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We’re taking a North American favourite and turning it on its ear! Forget the meat and mashed potatoes when whipping together your next Shepherd’s Pie, and pack it with produce instead!

Cauliflower-Crusted Shepherd’s Pie
Serves 4.

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 head cauliflower
1 clove garlic, minced
Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
Vegetable broth, as needed (opt for an organic, and BPA- and MSG-free brand)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh chives, to taste

Filling:
1-2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp mild curry powder
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into bite-size pieces
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 zucchini, sliced and cut into quarter moons
1 yellow summer squash, sliced and cut into quarter moons
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles, with juice
2 tbsp chopped jalapeno peppers (optional)
1 cup vegetable broth (opt for an organic, and BPA- and MSG-free brand)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1-2 tbsp all-natural apricot jam
1 tbsp rubbed sage
Hot red pepper chile flakes, to taste (or, opt for hot pepper sauce)
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 14-oz can butter beans, drained and rinsed well

NOTE: Rubbed sage is crushed sage that has been rubbed between your fingers.

Directions:

1. Prepare crust: Steam cauliflower, adding garlic during steaming.

2. Meanwhile, prepare filling: Heat oil in a large deep skillet and add curry and garlic. Stir for 1 minute and add fresh vegetables. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes with green chile, jalapenos, broth, vinegar, jam, sage and pepper flakes. Season with salt and black pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until filling begins to reduce. Vegetables should be tender-crisp and sauce thickened. Once done, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove from heat and gently add beans. Set aside.

4. Process cauliflower in a food processor with other crust ingredients.

5. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spoon filling into a casserole dish. Top with mounds of cauliflower. Sprinkle with additional chives, if desired. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until bubbling and heated through.

Always living with passion,

Sammie

By adding cilantro to your diet, you can help cleanse heavy metals from your body. But opt for organic herbs in order to ensure that you aren’t adding any manmade chemicals back into your meal plan.

Garbanzo & Cilantro Salad with Chile-Lime Dressing
Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 BPA-free can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), rinsed well and drained
1 avocado, diced
2 tsp fresh lime juice
4-5 tomatoes or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced in 1/2-inch pieces
Sea salt, to taste
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1 cup fresh organic cilantro (1 large bunch), coarsely chopped

Dressing:

2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp ground chipotle chile powder (OPTION: Try hot sauce if you don’t have ground chipotle.)
1/2 tsp mild chile powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
Zest 1 lime
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl, add beans. Prepare dressing: Mix together all dressing ingredients. Add dressing to beans and stir well. Set aside to marinate for 1 hour or longer.

2. Toss avocado with lime juice. Place tomatoes in a colander with a small amount of salt and let tomatoes drain for 10 minutes. (NOTE: You can skip this step if using cherry tomatoes or tomatoes that aren’t that juicy.)

3. In a large bowl, combine marinated beans with dressing, tomatoes, onion and cilantro; stir gently until well combined. Add avocado and gently stir. If desired, season with salt and pepper. Serve!

Always living with passion,

Sammie

If you’re searching for a nutritious meal that you can get on your family dinner table in less than 30 minutes, look no further! BONUS: You won’t have to make separate meals for grown-ups and kids. Simply consider reducing or nixing the chipotle for little ones.

Chipotle Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Guacamole Tacos
Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 sweet potato, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 chipotle in adobo sauce
2 tbsp adobo sauce
1 tbsp honey
Juice 1 lime
1/2 cup cooked black beans
4 corn taco shells (hard or soft)

Guacamole:

1 avocado
1/4 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 serrano pepper, diced
1/4 tsp all-natural sea salt
Juice 1/2 lime
1 small tomato, diced
Handful fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat oil on medium. Add onion and cook until onion begins to soften, 3-4 minutes. Next, stir in potato and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

2. Using a mortar and pestle, combine chipotle, adobo sauce, honey and lime juice. Break apart chipotle into small pieces. Pour mixture into skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Add beans and continue to cook until potatoes have softened, 10-15 minutes.

3. Once potatoes have cooked, prepare guacamole: Scoop avocado meat out into a bowl. Add onion, garlic, pepper, salt and lime juice. Mash until reaches desired consistency. Fold in tomato and cilantro. Taste and season as desired.

4. To serve, scoop a spoonful of guacamole onto bottom each taco shell. Layer with potato-bean mixture. Sprinkle with additional cilantro, if desired.

Always living with passion,

Sammie

Recipe and photo sourced from http://naturallyella.com

While Caribbean curry dishes are traditionally served with roti (a flatbread made from stoneground wholemeal flour), you can stick to gluten-free eating by enjoying this soup-like meal on its own or serving it over cooked brown rice to help sop up any flavourful sauce.

Sweet Potato & Squash Curry
Serves 6.

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp grapeseed or safflower oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups cubed and peeled sweet potato (about 1 1/2 lb)
3 cups cubed and peeled acorn squash (about 3/4 lb)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine first 6 ingredients; set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven on medium. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Add spice mixture and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add potato, squash and bell pepper, stirring to coat with spice mixture; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in 2 cups water and coconut milk, scraping pan to loosen browned bits from bottom. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until potato is tender.

3. Sprinkle with cilantro and, if desired, serve with lime wedges.

Always living with passion,

Sammie

Traveling while sticking to a clean diet can be a tad tricky, at times. Instead of relying on convenience stores and fast-food joints at airports the world over, leave your home with healthy eats in tow. Here’s a nutritious snack that’s not only carry-on friendly, but also meat-, dairy- and gluten-free!

Sesame Snack Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews
1/3 cup unsalted almond butter
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups raw sesame seeds
3 tbsp chia seeds (optional)

TIP: Make this recipe your own by adding your favourite dried fruit or swapping the almond butter for a variety made out of peanuts, hazelnuts or cashews.

Directions:

1. In food processor, pulse coconut and cashews into a rough meal.

2. In a medium saucepan, gently heat and soften almond butter, honey, coconut sugar, vanilla and salt; stir to combine.

3. In large bowl, combine coconut-cashew meal, almond butter mixture, sesame seeds and, if desired, chia seeds.

4. Press firmly into a parchment-lined 8×8 pan. Bake at 300˚F for 20 minutes. Cool and transfer to refrigerator. Once chilled, slice into small bars with a sharp knife. Store in refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Always living with passion,

Sammie

(Recipe sourced from LexiesKitchen.com)

Named after the special pot in which it is traditionally cooked, tagine hails from Morocco and North Africa. Here’s my vegetarian take on the rich, savoury dish… no special cookware required!

Chickpea & Fig Tagine
Serves 8.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp grape seed oil
1 large red onion, diced (2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ inch fresh ginger root, minced
1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes
3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup quinoa
1 cup dried figs, halved
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In saucepan, heat oil on medium. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes, or until starting to brown, stirring often. Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and ginger; sauté for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chickpeas and 1/4 cup water; simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toast quinoa in a small saucepan on medium heat for 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Add 1¾-2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Stir figs and lemon juice into tagine, and season with salt and pepper. Serve over quinoa, sprinkled with cilantro.

Always living with passion,

Sammie

Citrus and hardy greens shine when the temperature dips, so I’ve decided to make these seasonal picks the stars of today’s vegetarian recipe.

TIP: If you’d like to make this lighter salad a bit more filling, or even pump it up with protein for tonight’s main course, try adding grilled tofu or hard-boiled eggs over top.

Grapefruit & Walnut Salad with Citrus Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 head curly leaf lettuce, torn
1/2 head red leaf lettuce, torn
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (optional)
1-2 avocados, sliced
1 large grapefruit, segments removed from membrane
1/3 cup raw walnuts
1 cup sunflower spouts or pea shoots

Dressing (Makes 1 cup.)
Juice 1 large grapefruit
Juice 1 navel orange
Juice 1 large lemon
1/3 cup sunflower oil (or flax or olive oil, or a combination)
1 1/2 tbsp pure honey, or to taste
1/4 tsp honey mustard
Pinch sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger

Directions:

1. In a measuring cup, combine all dressing ingredients and whisk well.

2. In a large bowl, add lettuces and, if desired, mint. Toss well with two-thirds of dressing.

3. Divide dressed lettuce among 4 salad plates. Top each salad with avocado, grapefruit and walnuts, and stack sprouts on top. Drizzle with additional dressing and serve immediately.

Always living with passion,

Sammie