In honour of Valentine's Day, I had the idea to make up a meal using foods that are considered to be aphrodisiacs. With this in mind, I did a little research on which foods get the party started, so to speak. I was startled, then, when I discovered that out of the top ten foods for increasing your sex drive and getting you in the mood for a little something something, I eat eight of them on a weekly—and sometimes even daily—basis. How am I not on fire all the time? How is my husband still walking around normally, instead of slumped in an exhausted puddle at his desk? I do not know.
What I do know, is that this recipe is delicious, vegan, gluten free, and it incorporates two highly aphrodisiac foods. In ancient times, almonds were regarded as fertility symbols and supposedly make women mad with passion—and in any case they are high in Vitamin E, magnesium, and fibre, so it's hard to go wrong. Chocolate is also an aphrodisiac—as anyone knows who has given or received a heart-shaped box on Valentine's Day—it contains chemicals that release dopamine in the pleasure centres of the brain and is thought to increase excitement and attraction. Rawr.
Therefore, this recipe is not only addictively delicious, but also very, very sexy. Make a batch of these blondies, and then have some fun.
NOTE: quinoa flour is available in most grocery stores, but it's very easy to make your own by grinding uncooked quinoa in a coffee grinder, food processor, or high powered blender. Embrace your inner Ma Ingalls and grind your own flour! The ratio is approximately 1:1 for quinoa to quinoa flour, but always measure to be sure.
Ingredients:
In a small bowl, whisk together ground flax and water and set in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease an 8x8 baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. The parchment paper will allow you to easily take the blondies out of the pan, with no sticking. Using an electric mixer, beat together coconut oil and almond butter. Add brown sugar, vanilla extract, and the flax mixture, and beat until smooth. In a medium bowl, stir together quinoa flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. Enjoy!Whether you embrace the romance of or refuse to partake in forced declarations of love, our Valentine’s Day page is filled with articles, crafts, activities, and food to fit your mood.
I don't know about you, but right now I'm at that point where I cannot remember what it was like to leave the house without donning several layers of clothing, I cannot remember what my yard looks like without two feet of snow in it, and I cannot remember what it was like to feel "too warm." Winter, it seems, has been going on forever and will go on forever, spring is never going to come, and I will be cleaning salt stains off my snow boots for the rest of my life.
That's what January feels like sometimes, but in the depth of winter we must find within ourselves an invincible summer.
Nothing brings forth the invincible summer within like a good bowl of homemade soup. This mushroom soup recipe is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter's day, and it's non-dairy and vegan. It's deliciously warming and wonderfully savoury. I prefer my soups to be quite smooth, so I puree them, but if you prefer a chunkier soup, leave it as is.
A note about nutritional yeast: not to be confused with baker's yeast, these yellow flakes add a cheese-like flavour to dishes and can be found in health food stores, along with the raw cashews.
Ingredients:
To make cashew cream, soak the cashews in water for 4 hours, drain, and then process in a blender or food processor along with 1/3 cup water, until very smooth and creamy. It should have the consistency of heavy cream or whipping cream.
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil on medium, then add onion and garlic. Saute until browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour on the mixture, stir to coat. Add vegetable stock, dill, thyme, and nutritional yeast. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes.
Depending on your texture preference, either leave as is or, using a food processor or blender, process until fairly smooth. Pour back into the saucepan and add cashew cream, stirring well.
Serve with additional drizzles of cashew cream, and enjoy!
NOTE: For a nut-free version, substitute heavy cream, soy cream, or coconut cream for the cashew cream.
Yield: 4 servings
Have you heard the buzz that lemon is expected to be the "flavour of the year" for 2014? Lemons add refreshing zest and flavour to recipes, like a burst of sunshine on dark winter days. Lemons are also detoxifying and naturally cleansing, which is good news to those of us who may have spent December eating and drinking like debauched Roman emperors.
This recipe is chock full of nutritious and delicious ingredients. The pine nuts add satisfying crunch as well as protein, and lemon, basil, and garlic make an amazing flavour combination. Not only that, but the whole meal can be pulled together in thirty minutes, making this an excellent choice for a busy weeknight.
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Slice zucchinis in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4-inch pieces. Toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic powder, then roast in oven for 25 minutes.
Place pine nuts in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. In the last five minutes of roasting the zucchini, place the pine nuts in the oven to be toasted. Watch them carefully—you want them to be toasted golden only.
Meanwhile, whirl lemon juice and zest, basil leaves, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the food processor until smooth.
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and toss with lemon-basil mixture, roasted zucchini, and toasted pine nuts.
Stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
For the meat eaters in the family, serve with sliced chicken breast sauteed with lemon and olive oil.
Yield: Serves 4
Want more lemon recipes? Try my Lemon Mini-Cakes or Lara's Lemon-Lime Cream Pie.
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