chickpea tomato curry

chickpea tomato curry

1 tbsp curry powder, paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin, oregano

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp grated ginger

3 small chilli peppers, sliced

3 medium sweet potatoes, diced

1 jar tomato sauce

4 tomatoes, diced

1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight

1/4 coconut milk, plus extra

a whole lotta spinach

1 head broccoli

wild rice and quinoa blend

1/4 cup wild rice blend

1/4 cup quinoa

1/4 cup black rice 

Rinse grains, place in a pot with 1.5 cups water. Bring to a boil then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Turn off heat but keep on the element, still covered, for an additional 5 minutes. Fluff and serve. 

Heat spices on the pan for a few minutes. Add coconut oil, onion, garlic, and ginger. Allow to brown for a few minutes, then toss in the remaining ingredients except the broccoli and spinach. Keep adding coconut milk to desired consistency. When cooked through (about 45 minutes on low heat), add broccoli and spinach and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes. 

vegeating on the road

For some tips on eating veg*an on the road, see my post on agelesstravels !

easy iced tea

It's so nice to have access to a kitchen from time to time in my travels, and even nicer that I've got the time to make iced tea! The recipe is super simple - essentially throw anything and everything you like into a large pot of boiling water, add some honey, let it cool off and place in the fridge until it chills. 

For this particular tea...

1 L boiling water

3 limes, halved and squeezed

1 orange peel

1 small knob of ginger, grated

2 cinnamon sticks

handful of green tea leaves

handful of mixture of dried hibiscus, dried apples, and dried berries

honey (or any other sweetener), to desired sweetness

Steep the goods in the hot water, then place in the fridge to cool. Enjoy on a hot day when you're sweating uncontrollably every time the fan rotates away from you - so, typical day in Thailand!

"The problem is we are not eating food anymore, we are eating food-like products"

- Dr Alejandro Junger, "Hungry for a Change"

strawberry basil smoothie

I've been so busy with school lately that the quickest thing to grab in the morning is a smoothie. During my 12-day cleanse, I've weaned myself out of my obsession for bananas and instead turned to avocados. I mean, seriously, what's better than a nice, ripe avocado? They're smooth, creamy, rich, and delicious, and best of all, they go with both sweet AND savoury! I'm sold. 

Smoothies are super easy to make (literally like 5 minutes of my morning, 2 of which are spent making tea while I whir it up in my magic bullet) and they keep you satiated for a good few hours. Not to mention - dddelicious. Stay tune for some housekeeping tips for avocados!

1/2 avocado
1 cup (coco)nut milk
1/2 cup strawberries, frozen
handful basil
handful greens
TBSP flax seeds
TBSP coconut oil

optional
matcha powder

detox porridge

Wild Rose D-Tox friendly porridge

(a staple for any wintertime cleanse)

1/2 cup brown rice

1 can coconut milk

+ almond milk or water to thin
2 prunes, finely chopped

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp flaxmeal

vanilla bean, gutted

cinnamon (stick), nutmeg, cardamom

pinch of salt

topped with

chopped almonds

coconut flakes

Cook until desired consistency (approx. 1/2 hour). Dig in!

detox chococado smoothie (no banana)

No chocolate doesn't mean no cocoa! 8 days into the cleanse, I've found that I'm no longer craving as much sweetness as I used to. A scant 1/4 cup of blueberries in this smoothie was enough to satisfy my sweet tooth in this smoothie (allowing me another half serving of fruit later on if I so desire). The coconut milk and avocado lend to a dreamy creamy smoothie that doesn't make me miss my usual addition of banana. In fact, this smoothie is so delicious that I've been having it for breakfast for the past 3 days consecutively! Damn, smoothie, you good, you reaaaaal good.

Wild Rose D-Tox-friendly comfort smoothie/thickie:

- 1/2 avocado
- handful leafy greens
- 3 TBSP cacao powder
- 1/2 + cup coconut milk 
- almond milk to thin
- 1 TBSP coconut oil
- 2 TBSP almond butter
- 1/4 cup blueberries, frozen

optional
- spices (cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, garam masala)
- add-ins (flaxseed, maca, bee pollen, green algae powders)

Whirrrrrrr it up!

detox: day one

I've spontaneously decided (the only way I decide things, really) to do a 12-day detox for the next couple of weeks. I went out and bought the Wild Rose Cleanse yesterday, and I was eager to start. I like a challenge. Challenges excite me. I think the things I'll miss most throughout the course of the cleanse will most definitely be bananas, mangoes, and chocolate. I'm looking forward to a full day of nothing but bananas when this is over.

Today went pretty smoothly, although I have realized that I feel a little lost without my daily (somewhat generous) dose of sugar. On this particular cleanse, only one serving of fruit is allowed and this does not include any tropical fruits. For breakfast, I cooked up some coconut oatmeal with a berry sauce. Later on, I had my "buddha plate" of roasted potatoes, brown rice and steamed veggies, smothered in an almond butter & tahini dressing. When dinner rolled around, I wasn't as excited to eat the same thing again, but I didn't have the time to cook anything else. Throughout the day I snacked on an apple (yeah, yeah, I had a little more than 1 serving of fruit -- but I mean, seriously!), carrots, and cucumbers. Although I am devilishly hungry for a banana, I'm forcing myself to bed with a rumbly tummy (due to hunger or the laxative pills? I'm not sure).

rawtkober: day sixteen

Yesterday, I ran into a raw foodist friend of mine from a few years back. He immediately asked, "are you eating raw? Because you're absolutely glowing!" He told me twice. I blushed the whole way home. Maybe he's right- I do feel lighter, airier, and my skin has been clearer than usual. It sure is nice to hear, though. Do you feel any changes?

     Oh! I absolutely have to share my corn salad recipe. It's heaven, I swear. I feel like it's summer again. Also, I put up the recipes for raw carrot cake and my raw thanksgiving, like I promised. Sorry for the delay-- I don't think I can commit to this whole post-a-day thing long term, I just get so busy with schoolwork (and wine- ahem) sometimes!

rawktober: day fourteen

Please excuse my absence these past few days. I've been busy hanging out with family, drinking way too much wine. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you with a recipe post on the raw carrot cake I made! I hope your Thanksgivings were less detrimental to your health, but, if you're in the same boat as me, here's a recipe for a little post-holiday detox juice.

     Note: I don't make my veggie juices sweet, but if ya can't handle the bitterness ("what bitterness?" I ask), feel free to toss in an apple!

rawktober: day thirteen

Thirteen's a weird number. It looks weird. Like it's missing a letter. It's missing a "t," right? I mean, isn't it pronounced thirt-teen? 

It's bothering me.

Moving on.

Here's a slightly delayed post about my Thanksgiving dinner[s]. As you can see in the picture, I was occupied with my wine and it wasn't safe to have my laptop nearby. I make enough of a fool of myself as it is. This was my first holiday as a raw vegan (my Eastern-European family and family friends are still having a hard time accepting my veganism, and raw veganism is way up there on the wtf factor list), so I BYO dinner'd it. I decided to try out ATV's sweet potato dumplings (YUM!) with a few modest modifications that my taste buds can't do without - aka herbs & spices.

rawktober: day twelve

,,On the twelfth day of rawktober, my true love gave to me..''

     Just kidding, I don't have a true love. Wait, that's a lie, I do. It's food. So, I guess, my true love gave me satiety. (....Am I a nerd?)  Today I'm posting a recipe for raw vegan carrot cake. I've been wanting to make one for ages, so here's my first go (and there will certainly be plenty more attempts to perfect it to come!)

rawktober: day ten

Today is just one of those days- comfort food. Here's a comic for you while I get back to polishing off my tray of raw brownies. What is your favourite comfort food?

Source: Some genius at poorlydrawnlines.com.

rawktober: day nine

I've got herpes.

- insert awkward pause -

     Sheesh, guys, chill out! I can see you freaking out over there, desperately dragging your mouse towards the close button on this open tab before you catch the virus via computer screen!!! Eeeek!!! What I mean is that I've got the gene for mouth herpes- in other words, I get cold sores. Yes, they're ugly. Yes, they hurt. And Yes, it sucks. But no, they're not contagious unless you also have the gene. For me, there's a few things that trigger my cold sores: stress, sleep deprivation, weather, and, of course, contact with someone who's got one. Since I'm obviously oh so painfully single at the moment, the first three factors must've set off these babies I've been sporting since yesterday! Wheee! ...not. Any of you that get cold sores know how big of a pain in the ass they are. I'm not even gonna start my rant. What I am going to do, however, is share a recipe for the scrumptious meal I prepared for myself this evening in honour of the offensive sprouting going on on my labium and of my sovereignty at the dinner table (aka life). 

Read on for the recipe as well as some tips on dealing with labial herpes (bro, I feel ya)

rawktober: day eight

The past week, I've been feeling super dehydrated even though I've been consistent with my water intake. Still speculating whether this may be a sodium deficiency or simply detox?
     Anyway, look how pretty amaranth is! I had no idea it was such a beautiful plant until today, courtesy of UBC Farm. Hope y'all enjoyed the beautiful day; bottoms up on your green smoothie to that!

Continue for smoothie recipe...

rawktober: day seven

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YOU KNOW IT'S A BAD DAY WHEN YOU PUT YOUR BRA ON BACKWARDS AND IT FITS BETTER.

unknown

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I don't wear bras. Firstly (and perhaps sadly?), because I don't need one. Secondly, because they're uncomfortable. Thirdly, because they're are hassle to remember to put on and take off. And lastly, because I just don't want to. A MindBodyGreen article I stumbled across today confirmed my decisions- bras aren't that great for you, anyway, apparently. My mum has been preaching to me for YEARS about how saggy my breasts (what breasts, mum?) are going to get in the future if I continue not to wear bras, but hey, according to numerous sources that include MindBodyGreen and LiveScience, wearing a bra should by no means be a necessity. If anything, it could even be more detrimental to our body than advantageous. Have a read, and unclip that shit gurl!

     Since you're probably busy burning your bra collection, here's a quick and easy salad recipe you can throw together for dinner.

rawktober: day six

I guess I haven't really been talking about how I've been feeling since starting this rawktober cleanse, have I? Of course, I can't be sure if the two are related, but I definitely think I've been having some detox symptoms including headaches and fatigue. But maybe I could just be having a slight hangover today... Hmm. On the flip side, my poops have been RAWSOME and frequent. I know we all feel uncomfortable talking about these things but hey, it's an essential part of our lives! Why so awk?

     In a nutshell, I've been eating, pooping, and sleeping a whole lot. How about you? Do you feel the detox?

     ANYWAY, today I'd like to share a recipe for bbq cauliflower bites.

rawktober: day five

I know my posts have been a day or two behind schedule but hey, it's hard to post every day! With school work and the raw food prep (and getting offered free, good-quality beer?) I've been doing, I hope you can understand.

     I feel like I need to tackle the issue of going out whilst on a raw food diet. Yesterday was my childhood best friend's birthday, to be celebrated at the infamous Cactus Club restaurant, and I was faced with the unavoidable scenario of having to go out for dinner with him and his friends. Although I felt uneasy at first, I decided that I couldn't simply chicken out - he would appreciate my coming even if I didn't participate in the eating (which saved me some $$$ too!). So, I ate a big raw dinner before he picked me up, and simply conversed sat at the table with his friends without ordering anything. I sensed out the crowd and, feeling like they wouldn't be the most open to my lifestyle, decided not to talk about my "weird" vegan diet, not to mention my month of raw foods. Conversely, my best friend, who told me is awfully impressed with my rawktober challenge, chose to flaunt it for me. "Olivia's vegan, and she's only eating raw food," he gloated for me. The girl sitting across looked up at me from her burger - wiping a drip of mayo off her chin, - uttered "ew," and continued eating. 

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NEVER WASTE YOUR TIME TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHO YOU ARE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMITTED TO MISUNDERSTANDING YOU.

dream hampton

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Now, I'm not saying that we should hide behind the safety of our blenders at home and avoid any potential such situation! Don't let the fact that you choose not to eat certain foods restrict you from going out with friends to restaurants. If appropriate, use it as a tool to inspire others and share your knowledge and experiences. On the other hand, there are simply (and this is the sad truth) some people who chose not to open up to novelties in terms of eating. I could rant about this for hours, referring to more traditional folks like [my] relatives or some a**holes whose life goal seems to be to put every vegetarian down, but I just ran out of carrots to snack on and I'm getting antsy.

rawktober: day four

    Today, animal rights advocates in China, Spain, and India portrayed the farming and animal slaughterhouse industries with their bodies in recognition of #WorldAnimalDay. Too graphic, or a good wake up call? What are your thoughts? For more pictures, see here.

rawktober: day three

By the time I get around to blogging, my energy has wound down a couple hundred notches for the day and I want to do is send you all zen vibrations. Although I swear, this morning, I was thinking up some pretty passionate topics to share with you! Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, who knows), I'm drawing a blank. Nevertheless, I've got some fun facts on H
2O. Did you know that 40% of water bottling companies that claim to sell mineralized spring water are actually just purifying tap water? (here's the trick: a gallon of tap water is valued at about $0.02, whereas bottled can be up to $8.26) Who knew, even companies like - gasp - Dasani have been ripping us off for our water! In 2004, Coca Cola confessed that Dasani had been selling tap water in disguise for 3000% more than its worth. Luckily for us, tap water is actually required to be continuously monitored by the EPA, whereas the FDA only regulates about 30-40% of bottled water! (Sage)

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IF THE GRASS IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU CAN BET THE WATER BILL IS HIGHER.

unknown

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I loooove my water. I'm ALWAYS carrying around my bottle, and I'm more inclined to forget my cellphone somewhere than my Nalgene (true story)! If I don't get at least 3-4 litres in per day (excluding all water intake through various foods, eg. fresh produce) I feel incredibly dehydrated. And since thirst lags behind the body's actual need for water replenishment, it means business. How about you? How much do you drink in a day?