The Exceptionally Unexceptional Project

I have had a break through, a realization. I am not special. I am average. Although this is surely shocking news to my mother, that was not actually the break through. I mean, I've seen what happens when I try to bake and I still count on my fingers. No, what took me by surprise was realizing two things. The first, how deep down I felt disappointed in myself, and secondly, how that has stopped me from doing things in life.

Although this was not a core shaking, life altering realization - there were no tears or subsequent glasses of wine - I was intrigued. As I mulled these thoughts over, I began to look at my life, my decision making, my interests and hobbies, my career, and I realized how much this 'fact' had pervaded my life.

As a little girl, I wanted to be famous, sometimes it was as a star athlete, or a gifted writer or singer  - whatever it was didn't really matter, what mattered was that I wanted to be exceptional. I imagine this to be common of most children, aspiring to be special - the dreams of one day becoming an astronaut floating in space, or the soccer player who kicks the winning goal at the World Cup. Of course, for the majority of us, life progresses and instead of becoming the exceptional astronaut, you became an average accountant.

Now this is not a comment on success, or quality of life or happiness. Far from it. I am (largely) very happy, I have a wonderful husband, great friends, a beautiful home and two adorable dogs. What I observed in myself though, was that somewhere deep down, the disappointment of not being exceptional in skill or talent, has stunted my ability to try new things or take up hobbies or pursue my interests. Could I be happier still if I worked through this?

This very topic has come up before as I discussed with my friend my waning interest in (of all things) this blog. When I began blogging, I was interested in pursing my writing and photography. Over time though, I became disheartened. There were so many other fantastic blogs and gifted photographers, surely I would never be as talented or successful, so what was the point? My friend told me that of course it didn't matter if other people were better at photography, the point was the joy I got out of pursing my interests. Like a good friend, I took her advice to heart and promptly stopped blogging.

I thought about this discussion and then began to think of all of the hobbies and interests in my life I had skipped over because of this ingrained disappointment in myself for being - gasp - ordinary. Similar to a fear of failing where one decides to not even try, my fear of turning out an average painting or short story or photo (which of course would be the reality) has meant it hasn't been worth trying.

Inspired by this rather foundational realization, I picked up and began to re-read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen, although living a full and happy life, felt she could and should be happier. She noticed she was quick to irritation, was dragged down by low levels of energy, a chaotic home and a loving but slightly strained marriage. She resolved to do something about it and created a methodical approach to boosting her happiness.

As a fellow analytical over-planner, I have begun mulling over the idea of taking on my own project, The Exceptionally Unexceptional Project maybe? I have no idea what it will look like, but I want to push myself to try new things and be proud of the mediocre results.

Could be fun?

A Cozy (and Easy!) Stew for a Freezing Cold Day

With temperatures well below the -20 mark, I decided I needed a classic and comforting winter stew to warm me up. This easy to make vegan shepherd's stew has a rich, full flavoured broth which hits that traditional, home cooking spot.

Ingredients
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cups potatoes, chopped
3 celery stocks, chopped
2 cups green beans, chopped
1 package of extra-firm tofu, drained, rinsed, chopped into cubes
1/3 cup millet flour
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp tamari
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, add onion and garlic, followed by tofu once onions are clear. Sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, millet flour (an overlooked but fantastic gluten free flour), Italian seasoning and paprika until tofu is coated in flour. Stir in all vegetables and tamari and saute for 10 additional minutes, adding water or broth if necessary. Stir in broth, red wine and cider vinegar and bring to boil. Reduce and simmer on low for 20 to 30 minutes (the longer the better to let flavours blend). Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Stay cozy!

New Year's Eve Spent up North + an Intermediate Butternut Squash Mac 'N Cheese

New Year’s Eve is the worst, isn’t it? All of that pressure to find awesome plans, paying out the nose for tickets to everything, crowds so large you find yourself spending the evening shoulder to shoulder with strangers and of course, not a cab in sight when you are ready to go home.

This year (in a moment of sheer brilliance) Jon and I decided to skip out on all of that nonsense and book a cottage up north. The beautiful northern landscape covered in snow, a roaring fire, a glass (or two) of red wine, Maizee and Zoe snoozing away, some great food and days on end spent in sweat pants. My friends, the best New Year’s Eve of your life will be spent in sweat pants, trust me.

Such a northern rendezvous called for some serious homestyle cooking, so I prepared a homemade broccoli soup with fresh bread and a beautiful butternut squash mac ‘n cheese with an almond crumble top to bring along. Both rely heavily on nutritional yeast (a vegan alternative providing that cheesy flavour) so if you are new to this ingredient, don’t be frightened – be excited. I’ll be making the broccoli soup again soon (it is a cinch) so sit tight for that recipe. Until then, I leave you with this delicious mac n cheese.

Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
Coconut oil
1 tbsp vegan butter (Earth Balance)
1 cup almond milk
1 cup raw cashews
7 – 8 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
5 - 6 servings gluten free pasta
6 cups greens of choice (onion, garlic, broccoli, peas, spinach, celery, etc.)

Almond Topping:
3 cups almonds, crushed or finely chopped
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 425F. Toss cubed butternut squash in oil, salt and pepper and distribute on cookie sheet. Cook for 40 minutes, flipping once.

Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce by assembling all ingredients into a food processor (cashews, almond milk, garlic, lemon, salt, nutritional yeast, pepper, mustard, seasonings). Process until a fine crumb forms. Now add the rest of the cheese sauce ingredients and process until smooth. Leave the sauce in the processor and add in the butternut squash once it has finished cooking. Process into a smooth texture (add water or vegetable stock to thin if necessary).

Cook your pasta (enough for 5 servings) according to package directions, drain once cooked and set aside. At this time, also cook any greens you would like added (I sautéed 1 large onion in coconut oil with 4 cups chopped Brussels sprouts, 2 cups frozen peas and 2 cups chopped celery). Set aside.

Mix butternut squash cheese sauce, vegetables and pasta into a casserole dish and blend well.

For the Topping: In a bowl combine all ingredients (crushed almonds, ground flaxseed, olive oil, water, minced garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning and salt) until well mixed and forming slightly sticky ball forms (add more water if needed). Spread over casserole.

Bake for 15 minutes and broil on high for 6 minutes (watching closely).

And with that, wishing you all a Happy New Year!

*Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows 

Easy Vegan Lunch: Chickpea Wraps / Salad

I made this super filling chickpea salad (from Oh She Glows) on Sunday to have for lunch throughout the week and it held up nicely. I changed it up day to day by varying the veggies in the wraps, making it a stand alone salad by adding large chunks of tomato and cucumber and lastly, I used it to top a garden salad.

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tbsp chopped red onion (soak in ice water to take away the sharpness)
1 or 2 chopped dill pickle
1 tbsp dill
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds (or pecans/walnuts)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F and toast the sunflower seeds for about 8 minutes.

Mix everything into a bowl, mashing up the chickpeas slightly with a fork, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Enjoy!

Intermediate Vegan Dinner: Kale and Quinoa Minestrone Soup

I was so impressed with this recipe as I chopped up all of the veggies and admired the vibrant colours and healthy ingredients. The soup was delicious, although not as savory as I expected. Next time I make this I am going to play with the spices (maybe adding in cumin, curry powder and fenugreek) to really give it a punch of flavour.

Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups diced, fresh zucchini
2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
1 tsp dried rosemary
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar (if you're going to play with the spices I listed above, make this brown sugar)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry quinoa
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups chopped fresh kale, thick ribs removed
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions
In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, carrots and celery and saute about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in zucchini, green beans, red bell pepper and saute 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

Add in vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, water, rosemary, thyme, granulated sugar, season with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and allow soup to gently boil, uncovered for about 20 minutes.

Add in dry quinoa then cover and cook 15 - 20 minutes longer.

Add cannellini beans, chick peas, kale and lemon juice and cook, uncovered, until kale has wilted, about 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Advanced Vegan Dinner: A Bunch of Stuff

So I have labelled this advanced only because I decided I was a cooking superhero and could make them all for one big meal. The timing was all over the place so having everything ready at the same time was quite the feat. If you are going to make these individually I would give them each an 'easy' or 'intermediate' label.

Having everything on the plate I realized the colour palette was a bit bland, so I would probably subtract the cauliflower and make roasted green beans or carrots in it's place next time (here's a yummy looking recipe if you would like to try that instead!)

Regardless, everything was delicious and the chickpea cakes have been fantastic leftovers - I've used them in sandwiches and crumbled them up in salads too!

Fried Quinoa

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 tablespoons coconut
4 medium carrots, diced
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
4 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
Salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sriracha

Directions
Cook quinoa (bring water to boil, cover to simmer on low for 15 minutes). Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan. Saute the carrots, shallot, and white scallions over high heat until soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and green scallions and stir fry until fragrant, another 2 minutes. Fold in the quinoa and stir fry until well-coated in the vegetable mixture and beginning to toast, 3 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sriracha. I opted to top this off with cilantro - my fave.

Crispy Cajun Chickpea Cakes

Ingredients
1 tbsp oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1 celery stalk, diced
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp hot sauce
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp gluten-free flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Directions
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute onion, green pepper, and celery for 5 minutes until softened. Remove from heat.

Place chickpeas in a food processor along with the onion mixture. Pulse until chickpeas are no longer whole, but dont process them too much. Place chickpeas in a bowl and add spices, hot sauce, and cilantro. Add flour and cornstarch and mix well. Place in the fridge for 30 mins.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Shape chickpea mixture into 8 - 10 patties and fry in batches, about 4 mins per side, or until crispy and browned.

Roasted Chili Lime Cauliflower (found here)

Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into vote seized
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
1/2 a lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss cauliflower florets in olive oil, chili powder, cumin, and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast cauliflower for 35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime over top the cauliflower and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Leftover chickpea cake on a gluten-free bun with fresh tomato from my best friend's garden. Delicious.

Easy Vegan Dinner: Split Pea Soup

This recipe is my Mum's (so you know it's good!) and bonus - it's gluten free! Super simple and full of flavour. I'm typically not a fan of dill, but in this soup, it really works.

Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
1 large potato peeled and diced
1 cup dried split green peas, rinsed
8 cups vegetable stock
1 cup broken spaghetti (use brown rice pasta to make gluten free)
1 tbsp dried dill
¼ tsp pepper
Salt to taste

Directions
Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook for five minutes. Do not brown.

Add carrots, parsnips and potatoes and combine well. Cook for another five minutes.

Add peas and stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer gently, covered for one hour, or until peas are tender and soup is very thick. Thin with water if necessary.

Add spaghetti and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until very tender.

Stir in dill, pepper and salt. Adjust with seasonings if necessary.