Best Day/ I'm not a Taylor Swift Junky!

If you read my latest blog, you would know that I am sick. Fortunately, I am feeling much better - thanks to my awesome stew ( go check it out) - but I am doing a mono day to help my system get back into a good routine. Therefor, I have no pictures to post or things to blog about, unless I post some old recipe or something which I might do.. but point is I thought it would be a good time to do a video.

I am singing Best Day by Taylor Swift, which is the only song I know by her, and I don't even know how to play it on guitar...well I could if I wanted to, but I learned it on my uke, so what I am trying to say here in this totally run on, grammatically incorrect sentence is I am NOT a Taylor Swift junky (I have nothing against her though - yay t-swift). Anyhow, enjoy, comment, and ignore the sick sound of my throat because I am still sick.

Ukelele-ing,
Julia

p.s. I just showered so ignore my face and hair pelezz, shanks! C:

Sick Julia Stew

I hate being sick. I especially hate when you have a cold, that is accompanied by a stuffed up nose that actually hurts it is so stuffed, a cold body, and not to mention a throbbing headache that no amount of water, Advil, or head massages can cure. Yes, I am sick and suffering from all of the above symptoms. Despite my attempts to cure all of my symptoms, I still feel like someone ran over me with a car. However, I did make myself an amazing vegan stew that really gave me temporary relief from my symptoms - the chills, the nose, and the headache - better than any bottle of pills.

Here is the secret to an amazing stew that will truly help kick the sick out of you..

1 cup of vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups of water
1 cup of cooked kale
6 Baby carrots
1/2 cup Alfalfa sprouts (optional)
1/2 zucchini spirolized
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 tbsp red onion spirolized on finely chopped
1/3 cup enoki mushrooms (champignon mushrooms, or just any other mushroom of your choice)

First, let's talk the alfalfa sprouts and the enoki mushrooms. You are most likely unfamiliar with these foods, and are thinking you are going to have to go to some scary health food store where the owner has pink hair down to her hips and a long skirt, but, you won't have to. You can find both of these ingredients in practically every store. I shop at Sobeys, and let me tell you their selection is AWEFUL. If you cannot find them, for what ever reason, forget about the alfalfa sprouts- or substitute with endive or something green- and use a different mushroom.

Sprouts (above); Enoki (Below)

Now to get cooking. Poor in the broth and the water into a pot and turn on high. I make my own vegetable broth, so if you are buying it, watch out for the salt!!!!! Eventually, I will post about how to make vegetable broth...or at least..now I will. Anyhow, add in the onion and tomato puree, and once it comes to a boil lower the temperature to medium so it just simmers. Add in your carrots and let them cook for 3 minutes. Than, add in your alfalfa sprouts and cooked kale. Wait about 2 minutes and than add in the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms look cooked, or taste cooked, turn off the heat and add in the zucchini. You leave the spirolized zucchini for last because you do not want it to turn to mush, and the heat of the stew will just cook them enough.

Finally, finish off the entire pot, because it only has 125 calories - yes the entire pot- so enjoy and fill your tummy (calories may vary depending on the brand of broth however, mine is about 15 calories a cup).

Watching Julie and julia with my stew,
Julia

A Mom's Birthday Cake

Yesterday was my mother's birthday, and of course, that meant the opportunity/requirement for me to bake something. I was going to bake a vegan cake, but instead I decided since the meal was vegan she should be allowed to have her buttery cake which she so dearly loves. I made a simple vanilla cake but spiced it up a bit, and went a little more health on the toppings.

Instead of decorating it with fondant and icing like I usually do, I decided to play down the sugar and incorporate fruit instead. First on the bottom, before I poured in the batter, I made a bottom nut crust. It was made up of..
3/4cup walnuts chopped in a food processor
3/4 almonds chopped in a food processor
5 dates chopped in the food processor
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp maple syrup

All mixed together and firmly pressed down on the bottom of the pan. I than poured the batter onto of that. When the cake was done was done, I cut a shallow bowl about an inch into the cake going all the way around. In here I filled it with..
5 peaches browned in a pan with canola oil and..
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup dates soaked and blended into a paste with water and 1 tsp cinnamon.

I than, to finish it off, I chopped up 1/4 cup of walnuts and 1/4 pecans with 1 tsp cinnamon (in a food processor), and sprinkled it over the top.

Everyone loved it and said that it was the best I had ever made flavour wise of a cake. My dad loved it too, and he hates cake and sugary things. So I was very happy with it, and I encourage others to try it out. The vanilla cake recipe I got was form a Cake Boss book, which I'll attach the link for.

Enjoy you non Veganers!
Julia

Link:
www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Baking-Cake-Boss-Buddys-Best-Buddy-Valastro/9781439183526-item.html?ikwid=cake+boss&ikwsec=Home

http://www.rd.com/food/the-cake-bosss-vanilla-cake-recipe/

Cooking to the Beat of Beet Salad!

Beets are my best friend. Honestly, raw, cooked, with the skin, without the skin, I will eat them however.  If I am not eating them alone, then I usually put them in a salad. I'm going to share this recipe I made that is a really fresh salad, that is raw vegan, and beyond healthy for you. If you don't fancy beets, well you will after this.

All you are going to need is..

6 small- medium beets

1/2 can chickpeas 

5 Small radishes 

1/4 red onion 

2 green onion springs

2 tbsp mustard seeds

3 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp Vinegar

A handful of Sunflower seeds

A handful of pumpkin seeds

First, using a knife, carefully cut off the skin of the beets, as they can sometimes be bitter. Chop the beets up into cubes and place them in a bowl. Next, cut the ends off the radishes and slice them in halves, adding them too to the bowl. Than, using scissors, chop the green onion and add them to the bowl along with the mustard seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chickpeas. Mix them together and add the lemon juice and vinegar, mixing that as well. Finally, dice the red onion, or using a spirolizer spirolize it, and sprinkle on top of the mixture. Dig in!

Eating beets to the beat,
Julia

Follow You Into the Dark Cover

Follow You Into the Dark is one of my favourite songs of all time. I don't know why, and I am not one of those people that likes sappy love songs but for some reason it is my life song. I remember once having this guy who liked me ask me what my favourite song was and he'd learn it and play it for me on his guitar. When I told him it was this song, he said to me "Well, I don't really like that song how about another"....let's just say we don't talk anymore :3 It is such a beautiful song, and I hope I do it justice. The guitar is quite so I am sorry for that, but my fingers were killing me so I could not do it again.

Love some feed back,
Julia

p.s. sorry for the slow start in the beginning and my hair...and face.. :D

Raw Vegan Dinner Platter #1

So last night was my mom's birthday, and my dad asked me if I would plan the dinner, making all of the food - except for the chicken he will make- vegan. The last couple of times that I've made dinner, I have also made vegan appetizers. Last night, I used two different original recipes. The first being my 'Portobello Mushroom Bread and Butter' and the second 'Pine Nut Pesto Cucumber Bowls'. They are both very easy to make and super yummy. They are raw vegan friendly too, and people who are not vegan will love them and not miss out on the meat and cheese apps.

For the Portobello Mushroom dish, you'll need...
1 or 2 big portobello mushrooms (depending on how many you want to make)
1/2 a ripe avocado (will do 2 mushrooms)
Crumbled cashew nuts (about 1/2 a cup for 2 mushrooms or 1/4 for 1)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (for 2 mushrooms again, or 1/4 for 1)
Capers

First, take your mushrooms and put a layer of avocado on the inside of the mushroom going around the stem. Next, sprinkle your cashew nuts on the avocado (as many as you like). Than, cut your cherry tomatoes either in half, or into three pieces - which I find works better- and layer them onto of the nuts and avocado. Put a few capers on top of the tomatoes and repeat for the second mushroom. See, easy!!



For the cucumber dish you'll need..
1 long cucumber
3/4 cup pine nutes
1/4 cup basil pesto
Water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp lemon juice

In a blender, blend the pine nuts and a little bit of water until it is a thick paste. Add in the pesto, garlic, and lemon juice. If you feel you need to add more pesto, lemon, or garlic because the taste is too dull for your likings, go ahead. Cut the cucumber in thick slices (about 3/4ths of an inch). Using a knife, make a little bowl on the top of the cucumber, but do not cut all the way through. Scoop some of the pesto and pine nut mixture into the cucumber bowl. Decorate with little pieces of cucumber and pine nuts.
Enjoy!

Always thinking of music and food,

Julia

Cooking to the Beat of Gnocchi!!

Gnocchi...yum:)

I do not eat pasta often, because it doesn't like to agree with my stomach, but when I do, and if I do, I like it to be worth the pain. Today I made Gnocchi for my family, that yes is vegan, but not because I used a modified recipe, it just so happens to not contain animal products in it. I served it        with a light tomato and rosemary sauce, since the pasta is so dense.

All your going to need is...            (makes four trays of gnocchi)
                                                      10 medium yellow/gold potatoes
Flour

2 onions
4 garlic cloves
ground pepper
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/2 can of pureed tomatoes
5 stems of rosemary (maybe more depending on your taste)
Canola oil

First, boil the potatoes for about 30min. When they are done, you should be able to stick a knife or fork right through them without any resistance. Than, run them under cold water while removing the skin. The skin will come right off so it will be really easy. Put the pealed potatoes in a bowl and mash them up so they are super smooth. Refrigerate them for 15 minutes.

Next, put them to one side of the bowl, and fill the other side with flour. Mix the two together until you get a dough that you can work on a surface, and please feel free to add as much flour as you need so it is not sticky. Trust me when I say you will need a lot of flour. Once the dough is formed, work it a bit to make sure it is mixed on a counter or 

board that has A LOT of flour on it.

Begin to take little handfuls off and roll them into strips that are about 1/2 an inch thick, or slightly smaller. Line them on a tray for now - this part can be easier if you have another set of hands helping. Once you roll out all the dough, cut them into little pieces.

Now, grab a fork, and roll the gnocchi pieces across it so one side of the pasta has indentations of the fork on it. This gives somewhere for the sauce to stick to. Put the gnocchi on a floured tray.


VIDEO ON HOW TO ROLL THEM:

When you roll them into strips, move form the middle and than outwards. 

VIDEO ON HOW TO ROLL THEM ON FORK:

Don't be afraid to put pressure on them so that you really get nice indentations.

Now, chop the onions and garlic and put them in a pan with the oil (about 3 tbsp)

Add black pepper and the rosemary - pull leaves off the stem and throw out the stems.

Poor in the tomatoes, and once they start to boil, put the heat down to low and put a lid on the pan so the extra water can boil off. Stir every 5 minutes.

Put your gnocchi into a pot of boiling water. Once they all float to the top, cook for another 5 minutes and then take them out. Serve with the sauce and enjoy!

If you have extra gnocchi, freeze them on the tray first, than 

put them in a bag, that way they do not stick. 

Eat up,
Julia.
P.S. the videos were not up loading but I will try to get them up as soon as possible - check again later