So… what’s the story with soy?

This recipe will be featured in my Amazing Asian Class tonight and again on October 24th!

It is a topic of great interest, fear and confusion all at once. SOY! Perpetuated by the media and others alike as a food to stay away from, with or without cancer – soy has been deemed as unhealthy and on the no-no list. I can totally appreciate this to a certain extent. But because of all the confusion and mis-information, I would like to give you some insight from my perspective. Also backed up by Dr. Mercola!

Traditionally soy has been used in Asian and Japanese cultures as a condiment. Something you include as part of a meal that is loaded with protein, fat and immune enhancing properties. Nowadays people include soy as the main part of their meal.  Not to mention soy has also been added to so many commercial products including milks, cheese and other packaged products as a stabilizer or enhancer. Then there was and still is the health craze that soy foods are so good for you and people in general, along with vegetarians are purchasing anything and everything with soy thinking they are on the path to health. But that is just it, that is the way of the North American culture. Have a little = good, have more = better! But not when the soy that is used in the commercial industry is non-organic, genetically modified and so fractionated out it it’s original form, that it is no  longer a food. No wonder cancer rates have gone up!

So it’s not that SOY is bad for you, it is the type of soy that we are choosing or over consuming. It is about moderation and choosing the right kinds of soy.

If we look at the traditional fermented forms of soy and choose to eat them in moderation – we can actually enjoy soy foods as they are meant to be enjoyed, as a condiment, garnish or accent to a meal. It’s not about eating a slab of soy chicken or TVP (textured vegetable protein) that is the equivalent to a piece of chicken. Choose wisely.

Here are the forms of soy you can start to include that are healthful. Soy that has been fermented and is organic. These are the types of soy that are traditionally used in ancient cultures, and guess what, they are still available today!

Even though I am recommending healthy sources of soy, they should be enjoyed in moderation. Don’t just go and over-consume these items either or you will run into the same health imbalances and problems. Balance is key – and that goes for every type of food!

Tempeh: a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor. Enjoy in stir fries, on sandwiches, ground up into “burgers” or just as is!

Miso: a fermented soybean paste with a salty, almond butter-like texture. Make miso soup, put it in a salad dressing or marinate.

Natto: fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor. Not too familiar with Natto

Tamari, Braggs or Nama Shoyu: which is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes. Tamari is the modern, healthy version of soy sauce. So be sure to kick out the kikkoman and replace it with Tamari. It is pure, gives great flavour, you can also get it as low sodium and wheat free! Great in salad dressings, sauces, marinades.

Also Edamame (whole soybeans) can be found on this list. They are not fermented, but they are also left in their natural form. Be sure to also buy these organic. They make an excellent snack with some sea salt! Or buy them shelled and load them into a salad or cooked vegetable dish!

On the bottom end of this list for a reason, is tofu. As I believe that it is something can be enjoyed VERY moderately if you buy the right kind. Moderately can even mean 1-2x per month!

Sprouted Tofu: It is apparent then when buying tofu to only get it sprouted. You can’t get tofu fermented as it is no longer in it’s whole form but at least sprouting it makes it more digestible and increases it’s nutritional value. Tofu need to be cooked and then it can be enjoyed in stir frys, sandwiches, salads, soups or pureed or blended into dips.

There is an incredible brand of soy products available that I want to make mention to as they actually take their soy seriously Wild Wood Organics. They have an array of products, but I would just keep it simple and stick with their tempeh and sprouted tofu. Soy yogurt and soy milk is still a packaged processed versions of soy food that I believe should be avoided. Rice milk and coconut yogurt are much higher on the healthy food chain. So choose wisely.

If soy still isn’t your thing or you have allergies to it, remember there are alternatives, the line Coconut Secrets condiments are all coconut based and can replace tamari like I did in my Pad Thai recipe!

Arame Soba Noodle Salad

What’s in it?

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried rosemary

½ tsp salt

8 oz. spelt, kamut or buckwheat soba noodles (wheat or gluten free)

½ cup arame (sea vegetable)

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp gingerroot

¼ cup rice vinegar

¼ toasted sesame oil

3 tbsp tamari

1 cup chopped green onions

1 carrot grated

1 cup of toasted pine nuts or black sesame seeds

1 cup shelled and cooked edamame (optional)

How it’s made!

1. Bring large pot of water to boil, add basil, rosemary and salt.
2. Add noodles, cook until al dente (8-10 minutes) and drain.
3. Soak arame in 1 cup cold water for about 10 minutes, drain.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, ginger, vinegar, sesame oil and tamari
5. Add warm noodles to sauce and toss to coat.
6. Stir in carrots, onions and arame.
7. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts or sesame seeds.

My Favourite Vegetarian Meal!

This is a tough one for me, but I assure you – I do have a favourite vegetarian meal and so do you!

But first let me tell you about my favourite meal and then read on to find out why yours is important too.

Okay, so my favourite vegetarian meal is one that I like to create when I want something nourishing, warming and revitalizing. In which case I pretty much go for the foods that connect with this energy and make me feel amazing. My go to grain is usually quinoa, this is the best foundation for a wholesome dish. It is nutty, light, high in protein and digests immediately. Then I like to add in all of my favourites – starting with some baked marinated tempeh for it’s juicy and hearty texture, roasted sweet potatoes for some natural sweetness, steamed kale – a meal isn’t a meal without some greens, avocado – for it’s creamy and smooth consistency and then some chopped almonds for some raw crunch. Then to top this dish off I like to add in some tamari – natural salty flavour and tahini for a rich boost of calcium. This is my absolute favourite meal!

Now why am I telling you this, because I want to make it apparent that everyone has a favourite food or a favourite meal, maybe it’s a snack or a drink. Whatever it may be there is something that you have eaten that has made you feel amazing – and I want to know what that is – especially if it is plant-based!

So if you tell me, this is going to work out for you because I am having a contest in which you will have a chance to win a FREE Fully Nourished Cooking Class!

Yes you heard me, you can attend any one of my cooking classes for free!

Well… there are some conditions that this contest is based on.

The premise: Tell me your favourite plant based/vegetarian meal, snack or drink. It can be raw, cooked, gluten free, sweet, savoury – anything you like! Just nothing that comes from an animal (this means NO fish, chicken, meat, eggs, cheese).

The reason: I want to know WHAT about this plant based or vegetarian food item that made you feel happy, excited, proud, energized, nourished, balanced etc…You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to do this or have had this experience!

There is significance and purpose to this contest. Not only will I highlight the winning answer on my blog, but the winner will also get to come to any on of my vegetarian Fully Nourished Cooking Classes absolutely free of charge (value over $100). This contest will also demonstrate to people that plant based foods not only taste amazing but have an incredible impact on your health and I want as many people as possible to exploit and share their experiences!

So there are many factors that this veggie experience can be based on. It can be the taste, texture, smell, colour, flavour of the meal – it doesn’t matter to me. I just want you describe what it was and what it did to you that made you excited about healthy plants based food. This can be anything from a simple salad with pumpkin seeds to a coconut banana smoothie. Please share your story, your experience – the more detail you give me, the better chance you have to win.

I am giving you (my readers) one week to post your foodie delight in my comment section – share it on twitter, share it on facebook. And then after that week, I am going to pick my three favourite ones and post them and then you (my readers) will be the judge and pick your favourite one. Then I will contact the winner personally and invite them to come to any vegetarian cooking class of choice to have more amazing experiences eating delicious plant based foods.

I have one more question…are you ready?

Get posting!

This could be you!

Stirring Things Up!

It’s always good to stir things up every now and then. Whether it is in a salad bowl, a pot of soup, a blender or a wok – it is easy to make a nutritious meal out of a combination of great ingredients. As simple as it is to make a stir fry, I find that often people are very intimidated to “stir” things up in their own kitchen. I often get asked by my clients or participants at workshops and even in my cooking classes – “what do I put into a stir fry? how many veggies can I use? what type of protein should I use? how do I make a “healthy” Teriyaki sauce?” These are all great questions, but it is much easier than people think to make a great stir-fry. I just tell people to just get creative and have fun! What you need to get started is a wok or a large stainless steel pan. I use Titanium cookware for my pots, pans and woks- they are great quality, conduct the best heat, non coated and rarely get burned or have stuff stuck to them – so in essence perfect for a stir fry! Once you have that all set, get your stove top turned up to high heat, throw a little grapeseed oil or coconut oil in the pan (two great oils for high heat cooking) and start stirring. You need to be quick, small movements, always keep the veggies moving. Don’t ever let them stay in one spot for too long. You want to cook them, but just a little – a really good stir fry will have crisp, tender and colourful veggies – that are just lightly cooked. There is nothing worse then a wilted brown, dark and soggy stir fry!
What I love about making stir fry’s – is that you can get as creative as you want and just throw anything in there. You can make a different combination every time! So there really should be no stress about choosing the right vegetables. For starters it is always good to have some onions, celery and carrots, they provide a great base. Then go crazy with anything like kale, broccoli, bok choy, peppers, bean sprouts, snap peas, green beans to zucchini and even eggplant. For my delicious bowl of goodness (photo above) this week I grabbed a whole bunch of fresh veggies from my garden (kale, carrots, broccoli, snap peas) added some purple cabbage and combined them with marinated Tempeh, Spelt/Buckwheat Soba Noodles and a simple “Teriyaki” sauce (you can just make some extra sauce and use that to marinate the tempeh).
Then I topped it with homemade sprouted mung beans. This just added a little extra boost of protein and raw enzymes to my meal to keep it fresh, light and crunchy!

So next time you want to stir things up, don’t be afraid! Grab some veggies, cook up some buckwheat noodles or brown rice, top it with marinated tempeh (or tofu, organic chicken, wild fish) for a change, and you will have yourself a nutritious and satisfying dinner!

Simple Teriyaki Sauce

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger
juice of one orange
1-2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup