Happy new year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are easing back in to regular life and routines. With the fresh insight a new year brings, I think it’s appropriate that my first post of 2015 is a tribute to Julieanna Hever’s The Vegiterranean Diet.

I’m sure most of you are familiar with Julieanna and her work. As a registered dietitian and plant-based expert, Julieanna—otherwise known as the Plant-Based Dietitian—is a passionate advocate of a whole-food, plant-based diet and is well-known as an expert speaker at vegetarian festivals and health conferences around the world. She is the host of What Would Julieanna Do?, author of two other nutrition books and the nutrition columist for VegNews magazine.

With her new book, Julieanna transforms the Mediterranean diet into the “Vegiterranean” diet. As many know, the traditional Mediterranean diet has been the gold standard for decades, and with good reason: it has been linked with lowered risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. But Mediterranean means different things to different people, and it is often used as an acceptable excuse for more wine, olive oil and favoring seafood over steak.

Now, Julieanna takes the Med to a whole new level with a new and improved eating plan where you can reap the benefits of the most researched and beloved diet—but made even healthier by focusing on whole-plant foods that promote long-term wellness and ideal weight management.

Front-loaded with history and science, the book is broken down into several parts that explore the fundamental principles on how and why to eat this health-promoting diet, from a nutrient standpoint and beyond, with strategies for implementing Vegiterranean living and behaviour change, and tips for stocking your kitchen and subbing out ingredients for veg-friendly options. The book also includes 10 basic principles, a Vegiterranean Food Pyramid and Plate, a comprehensive 21-day meal plan, and 66 delicious, nutritious Med-style recipes.

The book is incredibly comprehensive and I’m impressed by how much information Julieanna provides, including interviews with world-renowned experts and leaders Dr. Melanie Joy, Dr. Richard Oppenlander and Gene Baur, along with recipe contributions from culinary geniuses Chad Sarno and Robin Robertson.

I was honoured to be hired to shoot the cover and additional food images for this book, which meant I had the opportunity to try a number of recipes from the manuscript last fall. I wanted to share a recipe that captures Julieanna’s health-savvy yet creative skills and I couldn’t resist introducing you to her chocolate crispy fruit squares—an easy yet energy-packed treat my husband has requested more than a few times since I first made them.

Julieanna describes these sweet, chewy squares as a happy compromise between an energy bar and a decadent dessert, and I couldn’t agree more. Kid-friendly, dietitian-approved, these treats are perfect for when you’re on the go.

Chocolate crispy fruit squares

Yield: 9 to 12 squares

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dates
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips (grain-sweetened, if possible)
• 1 cup puffed rice cereal

Directions:

1. In a food processor, puree the dates and the raisins until smooth, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the walnuts and the sesame seeds, and process until combined, 10 to 20 seconds. Pulse in the chocolate chips and then the cereal. In between additions, use a spatula or a wooden spoon to break up the ball and to incorporate the other ingredients.
2. Transfer the mixture to a silicon or glass 8 x 8-inch square dish, and press firmly and evenly into the dish. Cover and refrigerate until hardened, at least 1 hour. Cut into bars and serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.

Note: Alternatively, the mixture can be rolled into spheres, and then refrigerated and served.

From The Vegiterranean Diet by Julieanna Hever. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2014

Cookbook giveaway:

At this time of year, I know many of you are considering dietary changes and I can assure you The Vegiterranean Diet is a useful and practical guidebook for making improvements where diet is concerned.  Thanks to my friends at Da Capo, 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 Tuesday, January 13, 2015. Good luck!

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You know how sometimes you realize a simple ingredient in your pantry is not actually totally boring and, in fact, is more versatile and boasts a number of redeeming qualities that you suddenly develop a little crush on it? Yeah, that happened to me.

In recent years, I’ve come to see oats in a whole new light. Like, I went from childhood breakfasts of Quaker instant oatmeal packets to making awesome stuff out of oats like oat milk, oat flour, overnight oats and homemade granola—which is why I was so excited to see Kathy Hester’s new book, OATrageous Oatmeals, land in my mailbox. Think of this book as a manifesto to oats, going beyond recipes you would think traditionally require them and inspiring new ways to use this simple yet versatile grain.

From mushroom sun-dried tomato steel-cut oat risotto and pepperoni crumbles to dreamy dark chocolate oat cream and coconut oat vanilla nut creamer, this book shows how you can make a meal out of oats any time of the day. For those who are not so adventurous, Kathy also includes new takes on old favourites, like oatmeal, overnight oats, granola, pancakes and biscuits. Plus, she goes beyond the kitchen and includes recipes for making your own body scrubs, bath soak and catnip kitty treats—all using oats! The book chapters include:

• Do it yourself homemade staples
• Warming oats for fall and winter
• Cooling breakfast oats for spring and summer
• Granolas and bars for breakfast and beyond
• Satisfying soups and stews
• Savory oats for lunch and dinner
• Delightful desserts
• Drinks, oat milk and even an oat liquor
• Beyond the dining room: Other uses for oats

I love that Kathy also takes into consideration a number of common allergens and special diets, and includes variations and additional information in each recipe, including soy-free, gluten-free, no added oil, sweeteners alternatives, and nutritional information.

There are so many recipes in this book I want to try, but so far I’ve made:

The easy oat milk yogurt—yes, that’s right, you can make yogurt out of oats! This was a very simple recipe that didn’t require anything more than rolled oats, water and a little plain non-diary yogurt. You have to cook it and then allow it to ferment overnight, but the result is a smooth, deliciously oaty yogurt that is far superiour (and much cheaper) than any store-bought brand. Mine turned out a bit thinner than the store-bought stuff I love so much, but that may have been an error on my part. I’ll be giving it another try soon!

These butternut squash maple walnut scones came together quite easily and made an awesome breakfast paired with homemade strawberry chia jam. Since I didn’t have butternut squash on hand, I followed the variation using pumpkin puree instead. I shared these with my colleagues and they got rave reviews.

The curry cashew savory granola is one of those recipes that piques your interest immediately, so it happened to be the first recipe I tried from this book. I dug out my favourite brand of garam masala spice blend and boy, did it make the house smell amazing—that incredible, warming scent of homemade granola combined with fresh Indian spices. I added some larger cashew pieces for more crunch and I couldn’t stop snacking on it while trying to take photos! Needless to say, I’ll be doubling the batch next time I make it. Find the recipe for this awesome, crunchy snack below!

Curry cashew savory granola

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons (14 g) ground flax seed mixed with 4 tablespoons (59 ml) warm water
• 1 cup (92 g) rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
• 1⁄3 cup (55 g) golden raisins
• 1⁄3 cup (26 g) finely shredded coconut
• 1⁄3 cup (43 g) minced cashews nuts
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground mustard
• salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and either oil a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.
2. Add all ingredients but the salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix well, then add salt to taste.
3. Pour the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet and press thin. You should have one large, flat piece about 1/4 to 1⁄8-inch thin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are browned and the middle is no longer wet. Let cool on cookie sheet and break it up into large or small chunks with your hands. Use to top salads or plain yogurt, or just eat by the handful for a snack!

From OATrageous Oatmeals by Kathy Hester, printed with permission of Page Street Publishing

Cookbook giveaway

Kathy and Page Street Publishing have offered to let me give away a copy of OATrageous Oatmeals to one of you! The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents and will run until Monday, November 10, 2014. Please use the widget below to enter.

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If butter tarts are one of your favourite pre-vegan desserts, or a comfort food from your childhood, I think you’ll love this vegan, gluten-free version, which I adapted from this recipe from Tori’s Bakeshop. Tori uses coconut milk and maple syrup but all the flavour comes from the pecans and raisins (and yes, the sugar, too).

Oh, and I have no words to describe the gluten-free pastry, other than it is the best and easiest version I have ever made. This recipe will most definitely be added to my regular repertoire.

Since I love all things mini, that’s what I went for here. They are perfect for a holiday buffet because they qualify as finger food and are much easier to serve than pie or cake. They’re also easy to store and they freeze beautifully if you prefer to make them ahead. Enjoy!

Best-ever butter tarts (vegan and gluten-free!)

Yield: 3 dozen mini tarts

Ingredients:

Pastry crust:

• 3/4 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp potato starch
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 3/4 tsp cane sugar
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance shortening
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Filling:

• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 3 tbsp sorghum flour
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance butter, melted
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup each (approx.) pecans and raisins

Directions:

For the pastry crust:

1. In a large bowl, sift the first six ingredients and whisk together.
2. Cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or fork, until you have pea-sized balls.
3. Stir together the water, vinegar and vanilla extract in a small measuring cup. Add to the flour mixture a little at a time to create a dough. The dough should be moist but not sticky. If it is sticky, add some brown rice flour.
4. Form the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
5. After the dough has chilled and you are ready to roll it out, preheat your oven to 325F and lightly oil mini or regular size muffin pans.
6. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick, using brown rice flour on the rolling pin and counter to prevent sticking.
7. Using a circular cookie cutter or the top of a glass, cut circles in the dough and fit into your pan. If they are two large, just experiment with folds until you find the shape you like best.

For the filling:

1. Whisk together all filling ingredients until smooth. You can add the pecans and currants at this point or add a few to the bottom of each tart shell instead.
2. Spoon or pour the filling into the tart crusts, filling up to 3/4 from the top of the crust.
3. Bake at 325F for about 10 to 12 minutes (or a little longer for larger tarts), or until the crusts are lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.

These freeze beautifully, so feel free to make them ahead and store them in a tightly sealed container in the freezer. Defrost at room temperature.

There were a large assortment of nuts in that bowl, but walnuts were by far my favourite. Their size alone required much focus and a steady hand in order to position the nut correctly in the nut cracker, so that when you pressed down you could watch the layers of the shell crack in misguided directions. The broken shell revealed a golden seed with two bumpy lobes that looked like abstract butterflies, and I loved that.

This memory is tied to nothing specific, really. It is made up of many visits, and the countless times I snacked on the nutritious nut. And it is the reason I still prefer unshelled nuts as a snack—because it takes me back to those times long ago, if only for a moment.

When it comes to baking though, shelled, raw walnuts are the way to go. Lately, I’ve been having fun playing with nut flours in my cookies, muffins and pie dough. Walnut flour, in which I buy shelled walnut halves and grind them into a soft nut meal, produces a moist, nutty flavour like no other. For gluten-free and wheat-free baking, it’s a godsend. Not only are nut flours a flavourful flour alternative, but they also add a boost of protein, heart-healthy fat, and they require less additional fat to moisten the final product.

My latest walnut raisin cookie recipe has become a new favourite. Chewy, nutty and unapologetically old-fashioned, these cookies are what baking dreams are made of. Combining one full cup each of walnuts, rolled oats and spelt flour along with a handful of raisins, more chopped walnuts and a touch of cinnamon, this is the kind of cookie that will satisfy anyone looking for a sweet but heart-healthy snack. Enjoy!

Wholesome walnut raisin cookies

Yield: one dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup California walnuts
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 3/4 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup nondairy milk
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
2. Using a food processor, process the walnuts and rolled oats to a coarse meal. Add the spelt flour, Sucanat, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and pulse to combine.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the nondairy milk, coconut oil and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the food processor with the flour mixture and pulse to combine. Finally, add the raisins and walnuts and pulse to combine.
4. Portion dough using a cookie scoop onto the prepared cookie sheets and use the bottom of a wet glass to flatten each cookie. Bake the cookies at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cookie rack to cool completely.

This recipe was submitted to the California Walnut Commission for its California Walnuts Holiday Blogger Challenge.