This post has been a long time coming. It’s hard to believe it’s April already and I have yet to share my review of this ingenious and very beautiful cookbook with you.

Kristy Turner’s debut cookbook was released shortly before Christmas and I’ve been enjoying it ever since. Let’s chat about what this book has to offer, shall we?

I should start off by saying Kristy’s book has, quite possibly, the best title ever: But I Could Never Go Vegan! 125 Recipes That Prove You CAN Live Without Cheese, It’s NOT All Rabbit Food, and Your Friends WILL Still Come Over for Dinner.

Do you think that’s even possible? There was a time in my life when I didn’t. I ate bacon and eggs for breakfast, smothered cream cheese on my bagels, and devoured fat-free yogurt by the tub. I really gave no thought to where my food came from. But I’ve been vegan for 15 years now and I must say, quite honestly, that it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Luckily, with books like Kristy’s, replacing the animal-based foods you love and are used to is easier than ever. Here, she re-creates the dishes people have on their “can’t live without” lists and proves how simple, delicious and wide-ranging plant-based cooking can be. Just like her popular blog, Keepin’ It Kind, Kristy’s book is a treasure trove of flavourful recipes interspersed with entertaining personal stories, cheeky humour and a very warm-hearted tone. Her creativity shines through here, not just in the recipes but also in the organization of the book. Rather than recipes organized by course or season, these are broken down into chapters of excuses for not going vegan, including Where’s the Beef?, Tofu Doesn’t Taste Like Anything, It’s All Rabbit Food, But I Hate [Insert Vegetable Here], and Wait, Is Chocolate Vegan?

The ultimate in food activism, this is the kind of book I would want to hand out every time I heard “Where do you get your protein?” or “But I could never give up cheese!” because it’s better to be shown rather than told that you can live a filling and very satisfying life (and even enjoy pizza and ice cream!) without consuming animal products.

You won’t miss the beef after biting into Kristy’s Thai seitan satay with spicy peanut dipping sauce. And you won’t be able to say tofu doesn’t taste like anything when there’s creamy mushroom fettuccine alfredo to enjoy, or that it’s all rabbit food after making the impossible cheeseburger pie or the beer-battered faux fish and chips. Think you can’t bake without butter and eggs? Try the salted caramel peanut butter bars or the molasses-hazelnut chocolate mousse tart with coconut whipped cream on for size.

Vegan or not, there is something for everyone in this fun cookbook. Plus, photos by her talented husband, Chris Miller, accompany almost every recipe and also include useful step-by-step photos when necessary.

Since receiving a review copy of this book, I’d had a chance to try out a number of recipes, including the bean and rice freezer burritos, the mushroom grilled cheese sandwich with sunflower cheddar, the Mexican hot chocolate fudge, as well as this colourful roasted broccoli and apple salad with lemon-tahini dressing (find the recipe below!). While many of Kristy’s recipes are multiple steps or require more than one recipe, you are awarded with filling and flavourful meals, all while learning some new tricks, flavour combinations and time-saving methods along the way.

All the recipes I tried were delicious, and while I did have a bit of trouble with the sunflower cheddar the first time I made it, Kristy soon realized there was a typo in the recipe (it happens!). I made it again and it worked like a charm.

Grab a copy of the book (or enter to win a copy below!) and, if you have a hard time deciding what to try first (I sure did), her cheese recipes are magical, as is her incredible fudge. Or, try this salad from the Just Thinking About Salad Makes Me Yawn chapter of the book.

Thank you, Kristy, for sharing your creativity and compassion with the world through this book.

Roasted broccoli & apple salad with lemon-tahini dressing

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

For the roasted broccoli:

• 2 medium bundles broccoli
• 2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce or liquid aminos)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

For the dressing:

• 3½ tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• A couple dashes of garlic powder

For the salad:

• Up to 1 batch Tempeh Bacon crumbles, optional (see this recipe from Kristy's blog)
• 2 to 3 cups baby spinach
• 1½ to 2 apples, cored and diced (choose a tart but sweet variety, like Pink Lady or Honeycrisp)
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• ½ medium red onion, very thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup dried cherries
• ½ cup roughly chopped almonds (preferably roasted, but raw will also work)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Chop the broccoli into small florets and slice the stems thinly. Place in a bowl and toss with the tamari and maple syrup. Add the nutritional yeast and toss again. Spread the broccoli on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, tossing once halfway through to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or cup, use a fork to whisk together the dressing ingredients. Set aside. If you are using the Tempeh Bacon, cook the crumbles now.
4. Place the cooled broccoli in a large bowl and add the spinach, apples, celery, onion, dried cherries, and almonds. Toss until fully combined.
5. Divide the salad among serving bowls. Drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle the Tempeh Bacon on top, if using.
6. Variations: To jazz up the salad a bit, try marcona almonds (a sweeter, plumber type of Spanish almond). If you’re in a rush or want to lighten up the salad, skip roasting the broccoli. Instead, steam for about 5 minutes and rinse in ice-cold water. Dry it off and it’s ready to use!

Recipe from But I Could Never Go Vegan! © Kristy Turner, 2014. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment.

Cookbook giveaway:

Thanks to my friends at The Experiment, I have the opportunity to gift a copy of the book to one ADC reader! This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and I’ll choose a random winner on Friday, April 10, 2015. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There was a time in my life when I didn’t like salads. I thought of them as nothing but stingy, unfulfilling and just plain boring. But you’d never know it by the look of my meals today (ahem, a lot of salad).

Too often, salad is an afterthought, served as a first course or an accompaniment to other dishes, but there’s no reason for it to play second fiddle to the main meal. Ever since going vegan, I’ve learned through experimenting and diversifying my palate that a salad doesn’t have to be a depressing plate of pale lettuce topped with itty bitty tomatoes, a few slices of tasteless cucumbers and bottled dressing. A well-made vegan salad, in particular, really doesn’t have to suck.

A salad can be made up of pretty much anything you want: lots of greens, of course, but also other vegetables, grains, fruit and protein. Even in the cooler months or darkest days of winter, you can celebrate seasonal produce and feature at least some local ingredients—say fresh, tender asparagus, cubed beets and sprouts in spring and root vegetables, eggplant and Brussel sprouts in fall.

A salad I’d prepare for dinner, for instance, can feature avocado, cooked grains, all kinds of greens and other vegetables, as well as chickpeas or lentils and a creamy dressing made with cashews, lemon juice and garlic. I’d improvise based on what’s available or what I’m craving, as I usually do. And so can you!

There’s really no single way to make a salad and also no wrong way. When it comes to salad, anything goes! Let your imagination run wild with the goal of preparing a healthful meal: maybe baked tofu or quinoa left over from dinner yesterday, swiss chard you sautéed or green beans you steamed to have with the quinoa or tofu, and maybe lentils leftover from the day before.

This peach barley salad I threw together recently celebrates fresh, juicy peaches that play off a batch of tender, chewy pearl barley, a very under-appreciated grain in my opinion. You might think peaches in salad don’t make sense, but it works. Together with chickpeas, cucumber, grape tomatoes, fresh parsley and a tangy tahini dressing, it makes for a filling, supper-worthy salad when served over a bed of curly kale and lettuce.

Four tips for taking that side-dish salad to the next level:

• Celebrate what’s in season: Salads will only be as good as the ingredients you use, so aim for a variety of fresh seasonal veggies like young carrots, early beets, fresh basil and real, local tomatoes.
• Keep the salad dressing simple: A little oil and balsamic vinegar can dress up any plate, or blitz together a mix of tahini, lemon and parsley for a creamy, heartier dressing. Experiment with flavours and incorporate the five basic tastes (think sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami) and make a new batch every week to keep things interesting.
• Play with colour: Don’t forget strawberries and raspberries, bright fresh peas, steamed broccoli or sauteed green beans. In the cooler months, throw on some roasted, cubed squash or carrots.
• Add complex carbs and protein: For a heartier meal, add steamed sweet potato wedges, cooked whole grains or beans, as well as a serving of protein like edamame, tempeh or tofu. Sprinkle on some hemp hearts, chia seeds or toasted nuts and seeds for an extra boost.

Need real examples? Check out my Salads! board on Pinterest.

Now it’s time for lunch!

Peach barley salad

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp tahini
• 2 tbsp water

For the salad:

• 1 cup uncooked hulled or pearl barley
• 3 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 large peach, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
• shredded curly kale & lettuce, for serving

Directions:

For the dressing:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until combined.

For the salad:

1. Combine the barley and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Once it has reached a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and continue to cook until barley is soft. For pearl barley, cook for 25 minutes. For hulled barley, cook for 40 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot as barley tends to give off a lot of foam and can cause the pot to boil over. The barley is done when the water has been absorbed and the barley is soft and chewy. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
3. In a large bowl, combine the peach, cucumber, grape tomatoes, parsley, chickpeas and cooked barley.
4. Drizzle salad with dressing (depending on your tastes, you might not want to use it all) and mix to combine. Serve over shredded curly kale and lettuce.

This new slaw recipe with its tangy cashew curry mayo dressing is one of my to-go recipes for summer. It’s super easy to make, lightly creamy, colourful and flavourful all in one, and ready to serve a crowd as a summer BBQ side dish. I enjoyed it as is but it would also be phenomenal piled on top of a veggie burger or accompanied by grilled corn and sweet potatoes.

Although the veggies in this salad are eye-catching because of their bright colours and textures, the cashew curry mayo is the highlight of this dish. It could even be made on its own without the salad and used as a sandwich spread or drizzled on steamed greens! Making it is easy: it’s just a matter of throwing a few simple ingredients into a blender. The only hard part is remembering to soak your cashews.

This tangy dressing requires a good dose of lemon juice and curry powder. Don’t go light on these, because the flavour won’t be so strong once it’s soaked into the shredded veggies.

Next, finely chop your veggies (you can use the shredding blade on your food processor to make it easier) and toss everything in a large bowl.

And then serve!

Cashew curry mayo with cabbage slaw

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

For the cashew curry mayo:

• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• pinch of two of cayenne and black pepper

For the cabbage slaw:

• 2 cups finely shredded Savoy cabbage
• 2 cups finely shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. To make the mayo, first drain and rinse the cashews. Next, blend all mayo ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
2. To make the slaw, combine all slaw ingredients in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with 4 or more tablespoons of the mayo and gently toss to coat. Add more dressing if desired, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and store leftovers in the fridge. The remaining mayo can be used to freshen up leftovers, dress up steamed veggies or as a sandwich spread!

What a week. While trying to fall back into my regular routine after my whirlwind vacation in Vegas, I came down with a nasty cold. Work piled up on my desk, decisions about more home renovations needed to be made, and I wanted to come up with something to contribute to my father-in-law’s birthday dinner. I feel like I’ve taken quite a hit with this cold, and everyday tasks seem that much harder to accomplish.

Healthy, healing food has been my priority this week, so I created this nutritious kale and quinoa tabbouleh salad to take to my in-laws’ house for the big birthday bash this weekend. It was pretty simple to throw together. The only real time investment is cooking the quinoa and lentils, which can be done ahead of time if desired. To make the tabbouleh, I combined the quinoa and lentils along with parsley, celery, green onions, goji berries and tomatoes.

I imagined this served on a bed of shredded curly leaved kale. By “shredded,” I just mean that I finely chopped it on a cutting board, after removing the thick stem and spine of each leaf. Of course, any kale or other salad greens will do, but I like curly or red kale because it’s easiest to find. It’s also best to use it within a day or two after purchasing because it tastes bitter the longer it sits around.

For the dressing, I decided to go with something light. Lemon, rice vinegar, garlic, sunflower oil, a touch of maple syrup and salt and pepper resulted in a nice, simple blend with just enough tang. I’ve also recently been adding celery to my dressings because it adds a refreshing yet mild element to the mix. The celery stalks puree quite easily with the other dressing ingredients using a high-speed blender.

The salad went over well with the family, and it paired nicely with the delicious quinoa, veggie and tofu casserole my mother-in-law made for part of the main meal.

I have to say, I’m a pretty lucky girl. I’m the only vegan in the family, but everyone seems to eat healthier when I’m around, as vegan options are always incorporated at every meal. My sister-in-law also made the coconut lemon bundt cake from Veganomicon for dessert, along with vegan whipped cream and berries. I wish I had snapped a photo because it was plated so beautifully.

Fresh, spring salads are my favourite way to welcome spring, so I think I’ll be making another batch of this salad for weekday lunches and dinners. Enjoy!

Kale and quinoa tabbouleh salad

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

Tabbouleh:

• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa (makes 2.5 cups cooked)
• 1/2 cup dry lentils (makes 1.5 cups cooked)
• 1/3 cup goji berries
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 tomato, chopped

Kale:

• 2 small bunches of kale
• 1/2 lemon

Dressing:

• 2 small garlic cloves
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil

Directions:

1. To cook the quinoa, first rinse it thoroughly under running water. Next, combine the dry quinoa with 1.5 cups of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered until all the water has been absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. To cook the lentils, first rinse under running water. Next, combine the lentils and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring the lentils to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 20 to 30 minutes. Add water as needed to make sure the lentils are just barely covered. Lentils are done as soon as they are tender and no longer crunchy. Remove from heat and strain.
3. Place the goji berries in a small bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak for about 15 minutes, then drain and squeeze out any excess water.
4. Combine the cooked quinoa, lentils, goji berries and remaining tabbouleh ingredients in a large bowl.
5. Remove the stems and thick part of the spines from the kale and chop into small, thin pieces (shredded). Place in a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over the kale (take care not to drop the seeds in!) and massage into kale with your hands.
6. To make the dressing, blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender.
7. To assemble, you can mix the dressing with the tabbouleh and serve it on top of the kale (this is best if serving on individual plates). Alternatively, mix the tabbouleh, kale and dressing all together in one large bowl to serve at a buffet. Garnish with sprouts and hemp seeds, if desired.

Maybe my taste buds have changed but since then, beets have been a part of my regular rotation during the fall and winter along with most other root vegetables. I juice them, shred them for salads and sometimes roast them to bring out their flavour. Last week, I happened to buy a gigantic bunch of organic red beets, but since I was getting a little tired of adding them to my salads I decided to go another route and throw them in a batch of falafel. Call it an early Valentine’s Day meal if you wish, since red is everywhere this week.

I wish I had snapped a photo of the inside of these babies to show the beautiful specks of deep red throughout, but I didn’t, so you’ll have to trust me on this one. Underneath the crispy exterior, they are beautiful. I promise.

They are also super simple to throw together in your food processor. With these, you have the option to fry them like traditional falafel, or bake them if you wish. Then place them atop a luscious plate of greens and smother them in my favourite homemade tahini dressing.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, Lisa and I put together special treat tins to share this week. We filled them with three kinds of truffles, as well as raw brownies, moonie pies, chocolate chip almond cookies, white chocolate lavender cups and fig and hazelnut bars. I hope those who purchased the tins enjoy our handcrafted chocolate confections as much as we enjoyed creating them.

We will be doing more of these special treat packages for upcoming holidays. If you like what you see, stay tuned for our next special sampler.

Beetroot falafel with tahini dressing

Yield: about 20 patties

Ingredients:

Falafel:

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas (or one 19oz. can)
• 3/4 cup shredded beets (about 1 large)
• 1/2 cup oat flour (ground rolled oats)
• 1/2 cup flax meal
• 1/3 cup finely diced onion
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup tahini

Tahini dressing:

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions:

For the falafel:

1. Mince garlic in a food processor. Add the cilantro and parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add chickpeas to the food processor and pulse to chop finely, but don't puree. Add chickpeas and remaining ingredients to the bowl. Mix everything together thoroughly (using your hands is best). The mixture should hold together when pressed between your hands.
3. Form into small balls (1 tbsp each) and press together firmly with your palms to form small patties.
4. You can either fry these lightly in oil or bake them. To fry, heat oil of your choice in a frying pan and cook falafel patties over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, flip over and cook another 4 minutes, or until browned on both sides.
5. To bake, preheat oven to 350F. Place falafel patties on a baking sheet and brush tops lightly with oil of your choice. Bake for 20 minutes, turning over halfway through. Best served immediately with tahini dressing.

For tahini dressing:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Since completing my Certificate in Plant-based Nutrition, I’ve been fascinated by the growing wealth of evidence of the amazing power of nutrition and how it can influence health outcomes. There is often a lot of confusion surrounding the topic of nutrition, especially these days, when accurate information and research manipulated for marketing purposes are often mistaken for one another. We need to consider nutrition–and food–in its whole or wholistic form, not as single nutrients or as “bad” food or “super” food. It’s all about balance!

Kale from my garden. I’m so proud.

So I’m here to start sharing my own fabulous whole-food, plant-based meal and snack recipes that work for me, along with my usual sweet treats. Although the majority of my meals are simple, I occasionally end up with something pretty spectacular and I wonder, Why am I not sharing this with others?!

Let’s start with a salad I’ve been enjoying a lot lately.  With the cooler temperatures coming our way, I like to warm things up with the addition of roasted or steamed sweet potatoes, squash, beets and other colourful fall produce. So that’s exactly what I added to this salad, along with my favourite leafy greens and a handful of shredded carrot, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds. This salad is topped with my current go-to salad dressing–made with roasted shallots, white wine vinegar and a few simple spices.

Since kale is a cool-weather crop, this is the time to eat it. Those who are new to kale (I’m looking at you, Mom) often wonder how to prepare it. Being introduced to such a nutritional powerhouse that ends up tasting rather bitter is kind of a turn off. I’ve learned a few simple tricks that can turn your kale experience into a delicious success.

Three tips for preparing kale:

1. Buy fresh kale and use it up as soon as you can. Look for kale that has a rich green colour with crisp leaves. If it sits around too long, it will start to wilt and taste bitter. I found it can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before use. If it wilts too soon, don’t throw it out! Add it to full-flavoured soups or stirfrys or make kale chips!

2. Remove the stems when you chop it up. The stems are the bitter part of the plant. Strip them from the leaves with a sharp knife and discard.

3. Massage the dressing into the leaves and let it sit for about 15 minutes. A kale salad tastes best when the dressing has had a chance to soak into the leaves. This also helps soften the leaves, which is especially important if you are using the curly variety. For best results, use your hands to massage the dressing into the leaves.

Roasted squash and beet salad with shallot dressing

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1/2 small butternut squash, cubed
• 2 beets, quartered
• 4 cups chopped kale
• 1 cup arugula (or more kale)
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas
• pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Dressing:

• 4 shallots, peeled and halved
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup water (see notes)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Place the cubed squash on a sheet pan and lightly coat with oil spray and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Add the shallots for the dressing on the same pan if there's room, or another small pan.
3. Place the beets in the middle of a piece of tin foil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold up the tin foil by folding the two ends in the middle to cover the beets.
4. Place the squash, shallots and beets in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until soft, turning the squash and shallots halfway through. The shallots should be starting to caramelize at this point.
5. While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the other ingredients for the salad. Add all ingredients to a large salad bowl.

To make the dressing:

1. Add all dressing ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

To assemble:

1. Massage the dressing into the kale salad. Divide among plates and top with roasted squash and beets. Serve.

I try to use very little oil in my meals, and this includes salad dressing. For a smoother dressing, feel free to replace the water with your choice of oil.