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I'm on day 4 of having the flu. I'm achey, have a fever, am coughing and sneezing and would frankly prefer spending my holidays doing other things than being sick. But, alas, both my beau and I were struck with a very virulent form of influenza, which we suspect originated from a certain office Christmas party...In one of my feverish bouts, I found myself craving chicken noodle soup. But, I'm a ve
Hello my darling vegetarian friends,I haven't fallen off the map... Well, perhaps, but I've had far less time to write up about food and my love of cooking. To make a long story very short, I changed jobs, I stopped travelling so much and found myself entertaining new hobbies... and moving to the suburbs. So the Montreal/Ottawa vegetarian experience has changed since I'm now an official "Hubertine
My dear friend Magali shared this wonderful recipe with me and I'd like to share it with you. It's in French, enjoy!It's a delicious brownie made with kamut flour and almonds.Préchauffer le four à 350FHuiler et enfariner un moule carré 8x8 OU 6 moules à muffin géant (mettre une coupe de papier fonctionne aussi très bien)Dans un grand bol, mélanger :3/4 t. farine de Kamut1/4 t. poudre d'
For those of you that know me, you know that I love music. My passion for tunes got me to run into a very talented Indie music photographer and journalist, Terri Wise. It comes at no surprise that she's also a vegetarian.She's captured on film the likes of Andrew Bird, Wild Flag, School of Seven Bells, and Interpol to just name a few. I invite you to check out her portfolio for yourself. I'm certa
An acquaintance of mine brought to my attention the wonderful world of roasted chickpeas. Imagine roasted peanuts but made with chickpeas. Less calories, and just as versatile. I tried it for the first time last Friday by roasting a batch made from canned chickpeas. I seasoned them lightly with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder at 350F for 45 minutes. The result was a crunchy, fla
Canned beans are a vegetarian's savior but when I found out that pretty much all canned goods are in cans that have bisphenol-a linings (Eden does not have it) - I decided to go back to making my black beans from scratch. It's oodles cheaper than buying canned and if you have a slow cooker, it's not much fuss either. Black beans can be soaked over night, and then cooked during the day in your slo
Wild rooster in the Cayman Islands??As I promised, here's my thoughts on cruising as a vegetarian. Well my fellow veg*n, be prepared to be fully accomodated! I travelled with Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean and it was a_m_a_z_i_n_g. Apparently, this is as top of the line as you can get when you talk about cruise vacations. The ship I sailed on was the Celebrity Solsti
It's been pretty quiet around here, unusual since September and October are the months where I rekindle my love of cooking and my kitchen. But, this has not been the usual months either. I've been away on business in the state of Texas and then vacation in Florida and cruising the Caribbean .... As a vegetarian!In this post, I'll cover Texas and later this week, I'll be talking about travelling th
I'm hosting a belated Canadian thanksgiving at my place and my brother demanded I make this soup. I had forgotten just how wonderful it was. Here's the recipe. The secret ingredients that take it from good to mind blowingly delicious is the red lentils, turmeric and hot curry powder. 1 small buttercup squash cubed (about 2 cups)1 large sweet potato sliced into 1/2 inch cubes3 carrots, peeled a
It's been a rather busy time with this blog. I'd like to apologize in advance for those getting these blog posts in your inbox. You'd have received 4 emails from me in 4 days. I promise to slow down for the next ones. :)All the ingredients in the slow cooker, ready to simmer.This soup is my go to recipe when I want to whip up a comforting, nourishing soup that uses few ingredients. You can make th
I spent the day at the Salon Marions-Nous where the beau and I checked out our options for our up coming wedding. We've gone from crazy lavish helicopter trip for a Grand Canyon wedding to hosting a home made bbq. It's looking like we'll be settling for something in the middle. Anyways, after basking in a sea of bridezillas, and their frazzled moms, I just wanted a home cooked meal and wanted it
Here's another great labor day recipe from gardein™:BBQ Skewers served with Asian SlawIngredients:1 box of gardein™ BBQ skewersFor the Asian slaw:2 cups of shredded cabbage3 cups of Napa Cabbage1 cup of shredded carrots1 cup sliced or diced red pepper1 cup sliced green onion1 cup chopped or crushed peanuts1 bunch of chopped cilantroFor the dressing:1 grated garlic clove2 tsp grated ginger1 tbsp g
The kind folks over at Gardein sent me some recipes to share with you over Labor Day weekend. Here's the first two. You can find their faux meat products at Loblaws, IGAs and fine health food stores on the island of Montreal. Horray for mock meats!Herb and Citrus BBQ gardein™ Chick’n with Caesar SaladIngredients:1 package gardein™ chick’n scallopiniFor rub:1 1/3 cup of coarse sea salt or Kosher s
My friend Annick, passionate illustrator – check out her website, she’s a super talented flexitarian with a real knack for making vegetarian versions of popular Québec dishes. I saw the picture of this evening’s dinner and had to ask her to share the recipe with us. You should have been the pies she baked recently. It’ll make your mouth water.This is her recipe, translated very liberally from Fren
I might not talk much about it on this blog, but I'm a big wine and scotch aficionado. I'm subscribed to Wine Spectator's great newsletter, and they posted on their Wine & Health Q&A a question about wine pairings and vegetarian food. I completely agree with the response and applaud them. Nothing irks me more than having someone automatically assume a white wine pairing when I go
CC commented on my last post that I should change the name of my blog to be the Montreal and Ottawa Vegetarian experience. I will do it, but I need your help! Please post in the comments your favorite vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Ottawa and I'll create a directory page for them above. The more one place comes up, the closer to the top it will be.I know, I could look at Happy Cow's listing,
Every once in a while, I like to walk off the beaten path. I was tired of going to Perfection - Satisfaction - Promise; The Green Door and my other usual vegetarian haunts, and turned to Urbanspoon to give me a new vegetarian option. After a few shakes of my iPhone, a suggestion came up - La Belle Verte, in Gatineau, just a few kilometers away from where I normally stay. My darling friend, Maureen
I love summer. I write this as I am sitting outside by my barbecue. When I made the dietary switch, I had a brief moment of panic when I thought about my grill. Would I have to stop using it? That was a short lived feeling. I fire up my grill at least twice a week, and this is not my first blog post about BBQ'ing vegetables, veggie burgers and ribz. In honor of my addiction to grilling, here's a f
I gave into the new templates in blogger. I know I risk looking like every other food related blog, but I think it's nice! What do you think?It was my birthday last week, and I was treated to some great food. I was amazed that I could be so well fed at The Keg all the while being vegetarian. I had their smoked mac and cheese (chipotle, baby) and super side of mushrooms, asparagus and sweet potato
In the heart of the Chicago gay village, this little restaurant touts itself as the best vegetarian restaurant in town. The menu doesn't disappoint, with their meatless variations on classic Cuban, Mexican, and diner comfort food dishes, like their half pipe sandwich. The tiny diner style spot, certainly lives up to its name with the bright neon sign at the back of the restaurant.The tables a
Cassie's on the road again, this time in Chicago, Illinois and had the chance to taste some fine vegetarian fare in a very vegetarian friendly restaurant called Russian Tea Time on Adams. 90% of their menu is vegetarian and is quite delicious. The dishes are heavily perfumed in cumin, garlic and cinnamon. Russian Tea Time Restaurant77 East Adams StreetChicago, IL 60603(2) 360-0000My colleague and
The Zen Kitchen in Ottawa is the first vegan/vegetarian restaurant I went to that offered a multi-course meal with accompanying wines. I love multi-course meals as they become very involved events where each dish is a flavor adventure. My best dining experience of the kind was as an omnivore and took place at the now defunct l'Anise in Montreal.The atmosphere at the Zen Kitchen is a bit too casual
I spend so much time in Ottawa these days that I should consider changing my blog's by-line to "Montreal and Ottawa Vegetarian Adventure"... :)This restaurant came to me as highly recommended from a fellow vegetarian acquaintance of mine. I absolutely loved the food. This place is in a basement, in the Ottawa University part of town. The owners appear to be Krishnas or some other Hindu sect. I'll
gardein™ beefless soft tacos1 bag of gardein beefless tips 6 small tortillas Marinade 1/3 cup prepared green salsa 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon minced garlic Pinch sea salt Pinch black pepper Avocado Salsa 3/4 cup prepared green salsa 1/2 avocado, diced 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro 1 tbsp chopped onion2 teaspoons fresh lime juice 1/2 teaspoon minced garl
Montreal has a thrive Vegetarian group called VegeMontreal and they organize regular pot lucks for local vegetarians. Here are the details to their next event:May 2010 PotluckParticipate in our next potluck, Saturday May 8th, 2010! You will be received in a wonderful, warm and spacious room generously provided by one of our members. Where :Photo Service218, Notre-Dame street WestMontrealPlace-d’Ar
Just watching her show on FoodTV right now. Great job, guys! I'm happy to see Montreal's very own on TV.Quoted from their page on FoodTV:Hilarious, informative and deliciously demented, Bitchin’ Kitchen is a brand new cooking show for a new generation of foodies. From one night stand breakfasts to dump ‘em desserts, twisted mastermind and chef-comedienne Nadia G offers recipes, lifestyle tips a
I recently had the chance to review a new Quebec product called In Snax Pita Chips. Here's the bio that was sent to me along with three bags of pita chips:The young woman behind this Quebec company is Cheria Kyres, the daughter of George Kyres, former President and Founder of Europe’s Best and co-owner of the Montreal chain of supermarkets Les 4 Frères. Aiming to become a national leader in the
Next vegetarian cooking classes - Source: VegeMontreal.com's newsletterÉcole culinaire végétarienne (in French) April 10, 11, 17 and 18 : Asian meals April 24 and 25 avril : Soups of the world For more details : www.ecoleculinairevegetarienne.comJuicy Lotus April 13 : Vietnamese Cuisine April 21: Malay Cuisine April 27 : Korean Cuisine For more details : www.cafejuicylotus.comCrudessence (in Frenc
What a great time to be a vegetarian. I've been on the road on the past couple of weeks - which explains why I haven't posted much...!! But I have a great friend in Ottawa that lets me use her kitchen. Improvising meals with fresh ingredients and an unfamiliar cupboard is lots of fun!I made sauteed king oyster mushrooms in a butter glaze, served with a side of Tofurky brats and pan roasted q
My good friend, Bryn Symonds, is co-directing the play "Attempts on Her Life" by Martin Crimps. See you there!18, 19 and 20 of February 20107240 Clark (angle Jean-Talon)De Castelnau metro station. Here's the synopsis. Tickets are only $10 and are available at the door.Martin Crimp's "Attempts on Her Life"Just who is Annie? What does she do? Where the "heck" is she? Theseare questions we should all
After 14 years of being in a common law relationship, my darling finally popped the question. Although I had wished this day to come, I had never in my wildest dreams ever thought it would happen.In fact, I had never really ever thought about getting married, neither buying a dress, or planning a reception! Which brings me to my big question, my fellow veggie friends.... Do you know of any good ve
The buffet by weight model seems to be standard in Ottawa, with this restaurant being my second try in the vegetarian dining scene. Although the atmosphere was much better than the sometimes overcrowded cafeteria style of The Green Door, La Table offers a smaller selection, many of which are tofu based. I think this place could do better with more choice and other meat alternatives like seitan and
I love soup. It's an amazing catch all for sad looking vegetables and any leftover grains and beans that would otherwise be insufficient to make as a centerpiece recipe. Thanks to my handy slow cooker and food processor, I whipped a vegetable lentil soup in 10 minutes and left it simmering all afternoon.Vegetable Soup3 small onions, peeled and sliced 1/4 cabbage, sliced 4 celery stalks, slice
Bring in the new year, it's that time again of resolutions. I'm not a fan of them personally, they just seem like an opportunity to set yourself up failure. However, there are a few things I've learned in the 1.3 years I've been a vegetarian. It's very likely that you will gain weight by going vegetarian. Most omnivores will be shocked to hear this, but it's true. I've packed a jolly 10 pounds sin
My fellow veggie colleague - Kelly Eyamie, visual artist from Ottawa - gave me her recipies for delicious potato skins and stuffed potatoes for the holidays. I think you can even top that with faux bacon for decadence. ----------------------------------------------------- Two of my favourite veg recipes are listed below: (they do have dairy) We tend to not follow recipes… it’s more how you are f
Judging by my over flowing fridge, the cooking evening was a success. We weren’t able to do all the recipes we had planned but it’s a solid start. We managed to prep the Roasted Squash Soup, the Chipotle Black Bean and Corn Stew, the Indian Rice, Glazed Beets and the Macadamia Coconut Carrot Cake. 5 out of 7, not bad at all. I still have 3 cups of chopped onions stinking up my fridge and all the
I love Indian food, and chana samosas are an absolute must whenever I indulge in the pungent and frangrant cuisine of India. I took this recipe from the January 2010 issue of the Vegetarian Times magazine.I modified it and used a pre-made pie crust (vegan), used blue potatoes and yellow Nataise carrots.-1 pre-made pie shell, thawed - just for the top crust.-3-4 medium blue potatoes, cooked and dic
Pita chips are extremely easy to do. The only thing you need to make these is pita bread and a microwave oven.Cut or tear the pita bread to make tortilla chip size pieces, and microwave them in a single layer in a microwave safe dish for 1 to 2 minutes. They are done when they are hard.Then brush on some olive oil, and whatever spices you like. In my case, I used spicy salt and hot curry powder. Y
With the beau being on the road out of two of every three weeks, my good friend Magali and I will be cooking meals for a week and splitting the resulting meals so we both enjoy a wide array of food without having to cook everyday.This is menu we're planning to make this week:Chipotle, Corn and Blackbean Stew, Vegan with a Vengeance.Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Vegan with a Vengeance.Black Bean,
I absolutely love Tony Fiore's Delicious TV podcast. I made the recipe in this video today. It was absolutely to die for! The omnivorous beau had thirds...! It was so easy to do and I was able to only use 1 pot to cook the whole dish and no mess to clean up. Cassie's Kitchen Recipes - http://www.cassieskitchen.com/
My omnivorous beau started a new gig requiring that he be on the road 2 out of every 3 weeks. This is my first week as a loner at the dinner table. I’m used to cooking for 2 everyday, and although I will cook vegetarian meals for both of us, I tend to go a little heavy on dairy and fat to try and please his palate (and pack pounds around my waist).As soon as he left for the week, I went through th
The holidays are upon us with Canadian Thanksgiving behind us and now American Thanksgiving this week, I'd like to propose some festive menu ideas for small and larger crowds.My first and foremost favorite is Tofurkey. It's amazing. I love getting the Tofurkey kit with the dumplings, jerky wishbone and mushroom gravy. It's so simple to whip up that you can focus on the sides that will make your ce
And now for something completely different, a brilliantly designed advertisement promoting vegetarianism. I came across this great vegetarian ad through one of my daily guilty pleasures: The Daily What. What great use of vegetables to showcase the beauty of internal organs.I don't think I'll be able to look at cauliflower and gingerroot the same way ever again!This ad promotes the Internatio
This week on Bitchin Kitchen TV, the Spice Agent talks about basil and reminisces about his long lost love: Sophia.Cassie's Kitchen Recipes - http://www.cassieskitchen.com/
I decided to treat myself to lunch today and headed for TribuTerre on 2ieme Avenue and Cremazie. Under the Tibet Libre name, it was boasted as a vegetarian pizzeria, but they’ve changed their name, location and took on a broader vocation of being dedicated to all things fair trade and artistic. I was so excited to know that there was finally a vegetarian restaurant within reasonable distance from
Scalloped butternut squash and blue potatoesI had guests over from France and we decided to throw a typical thanksgiving potluck dinner with family and friends. I made a delicious casserole with blue potatoes and butternut squash. I did use dairy but you can easily recreate this using unsweetened soy milk and olive oil to build your roux and béchamel.For this recipe, I used:· 1 small butternut squ
Cassie's Kitchen has partnered with Bitchin' Kitchen to bring you a month long promotion where you can win awesome BK swag. What's up for grabs today? The great Bitchin' Kitchen Cookbook.This week Bitchin’ Kitchen is at war...coffee war that is! Check out their latest video and let them know what you think in the comment section. Commentators will be entered in a draw to win the awesome Bitchin’ K
Nadia G. doesn't disappoint by turning underdog vegetables, parsnips and brussels sprouts into delicious sides you'll want to flaunt. Check out her awesome website here. Cassie's Kitchen Recipes - http://www.cassieskitchen.com/
My friend Magali from the Boulevard Montreal bought Eden Soy's Chocolate Soy Milk and wasn't too impressed with the taste. Being resourceful, she created the following easy peasy pudding recipe, repurposing the milk and making a delicious desert.Soy Chocolate Pudding for 21 tablespoon corn starch1 tablespoon brown sugar1 cup chocolate soy milk1 square 85% dark chocolate from Lindt broken in small
It's taken the Twitterverse by storm, October is officially World Vegetarian Month, which is timely because I'm celebrating my first year as a vegetarian. :)It was a whole lot easier than I thought, with a supportive boyfriend, and understanding friends that really went out of their way to accommodate me. I'm a very lucky lady indeed. I've had my struggles, where I felt unbelievably weak - iron de
