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Creamy Greek “Feta” and Oregano Dressing

This one is a no-brainer! Add it to everything and live a happy life. I especially love adding this to quinoa Greek salad or anything with kale or loads of greens like cucumber and parsley! This dressing is on the thicker side, so if you add it to salads and know you usually fancy a lighter dressing, just add more water until you reach your preferred consistency! I suggest doubling the recipe if you want to have more for later. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days!

Cranberry & Orange Sauce

An essential condiment to spruce up your Christmas meal. [callout]

Gingerbread Smoothie

Nothing quite compares to the warm and spicy aroma of freshly baked gingerbread. This smoothie delivers all of gingerbread’s comfort in mere minutes. The kefir gives a good dose of probiotics to keep your tummy happy, and the pumpkin puree and rolled oats provide fiber to keep you feeling satisfied.

Squash those doubts

Worried you can’t make this smoothie because you don’t have any pumpkin puree on hand? Try substituting the same amount of sweet potato or butternut squash puree.

No-Egg Eggnog

Guess what? Eggnog with no eggs can still leave you in a festive mood. This recipe proves it! Blended cashews and toasted coconut give the drink its oh-so-good creaminess, while dates infuse it with the sweetness that good eggnog commands. Serve with a dusting of nutmeg.

How the grit stole Christmas

For a finer drink, strain mixture through cheesecloth-lined sieve or use a nut milk bag.

I’m Sorry Grandma, it’s Vegan Cashew Tzatziki

Vegan tzatziki. Yep, I did it—and before I dive into this recipe, I feel like I owe an apology to my family. I must admit making this dip didn’t feel right. It was like I was cheating on my Greek family . . . but then I tried it. Oh my gosh: it’s pretty damn close to the real deal and so flavorful. Suddenly my guilt evaporated, and I was surprisingly happy that I made it! This dish is traditionally vegetarian and often accompanies me at the table with all my vegetable recipes. I decided why not make it vegan and add it to my list of plant-based recipes that everyone must have, and I certainly do not regret it. It doesn’t lack flavor, creaminess or strength. It’s completely balanced with the amounts of fat, acidity and salt—I know you will love it!

Sriracha Tempeh Alfredo

Just days after my boyfriend, Ben, announced that he hated tempeh (cue my heart breaking), I made this pasta for myself and happened to leave the leftovers out on the counter. Ben wandered into the kitchen, and when I looked over, he was eating it straight from the pot, not knowing it had tempeh, and saying it was one of my best pastas yet. Come one, come all, tempeh-lovers, tempeh-haters . . . you are going to love this recipe.

Vegan Parmesan

This recipe is to be used with Beet Fettuccine Alfredo with Basil Ricotta (pictured above).

Green Bean Casserole (Fasolakia)

Here you have Greek green beans in a gorgeous, lush tomato sauce. You’re in for a treat. This recipe was and still is my favorite recipe. There is just something to be said about this combination—how warming it is and the memories that flow through my mind while making it!

Sugar Cookie Smoothie

This protein-packed smoothie will fuel you up for all the merriment of the season. The recipe will make more coconut sprinkles than needed, but they’re great for adding a festive touch to plenty of seasonal dishes.

Go (coco)nuts

Experiment with different natural color dyes for the sprinkles. Just mix 1 Tbsp fruit or vegetable juice with 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut. Carrot juice, raspberry juice, blueberry juice and kale juice will all yield beautiful results.

Basil Ricotta

This recipe is to be used with Beet Fettuccine Alfredo with Basil Ricotta (pictured above).

Peace’s Peanut Butter Cups

A chocolate-free holiday is, for many of us, a recipe for Grinchy behavior. Good news: you can keep the peace with a batch of homemade better-for-you cups filled with creamy peanut butter goodness. Plus, you get the chance to elevate them with exciting add-ins like spices, crunchy cacao nibs and a whisper of salt. If you don’t want to use peanut butter, almond butter works great too. Or, if you want these to be nut free, employ sunflower butter.

Dark magic

For the most antioxidant goodness, choose chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa.

Lemony Tilapia Packets

We kid you not: the microwave is your answer to perfectly cooked fish in a flash. When you’re facing a dinnertime crunch at the end of a long day, this 15-minute meal ventures into the lifesaver category. The same recipe can be made with other fish such as salmon, rainbow trout, haddock, or catfish.

Hidden hacks

Bundling up tilapia and vegetables in parchment packets and heating it all in the microwave traps steam to add moisture and guarantees you’ll be serving restaurant-worthy tender fish.

High voltage

Most modern microwaves pump out at least 1,000 watts—cook times for most recipes are based on this power output. Look on the back of your microwave or inside the oven door to determine the power of the machine. If you have a lower-wattage microwave, you may need to increase cooking times.

Masala Cauliflower Soup

Once veggies are broiled and everything is blended, you’ll likely find yourself declaring about this recipe, “Wow, that was easy!” Tahini lends this soup a nutty flavour and a creamier mouth feel.

Hidden hacks

Blasting your veggies using the underutilized broiler gives soup the same deep flavour as sautéing and simmering in a saucepan, but at a much quicker rate.

One Pot Sweet Potato and Kale Pasta

A hearty pasta dinner need not require multiple pots. For less effort and post-meal cleanup, why not cook everything together?

Hidden hacks

By using the exact amount of liquid necessary to cook your pasta with the other ingredients, you do away with requiring an extra pot of water for your noodles and the need to pull out the colander. Shredding your sweet potato is a hack that lets it cook in a flash (also try this when making hashes, stir-fries, and grain bowls), while baby greens are a nutritious no-chopping-required add-in.

Go nuts

You don’t need to crank up the oven to make a small batch of toasty nuts. Instead, nuke them. Spread nuts in a single layer on microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high power for 1 minute, stir, and continue heating in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until nuts are fragrant and a few shades darker.

Blueberry Cheesecake Oats

Most overnight oat recipes use rolled oats, but the same time-saving method can also be used with the heartier steel-cut variety. The ricotta berry topping will make each spoonful seem oh-so indulgent. This recipe can easily be scaled up to give you several mornings’ worth of easy-breezy meals.

Hidden hacks

The boiled water will soften the steel-cut oats into a toothsome chewy texture, no time-sucking stovetop simmering required.

Frozen asset

Quickly put on ice after harvest, not only are frozen fruits and berries ultra-convenient, but they can also be more nutrient dense than imported fresh versions.

Carrot Orange Smoothie Packs

Gathering up all the necessary blender ingredients when a smoothie craving strikes can eat into any free time you may have. Not so when you cleverly put nearly everything on ice beforehand. This one provides a perfect balance of energizing carbs, satiating protein, and healthy fats.

Hidden hacks

These ready-to-go subzero smoothie packs are your answer to a frosty drink in a matter of moments, be it after a spirited workout or when you’re in need of a quick breakfast to deal with a morning time crunch.

Tip

Try this Smoothie Pack kitchen hack with any of your other favourite ingredient combos. Simply bundle up items like fruits, vegetables, herbs, and seeds and put them on ice. Then blend with liquid of choice and last-minute add-ins such as yogurt, protein powder, nut butter, and spices.

Pretty Chia Chocolates

If you’re up to speed on the latest food trends, you might have heard of this gorgeous indigo matcha. It’s actually not related to green matcha at all; it hails from the butterfly pea flower—a completely different plant (see Tip below). It doesn’t have quite the same benefits as green matcha. Nor does it contain caffeine. Take a nibble of one of these chocolates, though, and you’ll pop open a beautiful blue filling. Pure calm.

Tips

To melt chocolate, it’s important to have it all chopped into equally sized small pieces so it melts evenly. Melting slowly is the key to ending up with shiny chocolate when it hardens.
Blue matcha powder can be ordered online, but feel free to substitute with green matcha powder, if you wish.
Making chocolate is easy with small square silicone forms. Just add a little melted chocolate into the base of each cup and place a square of filling on top. Drizzle with a little more chocolate to fully coat. Garnish and refrigerate until firm. Easy to pop out, and the chocolates turn out perfectly square every time.
Butterfly pea flower is a beautiful blue flower that’s dried and ground and added to various recipes, providing a unique brilliant blue colour. It’s available in some specialty gourmet food shops and online.

Pea Flower Cheesecake Bites

These two-bite treats are just the right size to pop into your mouth for a delicious dessert or a sweet afternoon pick-me-up. And it will surely dazzle the dessert table with its unique blue colour.

Tips

These tasty little bites are just as delicious made with green matcha powder in a pinch.
Butterfly pea flower is a beautiful blue flower that’s dried and ground and added to various recipes, providing a unique brilliant blue colour. It’s available in some specialty gourmet food shops and online.

Taqueria Tacos with Fish, Mango Salsa, and Tahini Coconut Sauce

Don’t be daunted with the length of this recipe. It’s easily prepared in stages and assembled in a minute. Salsa and sauce can be prepared a day ahead. Even tortillas can be made ahead and wrapped tightly in foil overnight or frozen and reheated. These tacos are as lovely to look at as they are delicious to eat.

Tip

Making your own tortillas from scratch guarantees freshness. If blue corn tortilla flour is hard to find in your local store, it can be purchased online. Alternatively, substitute masa harina (which is more commonly available) in place of blue corn flour.

Blueberry Patch Salad with Curry Cashew Dressing

There’s a lot of umami going on in this salad. From the fresh taste of blueberries coupled with nutrient-rich greens to crispy toasted nuts paired with creamy tahini dressing—it’s flavourful and fresh. Plus the added pungency of crumbled blue cheese on top gives it that extra wow. Give your health an antioxidant blue boost this season.

Tip

Did you know that blueberries that are frozen for 6 months still contain the same amount of healthy antioxidants as fresh?

Vegan Roots and Blues Bisque

Sipping soup is supreme comfort on a wet and damp fall evening. This lovely vegan bisque is creamy and nurturing for any occasion. We jazzed it up with homemade chips but a dairy-free grated cheese is also a tasty option.

Tip

Root bisque is a great creamy base for a chunky vegetable soup. Add a little more stock and some broccoli and cauliflower florets. Simmer until tender.

Creamy Wild Vegan Mushroom Toasts

A traditional recipe of wild mushrooms on toast is characteristically made with butter and top-quality cream or crème fraîche. We did a little transition and developed an amazing vegan creamy wild mushroom topping, if you can imagine cream and vegan in the same sentence. Ours is delicious spooned onto crostini without compromising on quality.

Tip

If exotic mushrooms aren’t available, any combination of firm mushrooms such as shiitake or portobello will work in this recipe.

Roasted Jewel Yam Cakes with Blackberry Salsa

We pair opposite colours on the colour wheel with flavours that perfectly match. These delicious patties topped with fresh berry salsa are chock full of vitamin C and fibre—perfect leading into winter. Serve them as a main course or shape patties into small bites and serve as an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre.

Tip

Make a double batch, shape into patties, and freeze. Delicious for an after-work supper when time is in short supply.

The Works! Fully Loaded Quinoa Greek Salad

I present to you the salad I ate so often I almost made myself hate it. It’s so addicting, so easy and really foolproof. It combines the latest trends with the roots of my childhood—and that can’t be a bad thing! Let’s just touch on a few things before you move on to the least boring salad ever. I used to think salads were lettuce, lettuce and more lettuce with a light dressing and a sprinkling of hate your body, so eat this shit, Maria. It took me a while to figure out that I was so wrong and that salads can have so many different varieties of greens and veggies. They can even have carbs. You can even have dressing that doesn’t taste like air mixed with gluten-free water—can you believe it? Simple ingredients like olive oil do have the calories we’ve all been “taught” to be afraid of, but I promise you things like olive oil, quinoa, capers and artichokes are what your body is calling out for. Hair growth, nail strength, soft skin and more benefits are to be expected when you just enjoy the right foods, eat balanced and legit love yourself!

Did you know?

Long used by natural food companies as a food dye alternative, spirulina is a blue-green algae that may strengthen the immune system, improve digestion and reduce inflammation. Available in powdered or tablet form (use the powdered form for this recipe!), spirulina is high in potassium, copper and magnesium and is also an excellent source of certain B vitamins, as well as vitamin K.