Throughout my studies with the Academy of Culinary Nutrition this fall, I have really learned the value of homemade sauces and condiments – where you can decide how much sugar, fat, salt is added. In making your own sauces, such as this Ginger Orange Sauce, you are ensuring you are not consuming artificial flavours, colourings and preservatives – all which can promote illness versus health. As an added bonus, creating your own sauces and condiments also means you can season your food in a way that appeals to you the most. And making your own sauces and condiments really doesn’t take much time or effort at all. This Ginger Orange sauce takes minutes to make and has very limited ingredients – all natural and health promoting. What more can you ask for? :)

Source: inspired by Connoisseurus Veg

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The power of food is something I want to share with others, so I registered for the holistic nutrition program through the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition(CSNN) in June. I’m four courses into the fourteen course program and I’m really enjoying it. I feel inspired and as though I’m finally heading in the right direction. I love the course content and feel passionate about sharing it with others. I’ve worked my way through the basics of nutrition and anatomy thus far and am looking forward to courses on digestion, disease prevention and mind body connection. In addition to the program through CSNN, I also decided to sign up for the fall semester of the Culinary Nutritions Expert program (CNE program) through the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. I am one month into that program and am LOVING it. It’s a much more hands on approach to learning as taught by the amazing and super knowledgeable Meghan Telpner. Learning has seriously never been more fun. It’s a great compliment to the CSNN program I’m in.

So, as you can see, I’ve been very busy – working full time and in two educational programs. However, The Fig Tree has been weighing heavily on me, as I really do love creating and sharing new recipes with my wonderful readers. And I want to continue to share and plan to do so on a weekly basis. Ideally, I’ll be sharing recipes, but I may post about my courses in between food posts :)

To thank you all for your patience and support – and a thank you to all of those who checked in on me – here’s an amazingly easy and incredibly scrumptious pumpkin chocolate walnut bread recipe. The bread is perfectly pumpkiny, nicely spiced and stuffed with crunchy walnuts and oozy-gooey chocolate chunks. This recipe is dedicated to my beautiful sister Alyssa who requested I come up with a chocolate pumpkin loaf recipe for her.

And finally…happy thanksgiving to all of my wonderful fellow Canadians! xoxo

Source: The Fig Tree

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And wow – she did not disappoint! Richa’s fabulous cook book is a comprehensive guide on vegan Indian cuisine. It provides all of the necessary basics, as well as extensive information about spices, herbs and common ingredients in Indian cuisine.  It includes an overview of the types of grains and flours required to make the most authentic Indian dishes and provides information about commonly used beans, lentils and peas. Necessary equipment such as a spice blender is also discussed. Richa really sets her readers up for culinary success! I also love how Richa includes the Indian translation for all of the ingredients and recipes throughout the books.

One of the features I loved most in Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen is the three grocery lists provided – “Must Have”, “Good to Have” and “Nice to Have”. These lists allow the less experienced Indian cooks to start with the basics (and keeps things inexpensive). For the more experienced, experimental Indian cooks, there is the “Nice of Have” list. Following these lists will ensure everyone has the basics needed to make incredible vegan Indian dishes. Since fragrant spices and fresh herbs are the cornerstones of Indian cuisine, she focuses a lot of attention on them in her book and provides suggestions on which to buy to get started with Indian cooking.

The cookbook is divided up into ten chapters: My Vegan Kitchen, Breakfasts, Small Plates and Snacks, Sides and Dry Vegetable Curries, Dals, One Pot Meals and Casseroles, Main Dishes, Flatbreads, Desserts and Chutneys, Spices Blends and The Basics. Richa presents the classically vegetarian and vegan Indian dishes, but also includes vegan variations of the more meat-centric Indian dishes such as Butter Seitan Curry (which is derived from classic Butter Chicken). And let me tell you, all of these variations would win over any meat eater!

Richa takes the reader on a personal journey through her heart-felt introduction and the recipes in her book Vegan Richa’s Indian Cooking. It is packed with amazing recipes and stunning, vibrant photography. The cookbook is the kind of cookbook that immediately inspires you to get into the kitchen. Even though some of the ingredient lists are long (lots of yummy spices), the recipes are easy enough that you feel that you can re-create them in your own kitchen. Most of the recipes are very healthy – high-protein and high-fibre and based around legumes and vegetables. Many of the recipes are also gluten-free. Richa even provides a number of vegan flatbread recipes in the book including a Gluten-Free Oat naan. Some of the recipes use tofu and/or tempeh, but Richa provides a chickpea tofu recipe for those avoiding soy-based products.

I have already tried a number of recipes from Vegan Richa’s Indian Cooking cookbook, including the Fudgy Coconut Balls, Restaurant-Style Navratan Korma and Vegan Paneer. I am also looking forward to trying the following dishes from the book:

• Tempeh Tikka Masala
• Vegetable Jalfrezi (Vegetables in a Smoky Tomato Sauce)
• Spicy South Indian Tofu Scramble
• Gobi Manchurian (Sweet and Spicy Baked Cauliflower)
• Makhani Vegetable Pot Pie
• Royal Tofu and Cashews (Shahi “Paneer”)
• Potato Veggie Balls in Garlic Fenugreek sauce
• Avocado Naan
• Pistachio Cardamom Cookies

Tune into The Fig Tree blog next week for a recipe from Vegan Richa’s Indian Cookbook along with a giveaway!

Source: all photos from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen (Published by Vegan Heritage Press, LLC)

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In protest of the crummy, snowy day yesterday, Jesse and I had a Star Wars marathon. We watched the original 3 movies. It was so much fun. I have not watched all three movies in a row in years. Now I cannot wait for the upcoming sequel by JJ Abrams. Is anyone else excited!?
Also exciting is this flavourful asparagus soup that’s filled with fresh herbs and bright lemon. I love when an idea comes together perfectly. Before I was a vegan, I used to make asparagus soup all of the time. It was filled with cream, yogurt and parmesan cheese. And it was delicious! I wanted to re-capture both the flavour and creamy texture of my favourite soup, but have it be cruelty-free. To create a luscious and creamy soup, I added 1/2 cup of soaked cashews to the soup while blending. To enhance the flavour of the asparagus (which is delicious in its own right), I added fresh lemon juice. Asparagus and lemon pair up perfectly together. Lemon brightens the soup right up! Season with a bit of salt, pepper and lots of fresh herbs and this soup is perfect! In fact, it’s way better than the soup I used to make loaded with dairy. Now I can actually taste the fresh, grassy flavour of the asparagus in addition to all of the fresh herbs. Veggies never tasted so good! I think this recipe is a keeper! :)

Source: The Fig Tree

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This week has been a lot of fun. I’ve been attending a week-long French intensive program at the University of St.Boniface here in Winnipeg. The course has been incredibly helpful. Even though I consider myself bilingual, I find it difficult to find enough opportunity to practice French on a regular basis. This week, our teacher has focused on helping us develop new skills in regard to grammar and vocabulary, but she has also given us ample opportunity to practice speaking and listening in French. Yesterday, we attended a yoga class that was instructed in French. C’était magnifique! We also attended a nutrition course that was coincidentally taught by an old school friend of mine. Hello Michelle! :) Today we had a very interesting discussion about how sexual harassment is dealt with at school and in the work place. Tomorrow, we are all attending a lunch together and then we will be doing oral presentations to finish up the course. I’ll miss my classmates and our teacher! Going to school this week reminds me of how much of a keener I was in school and how much I miss being a student!!! Just makes me more excited to begin my classes through the Culinary Nutrition Expert program in September!

To fuel my brain for proper book-learning this week, I’ve been alternating between banana almond butter protein smoothies and these delicious chia seed puddings! They are loaded with protein and are low in sugar, but somehow they seem MUCH more like dessert than my regular breakfast. They are creamy and oh-so yummy with the combination of coconut, chocolate and almonds. They are also incredibly filling! I know a lot of people prefer not to blend their chia seed pudding, but I prefer mine blended. I’m a bit weird with textures! Feel free to blend or not blend – the decision is all yours! One this is for certain though – you won’t be disappointed with this delicious yet healthy breakfast treat!

Source: The Fig Tree

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And now for chocolate! Chocolate with coconut!!! Crispy treats studded with macadamia nuts and seasoned with a touch of sea salt. These bars are so easy to throw together and will satisfy your sweet tooth and your salt cravings! They are the perfect, wholesome treat. Made with coconut oil and puffed brown rice, these little bites are a healthy dairy-free & gluten-free treat that everyone will love.

Source: The Fig Tree

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And now for something a bit indulgent to celebrate! Baked Lemon Raspberry Donuts!!!

These donuts are so pretty in pink! I made these lovely pink donuts on the weekend just before I heard the new royal baby was a girl. Coincidence!? I think not! *hehe* So, in honour of the birth of the new royal, I shall dedicate these donuts to Princess Charlotte. Such an adorable name, don’t you think? The base of the donut is a tart lemon cake studded with fresh lemon zest and is glazed with a bright raspberry glaze that balances tangy with sweet. They are fresh and bright – perfect for spring! And perfection for the celebration of a new little princess!

Source: inspired by Baked Chocolate Doughnuts by Ashlae Warner

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This was our first weekend without cable television. Yesterday, we attended a fabulous craft sale (Third + Bird) that showcased some of the best artisans in the city! It was incredible seeing almost 2500 people supporting local, small businesses yesterday. I bought a few items myself and could have bought a lot more! After the show, we overhauled the condo and now it is sparkling clean! So nice! And we did all this plus the grocery shopping by 1PM yesterday! It’s funny – by not zoning out in front of the TV, I actually accomplished all of my weekend tasks and was bored by 1PM. *hah*  That never happens! So, then I got into the kitchen and I started testing out a number of recipes I’ve been dreaming up. It was great to see them finally come to fruition. And I don’t think Jesse minded being my guinea pig today!

One recipe I’ve been developing is this Thai Rice Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing. Last year, I discovered that rice in salads is magical. It adds a very satisfying element to a salad without making it too heavy. I adore making Thai food, so I wanted to create a Thai-inspired Jasmine rice salad infused with ginger, coconut and lime. To keep things refreshing for spring, I added in fresh, chopped cilantro, basil and mint. To boost the protein of the dish, I added some shelled edamame and some toasted cashews. And for a little colour and some veggie power, I added a yellow and a red bell pepper. This salad is packed with bright flavours and is incredibly easy to throw together.  In my opinion, it is the perfect dish to bring to your next spring or summer gathering. It can also be served as a light lunch or a delicious side dish alongside your favourite thai dishes.

Source: dressing adapted from Love and Lemons; Salad by The Fig Tree

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To boost the protein content of the salad, I opted for shelled edamame in lieu of the more commonly used spring vegetable – peas. I love the creamy texture of edamame, but feel free to sub peas if that tickles your fancy. The arugula adds a nice spicy/peppery element to the salad. I balanced this out with some cool, refreshing, crisp radishes and a mixture of baby kale. Toasted walnuts round out this delicious spring salad, but feel free to use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or even some toasted hazelnuts. To increase the nutritional content even more, you could sprinkle on some hemp hearts. Yum!

In other non-salad related news, I am finally done working 3 full months of overtime hours at work. Thank goodness! The longer hours definitely cut into my time in the kitchen! As of this week, I am on vacation for a few days to recoup. I am off to visit with some wonderful friends today and tomorrow an hour outside of the city. I’m really looking forward to getting out and about to enjoy the nice weather and be around great friends. Tomorrow evening, I am heading to a comedy show for the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Can’t wait. I love a good belly laugh. And this weekend I am spending time with family :) All-in-all…I’ve got a great vacation planned! What do you have planned for the weekend?

Source: The Fig Tree

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These double chocolate bad boys are incredibly easy to make. The base is a combination of rolled oats (ground into a coarse flour), pure maple and unsweetened almond butter. Some cocoa powder, shredded coconut and pure vanilla extract flavour these bites perfectly. Add in some sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and omega-3 packed chia seeds and hemp seeds and you’ve got a high-fibre, high-protein treat with healthy fats. To make things a little indulgent, I add a quarter cup of dairy-free chocolate chips. I like the Enjoy Life brand of chocolate chips best. You can swap out the chocolate chips for cocoa nibs or carob chips. Each ball is only 100 calories and is guaranteed to make your sweet tooth happy. These are truly the best afternoon pick-me-up.

Wishing you all a truly wonderful day. xo

Source: The Fig Tree

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