Beet latte
Feel your heart beet this Valentine’s Day with a cup of love! ❤️ Beets are full of antioxidants and reduce inflammation and risk of heart disease. This concoction with our organic beet powder and a strong brewed coffee is sure to make you fall in love.
Ingredients:
1 shot of espresso (or 2 ounces of strong brewed coffee)
2 tsp organic beet powder
1/8 tsp organic Ceylon ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 tsp maple syrup or honey
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of your choice of milk
Directions:
Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add all ingredients except the coffee
Transfer to a blender till smooth
Pour into a mug or on top of your favourite coffee.
Enjoy!
Khitchari (Rice and mung beans)
Khitchari is a therapeutic cleanse used in Ayurveda to remove imbalances or doshas from the body. The texture is similar to an oatmeal and consists of rice and mung beans. Khitchadi is a one pot meal and has some good health benefits.
Khitchari is used as a cleanse called “panchkarma” in Ayurveda to reset your eating habits and help give your body a break from hard to digest foods.
Khitchari is totally vegetarian (if using ghee/butter) and vegan if you use coconut oil. It is gluten free and high in fibre and protein.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mung dal with husks on or mung dal huskless
1/2 cup basmati rice or long grain white rice
3 cups water
3/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp butter or ghee and a little more if you wish for garnish
Directions:
Wash mung dal and check for stones. Wash rice till water is clear.
In a medium size pot add mung dal, rice, water, salt and ghee/butter and bring to boil
Reduce heat to medium-low cover and simmer until you see a smooth texture similar to an oatmeal. If you need more water, keep adding a little at a time to prevent burning.
Remove from heat and add more ghee/butter and stir vigorously till smooth.
Serve 2-3
Serve with a vegetable curry, yogurt and add lime pickle or carrot pickle.
Valentine beet pancakes (You are the beet to my heart)
These pink pancakes will have your loved ones asking for more. Either make it with a beet or our red beet powder. So easy and so delicious. Add fruit and whipped cream and share with your loved one or eat on your own.
Blend the following wet ingredients in a food processor
2 tsp beet powder (or 1/2 steamed beet)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 egg
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp organic coconut sugar or organic cane sugar
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture:
2/3 cup organic all purpose flour
1/3 cup organic quick oats
1tsp baking powder
pinch Himalayan salt
Blend till you get a nice thick batter
Melt butter on a griddle or frying pan on medium heat and pour batter in mini circles, big circles, heart shapes or whatever shape you desire. Watch for bubbles turning into holes and turn pancakes over.
Makes 6 medium pancakes.
Spicy egg curry
Sunday brunch calls for a nice spicy egg curry with a crispy roti and some spicy carrot pickle and a masala chai. My favourite Sunday breakfast. It’s definitely a spicy party in your mouth and very filling. A great brunch for the family and with that roti extra crispy makes it even more tasty. If you want a vegan version of this, check my tofu egg curry recipe here.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 red onion sliced length wise
1 green chilli sliced length wise in 4
1 Roma tomato chopped fine
1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 organic eggs
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped fine
Directions:
In a skillet, heat oil and saute onions, green chilli till onions are translucent
Add chopped tomatoes, garlic paste and all of the spices.
Add eggs and stir to scramble with the spicy mixture.
When eggs are done, add cilantro and cook for another minute
Serve with roti and carrot pickle. ( Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner)
Creamy overnight quinoa with banana and chocolate
A great gluten free breakfast packed with protein and so simple to make. If you can’t handle oats, quinoa is a perfect substitute. You can use raw oats but you can’t use raw quinoa. You would have to cook quinoa before using it in your overnight quinoa for breakfast. Quinoa has a pleasant nutty flavour, which works with so many different combinations, both sweet and savoury.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa - directions
2 medium bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk (or plant milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 -2 tablespoons maple syrup
pinch of fine sea salt
chocolate shavings for topping
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients, stir till all ingredients are mixed properly. Store in a mason jar or an air tight container making sure it is thoroughly clean. Refrigerate overnight.
In the morning give it a stir, add a drop of milk if you think it is too thick. Serve in two glasses or bowls.Top with banana slices and some chocolate shavings.
Overnight quinoa can be kept for 2 days in the fridge.
Overnight oats so many different ways
To make overnight oats, just use our base recipe below and add your favourite ingredients. Just get creative and enjoy your favourite fruit, nut butter, nuts and seeds, granola, chocolate chips, spices like saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and more in your overnight oats.
Use a clean mason jar and always use slow cooking rolled oats. Below is the base recipe for an individual and quick add on recipes. You can pick and choose from each section to make your favourite combination. Pictured is our favourite saffron, pistachio overnight oats.
Overnight oats last up to 5 days in the refrigerator and are great for meal prep.
Ingredients: (serves 1)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup milk (plant milk or any milk)
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon chia seeds
2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Directions:
In a clean mason jar mix the above ingredients and choose any of the following toppings below, stir well, cover and refrigerate overnight. You may want to add more milk depending on the consistency as the oats soak up all the milk.
Saffron, pistachio overnight oats (add 1/4 tsp cardamom powder & 5 strands saffron) stir well with base recipe and refrigerate overnight. Top with crushed pistachios
Chocolate banana overnight oats (add 1/2 banana mashed, 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder,) stir well with base recipe and refrigerate overnight. Top with almond butter and chocolate shavings
Apple cinnamon overnight oats (add I/2 apple shredded, 1/2 tsp cinnamon ground,) stir well with base recipe and refrigerate overnight. Top with chopped walnuts.
Peanut butter and jelly overnight oats (add 2 tbsp peanut butter and 2 tbsp fruit jam) stir well with base recipe and refrigerate overnight.(Top with roasted crushed peanuts)
Spicy pear and walnut overnight oats (Bake 1/2 a pear drizzled with a teaspoon of maple syrup and 1/4 tsp cinnamon for 5-7 minutes at 375 degrees or just toss raw into base recipe and refrigerate overnight. Top with chopped walnuts.
Add fresh fruit like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, peaches, pears, pomegranate and apples. Add dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, goji berries, chopped dates, mango or papaya. Add Nuts and seeds like sliced almonds, chopped pecans or walnuts, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, Add Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamom, or nutmeg. Add nut butters like almond butter, and peanut butter, for that extra protein boost
Homemade granola
Good granola requires just a few quality ingredients like oats, a sweetener of your choice, some oil, and maybe nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Once you master that basic formula, it’s even easier to mix up a granola made just the way you like it.
Some ingredients to choose from:
Oats
Whole-grain old-fashioned oats, slow cooking keep their shape during baking. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need gluten-free granola.
Nuts/Seeds
I used almonds, pecans and sesame seeds to make this batch. Other options include walnuts, which are rich in Omega-3s, whole or slivered almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
Oil
I used coconut oil, but you can use olive oil, or any unrefined oil.
Natural sweetener
I love using real maple syrup in my granola. Honey works great, too. You can use demerara or brown sugar.
Salt and spice
Make sure not to skip the salt! I prefer using sea salt. It brings the flavour up a notch.
I added cinnamon to this batch for some subtle warming spice. Ground ginger (use half as much) and pumpkin spice blends are other options. Savoury granola: You can make a savoury granola by combining turmeric, smoked paprika, chilli powder, cayenne, and ginger in mixed with maple syrup and oil and poured over the oats before baking.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit gives it that chewy and fruity texture and flavour. I used chopped dried apricots and pitted dates for this batch. I also love dried cranberries, tart dried cherries, raisins, banana chips, dried bananas, dried mangoes, dried pineapple and dried papaya. Make sure to add dried fruit after the baking process as fruit tends to burn.
Other add ons
Chocolate chips, coconut flakes, orange zest or pomegranate seeds can be added on and enjoyed.
Ideas on how to serve and store
Serve with plant based milk and fresh fruit like strawberries or blue berries
Serve with your choice of yogurt and berries in a bowl or mason jar in layers
Serve as a Buddha bowl with chia seeds, berries, yogurt and coconut drizzled with pumpkin seeds.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 3 months.
Basic recipe
Yields 6 cups
Prep time 15 minutes
Bake time
Ingredients
3 cups old fashioned oats or gluten-free oats
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (almonds, pecans and walnuts)⠀
1 1/2 cups coconut, fancy shredded⠀
1/2 cup maple syrup⠀
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract⠀
1/4 cup natural sesame seeds⠀
2 tbsp Demerara sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt⠀
1 1/2 tsp organic ceylon cinnamon
1 cup chopped apricots or pitted dates or both.⠀
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Toss all ingredients together in a bowl (except the dried fruit) and spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.⠀
Bake granola stirring every 10 minutes until golden brown (40-45mins)⠀
Let cool and add in the chopped dried fruit.⠀
Different variations you can try
Honey hazelnut ( instead of maple syrup, use 1/2 cup of honey and add toasted hazelnuts )
Pistachio goji ( add raw pistachios and coconut after granola is toasty and toast pistachio for 5-7 mins) then add goji berries
Pineapple coconut ( add dried pineapple as your dried fruit after granola is toasted and then sprinkle with coconut)
Apple pie spice (just add 1 tsp apple pie spice as your spice and add 1/4 cup apple sauce) then add dried apple chips as your dried fruit
Cranberry orange ( just add 1 tbsp dried orange peel into oat mixture ) then add cranberries after your granola has been toasted.
Chocolate almonds (just add 1 1/2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and add more sugar if needed) toast slivered almonds or whole almonds with the granola.
Chai spice ( You can use honey or maple syrup here and add almond extract instead of vanilla (Just add 3 tsp chai spice mix as your spice and almonds or pecans or your favourite nuts)
Pumpkin pie spice granola (just add 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice to the granola mixture)
Pumpkin spice latte
Fall is the time when the mornings are cold and the afternoons are sunny and warm. Comfort food is what we are craving all day long and it’s pumpkin everything as soon as you get into a market.
Fall is the time when the mornings are cold and the afternoons are sunny and warm. Comfort food is what we are craving all day long and it’s pumpkin everything as soon as you get into a market. Pumpkin spice lattes are in every average coffee shop and you really don’t know what the ingredients are (maybe a lot of sugar, natural flavours, gums etc). A homemade version is always good. Bernadette, a holistic nutritionist and yoga teacher from Byogawellness (BC local company)has created this amazing vegan pumpkin spice latte and has gladly shared her recipe. Bernadette uses uses chai tea instead of coffee and is absolutely amazing! The chai in this latte, from Dupi’s chai (BC local company) owned by Dupinder uses premium teas, spices, no added sugars or flavours. Dupi’s chai’s are functional spiced teas that focus on digestion and speed up recovery. Dupi’s chai are served in premium Cafe’s as popular Chai Tea/Latte options.
If you love your coffee, Kait Swales has shared a fabulous pumpkin latte buzzing with espresso. Check the second recipe with her amazing concoction that will warm you up this fall.
PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Recipe #1 ( Byogawellness and Dupi's Chai)
1 dupis chai tea bag (Arise)
1/2 cup plant mylk
2tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
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Recipe #2 (Kait Swales)
3/4 cup oat milk
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
(pinch of cardamom, black pepper, clove, allspice,nutmeg)
Or 1 tsp pumpkin spice (which includes everything)
3 tbsp pumpkin puree
2 tsp maple syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Recipe #1
Steep Chai tea in 1/2 cup water. In a saucepan, heat tea with mylk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and pumpkin spice. Pour mixture into blender and blend till smooth.. Pour into your favourite cup and enjoy.
Can add mylk froth or coco whip cream. Yummy
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Recipe #2
Mix all ingredients and heat till just boiled. Pour into your favourite two mugs and pour your favourite two shots of espresso over top. Blend till frothy. Yummy
DUTCH BABY
“Dutch Baby”, my all time favourite sweet breakfast food. The texture of this pancake is crispy and custardy at the same time and you can add a variety of berries sprinkled with icing sugar. Impress your family and friends with this dutch baby also known as a German (Deutsch) pancake. It is really easy to make (only flour, eggs, vanilla and a milk batter pan fried in butter and baked). It’s great for a brunch and can be made in a 10″ cast iron skillet.
Ingredients pictured here all except the butter go into a blender and poured into a hot cast iron skillet with melted butter.
DUTCH BABY
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3 eggs, room temperature (or an egg substitute)
2/3 cup milk (plant-based milk can be used)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 tablespoons butter
Juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon melted butter (or vegan butter)
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
3 cups mixed strawberries and blueberries.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Blend together eggs, milk, flour, salt, and vanilla till smooth.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a10inch cast iron skillet and pour the batter into the centre of the skillet.
Place skillet in the preheated oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter, drizzle lemon juice over and dust with powdered sugar. Cut into 6 wedges and serve with berries.
Enjoy!
SHAKSHOUKA
Shakshouka in Arabic is a dish of poached eggs in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onions, garlic and commonly spiced with paprika, cayenne and cumin. This Mediterranean dish has been around for centuries and is super easy to make. Its perfect for a Mediterranean brunch theme served with warm pita bread, crusty bread, roasted potatoes or a fattoush salad. This saucy tomato concoction can have you going for seconds and thirds.
This recipe is very easy and your guests will feel very special. Just chop up onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and start by sautéing the onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil.
Add tomatoes and crushed tomatoes and all the greens and save a little parsley to garnish later.
Once you see the tomatoes cooked and saucy, add the eggs slowly and one at a time.
SHAKSHOUKA
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 yellow pepper, roughly chopped
6 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp black pepper ground
1/2 tsp sumac
1/2 tsp spanish paprika
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 cup crushed tomatoes
4 eggs
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Pinch of Maldon salt (optional)
Pita bread toasted for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large skillet, on medium high heat, add olive oil and add the chopped onions, peppers and garlic. When the onions are translucent, add tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and spices and let cook till tomatoes are tender. Add all the greens, saving a little parsley for garnishing. Cover the skillet and let the tomatoes cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally till sauce thickens. Take skillet off the heat and break eggs one at a time into a bowl and slowly slide them onto the tomato mixture. Add crumbled feta all around the eggs and bake for 12-15 minutes till egg whites are firm but yolks runny. Sprinkle with parsley and Maldon salt and serve from the pan with warm pita bread.
Enjoy!