Coconut Carrot Soup with Thai Gremolata

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20140422-DSC_6299-2This year for Earth Day, I made a personal goal to reduce the amount of food we waste on a weekly basis. Sometimes it is very difficult to keep an inventory of what’s in the fridge and use everything up before it goes bad. When you think about it, every time you allow food to go bad and throw it out, you are literally throwing money into the garbage. Food is not cheap these days. I feel like my grocery bill is ever increasing – especially now that we have switched to all organic fruits and veggies. Wasting less is important in a world where we need things to be more sustainable. Saving money is also a good thing!

To make things easier for myself, I’ve subscribed to a local weekly organic fruits & veggies delivery (Fresh Option). Each Friday, Fresh Option releases a list of the fruits & veggies that will be delivered the following week. I use the list to help me do my weekly meal plans. I print out the list and put it on the fridge. Throughout the week, I cross off everything that we use. I also highlight things that may go bad quickly and focus on using them first. Organic produce definitely does not last nearly as long, but that’s a good thing! It means there is no preservatives and that’s a bonus to me! The evening before our next delivery, I consult the list on the fridge once more to see if there is anything I have not used.

Today, I noticed that I had not used the local, organic carrots we got last week. I decided to cook the carrots with some coconut milk and ginger to make a refreshing soup in honour of both Earth Day and the first warm day this spring. I also had some cilantro and limes in the fridge. I decided to make a condiment to brighten up the soup – along the lines of a gremolata. Gremolata is an Italian herb condiment, normally made with lemon, parsely and garlic. However, since I had my heart set on Thai flavours, I made a condiment of cilantro, lime juice and some crushed peanuts (or cashews). The condiment worked perfectly. It was fresh and vibrant – the perfect accompaniment to the carrot coconut soup.

Did you make any personal goals in honour of Earth Day for the following year? I loved this post by Annie at Annie’s Eats. She has some great ideas on what we can all do to honour Mother Nature and do our part in protecting and preserving this wonderful place that we call home.

Happy Wednesday! xo

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Coconut Carrot Soup with Thai Gremolata

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon of canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon of tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
  • 5 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1-14 ounce (400m) can of coconut milk (light is fine)
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic chili sauce or a pinch of red chill flakes
  • 1/2 cup of peanuts or cashews, chopped
  • large handful of cilantro, finely chopped
  • juice of one lime (at least a tablespoon)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
  2. Add diced carrots, ginger, soy sauce and chili garlic paste and sauté another 2 minutes. Add broth and coconut milk. Bring soup to a gentle boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are soft and flavours well-developed (about 15 to 20 minutes). Season with salt and pepper as needed.
  3. Meanwhile, make the Thai gremolata. Combine the chopped peanuts/cashews, chopped cilantro, lime juice and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
  4. Once the carrots are fork tender, pour the soup into a blender and purée. Be sure to cover the lid with a tea towel to ensure you do not burn yourself. You could also use a hand immersion blender to purée the soup directly in the pot.
  5. Ladle soup into bowls and top with a tablespoon of the Thai gremolata.

Source: inspired by Better Homes and Gardens

Vegan Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie

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20140420-DSC_6251-2This past December, my sister, my brother-in-law, my parents, Jesse and I celebrated Christmas in Hawaii. We spent two weeks basking in the sun in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. We dined on fresh tropical fruit and delicious treats such as macadamia nut banana bread with guava jam. Yum! Every single morning, I had a fresh mango smoothie and I drank my fair share of coconutty drinks! Between the fresh ocean air, the gorgeous scenery and then amazing local fruits and veggies, I became rather smitten with Hawaii-life. To be honest, I’d love to move to Hawaii one day. It would be such a wonderful change – especially after the winter we had here on the Canadian Prairies.

While in Hawaii, I learned of a Hawaiian dessert called Haupia. Haupia is a coconut milk-based Hawaiian dessert that is like a pudding. It is often served at luaus and other gatherings on the Islands. True haupia is thickened with arrowroot powder, but you can also use cornstarch. Haupia is normally served in blocks or bars as is quite gelatinous in nature.

This past weekend, I decided to make a chocolate coconut cream pie with the coconut cream layer inspired by haupia. I brought the pie to Easter dinner in hopes of conjuring great memories of the Islands. It worked! We reminisced about our wonderful vacation – a truly unique and magical Christmas in paradise. Thankfully, the pie was a huge hit at dinner. The crust is light and flaky. The chocolate layer is creamy and rich. The coconut layer is equally rich and full of flavour. The pie is topped with homemade coconut whipped cream and garnished with toasted coconut, macadamia nuts and/or chocolate curls. And that’s not all. The pie is entirely vegan!

Hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend.

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Vegan Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie

Yield: 12 slices

Ingredients

    Pie Crust Ingredients
  • 1 and 1/3 cups of all-purpose, unbleached flour
  • 1/4 cup of Earth Balance butter, chilled and cut into pieces
  • 1/3 cup of vegetable shortening or Earth Balance shortening, chilled and cut into pieces
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 5 tablespoons of cold water
    • Filling Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup of cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1-14 ounce (400ml) can of full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
  • 7 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips (diary-free brand)
    • Whipped Coconut Topping
  • 1-14 ounce (400ml) can of full-fat coconut milk; chilled in the fridge overnight
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut, toasted

Method

    Method: Pie Crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 375'F.
  2. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut the chilled shortening and chilled butter into the flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cold water in gradually while mixing until a dough forms. Pat the dough into a flat disk, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least an hour.
  3. Once chilled, roll the dough into a 13-inch round and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Decorate pie edges as desired. Pierce the bottom of the pie crust with a fork. Place a piece of parchment or tinfoil in the pie shell. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. NOTE: I highly recommend this Pie Weight Disc by Williams-Sonoma. It eliminates the need for pie weights and is so easy to use and clean. One of my favourite purchases! Bake crust for 20 minutes.
  4. Remove the pie weights (or pie weight disc) and bake the crust another 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack in the pie plate. NOTE: If the edges of your crust start to brown too quickly, cover the edges with tin foil or use a silicone pie crust protector such as the one from Williams-Sonoma.
    5. Method: Pie Filling
  5. Combine the cornstarch and the water in a small bowl. Whisk until the cornstarch is well dissolved.
  6. In a medium saucepan, combine the almond milk, coconut milk and 1/2 cup of sugar. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
  7. Reduce to a simmer and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Stir until thickened.
  8. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Pour half of the hot coconut milk mixture overtop. Wait for 2 minutes and then stir. The chocolate should have melted sufficiently and will combine easily into the coconut milk mixture.
  9. Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared, cooled pie crust followed by the remaining plain coconut milk mixture. Chill the pie for at least an hour.
    10. Method: Coconut Whipped Cream
  10. Place mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 20 minutes.
  11. Add the coconut cream to the chilled mixing bowl followed by the tablespoon of sugar. NOTE: you only want to add the coconut cream and not the coconut water. The coconut milk should have separated from the coconut water after the can sat in the fridge overnight. The coconut water itself could hinder the results of the coconut whip.
  12. With a mixer at high speed, whip the coconut milk & sugar mixture until light and fluffy. Layer the coconut cream on top of the coconut cream filling.
  13. Garnish pie with cooled, toasted, unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted chopped macadamia nuts and/or chocolate curls.

Note: To toast the coconut and the macadamia nuts, place both in a dry frying pan (no oil) and toast over medium heat until the nuts/coconut brown slightly and become fragrant (about 3 minutes).

Source: loosely adapted from Christine Cushing (Christine Cushing Live)

Best Vegan Banana Bread

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20140419-DSC_6219Even though I cook a lot of vegan meals, I do not have a lot of experience with vegan baking. However, I recently found out that I have an intolerance to dairy and eggs (see: elimination diet) and I am now on a mission to re-create some of my favourite baked goods without any animal products. Previously, I had success with vegan “blondies” recipes (Strawberry Chocolate Blondies and Pumpkin Pecan White Chocolate Blondies), but felt that I still lacked the know-how to veganize a lot of my favourite baked goods. So, I bought a few cookbooks to help me transition to a mainly vegan diet and to learn more about baking without animal products.

One book I really enjoyed is called  100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes by Kris Holechek. In fact, this banana bread recipe is adapated from Kris’ recipe. The book has a 100 swoon-worthy recipes, but the banana bread immediately caught my eye. Other titles I have enjoyed are:  The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Chloe’s Vegan Desserts by Chloe Coscarelli  and all of the baking books by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

The key message in all of the books is that you don’t need eggs and diary to make incredibly delicious baked goods. One you’ve got the basics of baking down, you can easily see how plant-based options such as flax/chia eggs, the right amount of baking powder and soda, tofu, fruit butters and nut milks can yield the same results as eggs and dairy. This banana bread proves this fact on all levels. It’s moist and dense, but with a nice light crumb. Exactly as banana bread should be. The bread baked up perfectly with a beautiful golden crust and was very easy to put together with minimal ingredients. Feel free to omit the walnuts if walnuts don’t float your boat. Slather the banana bread with some Earth Balance Coconut Spread and you’ll be in heaven.

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Best Vegan Banana Bread

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of of unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour (or another 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour)
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/3 cup of canola oil
  • 1/2 cup of brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 2 medium bananas, mashed
  • 1/3 cup of unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)
  • Earth Balance Coconut Spread or vegan butter for serving

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350'F degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with canola oil or vegan butter.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the oil and brown sugar. Add mashed bananas, vanilla extract and almond milk. Stir to combine.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
  5. Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. You will also know the bread is done when it is pulling away from the sides of the pan.
  6. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Run knife around the edges to loosen and turn bread out of the pan onto a cooling rack.

Store leftover bread covered at room temperature. Serve plain or with Earth Balance Coconut Spread.

Note: I have no affiliation with Earth Balance. I just really enjoy their Coconut Spread.

Source: adapted from The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes by Kris Holechek