Summer Time “Spiralized” Zucchini Pasta with Raw Vegan Marinara Sauce

Posted on August 13, 2014 by erinn

We all enjoy a nice bowl of heart warming pasta. However, usually piping hot, heavy, carbo-loaded pasta is the last thing that you want in the middle of the scorching summer, especially when you’re trying to keep your beach bod in perfect shape! Well, not to worry because this recipe resembles pasta, but guess what, its raw zucchini noodles! I know what you’re thinking…Really Erinn, Zucchini doesn’t even closely resemble pasta, but it DOES! Use your imagination and think outside the box…you’ll be glad you did. You’ll feel satisfied and feel fuller longer than if you would’ve just had a plain old bowl of pasta. And, you’ll keep slimmer too! That’s good news all around don’t you think?

Hopefully you can use it at your next family dinner or Friday Date with your Hunnie. I made this a couple of weeks ago for my Family and they loved it. They’re by no means vegan and they we’re absolutely stuffed at the end of the meal! But, they of course had room for Kelly’s Bake Shoppe Brownies…I mean who wouldn’t?

Here’s the Recipe broken up into sections, you’ll put the Zucchini on the bottom and the Marinara on top finished with the Vegan Parmesan!

For the Zucchini Pasta

3 Yellow Zucchini

3 Green Zucchini

1 Spiralizer (I use the PADERNO brand)

Cut the ends of the zucchini off and make a 1 inch slice in the top of the zucchini. Make sure you have the right blade in the machine before using it (I used the smallest one) Push one end of the Zucchini into the top of the spiralizer and the other into the “spikes”. It should sit there comfortably. Now spin the lever in a clockwise motion until long zucchini noodles come out of the spiralizer, you’ll be done when you have no more zucchini to spin! 🙂

Marinara Sauce

3 C Tomatoes (7-8 Medium Roma tomatoes)

1 C Fresh Lemon Juice

4 Tbsp Tamari (gluten free soy-sauce)

4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil

4 Tbsp Chopped Yellow Onion

6 Cloves of Garlic, Peeled

1 ½ Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1 tsp Sea Salt

In a High Speed Blender, combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Salt to taste.

Vegan Parmesan

1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast

1 Cup Raw Cashews

2 Cloves of Garlic

2 tsp Salt

In a food processor, pulse the cashews (about 15 pulses). Add the nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic and pulse for an additional 7-10 pulses. It should be completely combined at this point and be ready for dusting on your pasta!

Here you go, a delicious Summer Pasta that won’t increase your waistline!

Erinn

**Photo Cred: tastespace.wordpress.com

Itsy Bitsy Bikini Juice

Posted on August 5, 2014 by erinn

With Bikini Season in full swing I thought I’d let you in on a little secret juice that will help you looking and feeling gorgeous and radiant all year long, and also help you fit into your favourite Itsy Bitsy Bikini! This juice is loaded with detoxifying fruits and vegetables and was actually one of our first juices that we served at Kindfood way back in 2010 (now known as Lettuce Love Café).

With the Grapefruit and Lemon as the detoxifying powerhouses in this juice, your body will become increasingly alkaline (alkaline is healthy, acidic is cancer causing), and help to flush out any toxins left in your system. Grapefruit aids in weight loss, making you have a flatter stomach! (who doesn’t want that!) This juice is best consumed first thing in the morning as this is your body’s primary time for elimination and you’ll see the best results.

Try it out tomorrow morning for breakfast, you’ll feel like a million bucks! You can also double the recipe and have it as a mid morning snack. Just remember to keep it refrigerated, because as soon as it’s made it slowly starts losing its nutritional value. So Drink Up!

Itsy Bitsy Bikini Juice!

2 Handfuls Green Kale

1 Handful Mint Leaves

3 Red Grapefruits (Peeled)

2 Lemons (Peeled)

2 Red Apple

Put all ingredients in Juicer (I use “Breville”) in order listed above.

Serve immediately for best results.

Now get out there and strut your stuff!

Erinn

Our Team. You Amaze Me…

Posted on May 30, 2014 by erinn

After having back-to-back- to-back crazy holidays (Easter, Mother’s Day, Victoria Day) at Lettuce Love and Kelly’s Bake Shoppe, I’ve begun to acquire a deeper respect and admiration for our team. Well, I’ve always had such gratitude for everyone who works with us, but last weekend in particular set me over the edge (in a good way!).

Over Easter Weekend, we broke all previous records at Kelly’s Bake Shoppe and Lettuce Love for the busiest weekend EVER, and the next holiday, Mother’s Day was no different. On Mother’s Day Sunday, in the midst of a full house at Kelly’s Bake Shoppe, I ran down to Lettuce Love to make sure everything was running smoothly (because I could see on my phone that we were in the middle of having our busiest Sunday EVER at Both locations…”ahhhh!” I thought, “I hope everyone’s O.K!”). I walked in to Lettuce Love, and the place was just hopping. Our customers we’re busy gabbing with friends, drinking mimosas and enjoying blueberry pancakes! “Phewww, was that a relief”, I thought to myself. At that point, I went back up to Kelly’s to make sure everything was A OK, and guess what? It was. Our girls were buzzing around serving customers, taking orders, and chatting with customers.

But then I just sat in that moment for a minute and thought about where I was and how amazing these two businesses have become that we’ve built from the ground up. Working 14 plus hour days back in the Kindfood days baking, cooking, and trying to figure out what exactly our businesses would blossom into has really paid off…I’ll admit I had a bit of a teary moment, because I’ve never really taken a step back from “LIFE” to truly understand how quickly we’ve grown our two companies, the impact we’ve had on the planet and people, and how many amazing people want to work with us every day. It was a pretty big ah-ha moment for me….

Where would we be without the over 25 amazing team members at Lettuce Love Cafe and Kelly’s Bake Shoppe (I know…can you believe our team has grown to be this big?) ? You’re our foundation and the most integral part of our businesses. I’m sending you ALL the warmest THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. You make our business what it is on a daily basis, and help us take our two businesses to the next level.

Your efforts don’t go unnoticed. You’re the most incredible people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Love,

My thoughts on Feminism… and Girl Power!

Posted on March 18, 2014 by erinn

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With International Women’s Day recently behind us, it got me thinking about the term feminism and the real meaning (or at least my interpretation…) behind it. A Feminist is described as: a person who believes in the social, political, and … Continue reading →

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto

Posted on March 4, 2014 by erinn

As some of you may have noticed, I posted a deliciously taunting picture of my Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto on my Instagram and Facebook page a few days ago. I had such a huge response from people begging me for the recipe! Well today’s the day, and I’m so excited to be able to share it with all of you!

Risotto is the perfect warming meal for this brutally cold and bone chilling winter we’ve had up here in the Toronto area. It’s become a staple in our house and one of my main go to meals! Some of you may be intimidated by risotto, and think that only “fancy” Italian chefs are capable of such a “masterpiece”, well don’t be! It’s an extremely simple recipe; it just requires a little more tender loving care! It’s a great what I call “Show off Vegan Meal” for all of those who think that vegan food tastes like bird seed…haha!

Now go on and invite your friends and family over so you can impress them with this amazing recipe!

Here’s what you’ll need!

1 ½ C boiling water

4 Tbsp tamari

6 C veggie stock

¼ C lemon juice

2 cups chopped spinach

2 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 ½ C finely chopped yellow onions

4 Cups Crimini Mushrooms, sliced

1 C oyster mushrooms, sliced

4 tsp fresh thyme (leaves only)

3 Cups uncooked Arborio rice

1 ½ C dry white wine (good white wine)

3 Tbsp Earth Balance

5 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

6 tbsp fresh basil

Mushroom jus to drizzle

Black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Bring boiling water, tamari, and veggie stock to a boil, and then let simmer.
In e small bowl toss the spinach lemon juice, and 1 tsp salt, set aside
In a heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat, heat 1 T of the olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and onions and cook stirring until the onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add the mushrooms, thyme, and cook until the mushrooms are soft. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and the rice, stirring constantly, cook until the rice is evenly coated and sounds like crispy rice, snapping and popping sounds, about 4 minutes. Add the wine, stirring constantly, until all the liquid is absorbed.
Ladle ¾ C of the simmering broth into the rice and cook, continuing to stir, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Continue in increments, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before another addition, until the rice is translucent around the edges but still a creamy consistency. About 25-30 minutes.
Add the spinach and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly or until the spinach is wilted and bright green. Stir the margarine and nutritional yeast. Add salt and pepper to taste, serve immediately.
Garnish with 1 tbsp of fresh basil, and 2 tbsp of mushroom jus for extra flavour!
Yields 6-10 servings J
ENJOY!!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

xoxo

Erinn

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www.kellysxo.com 401 Brant Street, Burlington, ON Canada

www.LettuceLoveCafe.com 399 John Street, Burlington, ON Canada

Get the Glow Juice!

Posted on December 11, 2013 by erinn

As most of you may know by now…I’m a bit of a health nut. One of my main obsessions is FRESH JUICES! I love them!! I try my best to make at least one a day ( in addition to my 2 litres of green smoothies). Juices are amazing, because your body is able to absorb nutrients in such a way that allows it to focus it’s energy on recovering, not on digesting. Juicing is also great for people recovering from surgery or treating diseases, people with digestive issues, and the everyday health nut that wants to make sure they’re taking in optimal levels of fruits and vegetables! The other day I was feeling a bit sluggish and groggy, so I decided to make my favourite cleansing and detoxifying juice which I’ve nicknamed, Get the Glow…I felt so refreshed and energized after drinking it… it was amazing. I’ve shared the recipe below 🙂

Naturally, the morning is when our bodies go into detox mode and cleanse themselves from the previous day, and flush out any remaining impurities from our systems. My Get the Glow juice is so great for cleansing your body. It has great veggies like cucumbers, great for weight loss and reducing bloating (reduces water retention). They’re also great for curing digestive issues… and helping to rehydrate your system of a night of partying too hard…(ahhhh the dreaded hangover!!!).

Another great part of the juice is it’s use of lemons. Lemons are great to help your body become more alkaline, and thus, healthier and balanced. They’re also great for fighting infection and boosting your immune system. Lemons are great for cleansing and purifying the liver (for all of you heavy drinkers out there..meet lemons..they are now your new best friend)

My favourite part about this juice is the ginger!! I know…some of you may not like the “spiciness” of ginger, but it has so many great health benefits one of which I take advantage of on a daily basis to help with digestion. As some of you may know, I’ve had severe digestive issues my whole life, and ginger is one of the most calming and nurturing things I’ve found to heal my insides!! Ginger is great for so many other aspects of your body including relief to arthritis and joint pain. Ginger, with its anti-inflammatory properties—can bring relief to sore muscles and joints. Also, ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly. In two clinical studies involving patients who responded to conventional drugs and those who didn’t, physicians found that 75% of arthritis patients experienced relief of pain and/or swelling. Ginger the miracle food…Cool eh??

Another great part of this juice is it’s use of fennel. I know what you’re saying….what do you mean fennel in a juice?? Fennel is actually one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It’s full of phytonutrients and minerals! The most fascinating phytonutrient compound in fennel, is anethole. In animal studies, the anethole in fennel has repeatedly been shown to reduce inflammation and to help prevent the occurrence of cancer. In addition to its unusual phytonutrients, fennel is an excellent source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is the body’s primary water-soluble antioxidant, able to neutralize free radicals.

After hearing all of this amazing information…why not try this delicious juice for yourself??

Get the Glow Juice!

2 Cucumbers

1 Lemon (peeled)

2 Green Apples

2 tbsp Fresh Mint Leaves

1 half Fennel Bulb

1 tbsp Ginger

Juice in this order: mint, ginger, lemon, fennel, cucumbers, apples.

Here you have it! A delicious fresh juice you can feel good about drinking. It has a great fresh taste and will keep you wanting more!

ENJOY!!

Erinn

Pumpkin Pancakes!

Posted on October 23, 2013 by erinn

Well, I don’t know about you but I love FALL! I know I know…I’ve already told you that! But what the heck?! The other day Michael and I went out for a hike at one of our favourite places, Sulphur … Continue reading →

Green Smoothies are MY LIFE!!

Posted on September 24, 2013 by erinn

Green Smoothie Obsession!!

I’m pretty sure everyone who knows me and who sees me on a daily basis knows my absolute love (and partial obsession) for green smoothies. I’m always carrying one in my hand, walking up to the bakery (Kelly’s Bake Shoppe) in the early AM, or grabbing one in the afternoon from Kindfood (my favourite spot to make smoothies). Every morning, I start my day with 1- 2 litres of the addictive stuff! (It can keep me going until at least noon every day). I love the feeling of nourishing my body and fueling it as best as I possibly can for the day ahead…which can usually be pretty crazy!! :))

Some of the notable health benefits of drinking green smoothies (and some that I’ve noticed myself) are: weight loss, digestive health, mental clarity, and supporting the immune system. I’ve found this to be particularly true in my own life. Before I began my green smoothie quest I always felt like I was missing something in my daily routine, something nourishing, healing, and satisfying. I felt like I was healthy, but my body wasn’t functioning “optimally”. Since I was little I’d had digestive issues, and what I used to call ‘bellyaches’. After I started drinking green smoothies on a regular basis, those severe digestive issues disappeared and I was back on track!! They also helped my mental clarity….which I noticed tremendously throughout my University Career at McMaster. I felt like I didn’t have to study half as hard, and was able to come out of those big scary exams feeling like I’d aced it! It used to feel like a chore to make sure I was taking in enough greens on a daily basis, but now there’s no need to think twice about it!

I start with dark leafy greens as my base…. kale, spinach, romaine are the usual suspects. It’s good to change up the greens in your smoothie a few times a week, as your body can build up alkaloids in your system, creating bloating and an inability to absorb those nutrients. Variety is the spice of a “healthy” life!!

Using dark leafy greens in a smoothie are great because your body can easily digest the broken down fibres of the greens and will use it right away!!! Blending helps make greens’ full spectrum of nutrition readily available to the body. Nutrients are encased inside plant cells and getting their benefits requires these cells’ walls to be ruptured. Greens need to be worked down to a creamy consistency, but most people simply don’t chew that much! Blending addresses this problem, helping your body absorb the maximum amount of nutrition from your greens.

So enough talking…here’s my favourite smoothie! We first tried it at our go to restaurant in Palm Springs, California, called Palm Greens. They’d named the smoothie after Tim Bradley (World Boxing Champion), who just so happens to be completely VEGAN! Go Tim Bradley!! For all of you out there who say vegans don’t get enough protein, you haven’t seen Tim Bradley. He’s a world-class athlete!!

My Favourite Green POWER Smoothie!

1 Cup Kale (stems and all)

1 Cup Spinach

2 frozen Bananas, diced.

1 Apple, (cored)

1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, peeled.

2 Tbsp Fresh Mint

2 Cups, Fresh Filtered Spring Water (no TAP WATER!)

This smoothie is so fresh and delicious. I’m totally addicted!!! (Michael will tell you!) 🙂 If I’m ever looking for an extra kick of protein and nutrients I use either Vega or SunWarrior Protein (Vanilla is best for this recipe). They are really great companies, that make 100% RAW vegan protein powders loaded with plant-based nutrition!!!

You can really jazz up any green smoothie to taste like whatever you want. Use blueberries, raspberries, and oranges with kale and spinach to make a super antioxidant smoothie. Or, a simple chocolate (cacao), almond butter, spinach and banana smoothie is a great start for those who are a little weary of the green stuff…and also great for those of us who LOVE chocolate and nut butter combo (I’m guilty!).

Any way you put it…green smoothies are where it’s at. They have protein, tons of fibre, vitamins and minerals, and are a great way to start your day. So ditch the coffee and take the plunge to green smoothies!! I promise you won’t regret it!

Erinn