Wholesome Cooking

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Chop or hand-tear the herbs to a desired size. Combine the ingredients into a food processor (except the olive oil). Once the motor is running, slowly pour the oil into the mouth feed. Continue to blend the ingredients until the ingredients become smooth.  Next, turn off the machine, giving the dip a few stirs, & give this a taste. Adjust the seasonings as desired. If the hummus seems too thick, you can add some additional lime/ lemon juice. Once the hummus is ready, you can enjoy this right away with your favorite sliced vegetables (such as carrots & celery) & your favorite crackers/or flatbread! *Pro tip: Pinch the skin off the chickpeas for a smoother blend of hummus.

Begin by placing the dried lentils, water, turmeric, water, & dried herbs into a large pot. Bring all to a boil, then lower the heat, & simmer for 15 minutes (till lentils become soft & tender). While the lentils are cooking, wash and dice the vegetables. Once lentils are cooked through, drain well into a colander. Next, place the drained lentils into a large bowl, & add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, cumin, & the cut vegetables. Mix till everything becomes well incorporated. Next, sprinkle the hemp seeds on top. Enjoy this yummy & hearty salad for lunch, or as a side dish for dinner. *Pro tip: Soak lentils for at least 4 hours to remove the lectin.

Fill stockpot to a little under 3/4 capacity with water. Bring water to a boil. Drop in pasta gently and cook for 5-7 minutes (or till al dente). Drain well & keep warm. Set aside. To make the pesto* Combine spinach, lemon juice and zest, sea salt, basil, & olive oil into a food processor.  Blend till smooth.  Give this a taste (adjusting the flavors if you need). Next, combine the diced zucchini & pesto sauce to the warm pasta.  Give this a few generous mixes, & add the grated parmesan cheese.  *Pro Top: Refrigerated leftovers can be served the next day cold or at room temperature for a quick lunch!

* to assemble the lettuce wraps* Place the pieces of lettuce onto your favorite serving tray. Add a spoonful of the precooked brown rice, followed by a handful of the shredded cabbage, carrots, & sesame seeds. *To make the dipping sauce* Combine the ingredients into a medium bowl to make the dipping sauce, mix well until all the ingredients become smooth & well incorporated. Give this a taste, adjust the flavors/ seasonings if you need (if the sauce is too thick you can add 1-2 tablespoons of water). Once the lettuce wraps are prepared, serve this with the dipping sauce alongside. Enjoy this refreshing dish for your next lunch or as an appetizer! Serves 6-8 *Pro Tip: use rau ram or Vietnamese coriander as a substitute for cilantro.

To prepare the curry, begin by warming up a large stock pot on medium heat. Add the coconut oil, letting this warm for 1-2 minutes (till fragrant). Next add the chopped tofu, along with the spices, & ground ginger. Give this a few mixes, incorporating the ingredients well, Allow the tofu to brown for 3-5 minutes. Add the chopped carrots, bell peppers, & zucchini, along with the coconut milk & water. Place a well fitted lid on top, & bring this to a boil. After the curry has come to a boil, lower the heat, & simmer all of the ingredients for 15 minutes. Once the curry is finished cooking, turn off the heat, & add the fresh cilantro, & fresh lime juice. Give this a few more mixes, & then give this a taste ( adjusting the flavors if you need) Serve this yummy & hearty curry alongside the rice. Pro-tip: This is a great dish to use up extra vegetables, or add your favorite ones.

* to prepare the tacos * Heat the tortillas in a skillet over a low flame, or set on low in the oven. Place the warm tortillas onto a large platter. Next, add a generous spoonful of the warm black beans, followed by the cheese ( if using) along with the vegetables, & a spoonful of the avocado. Continue to create your tacos, & serve with the sliced limes & a sprig of the fresh cilantro for a pretty garnish. *Add fresh or canned corn and tomatoes for more color.

Bring a pot of water to boil. When water is bubbling, cook the noodles in it accoring to instructions on the package. While water is boiling, steam the broccoli or add to the noodles in the last 10 seconds of cooing. As noodles are cooking, finely shred the cabbage. Once the noodles are cooked, drain them well, & place them into a large bowl. Next add the cooked broccoli, followed by the rest of the vegetables, & fresh cilantro. Combine in a small bowl the sesame oil, miso paste, fresh ginger, & lime juice. Give this a taste, & add a pinch of sea salt if needed. Add the dressing to the warm noodles & vegetables. Pro Tip - for some additional crunch, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds into your serving bowls.

*to prepare the Buddha bowls. Warm up the sesame oil in a large pot (on medium heat till fragrant). Next add the chopped tofu. Allow this to become golden brown (about 5-7 minutes). Next, add the chopped vegetables, grated ginger, lime juice, & Tamari sauce. Give the vegetables a generous mix, & place a lid on top of the pot. Let the combined ingredients steam, & finish cooking (about another 5 minutes until the vegetables become tender). Turn off the heat, & add the fresh cilantro, & sesame seeds. Taste, adjusting the seasonings as you need. Once you're ready to serve, place a spoonful of the precooked rice into bowls, followed by the tofu, & vegetables. To garnish, you can add some additional fresh cilantro, & a handful of sesame seeds into each bowl. *Pro tip - enjoy additional crunch with water chestnuts or baby corn.

Begin by bringing the 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium/ to large stockpot. Once the water comes to a boil, slowly pour the dried polenta & sea salt. Mix this a few times & lower the heat to medium/ low. Allow the polenta to thicken. Slowly pour in the chopped mushrooms & the cauliflower. Then place a well fitted lid on top. Allowing the polenta & vegetables to finish cooking together (5 minutes total). Next turn off the heat & add the olive oil, dried basil, black pepper, & grated parmesan cheese. Give this a few generous mixes,& allow this to sit for 2 minutes (to become thicker) Give this a final taste, adjusting the seasonings/ flavors as you need. Enjoy the polenta warm for your next side dish for dinner, or as a hearty lunch! Pro-tip: Use vegetable broth instead of water for a richer polenta.

To prepare the chili, warm up a large stockpot on Medium heat. Add the olive oil, & once the oil becomes fragrant, add the chopped onion, garlic, bell peppers, & mushrooms. Add spices. Give this a few generous mixes, cooking the vegetables for 3-5 minutes. Next add the beans, tomato paste, water, rolled oats & the bay leaves. Bring this up to a rolling boil, & then lower the heat to Low. Simmer this for 15-20 minutes until everything becomes thickened. Once the Chili is finished cooking, turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, & give this a taste (adjusting the flavors if you need). Pro-tip: For some yummy toppings, add a generous spoonful of shredded Cheddar cheese, chopped avocado, & crispy corn tortillas.

To make the cookies, place all of the ingredients into a food processor, & pulse this a few times until everything becomes well incorporated (the mixture should hold together firmly). If the mixture seems too dry, can add some additional water. The ideal texture should be quite thick (resembling cookie dough). Once the mixture is complete, begin to form the cookies by placing one tablespoon at a time into your hand, rolling into bite size pieces. Next, place the cookies onto a festive Platter, & enjoy right away! Pro-tip: roll the cookies into shredded coconut, or additional rolled oats for added crunch.