Easy breakfast: perfect for weight loss!

More cabbage a.k.a I wanna test my new HD cam!

Vegan Quesadillas, Tofuguru Style

Today is Animal Freedom Day.

Use your voice to speak for those who don't have one. Be veggie for one day.

Links to life changing websites:

Animal Freedom Day
Earthlings, the movie (Warning: graphic)
Meat.org, the Web Site the Meat Industry Doesn't Want You to See
VeggieBoards
Vegan.com
The Vegan Society
Caring Consumer, a Guide to Kind Living
Compassionate Cooks
Veg for life
FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Sometimes, you just need something decadent.

And this week, I sure feel the need for it.

Without getting into details, I felt the need to relax and treat myself to something very decadent. I got out my newest vegan cookbook, The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, by Joanne Stepaniak and whipped up something good. Give this book a try, it is absolutely amazing. Meanwhile, enjoy this Peanut Butter Fudge Pie on a Raw Nut Crust.

Raw Nut Crust (modified a bit from the book)

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup cashews
• 1/2 teaspoon group cinnamon
• 3/4 chopped pitted dates

Grind nuts and spices in a food processor. Add dates and process several minutes until well combined. Stop to scrape down the sides of the work bowl as needed. Mixture is ready when it holds together when pressed between your fingers. Press firmly into the bottom and sides of a lightly oiled 9- or 10-inch pie plate (using water-moistened hands will help keep the crust from sticking to your fingers).

Peanut Butter Fudge Pie

• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 teaspoons agar powder
• 3/4 cup mashed firm silken tofu
• 1 1/4 cups maple syrup
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine water and agar powder in a small saucepan and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until completely dissolved (it took about 5 minutes), stirring often. Pour into a blender or a food processor along with remaining ingredients. Process several minutes until completely smooth. Pour into prepared pie crust. Refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving (best served thoroughly chilled).

Start with Miso and end with Awesome

I had bought Miso to make my Mac'n'Cheese and I was trying to find a fun way to use whatever was left in a recipe. I also had some dried wakame in my pantry, so I thought "Waiiiiiit a minute here... I think this might be miso soup time!!!" And it was.

Kris loves mac'n'cheese.

When I asked Kris what some of his pre-vegan favorite foods were, he said something about how he would eat whole boxes of Kraft Dinner. I was not gonna make a regular mac'n'cheese for dinner though, for obvious reasons, so I got my beloved The Vegan Table cookbook out, and got cooking!

Now, I'm not gonna tell you Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's secrets for making this deliciously creamy mac'n'cheese, but I'm just gonna say that you would need cashews and nutritional yeast. Get The Vegan Table, it's totally worth it.

More sandwiches and more fries!

Who would wanna eat a tuna salad sandwich after tasting this?

Seriously, Colleen Patrick Goudreau is like... a Jedi Master of Vegan cooking. (Wow Vero, you're so cool...!)

Follow the Better Than Tuna Salad recipe, put it in a tasty bun with sprouts and fake blue cheese, and serve it with sweet potato fries, and you'll get this:

Même ma très omnivore de soeur Isabelle approuve!

Aux Vivres inspired me

So Friday night was the Aux Vivres night. And Saturday, I wanted to cook. Fully inspired by Aux Vivres, I got cooking!

The Vegelox we had the previous evening was just so crazy good that I had to figure out a way to make my version of it. I did some research online and although I was missing a really important ingredient (seaweed), I tried to make this vegan-version of smoked salmon. I mixed carrot pulp with capers, olive oil, green onions, salt and pepper. It wasn't as crazy as the one we had on Friday but it was more than just edible :P. I didn't stop there: I wanted to try making a cheese-like dip, something with herbs. I took out the tiny little food processor I have and mixed tofu with chives, olive oil, salt and pepper. It turned into what you can see on the right in the picture. It was really tasty! I could totally imagine this spread in a sandwich or something.

 And for my main course, with the peanut sauce that was in my meal at Aux Vivres, I wanted to do something that used peanut butter.

How about a spicy peanut butter marinade? Sounded promising! I mixed peanut butter with soy sauce, garlic, chili pepper flakes, a bit of olive oil and water. I marinated thick slices of tofu in it for a couple hours. Before cooking, I breaded my tofu in unsweetened coconut and sesame seeds. In the pan for a couple minutes on each side and BAM! Really flavorful tofu, with Thai aromas. I served it with whole wheat spaghetti with carrots, spinach and edamame, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Mmmmm!

Aux Vivres: Montreal's first vegan restaurant

I love HappyCow.net and its recommendations for vegetarians and vegans. That's where I read about Aux Vivres. Located on the Plateau, it's a really cute plate with a fully vegan menu. Kris and I gave it a try last Friday.

What we had:

Drinks: a cocoa-based smoothie, and the other one was made with berries. 

Starters: We went for the selection of cold starters. Cream cheese-like dip, vegelox (absolutely amazing), hummus, vegepate, tapenade, pickles and really good bread. 

My main dish: the Thai bowl, with tempeh. It came with peanut sauce, vegetables and rice. Mmmmm peanut sauce...

Kris' main dish: the Indian dinner; rice, a chick pea curry, chutney and a salad. 

For dessert, we shared a fake-cheesecake that was surprisingly creamy and moist. 

We asked for a table outside; they have a cute patio in the back of the restaurant. Aux Vivres seems like a good place to have a casual meal with friends, or on a double-date. I would definitely love to go back.  

Best. Burger. Ever.

The title says it all.

Kris and I went to the Jean-Talon market last Thursday to get inspired for our dinner. I was buying my usual tempeh and nuts and goodies. I also bought Blue Style Sheese, a 100% dairy free alternative to blue cheese. We ran into BBQ Tempeh Burgers and we had to give them a try, and Oh, My, God. Those turned out to be the best burgers we had ever had.

Imagine a really good quality bun with nigella in it (mmmm), the BBQ tempeh patty, the blue sheese, tofu-bacon (tofu marinated in soy sauce, liquid smoke and maple syrup), nayonnaise, tomato, spinach, and sprouts. It was... I don't know how else to describe it but to say that it was out of this world. We had it with a store-bought canned mixed bean salad that was really good.

If our dinner at Crudessence was described as a foodgasm, this had to be another one.

Vegan Dinner for Two

Before I talk about the food, I gotta tell you guys about Colleen Patrick Goudreau. Founder of CompassionateCooks.com, I think it is pretty safe to say that she is the reason why I am vegan. She opened up my eyes (and my heart) to the reality of the animal industry. She is very articulate, very smart and never uses a condescending tone when she talks. I beg you to check out her Podcasts, Vegetarian Food for Thought. After listening to all of her podcasts in a matter of days, I knew I was ready to follow my heart and make the switch. She also used to be a cooking instructor, and one of her videos on YouTube demonstrated her Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe. I knew I had to give it a try; it looked so simple and delicious!

Anyway, so... A lot has happened to me in the past week. Without really getting into details, I have a new guy in my life, and I'm glad to say that he's vegan too, so it was with a lot of pleasure that I prepared us a really, really gorgeous vegan dinner!

The stuffed squash came out beautifully. I changed the recipe from the video a tiny little bit, using a butternut squash instead of an acorn squash, and changing the spices and herbs as well. But believe me guys when I tell you that it was simply incredible, and so so so easy to make. Plus, it makes a very elegant meal. I served mine with a mixed green salad topped with soy nuts and squash seeds. 

And now, the dessert. Isn't this sexy? It's a raw vegan brownies, topped with coconut, served in a mango-peach soy dessert you get from grocery stores and blueberries. The raw vegan brownies are crazy simple to make:

In a food process, mix 1 cup of dates, 1 cup of walnuts, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and a table spoon of coconut oil. Mix really well and press into a pan. Let it cool in the fridge before serving. Top it (or not!) with coconut. DONE!

J'avais amené des brownies crus végétaliens chez mes parents le weekend dernier, et ma mère les a particulièrement aimé. Je pense l'avoir rarement vu aimé autant un petit plaisir sucré. Et ils sont tellement simples à faire!

A newly vegan girl back in her hometown

I spent last weekend over at my parents' house in Loretteville, a beautiful suburb of Quebec City. As a newly vegan though, I was a bit nervous about going back home and having to deal with questions and concerns about my new way of life.

Everything went really well! My mother showed some sincere interest into what I had to say about veganism. My dad took me to the grocery store so that I could buy food I would want to eat, and I had brought a huge bag full of vegan basics like nutritional yeast and dates and nuts.

I was lucky enough to be there for a really warm and sunny weekend; I got to use the pool and go on bike rides. It felt good to be alive! I also made this little video to show you guys what it's like to live with my new body.



And nooowwww, the noms!

I made this delicious iced chocolate and coffee drink. I simply blended cold coffee, vanilla soy milk and cocoa powder into this smooth, sweet and decadent treat!

The best meal I had over the weekend was definitely my tofu skewers. I marinated the tofu in orange juice, tahini, soy sauce, chili pepper flakes and garlic. I had the tofu with cumin vegan sausages, bell peppers, eggplant, butternut squash and onions.

Mes soeurs se sont bien amusés à mettre leur grain de sel dans mes vidéos ;) Mais à voir leur réaction devant mon hummus de fèves noires, je pense qu'elles ne peuvent pas juger mon végétalisme :P

Tonight, I had a foodgasm, at Crudessence

Yes, a foodgasm. The food was that delicious.

Kris and I went to Crudessence. In their own words:

An expression of respect for all living things: a healthy body in a clean environment and a strong, sustainable ecosystem. With the knowledge that every food choice carries an impact, Crudessence hopes to instill in others the happiness of conscious eating, support for local agriculture and, most importantly, a sense of abundance in the heart of the city.

Live Sushi: Coloured vegetable mouthfuls, sprouts and pâtés rolled in nori sheets.

Om Burger: A burger made of mushrooms, sundried tomato, flax and various vegetables served on a chapati. Garnished with fresh tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, home-made ketchup and mustard and our famous caper based aïoli sauce. Served with greens.

Pizzuchi: Cheese Pizza : A duo of our famous macadamia nut and cashew cheese, topped with capers and olives, sprinkled with Crumesan.

Add a really gooey, dense and thick brownie to all that. Oh, and I didn't take pictures of Kris' Protein Elixir (banana, chia seed, maca, hemp protein, hemp milk) and my Vert Doux Smoothie (kale, banana, mint, cayenne, pepper, almond milk).

Heaven. On. Earth. Seriously!

Running and Veganism

The 5 things that make my mornings

The five things that can really boost my mornings:

1. A warm, cuddly kitty to hug when you wake up;
2. A phone call from my boyfriend, or even better, having him in my bed to cuddle with;
3. The thought of wearing "those cute little pink shoes" or that "elegant black and white dress";
4. A cup of almond-chocolate coffee;
5. A deliciously healthy breakfast.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my quinoa porridge, and it perfectly fits the description of a deliciously healthy breakfast. It has to be the most comforting breakfast I've ever had. It's warm, just gooey enough and sweet, sweet, sweet! I'm warning you though: you might get addicted to this.

In a microwave safe bowl, mix 1/2 a cup of cooked quinoa, 1/3 of a cup of your favorite dairy drink, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a couple of dried fruits and something to sweeten it up. Put in the microwave for 2 minutes and you're done! I recommend using something like vanilla soy or almond milk; it gives it even more flavor and sweetness. And when it comes to fruits, be adventurous! Raisins, cranberries, figs, apricots, dates!

J'aime vraiment le gruau traditionnel, mais faire un "porridge" avec du quinoa plutôt que de l'avoine, c'est carrément meilleur. En plus, je prépare le mien avec du lait de soya ou d'amande aromatisé à la vanille et des fruits secs. C'est sucré, chaud et réconfortant. À essayer!

Huge salad is... well... huge!

Pretty simple meal tonight: a huge salad. I just threw all the random vegetables and fruits I felt like eating into a big bowl (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, yellow bell peppers, blackberries) and drizzled a little olive oil and lemon juice on top. Yes, it's simple, and that's why I love it! The picture doesn't do justice to how big the salad is!

I prepared the salad and left it in the fridge while I went for a jog. I ran 2.5km, thinking about my salad the entire way! Ahhh well... what can I say... I just LOVE food, especially when it's tasty, colorful and healthy!

Le Commensal

I love the Commensal. Affordable vegetarian food in convenient locations? Yes please!

I had dinner there tonight with my buddy Jim. I kept it simple with some raw vegetables, a quinoa salad, a chickpea salad and some mushrooms. He, on the other hand, opted for heavier options with long noodles, lasagna and quesadillas. It looked delicious!

My very-berry smoothie

A couple weeks ago, I was looking for a way to have some protein for breakfast without having cheese or meat. I quickly thought about making a smoothie with vanilla soy milk, add a couple berries and some flax seeds. And come on... isn't this pretty?

Here it is, my Very-Berry Smoothie!

1 cup of vanilla soy milk
75 grams of strawberries
50 grams of blackberries
1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal

Mix everything with a hand blender and tadaaa! You've got yourself a delicious treat for breakfast or for a snack.

If you want to sweeten your smoothie, you can use sugar, but I prefer using Stevia, a natural sweetener.

J'adore le p'tit déj. Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais c'est toujours un vrai délice, peut-être parce que c'est le matin que les fruits m'attirent le plus et avec toutes les jolies couleurs, ça ne peut qu'être appétissant. J'adore mettre des baies dans mes smoothies. On mélange les fruits avec du lait de soya à la vanille pour ses protéines, on ajoute des graines de lin moulues pour les fibres et hop, un vrai délice!