Rachel

Masala Chai Recipe [Dairy-Free]

I’m sharing my good friend Beena’s Masala Chai Recipe. What I love about this recipe is that it can be adapted for the seasons, or to what you have in your spice cabinet. Traditional Masala Chai is made with full-fat milk, sugar and spices. Here is a version that is free of refined sugar, and made with a dairy-free alternative.

Masala chai translates to ‘spice’ ‘tea’. This recipe, or un-recipe, is more of a guide on how to make your own spiced tea at home. My good friend Beena makes delicious masala chai, and when I asked her for the recipe, what she shared was more of a guide. I love these types of ‘recipes’ as they allow for the freedom to use what you have at home, and the option to add ingredients that follow the seasons.
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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies | Flour-Free, 5-Ingredients

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If your style of baking is to add everything to a bowl and stir, then this oatmeal peanut butter cookie recipe is for you. Only whole-food ingredients that won’t spike your blood sugar levels – this will be a new favourite no-fuss cookie recipe.

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My Favourite Fermented Food Recipes | 6 Recipes Using Ferments!

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Have you been told to increase your intake of ferments but don’t’ know where to start? Likely they are all around you, but you just need to know where to look – and what to look for. Here are some of my favourite fermented food recipes of 2021!

Ingredients for zucchini noodle pesto pasta with tomatoes in frying pan

Zucchini Noodles with a Miso Hemp Pesto

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Healthy Oat & Honey Cranberry Crisp | 5 Ingredients

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This healthy cranberry crisp is topped with a simple oat and honey crumble. With only 5-ingredients, this low sugar, gluten-free dessert is a seasonal favourite. Serve it with some plain yogurt or coconut vegan yogurt for a nutritious and delicious dessert!

This healthy cranberry crisp is a fall-time favourite. Low-bush cranberries are a local Indigenous food, favoured by the coastal First Nation people on Vancouver Island. Low-bush cranberries can be used in any recipe in place of regular store-bought cranberries. Both are tangy in taste and contain very little sugar compared to other berries such as strawberry and blueberry. I love making this 5-ingredient crisp with frozen cranberries from the years’ harvest – enjoy it as it is, or it also tastes great with some added orange zest or baked with apple.
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1 Pan Healthy Roasted Vegetable Dinner

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This simple 1 pan healthy roasted vegetable dinner is just that – roasted vegetables, one pan, a simple dinner. I love adding some canned chickpeas and delicious dressing to complete the meal. Easy and low-maintenance, this dish is the perfect dinner to use up leftover vegetables. And the best part? No recipe needed!

I love the idea of getting people more comfortable with cooking without a recipe. I guess my confidence in the kitchen has happened over time, with the help of many cooking shows and a fuss-free partner my creativity in the kitchen has been able to flourish. I rarely use recipes now and prefer to instead look in my fridge and pantry and create something from the ingredients on hand. Gradually what I am beginning to realize is that this is what I want to share with others as well – how to cook without a recipe!

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No-Bake Gluten-Free Labnah Cheesecake | Two-Ingredients

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This two-ingredient cheesecake recipe is really just that – labneh and jam. Labneh, which is also known as yogurt cheese, can be purchased from specialty Middle Eastern stores or made at easily at home. Here I’ll show you how I make my own labneh at home, as well as some of my favourite toppings to transform the yogurt into a no-bake gluten-free cheesecake.

I am not taking credit for this dessert – variations of this are being enjoyed around the world every day. I was shown a variation of this from Fig Del in Victoria. There, they make their own Labneh, and the owner was so kind to let me try some topped with preserved cherries. Here I want to share how I made this dessert at home – I love the simplicity of it, and by using a good quality yogurt makes for a rich and creamy Labneh. Labna, or yogurt cheese, is high in protein and healthy fats and makes the perfect base for this two-ingredient gluten-free cheesecake.
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Plant-Based Diets and Sustainable Eating

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The scientific evidence supporting the link between environmental sustainability and plant-based eating is overwhelming. The Eat Lancet Commission Report confirmed that one of the biggest things we can do for the environment (and our health) is to cut back on animal foods. The report states ‘Food is the single strongest lever to optimize human health and environmental sustainability on Earth.’ (1)

There are a number of factors that make plant-based eating the right choice for our health and the health of the environment. By understanding how our food choices play a role in transforming the planet’s ecosystem and how this has a direct effect on our health will help us make the sustainable changes needed to ensure the well-being of current and future generations….

Simple Chickpea Flour Flatbread – 3 Ingredients

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Chickpea flour flatbread changed my world. How could something so easy be so delicious? It helps elevate a simple curry into something special and is a great replacement for store-bought wheat-based bread. The best part – it is only 3 ingredients! I’ve included some top tips for variations and my favourite meals to pair it with.

If you haven’t gotten your hands on some chickpea flour, also known as besan, now is the time. My favourite way to use it is to make flatbreads – I find the slightly nutty and bean-y flavour lends itself nicely to savoury dishes. It is packed full of protein and fibre, making it a great lower carb alternative to rice or traditional wheat-based flatbreads.
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Cold Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Green Beans

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A simple cold beet salad to welcome in the warmer months. I love the simplicity of this dish – only 5 ingredients and lightly seasoned with quality olive oil and salt and pepper. Serve this dish alongside any BBQ, or have it on its own for a light and nutritious lunch.

This dish was introduced to me by one of my good friends Sage. She made it over a summer weekend when we rented a house on the beach for a beautiful fun and friend-filled weekend in Tofino. The dish allows for the ingredients to speak for themselves. I love steaming my vegetables for maximum nutrient availability, but the beets and green beans can also be boiled for ease. Seasoned lightly with some fresh lemon, olive oil and salt this is a delicious cold beet salad is a must for any recipe repertoire.
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Chia Pudding with Wild Rice, Maple Syrup and Hazelnuts

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This fun twist on the classic chia seed pudding uses traditionally Indigenous ingredients. Wild rice is packed full of fibre, vitamins and minerals and add’s the perfect amount of low glycemic index carbohydrate to this otherwise no-carb meal. Topped with some antioxidant-rich berries and hazelnuts, this breakfast celebrates some of our beautiful country’s original foods.

The original recipe for this was done in April of 2014 and was originally meant to inspire traditionally Indigenous foods found across what is now called Canada. Now, 6 years later, I wanted to share and reupdate the recipe. Many people don’t know that along with wild rice and berries, maple syrup and hazelnuts were eaten by Indigenous populations across Canada prior to European contact. While chia seeds are Indigenous to another continent, they do well to bind all these Canadian Indigenous ingredients together. The food that comes from this land is both nutritious and sustainable. I’ve written more about what we can learn here – What Western Medicine Can Learn About Traditional Indigenous Healing.

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Baked Asparagus Pearled Barley Risotto with Lemon and Hazelnuts

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This simple baked asparagus pearled barley risotto helps save on time in the kitchen, and the resulting risotto is higher in fibre, more filling and more nutritious than the classic risotto. Using seasonal asparagus is a great way to celebrate this high prebiotic vegetable. One serving of this dish provides 15 grams of fibre – more than half of our daily requirement!

Learning different ways to make familiar things can help keep our brains sharp. NPR posted an article titled “Learning A New Skill Works Best To Keep Your Brain Sharp.” While the rest of us are busy buying into expensive supplements and “superfoods” to increase brain power, these seniors took up new skills to prevent dementia and the results of the study were impressive – significant memory gains after 3 months! This asparagus pearled barley risotto is a new way to prepare a traditional favourite – and turns out it is higher in fibre and easier to make!

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Roasted Rhubarb Apple Crisp – 6 Ingredients [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

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This roasted rhubarb apple crisp recipe is so simple – with only 6 ingredients and minimal prep time, it is the perfect springtime dish. The crisp topping is based on oats, and is free of refined flour and refined sugar, making it a healthy high-fibre dessert.

Why roast the rhubarb you may ask? Simply to save on dishes and prep time. A conventional rhubarb crisp will require that the rhubarb and apple be cooked on the stovetop to break down prior to putting in the oven with the oatmeal topping. By baking the rhubarb and apple first you cut back not only on dishes but also time spent in the kitchen. This is one of my favourite crisp toppings – I’ve finally mastered the flour-free crisp and I am so excited for you to try it!
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Rachel

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