Here is a documented sampling of our foray into the world of vegan cooking, eating and shopping. We’ll post weekly winners and discuss the learning curve of high-volume, endurance training while adhering to a vegan diet.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK:

Aug. 17th, 2011: Amazing Zatar Sandwich

This is an Arabic sandwich that starts with a pita. The pita dough is dipped in olive oil, then dipped in the zatar spice mixture, and then baked. The spice mixture often includes thyme, oregano, basil thyme, savory, sesame seeds, salt and dried sumac. We don’t make the bread ourselves, though I’m sure it is possible. We buy this zatar pita at our local Arabic market and bakery, called Andalos. You can have the sandwich made at the market, but we prefer to bring a bunch of the breads home and make them throughout the week. To make the sandwich, you fill it with the ingredients below, roll it up like a burrito, and enjoy! It can also be served with humus.

Zatar Ingredients:
- zatar pita
- tomatoes
- mint
- onion
- sliced green olives
- navets (pickled turnips - also bought at market)
- lemon juice (as sauce)

RECIPE OF THE WEEK:

Aug. 3rd, 2011: Delicious Breakfast Treat

Okay, sometimes when we’ve been *good* we get a special treat for breakfast. This includes a ‘normal’ and yummy smoothie - as opposed to a green Vega smoothie, as well as half a grapefruit and a fantastic melt-in-your-mouth vegan carrot muffin. Sadly, I cannot share with you the recipe for this delectable muffin, as it is bought from a store called Marché Vic (Vic Market) in Westmount, Montreal. If you get a chance to go, make sure you get there in the morning because these muffins often sell out quickly!

Choco-Banana Smoothie Ingredients:
- 1-2 bananas
- 1-2 cups of your favorite non-animal milk (soy, almond, rice)
- 1 tbsp pure dark cocoa powder

Simple, yet satisfying.

* SPECIAL POST: OUR DAILY SMOOTHIE *

Now, this may not be the greatest tasting smoothie, but it helps us ensure that we get enough protein and iron for both intense training days and recovery days. We use the Vega  Sport Performance Protein (berry) powder. This is a solely raw, whole-food, alkaline, plant-based protein mix (with the required enzymes added). It contains proteins from sprouted brown rice, green pea, hemp, alfalfa, and spirulina, as well as added BCAAs and glutamine.

Smoothie Ingredients: We’ve found that the best combination actually contains NO WATER (as suggested by the package) and NO BERRIES  (despite the flavour of the powder). This is due to the rough, film-like texture of the powder itself, which gets masked best by creamier additives: BANANAS AND ALMOND MILK!

Ingredients:
- 1 scoop Vega
- 1-2 bananas
- 1-2 cups almond milk
- Optional: 1-2 tbsp flax seed meal
- Optional: 1 tsp of creatine monophosphate (for muscle synthesis and recovery)

Directions: Mix well in blender, and enjoy. As much as possible.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK!

July 27th, 2011: Vegan Pizza
After trying several horrible vegan ‘cheezes’ we gave up for a while… but after some online research the top-rated ‘cheeze’ based on public reviews was said to be Daiya cheddar brand. So I popped down to the vegan store (Viva Vegan) to give it a try for pizza. And the results were great! I was surprised and impressed with Daiya in both the taste and how it melted!

As a side note - because we are in a trailer in Lake Placid for our peak week, we used a nice big cookie sheet for the pizza (see left). But only too late found out it was TOO BIG for the small trailer oven! With no way to peel the pizza off and transfer it to a smaller sheet in one piece, we decided to fashion a aluminum foil cover on the oven!

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Pizza Ingredients:

- pizza dough (store bought)
- homemade pizza tomato sauce (caramelized onions, garlic, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, white wine…)
- spinach
- sun dried tomatoes (soak first…)
- basil
- ”cheeze” (Daiya cheddar)

Directions:
We mostly followed the pizza dough label directions, which were:
1) let it rise 45min-1hr in warm place (this may not have been enough)
2) top with chosen foods
3) cook 15min at 475 F or until golden brown

RECIPE OF THE WEEK!

July 16, 2011: Summer Trio (featuring a crunchy, toasted almond and chickpea curry…Mmmm!)

It’s been a hot week, and the last thing we want to do is prepare and eat a hot meal. This refreshing trio is light yet filling and most importantly, jammed full of nutrients to keep us healthy!

Chickpea Curry Ingredients:
Mix in a bowl and enjoy!
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of vegan mayonnaise
- 2-4 tbsp toasted almonds
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic
- 2 tbsp curry powder (or to taste)
- optional: 1 tbsp indian masala spice (contains cinammon, coriander, cumin, tumeric…)

July 10, 2011: Tofu Marinade

July 10, 2011: Tofu Marinade
Fantastic tofu marinade for a summer BBQ! Served alongside, sweet corn on the cob, lentil salad and fresh garden salad with oregano shallot dressing.

Marinade Ingredients:
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 cup soya sauce
- 2 tbsp crushed garlic
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 4 tbsp dijon mustard (or until slightly thick)
Others:
- 1 block of tofu (firm)
- Vegetables to be grilled on skewers (potatoes, sweet peppers, mushrooms, zuchinni…)
- Side dishes: corn on the cob, grilled pineapple, lentil salad, green salad

Directions:
1) Mix marinade ingredients (approximate quantities - but mostly to taste!)
2) Cut any wanted vegetables (sweet peppers, potatoes*, mushrooms, zuchinni etc.)
*if using potatoes it is best to boil them slightly first - to ensure they will be well enough cooked once grilled!
3) Marinate 1 block of tofu (cut into 2 inch x 1 inch rectangles) and vegetables overnight or up to 2 days!
4) Put on skewers and grill on BBQ to taste, and enjoy!