A few years ago, on a chilly end-of-summer evening, my mother in law prepared this simple chickpea stew for the family. As simple as this dish was, it was far from it in terms of flavour and texture. A few scoops of this hearty vegan stew warmed me up instantly and comforted me the way those more traditional stick-to-your-ribs kind of meals do. I’m talking beef stew, mac n’ cheese, and every other comfort food – that also happen to not be vegan-friendly. This chickpea stew has quickly become one of my favourite vegan dishes to prepare for the family. The simplicity of this dish makes it so delicious – the tangy tomatoes, nutty chickpeas, the addition of healthy greens, and not to mention the earthy spices. This is not a swanky dish by any means, but it’s perfect for the cold weather and so flavourful and satisfying. The best part is it’s relatively cheap to prepare and can feed the family or dinner guests without breaking the bank.

There’s a few ways you can go about preparing this meal – either boiling dried chickpeas beforehand then adding to cooked sauce (homemade or not) heating through for 5-10 minutes before serving. Or you can grab a jar of canned and drained chickpeas and add directly to your sauce. The result is the same – a chunky, hearty stew however, I can vouch for the fact that dried cooked chickpeas are so much more flavourful and have such a better texture than the canned variety. On that note, the flexibility of this dish means that when you are pressed for time you can still whip up this healthy recipe in under 30 minutes on a busy weeknight, or you can prepare a large batch on the weekend and store portions in the freezer for quick evening meals.

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I’m an honest person. Honest enough to admit my failures in the kitchen – this being one of them. I have made numerous attempts at preparing homemade falafels, but they never came to fruition as well as I had anticipated. Years later, and many a chickpea wasted, I finally discovered my one and only error, which can literally make or break this recipe –  the chickpeas! When it comes to preparing falafel from scratch, it is important to use dry, uncooked chickpeas (rather than the canned variety) to ensure your falafels are light and fluffy, as opposed to dense and flattened. The entire process is really quite easy; soak the chickpeas overnight, grind them until fine and crumbly, add the remaining ingredients, form into patties, fry, and voilà!

Garnish this protein-packed vegetarian appetizer with tahini paste or a quick-fix yogurt dip made with cucumbers and fresh dill. Or, serve as a main on top of a fresh salad, like this Quinoa Tabbouleh, or paired with your favourite protein. Although the ingredients listed are ‘exact’ measurements, there’s always room for a bit of interpretation. For example, if you love falafels with a punch of flavour add more garlic, herbs, and spices. Also, depending on how much you’ve soaked the chickpeas and dried them, you might have to add a tablespoon or so of water at a time as you prepare the mixture until you get the perfect consistency. The falafels should be firm enough to hold together but not too wet. Once you get that perfect consistency you are good to go. Just quickly form patties with your hands then set then cook the falafels until golden perfection!

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My kids always come home from school absolutely ravenous. The minute they walk into the doorway, they kick off their shoes, drop their bags, and head right to the kitchen. Most days I don’t get home from work until shortly after they do, so needless to say after-school snacks are usually an after thought – translated, I grab a yogurt from the fridge or something from the pantry (always healthy options, of course!). The other day however, I was perusing some recipes from the Blog and came across these decadent apple nachos  and easy apple sandwiches, and I was inspired to create this fun snack for the kids. These apple slices couldn’t be any simpler to make and literally took minutes to prepare. Not only are they healthy, they pack a punch of protein and are totally kid-friendly. The kids loved getting in the kitchen with me to prepare these and even better, they got to choose their own toppings. I simply set out a smorgasbord of garnishes; nut butters, coconut flakes, raisins, Goji berries, chocolate and carob chips, hemp hearts, Nutella, etc, for everyone to choose from. Check out these delicious flavour combinations;

Peanut butter, raisins, and chia seeds

Nutella and coconut flakes

Almond butter and strawberry jam (Get the recipe for homemade chia jam HERE.)

Nutella and goji berries

Peanut butter, carob chips, and vanilla bean powder

Sunbutter, coconut flakes, and sesame seeds

These sandwiches are portable and don’t require refrigeration, which makes them ideal for school lunches, or for those afternoons when we have errands or appointments right after school. Having said that, if these aren’t being serving immediately, they will brown like any apples does. To avoid this, simply combine about 1/4 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of lemon in a bowl and brush the tops of the apples before adding the garnishes.

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Sunday mornings are reserved for pancakes. On that note, we’ve been so busy lately that I’ve been resorting to cereal, even on Sunday mornings when I should have the extra time to prepare them! Albeit the kids love cereal and happily oblige whenever it’s served to them, they do love mom’s pancakes and get so excited whenever discover I’m making them for breakfast. There’s just something about sitting around the table all together on a lazy Sunday morning, enjoying a delicious homemade breakfast with all the fixings. More importantly, these pancakes are easily stored in the freezer, which means they make a quick and easy weekday breakfast for the family, or even easy school lunches for the kids.

This recipe for cinnamon flax pancakes is a relatively old recipe, and has been stashed in my archives for quite some time now. How unfortunate for us that I haven’t taken advantage of this delicious recipe for so long! We all devoured them – me, mostly while I was preparing them! You’ll be amazed at how fluffy and thick these pancakes pillow up as you cook them, all while the sides turn crispy and browned. It’s the perfect combination of a crispy exterior and an airy and light interior. They’re so tasty and delicious on their own, but of course taste even better smothered with rich maple syrup. Serve them any which way your heart desires – whichever way you choose, these pancakes will be the star of the show, and the family will be begging for more.

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Let me preface this post by saying that I nearly saved enough of these banana sushi to document any proof of it. Not only is this snack delicious (and addictive – but who cares? It’s healthy!), it’s incredibly easy to make, which means toddlers and big kids can help you prepare these. It’s a fun way to get the kids in the kitchen, and clean up is not nearly as stressful as it is when kids help with other recipes, say baked goods, or full-on meals. Having said that, although it is an easy recipe, there is some degree of mess, in the form of the creamy Nutella that sticks to your fingers while preparing these. Prep sort of involves, scooping out the Nutella, spreading it on the banana, lick your fingers and the butter knife, then repeat. No complaints on my end, and definitely no complaints from the kids!

What’s great about this recipe is that you can customize it however you like. The combinations are endless – just combine Nutella, peanut butter, almond butter, or a school-friendly nut-free butter with any crunchy component such as hemp hearts, chia seeds, crispy rice, crushed nuts, coconut flakes, and so on.

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Tofu is one of those foods that most people, especially meat lovers tend to be skeptical about. I don’t make tofu that often, and I have to admit that when I do I usually stick to a stir fry or these crispy vegan croutons. I can only imagine that non-vegans might be rolling their eyes as they read this post. I mean, why would a meat-lover even want to consume tofu? What’s the point, right? In tofu’s defence, it’s the quintessential substitute for meat, and besides that nurturing an adventurous palate never hurt anyone, right? In addition, tofu is a great ingredient to incorporate into meatless Mondays, and meat-lovers can still get a significant amount of protein in their meal.

I might be going out on a limb here but I’m pretty confident that this recipe may convert non-tofu eaters into tofu-cravers. The pan-fried tofu cubes are crispy on the outside, the insides are meaty, and the overall flavour is mild and nutty. Their taste, texture, and nutritional value make them a really great addition to a healthy salad, whether you’re a vegetarian or not! On a side note, there are two easy tips you should follow when preparing this recipe in order to get super crispy and crunchy tofu croutons: use extra-firm tofu, and don’t cut the tofu cubes too big – the thinner they are, the crispier they get. Follow those easy steps and you’ll have crispy vegan croutons every time!

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Sweet potatoes are a quintessential fall ingredient, and in my opinion reign as one of the most versatile of all vegetables. They lend well to just about every recipe, savoury or sweet. They always seem to find their way into my recipes, from vegetarian burgers, risottos and pastas, soups and stews, to homemade dips and even sweet treats and desserts. Albeit sweet potatoes are versatile, one of the best ways to enjoy them is all on their lonesome, especially when they’re roasted to sweet, caramelized perfection.

My inspiration for this dish wasn’t actually a sweet potato, but rather a few on-the-verge-of-expiry avocados sitting in the crisper. As per usual, guacamole was my first option, but somehow the sweet potatoes sitting right next to them in the fridge inspired me to incorporate them into the mix. I was craving fries – and guacamole, so the result were these sweet caramelized sweet potatoes, garnished with an guacamole-ish aioli. The sweet creamy root veg combined with the tangy avocado aioli is the perfect combination of flavours. This is a tasty side dish to serve alongside any protein, or if you’re vegan or vegetarian you can enjoy these all on their own as a main – like I did. I ate every last one of them. Nothing wrong with a few sweet potatoes for dinner, especially if they’re this healthy and delicious.

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One of the best aspects of being a food blogger is that I get to share my favourite clean eating recipes with my readers. Another bonus is that I have the possibility to share delicious, healthy products that I’ve discovered you. And do I have an amazing product to share with you today!

I’d like to introduce you to GoGo Quinoa, an amazing company based in Montreal, Canada, that boasts a line of over 30 delicious products, all of which are vegan and gluten-free. GoGo Quinoa offers ethically produced and fairly priced products without compromising on quality and delicious flavour. The fact that the GoGo Quinoa brand prides itself on providing high quality, flavourful products truly resonates with me, since providing quality meals for my family is a top priority. I’d love to describe in precise detail how delicious all (yes, all!) of their products are – like their decadent and rich chocolate cake mix, their fluffy pancake mix, and their hearty pastas (which Globe and Mail deemed as one of the best gluten-free pastas) however, I would need more than one Blog post for that!

Today I’ll be introducing you to their Quinoa Tri-Color medley. Quinoa has been a constant on my grocery list for many years, and I can say in all honesty that this product is by far the best one I’ve had, in terms of flavour, convenience, and quality. This recipe for ginger sesame broccoli rabe quinoa was so simple to prepare – I just cooked a pre-rinsed portion of their organic quinoa and combined it with some broccoli rabe sautéed in a garlic, ginger, sesame, and soy sauce. Now, back to GoGo Quinoa and the awesome giveaway I have for you today!

GoGo Quinoa has generously partnered with me to offer you the chance to win a package of their delicious Tri-Color Quinoa, plus a bag of their breakfast cereal Cinnamon Crunchies, which also happens to be a healthy grab n’ go snack! Just follow the instructions below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to Canadian and U.S. residents and will run for one week, from January 10th to January 17th, 2017. The lucky winner will be announced at random on January 20th.

For more information about GoGo Quinoa, go to:
Web: GoGoQuinoa.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/GoGo-Quinoa/219373574767975
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoGoQuinoa

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I’m going to tell you a story.

Once upon a time there was a food blogger who (as per usual) decided to start her holiday baking a little too late. The house was filled with illness for the two weeks leading up to Christmas and so she had little time, and even less energy to prepare scrumptious treats for her family – and not to mention guests for her upcoming Christmas party. The day of the party had arrived and she was desperate for a quick dessert to serve to her party guests. Low and behold she discovered a lone package of puff pastry hidden in the freezer, and thankfully, before she had time to finish off the tub of Nutella she was devouring, she put two and two together and created this ah-mazing dessert! 

The story is true, and so is the description of these decadent Nutella twists. In fact, they exceeded my expectations. These easy puff pastry Nutella twists were a show stopper at my Christmas party, and I’m not surprised. They’re flaky, chewy, buttery, and oh-so rich and decadent. And for the record, you can’t just eat one of them – just ask my party guests! A light dusting of icing sugar finishes off this quick and easy party-friendly dessert.

Note: These twists can be filled with substitutes for the Nutella however, the results may vary. I prepared these with jam, almond butter, and peanut butter combined with Nutella. If using jam, be sure to seal the twists as best as you can to avoid the jam seeping out from the sides. Almond and peanut butter are fantastic combinations with Nutella however, since they are much oilier than Nutella the result is much denser and less flaky. In my opinion, the Nutella had by far the best results!

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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Since choosing to follow a plant-based diet a few years ago, I’ve come to the realization that cauliflower is one of the most versatile vegetables, and makes for an ideal key ingredient in so many different vegetarian dishes. It’s filling and flavourful, and is a perfect substitute for rice and ground meats, thanks to its grainy texture. It also packs a punch of nutrition – one serving contains 77% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C, and it’s a great source of other vitamins.

My family is not as keen on cauliflower as I am, but I am convinced that one day I will convert them. Almost every Wednesday’s dinner is Tex-Mex-inspired, whether it be tostadas, quesadillas, or rice dishes. This healthy vegetable rice is a tasty way to ease them into vegan fare – it’s delicious and filling, and tastes delicious with Tex-Mex flavours. This vegan rice has plenty of serving options – wrapped in lettuce for a gluten-free meal option, stuffed in tacos or quesadillas, or as a topping for nachos. This recipe is also a cinch to personalize by adding whichever vegan or non-vegan garnish you prefer – fresh cilantro or parsley, olives, Greek yogurt or sour cream, scallions, red onions, Sriracha or jalapenos, plant-based or regular cheese, fresh avocado or tomatoes, or fresh lime juice, to name a few.

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