Green Lentil Coconut Curry Bowl

What?! Never cooked with Coconut milk or made lentils before. Are you seeing a theme here? This blog is my excuse to experiment - it's going well.

This dish is light and filling at the same time. I even made cauliflower rice! (graded cauliflower heated in a pan in a bit of olive oil). Seriously… WHAT?! Ok…

1 cup of dried green lentils cooked
1 can of chick peas
2 tsp of curry powder
3/4 tsp of cumin
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
2 gloves of finely grated garlic
2 inches of finely grated ginger
1/2 yellow onion diced
1 can of coconut milk
2 cups of chicken stock (or veg)
2 carrots diced
2 stalks of celery diced
1 cup of frozen peas
1/4 head of cauliflower chopped into small pieces.
1 tsp corn starch
Salt and pepper

Directions: soften the diced onion in a pan with some olive oil salt and pepper. Add chicken (or veg) stalk, corn starch, graded ginger, garlic, curry powder, cumin, cinnamon, diced carrots, celery, cauliflower.
Then add chick peas, cooked lentils, coconut milk.
I sliced the carrot and celery and cauliflower pretty small so it really didn't take long for it to be ready.

Serve on cauliflower rice (or regular rice).

Movie Night Delight Crunch Bars

No-bake + Sweet & Salty = Deadly.
This recipe came to me in a vision, (while walking home from the gym). A class potluck tomorrow finally provided me the opportunity to make them.

Melt in a pot:
1 Cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 Cup butter
Small bag of milk chocolate chipits  (2 cups?)

Take off heat

Mix in:
250g bag of Caramel + nut popcorn

Place: put in a 9x13 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Refridgerage for at least 3 hours before cutting (or freezer).

Toping:
1/2 Cup of slivered almonds
-roasted at 350 for 7 minutes with a bit of olive oil and sea salt


I think if you added in some 1 Cup of chopped pretzels to the bar you would only be doing yourself a favour. AND cut small squares - these are a sugar/flavour bomb. Bring to a gathering - just get them out the door!

The Good Cookie

You can see why I didn't title this cookie: Fresh Ginger Oatmeal Peanut Butter Raisin and Cinnamon Cookies, right? Keep it simple stupid. Mwah!

Mix by hand and you'll feel even better about these! I always bake to give-away, but obviously there's quality control involved.

1 Cup of peanut butter
(I used crunchy here)
3 Cups of rolled oats
1/4 Cup butter
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp of fresh finely graded ginger
1/2 Tsp cinnamon
3/4 Cup of raisins (I used the dark variety)
1 1/2 Tsp vanilla
2 Eggs
pinch of salt

How I did it: mixed peanut butter and butter with vanilla, added brown sugar, mixed, added two eggs and mixed, added fresh ginger, cinnamon and baking soda, salt and mixed, added raisins and mixed. Finally I incorporated the oats 1 cup at a time.

I baked on parchment paper at 350 for approximately 9 minutes. Now, my cookies were very small. Regular sized cookies would be 12-14 minutes. Small is best, these are hearty cookies! I pressed the cookies a bit before baking as well.

OMG so good and your house will smell like heaven for hours :)

Grapefruit Balsamic Dressing

Why not?

Refreshingly scrumptious and simple! I personally haven't bought dressings for salad since September - part of my pledge  to only use sauces that are scratch-made.

You can really make as much as you want. I think the measurements are about 1/3 balsamic, 1/3 citrus and 1/3 olive oil.


For this recipe:
1/2 grapefruit juiced
1/2 lemon juiced
equal parts balsamic oil and olive oil
1 Tsp liquid honey


Tonight I had it on my salad on the side of my simple mexican vegan plate (rice, beans, salsa, avocado).

Grown-up Granola Bars

My first attempt at making granola bars, ever! Why would someone EVER buy them? You'll wonder that after you try this recipe.

1 1/2 Cups of oatmeal
1 Cup of dates
3/4 Cups of slivered almonds
1/4 Cup  sunflower seeds
2/3 Cup natural peanut butter
1/4 Cup of liquid honey
1/2 Tsp of cinnamon

If you have a food processor you'll save yourself some sticky fingers. I hand chopped the dates to almost a minced size.

In a dry bowl combine: oatmeal, add cinnamon (give it a mix)

I roasted the seeds and almonds for 5 minutes at 350.

And add chopped dates - give it a mix again!

In a saucepan: heat peanut butter and honey at a low heat.The flavour here brought back some childhood memories of peanut butter and honey on toast for me!

Combine wet and dry ingredients. I had to roll up my sleeves and use my hands to completely combine and you may find that you'll have to add a bit more peanut butter to coat - so more is less here!

Press down in a square dish and cover with cling wrap. Put in the freezer for 20 minutes before cutting.

I've heard stories about homemade granola bars being crumbly - I can see how that could happen, you really have to coat everything so next round I think I will add a bit more wet ingredients.

Credit must go to the Minimalist Baker blog i've mentioned for the inspiration from their 5 Ingredient Granola bar recipes.

Terrific Turkey Spaghetti Sauce

Sometimes I have a recipe in my head that only takes 45 minutes to complete, tops! Rarely is this actuality. Oh well, my future self will thank my misjudgements.

First I made a blended tomato kale marinara sauce with roasted garlic.

2x 19oz Cans of diced tomatos

2x 190z Cans of crushed tomatoes

4-5 Cloves of roasted garlic

1 Tsp of red pepper flakes

1 Tsp of brown sugar

2 Tbsp of Italian spice blend

1 medium onion diced and softened in oil

Salt and pepper

4+ cups of kale

Simmer, hang out then blend

Cook ground turkey in a separate pan.
I added some Italian seasoning blend while cooking.

In  yet another pot… soften in oil the following:

2 Stalks of celery

1 Red pepper diced

1 Small zucchini diced

2-3 Cups of mushrooms sliced

Once softened as desired add turkey and as much blended marinara sauce as you wish. I had a good amount left over for future veg meals. Obviously this recipe makes enough to feed a polygamous family so you can freeze what you don't eat for future no-cooking days :)

Right, this was served on roasted spaghetti squash which is the easiest thing EVER to make and do not cook it via radiation, I beg you! Make an insertion with your knife (stabbing sounded to harsh) and place in an oven pre-heated to 350. Leave for 45 minutes then remove. I would let sit for at least 20 minutes before slicing in half then take out the seeds. See, it only takes an additional hour of your time but you can start it when you start the sauce ;)

Spicy Ginger Latte

I did it!

2-3 Inches of sliced ginger
1 Tsp of brown sugar
1 1/2 Cups of water

Boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes

Take out and heat milk on stovetop with cinnamon.


The proportions really depend on your taste. I prefer a spicier tasting latte, myself! Credit for inspiration is thanks to the minimalist baker blog.