Blueberry Oat Pancakes with Strawberry Date Syrup

Pancakes are such a great breakfast because they can easily feed a lot of people without a lot of work, they're super easy to make, and they are still delicious even when you make them healthy.  I personally grew up on bisquick and Aunt Jemima's syrup, which I will always have a softspot for, but let's admit, we always feel super stuffed after eating pancakes and I would prefer to be super stuffed on oats and fresh strawberries than some processed cane sugar and all-purpose flour.

So, I made these!  Enjoy!

Pancakes:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk (or soymilk)
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar/honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• 1 egg (or egg replacer equivalent)
• 1 cup blueberries (if frozen, run under warm water until thawed)

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately.  Create a well in the middle of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients, mix until pancake-like consistency.  Gently fold in blueberries.  Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan on medium high heat, use about 1/4cup for each pancake.  Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Strawberry Date Syrup:

1 cup fresh strawberries

1 cup dates (soaked)

1/2 cup cashews

2TBS honey

2 tbs water (or however much to get it to your favored consistency, I like it a bit thicker)

Process in a food blender until all mixed, keep adding water until desired consistency.  Spread over pancakes and enjoy!

Best Juice IN THE UNIVERSE

Well you're in luck my friends because I was fortunate enough to come across this great recipe once again.

I found this juice recipe in this random book from the 1970's in my boyfriend's mother's house in Childers, Australia.  The book was called "Survival into the 21st Century" and was a collection of stuff from raw foodies, frutarians, vegetarians, vegans, breatharians, and had info on sprouting, yoga, growing/making/preparing your own food and pretty much any and everything related to healthy living (1970's hippie style).  Anyway we ordered a newer version when we moved to Canada, but for some reason this recipe was edited out of it.  Recently, my boyfriend's mom came for a visit and I asked her to get this recipe out of the book for us.  It's absolutely delicious and a really good mix of veggies.  Hope you enjoy.

Yolk of the Cosmic Embryo 

2 Apples
1 Clove Garlic
1/2 Small Cucumber
2 Beetroots (small)
1 Stalk Celery
1 Sprig Parsley
2 Medium Carrots
1/2 Green Pepper


Juice, sip slowly... feel awesome.

Cauliflower!

The first thing that I have been able to harvest out of my garden this year is Cauliflower.  This is probably because the "summer" in Vancouver has been so chilly that this wonderful cabbage crop has just been loving it, as cabbages are colder-climate crops.  Hopefully it will heat up soon so my Peppers and Tomatoes take off.  And hopefully the cat stops digging in the garden; so far she has taken my Zucchini, Cucumber, and 1 Cauliflower plant.  Thankfully I have more than one plant for most of them, as I made sure to plant like 6 Cauliflowers this year because a couple of years ago they were mercilessly killed by one big fat Woodchuck who broke through our chickenwire.


ANYWAY, I harvested this beautiful head of Cauliflower, and was trying to thing of something new to make other than a curry or a couscous dish.  I came across this lovely pasta recipe on the foodnetwork site; it is so aromatic and the flavors are so light that it makes for the perfect summer dish even though it's pasta.  It is also so easily vegan if you want, but I was feeling like a little bit of Pecornio Romano, so shoot me.  This recipe comes together quickly and it's very easy to make, so enjoy!

Sicilian Style Cauliflower with Whole Wheat Pasta

·      Sea Salt, as needed, plus 2 tsp

·         3/4 pound whole-wheat penne (I also think orecchiette would be awesome)

·         1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

·         5 cups 3/4-inch cauliflower florets (about 1 large head)

·         1 large shallot, sliced into thin rings

·         2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped (not minced)

·         3/4 cup water

·         1/4 cup white wine vinegar

·         2 tablespoons golden raisins

·         1 tablespoon honey (or Agave for Vegan option)

·         1 tablespoon capers

·         1 sprig fresh thyme

·         1 bay leaf

        Freshly ground black pepper

·         3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

·         3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

·         1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus however much you want (or none to make it Vegan)

      Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then salt it generously and add a little oil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente; tender but not mushy. Drain the pasta, transfer to a large bowl.

      Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower, shallots, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until the cauliflower is well browned, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 2 teaspoons salt, water, vinegar, raisins, honey (or agave), capers, thyme, bay leaf, and season with black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until cauliflower tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the pine nuts and parsley. Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaf.

     Toss vegetables and pasta together along with the pecorino. Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired. Serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table.

Carob Fudge!

Solid carob bars DO NOT EXIST in Vancouver.  I have scoured every health food store within 20km for a solid carob bar and the closest I can get is carob chips, which usually have an unnecessary amount of sugar and oil in them.  Besides, I can't dip them in peanut butter.  So needless to say I have been CRAVING carob, and the other day I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I didn't use dates with these because I find that sometimes it is hard to completely break down the dates in a food processor (at least for mine, and for the dates I use).  Dates are useful in deserts because they act as a sweetener and they also help to bind the ingredients together, as do raisins.  I have seen several recipes that use dates for raw fudge, but I really wanted to get a completely smooth consistency and I think I achieved it without using dates.  But, if you don't have any honey or any coconut oil, try using a bunch of dates in this recipe (about 1 cup, 1 1/2 cups) to make all of the ingredients stick together.

Carob Fudge

2 cups Walnuts

1 cup Pecans

1/2 cup carob powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbs Coconut oil

2 tbs Honey

Blend nuts in food processor until it reaches a flour-like consistency (or are finely ground).  Add carob powder and pulse.  Add the rest of the ingredients, you may need to add more honey to make it stick together or less depending on if you used dates or raisins.  Line a square tupper-ware container with wax paper, place mixture in container, freeze or refrigerate until mostly solid, slice into squares and enjoy!

Cocoa Mango and Nut Tart

So finally I am adding another recipe.  I keep making delicious things, taking pictures, then forgetting to write down the ingredients I used because most of the time I just wing it and see what happens.  I'm sure we can all relate.  Anyway, THIS time around I was determined to provide a recipe for this delicious mango tart I made.

This tart was definitely a winner at my house, we ate it all within a couple of days because you keep wanting to have another slice.  I found it better to keep in the fridge as it was a little softer than if kept in the freezer, and you will eat it so quickly that there is no need to freeze it.  It's also easy to make, all you need is a couple of ripe mangoes and some nuts!

Cocoa, Mango and Nut Tart

Crust:

1 cup Almonds 

1 cup Walnuts

1/4 cup Macadamias

1/4 cup Raisins

10 Dates

10 Figs

1/4 cup Coconut Oil

Filling:

1 cup Macadamias (Cashews would work too) soaked

2 cups (about 2 Mangoes) diced Mangoes

honey/agave to taste

Cocoa Topping:

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder

1/4 cup Honey/Agave

pinch of sea salt

2 tbs Water & Coconut Oil

Place ingredients for crust in food processor and blend thoroughly.  Form into a 8-11 in pie dish, depending on how thin you want it (or whatever you have available!).  Blending ingredients for filling in blender/processor, adding water if necessary.  Fill on top of crust.  Freeze this until solid so it is easier to spread the Cocoa Topping.  Once frozen, mix everything for the cocoa topping, and spread on top of pie.  Eat, love, enjoy.

Lovely Little Sprouts

I have discovered the simplicity of sprouting and the wonderful benefits that it entails.  

For one, you can make Rejuvelac, which is a delicious lemonade-tasting drink full of wonderfully fermented goodness.  AND it is super simple to make.

You can also continue your sprouts to grow wheatgrass, which is so incredibly easy you will wonder why you pay $3 for a 1oz shot at Jugo Juice!

Growing wheatgrass requires a little more time, effort, and equipment.  You need trays and soil or a soil blanket. Essentially, you just keep your seeds wet and make sure to check on them every day.

Rejuvelac is super easy on the other hand, and you can also make small sprouts to throw in your salad (though not as delicate as alfalfa).  

TO SPROUT, you will need a large pickle-sized jar, water, a cheesecloth and fine mesh strainer, and 1 cup of wheat berries (which makes 3 cups sprouts).

Put the wheat berries in the jar and cover with water, until there is about double as much water than wheatberries.  Let soak for 24 hours, then rinse in the strainer, place back in jar and cover with cheesecloth, held in place with a rubber band.  Rinse the sprouts once or twice a day, then after 3 days....

You have sprouts!

REJUVELAC:  To make this deliciously healthy drink, you will need 1/2 cup of your sprouted wheatberries, with their tails no bigger than 1/4 inch.  Place in a blender with 1 cup of water and chop up the sprouts.  Then pour into 5 cups of water (or blend together, 6 cups water total) and place in a large glass jar, cover, and set aside.

Stir your mixture twice a day.  This mixes up the mixture and will make it taste better.  After 3 days, your rejuvelac should be ready.  You can strain out the bits as well.

HAPPY SPROUTING!

-Beth

Vegan Enchiladas

Okay seeing as it's been almost a month since I've added a recipe, it's about time I updated.  Sadly I haven't been too motivated to make extravagant dishes lately, just the usual power bars, vegan dishes and raw food truffles.  Also had my fair share in sprouting and made an amazing Rejuvelac lemonade!  Which I will add as soon as I get to my second bout of sprouting!


In the meantime, I'll indulge you with my vegan enchiladas.  I've spent a lot of time experimenting with Mexican dishes and what works with what.  It's not a surprise that most of the Mexican food you get at restaurants is smothered with cheese and sour cream, quite odd seeing as traditional Mexican dishes do not usually include either of these items.  This just makes for perfect vegan cooking, filling and healthy dishes full of protein and flavor.  I made this enchilada dish up myself from various experiments, there's lots of layers too it so if you want to sans any work I would skip the Tomatillo sauce that goes on the shell.  Either way, hope you all enjoy these enchiladas as much as I do =)

Vegan Enchiladas

There are several steps to making this dish.  Firstly, I would make the enchilada sauce.  And make you have traditional CORN TORTILLAS, which are only about 4-6 inches across.  None of this wheat burrito wrap BS.

Enchilada Sauce

(makes about 2 cups)

2 cups veggie stock
4 Tbs Chili Powder (make sure this is NOT Indian spicy chillies)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 ts. sea salt
1 pinch ground cinnamon (less than 1/16 tsp)
a little less than 1/2 tsp sugar
3 Tablespoons plus 1/4 tsp white flour
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, lower the heat to low and add the flour (don't let it brown).

Mix with a whisk for about 1 to 2 mins stirring constantly, you want to see a little bubble going on. Add the chili powder and whisk in till fully mixed.


Slowly pour in the 2 cups stock. Turn the heat up to medium and stir till fully mixed.
Add the cumin, garlic powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar, stir after each one. Bring to a boil as you continue to stir.


Once boiling, stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat, this enchilada sauce recipe is done.  You can keep this to the side while you make everything else.

Tomatillo Sauce

3/4 lb fresh Tomatillos (about 9 med)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp ground cumin

2 TBS veggie stock

2 TBS Arrowroot powder

Remove 7 discard husks of tomatillos, rise, and place in a saucepan with the salt.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat & simmer for about 10 mins, until they are very tender.  Drain, the put in food processor with chili powder and cumin, pulse to combine.  Add stock and arrowroot then process until smooth.  Transfer to a small pan, and cook over medium heat for 2-3 mins, until mixture thickens.  Do not overcook or arrowroot with get glunky.  Set aside.

Mashed Yams

1 large jewel yam, or 2 med sized ones, diced

1/2 cup cilantro

1 tsp sugar

Heat water in large saucepan until boiling.  Add diced yams, cook until tender.  Drain & return to pan, mash until creamy.  Add sugar & mix, then add cilantro.

I add the sugar to get it a little bit sweeter.  You can if you want or you can skip it.

Chipotle spiced black beans

1 large red onion

3 cloves garlic

1 large (16oz) can black beans

1 can tomatoes, whole, drained

1 chipotle pepper in abodo sauce

1/4 cup cilantro, diced

1 green pepper diced (optional)

Heat onion and garlic in skillet, cook until onion is translucent.  While this is cooking, blend Tomatoes, chipotle, and cilantro in processor until it forms a paste.  Add to onions and cook for 2-3 mins, add black beans (and optional green pepper).  Bring to a rolling simmer, then lower heat and let cook for 15 mins or until liquid evaporates a little.

There's a lot of room with this one, try with different beans or add corn.

Enchiladas

So finally, putting everything together!

Makes about 15 enchiladas

Preheat over to 350 degrees F.  

In a large casserole dish, spray oil (or lightly brush) over the bottom and sides so nothing sticks.  Pour a little bit of the enchilada sauce, just to cover the bottom in about a <1cm of sauce.

Heat corn tortillas in microwave for about 20 seconds, until they are slightly heated and bend easily (so they don't break when you roll them).

Take corn tortillas and brush with Tomatillo sauce out to the edge.  Lay mashed yams in a line down center, about 2 TBS worth.  Place same amount of Chipotle black beans on top. Roll in a cigar shape so the edges stick, place in dish.  Repeat until your ingredients are gone, or until dish is full, or until you feel like it.  Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top of enchiladas.

Bake @ 350 for about 20-30 mins, covered.  They should come out gooey and soft and delicious.  Totally worth all of the effort, these are a great party pleasure and everyone is sure to love them despite no cheese!

Serve with guacamole, salsa, shredded up lettuce, hot sauce, whatever.  ENJOY!

-Beth

Raw Food Truffles

Lately I've been getting into raw food truffles.  They're a great snack, filling, sweet, and good to take up to school for lunch.  I've made them quite a lot lately and they've varied between ones that are more for a chocolate, sweet tooth fix and ones that are more of a trail mix kind to give you lots of energy.  I got these recipes from various raw food books, one of them I whipped up myself with some leftovers from almond milk and dipped them in carob syrup (yummm).  I'll start with the trail mix truffles I made and load up some other ones later, but man these were delicious and I could hardly save them all for my lunch tomorrow =)  Plus side, all you need is a food processor, and no soaking!

Trail Mix Truffles

yields 15-20 balls

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raisins (whatever you prefer, I used good old Thompson)

8 dates

10 figs

6 apricots  (both of these should be dehydrated)

Coconut flakes for rolling, or extra sunflower seeds

Pulse sunflower seeds until they are coarsely chopped (or finer if you prefer).  Add all of the dried fruit and pulse until everything is thoroughly mixed, and roll dough into balls.  Roll these into coconut or sunflower seeds & enjoy!

-Beth








AND to continue my truffle adventures.  I got this recipe from "Raw Food: A complete guide for every meal of the day", and I liked it less than the trail mix recipe but it was still pretty good.  Raw food truffles are just such a great way to satisfy a sweets craving, and the texture is delicious and not to mention they keep you full for a while.  

Ginger and Cinnamon Balls

8 dried figs

8 fresh dates

1 cup walnuts

1 cup raisins

1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled 

1 tablespoon cinnamon 

juice from 1 lime

(you can half this recipe as well)

Process walnuts in processor until desired consistency (I like them really ground up).  Add everything else and process, add lime, ginger, and cinnamon to taste.  Make into small balls and roll them in walnuts.  Place in fridge and enjoy!

-Beth

The Ultimate Fish Tacos

I'm always iffy about fish tacos, just doesn't seem like something that would work.  I love making Mexican dishes and exploring different vegetarian ingredients, sometimes it's nice to go all out and sometimes it's nice to keep it simple.  Yesterday I wanted to make a special dinner for Owen because he started his job this week and has been extra nice to me since it's been a stressful school week.  This recipe is great because the flavor combinations of the different components work wonderfully with each other.  The fish itself is easily fried, the chipotle mayo is outrageous, and you can't beat authentic corn tortillas.  It's a little bit more extra work, I made the mayo and salsa earlier in the day to make dinner go by pretty quick.  Recipe can be easily doubled to wow anybody at a dinner party, and I guarantee they will be, this is by far some of the best fish tacos I've ever had, if I do say so myself.

(ps sorry for the low-quality pics, had to make do with a Nikon Coolpix)

Fish Tacos

serves 4-5

Ingredients

1 lb mahi-mahi or tilapia, cut into 1oz strips

1 cup flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbs water

2 cups panko breadcrumbs (I'm sure you could make your own, but panko are just so light and puffy and really give the fish a nice crunch)

sea salt & pepper

vegetable oil, for frying

1/4 head savoy cabbage, shredded

1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves picked

chives, chopped

lime wedges for garnish

Chipotle Mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayo

2 chipotles in abodo, plus 1 tbs abodo sauce

1/2 tbs lemon juice

sea salt & pepper

Mango-Radish Salsa

1 mango, diced

1 lime, juiced

2-3 red radishes, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 tbs chili powder

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/8 cup cold pressed olive oil 

To make Mayo & salsa, just add everything together in a food processor and blend until you get desired consistency.  You could use a blender for the mayo (the chipotles need to be ground up), or just nix the processor for the salsa.

For the fish, set up breading station.  Dip pieces in flour, then eggs mixed with water, then panko bread crumbs, and deep fry with oil at 375 degrees until light brown (just a couple of minutes).  Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Set everything up in bowls and eat family style with heated corn tortillas.  Mayo and Salsa keeps very well in fridge and makes excellent dipping sauce in the future =)

Carrot Cake

By far, my most favorite cake, especially with some cream cheese frosting.  Owen made me a regular carrot cake for my birthday, which was of course rich and delicious, but this raw food alternative is just as great and is actually less prep time believe it or not.  This recipe is fantastic because it doesn't require a ton of ingredients, is super easy to make, and doesn't require any special equipment (still longing for a dehydrator).  Well, except if you don't have a juicer, but if you don't sometimes you can find a good one at a thrift store for $8, and it will be totally worth it.  The texture of this cake is awesome, it's fluffy and moist and the flavors are great.  It also makes 2 large loaves (or 1 big layer cake) so you can slice it up and bring it to a party.  =)

Carrot Cake

2 cups oat flour (made by processing rolled oats in blender, or just buy the flour)

2 cups carrot pulp from juiced carrots

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 cups dates, finely chopped or ground

1 cup nuts (I used walnuts, just seems natural for carrot cake) finely chopped or ground

2 tsp vanilla

3 TBS honey

(for frosting)

1 cup cashews (soaked 1 hr)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 TBS honey (or more, depending on how sweet you want it)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp vanilla

If your frosting is too runny at first, put it in the fridge for a bit to let it harden.

Mix all ingredients together well.  Knead and form into 2 rolls for slicing or layers for a layer cake.  Enjoy!

=)

Creamed Raspberry Pie

Raw food deserts are such a delicious alternative to regular deserts, and in my opinion, the better alternative.  After eating a slice of this pie, you feel energized, satisfied, and not like you need to run 10mi to work off some indulgence.  This recipe is great because there's no overnight soaking, no special equipment, all you need is some nuts and fruit and 20minutes.  The pictures I have up may be a little different then what you come up with; I only have 2 bananas in the house so the filling wasn't as thick at it's intended as described in The Complete Book of Raw Food.  Either way I think it turned out splendid and strawberries could be sliced as well as bananas and placed in the middle for a really thick pie.  Like most raw food deserts, this holds up great in the fridge for a few days and is the perfect snack because it fills you up and gives you a bit of energy.

Creamed Raspberry Pie

Crust
2 cups pecans (or 1 cup pecans 1 cup almonds)
1/2 cup dates
dash of cinnamon (optional)


Filling
2-3 ripe bananas


Topping
3/4 cup raspberries (or whatever berries)
1 cup macadamia nuts or cashews, or 4 to 6 soaked dates
Honey or agave nectar to taste (for a tart berry flavor, nix sweetener)


To make the crust, combine the pecans and dates in a blender (or food processor).  Combine well and press into pie dish, sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.  


Divide into 2 equal portions and shape the first layer of the pie to fit serving dish.  Add sliced bananas.  Shape second layer of pie and place it on top.


To make topping, blend berries, nuts, dates, and just enough water to move blender blade, about 3/4 to 1 cup.    Pour the mixture over the pie and decorate with fruit and berries and eat away!

Cabbage Chronicles

I've been having the biggest cravings for Cabbage over the past week; this may or may not be due to the fact that I'm Polish and grew up on Kielbasa and haluski.  So yesterday for lunch I whipped this dish up because A) It was a lazy Sunday and B) It's delicious.  I made up this recipe when I lived in Arizona as a poor student (not that anything has changed) studying sustainable food systems and got free, local cabbage.

Note:  this dish is not difficult or exotic by ANY MEANS.  It's super easy, crunchy, deliciously sour, and pretty much fool-proof.  Hopefully soon I'll get up the motivation to actually make vegan Golabki and continue my cabbage chronicles.  

 

Cabbage with Dijon and Black Pepper

1/4 of a medium green cabbage head (or more if you want), cut into long strips

1 small-med yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, minced.

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs dijon mustard

1 tsp hot sauce (Tabasco, what have you)

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

sea salt, pepper to taste

side-note:  this dish would work WONDERFULLY with sliced Tofurky Kielbasa sausage.

Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat.  Add onion, fry for about 3 minutes.  Add garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, Dijon and hot sauce.  Fry for about 5 minutes more.  Add cabbage, stir in with spices, then add white wine (if using), cover and let cabbage wilt (about 5-7mins). 

At this point you can finish it whenever, this recipe is by no means tricky.  I like to let the cabbage wilt with the lid on, then take it off and let some of the white wine evaporate.  The  hot sauce soaks into the cabbage and isn't spicy.  

Obviously there's a lot of room for variation.  It's comfort food, plain and simple, and worked out great for a Sunday lunch.  I love the crunchy, sour flavor of the cabbage, and the dijon just works great with it. Obviously there are fancier things you can do with cabbage, but Polish recipes aren't known for being extremely complex and sometimes the most simple things are the best.  I hope it's enjoyed!

-Beth

Cod & Kale

One thing I've noticed about the greater Vancouver area is the lack of large, fresh markets.  I was definitely spoiled in Australia; I lived right by the Preston Market that housed fruit and veg shops, bulk nut and coffee shops, and most importantly, a varied selection of fresh fish mongers.  I've been on the lookout here in Burnaby/Vancouver and have been pretty surprised at the lack of affordable, fresh BC fish.  Granville Island seemed like a good place, but the market was wanky, overpriced, and geared towards tourists (not to mention like 2 fish stalls).  So that was kind of a disappointment.  The skytrain passes a place in New Westminster called "The River Market", which looked huge and awesome enough.  When Owen and I went there one fateful weekend, we found out that it actually closed 2 years ago and has since been replaced by a Circus training school (wtf?), and all that is left is some expensive health food store (at least they had Tofurky).  On Sunday we went to the Port Moody winter farmers' market, which was nice enough but obviously lacking in fresh produce (we did buy some of the most delicious sprouted wheat bread I've ever had though!).  
However, we did finally find a small little fish shop in southern Burnaby called FISH (fresh ideas start here), which didn't have a huge selection but what they did have was fresh and locally caught.  We settled on some delicious, white, thick looking Cod and the ensuing recipe (accompanied by a vegan pilaf) is the happy ending to my story!
 (and if anyone knows of a good place to get fresh fish in Vancouver, I'll PAY YOU to let me know)

 

Baked Cod

4 cod fillets (approx. 1lb, maybe less)


1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp sea salt (and extra to rub onto fish)
1/4 tsp black pepper (and extra to rub onto fish)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced

Mix wet ingredients together.  Place fish fillets into greased baking dish (or with parchment paper), skin side down.  Rub salt & pepper onto fillets.

Place sliced onions on fillets and pour mixture over, it's okay if there's extra.
Bake @ 350 degrees F for 25 - 30 minutes.  


Easy peasy.  

Bulgur and Red Lentil Pilaf with Kale & Olives

This recipe by itself is Vegan and totally savory and delicious.  It's super easy to make and is super good as leftovers.  Best thing about it is that it doesn't contain any extremely special or exotic ingredients, and usually find that I have everything needed to make it lying around the house (well, except Kale, but it's a good enough excuse to go get it).  This recipe is from "The Complete Vegan Cookbook" by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay.


2 tbs olive oil
1 med yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
3 cups chopped fresh kale (about 1 bunch)
2 cups veggie stock
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup pitted & chopped green or black olives 


Rinse lentils, drain thoroughly.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over med heat.  Add onion and saute until lightly browned, about 5 mins.  Add garlic, cumin & mustard seeds, and coriander, and saute for another minute.  Add the bulgur and drained lentils and stir and saute for another 3 minutes.  Add the kale, stock, & salt and bring to a simmer.
     
Cover tightly, reduce heat to very low, and cook for another 25 mins.  Without disturbing lid, turn off the heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes (essential to get the bulgur light & fluffy).
Transfer to serving dish, gently toss with 2 forks, scatter olives on top.  Serve hot & eat the hell out of it.


=D