Other things that have been helping: snacks. You knew that was coming. When I was studying nutrition in culinary school, I learned that my tendency to eat everything in sight after some physical exertion wasn’t the most sound strategy (weird, right?!?). Needless to say, there are some things that need to be taken care of to help your body recover and thrive with a set workout routine. I’ll point out that I’m not like, a fitness expert or anything (I had to ask my man what “beast mode” meant the other day…). I can tell you that after I get sweaty, I want some wholesome carbs (sweet potatoes, fruit, whole/sprouted grains), clean + easily assimilated protein (hemp, legumes, plant-based protein powder, spirulina, soaked nuts + seeds) and mega hydration (fruit again, coconut water, chia seeds, herbal tea). These 4 snacks, generally paired with a non-caffeinated + unsweetened drink (like water or iced rooibos tea), hit all of those marks for me and keep me bright in that amazing exercise contact-high.

So there’s that! I have two sweet recipes and two on the savoury end. Most of these are super quick to rig up if you have the ingredients ready to go. There’s a blackberry smoothie filled out with coconut water, a little protein boost and a healthy squeeze of lime. The chocolate chia bowl needs an overnight rest, but leaves you set for 4ish solid servings of decadent recovery snacking bliss–easily my fave of the bunch. I wrote about some chia seed benefits here if you’re into that. Also, if you have weirdness about chia texture, the crunchy granola on top completely banishes any sort of tapioca vibe, I swear. The loaded sweet potato incorporates some smoky-crunchy roasted chickpeas and fresh chives. This is something you would catch me eating with frequency throughout the week-just a bunch of good things tossed together. Lastly, there’s my favourite variation on avocado toast, all protein and omega boosted with hulled hemp seeds and flavour-maxed with lemon and nutritional yeast. Let’s get pumped! :)

1. blackberry, vanilla + lime smoothie w/ coconut water
serves: 1
notes: If you don’t vibe on protein powder, you could always throw 1-2 tbsp of hemp seeds or a scoop of almond butter in here to boost it a little.

1 cup coconut water (C20 brand is my fave)
juice of 1 lime
splash of vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blackberries
couple pieces of frozen banana
knob of extra virgin coconut oil
1 scoop of protein powder (I like Vega One or Sunwarrior brands, both in vanilla flavour)

Combine everything in a blender pitcher and blend on high for a minute or so, or until you’ve achieved a texture that you like.

2. chocolate chia granola bowl
serves: 3-4
notes: If you aren’t into chocolate, you can always make raspberry + vanilla chia pudding, just a thought :)

chocolate chia pudding:
heaped 1/4 cup chia seeds
2 cups unsweetened milk of your choice (almond, coconut, goat etc)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cacao powder
3 tbsp – 1/4 cup maple syrup (depends on your sweetness preference)
pinch of sea salt

to serve:
sliced/whole berries
wholesome/non-junky granola (may I humbly suggest this recipe?)
cacao nibs

The night before, whisk together the chia seeds, milk, vanilla, cacao powder, maple syrup and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Cover the bowl and set it in the fridge overnight to thicken up.

When ready to eat, stir the chia pudding up a bit and portion it into a bowl. Top with granola, berries and cacao nibs.

3. sweet potato w/ brown rice, chives, crispy smoky chickpeas + almonds
serves: 1
notes: I love to batch-cook brown basmati rice and sweet potatoes at the beginning of the week, just so that snacks/meals like this are always within reach. A nice dollop of plain yogurt (coconut, goat, cow, whatever-based) would be great on top of this too.

1 sweet potato
cooked chickpeas
oil of your choice
smoked paprika
salt + pepper
1/3-1/2 cup cooked brown basmati rice
6-7 almonds, chopped
3-4 blades of chives, ripped up

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pierce the sweet potato a couple times with a fork, wrap it extra good in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, toss the chickpeas in enough oil to coat, salt + pepper to taste and a little smoked paprika. Spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast in the 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Set aside to cool.

To serve: Split open the sweet potato and season the flesh with salt + pepper. Place the cooked rice, some of the chickpeas and chopped almonds on top/inside. Garnish with the chives and an extra sprinkle of smoked paprika.

4. my fave avocado toast
serves: 1
notes: There’s a lot of toppings here, but it’s worth it. This is all stuff I seem to have on hand, but feel free to switch up acidic components, nuts/seeds etc. The bread is crucial though. It’s literally the crutch upon which the entire enjoyment of this snack stands. Choose wisely :)

1 fair-sized piece of whole grain/sprouted grain bread (about the span of my outstretched hand is an amount that feels right to me)
1/2 a ripe avocado, peeled + sliced
salt + pepper
1-2 tsp nutritional yeast
squeeze of lemon
1-2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds (as much as you can handle)
good balsamic vinegar/reduction

Toast the bread to your liking.

Spread the avocado slices across the bread. Season the avocado with salt, pepper + nutritional yeast. Mash it into the bread with a fork. Squeeze a bit of lemon on top and mash the avocado one more time with the fork.

Dribble some balsamic vinegar/reduction/glaze on top of the mashed avocado. Top with the hemp seeds and enjoy.

You might also like…

yummy, vegan + totally empowering DIY protein mix

I’m not one to count nutrients, calories, fat grams etc. I’ve talked about this on here before. I cook andView full post »

raw raspberry + vanilla chia pudding

I’m going to be straight with you guys: I made up a big batch of this raw and luscious raspberry chia pudding soView full post »

busy lady bowl + easiest ginger miso gravy

I’ve been a bit of a busy bee lately, but I wanted to give you something good and easy this week. The kind ofView full post »

Saturday or Sunday lunch/brunch has historically been my least favourite shift to work in terms of service. It’s just way busy and if you try to have a shred of a social life on the weekend like a normal human being, you’re paying for it in some way as the day wears on. I’ve been parked behind a giant espresso machine for solid blocks of time hammering out lattes for fancy ladies. The day is a blur of flipping those tables over and over until the clock strikes 3. There are children and there are messes of ketchup. There are total, self-entitled douchebags that need coffee. Clatters, clangs, beeps, change clinks, sizzles + shouts. The fullest hours imaginable.

A couple years ago, I found myself on such a day catching a moment behind a vitrine all filled to the brim with pâté, pickles, cheeses and marinated items; my elbow supporting my chin and heavy gaze. Other hand firmly planted in the pocket of my faded navy blue apron. My boss came up behind me so silently and leaned up on the case as I did, looking out at the scene. After I made some throwaway comment on how crazy it had been all morning, he said something so great. He gestured out to the dining room and remarked “Isn’t it wonderful to look out and see everyone smiling and to get a sense that they’re all laughing together?” And it was actually nice. It made me feel better about my lack of sleep, not being able to have a leisurely  read + eat with my man, about those DB’s I mentioned earlier… I felt less like I was swept up in service and more like I was performing a necessary service for my community. I was part of the assembly that facilitated a weekly coming-together over something good to eat. Huge. People look forward to that time all week. Work became privilege.

Side note: I work in a fine establishment that only opens for dinners now, so this has become less of a thing. But! I appreciate languid breakfasts in and out of the home all the more now–for the happy chorus in a crowded dining room or the one, singular laugh of my handsome man. All of it a still new-feeling luxury for me.

So for those happy/lazy times at home, you would probably find me fixing up something like this. The quinoa in these provides crunchy textural contrast. It isn’t thrown in because of random “for your health!” kind of aspirations. They give the cakes heft and much visual interest. I toast it in cinnamon flecked coconut oil for lots of fragrance and use plenty of vanilla to warm up the largely almond meal-based batter. Cacao nibs give a wine-y chocolaty crunch and the bananas get sweet and caramelized on top of the cakes. A dollop of tangy yogurt and plenty of maple syrup finishes them off. Something wonderful to see us through to the end of winter, over some good reads and a pot of tea.

coconut, almond + quinoa breakfast cakes recipe
Inspired by True Food.
serves: 3-4
notes: I blend everything except the spelt flour, salt, sugar and leavening agents to really smooth out the almond flour. That’s an optional step. Also, making the quinoa up the night before would cut down on prep time considerably if you’re planning on maximal chill times on a Sunday or some such thing. If you eat eggs, you could certainly add a whisked one to the batter for some extra leavening power.

pancakes:
2 1/2 tbsp melted extra virgin coconut oil, divided + extra for the pan
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup milk of your choice (I used light coconut milk)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup whole spelt flour (or GF all purpose)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp coconut palm sugar (or demerara, evaporated cane etc)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups almond meal
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 bananas, sliced + divided
2 tbsp cacao nibs + extra

to serve:
yogurt of your choosing (coconut, sheep, cow etc)
maple syrup

Cook the quinoa: in a small saucepan over medium heat, drop a 1/2 tbsp of the coconut oil. Once it’s fragrant add the pinch of cinnamon. Stir that around until it smells way good. Add the rinsed and drained quinoa and a pinch of salt. Stir it around in the oil a bit to toast. Add a scant cup of water to the pan. Bring the quinoa to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. You want the quinoa to be cooked, but kind of crunchy too. Drain off excess liquid and cool quinoa completely.

Add the lemon juice to the milk and set aside for 5 minutes to curdle/lump up.

In a medium bowl, combine the spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, coconut sugar and sea salt. Stir to combine. Combine the almond meal, vanilla extract, remaining coconut oil and curdled milk in the blender. Flip it to high and blend until the mixture is very smooth, about a minute. Scrape this mixture into the bowl with the spelt flour etc. Gently fold it all together with a spatula until just combined. Add the cooled quinoa and fold it in until it’s evenly mixed.

Heat a large sauté pan or griddle over medium. Brush with melted coconut oil. Drop 1/4-1/3 cups of batter onto the pan. Spread the batter out a bit with a spatula or the bottom of the measuring cup. Press banana slices onto the top of the cakes and sprinkle with cacao nibs. Once bubbles start to form on top and the bottom is golden, flip them over. Continue to cook until bottom side is golden/dry. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping cooked cakes warm as you go along.

Serve pancakes with extra sliced bananas + cacao nibs, maple syrup and yogurt dolloped on top.

You might also like…

hot cocoa pancakes + valentine’s day

Healthy chocolate pancakes friends. I know, I can’t believe it either, but let’s talk about the events atView full post »

carrot cake pancakes, lime cashew cream + breakfast stories

So in my last post I was talking about how the whole juice fast experience really put me in tune with my body and whatView full post »

cozy multigrain porridge + planning ahead

When did the mornings get so cold? As soon as I sleepily clamber out of the sheets, I’m fast tracking to the teaView full post »

I like muffins, I do. I can truthfully say that I’ve turned down invitations to go for a beer with friends in favor of cooking up a dozen. Actually heard over the phone in the background: “What, is she 80 years old?!” It was worth it.

I always gravitate towards the crumble topped, glazed or chocolate flecked varieties out of habit though… because it’s like eating a piece of cake. A piece of cake that you can sometimes have with a hot drink and call it breakfast. Oh, and healthy muffins are generally terrible. Like, more terrible than mornings pre-coffee. I wanted this to be different in a real way.

Here’s the thing. It’s hard to make a homemade, legitimately healthy muffin that tastes AMAZING + looks completely beautiful. I have high expectations in a general way. Brown, dome-y cake things are not always tasty and are definitely not inherently glamorous. I wanted it to be real good on all fronts for your health. Sometimes I irrationally worry about offering up recipes for more humble fare here. A muffin is not the most totally unique snowflake-kind of thing to post on a food blog, but it is decidedly everyday and approachable. I am slowly learning that this is enough.

When I lived in the city, I used to pop into the nearby Whole Foods from time to time for a matcha tea and one of their lovely vegan muffins. But it wasn’t entirely muffin-like! They baked them in petite bundt pans and put a sweet little glaze on top. The ingredients were all health-supporting for sure and the small hit of glaze brought it back into light indulgence territory. The idea was to emulate the overall feel of their muffin and fill the recipe out with things I really love.

I went to work, consulted with a new and wonderful book, and here we are. It’s a beauty, I assure you. It’s key to go wild with flavour-y things when undertaking more health-centric, vegan baking. The spices, the vanilla, the add-ins; they all work together to make a non buttered + egged treat so delicious. If I’m vegan-izing/health-ing something up, I generally double the vanilla specified, use spices and citrus zest with abandon, and reach for flavourful fats like nut butters or coconut oil as an overall strategy. Also, stirring the batter gently until just incorporated is key for a nice texture. You could apply that principle to any muffin recipe, but especially here with the inclusion of 100% whole grain flour.

In this particular breakfast marvel, I’ve used hearty spelt flour, almond meal, chia and flax seeds, warming spices, tropical coconut oil + vanilla (still savoring the bottle miss Ashlae sent me), walnuts, tart dried cranberries, coconut palm sugar, a smidge of banana to amp up the natural sweetness and some frozen Ontario blueberries stirred in to remind us of summer’s gifts. I topped them off with a zesty clementine glaze for an inviting hit of freshness. These would be perfect for a weekend brunch at home. Your grandma would be so proud of you for baking these on a Saturday night, just a thought :)

antioxidant power muffins + clementine glaze
adapted from Dr. Weil’s True Food
serves: makes 7-8 little bundts or 12 normal muffins
notes: If you eat them, feel free to replace the mashed banana with 3 beaten eggs to avoid any trace of banana-ness. Also! I know if you’re high on health, you might want to turn your nose up at the glaze portion. I found it pretty crucial to the whole experience. This batter isn’t terribly sweet, so the glaze has a rather serious function in the grand scheme (way serious).

muffins:
1 cup whole spelt flour
1/4 cup almond meal (or use more spelt if you like)
1 1/3 cups ground flax + chia seeds (or go with pure flax or pure chia)
2/3 cup coconut palm sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground ginger
pinch of fine sea salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 tbsp melted coconut oil + extra for greasing
1 3/4 cups milk of your choice (I used almond)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed (or fresh if they’re in season)
3/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
2 tbsp cacao nibs

clementine glaze:
juice and zest of 1 clementine
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease your mini bundt or muffin tins and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the spelt flour, almond meal, flax + chia seeds, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger and salt.

Mash the banana in a separate medium bowl. Make sure it is fairly smooth. To the banana, add the coconut oil, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.

Scrape the banana and milk mixture into the dry indredients (flour, ground flax etc). Gently fold the batter until it is just combined/there are no more dry bits of flour. Add the blueberries, dried cranberries, walnuts, and cacao nibs and gently fold them into the batter until evenly distributed. The batter should be quite thick at this point.

Fill the muffin cups/bundts with the batter to 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean and muffins bounce back when you press your finger onto the tops. Cool the pans on a wire rack completely before turning out onto a plate.

While muffins are baking/cooling, make the glaze: whisk the clementine zest, juice and powdered sugar together until smooth. Apply glaze to the tops of completely cooled muffins.

You might also like…

banana zucchini bread + whole grain flour

Another breakfast treat! Clearly I’m living the good life. I’ve been getting into autumnal baking modeView full post »

banana coconut waffles + a one trick pony

I would love for you guys to think that I churn out some pretty fabulous meals with just a sharp knife, some pots andView full post »

barley scones + roasted plums

I love scones. I actually love breakfast treats in general, but the scone is my absolute favourite one of them all.View full post »

This dessert takes planning, forethought and a bit of careful tending. You have to very delicately press the crust into the pan and remember to chill it once it cools. There is precise drizzling of chocolate sauce into the churning ice cream at the very end (no sooner, I mean it). Did you remember to chill the bowl of your ice cream maker overnight? And one of the cans of coconut milk? You gotta do that too. The coconut cream must be whipped right before you serve it because it has a tendency to run a bit. Also, remember to remove the pie from the freezer about 10 minutes before you want to serve it so that a possible run to the toolshed for a chainsaw doesn’t become a whole thing. Yes. This pie demands your mindfulness and attention. Is that so much to ask? It’s pie! Totally worth it.

Why the fuss? Once in a while, I like to roll up my sleeves and make something ridiculous and challenging, really absorb myself in the task of making food. Cuisine doesn’t have to be easy or quick or on the table in 30 minutes or less all the time. It’s good to get lost in the potential of it all, the improvements, the variations; aiming higher in the every day. This is important.

There is one resource I rely on rather heavily to challenge my cooking and how I approach food/cuisine. It reminds me that I shouldn’t ever get cocky about something I’ve created, that calling anything “authentic” is up for heated debate, that referring to yourself as a chef is probably guaranteed inappropriate at any time and that thinking a bit more deeply about what I’m making or serving is necessary, always. The images are unusual and sometimes harsh; not just pretty for the sake of it. I revisit its issues often, the ideas and frank opinions on the current plusses and minuses of food culture. The recipes range from seaweed burgers to multi-layered arnold palmer cakes to gnocchi made with instant ramen noodles. Every issue is at once a revelation and a slap in the face; a call to talk less, do more and make it better.

Have you guessed it yet? It’s Lucky Peach from the awesome people at McSweeney’s. A wonderful and close friend gifted me a 1 year subscription when it came out just because he knew I would love it. Since I’ve been feeling some extra goodness around here lately from all of you, I thought I would do the same. I will add that this little giveaway isn’t endorsed or sponsored by any external party. I’m just doing it because I love it and know that one of you will be just as inspired (and put in line in the best of ways) by its pages delivered quarterly to your doorstep.

How do you enter? I wanted to make it easy, so I’ll give you two completely non-strenuous methods: 1) just cruise over to my facebook page and “like” the photo I’ve posted of this fancy pie (so easy!). Yep, one little thumbs up could get you a one year subscription to the coolest food quarterly ever. 2) Going with the theme of generosity, leaving a comment here will get you an additional entry–why not, right? I’ll run this for one week (until July 5th) and will be choosing the winner from a hat. Whoop! (Now closed!)

Big love,
Laura

roasted banana split ice cream pie
serves: makes one 9 inch pie
special equipment: an ice cream maker
notes: The recipe for the ice cream makes a bit more than what is needed for the pie. Oops :) Cool thing: I had some caramel from these brownies and drizzled some onto the crust before I laid the ice cream in. Highly recommended!

crust (adapted from Roost):
1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp agave nectar/maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted coconut oil

roasted banana ice cream:
2 medium bananas, peeled and sliced (roughly)
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
2 (400 ml) cans of full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup agave nectar/maple syrup/raw honey + extra for roasting bananas
1 tbsp vanilla extract
small pinch of salt

chocolate sauce (this makes AMAZING chocolate shell-like coating for ice cream any old time):
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp melted coconut oil

coconut whipped cream:
2 cans full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight
3 tbsp agave nectar/maple syrup/raw honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (you’ll have to raise it to 400 degrees F for the bananas).

Make the crust: Combine the almond flour and cocoa powder in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add the agave nectar, vanilla extract and coconut oil. Mix until thoroughly combined and the mixture holds together like wet sand. Press mixture into a 9 inch pie plate, trying to make the thickness even all along the sides and the bottom. Bake in a 350 oven for 10-15 minutes, or until slightly darker and dry/solid seeming. Cool crust thoroughly at room temperature and place in the fridge until ready for use.

Roast the bananas:  Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Place the sliced bananas on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the slices with the melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Roast for about 20 minutes or until bananas are very soft and caramelization is apparent (see photo). Cool bananas on the tray and set aside.

Make the chocolate sauce: Combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small stainless steel or glass bowl. Place bowl over a saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water (double boiler method). Stir the chocolate chips until melted and a uniform mixture is achieved. Remove from the heat and set aside (NOT in the fridge!)

Make the ice cream: Combine the roasted bananas, coconut milk, agave nectar, vanilla extract and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend/pulse until bananas are dissolved into the mixture/not chunky. Pour this mixture into your ice cream maker and follow through with the manufacturer’s directions. Mine took about 25 minutes to achieve slightly firmer soft serve-like texture. In the last minute of churning, slowly pour the chocolate sauce in. It will harden immediately and form little pockets of chocolaty goodness.

Scrape the ice cream into the reserved pie crust. Smooth the top and freeze for a good 20 minutes to firm up the ice cream.

Make the whipped coconut cream: Remove the top layer of solid cream from the cans of coconut milk. Place into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the agave/honey/sweetener of choice and vanilla bean seeds. Mix on medium-high speed, stopping and scraping down here and there. Mix until stiff, whipped cream-like consistency is achieved.

Assemble: Remove the pie from the freezer and top with the whipped coconut cream. Top with a few cherries for garnish if you like (I only do this to really drive home the banana split theme). Serve immediately.

You might also like…

raw chocolate cherry mousse cake + birthdays

It was my birthday this past weekend! We ran to the city for a couple of days and had a really wonderful time. A cozyView full post »

a rhubarb fool + unrelenting tartness

Cut one hot pink stalk. Dip the fresh-cut end into a bowl of sugar and take a bite. There’s an initial damp,View full post »

coffee pudding + morning ritual

I’m not a regular coffee drinker. A piping hot cup of earl grey is my drink of choice for most mornings: not tooView full post »

Having said all of that, I own a few single-use/make-complex kitchen wares: a dehydrator, 2+ HP blender, food processor, rice cooker, immersion blender, mandolin slicer, cherry pitter, ice cream maker and most importantly, a waffle iron. A good chunk of these were gifts, but I do use them, and with great joy and gratitude I will add. Modern conveniences are well… convenient and can ramp up the game of any home cook at any level. Instead of using a mortar and pestle for hours, one can make a large batch of pesto in minutes by dumping everything in a food processor, instantly improving a bowl of pasta, a crust of bread, a salad dressing, a plate of roasted veggies etc. Similarly, instead of making pancakes (which almost any home cook can do), one can slap a similar batter into a waffle iron and whoa. Deluxe breakfast at home is ours at last and you don’t even have to flip them over.

That brings me to today’s recipe.  There’s so much coconut in these and with the sweet maple syrup in the batter, it really reminded me of a macaroon, with the crisp chewiness and everything. The almond meal really helps with that crisp exterior… just so surprisingly good. And while these waffles are super delicious, vegan, gluten free, wholesome etc, they were actually quite challenging to develop. I will say that making them isn’t a total cake walk. While a waffle iron is a very cool, modern convenience, some of the most crushing defeats I’ve had in the kitchen were at the hands (irons?) of this thing. The anticipation is just so great, you only use this appliance for one delicious purpose, the whole thing is shrouded in mystery, then you open it up and the batter is sticking everywhere, separating, the machine doesn’t stop beeping, the steam! smell of burning and on and on. Once I figured out that I had to use exactly a 1/2 cup of batter and grease the irons every time, it was all good. Deluxe brunch heaven was here for the day, I wiped off the machine, lovingly wrapped it up and put it away for another couple months.

banana coconut waffles (or pancakes)
serves: makes 6 waffles
notes: As stated above, the precise 1/2 cup measure of batter and in-between iron greasing is very important here. When lifting the finished waffles out of the machine, be gentle. A simple fork helps quite a bit with this. Also, I think you could work these as pancakes without any adjustments.

2 tbsp ground chia or flax seeds
1 large banana, mashed well
1 1/4 cups non dairy milk
1/4 cup melted extra virgin coconut oil + more for greasing
2 tbsp maple syrup + more for serving
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almond meal/flour
1 cup gluten free oat flour (grind gluten free rolled oats in a food processor/coffee grinder)
1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour (rice flour or a GF blend would work too)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
pinch of salt

Plug in your waffle iron and preheat to desired doneness setting. I like these more on the dark side. Line a baking sheet with parchment and preheat your oven to 225 degrees F (to keep waffles warm as they finish).

Whisk together the ground chia/flax, mashed banana, non dairy milk, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, oat flour, sorghum flour, baking powder, arrowroot, cinnamon, coconut and salt. Stir together until thoroughly mixed together.

Give the banana mixture a stir before adding it to the flour mixture. Fold it into the flour until you have a homogenous stiff batter-like mixture.

Open up the waffle iron and grease the irons lightly with coconut oil. I usually just dip a wadded up paper towel into the oil and rub it onto the irons quickly. Pour a 1/2 cup of batter into the middle of the bottom iron. Don’t spread it out. Close the lid on top and wait. All waffle irons differ on cooking times. Mine took about 4 minutes each.

Remove the  waffle carefully and place it onto the parchment lined sheet. Place sheet into the preheated oven to keep warm. Grease the iron again and repeat until all batter is used. Enjoy with maple syrup, more shredded coconut, fruit etc.

everything cookies + sweetness

The sun just shines on and on. I always have to remember that. We’ve been having unseasonably warm and pleasantView full post »

banana zucchini bread + whole grain flour

Another breakfast treat! Clearly I’m living the good life. I’ve been getting into autumnal baking modeView full post »

hot cocoa pancakes + valentine’s day

Healthy chocolate pancakes friends. I know, I can’t believe it either, but let’s talk about the events atView full post »

I actually don’t care. Remember when you were young and we all gave valentines and treats to everyone in the class and it was cute, delicious, sparkly, corny, pink and red all over? It was such a fun write-off kind of day. Warm fuzzies. You got to make a pouch out of construction paper, decorate it with glittery paint and take it home all full of chocolate, marshmallow-y things, ju-jubes and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, California Raisins, Strawberry Shortcake etc punch-out valentine cards. It was, in sum, the best ever. Chocolate and paper goods are still totally my jam 18 years later so why wouldn’t I love Valentine’s Day?

Something I don’t exactly love: big, shiny, monumental dinners on Cupid’s big night out. Meeeeeh. I usually can’t swing it because I’m working anyway but! I feel kinda bad for the service and cooking staff at any given restaurant, surrounded by so much lovey dovey-ness while being away from their special guy/gal. I don’t particularly aspire to contribute to that cruddy feeling while I’m picking away at some sort of heart-shaped root vegetable or cake or something in the candle light. I like going out for an amazing meal, don’t get me wrong. But for V day, home dates just feel right.

Enter these delicious pancakes. They’re chocolate (duh), wholesome, easy to whip up and perfect for lazing about with your lovey in jammies with some fresh fruit, the newspaper, a thick wooly blanket, maybe some Curb Your Enthusiasm on in the background (SUCH a romantic choice, right?) and a hot, cozy pot of earl grey steeping away. Comforting, warm, close and sweet (and somewhat awkward at any given moment if Larry David is on your TV screen…). It’s perfect. These are also totally fine to make just for yourself. I make a single serving of pancakes about as often as I crave pancakes. Which is… crazy often. Whatever. It starts with self love, guys!

hot cocoa pancakes
This recipe was originally developed for the Toronto Vegetarian Association
serves: 2 (generously)
notes: Heart shapes! Go on. Do it.

1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup light spelt flour (or whole wheat, all purpose etc)
2 tsp baking powder
¼ cup + 2 tbsp cacao/cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
3 tbsp maple syrup (or agave nectar) plus extra for serving
1/4 cup liquid coconut oil (or other oil)
1.5 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside to curdle, about 5 minutes.

Mix the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Add the curdled milk, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. It should be a tad loose-seeming.

Heat a large, non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Drop ¼ cup measures of the batter into the pan (not too many at a time!). When bubbles start to peak through the surface and you see a bit of light browning/crisping up on the underside, flip the pancakes over carefully, about 1-2 minutes. Repeat for the other side, remove from the pan and set aside on a covered plate to keep warm.

Serve with maple syrup, sliced bananas, berries or whatever other accompaniments you like.

carrot cake pancakes, lime cashew cream + breakfast stories

So in my last post I was talking about how the whole juice fast experience really put me in tune with my body and whatView full post »

banana coconut waffles + a one trick pony

I would love for you guys to think that I churn out some pretty fabulous meals with just a sharp knife, some pots andView full post »

barley scones + roasted plums

I love scones. I actually love breakfast treats in general, but the scone is my absolute favourite one of them all.View full post »

So I combined the two! And with fantastic results. I just realized that we had about 3 Costco sized bags of quinoa in the pantry, so I figured I would make flour out of some of it (seriously, I don’t know anyone that could eat that much quinoa). The flavour of quinoa flour is quite strong, especially when you make it yourself. It works particularly well here with the banana, chocolate and toasted seeds muting its flavour out a touch. It also ramps up the protein content big time.

Whole spelt makes up the other half of the flour used, while maple syrup fills out the role of sweetener. A little extra virgin coconut oil along with the zucchini makes it moist. In review: fruit, vegetable, wholesome little seeds, natural sweetener and all whole grain flour. Oh and a bit of chocolate. This little loaf cake is health city! Breakfast treats for the win!

banana zucchini bread
serves: 10-12
notes: Try your best to not over-mix the flour. Whole grain flour can make cakes really tough when it’s roughed around too much. Just be gentle :) Oh, and maybe you don’t want zucchini? Replace it with another cup of mashed banana.

1 cup mashed, ripe banana (about 2-3 bananas)
1/4 cup milk of your choice (I used the So Delicious coconut milk)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp melted extra virgin coconut oil (or canola, grape seed etc) + extra for pan
1/2 cup maple syrup (or agave nectar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup quinoa flour
1 cup whole spelt flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup finely grated zucchini (about 1 small)
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup chocolate chips (you could do any combination of nuts, seeds and what-have-you; up to a cup)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×2 loaf pan with some of the oil. Lay a sheet of parchment paper in with edges hanging over the sides of the pan. Grease the paper and lightly flour the pan, tapping out any excess.

Combine the mashed banana, milk, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk thoroughly, getting out as many banana lumps as you can. Set aside.

Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Add the banana mixture and shredded zucchini. Stir until everything is just combined. Fold in the pumpkin seeds and chocolate chips gently.

Scrape all of the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool pan on a wire rack completely.

You might also like…

barley scones + roasted plums

I love scones. I actually love breakfast treats in general, but the scone is my absolute favourite one of them all.View full post »

cozy multigrain porridge + planning ahead

When did the mornings get so cold? As soon as I sleepily clamber out of the sheets, I’m fast tracking to the teaView full post »

pumpkin seed granola + not just oats

I’ve been varying stages of vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian, you name it-tarian, throughout my life, all in theView full post »