Carrot, Leek and Orange Soup

Don't you love a title for a recipe that tells you exactly what's in it? Unless you don't like those ingredients and then maybe you don't. Well, I love all three of these ingredients, so I thought they would taste good in a soup to go with Artisan Bread....and they do. In fact, I am sitting on the couch enjoying a bowl of this soup as I type this. So give it a try, play around with the ingredients if need be and let me know how it tastes :)

Ingredients (makes enough for 3-4 people):
1 tbsp vegan butter or margarine
1 tsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 small leek, cleaned and diced
3 large carrots, chopped
1/4 tsp ground, dried sage (you could use fresh, but I didn't have it and I don't know what the conversion would be?)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
a few pinches of pepper
4 cups orange juice
2 cups of water
1 tsp grated lemon rind (or lemon juice)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp miso (you can substitute soy sauce, but I prefer the miso flavoring)





1) Over medium heat, melt butter in a large pot. Add olive oil, bay leaves and leek. Saute until the leek begins to wilt, then add carrots, sage, rosemary and pepper. Saute for an additional minute.
2) Add orange juice and water, bringing to a boil. Add the remaining ingredients and allow to simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until the carrots are soft.
3) Remove the bay leaves and blend the soup until smooth. Enjoy!

Artisan Bread

I had to post this recipe for "Crusty Bread" (or its fancy name....Artisan Bread) from a blog called "Simply So Good" because it is so delicious that I fear eating the whole loaf. Pre-warning, this recipe takes a lot of time, but it is well worth it in the end. As you can see by the picture, the loaf came out super crunchy on the outside, and moist in the center (just how bread should be). I don't have a dutch oven, so I used a stainless steel pot with a lid to bake it. My suggestion is to follow this recipe exactly, but have fun with some of the seasonings. I flavored my bread with lemon, pepper and rosemary but the possibilities are endless. I am so happy that I found this recipe because I will certainly be making bread like this from now on. The picture is straight from the blog, so I have no rights to it.

Ingredients (makes 1 loaf....I suggest doubling this and make 2 loaves because you are going to wish you had anyways!):
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 tsps salt (I used 1 tsp sea sat)
1/2 tsp yeast (I used traditional)
1 1/2 cups water






1) Whisk flour, salt and yeast together in a large bowl. This would also be the time to add some of your favorite seasonings.
2) Add water and whisk together with a fork. The batter is going to look too dry, and slightly odd because it does not combine well. Just whisk it around for a few minutes until the flour is mostly combined and then leave it alone.
3) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough stand for 12-18 hours. I started this recipe before I went to bed and then finished it in the afternoon the next day (so about 15 hours). Many people commented that you can leave it for even longer than 18 hours.

















4) Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a dutch oven, or a lidded stainless steel pot, empty, in the oven for 15 minutes. While your pot is heating, turn the very, VERY, sticky dough out on to a heavily floured surface. Sprinkle some flour on top and additional seasonings, if using. The original recipe states that you can form the dough into a circle, but I skipped that step and it turned out fine in the end. Cover the dough with plastic wrap while your pot heats through.
5) Once the pot is heated, carefully remove it from the oven (....I burned my hand pretty bad). Turn the dough into the very hot pot. DO NOT GREASE THE POT. I promise the bread will not stick.
6) Bake the bread in the oven for 30 minutes at 450 degrees, with the lid on. After this time, remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
7) Remove the bread from the pot and let it fully cool (....in theory...I cracked into mine right away!). Enjoy the best bread EVER. 

Best Vegan Cheese (in my humble opinion)

I am not a big fan of vegan cheese...in fact, I all but hate most of the ones I have tried. Daiya is one of the more popular vegan cheese brands, but not until they came out with their new "wedge" product, did I take so much stock in them. This cheese is so close to the real thing that I am still quite dumbfounded. It comes in three flavors, my personal favorite being the Jalapeno Garlic Havarti, with Jack as a close second, and Cheddar coming up in third place. All of them, however, are delicious and certainly worth trying. I got mine from a local health food store for under 5 bucks per block, so they are also economical. If you have gagged through a vegan cheese experience, and vowed off of it forever, please reconsider that decision for this product. And NO....I am not being paid for this plug. Just really like this product :) Here is the link to their website if you want to learn more http://www.daiyafoods.com/our-products/jalapeno-garlic-havarti-wedge

Bulgur + Lentil Salad

This is an "end of the contents of the fridge" type of salad, but it turned out to be very delicious and VERY FILLING. I had about 1/3 cup for lunch and I felt satisfied. This salad is very versatile because there are a countless number of ingredients that can be substituted for the base: If you don't have/ like bulgur, you can use quinoa, couscous, or rice. If you don't have lentils you can add beans. I made a big batch of this, put it in a container in the fridge, and plan on eating it for lunch throughout the week (especially since it is the sort of salad that can keep and tastes better the longer it sits).


Ingredients (serves 6):
Salad:
1 1/2 cups cooked bulgur (I cook mine in vegetable stock. You can also use quinoa, couscous, or rice)
1 1/2 cups cooked lentils (I prefer the green lentils. You can also use beans)
1-2 bell pepper(s), chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 green onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (remove the seeds and ribs)

Sauce: 
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp cumin
1 whole lemon, or 2 limes, juiced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
sea salt and pepper to taste

1) Whisk the sauce ingredients together, set aside.
2) Toss all of the salad ingredients together and pour sauce over top, tossing to combine. Enjoy!

Pecan Pie Bars (RAW)

I just came upon an AMAZING raw food website, that I think you should all check out. It is called Nouveau Raw and it has some of the best raw food recipes, with colorful photos and easy to follow instructions. I recently made the Amede Pecan Pie Bars (titled differently in my post because I tweaked the recipe slightly) and they are SO GOOD! If you have yet to make a raw food dessert, try these out. Like all raw food these are very healthy, so you don't have to feel guilty for eating large quantities of them....like I did, just now.

Ingredients (makes an 8 x 10 dish):
Batter: 
1 cup raw pecans, soaked in water for about 2 hours and drained
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp coconut oil (optional; not in the original)
1/2 cup raw agave nectar
1 1/2 cups pitted dates
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract (the original recipe calls for almond extract)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (trust me, it tastes great, not spicy like you would think)

Crust:
2 1/2 cups raw macadamia nuts
1/8 tsp sea salt

Topping:
1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans (the original calls for 2 cups)

1) In a food processor (s blade), process the crust ingredients into a powder (not long enough so that the oil starts to come out of the nuts). Press this mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 10 dish, set aside.
2) For the batter, blend/ process all ingredients together until a smooth mixture is made. You might need to add a little bit of water to help it along. Spread the batter over top of the macadamia nut crust.
3) Sprinkle the chopped pecans on top, and press them down gently with a spatula.
4) Place in the fridge for about 2 hours, or more until the batter sets. Cut and enjoy!!

* This recipe is from the the http://nouveauraw.com/ website, by Amie Sue

Please Donate

Hello anyone who happens to stumble upon my blog. Please check out the following Indiegogo link (a fundraiser that I am part of):

http://www.indiegogo.com/Onion-and-the-Ivy?c=home&a=459888

Our Story

The Baker Street Art Gallery is a creative drop-in centre. It is a welcoming space where anyone can sit and paint, have a snack, connect, share knowledge, and be a part of a non-judgmental community. It is a safe space that provides free art supplies and a positive environment for anyone interested in engaging their own creativity and that serves as a weekend home for some fifty Guelph artists, many of whom are participants in the Our Place Youth Centre and Fresh Start Housing programs. The Baker Street Art Gallery is a place of empowerment, where individual voices can be expressed through the medium of art and where stories are acknowledged and valued.

And it is a space full of stories: unique stories about life in Guelph that too often go unheard by the wider Guelph community.

We are a group of students from the University of Guelph working with the gallery to create an anthology of paintings, poetry and prose focusing on the stories of people whose lives are affected by the important work being done there. The book will be a high-quality, limited printing that will be sold by donation with funds going to pay for needed art supplies.

We also hope to hold a launch party to celebrate the release of the anthology and the opening of a public art show featuring work by many of the artists working at The Baker Street Art Gallery. This event will be an opportunity for the artists to celebrate and sell their work, meet with old and new friends, and connect with artists from other pockets of the city. Speakers, musicians and actors from the Gallery and elsewhere may perform.

The Impact

At the core of this campaign is the desire to bridge gaps between communities, where the marginalized can be given a way to share their stories and be respected for them.

If we are not able to receive the money that is required for this project, it will be just another way that this community has been ignored and rejected by those who surround them. This project is about affirming a group of individuals who are trying to rise above judgment and make use of their skill sets. Through art they tell their stories and this project gives them the platform that is needed for these stories to be heard.

What We Need & What You Get 

Our project in its entirety will cost upwards of $5,000. The majority of the money will be going toward the anthology. Any additional money will go toward the book launch, all proceeds from which will go directly to the gallery for supplies (paint, canvases, etc.). Other funding sources include the University of Guelph, bake sales, donations, etc. By donating to this project, you are affirming the power of art and the power of stories. You are saying that you believe everyone deserves to share their stories, no matter who they are, or where they came from. Any businesses that attach themselves to this project will gain attention from not only this community, but also a wider community of art enthusiasts who know the therapeutic benefits of painting and creating.  

Other Ways You Can Help 

If you are unable to donate, please spread the word about Baker Street Art Gallery and what they have accomplished within the Guelph community. Just sharing this project through social media, or word of mouth will heighten our chances of reaching our goal. 

Their website can be found at the following link: http://www.40bakerstreet.org/artgallery.html

If you would like to contact our group directly, you can email us at:

40baker.street.project@gmail.com

Mexican Tofu Scramble with Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

I have been making vegan scrambled 'eggs' for some time now, and have been meaning to put up the recipe, but was waiting to create something that would make people to try them. Tofu, when broken up and flavored appropriately tastes remarkably like scrambled eggs. The texture is nearly bang on, and you can flavor them in a whole bunch of different ways. The recipe below is my favorite way to eat them, and couldn't be easier to whip together for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The scramble is topped with salsa, which is then topped with this creamy vegan hollandiase sauce which is, in my opinion, better than the real thing!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 block of tofu, frozen, de-thawed, drained of excess water, then crumbled with your fingers

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

pepper, lots

1/2 tsp cumin (optional)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 can beans (your favorite), drained and rinsed

1/2 cup corn kernels (optional)

Hollandaise Sauce (adapted from Being Vegan):

1/4 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

1/2-1 tbsp thickener (flour, or arrowroot powder work great)

3/4 cup milk alternative (I use almond)

2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

pinch of turmeric

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1/8 cup lemon juice

1 tbsp veganaise (or mayonnaise alternative)

Other:

4 pieces (or more) of toast

1 cup salsa

1) For the tofu, mix everything together in a large bowl (aside from the salsa). Allow to sit for about 30 minutes so that the flavors can come together. 

2) For the sauce, whisk the butter and flour together in a small pot over medium heat until the butter melts, and a paste is made. Add all of the other ingredients (aside form the mayonnaise), whisking to combine. Allow to come to a boil, whisking continually until it has thickened. Remove form the heat, and whisk in the mayonnaise. 

3) In a pan, heat a small amount of oil. Fry the tofu scramble for about 5 minutes, rotating with a spatula, until it has browned slightly. 

4) To assemble, place a generous amount of the tofu mixture on to a piece of toast, followed by some salsa. Spoon the hollandaise sauce on top of this, and enjoy!