Tag Archives | rosemary

Holiday Lentil & Buckwheat Loaf

Not the sexiest name, I know, but trust me, it’s exactly what your holiday table is missing.

Have you ever spent holiday dinners eating Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce? I have to admit, this sounds pretty good to me right now, but it is nice to have a thoughtful (non-turkey-shaped tofu disaster) addition to this for those who are on a health-conscious, plant-based path.

Even those who eat everything around the holidays will like this recipe (I mean, probably not my Dad, but like, most people who like food). It has all of the flavours of a traditional stuffing, has a good hearty texture and could even be served in place of stuffing without any song and dance.

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Mushroom & Lentil Soup with Lemony Massaged Kale

Mushroom & Lentil Soup with Lemony Massaged Kale

You know it’s winter in Vancouver when you can’t find your raincoat or umbrella because they’re hanging in the shower, still not quite dry from the last time you used them. It’s the time of year that warm, hearty food is really appealing, the kind that lights a tiny furnace inside you. The kind that used to make you salivate as the smell drifted upstairs while you were (pretending to) do your homework. Enter this awesome soup.

Mushroom & Lentil Soup with Lemony Massaged Kale

My sister ordered a bowl of soup like this in a restaurant while I was visiting her in Amsterdam (PS –the Dutch do soup really well, I think it might be the antidote to their chilly, all-weather bike riding). It was simply called ‘lentil soup’ on the menu (at least the English version) but she gave me a taste and it was so rich and flavourful, but most interestingly, there was a nutty pop happening that totally worked. It came from toasted pine nuts –not as an expensive, toasty garnish, but stirred right into the soup.

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Stuffing flavoured KALE CHIPS!

Stuffing Flavoured Kale Chips

For several reasons, I have come to believe that kale chips might be the best holiday food:

1.) We are all rushing around during this time of year and can forget to think about ourselves and the grocery shopping we need to do, leading to eating the peppermint bark that a client/friend gave us for breakfast, lunch and possibly dinner (and dessert).

Stuffing Flavoured Kale Chips

2.) It’s a little chilly to get enthusiastic over our beloved green smoothies.

3.) Unlike fresh veggies, we can store bags of kale chips in our cupboards/purse/car/winter coat pockets so that we always have green veggies around for when we realize we haven’t eaten and start thinking about that peppermint bark on our counter at home.

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Shitake Miso Gravy with Rutabaga Purée

Here’s a tip: you don’t need flour to make gravy. I discovered this when I first started dating my now husband who is (and apparently always has been, even in past lives) gluten-free. Personally, I might have said ‘hey Wes, don’t eat the gravy’ but instead when we went to my parent’s house for dinner, my Mom would make a gluten-free version of that and EVERYTHING ELSE and the rest of the family would avoid it.

Eventually, as I started cooking for nutritionally-minded clients, this early incarnation of my Mom’s g-free gravy got me thinking (I also started to understand the inflammatory effects of gluten). She would use rice or potato flour in place of the wheat flour and it tasted pretty much the same (My Mom was the best cook). From a whole food perspective, wouldn’t it be better to just use some fresh potato as thickener? Or even better, other flavourful, starchy vegetables?

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