How to melt chocolate
Check out our chocolate melting guide on our shop in our chocolate section.
Some more tips:
make sure to cut the chocolate into fairly small uniform pieces. Good quality Callebaut chocolate works well too.
All microwaves are different so use your discretion and stop every 20 seconds and stir using a rubber spatula and scrape the sides. Chocolate should take about 2 minutes to melt.
Stop heating the chocolate and remove it from the microwave once the chocolate is mostly liquid but there are a few solid pieces remaining. Continue stirring until completely melted.
Use melted chocolate for chocolate glaze, to dip strawberries in, holiday shortbread and other cookies and donuts.
Mulled wine
Did you know mulled wine was originally created by the Romans in the 2nd century during the winter to keep themselves warm? Many also believed in drinking mulled wine for health and to avoid sickness.
Apart from spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, people would also add herbs and flowers to their mulled wine as natural sweeteners to make wines taste better.
It’s now enjoyed as a popular winter traditionally and is so easy to make, especially using our mulled spice mix.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 (750 ml) bottle of dry red wine or sweet apple cider
1 orange, sliced into rounds (also peeled, if you would like a less-bitter drink)
2-4 tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste (or your desired sweetener)
optional add-in: 1/4 cup brandy (or your favourite liqueur)
optional garnishes: citrus slices (orange, lemon and/or lime), extra cinnamon sticks, extra star anise
Instructions
Add wine or sweet apple cider ,orange slices, mulled wine mix, 2 tablespoons sweetener, and brandy (optional) to a large saucepan. Stir gently to combine
Cook the mulled wine on medium-high heat until it almost starts to simmer. (Avoid letting it bubble — you don’t want to boil off the alcohol).
Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours
Using a fine mesh strainer, remove and discard the orange slices and spices. Give the mulled wine a taste, and stir in extra sweetener if needed
Serve warm in heatproof mugs, topped with your favourite garnish
Stollen (with marzipan)
Stollen is thought to have originated in Germany in the 1400’s. Stollen is a fruit bread of nuts, spices and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and often containing marzipan. It is a traditional German bread eaten during the holidays. Learn to make your own
This recipe is tried and tested ! I got this from the Cupcake Jemma and it is a fabulous recipe. I tweaked it a bit as I prefer orange juice over rum and brandy. But you can add the rum!
Ingredients:
150ml whole milk- warm to touch
1 pack of instant yeast
415 g all purpose flour
100g fine sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mace
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
150 g soft unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
200 gr currants/raisins/sultanas (soaked in rum or brandy overnight) I used orange juice
100g (mixed peel) I used orange and lemon peel
50 g almonds
250 g marzipan
Directions:
Activate yeast ( add yeast to the milk and add the sugar) stir and leave in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes
Sift all purpose flour into the mixer(don’t start mixer yet), add sugar, soft butter, egg yolks and all spices, salt and finally the milk/yeast mixture. Start the mixer with regular paddle for about 1 minute and then switch a dough hook. Keep mixing till you see a dough ball ( about 10 minutes) you should be able to stretch it.
Proof the dough in a greased bowl and cover with saraan wrap and a tea towel ( in an oven -with a bowl of hot water) Leave for an hour till it rises to double the size.
Remove dough and roll it out into a circle. Add soaked fruit , raisins and slivered almonds. Knead the dough through. You can divide the dough in two and roll each again into a circle. Add a tube of marzipan and mold into a stollen bread shape. Cover again with saran wrap and proof the stollen again for another hour in the oven again. Dough should be ready once it springs back very slowly (about 45 mins to an hour) Remove any fruit that are poking out as they will burn.
Bake at 320 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes. Poke holes in the stollen with a skewer and drizzle unsalted butter all over making sure the stollen is well soaked. Sprinkle icing sugar all over till covered. Let cool for 15 minutes and its ready to eat. Enjoy!!
Gingerbread cookies
This recipe is amazing and I got it from Gimme some oven. Your home is guaranteed to smell amazing. This one has fresh orange zest and it really does the trick.
Vegan substitutes included.
Makes 40 cookies.
Ingredients
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (all from our baking spice dabba)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (use vegan butter here if vegan)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (or maple syrup, agave syrup)
1 large egg (flax egg if vegan)
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of one small orange(optional)
Icing
2 cups Icing sugar
2–3 tablespoons milk (soy, oat or almond milk)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Whisk together your dry ingredients. Flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda,, cloves, salt and nutmeg.
Beat the dough. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and molasses, and beat on medium speed until combined. Then gradually add in the flour mixture, and beat on medium-low speed until just combined.
Chill the dough. Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each into a ball. then gently use your hands to flatten each ball into a 1 “ thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerator for an hour or so until the dough is pliable.
Roll and cut the dough. Unwrap one of the discs and place it on a lightly-floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough evenly until it is approximately 1.8 inch thick. Then use your favourite cookie cutters to cut your desired shapes, re rolling the dough as needed to cut more. Transfer the shapes to parchment covered baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are crisp around the edges and on the top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes., then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling
Decorate: Once the cookies cool to room temperature, feel free to decorate as desired with the icing.
Cream of mushroom soup
When your mushrooms are almost at the end of their life, don’t discard them. Make cream of mushroom soup. This delicious soup will warm you up during the cold fall evenings. The recipe is plant-based but can be made with dairy cream if you want or with chicken broth. I must say the plant-based version is spectacular!
Servings; 4
Total time 20 minutes
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs Crimini mushrooms
handful of Shitake or any other mushrooms on hand
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tsp garlic paste
3/4 tsp thyme
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup cream (plant-based or non)
1/4 cup cream for garnish
1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a medium sized saucepan and add finely chopped onions and saute till golden brown.
Add all the mushrooms and saute till liquid has evaporated. Add garlic paste, salt pepper, thyme and broth. Bring to boil then add cream
Blend all ingredients and place again in the pot to reheat
Ladle soup in bowls and garnish with a drizzle of cream and chopped parsley
Serve with toasted french bread
Blackbean Hummus
Instead of chickpeas, you can use black beans to make this amazing dip! You can make it spicy with chipotle chilli powder or ancho chilli powder and lime juice.Make your halloween spooky and delicious with this wholesome snack.
Serves 8
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked dry black turtle beans or canned black beans
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons iced water
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1/2 tsp jalapeno powder
2 tablespoons yogurt for decorating webs on top.
5-6 piited kalamata olives for garnish
3 (6” pitas) and or assorted veggie sticks
Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a food processor except for yogurt and pita chips
Cut each pita into 8 wedges and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes turning once.
Place blended hummus in a bowl and decorate.
Serve with pita and or veggies.
Roasted pumpkin seeds
Don’t ditch the pumpkin seeds after carving!
Instead, use them to roast and spice or sweeten them however you want!
For a sweet or savoury recipe, try adding some of our spices and seasonings to your pumpkin seeds.
Remove and clean the seeds from your pumpkin. Dry the seeds. Add oil, salt and seasonings.
In a bowl add 1 tbsp sunflower oil, coconut oil or avocado oil to
1 cup of seeds. (Keep the ratio the same for more seeds) add your favourite seasonings making sure to coat each seed well with mixture.
Place seeds on a baking sheet (use parchment paper for best results)
Bake for 20-30 minutes at 300 degrees F or until pumpkin seeds are crisp and golden brown. Rotate pan if you see some seeds getting darker and make sure to stir 2-3 times during the baking time.
Let cool and they will crisp up.
Enjoy this treat with your loved ones on Halloween!
Use the following Galloway’s Spices and seasonings or scroll down for some spooky recipes and make your own sweet or savoury pumpkin seeds.
Cinnamon sugar:
For 1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds you will need:
2tsp olive oil
2tbsp brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
Sweet & spicy:
For 1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds you will need
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tsp cayenne or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste
Pizza roasted pumpkin seeds:
For 1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds you will need
2 tsp olive oi
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Homemade extracts
If you have the time to make your own extracts, it sure is worth as they can be just as good as you get from the store or even better! It sure is a labour of love but well worth it and really doesn’t take too much time. If you have your ingredients and a bottle of vodka, you have it made. Vodka is used because it is odourless, colourless and flavourless.
Home made vanilla extract:
Cut 10 vanilla beans in half and slit them so the vanilla paste and seeds are exposed.
Place the cut vanilla beans into a 1 litre mason jar.
Add 3-4 cups of vodka into the mason jar covering the vanilla beans and filling the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. After 8 weeks shake jar and let stand for another 6 months.
After 6 months, decant the amount of vanilla extract that you will need.
You can just top off with vodka and keep reusing the vanilla extract. It can be used perpetually replacing with fresh vodka after decanting every time.
Home made coffee extract:
Use a 16 oz mason jar and fill up with 8oz of Italian espresso beans.
Add 2 cups of vodka to the coffee beans making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. After 8 weeks, shake the jar and let stand for up to 6 months in total for an amazing coffee extract.
After 6 months, decant the amount of coffee extract that you will need.
Because coffee can get rancid, this extract mixture will not be perpetual. You can probably get another 6 months with another top up of vodka. But you should decant the rest and discard the coffee beans or dry them and grind them and use them on instant espresso drinks or on whipped cream desserts.
Home made chocolate extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up half the jar with 8oz of crushed cacao nibs
Add 2 cups of vodka to the crushed cacao beans making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. After 8 weeks, shake the jar and let stand for up to 6 months in total for an amazing chocolate extract.
After 6 months, decant the amount of cacao extract that you will need.
Because cacao beans can get rancid, this extract mixture will not be perpetual. You can probably get another 6 months with another top up of vodka. But you should decant the rest and discard the cacao beans or grind them and use them as a topper on chocolate whipped desserts.
Home made cinnamon extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up the jar with cinnamon sticks (3” preferably)
Add 2 cups of vodka to the cinnamon sticks making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. After 8 weeks, shake the jar and let stand for up to 3 months in total for an amazing cinnamon extract. It might already be good enough by 8 weeks.
Decant amount of cinnamon extract that you will need.
You can just top off with vodka and keep reusing the cinnamon extract. It can be used perpetually replacing with fresh vodka after decanting every time.
Home made almond extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up the jar with fresh blanched slivered almonds (the fresher the better)
Add 2 cups of vodka to the almonds making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. After 8 weeks, shake the jar and let stand for up to 6 months in total for an amazing almond extract.
Decant amount of cinnamon extract that you will need.
Because almonds have fat, they can get rancid, and this extract mixture will not be perpetual. You can probably get another 6 months with another top up of vodka. But you should decant the rest and discard the almond or dry them and use them in baking or as a topper on desserts.
Home made coconut extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up half the jar with unsweetened shredded coconut
Add 2 cups of vodka to the almonds making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. You may like the flavour at this point but if not strong enough, let stand up to 3 months in total for an amazing coconut extract.
Decant amount of coconut extract that you will need.
Because coconut has fat, it can get rancid, and this extract mixture will not be perpetual. You can probably get another 6 months with another top up of vodka. But you should decant the rest and discard the coconut or dry it and use it in baking or as a topper on desserts.
Home made mint extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up the jar with fresh peppermint or fresh mint leaves and stems washed and dried. Press into jar with a pestle to release oils.
Add 2 cups of vodka to the peppermint/mint making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. You may like the flavour at this point but if not strong enough, let stand up to 3 months in total for an amazing peppermint/mint extract
Decant amount of mint/peppermint extract that you will need.
Because mint/peppermint will not last another 6 months, it is recommended to decant and dry the mint/peppermint and use as potpourri.
Home made orange extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up the jar with orange peels and stems pressed into jar with a pestle to release oils. Use a potato peeler and only use the zest, not the pith (which is the white part inside the peel -it can be very bitter).
Add 2 cups of vodka to the orange zest making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. You may like the flavour at this point but if not strong enough, let stand up to 6 months in total for an amazing orange extract
Decant amount of mint/peppermint extract that you will need.
You can just top off with vodka and keep reusing the orange extract for probably another 6 months.
LEMON AND LIME CAN BE MADE THE SAME WAY AS ORANGE EXTRACT
Cardamom extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up the jar with crushed cardamom pods.
Add 2 cups of vodka to the cardamom pods making sure to fill the vodka with in an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 2-3 days. If kept longer, it will become bitter.
Decant the whole amount and use cardamom seeds in baking as well by drying and grinding to powder.
Butternut squash soup
Fall weather calls for a warm bowl of comforting ginger flavoured soup which is also plant-based and full of flavour. This soup is so easy and you don’t need hours to make it. I added toasted coconut flakes for that extra crunch.
4-6 Servings
Ingredients:
1 large onion chopped
2 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp ginger paste
1 large butternut squash (4lb)
1 can coconut milk
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 tsp sea salt or to taste
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 limes
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a large dutch oven or saucepan, heat oil and add chopped onions, red pepper flakes and 1 tsp sea salt. Cook till onions are soft and translucent - 6 minutes.
Add peeled, cleaned and cubed squash and stir to coat. Add garlic and ginger paste. Add 3 cups of water or enough to cover the squash. Add coconut milk and remaining salt.
Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are very tender, 12-14 minutes.
Meanwhile, spread coconut flakes on a baking tray and place in the oven till golden brown, about 5 minutes. ( be careful…these can burn fast)
Blend soup in a blender till creamy and smooth and pour back into dutch oven or saucepan. Stir in juice of one lime. Cut the other lime into wedges for garnish.
Ladle soup into bowls and add top with toasted coconut flakes and cilantro. Serve with reserved lime wedges.
Enjoy!
Holiday fruitcake
I grew up in a home with my parents always in the store (Galloway’s on Robson or Pacific Centre) and therefore always around food. The best part was when my mom would make fruitcakes for the holidays. She always prepared these with love and gifted them to family and friends (the ingredients were always from Galloway’s on Robson Street where she worked for many years). She got this recipe from a customer at the Robson street store and still uses it. My mom is 81 now and I wanted to share this amazing recipe with you all. This recipe uses orange juice instead of rum, but you can use rum if you wish. I pretty much love this cake warmed up and served with a hot cup of tea.
Ingredients:
🍒8 oz currants
🍒8 oz sultana raisins
🍒4 oz mixed peel
🍒4 oz red and green cherries, whole and broken
🍒1/2 tsp ginger ground
🍒1/4 tsp nutmeg ground
🍒1/4 tsp cardamom ground
🍒1/4 cup orange juice
🍒10 oz white all purpose flour
🍒8 oz butter (soft)
🍒16 oz organic cane sugar
🍒4 eggs ( room temperature)
🍒1 tbsp fancy molasses
🍒3/4tsp baking powder
🍒3/4tsp vanilla extract
Almond paste for icing.
Directions:
🍒Remove stems from currants if any. Rinse and drain both currants and sultanas and place in a bowl.
🍒Add mixed peel, red and green cherries, spices and orange juice.
🍒Soak fruit for 2 hours. Remove 2 tbsp of flour from 10 oz flour and then add to fruit mixture and mix well till all fruit is coated with flour and let stand for another hour.
🍒Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 10” cake pan with parchment and butter the sides as well.
🍒Cream butter in a cake mixer, add sugar slowly making sure to get a nice fluffy texture.
🍒Add eggs one at a time and flour alternately (1 egg then 3oz of flour and repeat 3 more times)
🍒 Add molasses and add baking powder and vanilla extract and mix well. Stop mixer and fold in the fruit mixture. Mix well.
🍒Pour batter into the lined cake pan and bake for 1 hour and turn cake pan clockwise and continue baking for another hour.
(If you want to decorate with almonds or cashews, place on top of cake mixture before putting in the oven to bake ~as shown in picture)
🍒Insert knife 🔪 into cake at 2 hours. Knife should come out clean.
🍒 Let cool and ice with almond paste if you want and enjoy with a cup of tea.
Mango Kulfi
Sometimes you just need a dessert that is sinfully rich, delicious, creamy and irresistible. I usIf you are ed canned mangoes that I blended in a blender. If you have all the ingredients on hand, it literally takes 5 minutes to make this incredible dessert. If you are following a plant-based diet, you can switch to non-dairy substitutes. The flavours of saffron, cardamom, pistachios and almonds will blow your mind away!! This dessert is usually served on special occasions like Navratri, Diwali, Eid or Khushiali.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
398 ml canned mangoes (juice removed)
1 tablespoon warm milk
300 ml condensed milk
385 ml evaporated milk
250 ml whipping cream
1/2 tsp cardamom ground
6-7 strands saffron
12 almonds crushed
12 pistachios crushed
Directions:
Bloom the saffron in 1 tablespoon of warm milk for about 5 minutes (Let the saffron sit in the warm milk for 5 minutes for the flavour to bloom)
Blend the canned mangoes, then add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, whipping cream, cardamom and the bloomed saffron.
Pour liquid mixture into an 8”x12” pyrex dish or metal dish and put in the freezer for about two hours then sprinkle crushed pistachios and almonds and leave in freezer to set till 20 minutes before serving.
The kulfi will be hard to cut if you don’t remove from the freezer 20 mins before.
Enjoy!!
French onion soup
Whether you are into plant based eating or not, this soup is amazing plant-based. The caramelized onions makes it so satiating and your taste buds dancing with joy. If you aren’t following a plant-based diet, just add your favourite cheese on top and melt it down. So yummy!
Serves 4
Prep/cook time 60 minutes
Ingredients:
2tbsp plant based margarine
2tbsp olive oil
4 shallots finely sliced
3 large onions sliced
1 red onion finely sliced
3 tsp sea salt
Black pepper to taste
1 sprig of thyme
2tsp dried sage
1 tbsp gluten free flour or all purpose flour
240 ml dried white wine
1 litre hot vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp rosemary leaves
4-6 slices of French baguette
1 garlic clove
grated plant based cheese
Directions:
Caramelize shallots and onions in the margarine and oil in a large saucepan. Add salt, pepper, thyme and sage and cook for 20 minutes.
When the onions are golden, add flour and stir well to coat the onions. Cook for a minute the add wine to deglaze the pan. Bring the liquid to boil before adding the hot vegetable stock, bay leaf and rosemary. Cover and let soup cook for 20 minutes.
Toast slices of baguette 🥖. Cut garlic cloves in half and rub on the slices of toasted bread.
Remove the bay leaf and rosemary sprig, then ladle the soup into your serving bowls and arrange toasted baguette topped with grated cheese. Place your bowls onto a baking sheet then place each one under the grill for 2 minutes.
Top with fresh thyme leaves and fresh black pepper.
Enjoy!!
Peach cobbler
Peaches galore everywhere and now we have to say goodbye to summer crisps and hello to peach cobbler.
Did you know that cobblers originated in the British American colonies? The new English settlers were unable to make traditional suet puddings due to lack of suitable ingredients and cooking equipment, so instead covered a stewed filling with a layer of uncooked plain biscuits, scone batter and cooked it all together.
Our recipe includes our pumpkin pie spice and will have the aroma in your house screaming FALL and cozy.
Serves: 8-10
Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Ingredients:
5 peaches peeled and 1/4 inch sliced
2 tbsp demerara sugar
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup cream or whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and remove pits from peaches and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Place peaches in a bowl and stir in demerara sugar, pumpkin pie spice mix, !/4 cup organic cane sugar, till coated and let sit for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook butter on medium heat, stirring often till it browns. Pour butter into a pie baking dish.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, rest of the organic sugar, baking powder, salt, cream and vanilla extract.
Pour batter over melted butter ladle by ladle so butter an batter swirls.
Top with marinated peaches and bake till golden brown around 35-40 minutes. Cool before serving. Serve with whipping cream or ice cream. Enjoy
Plant-based bean curry
It really isn’t complicated to make a bean curry. Beans are highly nutritious and full of fibre and protein and great for a vegan or plant-based diet. I have made it simpler by a simple bean curry recipe that includes my spice mix on our website Annie M’s spice mix for vegan bean curry. This way you don’t have to struggle with so many spices in your cupboards and it’s all measured for you. You can use any dried bean as long as you soak them, boil them according to cooking times on our chart or use organic canned beans. I do recommend using dried beans as they are more economical and you can cook them in big batches and keep them in the freezer.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp cooking oil (I prefer grapeseed oil, sunflower oil or avocado oil)
1 1/4 cup chopped onion or 2 small onions
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (included in Annie M’s Spice mix)
1 1/2 cup chopped potatoes in 1” cubes
Annie M’s spice mix package *
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 roma tomato chopped
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
2 cups cooked beans (choice of any cooked beans)
1 cup cilantro
Directions:
Heat oil in a medium sized pot. Add onions and saute till golden brown. Add the package of cumin seeds from Annie M’s spice mix package and saute for a minute. Then add potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, salt and Annie M’s spice mix and stir till potatoes and spices are mixed in. Add crushed tomatoes and water and cover pot till potatoes are almost tender (about 20 minutes). Add cooked beans and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, saving a little for garnish and serve with roti and or basmati rice.
Note -you can add other vegetables like kale, zucchini & spinach simply by adding them with the cooked beans and let cook till done.
*Annie M’s spice ingredients (coriander ground, cumin ground, turmeric , cayenne ground)
We include the Rice Pilaff spice mix in this package. Check recipe here.
Rhubarb almond cake (gluten-free)
Rhubarb is technically a vegetable but considered a fruit. It tastes rather sour when eaten raw and can be described as “tart” similar to green, unripe apples. Rhubarb is great in pies, cakes and mostly paired with strawberries to balance its sour bitter taste. Rhubarb is usually in season April through June and are tender and delicate. Rhubarb found in the summer are more robust and flavourful. Opt for the dark red stalks as they are sweeter and more intense in flavour.
This recipe can be made with our all purpose gluten free flour and our regular all purpose flour. This cake is simple to make and amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
1 cup butter (vegan butter) plus more for the pan
3/4 cup plus 4 tbs organic sugar plus more for the pan
1 lb rhubarb stalks, trimmed
1 1/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour or regular all purpose flour
3/4 cup blanched almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 of a vanilla bean split lengthwise
2 large eggs
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream (or plant-based yogurt)
1 tsp Xanthan gum (only if using gluten free flour)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 8” springfoam pan and sprinkle with sugar, tapping out excess. Slice rhubarb in half lengthwise (quarter if very large). Set 8 of the prettiest pieces aside for the top of the cake; chop remaining rhubarb into ½" pieces.
Pulse flour, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until almonds are finely ground.
Place 1 cup butter and ¾ cup sugar in an electrical mixer and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and beat for another 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating till light and fluffy.
Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients, followed by yogurt. If using the all purpose gluten free flour, add the Xanthan gum as well. Beat till batter is nice and thick. Fold in chopped rhubarb and scrape batter into prepared pan. Smooth batter and arrange reserved rhubarb over top; sprinkle with remaining 3 Tbsp. sugar.
Place sprinfoam pan on a large rimmed baking sheet (the mixture might leak) and bake, rotating once, until cake is golden brown and rhubarb on top is soft and beginning to brown, 80–90 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool before removing from pan.
Fish tacos
The white fish isn’t grilled or breaded and fried, it’s marinated in a cilantro and jalapeno sauce with cumin and chipotle. The white fish is so flaky and the pico de gallo makes it so heavenly that you don’t miss the fried version at all. The cilantro sauce is also used in the pico de gallo mixture and the flavours are so tantalizing!
Serves 4
Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 20 mins
Ingredients:
2 Lb white fish, washed and dried
3 tsp sea salt
1 Jalapeno
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin ground
1/4 tsp chipotle
2 garlic cloves
1 large bunch of cilantro
1 medium tomato
1/2 red onion
1/2 cucumber
2 limes
1 avocado
12 tortillas
Directions:
Blend 1/2 the bunch of cilantro, jalapeno, oil, garlic, 1 tsp salt, chipotle, cumin and juice of 1/2 a lime. Coat the pieces of fish with 1/2 the mixture and place them in an oven tray. The other half of the mixture will be used in the pico de gallo.
Bake the fish at 300 degrees for 20 minutes making sure it doesn’t get over cooked. It needs to be a bit flaky.
While the fish bakes, chop red onion, tomato, red pepper, cucumber, 1/2 bunch cilantro, and the avocado.
Add all chopped vegetables to the remaining cilantro mixture and add salt and juice of 1 lime and combine all the ingredients.
Warm tortillas on a burner one at a time on medium heat till you see dark spots around the edges (30 seconds per side) Keep them warm until servings.
Spoon white fish and add pico de gallo and enjoy your Mexican taco party!
Red lentil fritters (bhajias)
Going plant-based doesn’t have to be boring. It’s so exciting when we try new things. These red lentil fritters (bhajias) are crispy and delicious. They are very popular in Gujarat, India. Yes they are fried and amazing hot and fresh. I love making them as lettuce wraps and add my tamarind chutney and katchumber ( an Indian pico de gallo)
Serves 8
Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 40 mins
Ingredients
2 cups red split lentils
1 tbsp garlic paste
1tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp organic sugar
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Oil for frying (grapeseed or sunflower)
Ingredients for katchumber
½ red onion, finely chopped
½ carrot, finely chopped
½ cucumber, finely chopped
Cilantro, finely chopped
lemon juice of ½ a lemon
pinch cayenne (to taste)
pinch Himalayan salt (to taste)
Directions
Soak lentils for 4-5 hours; rinse and add all ingredients into a food processor and grind for about 30 seconds to a minute till all lentils are ground and mixture is nicely combined.
In a wok or deep frying pan heat oil to medium high
Fry teaspoon fulls of red lentil mixture and fry till golden brown (about 7 mins) Remove and place on paper towel to drain the oil.
Decorate on a bed of lettuce and serve with katchumber and tamarind chutney like a lettuce wrap
Directions for Katchumber
Dice all ingredients and mix. Serve as a condiment to most indian dishes. Serve also as a topping with red lentil bhajias in a lettuce wrap.
Enjoy!!
Cashew -not-chicken
Just tried to make jackfruit and it is fantastic! A great substitute for chicken. You really can’t tell the difference. The jackfruit just needs to be drained well and shredded and it absorbs the flavours that it’s cooked in easily. This Asian dish is so so so good and another plant based delight.
Serves 4
Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 20 mins
Ingredients:
For the stir-fry
1/4 cup sunflower oil
400 gr canned jackfruit
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 orange pepper, sliced
1-5 red chillies (up to your spicy taste preference)
1/2 cup roasted no salt cashews
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
salt and pepper to taste
sesame seeds hulled for garnish
For the sauce
3tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce (True Nosh makes a nice one with no sugar)
1 tbsp sesame oil
11/2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup vegetable broth
Directions:
Drain the jackfruit in paper towels till all the liquid is drained. Place in a bowl and coat jackfruit with corn starch, salt and pepper.
In a wok or deep frying pan, add oil and saute coated jackfruit till brown ( about 3 minutes) Remove from pan and cover to stay warm
In the same left over oil, add all sliced onions and peppers. Saute for a couple of minutes and add garlic, ginger and red whole chillies ( I usually chop my chillies in little bits- if you remove the seeds, it is less spicier) Add the roasted cashew nuts and coated jackfruit and saute everything together for a couple of minutes.
In the mean time, while vegetables are cooking, make the sauce. In a small bowl whisk all the sauce ingredients and add to jackfruit mixture and let boil till sauce is nice and thick.
Serve on jasmine rice and garnish with sesame seeds.
Enjoy!
Mac & cheese (Plant-based)
So comforting and no added preservatives, food colour and most of all completely dairy-free and plant-based. The star ingredients are nutritional yeast and cashews
Serves 8 people
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes
Ingredients
16 ounces whole grain elbow macaroni (or gluten-free)
1 head broccoli florets cut up into small bite sizes (steamed)
1 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked in water (about 2 hours)
3tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp himalayan salt
1 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp mustard powder
2 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional)
paprika for garnish
Directions
Prepare pasta according to directions on package
While pasta is boiling, combine soaked cashews, lemon juice, water, salt, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, turmeric, chilli flakes, mustard powder, and blend till silky smooth. Add more water if mixture is too thick. Taste and if you need more tang, add apple cider vinegar.
Once pasta is cooked, drain and place in a large bowl. Add steamed broccoli and stir in the sauce. Garnish with paprika and serve right away!
Enjoy!
Asian tomato salad
Tomatoes and summer always go hand in hand and this Asian inspired salad with herbs, tomatoes and a funky dressing that does the trick and hits all your taste buds have them jumping with joy. This salad goes with my Asian summer rolls. So refreshing and so delicious!!
Serves 6 ppl
Cook time 10 mins
Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup vegan fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 Napa cabbage thinly sliced
2 mini cucumbers sliced in halves
1 green bell pepper sliced thin
1 small shallot thinly sliced
1 LB mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved
2 cups mixed herbs coarsely chopped (dill, cilantro, thai basil)
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, salted
1/2 cup fried onions
Directions:
Place sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and 1 tbsp water in a jar and shake jar till sugar is dissolved.
Combine Napa cabbage, cucumber, bell pepper, shallot, tomatoes and herbs in a large bowl and season with black pepper. Drizzle 1/2 the dressing and toss salad and taste. If you need more dressing, drizzle more in. Garnish with peanuts and fried onions and enjoy!