apple & hummus panini

a few months ago now, m brought home a panini press that he had thrifted.  when i first laid eyes on it i was thrilled - because i thought it was a waffle iron.  when i he told me what it was i think my face probably showed my disappointment.  it's not that i don't love sandwiches, but this girl really has her heart set on a waffle iron.  that, and we have a really small kitchen with not a whole lot of storage.

so the sad little press sat in our basement for a couple months, and then recently m brought it upstairs where it's been sitting quietly and untouched, underneath the food processor.  curiosity & hunger finally got the better of me and i decided to bust it out.

what ensued was a total treat of a toasty warm sandwich oozing with hummus, crisp empire apple slices, local micro greens and a bit of daiya.  it was awesome and totally worth the trouble of cleaning up the press post panini fest.

moral of the story?  it was a pretty good little thrift after all.

now if only i could figure out a way to make waffles in it....

pb & chocolate chip banana ice cream

to my fellow canadian friends i hope you're enjoying this holiday monday, and happy monday to the rest of you!

whether you're still up at the cottage hanging out lakeside, or back to work today i hope you can all take some reprieve from the gorgeous early summer weather with this easy, healthy & protein-rich ice cream. 

ice cream need not come from a carton {not that this girl doesn't love a little rice dream once in a while} and can easily be made at home even if you don't have an ice cream maker.  the magical banana plays a pivitol role here - once frozen they really are magical and once blended transform into a soft-serve ice cream-like consistency.  if you haven't tried banana soft serve yet, i urge you to try it!  it's amazing!  the only gadget hitch is that this really does require a food processor - so if you have one tucked away at the back of your pantry, it's time to dust it off.
{ps, sorry mom i know with your raw banana allergy this one is off limits to you...}
 

this is not quite the same as the chocolate-peanut butter ice cream obsession of days off from working at summer camp with this girl, but i'd argue it's just as amazing and then some! 

pb & chocolate chip banana ice cream
makes 1 huge or 2 small servings
2 frozen bananas {peeled & chopped prior to freezing}
2-3 tsp almond milk
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1/2 scoop vanilla sunwarrior protein powder {optional}
2 tbsp mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs {i used enjoy life brand chips}

place the bananas in your food processor and let it run until the bananas are smooth and creamy.  this usually takes several minutes in my kitchen aid and i stop to scrape down the sides frequently, adding the almond milk a little at a time.  {sometimes i need less milk, sometimes i need more, sometimes none at all - it all depends on the bananas.  and on my patience.}  once the bananas are smooth you've got yourself the basic banana soft serve!  at this point, add in the pb & sunwarrior powder for that super protein kick and blend again.  finally, pour everything into a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips.

voila!  if you like a soft-serve ice cream, dig in right away and nosh like no one is watching.  i actually popped the bowl back into the freezer {after a big spoonful of course!} for another hour and it firmed up to be scoop-able.
 

since i devoured the last of this yesterday i know i'll be making up another batch this afternoon when i come in from the garden.

also, thanks everyone for the great feedback on my lentil hummus post - glad to know i'm not alone in my undying hummus love!

submitted to wellness weekends

cumin & chive lentil hummus

i know it's overdone, and i know it's become the standard fare for anyone who needs to feed a vegan, but i still love hummus.  i do - i cannot tell a lie.  it's just so creamy... and dip-able... and spreadable... and full of protein... and so insanely easy to whip up!  really, what's not to love?

so when m was struggling to find something to throw together for a lunch to take to work today i decide to make a quick batch.  with no chickpeas in the pantry {gasp!} he picked out a can of lentils and i set to work.  a little tahini, a little vinegar, a hint of cumin & 2 minutes later his lunch was packed up along with some veggies for dipping.
 

i love the tart bite of cider vinegar, but i think what really made this lentil hummus shine were the chives i picked from the garden and folded in at the end.  

cumin & chive lentil hummus
makes about 2 1/2 cups
1 19oz can of lentils, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ground cumin
a few cracks of black pepper
a squeeze fresh lemon
1 tbsp fresh chives, minced (optional, but these were my favourite part!)

combine everything but the chives in a food processor and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as need be.  fold in the chives & serve.  {don't you just love recipes that come together in 2 minutes?}

in enjoyed mine for lunch spread on a whole wheat pita and topped with a towering pile of raw sauerkraut.
sooo good!

anyone with big plans for the long weekend?  it kind of snuck up on me {truth be told i thought it was next weekend} so we're just sticking around here i think & hopefully i get some good garden time in.

submitted to wellness weekends

vegan bakesale wrap up

my sweet tooth aches - but in a good way.

yesterday our local vegetarian society hosted a vegan bakesale in conjunction with the world wide vegan bakesale.  this was our first year partaking in the event and based on the incredible response it certainly will not be the last.
 

we offered up everything from cupcakes and cookies, to brownies and biscuits & even through sometimes grey skies and a few short bouts of rain we not only avoided soggy baked goods, but we sold out of everything in 3 hours!
 
thank you, thank you, thank you to every single one of you who baked goodies, bought them up & came out to support the vegan bakesale.  it was a huge success & together we raised $345 for wild at heart wildlife refuge centre! 

way to go sudbury, you've made my heart sing.



special thanks to lisa mcivor for capturing these photographs.

shredded spring salad with lemony avocado dressing

a bright a beautiful salad to match a couple gorgeous sunny days.  things are springing to life in the garden & bikerides are abound.  amen.

i put together this salad 2 days ago and we've been munching away at it since.  it makes a huge salad - perfect for a potluck or a big backyard family meal, or if you're like us, just the thing to eat for 3 days in a row.  i think it actually gets better after a day in the fridge.

shredded spring salad with lemony avocado dressing
makes 4-6 servings
1/2 small red cabbage (about 3 cups shredded)
1 large carrot (about 1 cup)
3-4 leaves kale (about 1 cup packed)
1/4 cucumber (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup shelled edamame, blanched
2-3 tbsp hemp seeds

shred all the veggies by hand or with a food processor.  toss together in a large bowl along with the edamame, hemp seeds and the lemony avocado dressing.

lemony avocado dressing
1/2 avocado, peeled & pitted
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves

add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until silky smooth.

submitted to wellness weekends

cinco de mayo eats at the naked sprout

happy cinco de mayo weekend!  just checking in here to quickly share my cinco eats.  i was actually on the road for most of saturday but got my little taste of mexican inspired eats on friday. 

this weekend while in burlington visiting my parents, i took myself out for a quick lunch at the naked sprout, an all vegan and mostly raw restaurant.  in the mood for mexican, i at first had my eye on the raw tacos, but after pouring over the menu i set on the taco salad: a massive bowl of mixed greens topped with a fresh tomato & cucumber salsa, guacamole, cashew sour cream, sunflower seed taco 'meat' & raw carrot-flax crackers.  it was so delicious, extremely satisfying and every bite was packed with different flavours and textures.

the most amazing never-ending salad bowl.  amazing i tell you.  i almost licked the bowl clean. 

it was enough to fill me up, but since i couldn't leave without dessert, i took home a piece of raw strawberry cheesecake.  which i may or may not have eaten for breakfast the next day. 

 {mental note: i should start more of my days with raw cheesecake...}