I have been making and sharing this granola bar recipe for MANY years and it never gets old! You can make them so many different ways, just by switching up the nuts, seeds and dried fruit. These really are the best homemade granola bars you will ever make!

This week's episode of In My Plant-Based Kitchen is in 2 parts. In the first part I answer a great question that came in about the nutrition of cooked and cooled starches. We talk about how cooling starchy foods like potatoes, pasta and rice can be beneficial, why resistant starch is helpful for health, and more.

In the second part of the episode we make The Best Ever Granola Bars (originally inspired by a recipe in Christie Morgan's cookbook, Blissful Bites).

In the episode I explain the parts of the recipe you can adjust and switch, but here is the version I made in the video:

The Best Ever Granola Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 c unsweetened brown rice crispy cereal
• 2 c rolled oats
• 1/2 c dried cranberries
• 1/2 c unsweetened coconut shreds
• 1/3 c slivered almonds
• 1/2 c walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 c pumpkin seeds
• 1 1/2 c brown rice syrup
• 1 c almond butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Mix up the dry ingredients up to the pumpkin seeds in one bowl.
2. Add the wet ingredients (brown rice syrup, almond butter and vanilla) to a saucepan and warm slowly until thoroughly mixed.
3. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well.  Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Put everything in a baking casserole lined with parchment paper. Press the mixture into the casserole until evenly spread and smooth on top (It’s helpful to put a layer of parchment on top and press down with your hands, or the bottom of a glass to get an even top).
5. After the bars have cooled and set for several hours cut and go!

Tips:

• Super easy, and this makes a HUGE batch - you could easily half them, but these bars also freeze really well
• Feel free to switch up the nuts/seeds/dried fruit too – it’s great with pecans, coconut, sunflower seeds...you get the picture!
• CAUTION: The rice syrup provides texture and allows these bars to set. Maple syrup does not work as well – the bars are much gooier, so be careful about swapping the sweetener.

If you make these, let me know how YOU customize them to your own tastes (and of course, how you like them) :-)

Leafy green vegetables are, arguably, one of the most powerful foods you can eat, and there are SO many benefits to adding them to your daily menu. Just to list a few:

• They are one of the most nutrient dense foods out there (i.e. more nutrition per calorie)
• They are associated with the strongest protection against major chronic diseases, including a reduced risk for heart attacks and stroke
• A study done at Rush University and published in the journal Neurology showed that eating green leafy vegetables every day was associated with slower cognitive decline – the study results suggested that older adults who ate at least one serving of leafy green vegetables showed an equivalent of being 11 years younger cognitively
• and more

In this week's episode of In My Plant-Based Kitchen I talk about why greens are so powerful (and what exactly we mean by "greens"), we delve into the benefits of greens for health, talk tips for getting the most out of your greens nutritionally and ideas for how to get more of them into your meals. ANDI do a demo of Side Sauteed Greens

So if you're interested in this info, be sure to check the episode out.

Now, on to the recipes.

Side Sauteed Greens

Serves 2-3

• 1 tbsp garlic, minced (you can add minced ginger, chives or other aromatics here if you wish)
• About 4 cups roughly chopped greens (kale/beet greens/chard/bok choy/Chinese cabbage, etc)
• 1 tbsp Braggs Soy Alternative + 1 tbsp water
• sprinkle of lemon/lime juice

Directions:

1) Prepare all your ingredients i.e. chop the garlic, and wash and cut the greens. Measure out the Braggs and water and halve a lemon/lime. Have everything at hand because you will need to work quickly in this next stage.

2) When everything is just about ready to go, heat your pan over med-high heat, and when water sizzles, add about 1 tbsp water then the garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds - 1 minute or so, until the garlic becomes fragrant and starts to look a bit translucent. Don’t allow it to brown – this will make them bitter.

3) Add your greens, and toss with the garlic. Add the braggs/water mixture and toss again, stirring constantly until the greens have just wilted.

4) Now sprinkle the lemon/lime juice and toss once more. DON’T overcook – this whole process should only take a couple of minutes!

5) Remove from pan and eat immediately! (This should be the last thing you do for your meal as these greens are best served HOT).

Serve as a side with a veggie burger, as part of a bowl, with mashed potatoes and tempeh, or however else you can dream up!

*Want to see a demo of this recipe? Check it out here.

Creamy Kale Salad

Serves 2

This is another easy recipe that is super tasty and full of powerful nutrition. I love it because unlike most salads it keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days.

Ingredients: 

• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• A sprinkling of sea salt (1/8-1/4 tsp, to taste)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

1. Chop kale and place in a bowl. Massage it until it starts to soften.
2. Toss the rest of the ingredients except the sesame seeds into the bowl and use your hands or the back of a large spoon to thoroughly mash avocado into kale and mix everything together.
3. Serve into bowls, garnish with sesame seeds and eat immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Note: for variation you can make this salad with other greens (don't massage unless it's a hardy one though...), lime juice or apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice, switch up the carrots for beets and the sesame seeds for another seed/chopped nut of your choice.

 Have a nutrition question or topic you'd like to see covered on In My Plant-Based Kitchen? Send it to Emma here.

It's HOT and the perfect week to make N'ICE Cream! Want a delicious, cool treat that you can also count as a healthy snack? Then you won't want to miss Episode 4 of In My Plant-Based Kitchen.

This week I'm answering a question that came in from a viewer -- sugar and sugar-free dessert ideas. We cover:

• some good-to-know facts about sugar and health

• where sugar can be hiding in our modern diets, and why that's a concern

• sugar and fruit/whole foods -- what's the difference?

• tips for enjoying a naturally sweetened diet (be sure to check out the show notes for links to further resources and recipes)

And I do a demo and provide some practical tips for making Blackberry Lime N'Ice Cream -- Here's the recipe (it's SO easy):

Blackberry Lime N’Ice Cream

(pictured above)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped frozen bananas

• 1 ½ cup frozen blackberries, and fresh for serving (optional)

• Zest of 1 lime

• 1 tsp lime juice (or more to taste/as necessary)

In a food processor blend bananas and blackberries until everything starts to come together. Add zest and lime juice and pulse just until everything is incorporated and smooth, being careful not to overprocess. Top with fresh berries if desired.

Serve immediately!

MIX IT UP -- some more recipe ideas for you!

Another really nice version of the blackberry recipe above swaps the blackberries for strawberries and the lime for balsamic vinegar, omitting the lime zest. Delicious!

One of the things I love about N'Ice Cream is how EASY it is to get creative and make different kinds. A basic template to start with looks like this:

• 1 cup chopped frozen bananas (this is pretty standard since it makes the n'ice cream CREAMY - but don't worry, you won't taste the banana since frozen banana has a very mild taste)

• 1 ½ cup frozen berries/cherries/other fruit

• (optional) 1-2 tbsp special additions, like nuts/seeds (or nut butters), chocolate chips or cacao, dried fruit, coconut, fresh herbs such as mint, etc (get creative)

• (optional) 1 tsp

In a food processor blend bananas and other fruit until everything starts to come together, pushing down as necessary. Once creamy add additional ingredients and pulse just until everything is incorporated and smooth, being careful not to overprocess/overheat. Top with garnishes for an extra special touch.

Here are a couple more recipe ideas to get you started:

Mint Honeydew Sherbet with Lime

• 1 cup sliced, frozen bananas
• 2 cups chopped, frozen honeydew melon
• 1-2 tbsp mint leaves
• juice of 1 lime (or more, to taste)
• 1-2 tbsp maple syrup, to taste (optional)

• add a few drops of peppermint essential oil (food grade only) for an extra minty flavour

Mango Orange Sherbet

• 1 cup sliced, frozen banana
• 1 ½ cup frozen mango
• 1 ½ cup frozen orange
• 1-2 tbsp agave syrup (optional)

• add a few drops of food grade orange essential oil
• pulse in some shredded coconut at the end

I've been making variations of this tabouleh recipe since I became vegan more than 20 years ago, and I never get tired of it. I particularly love grain salads in the summer because they are cool, light meals that you can make a big batch of and eat with a side of greens and other veggies, in a pita with hummus, or on rice crackers for a snack!'

It is featured in this week's Episode of In My Plant-Based Kitchen - Citrus!

Whole Grain Tabouleh

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bulgur wheat OR quinoa*

• 2 cups water*

• 3-4 green onions, cut into small rounds

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (or less if you’re not a huge garlic fan)

• 1 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

• 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

• ½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped

• 1-2 large, ripe roma tomato(s), diced

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp olive oil (or use aquafaba from the chickpeas to make it oil-free)

• 1 ¼ tbsp vinegar

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• pinch of unrefined sugar or a splash of maple syrup (optional)

• ½ tsp sea salt or salt alternative

• ¼ tsp ground pepper

Directions:

1. Place bulgur in bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover with a clean tea towel and let stand for 15 minutes until all liquid has been absorbed.

2. Prepare vegetables and dressing.

3. Combine vegetables, bulgur and dressing in a large bowl, mixing well. Let stand about 1 hour before serving (or serve right away if you can’t wait). Taste and season with more dressing/lemon juice and/or salt and pepper if desired.

4. Serve in a pita with lettuce/spinach and a few olives for a lovely lunch, or with some whole grain crackers as a delicious snack.

Notes

*Quinoa can be used in place of bulghur for a GF version. Use 1 cup of quinoa: 1 3/4 cups water (bring to a boil, and cook on low for about 15 minutes until all water has been absorbed; cool slightly before adding to the rest of the ingredients).

REFRESHING THE DRESSING: After the first day you'll notice that the dressing is much more subtle as the grain and beans absorb the flavours - you can refresh the salad by simply adding a bit more dressing, or some additional lemon juice and/or salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

In my humble opinion, one of the great breakthroughs in plant-based cooking is learning how to make a basic crispy tofu that you can then cook in different marinades/sauces to add a boost of texture and flavour (and nutrition) to your dishes.

Today I want to share one of the recipes I have taught a number of times over the years – for a couple of reasons:

1. If you haven’t already mastered the no-oil sauteed tofu method, you're missing out!

2. This is a delicious recipe that you can customize to your own tastes/the tastes of your loved ones — it’s gonna be one you’ll make again and again.

Here’s your recipe:

Crunchy Cashew Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 package extra firm tofu, sautéed with simple marinade, as described below

• simple marinade for tofu: 2 tbsp maple syrup + 2 tbsp braggs soy alternative OR coconut aminos

• 1 package of noodles of your choice (200-250 g), cooked; see below for noodle recommendations

• About 5 cups of mixed vegetables (adapt this to what you have/like), for example:

  • 1 cup carrots, julienned

  • 1 cup red pepper, julienned

  • 1 cup snap peas

  • 1 cup celery, julienned

  • 1 cup purple cabbage, shredded

• ¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro or parsley

• 1 cup of pea sprouts, or other sprouts of choice

• ½ – 1 cup lightly roasted cashews

• 1 recipe Spicy Cashew Dressing: (blend together until smooth)

  • ½ cup cashews, soaked

  • 1 large clove garlic

  • 1 tsp fresh ginger

  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

  • 2 tbsp braggs soy alternative OR coconut aminos

  • 1-2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste

  • 1/3 cup water

  • Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare the extra firm tofu by cutting it into cubes and dry sautéing it until crispy. To do this, heat a large saucepan so that water sizzles on its surface (I prefer a good quality ceramic or stainless steel for this) — this is important because it helps to prevent the tofu from sticking. When the pan is hot, place the tofu cubes in the pan. Resist the urge to stir them around at this point – they will stick at first but once they have seared, they should come away without sticking. Brown the tofu on all sides, as shown below. (STEP 1)

2. Once browned on all sides, add the simple marinade and let the tofu cook in it (over medium-low heat) until all the marinade has been absorbed (STEP 2). Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat once it’s looking nice and crispy and set aside.

3. Prepare the noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.

 

4. Cut all your vegetables up and put them together into a large bowl.

5. Prepare your dressing.

6. Toss noodles and dressing together, then toss in the veggies and mix again. You may want to keep a few aside to use on the top for presentation colour. 😊

7. Divide into individual bowls and add tofu, then garnish with herbs, sprouts and roasted cashews.

Enjoy! Make it? Let me know how you liked it below!