Frito Misto by Sublime

Our favorite dish at Sublime Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale was the Frito Misto appetizer the waiter brought over as a complimentary taster to wet our palates. I think he felt bad since our 2 year old fell off his chair and hit his head, which then led to a lot of crying, Levi passing out in my arms, and then lots of free tasters. Unfortunate how it happened, but this is how we came across an amazing way to serve cauliflower. We ended up buying the restaurants cookbook, so naturally the first recipe I tried out was the Frito Misto. I can't say it turned out exactly the same as the original, but it was only my first try...

Roasted Butternut squash + stir-fried veggies + rice

With temperatures dropping below -20 I've been craving meals that warm the heart as well as the kitchen. Here's a nice little combo...

Roasted butternut squash

1 butternut squash 

one whole garlic 

olive oil

maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375. Cut squash into 2 halves, rub with olive oil, place flesh side down on baking sheet. Cut tips off garlic, place on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes, taking garlic out after 30mins. Scoop out squash, squeeze out garlic, mix together. Add a drizzle of maple syrup.

Stir fried veggies

Olive oil

Onion

Garlic

Beet stalks

Mushrooms

Yellow pepper

Spinach

Tomato

Sea salt

Thyme

Fry onion in olive oil for 5 mins, add garlic, beet stalks and mushrooms. Stir and fry for another 5 mins. Add remaining ingredients plus a splash of water. Cover and simmer for 3 mins.

Serve along side rice or your choice of grain.

Sublime

vegan cutlet & lasagna

On our way back from the Bahamas, we had a quick stop over in Fort Lauderdale so I checked my Vegman app to see if there were any vegan restaurants close by. It turned out that the renowned vegan restaurant Sublime was just a 15 minute walk from our hotel. The food was delicious, and the waiter kept bringing us over little samples of other dishes on the menu that I wouldn't have ordered for myself, but ended up asking for the recipe! Luckily they had a cookbook which we ended up buying. I haven't tried to recreate any of the meals yet, but two of our favorites (which were both little samples complimentary of the chef) were Mediterranean Polenta Squares & Frito Misto. Next time you're in Fort Lauderdale check out Sublime!

so tired from all the traveling, Levi slept through the whole meal

"100% of Sublime's profits support animal welfare. Sublime is the vision of owner Nanci Alexander. In 1989, Nanci founded the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) and has been volunteering as president since. She has been recognized by national and local organizations for her work on behalf of animals. The creation of Sublime is an extension of her efforts to reduce animal cruelty. Animal agriculture today represents the world's greatest source of animal cruelty, and the most significant step any individual can take to reduce this abuse is to move to a plant-based diet. The goal of Sublime is to show that plant-based food can indeed be sublime. Additionally, 100% of Sublime's profits will go to organizations that promote animal welfare and a vegan lifestyle."

 

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

A nice alternative to muffins, these tasty treats make a healthy snack; vegan & gluten free. Plus they're kid friendly - tried, tested & approved by Levi Dylan Kent 2.25 yrs old

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

 

Author: Monique of AmbitiousKitchen.com 

Recipe type: Vegan, Gluten Free, Breakfast, Healthy Snack

Serves: 16

Note: I used regular oats & baking powder, and chose coconut oil over olive oil (I always try to avoid baking with olive oil as I find the taste overpowering)

 

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups gluten free oats
• 2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8×11 or 9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Make oat flour: Place oatmeal into blender or food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until oatmeal resembles flour. You may need to stop blender and stir oats a couple of times to ensure that all oats have been blended.
3. Measure out just 2 1/2 cups of the oat flour and place in a medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices; set aside.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla extract, oil, and applesauce for 1-2 minutes until the consistency is smooth and creamy. Slowly add in oat flour mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Gently fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Timing will depend on what size pan you use, but definitely check around 15 minutes. Once finished baking, cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Cut into 16 slices.

Notes

Bars can be frozen. Simply bake, cool, cut; store in ziploc bag. Reheat individually for 30 seconds in microwave. Make sure you read all ingredients and nutrition info to ensure recipe is gluten free/vegan, if that is what you desire.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 128 Fat: 4.3g Carbohydrates: 21.6g Sugar: 9.2g Fiber: 2.5g Protein: 2.6g

Quick Miso Soup

Miso is great for boosting your immune system. What better way to eat it than in a warm bowl of soup! This recipe is taken from the "Everyday Happy Herbivore" by Lindsay S. Nixon, recipes designed to be on the table in 30 minutes or less. It calls for Shiitake mushrooms, but I rarely have them in the house, so I substitute with regular white mushrooms, and I'll add in some carrots and tofu if I'm not pressed for time.

Recipe serves 1 person. Double, triple or quadruple it for more.

Quick Miso Soup
3 green onions
2 cups water
1 cup shiitake mushrooms
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tbsp miso
low-sodium soy sauce (optional)
kelp (optional)

Line a medium pot with a thin layer of water. Add mushrooms, saute until mushrooms start to soften. Add red pepper flakes and miso, stirring to prevent clumps. Add onions and remaining water, bring to a near-boil. Reduce heat, add more miso or soy sauce if desired and any other extra ingredients. Simmer until everything is cooked and warm.

Yoga Isn't for Sissies

In Honour of Movember
Every once in a while I am approached by a woman after class asking me how she can get her boyfriend/husband to do yoga? How good it would be for his back/stress/insomnia. I don't have the answer, my husband started because I had just begun teaching yoga and the classes were very small, so he was there as a filler, to make the other people feel more comfortable. From there, I guess it grew on him, and he works at the studio, so the classes are conveniently located.

When the women do drag their husbands in, they often arrive with an air of arrogance. They extend their arm for a quick handshake and in their eyes seem to say "Lets get this lame class over with". Although I'm not a very competitive person, I'm always up for this challenge. My favourite part is mid way through class when I look over to see him sweating profusely with a deer-in-headlights look on his face while his wife/girlfriend flows seamlessly through the sequence. I know it's a little evil on my side, but it's satisfying to burst another bubble of misconception that yoga is for sissies.

After class the men are always humble and grateful, and most of them come back. I'm always proud of them for getting through it and stepping far out of their comfort zones. I know it's difficult to walk into a yoga studio, especially if you think you're not flexible, and especially if you are a man coming into a female dominated space, but times are changing and we have one of the highest percentage rates of men at our studio. My husband often boasts to his musician friends about the benefits of flexibility and focus, and to the single guys about it being a great place to meet woman. What's sexier than a guy who does yoga?

I'm not saying this is the case for every guy, we have lots of men who come to the studio, and several who have dragged their wives to class, but the reaction I get from most men is that yoga is lame, and not enough of a physical challenge for them. There are many different styles of yoga and some are lame, but you have to at least try before bashing it.

As a personal challenge this month, I will go out of my comfort zone into the male dominated world of cross-fit and take a class with friend & coworker Tom. The last time I was in a gym was high school 532 gym class! I invite you to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself this month. Don't wait for your body to break down before you take care of it.

My Mom's Red Lentil Soup

This has become one of my regular go-to soups. It's fast and easy, and doesn't require a lot of ingredients + it tastes great. It comes from a handwritten recipe I got from one of my Mom's cookbooks. 

Nutritional fact: lentils are a great source of protein

Red Lentil Soup
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
optional: chili powder/cayenne if you like it a little spicy
1 litre veg stock
2 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp cilantro

Fry onion, add garlic. Stir in spices, add broth & water, lentils & carrots. Simmer 30 mins. Puree half. Stir in lemon juice.