Hot Beet Borscht Soup

Beets are said to boost the immune system, and since we've all been fighting colds and flu's this season, a Hot Beet Borscht is the perfect recipe.

Hot Beet Borscht Soup

Hot Beet Borscht Soup
5 peeled chopped fresh beets
10 cups water
dash salt
2 medium onions
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup apple cider vinager

In a large pot combine beets, water, dash salt and onions, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmer for 30-40 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Recipe from The Kripalu Cookbook

Vegan Banana Apple Spice Muffins

Super moist delicious banana apple muffins!

Vegan Banana Apple Spice Muffins

Vegan Banana Apple Spice Muffins

Ingredients

3 Bananas, mashed
3/4 cup of Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 cups of Flour
1 Apple, diced
1 tbsp Flax Seed Meal
3 tbsp water
3/4 cup of no sugar added Apple Sauce
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Canola Oil
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
A little bit of cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on the top

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the muffin tins with paper wrappers.

Mix together the flax seed meal with the water. Let it sit for a minute or two, then mix again.

Mash the bananas and add the sugar, flax seed mixture, apples, apple sauce, vanilla and oil. Mix together.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.

Add the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and combine.

Fill the muffin tins up to the top of each wrapper and sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon sugar on the top of each muffin.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Walnuts would also be delicious and add a nice bite to the muffins. You can also add different spices like nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice to your liking.

Recipe yields 12 muffins.

Number of Servings: 12

Recipe by SparkPeople.com user XMUSICALBEAUTYX.

Sweet Potato & Spinach Cannelloni

Since Levi's favorite food at the moment is pasta, I've been looking at creative ways of serving it and including nutrients in each meal. Cannelloni is perfect, it's pasta stuffed with good stuff!

not the most appetizing photo, but it tasted amazing!

Sweet Potato & Spinach Cannelloni
Cannelloni noodles
Tomato sauce (1 16oz jar)
Olive oil
1 onion
1 package spinach
1 package silken tofu
1 cooked sweet potato
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
Pepper

Sauté onions in olive oil. Stir in spinach, turn off heat.

Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl. Stir in onions and spinach.

Preheat oven at 350. Pour a thin layer of sauce in baking dish. Stuff cannelloni with tofu/veg mixture. Place in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce overtop. Cover. Bake for 30 minutes.

Vegan Banana Muffins

Probably the easiest banana muffin recipe I've ever made. They're great if you have a sweet tooth, if not, I suggest cutting the sugar in half, and to make a slightly healthier version use spelt flour and oats in place of the white flour.

vegan banana muffins

Vegan Banana Muffins from About.com Vegetarian Food

Banana muffins are a very easy muffin for vegans to make because the banana can act as a binder and provide moisture instead of eggs. So you don't needs eggs or even egg-replacer! Give this easy-peasy vegan banana nut muffin recipe a whirl and leave a comment to let us know what you think!

Ingredients:

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup oil or vegan margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar (1/2 cup for a slightly less sweet version)
• 2 cups flour (or 1 1/2 cups spelt flour, 1/2 cup oats)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 360 degrees.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork till soft. Add the oil or vegan margarine and sugar and cream together.

In a separate bowl, combine together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Combine with the banana mixture, stirring gently just to combine.

Grease or line a muffin pan, and fill each muffin about 2/3 full with batter. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Check out more recipes and reviews on About.com Vegetarian Food

Vegan Pumpkin Soup

I needed to use the leftover pumpkin from the Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, so I came up with this soup. It's easy to make, nutritious and heart-warming on a cold winter night.

vegan pumpkin soup

1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
2 cups cooked pumpkin
3 cups veggie stock
1 tsp curry
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1-2 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup almond or soy milk
sea salt & pepper to taste

Fry onion, garlic & ginger. Add pumpkin, veggie stock & spices. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add kale, simmer 5 minutes. Stir in milk. Season with salt and pepper.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

These are easy to make and delicious. The only problem is they are almost impossible to stop eating!

vegan chocolate chip pumpkin cookies

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
recipe from The Dainty Squid

based off this recipe

2 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs (I used 1tbsp chia seeds & 3tbsps water)

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pumpkin puree

half a bag of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat the eggs and sugar until smooth. Next beat in the oil, vanilla and pumpkin. Slowly mix add in your flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Evenly pour the batter into the lined cake pan.

Bake for 33-36 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Transfer your giant cookie, still attached to the parchment paper, to a wire rack to cool. When cooled completely cut into squares.

Vegan Treats in NYC

While visiting NYC for the Jivamukti Tribe Gathering we discovered some amazing vegan treats. So many vegan restaurants and stores to choose from, here are just a few...

New Years brunch at Champs Family Bakery in Brooklyn

roasted vegetable salad at Angelica Kitchen

chai latte at Moby's restaurant Teany

new vegan boots from Moo Shoes

dun-well doughnuts in Brooklyn

Double Whammy Ginger Cookies

These are the best ginger cookies I've ever had. This year I doubled the recipe and gave them out as Christmas gifts to our staff. Everyone loved them!

perfect holiday cookie (but good anytime of the year)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 coconut oil or sunflower oil
1/3 cup minced fresh ginger root
sugar

Whisk together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix.
Roll dough into small balls, then roll in sugar to coat before placing on cookie sheet.
Bake 350° for 10 minutes.

Vegan Apple Crisp Muffins

With limited time, these were fast, easy, delicious apple muffins to make. It's like apple crisp in a portable/packable muffin size.

vegan apple crisp muffins from the Happy Herbivore

Vegan Apple Crisp Muffins:

Ingredients

• 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ cup raw sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• a dash of nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup apple, diced
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease muffin tin or spray paper liners to prevent sticking and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices together until well combined. Add applesauce, sugars and maple, then stir until almost combined. add apples, stirring until just combined. Spoon into muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle additional oats and brown sugar over top if desired. Bake 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

check out the Happy Herbivore blog and the Happy Herbivore cookbook 

Thai Coconut Soup from Happy Planet

My sister-in-law left this package in our fridge. Perfect for when you have a last minute craving for soup: no cooking required! I'm not usually a big fan of pre-made soups, but this one was delicious, plus it's from a canadian company that focusses on organic, planet-friendly food.

check out Happy Planet drinks & soups

Happy Planet

We started with a farmful of organic carrots, a blender and the dream of the world as a happier place. Today Happy Planet makes smoothies, juices, soups and health shots - all fresh and all good.

Mission: We make food and juice that makes you smile. It has to do you good and taste great - that's Happy Planet.

Description: Two boys, Randal Ius and Gregor Robertson, started out in 1994 with a farm full of organic carrots, a blender, a somewhat ambitious dream to make the world a better place and hopefully make some money too.

The idea was to connect big city people back to the land, to farmers who produced great produce that went in foods which tasted good and did some good.

They called the company Happy Planet.

http://www.happyplanet.com/

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HappyPlanetFoodsInc

twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamHappyPlanet

Vegan Squash Soup

A nice bowl of soup is the best way to light your inner fire during the cold winter months. Squash is a versatile, easy to cook root vegetable. I used acorn for this recipe, but you could substitute with another variety (butternut, pepper, etc).

vegan squash soup

Vegan Squash Soup:
1 squash (acorn)
1 onion
4 gloves of garlic
1 tbsp ginger
1/4 tsp sage
1/8 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 apple (peeled and cut into chunks)
4 cups vegetable stock
2 handfuls of spinach

Preheat oven to 400. Wash squash, cut in half, remove seeds. Lather with olive oil. Place on baking sheet, cut side down. Bake for 50 minutes.

In a saucepan, fry onions for 5 minutes, add garlic, ginger, spices and apple. Fry for 2 minutes. Add cooked squash and vegetable stock. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add spinach. Simmer 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Dinner Parties & Vegan Lasagne

Dinner parties can be tough as a vegan, but I have been lucky enough to have friends take my food choices into consideration when cooking. People will go out of their way to make me a vegetarian option. If it has dairy/cheese in it, I usually eat it, as I am so grateful for the effort. 

I recently attended a dinner party at my friend Anick's house. Her and her husband and 3 kids live on a farm in Hudson. They have an organic apple orchard (Le Verger de Hudson) and grow much of their own food. Anick served a fish entree, in which she made an eggplant version for myself and another vegetarian friend, and a lasagne for the main course. She made a cheese version for our vegetarian friend, and a vegan version for me! I was blown away. Not only is she raising 3 kids, running her own business and cooking for 10 people, but she took the time and energy to make something special for me. When I asked her for the recipe she said she mostly improvised... amazing!

check out Le Verger de Hudson on fb and look for them at downtown markets

Anick's Vegan Lasagne

Anick's Vegan Lasagne:

I make a tomato sauce with (chopped onion, zucchini, red pepper, green pepper , eggplant, the veggies are all sautéed ) then add tomato sauce and chunk tomatoes, let sauce simmer a while, add fresh basil and dried oregano, salt and pepper.

The ''ricotta'' filling is firm tofu chopped in the blender with soy milk and basil, salt and pepper.

Layer lasagne noodles sauce and the tofu filling in the middle. You can make up to 4 layers. Keep some sauce to add to the top once the lasagne is cooked because the top layer tends to dry out during cooking.

Yoga Flo for Peace Download

The 40 minute sequence from our 1st DVD Yoga Flo for Peace is now available for download on My Yoga Online.

Yoga Flo for Peace 40 Minute Practice

Visit My Yoga Online for more Luna videos.

Why Be Vegan?

I get this question often. There's lots of good reasons to be vegan. In honour of World Vegan Day (November 1st) here are my top 5:

image courtesy of Snooters Farm Animal Sanctuary

1 - It's more environmentally friendly. Saves trees, uses less water (More than half of all water used in the U.S. is used to raise and kill animals for the table), less fossil fuels (Producing just one hamburger uses enough fossil fuel to drive a small car 20 miles), creates less pollution (animal feces is a major contributor to global warming and acid rain, plus pollutes numerous rivers and water sheds annually), the worlds 17 major fisheries are at the point of collapse because of over fishing.

2 - It's the most compassionate way to live. Animals feel pain. Modern agriculture keeps cows, calves, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and other animals in small overcrowded sheds, stalls, cages, or crates, where they're often unable even to turn around. These intelligent, social animals are deprived of veterinary care, exercise, sunlight--even the feel of grass under their feet. What we eat means choosing between the horrors of factory farming and respect for another sentient being.

3 - It's healthier. Vegans have lower rates of obesity, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, large bowel disorders, cancers and gallstones. Not to mention the hormones and antibiotics used in raising animals

4 - It feeds more people. Seven kilograms of grain are required to produce 1 kilogram of beef; the conversion is 4-to-1 for pork and 2-to-1 for poultry. Each kilogram of meat represents several kilograms of grain that could be consumed directly by humans, not to mention the water and farmland required to grow the grain. To put this in uncomplicated terms, the beef in a Big Mac represents enough wheat to produce five loaves of bread.

5 - It tastes good.

The greatness of a nation & its moral progress can be judged by the way we treat animals

- Gandhi

Info from http://www.veganwolf.com/

Heart Warming Chili

Here's one of our favorite Chili recipes. Whenever we're feelng a little under the weather,

it's always a safe bet to get us back on our feet.

It's quick, tasty, and super easy to make. 

Serve with bread, pita, or any other side dish of your fancy.

heart warming chili

Heart Warming Chili

1 tbsp oil

3 garlic cloves

1 chopped white onion

1-2 bell pepper, diced (any colour)

1 tbsp  chili powder

1 tbsp  cumin

1 tbsp coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp sea salt

 red pepper flakes, to taste

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can tomatoes

1 cup corn kernels

•Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add the garlic and onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.

•Add the bell pepper, spices

•Add the remaining ingredients. Cover, let simmer for 15 min.

•Add more water, if necessary, or cook longer to reach desired consistency. Enjoy!

Roasted Squash & Veggies

Perfect meal for a cool autumn evening. The warmth of the oven and the smell of the roasting veggies makes for a cozy home. I like to make this recipe when I've just been to the market, and have a fridge full of fresh veggies. Choose a colorful variety of squash, beets, peppers, etc.

roasted veggies with quinoa and spring roll

Roasted Squash & Veggies
1 beet - peeled and chopped (if you have time pre-boil the beets for 10 mins)
1 squash - peeled and chopped (if you don't have time to peel, than just cut into chunks and cut off peel as you eat)
1 pepper - chopped
1 leek - chopped
1 tomato - chopped
1-2 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp rosemary
pinch saffron
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 water

Preheat oven 350º. Mix ingredients together. Place in baking dish. Bake for 30 mins covered, mix and bake 30 mins uncovered.

Serve with a grain (quinoa, couscous, rice, etc) and side dish of your choice. Bon appétit!

Tasty Tacos

We enjoyed these tasty tacos made by Kaeleigh on Tuesday's Tacos Night, (but they could of course be served any day of the week).

delicious tasty tacos

Tasty Tacos Filling:
red and green peppers cut length wise
red onion cut length wise
garlic
olive oil
Sautee olive oil and garlic, then add red onion. Wait till red onion is browned. Then red and green pepper. Stir in 1 cup water. Cover and let simmer until water vanishes. Add in spices: taco seasoning or paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, chili Powder. Option to add mushrooms.

Salsa:
1 shallot
1/2 cup of capers
3/4 cup tomatoes
Dice onion and tomatoes. Add lime juice, capers, and tabasco to spice liking.

Guacamole:
purée avocado, mix in lime, a generous pinch of salt, add cilantro!

Additions: refried beans, tortilla shells.

Vegan Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Delicious muffins, perfect for apple season. They're quick and easy to make. 

vegan apple oatmeal muffins

Ingredients - 

Whole Wheat Flour 1 cup (or spelt/regular flour)
Rolled Oats 1 cup (Coarsely ground)
Cornstarch 1 Tbsp
Cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda 1/2 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Brown Sugar 1/2 cup (minus 1 Tbsp)
Olive Oil 1/4 cup (I used Sunflower oil instead)
Apple Sauce 1/4 cup 
Soy Milk 3/4 cup
Apple 1 medium peeled, cored and chopped 
Almonds chopped for topping (optional)

Method Of Preparation -

In a mixing bowl, add the wheat flour, coarsely ground oats, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk well and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare the muffin pan either by greasing or using muffin liners.

Mix in the chopped apples into the flour mixture and coat the apples well.

Blend the liquid ingredients (brown sugar, apple sauce, soy milk and oil) and slowly add it to the flour mixture.

Don't over mix. Just mix until there are no lumps. Divide the batter into the muffin pan filling each of the cups upto 2/3 full. Sprinkle the chopped almonds on the top if using.

Bake for 25 min or until a tester comes out clear when inserted in the centre.

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Recipe from Tamalapaku

Ginger Poached Peaches with Black Sesame Crumble

A girlfriend of mine made this dessert at a dinner party. 

I haven't tried making it myself, but it was so good I had to share.

served over vanilla sorbet

to make it vegan substitute the butter with sunflower oil

Sesame Noodles

I got this recipe from Jae Steele's book Ripe from around here. It's actually called Spring Sesame Noodles, but it can be altered to be made all year round. I usually cut down on the tahini and add a bunch of extra veggies.

you can replace the  fiddleheads with any veggie (broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc.)

Sesame Noodles with red pepper & yellow zucchini served with  Ginger Glazed Carrots and a spring roll