Author Archives: Angela Liddon

Heather’s Toasted Super Seed Power Bread

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{“head_note”:”A hearty, crunchy, chewy, high-protein and fibre bread free of gluten! What’s not to love? This recipe is lightly adapted from Heather Crosby’s Yum Universe<\/a> cookbook (2014). Some of the changes I made to this recipe are the following: Instead of letting the dough sit overnight, I was impatient (nothing new here!) and only let it sit for an hour. To my delight, it still worked out lovely. Just a tip in case you are short on time or patience like me. I didn’t have any poppy seeds on hand so I subbed them with hemp hearts which adds a nice bit of complete protein and healthy fats, however my loaf is lacking those beautiful specks of black seeds. I imagine that you could change up the nuts and seeds as you see fit in this recipe. It’s pretty versatile! Lastly, I used coconut sugar instead of Sucanat and I used thinly sliced almonds instead of whole almonds (so it would be easier to slice). I don’t recommend skipping the toasting step – I tried this recipe both ways and taking the time to toast the nuts\/seeds\/oats in the beginning resulted in a more flavourful loaf.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat oven to 325F and grab an extra large baking sheet. Add the oats, sesame seeds, pepita seeds, almonds, and sunflower seeds onto baking sheet. Spread out evenly and toast in the oven for 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. The dough will be very watery at first, but thanks to the psyllium husk powder and chia, it will thicken up quickly. After stirring, cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it sit for around an hour on the countertop. The dough will be very thick.<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Lightly grease a small loaf pan (9\” x 5\”) and then line it with a piece of parchment paper so you can easily pull the loaf out. Scoop the dough into the loaf pan and press it down firmly and evenly.<\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Bake the loaf at 325F for 30 minutes. Grab a baking sheet. Now remove the pan from the oven and carefully lift out the loaf. Carefully, flip the loaf upside down onto the baking sheet and bake it for another 45-50 minutes, uncovered, watching closely during the end of the bake time. The loaf will be lightly golden and firm when ready.<\/li>\r\n\t
  5. Cool loaf completely on a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy! I love toasting this bread and spreading some coconut oil on top. It’s just divine. Also try it with avocado and hummus, jam, or vegan butter.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”Nutritional info (per slice, based on 14 slices per loaf): 157 cals, 10.5 g fat, 130 mg sodium, 10.9 g carbs, 4.6 g fibre, 1.5 g sugar, 6.1 g protein\r\n\r\nNotes: 1) Heather says you can use 1\/4 cup psyllium husks instead of the 3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder. Where to find the psyllium husk powder? I’ve had success finding it in the vitamin\/protein powder aisle of Whole Foods. 2) Do not skip the psyllium husk powder – it binds the loaf together. 3) Feel free to toss in finely chopped dried fruit like dried cranberries.”}

Sweet Potato Crumble Casserole

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{“head_note”:”This is a side dish you’re going to want on the holiday dinner table! The crunchy nut crumble tastes just like an oatmeal cookie. I recommend serving this casserole with a pat of vegan butter or coconut oil to really take it over the top. Also try serving it with Coconut Whipped Cream\u00a0for a decadent twist. In this recipe, I swapped out half the vegan butter for virgin coconut oil to add some heart-healthy fats while still retaining that lovely butter flavour.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Peel and roughly chop sweet potatoes into large chunks. Place into a large pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high, and gently boil for 10 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Preheat oven to 375\u00b0F (190\u00b0C). Lightly grease a 2 1\/2-quart (10-cup) casserole dish and set aside.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Prepare the crumble topping: Pulse the oats in a food processor until coarsely chopped. In a medium bowl, stir together the chopped pecans, oats, almond meal\/flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pour on melted coconut oil, melted butter, and maple syrup. Stir until combined.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Once cooked and drained, place sweet potatoes into a large bowl.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Mash potatoes with the butter and coconut oil until smooth. Now, stir in the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Adjust to taste if desired. Spoon into casserole dish and smooth out.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Sprinkle the crumble topping all over the sweet potato mixture, evenly.<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. Bake, uncovered, at 375\u00b0F (190\u00b0C) for 16 to 23 minutes, until the dish is hot throughout. Plate and serve immediately with a pat of vegan butter or coconut oil.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”
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    • For a creamy twist, try subbing some of the butter\/oil in the sweet potato mash for full-fat canned coconut cream.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>“}

Double Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroon Tart

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{“head_note”:”Calling all chocolate macaroon lovers! That’s everyone, right? This tart combines two of my favourite flavours – dark chocolate and coconut. The velvety filling is made up of 70% dark chocolate and rich coconut milk while the coconut, date, and cocoa crust tastes just like a chocolate macaroon. Be sure to read the entire recipe before you begin to pick up my helpful hints.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Toast the coconut (optional step, but recommended): Preheat oven to 325\u00b0F. Place shredded coconut and large flake coconut (if using for garnish) on baking sheet. Keep separate on baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until lightly golden but not brown. Set aside to cool.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Line a 9-inch glass pie dish with 3 (2-inch wide) strips of parchment paper, one going each direction, with overhang. Now place a large piece of plastic wrap on top and press down (see this photo for a visual<\/a>). The parchment strips will allow you to lift the pie out after freezing. I highly recommend doing this or the crust will stick miserably to the dish.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Prepare the crust: In a heavy duty food processor, add the pitted dates and process until finely chopped. A big ball will form. Add in the rest of the crust ingredients (including the toasted shredded coconut – but not the large flake coconut) and process until everything is combined. The dough should stick together when pressed between your fingers. If it doesn\u2019t, add optional water and process again.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Spoon the crust mixture into the prepared pie dish. Spread out evenly. Starting at the centre, press down firmly moving outward and up the sides of the pie dish. Place dish in the freezer while you prepare the filling.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Prepare the filling: Break up chocolate bars into chunks and place into a medium-sized pot. Melt the chocolate over the lowest heat setting (or use double boiler). When the chocolate is 2\/3 of the way melted, remove from heat and stir until completely melted and smooth.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Shake the can of room temperature coconut milk. Open it and measure out 1\/4 cup of milk. Save the 1\/4 cup of milk for another use (such as a smoothie) and pour the rest into the pot with the melted chocolate. Whisk vigorously until completely smooth. Finally, whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Set aside.<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. For the whipped cream (optional): Open the can of chilled coconut milk and scoop off the cream portion only. Discard the water or save for a smoothie. Place the cream into a bowl along with one tablespoon of pure maple syrup. With electric beaters, whip the cream until smooth.<\/li>\r\n \t
  8. With a spatula, scoop the chocolate filling into the pie crust until almost full (to avoid overfilling, you might want to refrain from using all the filling- see my note below).<\/li>\r\n \t
  9. Drop a few tablespoons of whipped cream all over the chocolate filling and swirl it all around with a knife. Carefully transfer the pie dish into the freezer on a level surface for approx. 3 hours, or until firm throughout.<\/li>\r\n \t
  10. Remove pie dish from freezer and let sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes. Grab the parchment paper and lift the pie out of the dish (I had to grab the strips of paper and wiggle it back and forth several times before it popped out).<\/li>\r\n \t
  11. Slice and garnish with toasted coconut flakes, leftover coconut cream, and flaked sea salt, if desired. Serve immediately as pie will soften quickly.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”

Flourless Thumbprint Breakfast Cookies

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{“head_note”:”Healthy, wholesome breakfast cookies sweetened with banana. These cookies are soft, doughy, and dense\u2014almost like portable baked oatmeal. Have fun changing up this recipe with different mix-ins, like chopped nuts or seeds.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F (180\u00b0C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. In a food processor, add the oats and pulse until a coarse meal forms. Don’t process it into a flour, some big flakes\u00a0are good.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the processed oats, mashed banana, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt until combined.\u00a0The mixture will be very wet and dense.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. With a retractable ice cream scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough into 10 mounds. (The cookies do not need to be spaced far apart on the baking sheet as they don’t spread out.) Press your thumb into the centre of each cookie to create a well. Fill each well with 1 heaping teaspoon of jam.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Bake cookies at 350\u00b0F (180\u00b0C) for 11 to 13 minutes, until the cookies are slightly firm on the outside, but soft and doughy in the middle. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack for 10 minutes.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. If desired, pipe on your favourite nut butter. These cookies also taste great with a pat of coconut oil on top!<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”
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    • To make the cookies nut-free, omit the peanut butter topping or swap it with sunflower seed butter instead.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>“}

Flourless Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies

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{“head_note”:”Quite possibly the best cookies to come out of my oven! These cookies are without a lick of flour, but you’d never know it. The peanut butter, brown sugar, maple, and coconut combo creates a crispy, toffee-like cookie just bursting with flavour. I dug up this recipe (which was originally intended for my cookbook) at the request of my sister and Eric who were both very disappointed their favourite cookie recipe didn’t make it in the cookbook. Well, here it is at long last! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax egg and set aside.<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Whisk together the dry ingredients (coconut, brown sugar, rolled oats, baking powder, salt, and chocolate) in a large mixing bowl.<\/li>\r\n\t
  4. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients together, including the flax egg. Stir until thoroughly combined. The mixture will be very thick.<\/li>\r\n\t
  5. Scoop the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until completely mixed. The batter will appear very dry at first, like you did something wrong, but keep mixing! It will eventually come together just fine.<\/li>\r\n\t
  6. Now that you\u2019ve mixed the dough it will now appear quite sticky. Lightly wet your hands (shake off excess water) and form small balls of dough (about 14). Or you can use an ice-cream scoop. Place onto the baking sheet 3 inches apart to allow for expansion. If the chocolate chips don\u2019t stick to the dough, simply push them into the dough with your hands. Do not flatten down the balls as they spread out very well on their own.<\/li>\r\n\t
  7. Bake at 350F for 15-17 minutes (I baked for 17 minutes), until the cookies are nice and golden. The bottoms will be a light brown colour. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack until completely cooled.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”Note: For best results, use all-natural peanut butter that is runny\/drippy and stir well before measuring. If your peanut butter is very thick and dry, you might need to add a tiny bit of oil to this recipe. The thickness of the cookies will depend on the thickness\/thinness of the peanut butter – so if it\u2019s super dry you will get very thick cookies and if it\u2019s very oily and runny you will get thinner cookies.”}

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Avocado Garlic Aioli

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{“head_note”:”One of my all-time favourite ways to enjoy Yukon Gold potatoes! Smashed, crispy, and served with an addictive\u2014yet healthy\u2014avocado garlic aioli sauce. These smashed potatoes make a killer side dish. I recommend looking for potatoes on the smaller side if you can, as they \”smash\” a bit easier, but larger potatoes will turn out fine too.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Add potatoes into a large pot and cover with water (do not peel the potatoes). Turn the heat to high. When the water starts to boil, reduce heat slightly, and simmer the potatoes uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until fork tender.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. When there is about 10 minutes left of boiling the potatoes, begin preheating the oven to 450\u00b0F (230\u00b0C).<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. When the potatoes are fork tender, drain in a colander and cool for 5\u00a0minutes or so.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Place the potatoes on a large, lightly greased baking sheet. (Skip the parchment paper for this recipe, as an oiled baking sheet with produce crispier potatoes.) With the base of a mug or metal measuring cup, \”smash\” (press down on) each potato until each one is mostly flattened. Some potatoes might break apart a little, but this is totally fine!<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Drizzle each potato with about 1 teaspoon of oil and sprinkle on a generous amount of salt and pepper. Finally, sprinkle on some garlic powder.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Roast the potatoes in the oven for 25 to 33 minutes until crispy, golden, and browned on the bottom. Keep an eye on them as cook time will vary depending on the size of your potatoes. I love to roast these until the skins become a deep golden brown and crispy\u2014they are so delicious to eat!<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. Meanwhile, prepare the Avocado Garlic Aioli: Add garlic into food processor and process until minced. Now add the rest of the aioli ingredients and process until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.<\/li>\r\n \t
  8. Remove the potatoes from the oven and sprinkle each with chopped fresh parsley, more sea salt, and pepper. Serve immediately with avocado aioli (piped or dolloped on) and watch them go lightning fast!!<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”
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    • If you have any leftover potatoes, they can be reheated in an oven on a greased baking sheet at 400\u00b0F (200\u00b0C) for 6 to 12 minutes, until warmed throughout. The Avocado Garlic Aioli doesn’t heat well (it tends to brown), so I don’t recommend heating it, but serving fresh whenever possible.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>“}

Gooey Pumpkin Spice Latte Chocolate Pudding Cake

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{“head_note”:”Coffee, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spices, and chocolate all combined in one gooey, saucy, pudding cake. What on earth could be better? Serve with a scoop of vegan ice cream and toasted pecans to take it over the edge. Be sure to see my notes at the end of this recipe for ways you can change it up. Recipe adapted from The Oh She Glows Cookbook<\/a>.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat oven to 375\u2070F and lightly grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish with oil.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Whisk flax and water together in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to gel up.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, 3\/4 cup sugar, 1\/3 cup cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, chocolate, salt, and baking powder.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax mixture, milk, pumpkin, and vanilla.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Pour wet mixture onto dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Scoop the batter into the prepared glass dish and smooth out evenly with a spoon.<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. In a small bowl or mug, combine the remaining tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1\/4 cup sugar. Sprinkle all of it evenly over the cake batter.<\/li>\r\n \t
  8. Slowly pour the hot coffee over the cocoa powder and sugar mixture ensuring that the coffee completely covers the powder and sugar. The cake will now look like a complete disaster, but this is normal. Promise!<\/li>\r\n \t
  9. Very carefully place the dish into the oven, uncovered. Bake at 375\u2070F for 25-40 minutes (see my post<\/a> for the visual step by step pictures) until the cake is semi-firm on the top, but bubbly and gooey around the edges (see photo in blog post). It will look under-baked, but this is normal (we want it saucy!). If for whatever reason your cake is still watery after 30 minutes in the oven, keep baking it until it looks like the photo in the blog post.<\/li>\r\n \t
  10. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes and then serve immediately with vegan vanilla ice cream and toasted pecans. This cake is best served warm straight out of the oven. I tried reheating leftovers in the oven the next day and the cake absorbed a lot of the sauce during the reheat. It was still good, but we preferred the cake the first day, fresh out of the oven. Leftovers are quite good served chilled, as an alternate suggestion.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”
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    • You can probably swap the coconut sugar for natural cane sugar. The bake time may vary slightly since coconut sugar tends to be more dry.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • If you aren’t a coffee fan, feel free to swap it with boiling water.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • To make this nut-free, swap the almond milk for coconut milk (or non-dairy milk of your choice) and leave out the pecan garnish.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • To make the oat flour, add the rolled oats into a high speed blender and blend on high until a fine flour forms. You can also use 1 1\/2 cups + 2 tablespoons store-bought oat flour instead.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>“}

Pumpkin Oatmeal Anytime Squares

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{“head_note”:”Soft and muffin-like in texture, these oil-free pumpkin oatmeal bars are light enough for breakfast and all your snacking needs.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Mix flax egg in a small bowl or mug and set aside to thicken for about 5 minutes.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin and sugar with electric beaters until combined.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Pour in the flax egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Add the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and beat again.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Finally add in the oat flour, rolled oats, almond flour, arrowroot flour, and pecans. Beat until combined.<\/li>\r\n \t
  7. Spoon dough into prepared pan and spread out until smooth and even. The dough will be very sticky, but this is normal. I like to cover the dough with a piece of parchment paper and roll it with a pastry roller. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and press down.<\/li>\r\n \t
  8. Bake for 15-19 minutes (I baked for 18 minutes), until lightly golden and firm to the touch. Be sure not to overbake.<\/li>\r\n \t
  9. Place pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then, lift out and place square directly on cooling rack for another 10-20 minutes, until cool. Slice and enjoy! The bars will crumble slightly if sliced warm, but they firm up nicely when cooled.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”Tips: 1) Instead of coconut sugar, you can try using Sucanat or natural cane sugar. Also, if you’d like a less sweet square you can try reducing the sugar a bit. 2) To make the freshly ground oat flour, add 3\/4 cup rolled oats into a high speed blender. Blend on high until a fine flour forms. You can also simply use store-bought oat flour (3\/4 cup + 1 tablespoon should do it).”}

10-Spice Vegetable Soup

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{“head_note”:”This is the ultimate bowl of comfort food, made with a decadent creamy broth and loaded with an array of health-boosting spices and vegetables. Be sure to soak the cashews in water the night before (or see my 30 to 60 minute\u00a0quick-soak method) so they are ready when you plan to make the soup.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Place cashews in a bowl and add enough water to cover. Soak the cashews overnight, or for 8 hours. For a quick-soak method, soak the cashews in boiled water for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain and rinse the cashews.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. In a blender, combine the soaked and drained cashews with 1 cup of vegetable broth and blend on the highest speed until smooth. Set aside.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saut\u00e9 for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Season generously with Herbamare or sea salt.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Add the carrots, bell pepper, potato, celery, and diced tomatoes with their juices, the remaining 5 cups broth, and 1 to 2 tablespoons 10-Spice Mix (to taste). Stir well to combine . Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and black pepper.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Simmer the soup uncovered for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and black pepper. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the cashew cream, spinach (or kale), and drained beans. Add more 10-Spice Mix, to taste.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. To freeze, ladle the soup into containers (leaving 1 inch for expansion), cool completely, secure lid, and place in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”
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    • If you don\u2019t wish to make the 10-Spice Mix, feel free to use your favorite store-bought Cajun or Creole seasoning mix and add to taste.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • You will have leftover spice blend. Store it in a container and keep it handy anytime you want to spice up a dish! It’s great in\u00a0pasta sauces, soup, as a tofu seasoning, in a stir-fry, and more.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • When thawed, this soup’s broth looks a bit grainy, but rest assured when it’s heated up again it will return to its former smoothness. Regardless, it’ll taste just as good!<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>“}

15-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

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{“head_note”:”Creamy, thick, and rich with lots of garlic flavour and a hint of lemon, this is one of my favourite pasta dishes. The avocado works wonderfully in this recipe to create a sauce so creamy and thick you will think there is cream hiding in there.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. For a lighter option, serve the avocado sauce with zucchini noodles.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce: In a food processor, combine the garlic and basil and pulse to mince. Add the lemon juice, oil, avocado, and 1 tablespoon water and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Drain the pasta and place it back in the pot. Add all of the avocado sauce and stir until combined. You can gently rewarm the pasta if it has cooled slightly, or simply serve it at room temperature.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Top with pepper, lemon zest, and fresh basil leaves, if desired.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”
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    • Because avocados oxidize quickly after you slice them, this sauce is best served immediately.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Make it grain-free:\u00a0Serve this avocado sauce with spiralized or julienned zucchini or on a bed of spaghetti squash.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>“}