Vegging Out!

With the season of resolutions upon us, some of you may be thinking of reducing the meat in your diet. This could be a pretty major lifestyle change, so know that you don’t need to become 100% vegetarian right away. But beware, once you start eating more greens there’s no turning back! I can say from personal experience you just start to feel better – even if it’s adding one more salad a day. But if you’re not sure how to approach a more plant-based diet, here are a few tips to get your going:

How to start…

Start small – find the reasons you are choosing to become vegetarian or starting eating more plant foods (animal rights, health, weight loss) and stay true to your goals

Get educated – do the best you can and find resources (books/websites/ blogs) that will support you (www.veg.ca is a good option in Toronto)

Eat the best- as much as possible choose local/sustainable and organic foods as much as possible

Get stocked – by going to local farmers’ markets/health food stores/or have an organic box delivered to your door (www.mamaearth.ca)

Take a vegetarian cooking class – www.marniwasserman.com

How will it help me?

More nutrients (vitamins, minerals, enzymes)

More variety and colour in your diet –meals are more exciting

Health benefits –  (plant based foods support cancer, diabetes, heart disease)

Saves you money

Saves the animals

You Feel better

More energy

Better digestion

Choosing to eat more plant-based foods is the way of the future. Agricultural systems, communities and resources are now finally in place to help support the growing desire to eat more plant based foods. If you have access – make sure you get to local farmers markets or better yet, plant your own garden in the spring. There is nothing better than eating your own home grown food. Take advantage of the immense diversity of plants that exist on our planet. The winter months can be challenging for fresh, local produce, but there are definitely good options out there if you’re willing to do a little digging. Good luck, and if you need a little recipe inspiration please join me at my Comforting Vegetarian Feast Class on January 21^st.

Inspired by Chickpea Curry!

Since the winning post for my FAVOURITE VEGETARIAN MEAL contest, was a Chickpea Curry, I am more than inspired to share the recipe!

Making a chickpea curry seems to appeal to so many – hence the number of votes that we had on this post.

A warming meal such as a curry is a perfect hearty meal for this time of year. Making a bowl of warming curry, can re-energize, revitalize you and make you feel good all over. As long as it is not too spicy (for me!). A curry typically means a blend of a number of spices that are extremely fragrant and have many healing properties. These include things like turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, fenugreek and  chilies. You can use any combination of spices to make your own delectable recipe! There are three main varieties of curries starting with yellow which is more mild (this is my favourite), green and red – which is hot and spicy.

Chickpeas often make up the bulk of many curry dishes. Chickpeas are extremely healthy boost the nutrition profile of any dish. Chickpeas are a great source of veggie protein, they are rich in complex carbohydrates and high in fiber. So added a dose of chickpeas to a soup, salad, stew or curry and you are going to get delicious flavour and an amazing chewy or crunchy texture.

Some curries, especially the ones I like to create have a base of coconut milk. This makes it rich and creamy and it tastes amazing when it is dressed on top of brown basmati rice or quinoa. Some more authentic curries are based in a tomato sauce and this is what is known as “chana masala“.

Since Sandy, the winning post’s meal sounded so enticing, I am going to post her authentic Chana Masala (chickpea curry) recipe.

Channa Masala recipe (chickpea curry)

2 cans of chickpeas

2 tablespoons of oil

5 cloves

3 cardamom pods (closed pods, do not break open)

2 bay leaves

1-1/2 cups of chopped onions

2 tsp garlic paste (available in the fridge section at East Indian stores)

2 tsp ginger paste (available in the fridge section at East Indian stores)

1-1/2 cups of chopped tomato

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp red chilli powder (or add more to taste for a spicier flavour)

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

1/2 cup water (or add more if you want more gravy in the curry)

1 tsp garam masala (or add more to taste for a spicier flavour)

To prepare:

Rinse garbanzo beans in cold water and drain.

Heat a saucepan on medium heat and heat the oil in the pan. Add cloves, cardamom pods and bay leaves. Fry for approx. 30 seconds and you will smell the beautiful fragrance from the spices coming out…

Keep heat on medium and add chopped onions. Fry the onion and spice mixture for a few minutes, until the onions turn light brown (translucent). Add garlic and ginger paste, stir and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Raise heat to medium-high, add chopped tomatoes, stir and cover pan. Cook for approx. 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes become soft and break down. The mixture should start to look like a chunky gravy at this point. If not, you may need to cook it for a little bit longer. Add the tomato paste to the mixture and stir.

Take 4-5 tablespoons of your chickpeas and put them in a dish and mash them down a bit. Then add the mashed chickpeas and the balance of the whole chickpeas to the tomato mixture. (The mashed chickpeas will help to create a great gravy for your chickpea curry). Cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add salt, red chilli powder, ground cumin and water. Keep heat on medium, stir, cover and cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas have reached your desired consistency. Add garam masala, stir and return to the heat for another minute or so. Check seasoning at this time and add more salt, red chilli powder or garam masala if desired, keeping in mind that the curry should be cooked for another minute after any additional seasonings have been added, to allow the flavours to combine.

When it’s time to eat, serve the chickpea curry garnished with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro (if desired) either over basmati rice or serve with fresh naan bread or rotis.

Note: For the lacto vegetarians out there, this dish tastes great with a side of cucumber raita (in a bowl, mix a cup of peeled, deseeded, finely chopped cucumber and a small deseeded chopped tomato with 2 cups of plain (unsweetened!) yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon of salt (to taste) and fresh ground pepper).

Enjoy! Yum!

Thanksgiving in Ottawa – Veggie Style!

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend! It was such a perfect weekend for me to get away. My boyfriend decided to take me to Ottawa for the weekend. I had never seen Parliament, and it was about time! I also knew that Ottawa had some other amazing things to offer – so we took off and had a fun filled, veggie eating weekend.

I was also actually surprised to find out that Ottawa had quite a bit to offer in the way of vegetarian, healthy living and local fair. It was so nice be completely accommodated for in a new city. We frequented a delicious restaurant called The Table. It is buffet style, and I am normally not one for a buffet – but this was the freshest and tastiest buffet I have ever been too. I don’t even really want to call it a buffet, but it was more like a table topped with organic, local and vegetarian goodies – and mostly gluten free too! The first night we were there, I was in heaven, I just filled up my plate with quinoa, squash, cabbage, broccoli, tempeh, spinach and seaweed, lentil dhal. I love when I can pick and choose everything what I want on my plate (especially when I am not home). I also love when all the ingredients are listed for me on a little card, so I know exactly what is in it!

So being more than satisfied the first night – we made sure to come back on our way back to Toronto – here is what my take out dish looked like! Can you say YUM!!!

We were also so lucky to find an amazing Farmer’s Market on Sunday morning. It had such a nice community feel and was loaded with some goodies. We went there on an empty stomach – which is never a good idea but we found some local pears and carrots to munch on. There was so much amazing produce, but I didn’t have a kitchen to cook in or else I would have gone wild! Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, squashes, greens – all of the ingredients for the perfect fall harvest vegetarian warming meal! I had to hold back and now I will have to wait until next weekend at the Brickworks market to stock up.

After we left the market, I was still hungry of course – and we were lucky enough to find this cozy little bakery called The Wild Oat – which featured an amazing menu like toasted spelt veggie sandwiches, salads and soups. So we sat down to a chai latte and a toasted spelt sandwich with tahini and roasted veggies. It was fantastic!

We spent the rest of the day perusing through Ottawa, the Byward Market, Parliament Hill, The Rideau Canal and other little nooks. So I have to say, for a first trip to Ottawa, I was not only impressed with the city itself and all of it’s history but the amazing culture and organic veggie food that it had to offer!

BY the WAY: For those of your with your FAVOURITE VEGGIE MEAL posted on my blog – tomorrow is the day where I am going to list the top three picks (so you still have today to GET POSTING!) and then YOU my readers will vote which ones (out of the three) are your favourite posts and why! Then the lucky winner will be selected, contacted and will attend any one of my classes for FREE!

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!

The Nourished Traveler

It is so important to make sure you nourished when you are away. That may mean that you have to pack a yourself a whole bunch of goodies to take with you on the go just in case! It really is the worst thing when you are away somewhere with no access to healthy food. If you choose not to bring your own food for whatever reason, then it is important to make use of the internet and source out some of the healthy, vegetarian and organic restaurants and stores that may be nearby. There are some great resources for you to use like Happy Cow which is an amazing site with listings of health centered and vegetarian restaurants and health food stores located all over the world. I have used this resources many a time – in London, New York, Los Angeles, Florida, Vancouver – you name it!

After just coming back from vacation to Scottsdale Arizona, a common landing spot for the Wasserman family – I was more impressed this time than ever before. I have been traveling here with my family for years. The first few years – most meals were centered around your standard American chain restaurants ( Cheesecake Factory, Houston’s, P.F Changs) as the years passed and as my palate became more refined (and discriminating) I have had a yearning for more sophisticated and health based options – which Arizona clearly lacked. Luckily we have a “place” ( or a second home) down there and I have the ability now to stock up on my favourite groceries from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s which usually takes care of breakfast and lunches for me but often dinner is out at a restaurant and now finally I had places to go! So after much research online and just merely keeping my eyes open my family and I have now found more places to eat here than I have ever imagined. An amazing restaurant called True Food Kitchen - has become a new favourite. It is a restaurant built on the foundation Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet. “The dishes feature whole grains, omega-3 rich fish, organic fruits and vegetables, whole soy products and anti-inflammatory herbs and spices such as ginger and turmeric. The result: food that is delicious, satisfying, healthy and environmentally responsible.” This makes me so happy and of course fully nourished! Then there were some other hidden gems along the way like Pizza Fusion a happy eco organic pizza place that has gluten free crust and goat cheese! So as you can see I was very well nourished while I was away!

So here are some quick tips to make sure you can be just as successful on your next vacation!

Things to bring with just in case you have limited resources:

- quick grab goodies like healthy snack bars (lara bars, pure bar etc..) trail mixes (raisins, almonds, goji berries, walnuts)
- organic whole grain crackers or spelt flatbread
- organic dark chocolate bar
- a loaf of spelt or kamut bread or gluten free bread or rice cakes
- a jar of almond butter or now you can get them in little squeeze packs
- dried fruit (mango, apple, pear slices)
- seaweed (nori, dulse)
- rolled oats so that you can make them anywhere ( you may want to bring some cinnamon too!)
- a bag or box of spelt, kamut or brown ricepasta (this can really come in handy)
*** For the record – if you know you are going to be somewhere where you don’t have many options on the menu and you have the guts to do so, bring in your own pasta – ask the head chef to make it for you and just add some tomato sauce or olive oil, order some steamed veggies and voila you have your very own healthy pasta dish! ( I did this while in Scottsdale, at a family dinner at a hotel – the only options for me were cheese layered lasagna or white pasta with tomato sauce – neither would satisfy – so I worked a little magic and instead of sitting there starving – I had an amazing dinner!)

Or if you are in big city (Vancouver, Montreal, New York, L.A, Chicago, Miami) be sure to:

- check out web resources such as happy cow or you may find a local website that has listing of local restaurants
- go to any health food store (such as whole foods) and ask if they can recommend restaurants
- find areas in the city that cater to a healthy living lifestyle and you can ask there – also any yoga studio or spa may have some ideas for you

Don’t be afraid to nourish yourself and ask questions as you may discover some amazing organic and friendly places where the food is delicious!

If you have any suggestions or other resources to share all readers please leave a comment below!

Balance is Everything!

Balance really is everything when it comes to your blood sugar levels. It is extremely important to make sure you moderate and regulate your sugar intake everyday. As participants learned in tonight’s Sweet and Low Cooking Class, whether you have diabetes, hypoglycemia or just want to stay within a normal range and avoid cravings, it is vital to learn which foods will do the job and keep you in balance!

Here is a quick resource of some daily things you can be doing to keep your levels in check while creating overall, balanced and healthy eating habits!

Tips for Regulating your Blood Sugar Levels on Daily Basis Naturally

Always eat a balanced breakfast, everyday!
Do not go more than 2 hours without food or consume large heavy meals. Eat six to eight small meals throughout the day. Even eating a small snack before bed might help.
Eat a diet high in fiber (whole grains, legumes) and include large amounts of vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, squash, spinach and green beans and whole fresh fruits.
Consume beans, brown rice, oats, oat bran, lentils, sweet potatoes, tofu and fruits such as apples, apricots, avocados, banana, lemons.
For protein eat white fish or wild salmon, turkey, lean chicken breast, eggs and goats and sheep’s milk cheeses or sheep’s milk yogurt.
Use natural low glycemic sweeteners such as: brown rice syrup, barley malt, agave nectar, dates, stevia* and maple syrup (in moderation)
Stay away from high fatty foods and fried foods and choose healthy fats and oils instead: (avocado, coconut oil, olive oil or other cold pressed natural oils, raw nuts and seeds)
Remove alcohol, processed foods, sulphured dried fruits, table salt, white sugar, saturated fats, soft drinks and white flour. Also avoid food with artificial colours and preservatives.

Special foods with special properties for blood sugar:

Avocado: contains a sugar that depresses insulin production, which make them an excellent chose for people with hypoglycemia.
Cinnamon: has a lowering affect on blood sugar levels by reducing the amount of insulin secreted. Consume at least 1 teaspoon everyday!
Brewer’s Yeast: (1 Tbsp. twice daily) provides a rich source of the mineral, chromium, which has a glucose tolerance normalizing effect.
Soybeans and other legumes: (1 cup or more daily) Kidney beans, lentils, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, and lima beans retard the rate of absorption of carbohydrate into the blood stream.
Onions and garlic: (1/2 a clove twice daily) normalize blood sugar regulation by decreasing the rate of insulin elimination by the liver.
Other blood sugar controlling foods include: berries (especially blueberries), celery, cucumber, green leafy vegetables, sprouts, string beans, parsley, garlic, onions, psyllium, flaxseed, lemons, oat bran, radishes, sauerkraut, sunflower seeds, squash, watercress.

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