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Curried Butternut Squash Lentil Soup

A simple and delicious curried butternut squash lentil soup that is as easy to make as it is delicious. Packed full of plant-based protein, at 20 grams of protein and only 280 calories per serving.

From chickpeas to black beans, to lentils and peas, to peanuts to soybeans. Legumes are one of the best foods we can feed our body, but often one of the foods we don’t eat enough of. They have a complex nutrient profile, offer plant-based protein, iron and zinc, and they are one of the most sustainable sources of protein we have access to. Clients tell me that a lacking in confidence in the preparation of legumes that is a large factor in their limited consumption. This is one of my favourite recipes for introducing clients to cooking with dried lentils. This Curried Butternut Squash Lentil Soup really is fail-safe and will take 35 minutes cooking time tops.
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So Simple Pumpkin Spiced Latte

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This simple pumpkin spiced latte will get you excited to get out of bed in the morning, and it is a great low-sugar alternative to what’s available in coffee shops. It is dairy free, gluten free, and packed full of nutrition. Make your own creamy cashew milk by blending cashews in a blender, no straining required!

It’s hard to not get caught up in all the pumpkin spiced hype. Coffee shops have been on the band-wagon even before the leaves started to turn. Now that October is almost here, I think it is fair to start filling the kitchen with pumpkin spiced everything. I used to love enjoying a Pumpkin Spiced Latte at a coffee shop, but I now know that they are so loaded with sugar and so not worth the post-latte crash. This healthier alternative to the sugar-loaded versions will have you surprisingly pleased, and all from the comfort of your cosy couch. I’m sure that this Simple Pumpkin Spiced Latte will turn out to be a regular in your autumn morning routine, just like it has in mine. 
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Easy Curry Lentil Soup with Kale

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A simple mid-week meal that can be easily adapted for the seasons, or for whatever produce is lurking in your fridge crisper. Lentils offer the balance of low glycemic index carbohydrate with a good amount of protein to help sustain you.

These smokey August days have got me thinking about the end of summer, and nothing symbolises the end of summer more than a steaming bowl of hearty soup. Lentil soup, for me, is the silver lining to the end of the long days and warm weather and as the days get shorter the compromise of warming lentil soup makes the transition into autumn that much easier. This easy curry lentil soup is my go-to soup, and really can be adapted for any season. For a summer soup, use up your zucchini, kale and carrots and come winter think about substituting the zucchini for butternut squash, yam or sweet potato.

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Berry Cauliflower and Greens Smoothie Bowl Without Banana [Vegan]

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Looking for a recipe for a smoothie bowl without banana? Look no further. The secret to making a creamy smoothie bowl that is low in sugar is to use frozen cauliflower as the base. The berries add a low glycemic index sweetness that allows for the addition of some sneaky greens.

Why banana-free? Many of us are becoming more and more conscious about eating locally and sustainably. Alongside coffee, chocolate, and olive oil, another consumable that we often forfeit our food miles for is the good-ol banana. For us who live in North America, bananas will travel long distances to reach our grocery store shelves. I love smoothies and smoothie bowls, and I recognize that bananas offer a certain creaminess, thickness and natural sweetness that is difficult to replace. I created this Berry Cauliflower and Greens Smoothie Bowl Without Banana with that in mind. Turns out frozen cauliflower is the perfect stand-in for banana, and offers a low-sugar and low-carb alternative. The addition of spinach and zucchini really ramp up the nutritional quality of this smoothie bowl (veggies at breakfast!).
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Wild Fennel Recipe – Pesto with Dates and Hazelnuts [GF, Vegan]

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Eat your weeds with this simple wild fennel recipe! Many invasive weeds are edible, some of them we are familiar with such as the beloved Blackberry Bush, other’s I’ve celebrated in previous posts including the familiar Dandelion (see Wild Edibles – Dandelions, How To Harvest and Women’s Health/). Wild Fennel is a common weed, originating from the Mediterranean and it resembles dill but has a strong anise, or licorice, aroma and flavour. You have likely come across it many times, in your backyard, in an open field, or trailing your favourite walking path. Anise, or licorice, can be an acquired taste, but when prepared properly the strong anise flavour is mellowed by the sweetness of the dates and creaminess of the nuts. This Wild Fennel Recipe of Pesto with Dates and Hazelnuts uses freely available weeds, combined with Vancouver Island Hazelnuts for a truly local dish.
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Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix + Oatmeal Topper

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This is the best way to get into the festive season, making a big batch of pumpkin spice trail mix to use as you please. I love adding it to my morning oatmeal, but it is also great as a snack on it’s own, or tossed in a roasted squash salad. This Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix recipe is sponsored by iHerb

In autumn we all take a deep breath out, our memory box filled with summer adventures and good times, as we slowly make the transition into winter. For me, autumn is time to turn the oven back on to prepare meals for family and friends, and also start trialling holiday recipes and edible gifts. In our busy lives, we can all appreciate a versatile dish, something that can be used in multiple ways. That’s why I created this Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix and Oatmeal Topper because that’s exactly what it is. As a trail mix, it can be enjoyed as a quick and filling afternoon snack, or perhaps given to friends or coworkers as a holiday gift. As a meal, it tastes great added to your warming bowl of oatmeal or sprinkled on your next roasted winter squash salad. I’ve included more ideas below on how to enjoy this tasty holiday essential pumpkin spice trail mix and some tips on how to maximise the nutritional quality.
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Creamy Summer Coleslaw Recipe with Yogurt Dressing

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The summer markets are bursting with berries, stone fruit, and fresh tomatoes. With the overload of delicious blueberries and wild blackberries, e sometimes forget about the more humble harvests. Cabbage springs into season in summer and has a lengthy season lasting over 6 months depending on the climate. Cabbage is also packed full of antioxidants and is an easy addition to summer salads, BBQs and stir-fries. I’m sharing one of my favourite recipes -Creamy Summer Coleslaw Recipe with Yogurt Dressing, adapted from My New Roots Sarah Brittons’s Cookbook Naturally Nourished. Her version is a beautiful creamy autumn slaw, using seasonal Brussels sprouts and apple. I’ve revamped it to suit the summer months, showcasing one of the most undervalued vegetables on our shelves – cabbage of course.
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5-Ingredient Simple Beet Dip Cream Cheese

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If I have learned one thing from having a weekly vegetable box delivered to my door it is this – beets are always in season. Well, they are on Vancouver Island anyway. From June, straight through to October, they haven’t missed a beet, and even the winter edition is set to include more of this tasty vegetable. I have only just begun the experience the versatility of beets, from Beet Apple and Kale Salad with Walnuts and Dill to Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Green Beans. And now another beet inspired dish to add to the repertoire – a super Simple Beet Dip with Balsamic Vinegar and Cream Cheese. The best part? It’s only five ingredients.
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High Protein Zucchini Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

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I came up with this recipe with my roommate at the time was experimenting with cutting out lentils. With no members of the legume family in our diets, vegetarian sources of protein were limited. We had more than our fair share of Summer Tofu Salad Bowl and Vegetable Packed Crustless Quiche with Feta but there are only so many egg and tofu dishes you can stomach in a week. So I turned to protein-rich cottage cheese to help square out our vegetarian dinners. Using our high supply of zucchini from our weekly veggie box and my motivation to get some protein versatility into our diets, I came up with this High Protein Zucchini Lasagna with Cottage Cheese. Not only is this vegetarian dish high in protein, it is also great for those looking for a low carbohydrate meal and I have told that it complies with those that are following a keto vegetarian diet, or paleo vegetarian diet. And the best part is… it’s easy!
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Simple Vegetable Crustless Quiche with Feta

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The abundance of zucchini is a guarantee that summer is in full swing. Creative uses for zucchini have taken over my Pinterest news feed – ranging from stuffed, to chips, to zucchini noodles. People are mad about this summer veg but no need to get too fancy, zucchini can produce some quick and easy dishes as well. This Simple Vegetable Packed Crustless Quiche with Feta recipe is exactly that. No stove stop required (less dishes, yes!), and with 2 1/2 servings of vegetables per serve and a whole lot of protein, it’s super healthy as well!
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Kale Salad with Beet Apple and Dill

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As the years go by, I can start to appreciate the presence of fruit in salads. Where the sight of strawberries in a salad used to make my stomach churn, I can now appreciate the surprise burst of sweetness from a blueberry or the tartness from an apple in a salad. This April the veggie stands are showcasing beets, kale and apples. When these seasonal delights are jazzed up with a little bit of fresh dill and a simple vinaigrette style dressing, an exciting springtime Kale Salad with Apple, Beet and Dill is created. What I love about this spring dish is that it continues to showcase the produce of the autumn and winter, while the addition of fresh dill reminds us that spring has come.
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Lentil Roasted Vegetable Buddha Bowl Recipe

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Ever thought about what’s in season in March? There is no question that Spring has arrived- the flowers are out in full force and the winter jackets are back in storage. But even though the cherry blossoms are in bloom, not much is being harvested from the veggie gardens at this time of year. Luckily, last years cold storage veg have been kept in cellars for us all winter so we can still enjoy last seasons bounty while we wait for the new years crop. This Lentil Roasted Vegetable Buddha Bowl Recipe is a great versatile dish, and an easy way to use up excess produce in your fridge.
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