve been short on time these days, and haven’t been branching out beyond my repertoire of tried, tested and true recipes. In addition to full-time work, I started grad school this month! I am equally excited and freaking out. A master’s degree has been on my to-do list for a while, and this year felt like the right time to dive in. The extra activity on my plate is why you haven’t heard much from me these past few weeks, and while I may be posting less often than previously. (Though, I can be a terrible procrastinator when I’m under deadline, so perhaps when the school work gets intense, I’ll be blogging plentifully. During my last round of school I took up hand-stitching baby quilts and my house was always very clean).

I can’t take credit for any of the following wonderful recipes, but I’ve linked to the original blog post or book’s website. Here’s what I’ve been whipping up lately…..

Apple Pie Oatmeal from Oh She Glows. Recipe here. When I give my kids this oatmeal for breakfast, they think they are getting a treat. It tastes like the sweet cinnamon filling of apple pie, but with plenty of protein thanks to the oats and nuts. Filling and delicious! If you want to change it up, Angela has plenty more oatmeal recipes to choose from on her blog, like the Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole.

Pasta with Easy Breezy Cheesy Sauce from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and posted here on her blog The Post Punk Kitchen. I reduce the amount of water to make it thicker and creamier. For the fastest mac ‘n cheese ever, I keep a container of the dry mix in the pantry, then mix with hot water and a smidge of mustard, blend, and add to cooked pasta and veggies. To keep it really simple, I reserve the pasta cooking water for the sauce. Use it any place you’d use a creamy cheese sauce: over steamed broccoli, poured on baked potatoes or nachos (thanks, Mary, for that idea!). In the photo above I’ve used the cheesy sauce over perogies with fresh herbs and coconut bacon.
Cinnamon Bun Granola from Tiny Treats by Lisa Pitman and Nicole Axworthy. This granola is so good we have it for breakfast, for snacks and as an ice cream topping for dessert! I never would have thought to add buckwheat to my granola, but what a great texture it adds! You can buy the e-cookbook through the authors’ blogs A Dash of Compassion or Vegan Culinary Crusade. A lovely bonus is a third of the proceeds are donated to the Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary in Northern Thailand, if you need one more reason to support this awesome project!

Jambalaya from Peas and Thank You by Sarah Matheny. A hearty and filling meal that’s fast and easy, if rice is already cooked. In the photo above, I’ve used a mix of brown rice and millet instead of just rice, to change it up. I use Field Roast Apple Sage sausages which add just a bit of sweetness to the Jambalaya. If you can handle spicy foods, try the Field Roast Mexican Chipotle sausages — they would compliment the jambalaya perfectly but are too spicy for me!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies, another winner from Nicole of A Dash of Compassion. Recipe here. Just eight ingredients mean you can whip these babies up in five minutes. These not-so-sweet cookies are flour-less, high in protein, and their texture is like a melt-in-your-mouth shortbread! Try adding the ingredients into the pot of melted coconut oil and the heat will melt the chips into a chocolate swirl.
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In other news, I’ve organized a vegan potluck in Waterloo next Saturday, February 2nd at noon. I love potlucks and hope it will be a nice opportunity for vegans and vegan-friendly people in the Waterloo area to connect. All are welcome: vegans, non-vegans, adults, kids. If you’re able to join us, please see the event page on facebook here. Join us if you can!
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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.

Smoky Maple Sweet Potato Tempeh Burgers

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Hello,

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! I hope that wherever you are, you are finding yourself surrounded by family and friends and wonderful food and counting your many blessings!

It’s been a while since I posted a recipe. I think you’ll find this one was worth the wait; this is my all-time favourite burger, hands down. They have wowed many a herbivore and omnivore!

Smoky Maple Sweet Potato Tempeh Burgers
1 large sweet potato
1 clove garlic, minced (2 cloves if you love garlic)
1 leek, diced
canola oil
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 package of Smoky Maple Bacon Marinated Tempeh (by Turtle Foods)
1 cup cooked brown rice (or a mix of brown and wild rice)
1/2 cup packed cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/8 cup ketchup
2 tbsp Bragg’s/soy sauce/nama shoyu
1 tsp mustard
Herbamare seasoning or sea salt + black pepper
approximately 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Cut the sweet potato into large pieces and steam until tender, then mash. If you don’t have cooked rice yet, cook the rice while the sweet potato is steaming. (Want to know how to cook rice perfectly? Check out Big Apple Curry’s Rice 101 post here. No more sticky rice.) Meanwhile, sauté the garlic and leek in the canola oil on med-high heat in a large fry pan for a few minutes. Chop up the tempeh and add to the pan. Take a few minutes to toast the sunflower seeds lightly under a broiler or in another pan, being careful not to overcook.

In a large bowl, add the ketchup, Bragg’s/soy sauce/nama shoyu, sesame oil, mustard, liquid smoke, Herbamare/sea salt and black pepper. Add the all vegetables, tempeh, rice, sunflower seeds and cilantro to the bowl and stir until combined. The mixture will be too wet to form into patties, so start sprinkling some breadcrumbs in, a few tablespoons at a time and stir gently, until the mixture has the right consistency to form patties.

Pour enough canola oil to thinly cover the large fry pan again and heat on medium-high. Scoop out 1/3 cup and flatten into patties with your fingers. Pan fry the patties about five minutes each side. Makes 6-8 burgers.

This recipe is gluten-free when choosing GF breadcrumbs and GF soy sauce.

I am sharing this recipe with the Wellness Weekends and Healthy Vegan Fridays blog hop.

Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips and the Virtual Vegan Potluck

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Welcome! Thanks for joining us for the Virtual Vegan Potluck. What’s the Virtual Vegan Potluck you ask? It’s a world-wide online vegan recipe-palooza! There is lots in store for you today with 105 participants, so do come in. It’s a rainy day out there, let me take your umbrella and coat. I made some hot hors d’oeuvres just for you. Have a seat, but mind the cat hair.

My kids call these Kentucky Fried Tofu. They also make a nice light main course.

Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips

One package of firm or extra firm tofu (454 g)
approximately 1 1/2 cups of Sesame Lime Marinade (below, or use your own soy sauce-based marinade)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt + pepper to taste
coconut oil

Sesame Lime Marinade

2/3 cup sesame oil
2/3 cup Bragg’s/soy sauce/nama shoyu
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional)
2 tsp agave or maple syrup
1/2 – 3/4 cup filtered water

(also used to marinate my BBQ Veggie & Pineapple Kabobs)

Rinse the tofu, wrap in a clean kitchen towel and press to remove excess liquid. Move to a cutting board and slice into strips. I make mine into 24 thin rectangles pieces (8 pieces long and 3 pieces deep; see photo).

Make the marinade: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. For this recipe, measurements need not be exact, so adjust ingredients to your taste (like more lime or less ginger). For a more intense flavour, use less water. Marinate the tofu strips until ready to use.

Make the breading: Combine the nutritional yeast, cornmeal, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or baking dish. Heat some coconut oil on a frying pan on high. Dredge the tofu pieces in the cornmeal mixture so it’s covered on all sides and carefully drop into the fry pan. Fry on each side until crispy and brown. When frying in batches, keep the just-fried tofu warm in the oven or warming drawer until you’re ready to serve.

Makes 24 pieces. This recipe is gluten-free.

Serve warm with your favourite dipping sauce. We like Saigon Soul Food’s Tamarind Ginger sauce, an Ontario product which happens to be vegan.

Check out some other Virtual Vegan Potluck participants:

Thank you to potluck creators and hosts Vegan Bloggers Unite, An Unrefined Vegan, Vedged Out and Jason and the Veganauts!

This is also Vegan MoFo post #20 and my contribution to the Wellness Weekend blog hop.

Homemade vegetable broth

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Vegetable broth is one grocery store item you need never buy again and the best part is, it can be made from scraps that would otherwise go in your green waste bin or trash.

I keep a large bag in my freezer marked “broth veggies” where I toss in the scraps of washed vegetable cuttings and peelings such as corn husks or celery (I only use the peelings if the vegetable is organic). Even corn cobs after you’ve cut the kernels off can be used. When the bag is full, I make broth, usually while making dinner when I have to stand near the stove for a while anyway.

The beauty of stock is that it can be made from almost any vegetable, though I’ve learned some make for tastier broths than others. I used to keep broccoli stems for my vegetable stock, but the taste can be bitter, so now I keep them for juicing (broccoli, like most vegetables, gets sweeter when juiced). And only use cabbage if you really like the taste of cabbage soup! The colour of the broth will also vary greatly depending on what veggies you choose (the canned reddish broth in the top photo had red onion in it; the yellow broth below had parsnips and corn cobs).

Yummiest broth veggies
carrots
celery
onions
leeks
parsnips
potatoes
mushrooms
herbs
spinach
garlic
corn (including cobs and husks)

Veggies to avoid or use sparingly
broccoli
cauliflower
beets
peppers
cabbage
fennel

If your veggie scrap bag isn’t full but you want to make broth, you can add any of the yummy veggies you have on hand like an onion and some carrots; just chop them up and you’re good to go.

Other ingredients:
olive oil
bay leaf
sea salt
black pepper
optional: a few tablespoons of soy sauce
optional: fresh herbs

Heat a large stockpot on the stove. Add just enough olive oil to cover the bottom. When the oil is warm, toss in the veggies and stir to coat. Season with salt, pepper, soy sauce if using and any fresh herbs you want. Add enough filtered water to fill the pot; naturally, the more water you add the less intense the broth flavour. Toss in a bay leaf and stir. Bring to a boil, then simmer, pot covered, on medium low for at least half an hour. Turn off the heat, but keep covered for another hour or so to concentrate the flavours.

Strain the veggies through a large sieve and pour into a glass jars and store in the fridge for about a week. If you’re not going to use the broth in the next few days, pour the broth into a pitcher then pour into ice cube trays and freeze for up to a few months. When frozen, pop into ziploc bags. The frozen broth cubes are particularly handy since you can just take out as many cubes you need at a time. I love using this broth to cook rice, millet and quinoa!

Homemade vegetable broth can be a huge saver of time, money, food and packaging waste! I am submitting this post to Healthy Vegan Fridays and Wellness Weekends blog hops.

Date and Walnut Oatmeal

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Brrrrr, the weather cooled down fast! Here’s a warm, healthy breakfast recipe my kids and I have been enjoying lately. Protein, fibre, essential fatty acids and more in dish that’s ready in less than ten minutes — a great way to start the day! So many variations are possible: swap the walnuts for your favourite nut or swap the dates for raisins, dried cranberries or other fruit.

Date and Walnut Oatmeal

1 cup filtered water
1/3 cup oats
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/4 cup nondairy milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 dates, pitted and chopped
2 tbsp walnuts, chopped
optional: maple syrup

In a medium sized pot, bring the water to a boil. Add sea salt, oats and chia and stir. Reduce heat to simmer, add the nondairy milk, dates and cinnamon and stir again. While the oatmeal cooks, toast the walnuts under a broiler or in a fry pan on medium heat for a minute or two — be careful they don’t burn. When the oats are cooked (if you’ve used quick oats, they will only need 3-5 minutes), spoon into two bowls. Top each bowl with 1 tbsp nuts and a drizzle of maple syrup if you like.

This dish is gluten-free with GF oats, and soy-free. Serves two.

Rising Moon Ravioli and Pumpkin Parmesan

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen

Ravioli has always been one of my most favourite foods, going back to my childhood when ate plenty of Chef Boyardee’s beef ravioli from a can (((shudder))). Thank goodness that fluffy pillows of pasta with a creamy filling can be not just vegetarian but vegan.

Spoiler warning: I don’t have an original recipe for ravioli from scratch. As much as I love preparing food, homemade ravioli from scratch wouldn’t be my favourite use of time in the kitchen, when there’s excellent frozen organic, vegan ravioli to be bought. The brand is Rising Moon Organics and their Spinach Florentine ravioli is delicious! They have other flavours of vegan organic frozen pastas though I have only come across the Spinach Florentine ravioli so far. If you have more patience than I do and are up for making your own ravioli from scratch, I see Vegan Dad has a recipe here that looks great.

Tonight’s ravioli was a delicious meal by adding onions, spinach, mushrooms and broccoli and serving it with tomato sauce topped with fresh basil and my homemade Pumpkin Parmesan! It gives a great “cheesy” taste and lovely texture to all kinds of pastas.

Pumpkin Parmesan

pumpkin seeds
nutritional yeast
sea salt

Measure equal amounts of pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast (nooch). Toast the pumpkin seeds by broiling in the oven for a few minutes or in a pan on the stove on medium heat; careful the seeds don’t burn. Combine the seeds and nooch in a food processor until pulverized. Add a dash of sea salt, to taste.

Note: The pumpkin seeds can be swapped for nuts (walnuts are great) but pumpkin seeds are awesome for the zinc and iron they contain and since I get plenty of nuts in my diet, this Parmesan is a great way to add in a seed I don’t eat as regularly. Plus, being nut-free, I can use it in my kid’s lunches for school.

It would also make a great popcorn topping!

I am submitting my Pumpkin Parmesan to the Healthy Vegan Fridays and Wellness Weekend blog hops.