Sunday 28 April 2013

Whistler and Dessert for Dinner




We headed up to Whistler Mountain last weekend, it turned out to a beautiful day. It was a little grey at first, but I can assure you it was bright and sunny most of the day! Beautiful. 


Since we didn't have time to head back down for lunch, we were hoping to find a snack to tide us over until dinner. Luckily for us, Whistler has vegan options! At the roundhouse there was vegan soup and various rice bowls. We both chose the African Peanut and Yam soup. Shaky ski legs and cafeteria trays make for a messy bowl photo. 


I don't normally get anything from tea shops when we are out. Yes I'm thrifty, but, downtown for a show we had some time to kill. I discovered an awesome Vanilla Rooibos tea at Starbucks. Even better with a splash of soy milk. 


My parents bought a new toaster made by Krups. They are really liking it so I thought I'd share. The knobs are sturdy, it doesn't take up much space and thick buns fit easily.    


Before I went for a run, I threw some yams rounds in the oven and dusted them with cinnamon. 40 minutes at 375° degrees, perfect. 


Spinach and Jonagold apple salad before dinner. 


Yam rounds with left over apple (from the salad) and a side of apple sauce, dusted with cinnamon. The apples provided nice texture contrast to the buttery roasted yams and creamy apple sauce. I love a dessert dinner!

Friday 19 April 2013

The Market and Engine 2 Lasagna




Langley Farm Market always has gorgeous apples, like the above Ambrosia's. Another favorite we watch out for are Gala's. This market usually brings in apples from the Okanagan, reminding me of summers driving to the interior to visit relatives.  


I usually wash the apples in baking soda and water before putting them in the fridge. We can just grab and eat. 


Loaded up on sweet potatoes, yams and yukon gold potatoes. I've already used quite a few of the sweet potatoes and yams, roasting them my favorite way


We got ambitious the other night and decided to make a lasagna. I've been wanting to try the Engine 2 Raise the Roof Sweet Potato Lasagna for quite some time. I love a lasagna packed full of veggies, so I was sure this recipe fit the bill.  And fit the bill it did. Note: his side we topped with ground cashews, mine with tomatoes and nutritional yeast.

The veggie mix prior to assembling the lasagna, such pretty colors. 


This lasagna was awesome, so hearty with sweetness from the corn, potatoes and tomato sauce. We will definitely be making it again and we'll pick up a bit more pasta sauce next time. We were a bit short, but it still turned out quite moist. Thanks for the delicious recipe Engine 2

Monday 15 April 2013

A Birthday and Food On The Go




This meal is called....Wehadno foodleft. Yep. 


Much prettier, cupcakes for my Dad's bday. I took my favorites parts of two cupcake recipes and made a new recipe. They turned out delicious! Light, fluffy and chocolaty. I topped them with a tofu icing that turned out quite runny, so I thickened it with Chia Seeds. It worked quite well in a pinch.  


Quick dinner before serving the cupcakes, roasted mini potatoes on a bed of spinach. I topped the potatoes with Mrs. Dash (herb and garlic) seasoning before going in the oven. I love simple dinners. 


My husband and I took his sister to the airport on the weekend. I'm going to miss her, but I made a new friend pretty quick! 


Plain oatmeal with bananas and cinnamon, a great breakfast before a Sunday run. Unfortunately, around the 4.5 km mark, I fell down. Another scraped knee, what am I, five?! Embarrassing...but worth it. 


Since you can't cook with a scraped knee ;) we decided to head to Mucho Burrito for dinner. I usually get the small burrito, but my husband said two mediums, it is HUGE! I couldn't finish it and had to give the last 1/4 to him. 


I love that they have vegan options! We order the veggie burrito with fresh veggies, since the grilled ones are fairly oil saturated. We also get rice, pinto and or black beans, fresh salsa, cilantro and jalapenos. Quite satisfying. 


Not cooking dinner allowed me time to make rice for lunches, using my favorite method mentioned in this post. I also was able to fill up the oat jars. I love having an open shelf in the kitchen displaying grains, beans, pasta, nuts and seeds. They are easy to grab and allow for roomier functional cupboards. Once I stock up on some more product, I will take some pictures of the grain shelves. 

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Baby It's Not So Cold Outside





Spring is here and summer should be on it's way. I'm already freezing grapes, pretending that it's summer. These babies resemble little portable popsicles, so refreshing.


Ripe bananas ready for the freezer. I peel these first and store them in a glad container. No need to worry about freezer burn, they are used within days for chocolate banana ice cream for me and smoothies for him. 


Isn't this dragon fruit pretty?! And it tasted so...not good. I has a sad. I think I should buy my next one from a market, not a major grocery store. 


We went to a friends last weekend and they had this beautiful plate of veggies ready for us! 


To go with the veggies were two vegan dips. This one is artichoke and olives, it was hearty and naturally salty, so yummy. 


This one was a rosemary white bean dip. I loved the rosemary with the cracked pepper on top. The spices were amazing with the simplicity of the white beans. I will have to ask for the recipes! 


A recent dinner my husband and I made. Spelt penne pasta with a basic tomato sauce including, garlic powder, onion powder, pinto beans and artichokes. I really enjoyed extra substance from the beans and artichokes. 


One of my favorite oatmeal bowls is triple berry oatmeal. It reminds me of a cobbler or crisp. I prepare whatever oats I have on hand, add a few tbsps of apple sauce, about 3/4 cup triple berry mix and microwave for a couple minutes. I topped it with unsweetened almond milk, cinnamon and nutmeg.