Green Goddess Asparagus Soup

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greengoddessasparagussoup-19-2I may be a bit late to the asparagus game this spring, but you really cannot blame me. I mean, it snowed here yesterday in Winnipeg! It was a bit of a shock to the system. Spring hasn’t truly, officially arrived here yet. This past Victoria Day weekend, Winnipeg experienced all four seasons in three days! It was pretty incredible. On Saturday, we had summer. It was beautiful – sunny and 21’C. Sunday was incredibly windy and rainy. It felt like a combination of spring and fall in one. And Monday, Victoria Day, it snowed and dropped below zero. So very confuzzling! I put away my winter coat and boots on Saturday only to have to get them out again on Monday. Thankfully, it looks like the weather is going to rebound slowly and spring/summer can finally make an appearance in the next week. Fingers crossed!

In protest of the crummy, snowy day yesterday, Jesse and I had a Star Wars marathon. We watched the original 3 movies. It was so much fun. I have not watched all three movies in a row in years. Now I cannot wait for the upcoming sequel by JJ Abrams. Is anyone else excited!?
greengoddessasparagussoup-59-6Also exciting is this flavourful asparagus soup that’s filled with fresh herbs and bright lemon. I love when an idea comes together perfectly. Before I was a vegan, I used to make asparagus soup all of the time. It was filled with cream, yogurt and parmesan cheese. And it was delicious! I wanted to re-capture both the flavour and creamy texture of my favourite soup, but have it be cruelty-free. To create a luscious and creamy soup, I added 1/2 cup of soaked cashews to the soup while blending. To enhance the flavour of the asparagus (which is delicious in its own right), I added fresh lemon juice. Asparagus and lemon pair up perfectly together. Lemon brightens the soup right up! Season with a bit of salt, pepper and lots of fresh herbs and this soup is perfect! In fact, it’s way better than the soup I used to make loaded with dairy. Now I can actually taste the fresh, grassy flavour of the asparagus in addition to all of the fresh herbs. Veggies never tasted so good! I think this recipe is a keeper! :)

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Green Goddess Asparagus Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

A creamy asparagus soup with fresh herbs and bright lemon juice - the perfect soup for spring. Enjoy with a piece of crusty bread and a small side salad for the perfect spring meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon of canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large bunch of asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
  • 2 and 1/2 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
  • 1/2 cup of soaked cashews (optional)
  • Juice of one medium lemon
  • 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped chives
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped dill or tarragon
  • 1/4 cup of fresh chopped basil
  • 1/4 cup of fresh Italian parsley

Method

  1. In a large pot, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until soft and translucent (5 to 7 minutes). Add in the chopped asparagus and sauté another 2 minutes.
  2. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth to the pan and simmer over low-medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the asparagus is slightly tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
  3. In a blender, add the remaining 1/2 cup of vegetable broth, the lemon juice and the 1/2 cup of cashews. Blend for 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth. Add in the onion/asparagus mixture with the broth. Purée for 30 seconds.
  4. Add in the salt, pepper and fresh herbs. Blend another minute or so until the soup is creamy and smooth. Taste and season further if required. Re-heat soup in same pot if desired, otherwise it's quite good at room temperature. Serve with a crusty piece of bread.
  5. Note: if you don't soak your cashews for at least 4 hours ahead of time, you can bring some water and the cashews to a gentle boil and cook for about 8 minutes.

Source: The Fig Tree

Almond Joy Chia Seed Pudding

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untitled-199-2Happy Thursday friends! One more sleep until the weekend! And if you are Canadian – it’s almost the long weekend! Originally, Jesse and I had planned to do a bunch of things outdoors, but it appears that it will be rainy all weekend. Ah well – time to cuddle up on the couch and have a Mighty Ducks marathon instead! *hehe*

This week has been a lot of fun. I’ve been attending a week-long French intensive program at the University of St.Boniface here in Winnipeg. The course has been incredibly helpful. Even though I consider myself bilingual, I find it difficult to find enough opportunity to practice French on a regular basis. This week, our teacher has focused on helping us develop new skills in regard to grammar and vocabulary, but she has also given us ample opportunity to practice speaking and listening in French. Yesterday, we attended a yoga class that was instructed in French. C’était magnifique! We also attended a nutrition course that was coincidentally taught by an old school friend of mine. Hello Michelle! :) Today we had a very interesting discussion about how sexual harassment is dealt with at school and in the work place. Tomorrow, we are all attending a lunch together and then we will be doing oral presentations to finish up the course. I’ll miss my classmates and our teacher! Going to school this week reminds me of how much of a keener I was in school and how much I miss being a student!!! Just makes me more excited to begin my classes through the Culinary Nutrition Expert program in September!

untitled-183-2To fuel my brain for proper book-learning this week, I’ve been alternating between banana almond butter protein smoothies and these delicious chia seed puddings! They are loaded with protein and are low in sugar, but somehow they seem MUCH more like dessert than my regular breakfast. They are creamy and oh-so yummy with the combination of coconut, chocolate and almonds. They are also incredibly filling! I know a lot of people prefer not to blend their chia seed pudding, but I prefer mine blended. I’m a bit weird with textures! Feel free to blend or not blend – the decision is all yours! One this is for certain though – you won’t be disappointed with this delicious yet healthy breakfast treat!

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Almond Joy Chia Seed Pudding

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 small servings or 2 large servings

Chia pudding - the perfect excuse to have pudding for breakfast! This pudding combines coconut, almond and chocolate together for one delicious way to start the day! Chia seeds give this pudding its creamy consistency and its nutritional punch. Top with almonds for extra nutritional benefit.

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups of unsweetened coconut milk (from carton)
  • 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond butter
  • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup of chia seeds
  • diary-free chocolate chips of garnish
  • sliced almonds for garnish

Method

  1. In a bowl with a lid, whisk together the coconut milk, almond butter, maple syrup and cocoa powder.
  2. Mix in the shredded coconut and chia seeds. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  3. The following day, scoop the mixture into a blender. Add additional coconut milk if the mixture seems a bit too thick. Blend the mixture until it resembles pudding (about 2 minutes).
  4. Pour pudding into 4 small ramekins. Garnish with unsweetened shredded coconut, dairy-free chocolate chips and sliced almonds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: The Fig Tree

Crispy Coconut Chocolate Bars with Sea Salt

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untitled-16Just a quick post to say “Happy Mother’s Day” to all of the lovely mommas, mommas-to-be and animal mommas out there! A very special happy mother’s day goes out to my mom – the most beautiful woman, inside and out. Mom, I am so incredibly lucky to have you in my life. I count my lucky stars for being so blessed to have a mom like you. Thank you for always being so supportive, loving and always being there to make me laugh. You are my biggest cheerleader. Love you to bits! Lots of love to my wonderful grandma and to my amazing mother-in-law. I am so grateful to have such strong, caring women in my life :)

untitled-18And now for chocolate! Chocolate with coconut!!! Crispy treats studded with macadamia nuts and seasoned with a touch of sea salt. These bars are so easy to throw together and will satisfy your sweet tooth and your salt cravings! They are the perfect, wholesome treat. Made with coconut oil and puffed brown rice, these little bites are a healthy dairy-free & gluten-free treat that everyone will love.

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Crispy Coconut Chocolate Bars with Sea Salt

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 16 bars or squares

Coconut and chocolate paired together with wholesome puffed brown rice and buttery macadamia nuts topped with a pinch of sea salt. These bars are the perfect mix of sweet and salty and gooey and crunchy.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of diary free chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life brand
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
  • 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts, chopped
  • 2 and 1/2 cups of puffed rice such as Nature's Path Rice Puffs or brown rice crisps
  • Good pinch of fine sea salt

Method

  1. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, so that the paper hangs over the sides of the pan.
  2. Heat a small pot of water on the stove over low-medium heat. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in a double boiler.
  3. Once the chocolate is thoroughly melted, remove from heat. Add in a good pinch of fine sea salt and mix to combine.
  4. Add in 1 and 1/4 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped macadamia nuts and the puffed/crisped rice. Mix well.
  5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Press mixture down with the back of a wooden spoon. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded coconut.
  6. Chill for an hour. Using the parchment paper handles, pull the chilled mixtures onto a large cutting board. Using a large knife, cut into 16 squares. Bars must be stored in the fridge.

Source: The Fig Tree