Creamy Brussels Sprout Slaw

This Salad is a great combination of sweet, tangy and fresh, and loaded with quality nutrition. Brussels sprouts are a great source of a number of vitamins and minerals, particularly Folate, Vitamin K and Vitamin C.  With the health fats from pecans and extra virgin olive oil, as well as the garlic, this is also a great heart healthy meal. Just remember to not go too overboard with the dressing, as it is fairly calorie dense, and dressings and sauces are where people tend to go overboard and end up consuming many more calories than they think they are.

Salad

1.5 lbs brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

1 large navel orange, flesh removed from skin

1 cup dried cranberries

1 1/4 cup chopped pecans

 

 

Wash brussels sprouts, cut off ends, cut from top to bottom and slice very finely with a sharp knife (or use a food processor with a shredding disc) and place in a large bowl. Peel orange, open into segments and remove skin from the flesh. Use your hands to break apart flesh into small pieces. Top with dried cranberries and chopped pecans. Mix well to combine.

 

 

Dressing

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

Juice of 2 small lemons (or 1 regular sized)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil/avocado oil

1/2 cup tahini paste

3 tsp. miso

3 tsp. maple syrup

3/4 cup water

Prepare the dressing by whisking all ingredients in a mixing bowl (or combine using a food processor).

 

That's it! Pour the dressing over a portion of salad (be careful not to go overboard!) and enjoy! Also keep in mind that the base of this salad is Brussels Sprouts. Just saying.

 

Plant Based

With so many 'diets' out there these days, the understanding of each can easily get misconstrued through second hand (or third or fourth of fifth etc) interpretation. So many claim to be the ideal way of eating, but how can that be true for everyone? It's our opinion that you should eat the foods that make you feel and perform the best, that you enjoy the taste of, that fit your lifestyle from a 'time to prepare' standpoint and that you simply believe in. We believe in a plant based diet.

A Plant Based diet is one that focuses on getting the nutrition your body needs from plants (duh). While Julia is a "vegan" (because she uses no products whatsoever that are animal derived, in whole or part, including cosmetics, clothing, accessories, cleaning supplies etc) her diet is 'plant focused'. A 'vegan' diet doesn't necessarily mean a healthy diet. Coke, oreos, French fries etc, all vegan, but don't necessarily resemble plants, and certainly don't improve health and performance. A truly plant based diet focuses on whole, unprocessed plant foods. Fruit, vegetables, beans, grains etc. Our diet is largely fruits and vegetables, some grains (mostly those that are gluten free), nuts, seeds, & beans. We do use some nutritional supplements to get additional protein in our diet, typically adding plant protein powders to smoothies.

We focus on creating meals that fit certain criteria:
1. They need to taste amazing. This is left to Julia.
2. They need to provide a balance of macro and micronutrients.
3. They need to be realistic in terms of time for preparation. We're both busy and so the quicker we can whip 'em up, the better.

If you're not vegan, not a big deal. A lot of the meals we create can easily be accompanied by fish, chicken, beef, etc. We just urge you to buy free range, grass fed, wild caught, organic etc. Better for you, better for the animal, better for the world.

Bottom line is that you really can get everything your body needs from sources that are not animal derived. Just because we were brought up on milk, meat and potatoes, cheese and crackers, lunch meats and a plethora of other animal products that we're led to believe 'do our body good', doesn't necessarily mean we need to still believe this.

We urge you to do some self exploration. Try some different ways of eating. Cut out certain foods, adopt new ones, see what foods make you feel best and regain your health, energy and life!

Raw Rainbow Noodles with Spicy Almond Sauce

This is a fresh take on the traditional pad Thai recipe. Made with a combination of colourful raw veggies and a deliciously addictive almond butter sauce.

(serves 2-3)

Noodles

• 2 medium zucchinis
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 medium beet
• 1 long red pepper, sliced in thin rings
• 3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
• handful fresh cilantro

Peel zucchinis and slice them into thirds, then spiralize them into thin noodles. Repeat with carrots. Peel beet and slice in half before spiralizing. Transfer zucchini, carrot and beet to a large serving bowl. Top with red pepper, green onion and cilantro. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.


Sauce

• juice of 1 lime
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger, chopped
• 1 Thai chili pepper
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup or agave
• 2 Tbsp. tamari
• 2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 3/4 cup water   

In a blender or food processor, blend all sauce ingredients. Sauce will thicken if kept in refrigerator before serving, so add 2-4 Tbsp. water to thin if necessary before adding to noodles. When ready to serve, pour sauce over vegetables and toss to combine well. Serve and enjoy!