As a Canadian, I only have a foreigner’s opinion of President Obama’s policies but from where I stand, he seems like a pretty cool guy. He recently tweeted his Spotify playlist for summer jams and I think I like him even more. And who doesn’t find these amazingly funny? 

While some may disagree, I admire a lot of the work he has done with the issues of gender equality and same sex marriage equality. I hope that the future President will uphold these policies and continue to move forward for human rights. But what to make him for dinner? I wanted to create something a little more elegant than my typical meal or my current obsession with bowls (exhibit a, b, and c). I Googled the President’s Dinners of the past for inspiration for the recipe. The main course of these lavish dinners usually consisted of beef with potatoes so I went with Portobello Steaks and Cauliflower Mash. I like mushroom steaks with a sauce and decided to make a parsley basil pesto; it is fresh, quick, and tastes fancier than it is. 

I think the First Lady would approve of this vegetable-filled meal for the President.

15 posts down, 15 more to go! See you tomorrow for Day 16: Late Summer Favourites! Missed Day 14? Check it out here.

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Made a recipe from this post? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media.

Portobello Steaks + Cauliflower Mash w/ Parsley Basil Pesto

 

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

This recipe is a little fancier than my usual fare but it is a great dish to make when people come over. It serves 3 large servings with lots of sauce. This recipe is gluten free, grain free, and nut free.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: vegan, gluten free

Serves: 3

Ingredients

• For the Parsley Basil Pesto:
• 1 cup parsley leaves
• ½ cup basil leaves
• 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• Pinch of red chili flakes
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 
  
• For the Portobello Steaks:
• 6 portobello mushrooms, destemmed and gills scraped off gently with the spoon
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, mixed together
• ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 
  
• For the Cauliflower Mash:
• 1 large head cauliflower, main core removed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter, softened
• 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• Cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. While the oven preheats, make the pesto. Add the parsley, basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and chili flakes to the bowl of a food processor. While the food processor is running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream until combined. Transfer to a glass container and set aside until you are ready to serve. Clean out the food processor bowl.
3. Set the mushrooms on the baking sheet and rub the mushrooms in the oil + lemon juice mixture. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 30 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.
4. Meanwhile, set a steamer basket in a large pot with a few inches of water at the bottom. Over medium-high heat, cook the cauliflower in the basket until very tender and can be easily poked with a fork (not a knife).
5. Once the cauliflower is fully cooked, add half of the mixture to the food processor with 1 tablespoon of softened butter,1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 2 tablespoons of milk, and ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt. Process until it resembles mashed potatoes. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the other half. Pepper the mash as you like.
6. Pile the mashed cauliflower onto the plate, add 2-3 of the mushrooms, and top with sauce. Serve and enjoy!

3.3.3077

The post Day 15 Vegan MoFo: Portobello Steaks + Cauliflower Mash w/ Parsley Basil Pesto appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart.

If you want to receive a free copy of my eBook, subscribe on the right hand side bar or at the bottom of this post. Redefining Sprouts & Chocolate was a bit terrifying and I tried to convince myself out of it. Just 12 ingredients? For ALL future recipes? Once I started making lists of the recipes, it wasn’t as hard as I imagined. Starting is the hardest part but do whatever it takes to get your ideas in motion. You got this! Minimalist living has been on my mind for a little while but I did not know how to put it into practice for my life and not just in my recipes. As I looked around my apartment, I felt burdened by my possessions but felt like I couldn’t part with them. Mark and I live in a 600 square-foot apartment so space is tight. We felt like we were outgrowing this apartment at an alarming rate but it wasn’t the square footage that was the problem, it was the stuff. Just the stuff piled onto more stuff, littered around with more stuff. On Friday, my copy of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing came in the mail and during the weekend I read it cover to cover. After each chapter, I could feel my mindset shifting and it became easier to accept discarding my possessions. Mark and I turned our teeny apartment upside down, giving our cramped space some much needed breathing room. In a single afternoon, we managed to get rid of:

• 5- 45L bags of clothes to donate
• 4- 45L bags of junk and garbage
• 40 books (that one was tough)
• 38 old food magazines
• 35 VHS tapes
• 28 DVDs
• 2-68L Rubbermaid containers with duplicate or unused kitchen supplies
• 1 large unused cabinet

Every object Mark and I own now has a specific place instead of just cramming something wherever we could find room. This is just the start but like anything, simple living just takes a bit of habit reforming. Sure, I don’t live in one of those Tiny Homes and I did not want to part with all my books but it is a step toward something greater. If you are interested in minimalist living, start by looking around your home and see what it is collecting dust. Do you love it? Does it serve a purpose? Do you use it? If not, I suggest you donate if possible or discard the item. It became also thrilling to see the unneeded things leave my space and I hope you find the same joy. 

What is one thing you can do today, just today, to achieve your goal?

FYI: This post contains an Amazon Affiliate link but I really love Marie Kondo’s book! 

Stay connected on the daily by following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Made this recipe? I would love to see it! Use the hashtag #screcipe on your social media. 

Buffalo Chickpea Caesar Salad

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

A revision on an old favourite! I wanted to recreate an older recipe of mine with new life, less ingredients, no oven, and that had a nut-free dressing. Sunflower seeds, when soaked and blended, are wonderfully creamy, light, and delicious. The extra oil in the dressing is needed since sunflower seeds are naturally lower in fat than cashews. The chickpeas crisp up well in a cast iron skillet, however if you do not own one, they will do just fine in a regular pan, it might just take an extra minute or two. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and serves 2 generous salads or 4 light sides.

Author: Jessica DeMarra

Ingredients

For the Nut Free Caesar Dressing

• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked for 2 hours
• Juice of 1 lemon, about 4 tablespoons
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• ½ tablespoon white miso
• 5 tablespoons water, or to desired consistency

For the Buffalo Chickpeas

• 2 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Frank's Hot Sauce
• 2 heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped, washed and dried
• Extra lemon wedges (optional)

Instructions

For the Nut Free Caesar Dressing

1. Add all the dressing ingredient to a high power blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. The blender is faster but the food processor will do the trick.
2. Transfer dressing to a glass jar or bottle and chill in the fridge until ready to use. You may have to add a splash of water to the dressing since it will thicken as it cools.

For the Buffalo Chickpeas

1. Dry the drained chickpeas between two sheets of paper towels. Gently roll the beans between the paper towels until the chickpeas are fairly dry. Do not skip this step! Your chickpeas will not crisp up if they are wet.
2. Transfer the dried chickpeas to a medium bowl, add the arrowroot, paprika, salt and olive oil and gently stir to coat the beans.
3. Heat up a skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the chickpeas, and cooked for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes so they do not burn. Wipe out the medium sized bowl that you dressed the chickpeas in.
4. Try a few chickpeas before taking the pan off the heat to check if they chickpeas are to your desired crispiness. I like mine just crispy on the outside but still meaty on the inside. If you desire a very crisp chickpea, add a few minutes to the cooking time.
5. Transfer chickpeas to the clean medium sized bowl and add the buffalo sauce. Toss to coat.
6. Dress the lettuce with the Nut Free Caesar Dressing, top with Buffalo Chickpeas, and serve with additional lemon wedges. Enjoy!

3.3.3077

The post Buffalo Chickpea Caesar Salad {Nut Free} appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Last week I attended a seminar lead by Davida from The Healthy Maven about “How to Build an Ebook” with the plan of self-publishing my own in the near future (birthday goal!). At first, I wasn’t 100 percent sure if I could afford to miss a shift at work and I was kind of nervous about putting myself out there since I am a rather shy person around new people. When new people I meet at social events ask me what I do, I coyly respond, “well umm I have a food site, you know for vegans and umm sometimes I bake a cake…” Now this isn’t what I do to pay my bills but my server job pays for my passion so I lead with that. I bucked up and with a moment of bravery registered for the seminar. I got my confirmation email and volia, I was going. It was as simple as that.

I walked into this beautiful, sunny, rustic seminar room and sat with equally nervous bloggers from Toronto around a gorgeous wooden table. Davida introduced herself and welcomed any questions about the seminar, her site and marketing. It was an elating experience. She sold herself and her brand without skipping a beat or a moment of awkwardness. She told us, “the moment you decide that your site is your business, it is your business. Put on your business mask and hustle.” She explained to me later on that if I considered it a little hobby I did on the side then so would other people. I could literally feel the shift in my mentality. This is what I want to do so I am going to give it my all and there cannot be any compromise about it.

I absolutely loved the seminar and I can’t wait for another one hosted by Davida. In those three hours, she became a resource of “how-to’s” and a source of inspiration. She kept telling me “you can do this, you have come this far!!” When I first started, I literally knew nothing about blogging, site maintenance, SEO, plugins etc. but with each post it gets a little bit easier.

Some things that has not been getting easier is selling myself and really believing that I could do this. We are all our worst critics but it is time to put my game face on, even when I think I can’t do it. Negative mentality is no way to immerse yourself in your passion.

A big thanks to Davida with all of her wisdom and advice, which she admits came from her own mistakes. The seminar gave me the kick in the butt I obviously needed.

So what does this all have to do with Bahn Mi? I picked up a sandwich after the seminar. Wish I could tie it in but sometimes these things just happen. 

The post Bahn Mi Salad w/ Pickled Vegetables and Vietnamese Croutons appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Does anyone actually follow the serving suggestion on a tub of hummus? Two tablespoons is the serving size on most purchased hummus. Like on one pita chip right? If you follow this serving suggestion then you have a greater will power than I do but I am just a mere mortal who loves her hummus. If I feel I have been indulging a little bit more than usual or eating a lot of takeout, hummus is one of those things that help me get back into the groove of healthful eating. I know I have food in the fridge if there is hummus and I have been known to really bunker down and eat my fill of it. Can you overdose on hummus? To me, the limit does not exist. (Still love Mean Girls)

Since starting school again I have noticed my hunger levels have gone up but my brain needs to be alert, focused and fuelled with good unrefined foods. Nothing is worse than a caffeine/sugar crash mid-test or exam so it is better to get your brainpower from whole food rather than stimulates like caffeine. Traditional store bought hummus is pretty good but uses a lot of canola oil (generally the second or third ingredient on the list) so it isn’t the best kind of fat you can eat. Store bought works in a pinch if time is not on your side and you need a snack ASAP!! I call these moments Snack-Attacks when I come home from work or school and literally tear apart the fridge on a mission to find the fastest snack I can shove in face. The hunger is animal-like and nothing can stand in my way.

Cooked dried beans make the best hummus. I don’t say this lightly but it is well worth the effort to soak and cook the beans for hummus. Cooked beans take the hummus to a freshness level that canned beans simply cannot and are way less expensive, even organic beans. I buy mine in bulk to make them even less costly and store them in large mason jars on my pantry.

Za’atar is a new spice in my pantry and I find myself eating more hummus because of it. This Middle Eastern blend consists of dried thyme, sumac, toasted sesame seeds and sea salt, making it a perfect pairing for hummus. Mark and I sprinkle it onto warm naan or pita bread drizzled with olive oil. A friend of mine who was raised in the Middle East says that at the Starbucks there they serve za’atar on warm buttered croissants. Sprinkle this spice on any Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dish that you fancy but also on roasted vegetables, hot rice with a squirt of lemon juice and with this hummus.

The post Lemony Za’atar Hummus appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

 I am so sorry for the delayed post and I hope you can forgive me. My memory card broke inside my camera and my recipe pictures I wanted to post before the holiday were ruined. I was less than impressed with myself for being so technologically un-savvy. Between school and getting ready to go home for the holidays I had no time to reshoot the recipe. My apologies.

 As much as I enjoyed Christmas with my family and Mark’s, I am glad to be back home sleeping in my own bed and being in my kitchen again. I find getting out of the holiday meal groove and back into a whole food balanced diet. The holiday eating seems to drag on the extra week and ninety percent of people pledge to start eating right the morning of New Year’s Day. I am not a big believer in New Years resolutions and I have been known to roll my eyes at the phrase “New Year, New You!” on the cover of women’s magazines. Alas, here we are on January 1^st and you know you need some good cleansing food. At least I do anyways…

I made a simple banana, spinach, flax and almond milk smoothie coming home from Christmas and as I was drinking it my brain was screaming HOOORAY FOR VEGETABLES! After the unpacking (still from Christmas…yikes!) I got to work on chopping and freezing bananas, soaking chickpeas, brown rice and raw nuts to make some seriously nutritious meals for the week of work ahead of me. For the next few days it is all about getting those micronutrients into my body that have been completely absent from any meal that I have had in the past week. I always think I will eat like I normally do but as soon as the treats, cookies and mashed potatoes come out I turn into an unsupervised child in a candy store. Worst part was that it never is just one day, my holiday feasting lasted four days. My tummy is quite rumbly and my skin broke out in deep pimples over the holiday. These were all signs that I needed some good healthful food to get this bod back in order.

At the end of the grazing period, I felt like if you poked me with a pin I would deflate like a balloon. I needed to reconnect with my daily routine and get back into the swing of things before heading back to school. Soup therapy is the answer. I love the smell of mirepoix sautéing on the stovetop. Mirepoix is just a fancy name for the mixture of carrots, celery and onions sautéed in oil as an aromatic base stops, sauces and stews. I love when simple things have beautiful elaborate names like mirepoix.

 Soup is my go-to when I am feeling less than awesome. Tired? Soup. Burnt out? Soup and tea. Something about the steamy scents of everything coming together and warming your body down to its core that is so therapeutic. When the stock is cooking I like to take a deep breath of the steam from the pot, I find this to be cleansing in its own simple way. It also helps if you have something excellent to read as well. What is it about the combination of a hot mug of tea and reading that is so blissful?

I poured this miso-seasoned broth over some ribbons of greens (or thinly sliced raw vegetables) to lightly steam them and add more minerals to the soup. I chose this as my breakfast option instead of cooked grains and bananas since it was what my body was craving. This soup does have a teeny hint of ginger to it so if you aren’t feeling those ingredients for this cleansing soup feel free to omit.

I am not a fan of the “freezer bag compost” broth since they only provide a weak ho-hum broth and the frozen scraps of vegetables do not brown as nicely as fresh vegetables. I have tried to make that version of broth a hundred times and it is never as flavourful.

I tested two ways to enjoy this stock but they do have two different yields: the hour-long cooking process gives you a great flavorful stock that can be used for soups, risotto, cooking grains or wherever you like to use stock and yields about 6 cups of stock. The other cooking time (1:15 hours- yields 4 cups of stock) is the stock I like to have poured into a mug to drink on its own. This one provides a little more concentration so it can stand up on its own without any more flavours added to it.

 All the best in the New Year from Sprouts & Chocolate! Cheers!

Other cleansing recipes from S&C (all gluten-free):

Sesame-Citrus Zoodle Bowl with Chili-Lime Tofu (#1 recipe on my site currently!)

Hearty Vegetable Winter Salad with Spicy Maple Pecans 

Green Monster Milk 

Vegan Bloody Caesar (without the hooch! Has lots of vitamins and minerals from the citrus, tomatoes and seaweed)

Cucumber Chia Mojito (this is my hangover cure…best served well chilled so can be made the night ahead.)

The post Cleansing Vegetable Miso Broth w/Greens appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.