Vegetarian

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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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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How To Get Your Omega-3s For Vegetarians and Vegans

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Long dispelled are the myths of inadequate protein intake in vegetarian diets. We now know that a balanced and varied vegetarian diet, containing nuts, seeds, organic tofu, eggs, legumes, and quinoa will provide us with all our body needs. One uncertainty that continues to linger is whether or not a vegetarian diet can provide sufficient omega-3 fatty acids. Seafood is the highest source of omega-3 fatty acids, but there are plenty of plant-based sources as well. I’ve outlined the recommended intake of plant-based omega-3s for vegetarians and vegans, and have included tips on how to ensure the maximum amount of this important nutrient is absorbed by the body.
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Chanterelle Barley Risotto with Mung Beans

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This week I am doing the Welfare Challenge to bring awareness to the inadequacy of welfare rates in BC. Here in our beautiful province, a person on welfare receives only $610 per month. When this is broken down and basic accommodation, phone, and personal hygiene are accounted for, only $18 per week is left for food. World Food Day is just around the corner on October 16th, making this a good time for us to take on the challenge and experience how difficult living off a strict food budget can be. I’m only on Day 2 and can only imagine the stress and weight that someone trying to feed themselves or a family may feel. I am fortunate enough to have the background and education to be able to make healthy and smart food choices on a budget and already I feel better equipped to help those that may not be. With the help of some foraging, this Chanterelle Barley Risotto with Kale and Mung Beans can be prepared for just under $0.45 per serving.
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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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How To Cook Lentils + 5 Reasons Why You Should Eat Lentils

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Last week I had the pleasure of dining at the notorious Lentils As Anything Restaurant in Melbourne, Australia. Since I got wind of this eatery’s concept some 10 years ago, I’d been looking forward to the day I finally got to try it out. It was amazing. The philosophy behind Lentils As Anything is that you pay what you feel the food is worth, and with this you are given the opportunity to contribute towards a world where respect, generosity, trust, equality, freedom and kindness rule. This not-for-profit organization has been successfully working for over 13 years; when diners such as myself can afford to pay the proper price of the meal plus a few dollars more, it allows those that are less fortunate to be able to dine out and be social, regardless of their financial situation. Lentils are in my opinion the superfood of all superfoods. Now let me tell you why lentils should be allowed centre stage at your next meal. I’ve included a simple prep guide on how to cook lentils and my top 5 reasons why you should be eat lentils.
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Japanese Salad Bowls with a Miso Tahini Dressing and Brown Rice

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As summer comes to an end we reflect on the memories that were made and miracles that happened. It was a summer of non-stop adventures and what may have kept our stamina going was our multiple renditions of our nutrient-packed salad bowls. I’ve already shared Sami’s Summer Tofu Salad Bowl with Brown Rice and a Glory Bowl Dressing, and then followed that up with the lighter alternative Light Summer Salad with a Garlic and Tahini Dressing. Now my love of Asian flavours has inspired this Japanese Salad Bowl served with a Miso Tahini Dressing and Brown Rice, just in time to see summer to its end.
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Simple Summer Beetroot, Green Beans and Goat Cheese Salad

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There is nothing that compares to a Canadian summer. As soon as the sun comes out, so do the people and everyone is racing to get out in nature. From the first sighting of June, the weekends bring endless camping trips, festivals, hikes and exploring. This years summer kicked off with a trip to stunning Tofino, with new and old friends. My beautiful friend Sage served up an amazing Beetroot Asparagus and Goat Cheese Salad. The simple 5 ingredient dish has been stuck in my mind ever since. As asparagus is no longer in season I’ve adapted the recipe to suite the available summer produce.
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Greek Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

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This Greek Red Lentil Soup with Lemon has been adapted from two of my favourite cookbooks. The addition of crumbly feta and fresh rosemary on top makes it a quintessentially Greek recipe, though this can be omitted for a vegan red lentil soup more representative of a Turkish or Lebanese red lentil soup.

Red lentils are my absolute favourite lentil to cook with. They have the shortest cooking time (12 minutes!) and once cooked, they break apart to help form a thick and satisfying soup consistency. I recently learned that red lentils are, in fact, brown lentils, but without the outer skin! If you have browsed my other recipes you will see that 99% of my lentil dishes contain the humble red lentil, and 98% of those are curry based dishes. I’m adding this Greek Red Lentil Soup with Lemon to the repertoire because the combination of lemon and lentils is really something special and I was thankfully introduced to this flavour combination during my travels through Turkey. This recipe for Greek Red Lentil Soup with Lemon is adapted from two of my favourite cookbooks – Rebar from Victoria, and Whitewater Cooks from Nelson because, well why not enjoy the best of both worlds.
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Garlic Scape Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms with Goat Cheese

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So unbeknownst to me, it is pronounced garlic “sk-ape” not “sk-ape-ee”. A sk-ap-ee pesto sounds about as appetising as a bowl full of punches. Garlic scapes are the first harvest of the garlic plant (the second being the garlic bulbs themselves) and offer a flavour that resembles scallions and garlic combined. Yum!
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Pearled Barley Risotto with Fresh Asparagus and Mushrooms

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Learning to cook can be a daunting task.

Last week, 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, the seniors in this study took up new skills. From grandpas taking up quilting to grannies taking up digital photography and Photoshop, the participants were motivated to prevent dementia and the results of the study were impressive.

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Weeknight Favourite – Tasty Ginger Lentil Stew with Couscous

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During my recent trip to Asia I got the chance to gawk at all the street side food vendors and their spectacular variety of edible insects. My lovely English friend Suzie informed me that scorpion tastes just like scallops – but without the fishy taste. A Brazilian guy chimed in that he had read the UN has been encouraging people to switch to insects as their main protein source, to help fight world hunger.
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Vegetarian

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