Recipe Post: Broccoli Chedd'r Mini-Quiches + A Place for Pleasure Foods

Some days you wake up bursting with ideas, and you just have to see them through, or you feel like you'll actually burst. Today was one of those days.

I've always loved the combination of broccoli and cheddar cheese; something I've frankly missed since going vegan. I've been happy to see an influx of vegan-friendly plant-based cheezes arriving on the market. While they may not all have the most nourishing profile of ingredients, there is something to be said for nourishing nostalgia.

I read an interesting post on the Coach Calorie blog yesterday about how those who wish to lose weight (or get healthy, or any number of health goals) first eliminate their favourite foods, as though deprivation and misery are the keys to success.

And I will echo the point: They're not.

Satiety and satisfaction, though very similar, are not necessarily one and the same. Satiety is a response in the body that tells you it has achieved physical fullness and nutrient balance. It is meant to keep us from eating in excess and signalling that our body has what it needs for now. Making sure a meal is macronutrient-balanced is a great way to achieve satiety.

Satisfaction, however, runs on a deeper level. A meal can be perfectly macronutrient-balanced, but if it tastes bland, has an unpleasant mouthfeel, or is otherwise awful to consume, it's not going to be satisfying on an emotional level. Food should taste good and be enjoyable to eat, if not all the time, then at least the majority of the time. This is also obviously not to say we should eat cake for breakfast, a bag of chips for snack, pizza for lunch, *a healthy dandelion salad for dinner*, and then ice cream for dessert.

We should endeavour to learn how to cook food with spices, not be afraid of healthy amounts of fat, add a dash of sea salt here and there. And of course, we should not feel like we need to put a moratorium on all of our favourite foods. Being adventurous in the kitchen and trying alternative ingredients to replicate your favourite flavours can be healthful in its own way; not just physically, but in appealing to your inner child, your hidden chocoholic, your secret cheese junkie.

So circling back to vegan cheezes. I woke up this morning wanting to do *something* with chickpea flour, *something* with broccoli and cheez. LIGHTBULB MOMENT! and I whipped up these Broccoli Chedd'r Mini-Quiches. I'll be honest, it was about an hour of deciding what to put in the bowl - would this really taste good? should I add more of this? what will this do to the colour? - and wondering, once it was in the oven, whether it would turn out at all the way I wanted it to.

But that was also part of the fun. Learning to cook and drawing on that experience; plus feeling adventurous and drawing on foods-loved-past; leads to a fascinating alchemy of nourishment for health and nostalgia.

Plus, the results are in: Tasty, nutritious... and not only satiates my body, but satisfies my secret cheese junkie. (Full disclosure: I ate three once I got them out of the oven.)

Savoury Vegan Broccoli Chedd’r Mini-Quiches

A vegan, gluten-free twist on a classic flavour combination. Chickpea flour, or besan, is a versatile, high-protein, gluten-free flour that is well worth making a pantry staple. Its cooked texture and flavour lends itself perfectly to replacing eggs for making scrambles, omelettes, and of course, quiches. Nutritional yeast (“nooch”) adds a cheesy flavour while also providing an additional protein and B-vitamin boost. These broccoli chedd’r mini-quiches are beautiful for a brunch, or as a quick grab-and-go breakfast. Serve au naturel or with a favourite sauce, such as vegan hollandaise, sour cream, or for a spicy kick, hot sauce or sriracha. Makes 12 mini-quiches.

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen organic broccoli florets

Coconut oil for the muffin pan OR paper cupcake liners

1½ cups chickpea/garbanzo bean flour (besan)

1 tsp. GF baking powder

2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (increase to 3 Tbsp. + more for sprinkling if not using vegan chedd’r)

¼ tsp. organic ground turmeric

¼ to ½ tsp. sea salt (you may wish to use a little more if not using vegan chedd’r)

¼ tsp. organic chili powder

Pinch each fresh ground black pepper and red chili flakes

Optional: pinch black salt, to taste

1¾ cup unsweetened hemp or almond milk OR water

⅓ cup vegan chedd’r shreds, such as Daiya or Earth Island, plus more for sprinkling, optional (or use more nooch as indicated above)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease or line your muffin tin.

In a pot with a steamer basket, steam the broccoli until just cooked (it should be bright green). Transfer broccoli to a strainer and run cool water over it to stop cooking. Allow to drain off as much moisture as possible. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, nooch, and spices). Whisk to mix.

Add the hemp milk or water and whisk to mix.

Add the ⅓ cup chedd’r, if using. Gently fold into batter.

Start spooning the batter into the muffin tin, about half-filling each compartment. You should still have some batter left after. Distribute the broccoli into the compartments. Spoon the remaining batter evenly over the broccoli. Sprinkle extra chedd’r or nooch on top of each mini-quiche.

Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake about 18-20 minutes, until just firm. A toothpick inserted in the middle a quiche should come out clean.

Allow to cool slightly before removing mini-quiches from the tin. You may need to use a butter-knife to lift the edges away from the sides neatly if not using liners. Transfer to a plate and serve. Alternatively place the mini-quiches on a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before storing them in containers or sandwich bags for grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks.

This recipe also appears on SaraGalipeau.ca in Recipe of the Month Archive, April 2016. Get the pdf here.

February is Heart Month - 6 Ways to Show Your Heart You Care

Cinnamon hearts, paper hearts, heart-shaped boxes (of both the Nirvana and chocolate-filled variety)... the symbol of romantic love is ubiquitous in February, with Valentine's Day celebrations still fresh in our minds.  And perhaps not as well-celebrated, but definitely notable, February is also Heart Month, devoted to awareness of heart disease and stroke.  In that spirit, here are 6 ways to show your heart some love this month.

1) Antioxidants - particularly anthocyanins and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).  Anthocyanins are found in dark red, purple, blue, and black fruits and vegetables, such as blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, purple grapes, black plums, beets, eggplants, and purple potatoes.  A study using cherry juice highlighted its high content of antioxidants (particularly anthocyanins), crediting them for increased rate of cardiovascular recovery, as well as muscle strength recovery in a group of marathon runners, compared to the placebo group.  Try adding the foods listed above to reap the benefits.

CoQ10 is used for energy in the body, but also may assist recovery after a heart attack, improve muscle strength, and help lower blood pressure and angina.  It's found in several animal sources, such as game, beef, fish, dairy, and eggs, but there are also several plant-based sources, such as broccoli, spinach, peanuts, rye, wheat, and some berries.

2) Spices - especially cayenne, ginger, garlic, and cinnamon.  These spices can help improve bloodflow through vasodilation.  Their heat also improves bloodflow by causing flushing and mild sweating on the surface of the skin.  Additionally, they may also help thin the blood, and in the case of cinnamon, help regulate blood sugar fluctuations as well.  A recent study looked at the effects of aged garlic extracts and their beneficial effects when combined with certain blood pressure medications, noting better lowering effects than with just medication alone.  If you are taking blood thinning, anticoagulant, or blood pressure regulating medications, use caution when adding spices such as these to your diet, and particularly in the form of more concentrated herbal supplements.

3) Omega-3 fatty acids.  These unsaturated fats help keep the blood liquid and slippery, allowing for better bloodflow.  They are also naturally anti-inflammatory, helping keep blood vessels wide.  The most readily-utilized sources come from cold water fish, krill, and squid, since the form primarily found in their oils is pre-formed DHA.  Plant-sourced omega-3s, such as those from hemp, chia, walnuts, and flax, require more translations once in the body in order to reach the DHA form, but due to many factors, not least of which are stress and nutritional deficiencies, may get diverted from the right pathway.  That said, plant-based DHA supplements made from algae are a great back-up for plant-based eaters consuming omega-3s from other sources.  Again, if you are taking medications such as those listed in point 2, use caution with omega-3 supplements.
And don't forget other forms of unsaturated fats, such as those from olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

4) Blood sugar balancing.  Prevent blood sugar spikes and fluctuations by avoiding high-sugar, refined foods, and eating regularly-spaced, macronutrient-balanced meals and snacks - that is, a combination of complex carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats.  Too much sugar in the blood can lead to inflammation of the blood vessels.  One of the theories of arterial plaque formation implicates damage from high blood sugar as a possible cause.  Getting enough fibre can also help slow the rise of sugar in the blood, and help sweep excess out of the body.  Try swapping out your breakfast doughnut and coffee for a slice of sprouted grain toast and natural almond butter and cup of green tea.

5) B vitamins - especially niacin, folic acid and B12.  Niacin can help balance blood cholesterol and triglycerides, folic acid helps improve elasticity of blood vessels, and B12 helps the body metabolize homocysteine, which can build up in the blood and is considered a marker for heart disease risk.  Remember that B12 deficiency is commonly considered something that affects vegetarians and vegans more than it does omnivores, but omnivores actually run a greater risk of deficiency.  Additionally, a deficiency in B12 can also affect folic acid levels as well, since the two work better together.  Great sources of niacin include: seafood, beef, mushrooms, potatoes, peanuts, avocados, dates, passionfruit, oats, and brown rice; folic acid: oranges, kale, Swiss chard, asparagus, broccoli, avocados, oats, beans and lentils; B12: eggs, dairy, fortified plant-based milks and cereals, and red star nutritional yeast.  Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, and kimchi can help optimize gut flora, which in turn produce more vitamin B12 for you!

6) Exercise - with emphasis on resistance training and cardiovascular workouts.  Resistance training helps build overall muscle strength and endurance, helping to decrease risk of injury and disability over the long term.  You can do resistance training with weights such as kettlebells, plates, or bar/dumbbells, or your own body weight.
Aerobic workouts help increase the heart's strength and improves efficiency of the pumping mechanism, and improves dilation of the blood vessels and oxygenation of the blood, leading to a lower resting heart rate and less strain on the heart.  Be aware that pushing your heart rate too high during exercise can lead to sudden dizziness and feeling faint, and can increase the risk of a cardiac event.  Knowing your max heart rate (roughly 200 minus your age in years) and keeping your heart rate in a target zone of 60-80% of that max can help strengthen your heart without pushing it too hard.  High-intensity interval training (HIIT), which incorporates short bursts of high-intensity exercise with short rest or low-intensity periods, is a great way to get your cardio, and burn some fat at the same time!

What are your favourite ways to love your heart?

Heart-healthy recipe: Sweetheart Blood Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

September has Arrived: Nourish Your Busy Day with Oatmeal

With the end of summer comes the return to routine for many.  Your kids are going back to school, and your work schedule may change to fit.  Or you may be returning to teach or take classes of your own.  Things can get pretty hectic – and unfortunately, eating habits may suffer.  You may have already noticed that kids (and adults) who don’t get a good breakfast can have problems with learning, maintaining good behaviour and attention span, experience fluctuations in energy levels and mood, and diminished overall performance during the day.

But what do I mean when I say they don’t get a good breakfast?  This can mean they’re having a poor breakfast of too many sugary and artificially-flavoured/coloured/preserved food products, not enough food, or no food at all.

Let’s first look at the scenario where no breakfast is eaten.  When you first wake up, your body’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol begin to rise.  This leads to a release of insulin and a drop in blood sugar, in turn triggering hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin.  Once you eat, blood sugar and insulin levels should return to normal, and cortisol should come down as well.  If you don’t eat, cortisol remains high, blood sugar levels remain low, and insulin stores fat instead.  Translation: increased sensitivity to stress, low energy, and weight gain.

But it must be better to eat something instead of nothing, right?  

Yes – and no.  

Yes, because it balances the hunger-hormones and gives you energy to start your day.  No, because the type of food you eat is also important.  

Let’s say you start your day with a bowl of brightly-coloured, sugar-coated cereal in skim milk with a glass of fruit juice.  Because this breakfast is so sweet with little to no fat or protein, it causes a spike in blood sugar levels, and the insulin response produces a quick drop in those levels.  This means a spike in energy (the “sugar high”), and a crash soon after.  Not long after that, you’ll be hungry again, and probably sleepy, too.  In addition to the sugar, those brightly-coloured O’s are getting those colours from artificial chemicals such as tartrazine (yellow #5) and red dye, and the juice may contain preservatives like sodium benzoate.  These chemicals have been shown to produce a response in children that shortens attention span and may spur undesirable behaviour such as tantrums and defiance.  On top of that, there may be undiagnosed food sensitivities to some of the other ingredients in that breakfast – milk and wheat, for example, are ranked high among the top allergenic foods today – that can also contribute to behavioural fluctuations.

So what is a good breakfast?  And how can you make sure you and your family are getting it on these busy days?

A proper nourishing breakfast should consist of a balance of the macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  The carbs, as I already mentioned, are important for providing energy, while the protein and fat help sustain the release of that energy over a longer period.  Choosing complex carbs over sugary ones contributes to this sustained release.

A classic, easy-to-make example of a balanced breakfast is oatmeal made with nuts and seeds.  The oats provide soluble fibre, which is an easy-to-digest complex carb, while the nuts and seeds provide protein as well as healthy fats like omega-3, omega-6, and plant-based saturated fat.  Steel-cut oats take a little longer to cook than rolled or “quick-cook” oats, and tend to be higher in nutrients like fibre, iron, and B vitamins, but quick-cook oats are still a good choice.  Check out my recipe for Banana Nut Bread Oatmeal to get some ideas.  Be sure to get plain organic oats, rather than the single-serve, sugar- and flavour-laced “instant” packets.  You can then control the toppings and create your own delicious, healthy oatmeal recipes.  That said, if you choose to go the “instant” route, choose organic varieties like Nature’s Path for a healthier packaged option.

If you want to get the goodness of oatmeal, but are still pressed for time in the mornings, try making oatmeal for yourself and your family in a slow-cooker overnight, or combine your ingredients in a jar and put it in the fridge to make it into a raw overnight cereal parfait that you can just grab-and-go. 

Some cafés have started offering their own individual cups of oatmeal with your choice of toppings so you can get it on-the-go.  If you go with this option, try to choose nuts or seeds as a topping, and either skip or go easy on sugary toppings like brown sugar, which you may receive in a packet that can contain upwards of a tablespoon of the stuff.  Instead, hit the milk bar and sprinkle on cinnamon and nutmeg, honey or cane sugar, even a splash of cream if you like.  If you're dairy-free, you may be able to ask the barista to pass you the soy or almond milk from behind the counter.

For those who are gluten-sensitive, -intolerant, or celiac, you may find that you tolerate certified gluten-free oats, which are becoming easier to find in grocery stores.  Bob’s Red Mill and Only Oats are a couple of brands to look for.

Other ways to get the goodness of oatmeal into your morning without making porridge:

-         Make breakfast cookies.  Stick to recipes that don’t call for much sugar.  I like Sarah Kramer’s recipe for Simple Oatmeal Cookies in her cookbook “La Dolce Vegan!” – I use blackstrap molasses instead of sugar and coconut oil instead of vegan margarine in this recipe.  The cookies come out flavourful but not too sweet.  Add dried cranberries or goji berries, shredded carrots, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and spices to make an easy morning treat.

-          Make oatmeal muffins.  Again, you can cram a lot of goodness into an unassuming oatmeal muffin.  Check out my recipe for Banana Chai Chocolate Chip Muffins for inspiration.

-          Add oats to a breakfast smoothie.  I like this Apple Pie Smoothie posted on the Vega website.  The flavours of fall in a cup!

You now have no excuses.   Get a good breakfast and go take on your day!