Saturday, January 14, 2012

fewf! and a spicy peanut dragon bowl

Wow, sorry for the silence! It's been a really long and challenging week around here. Work is... well, work. I don't want to muddy up this space by even thinking about, but i will say, we are headed to New Brunswick on Tuesday for two weeks of holidays! So so SO much looking forward to some serious family time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Tying up loose ends and getting things done this last week was definitely a marathon, but I am beyond happy to be on holidays with my boys until next month!

Aside from that, I realized it's been a while since I have shared anything yummy, so... here is a simple recipe for we are having for dinner tonight (warms you up from the inside out!).

Enjoy and talk soon!!
xo

Spicy Peanut Dragon Bowls
(ever so slightly adapted from Meet the Coup Cooks Vegetarian Cookbook)

:: ingredients ::
for peanut sauce
2 cups natural crunchy peanut butter
2 cups water
1/3 - 1/2 cup soy sauce
4 cloves mince garlic
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 small can coconut milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-3 tablespoons hot sauce (depending on how spicy you like it)

for stir-fry
a splash of oil for sauteing
175 grams of protein (chickpeas, smoked tofu, blackbeans, tempeh- whatever you are in the mood for)
a whole bunch of your favourite seasonal vegetables cut into bit size pieces (like - 6-8 cups of delicious greens, carrots, broccoli, peppers- whatever you heart desires!)
4 cups of your favourite grain or pasta (quinoa is our fav! but rice noodles would definitely be awesome!)
roughly chopped cilantro, shredded carrots, and peanuts for toppings (optional)

:: method ::
in a pot over medium heat, mix peanut butter and water together. mix and stir until smooth and warm, watching not to burn the peanut butter.
add the rest of the sauce ingredients and continue to cook over low heat, stirring regularly for 20 minutes- taste and adjust spice if needed.
in a large pan, saute your protein in a splash of oil. add veggies and saute until tender but still crisp (i add a bit of tamari with the veggies so they don't stick to the pan)
add peanut mixture to the pan and reheat until nice and bubbly
portion your grain or noodles in a beautiful bowl and spoon the peanut mixture on top of each. top with cilantro and chopped peanuts and enjoy!










Monday, January 9, 2012

2011 in Pictures

2011 was a pretty incredible year for us. They seem to just keep getting better and better, so it's hard to believe much can top the last 12 months.

Below are a few of my favourite pictures from 2011 if you care to peek.

January


February


March


April


May


June


July


August

September



October


November


December


Happy 2012!