Vegetarian Chili

I know I know... it's Spring/Summer time and chili isn't really appropriate during this season... but it's okay, I wanted to make a vegetarian chili anyway (don't judge!).

So... normally chili is made with ground meat, but I knew I could make a chili that is just as good even without meat! "What Joey? That is BLASPHEMY! Chili ain't chili without meat!" Well, here is a recipe  to make this delicious vegetarian chili that is not only delicious and probably nutritious as well :)

I sort of looked at many recipes and made my own, but if you want a more precise recipe here's a good one: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-food-fast-with-family-circle/vegetarian-chili-recipe/index.html

Oh I also want to add, you can pretty much put whatever you want in your chili since it is such a versatile one pot dish!

You will need:

• Bell Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Zucchini
• Tomatoes
• Corn
• Onions
• A bean of your choice (or a mixture! I used black beans)
• Garlic
• Tomato Paste 

(yes...fresh ingredients is always better...but I just used a canned one. Just make sure the ingredient is just tomato/corn with no other stuff like extra salt or whatever else)

* in terms of amount, I usually like to free style, so you can put however much or less you like really :)

• about 3 TBSP of Chili Powder
• Cayenne Powder (put as much or as little as you want, depending on how much heat you like!)
• Dried Oregano
• optional: Cumin and Cinnamon... I think I added that (about 1/2 TBSP?)
• Pepper to your taste
• Salt if needed (you probably will, but try to limit the amount of salt as much as possible :) )
• Honey to sweeten it a little, trust me on this! About 2-3 TBSP I think

As you already see, I've already chopped up everything. I used canned beans, so make sure you wash it so you don't get any extra salt. I also drained the canned corn. It's always a good idea to prep before actually doing the cooking process.

I forgot to take pictures of the cooking process because I was THAT into it... but I can briefly explain it.

• heat up the pot with your choice of oil
• once you got some heat going on, throw in the onions and zucchini...the point is to cook the vegetable that takes longer to cook and get the onion flavour out
• add the garlic shortly after, but try not to burn it!
• after about 2 -3 mins, add your bell peppers...then add the mushrooms and tomatoes
• cook until tender, then add the tomato paste, beans and corn. Add water if needed to get about the same texture as regular chili. Do it bit by bit to avoid adding too much water :)
• add your chili powder, cayenne, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, pepper and salt. Taste as you go
• turn the heat to a med-low and stir in the honey. Let it cook for about 30-45 minutes, but with chili, the longer it cooks the better, and tastes even better the next day!

Serve in a bowl and feel free to add a dollop of yoghurt (which is what I used) or sour cream... butI really can't taste the difference between the two, and cheese if you want, I didn't XD Oh and some tabasco wouldn't hurt ;)

It came out fantastic and yummayyy! It had wonderful flavour and texture. And the aroma? Don't even get me started on mentioning smellivision as Emeril would use to say.... or doe he still? I let my friend who is a meat lover and he was shocked at how tasty it was even without meat! It really just goes to show that you don't meat in order to make food good :) Best of luck and try it out!

Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes

If you don't know me well enough yet, one thing you will know now is that my most favourite meal of the day is breakfast. I feel that a good breakfast will sustain you throughout the day, and I cannot go about my day without having something to eat! 

I got this recipe from  "Cook This Not That!" by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding (2010). This is a fantastic book as it can help those who love to eat find alternatives to cook healthier alternatives that are just as tasty or even better (especially for your health!).

On page 26 they featured Oatmeal Pancakes with Cinnamon Apples. Now, I did not completely follow the recipe as I didn't have everything and I like to experiment and replace things with others. I didn't make the apple sauce, but if you are interested in the original recipe, click HERE.

In order to make these pancakes, you will need:

Yield: 8-12 pancakes

• 1 ½ cups buttermilk - if you don't have buttermilk, so you can use milk or any milk alternatives (I used almond milk and milk) and white vinegar (about 1 cup milk : 1 tablespoon vinegar ratio)
• ¾ cup instant rolled oats - if you don't have instant rolled oats (which is better imo), you can ground up the oatmeal in a food processor or soak your oats in the buttermilk mixture for about 10 mins or longer
• ¾ cup whole-wheat flour - I used pastry whole wheat flour from Bulk Barn
• 2 Tbsps milk or milk alternative
• 1 Tbsp melted butter or an alternative - I used Earth Balance
• 1 ½ tsps baking powder 
• ½ tsp baking soda 
• Pinch of cinnamon 
• Pinch of nutmeg 
• Small pinch of salt
• Fruit topping of your choice (I like bananas)
• Sweetener of your choice if needed (honey, maple or agave syrup, etc.)

IMPORTANT: Always remember that when it comes to measuring pastry stuff, be accurate! And make sure you know you're not mixing up baking powder and baking soda!



Combine dry ingredients first, and then slowly combine your buttermilk until you get a somewhat runny (but not too runny!) pancake mixture.

 Put your man to medium to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add your preferred base (butter, oil, cooking spray, etc.). I personally love to use my Earth Balance Spread :).  Scoop however much of pancake batter you like and scoop it into the pan, and it should make a circular shape (like a pancake!). Make as many as your pan fits. When you see lots of bubbles forming, that's your cue to flip the pancake!  

  NOTE* I think you should wait for more bubbles than this picture, so wait until you see more bubbles forming in the middle of the pancake!

 Flip, BOOM! Golden brown! Cook for about 2 more minutes and your first batch of pancakes should be done! Make the rest of the batter. I think this recipe should yield about 8-12 pancakes depending on size.

Instead of the apple sauce, I just sliced up some bananas and put a syrup of my choice. In this case I used agave syrup. You can use honey or maple syrup, it's better for you than the conventional pancake syrup! Taste wise? YUM! I really like it and I would definitely make it again! It's kinda cool how no eggs are used in this recipe. So this recipe, with substitutions can be made vegan for those lovely vegan people out there :)! This recipe is super easy to follow.

If you have extra pancakes, throw them in the freezer and and then just pop them in a toaster for a quick yet healthy and satisfying breakfast. I use parchment paper to separate each pancake and put them in a clear plastic bag (I just reused the bags you put vegetables in when you buy them from the supermarket).

I hope you give this recipe a try!

The Banh Mi (viet sub) Switch Up

 Bánh Mì

 Bánh mì, a Vietnamese term referring to all types of bread according to Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banh_mi

The baguette was introduced by the French during their colonial period in Vietnam and is commonly used for the traditional banh mi. Personally, I like to simply call it viet sub.

The traditional viet sub would usually include: assorted meats, liver pâté, pickled carrots and turnips, fresh cucumbers and cilantro. Hot peppers can also be added.


I actually have a viet sub in my fridge so I can show you what it looks like for those who have not seen it before:

Banh Mi without Veges

... as you can see here, this is the Banh Mi. The veges are kept separated so it does not make the bread wet and soggy. The best viet sub is eaten fresh and toasted! There is a really cool picture of the Banh Mi unstacked here: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaNyA77Gxs63csC7yDmNm2_jinTWdD0P5R0TRUzrAEiBFiogKAAw-kNTFjyo0sWmnWaeGTsyqyUal0yfc1YONeUXpL6_rO4dkmGfpK_fGs6NHcbnfAsnTPd2IU6WNsu0A8yW0tmjU4sDz/s1600/08banh.1-1000.jpg

I often brought this for lunch to school last year. Even though it is good (though I do get sick of it), I knew all this stuff can't be all that good for ya. So I'm going to switch it up and show you how to create a fantastic viet sub that is good for you!

The Banh Mi Switch Up!:
Ingredients include:

Tofu Package like this

• multigrain baguette - if you want to use a regular french baguette that's fine too 
• a spread of your choice - I used avocado
• extra-firm tofu in a water-packed package - any other texture won't come out well, so make sure you get the EXTRA FIRM TOFU!
• vinegar - white, apple cider, you can use any vinegar really. I used regular white vinegar since it was what I had in my pantry
• a sweetener of your choice (white/brown/raw sugar, agave, etc.) - I used brown sugar
• soy sauce or tamari - best to use one that is low in sodium!
• hoisin sauce
• sesame oil
• 1 carrot
• 1 cucumber



Watermelon Radish

• 1 watermelon radish... wait what? - I know, I've never heard of the melon radish until Cris showed it to me. It's a bizarre plant that tastes and has a similar texture to carrots and turnips. It doesn't taste like radish, it tastes more like a very very crunchy pear that is a little (and when I say a little I mean A LITTLE) sweet. It's called watermelon radish because it looks like a watermelon and a radish!

* I did not put turnips because I didn't have any, but they are delicious pickled! I also did not have any cilantro, but that can be added or omitted.

Preparation:


Take your tofu package and remove the tofu. Put it in a clean cheese cloth or paper towel for the water to drain. Here's an example of how one of my favourite youtubers runnyrunny999 drain's his tofu:

Runnyrunny's Japanese Tofu Steak

*please note that this is a completely different dish!

Draining tofu does take time, (about 30 mins to an hour) so you can prep the other ingredients.

I actually did not drain my tofu, I just wrapped it around some paper towels and soaked up whatever moisture I can (However next time I will take some time to drain it so the tofu would be less wet and soaks up more flavour when I make it).

1 part soy sauce/tamari and 1 part hoisin sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil, mix it up to create the marinade and set aside.

Slice tofu into about 1/2 inch thick slices. I was able to make 8 slices of tofu with my box of tofu.

Place tofu in your marinade and let it marinade overnight in the fridge, turning once. My dish here was not able to place all the tofu at the bottom so I had to stack them. Hopefully you have a pan that can fit all your tofu so you don't have to do what I did.

Tofu being marinaded.

Peel carrot and watermelon radish. After cut carrot and watermelon radish into either thin match sticks or thicker (1/4 inch). I chose to cut them into thin match sticks (with the help of my mom).


One part white vinegar and 1/4 part sugar, mix them together until sugar dissolves.

Vinegar Mixture

 Put the vinegar mixture in a container or jar with your veges. Fill it to the top. Make more if necessary! (I needed about 3-4 bowls!) Let it soak the vinegar for at least one hour.

When you are ready to cook, baked the tofu at 340-375F for about 30 mins (I make it at 375F for the first 20 mins and then 350F, turning the tofu and let it bake for another 10 mins).

NOTE: from experience do not add the rest of the sauce to bake. Just the tofu is fine. When I added extra sauce to bake with the tofu it made my tofu break!




Cut your multigrain baguette in half, slice across. You can toast the bread if you want.
* I highly recommend using a serrated knife, as I learned in my food preparation class that this knife cuts breads best.

Choose a spread of your choice. I used avocado since I had some. The avocado gives the viet sub a creamy filling, and it's healthier. I spread the avocado on both sides of the bread.

Arrange your pickled veges. Use as much or as little as you like!

With cucumbers, I prefer to keep the fresh taste so I did not pickle them. I sliced it length wise, but you can cut it anyway you like.

  

Place tofu on the bread....

and ta-da! The Banh Mi switch up!

A delicious and nutritious lunch!

Mmmmm...

The verdict? DELISHHHHH~! I honestly couldn't believe something like this could taste so good! I honestly think it is comparable (and maybe even better!) than the original viet sub!

This sandwich (6inch) actually kept me full for about 4 hours. I am the type of person who eats frequently and gets hungry fast, so I was surprised it kept me full for so long. Would I make it again?  

HELL YES! 

I have to give Cris credit for introducing this recipe to me! I will be making this for school as one of my staple lunches. 

Some may be asking, "so Joey.... where's the meat?" I actually never mentioned that there is no meat in this sandwich. But that's okay, because it really does taste great as it is. Give this recipe a try!

Whole Foods Market 28 Day Challenge

During the month of January, I attended a workshop hosted by Whole Foods Market (WFM) called Health Starts Here! It was for 4 days every Tuesday, and I learned about having a healthy and nutritious diet. It involved very little talking and more about cooking and eating (which I love).

A knowledgeable Nutritionist Nahid  that taught me and my peers different ways of view food and the 4 pillars of Healthy Eating in WFM's point of view.

The four pillars include (http://wholefoodsmarket.com/healthstartshere/):

1.  Eat whole, unprocessed foods. We believe that food in its purest state — unadulterated by artificial additives, sweeteners, colorings, and preservatives — is the best tasting and most nutritious food available.
2. Eat a colorful variety of plants. No matter what type of diet you follow — including those with dairy, meat or seafood — reconfigure your plate so the majority of each meal is created from an abundance of raw and cooked vegetables, fruits, legumes and beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains.  
3. Eat healthy fats. Get healthy fats from whole plant sources, such as nuts, seeds and avocados. These foods are rich in micronutrients as well. Work to eliminate (or minimize) extracted oils and processed fats.
4. Eat nutrient dense foods. Choose foods that are rich in micronutrients when compared to their total caloric content. Micronutrients include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals. For guidance on this, look for Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) scoring system in our stores.

 For more info check out: http://wholefoodsmarket.com/healthstartshere/fourpillars.php#wholefoods

*I am in no way endorsing or advertising for WFM. I am simply sharing my experiences with foods and WFM.

Our chef Cris was an amazingly talented chef that whipped up delicious foods (including desserts!) that followed the four pillars. I'd say 85% of the food I loved.

And then Lisa was an extremely kind assistant that helped facilitate the workshops.

I enjoyed my Health Starts Here workshops very much and I intend to check out more perspectives of foods as I go along with my healthy eating and living transition.

Wild Pacific Salmon

This post contains three experimental recipes:

1. Steamed Lemon Dill Salmon
2. Brown Sugar Soy Baked Salmon Sandwich
3. Baked Pesto Salmon

A few days ago I purchased a fillet of Wild Pacific Sockeye Salmon from Whole Foods as it was on sale.

Sockeye Salmon in it's true form :)

First, I want to make a point that the salmon was MSC certified. MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) is a third party eco-labeling program that can confirm the fish or any other kind of seafood was caught in a sustainable manner. For more info check out: http://www.msc.org/

My fillet with dill I put on top to infuse some flavour.

The state of the world's fisheries is dim as the world's fisheries are collapsing due to overfishing. As a huge seafood lover, I don't want the world to run out of it. This is just my little individual effort in being a good citizen of Earth by buying fish that was caught in a sustainable manner. * And yes, I am aware individual efforts alone are not enough and doesn't truly solve the problem, but it is a step on doing something right in my opinion.

Anyway, with my piece of fillet, I got a decent slice for only $5 and it fed me for 3 different meals. Don't forget to ask your fish monger to descale your fish! Because I forgot and I had to descale it myself :( #firstworldpains. If that happens to you, don't worry, it is actually quite simple. All you have to do is take a knife and rub it against the scales (so from the back of the fish to where it's head would normally be).

*It has come to my attention that some people leave the scale on so it would be easier to peel off the skin. I didn't know some people preferred the salmon without the skin, so with my advice above, disregard it if you don't like the skin :)

 My first approach was Steamed Lemon Dill Salmon. I used:

• fresh dill and parsley (4:1 ratio)
• lemon
• pepper
• dash of salt
• dash of garlic powder (fresh garlic probably would have been better, but I was lazy and starving)
• vegetable of your choice - I chose zucchini since it was in the fridge. 

Before steaming

I simply put my salmon in a metal dish skin side down and squeezed lemon juice on top. I think took the herbs, rolled and squished it into a ballish-roll shape and started chopping. This method helps you chop more of the herbs at one time. I put the herbs and seasoning on top and some herbs that are not chopped on top as well.  I also added some sliced zucchini. I steamed it for about 10 minutes. *The length of time depends on the size of your fish. You usually can't go wrong with 10 mins. 15 minutes for larger size. I'm no expert at timing, as I usually guesstimate. If you want a more accurate time, try the internet or asking your fish monger :P

Steamed, flaky goodness~

The salmon retained a bright orange colour (though the camera could not capture it). And the taste? AMAZING! It had such an amazing salmon flavour, probably the best tasting cooked salmon I've ever had! The texture was also incredible! I highly recommend people trying a wild sockeye salmon (MSC certified would be great too!). I was quite happy with the turnout of this experimental recipe.

When cooking seafoods, dill is one of the best herb to season it with, it's something you can't go wrong with. If you are super interested other herb choices, check out: http://www.simplyseafood.com/newsletters/0708/freshherbsandfish.html

Mung Bean Oatmeal

I am currently attending classes at Whole Foods Market about their Health Starts Here program. For more information check out:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthstartshere/

Someone asked what would be the healthiest breakfast and she responded with Oatmeal. So here is my recipe for a simple, extremely healthy (and tasty!) oatmeal:

Here I have:

• Oatmeal  - I got mine at Bulk Barn. I highly recommend Whole/Rolled Oats since they contain more nutritional value. Don't be fooled by quick oats or one minute oats, it really does not take that long for regular oats to cook (maybe extra 2 minutes?) I think it is worth the little extra time for more nutritional value!
• Cooked Mung Beans - I made them ahead of time. Beans can take a while to cook. Make sure you presoak it first (overnight is perfect) before cooking. It will get rid of any preservatives used and activate the bean to (of course) have more nutritional value.
• Liquid of your choice - You can use milk, a milk alternative (such as soy) or water. In this case I am using rice milk (because rice milk is so tasty!) 
• Banana - .....banana
• Honey - They say unpasteurized is better (again, more nutrients), but I only have the regular pasteurized billy bee honey, so this will do for now

1. Heat up the liquid on medium heat until you start to see steam. 

2. Add your desired  amount of oatmeal.

You can adjust whether you want your oatmeal more chunky or creamy by adding/reducing your liquid/oatmeal. You don't want to add more oatmeal too late though, or else you will end up with some undercooked oatmeal.

3. Keep stirring to prevent burning!
4. Put mung beans in the bowl you will be eating in (reheat them if so desired).

4. Add oatmeal on top of the beans.
5. Add banana (sliced the way you like it)
6. Drizzle honey, mix together and voila! Tasty and nutritious! 

I actually made too much here, but I saved what I have left for the next day. Saving time and money :)

* I did not specify how much of what of what because I just free handed this. You can add more or less of whatever depending on what you like! Don't worry too much about measurement. The only time you should worry is when you bake things (such as cakes and breads!).

Flexitarianism

I would like to call myself a flexitarian. So what is a "Flexitarian" you might ask.
To simply put it, it is someone to mostly eats a vegetarian diet, but will occasionally eat meat. So yes, I will still be eating meat, but only occasionally.

I have my reasons to be flexitarian. First off, anything that isn't animal or some animal product is better for my health. I want to adopt a diet that consists mostly of plants. The environment is also another factor. It takes a lot much energy and space to produce meat. And third, I've always been a huge animal lover.

As life went on, I started meeting more and more vegetarians, and I like to ask how it feels to be one. I've challenged myself to be a vegetarian for month twice. To be honest, it wasn't too difficult for me. I did not crave meat, but I wasn't truly vegetarian because I allowed seafood in my challenge (which is hardly a challenge since I can live off seafood as my only source of meat). I find that the hard part was having meals that were accessible to vegetarians outside of home. There are not a lot of options for them out there. I really have to give it to vegetarians and vegans on how restaurants and other eateries hardly have any options for them.

In my gr.12 year, a friend of mine told me to check out this movie/documentary called Earthlings. I really had no idea what it was about, but boy was I in for a surprise. I couldn't finish it because it was too much for me. I couldn't stop crying. If anyone wants to check it out feel free, just be prepared for another inconvenient truth. This documentary ain't pretty I can tell you that for sure. But it really was an eye opener.

Unfortunately, giving up meat completely is just too difficult though. For me, it isn't because I crave it, but because the way society is and what my family is accustomed to eating, I don't really have a lot of options. But honestly, the furthest I can go is becoming a pescetarian (someone who doesnt consume meats but still consumes seafood). I have a huge love for seafood and that is one thing I know I can't give up.

But recently, when I order food and I choose something with meat in it, I actually don't feel much satisfaction in it. As in, "wow, this wasn't as good as I thought it would be. Might as well get a vegetarian option." I went to Thai Express with my mom and I asked for a tofu pad thai. And HOLY MOLY! It tasted really good! It might be because I'm pretty accustomed to tofu since many chineses dishes has tofu, but it really was good. Another point, a lot of times when I get something with cheese (for example a burrito), I feel like I can do without it too. I can barely taste it, so I don't see why I need to add extra calories and "bad" things into my diet. So now I realized, I don't really need what many people presume they need in their foods. I see it more as a different way of seeing food, and I'm actually quite enjoying this experience.

*note that when I use the word "diet", I don't mean the diet as in "going on a diet". I just mean as in daily intake.

I'm not trying to be a perfect person who doesn't eat meat and zero-calorie food. No, far from it. I just want to be more conscious about my food and where it comes from. I want to have a better connection with my food. I feel like this sort of mentality can not only help different causes, but also myself. I want to appreciate the simple things in life, and what a better way to start than diving into something you really love? For me, it is food and cooking/baking.