Tabbouleh is a middle eastern salad consisting of lots of fresh herbs, (parsley and mint) bulgur, tomato, cucumber and is dressed with olive oil and lemon. You will often see tabbouleh having a higher ratio of bulgur to herbs, but traditionally the herbs are the star. This is just my little spin on it, more inspired by tabbouleh than being tabbouleh perhaps. The black rice is striking, and makes for a visually appealing side dish if you want to impress. 

Tomatoes
I decided to slice the tomatoes and plate them around the rice for the visual appeal. Mix them in if you want to.

Vegan Feta
I garnish this with Vegan Feta (I used VioLife brand, it works really well in this recipe) and toasted walnuts. This particular brand of vegan feta is really rich and creamy. I don't think every vegan feta would do what I want it to do in this dish. Alternatively, I would just drizzle more olive oil over top.

I am going to start this post by saying you're welcome! Ha! For real though, this is one of my new favourite treats, and it's going to be something I keep coming back to. I LOVE them. A nut & oat base with a date caramel filling & topped with chocolate. These are a raw, vegan & whole food treat that will satisfy your next chocolate bar craving. I love making treats a bit healthier. I'm a believer in treating yourself, we can be healthy without being rigid and restrictive. Plus, this caramel slice bar is even tastier than low quality store bought treats and has whole grain from oats, healthy fats from the nuts and other than the chocolate topping these are sweetened naturally with whole pitted dates. I eat these straight out of the freezer. They are best like this or kept in the fridge. They become a bit too soft at room temp. When eaten from fridge or freezer the base and filling remain soft, and the chocolate hardens giving a desirable contrast of textures. 

For the base of these I have added different ratios of walnut/almond. I think any nut could be used. I would love to try pecans!
For the filling I have made it with peanut butter and almond butter. I really like both versions, they taste a bit different. The peanut butter flavour does come through in the final bar. I love it. I love peanut butter. Delicious. Almond butter is a bit sweeter than peanut butter. I find it makes the filling taste even more "caramel-y". I don't think one version is better than the other necessarily, just a bit different. 
For the topping: Because it's just straight up melted chocolate it will crack a bit in random places when you cut these bars. I think it's rustic and fun. It would be possible to create a soft chocolate topping layer, but the hard chocolate is an important textural contrast to the soft base and filling.

Power Bowls, Buddah Bowls, Rainbow Bowls....whatever you want to call them...they are one of my favourite ways to eat. Pick basically any cuisine and build in roasted and fresh veggies, pulses and grains, whatever your heart desires basically...and add appropriate dressings/condiments. I can't think of an easier entry level way to eat for someone looking to adopt a whole food plant based diet. 

This bowl has greens, roasted broccoli, sweet potato, Portobello mushrooms, steamed edamame, avocado, sprouts and a mixture of green lentils and brown rice. I drizzle everything with a simple Ginger Miso Dressing that has sesame oil, garlic, lime & dates. Garnish with toasted walnuts if desired. 

For the veg prep:

Brown Rice and Green Lentils.
I didn't measure anything.

• I dumped brown rice and lentils into the same pot. Covered with a couple inches of water and seasoned with salt.
• Brought to a boil and just cooked them until they were both tender. Taste as you go.
• Strain. I love that this method works so well and you don't have to measure anything! Think of it like cooking pasta. 

Sweet Potato, Broccoli & Mushrooms.

• I put peeled and cut sweet potato wedges and chunks of broccoli on the same parchment lined sheet pan. (not mixed but side by side.)
• Drizzle with olive oil and season with S & P. Pop in 375F oven. After about 15 - 20 minutes the broccoli will be a bit brown and tender (time will depend on size of your chunks.) I take the broccoli off the pan and set aside. 
• I add sliced mushrooms to the pan with a drizzle of olive oil, and toss around the sweet potato. Back into the oven for another 10 minutes or so, then I check everything. Might need a bit longer but this is the process.

Edamame

• I just toss edamame in a small pan with a bit of water and cook for a few minutes. If water hasn't evaporated when they are tender I just strain it off. 

These spelt flour pancakes are my new favourite pancake!!!! They are so delicious, and no more difficult to prepare than any other pancake. Spelt flour is a species of wheat that has been cultivated since 5000 BC. Compared to regular wheat it has a lower amount of gluten and a higher level of protein. It is also water soluble which makes it easier for the body to digest and absorb it's nutrients. It is a wholegrain flour that is most able to mimic all purpose white flour in cooking. I honestly was so impressed with the flavour and texture of these pancakes, so this fact is not surprising to me. A bit of nuttiness as it's a whole grain flour, but it wasn't as dense as regular whole wheat flour. Try swapping 25% of your all purpose flour with spelt in baked goods. I definitely would use it in muffins or fruit crisps. 

Nutritional Breakdown of Spelt flour
In 1 cup of spelt flour (amount used in this recipe)

Carlories : 480 cal
Fat : 4 grams
Carbs 88 grams
Protein : 16 grams
Fiber : 16 grams

Vitamins and minerals
Spelt flour contains vitamins B, E and is a source of magnesium, calcium, potassium & Iron. 
Iron is often thought of to be something we need meat in order to have sufficient levels but it is also found in beans, lentils, and vegetables. Iron aids blood circulation in the body, helps to metabolize proteins and is involved in the production of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the body. Hemoglobin is a part of red blood cells that carry oxygen and remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from the body. Low iron levels can cause anemia. Consuming iron rich plant based foods (and apparently pairing it with vitamin C) can help prevent and treat anemia, though supplementation may be necessary for some people. 

Quick chat about Date Caramel.
If you haven't made date caramel before, let me tell you, it's easy AF and is life changing. Blend up dates with water or plant milk.....yup, that simple. I added vanilla, salt & fresh ginger to make this lovely caramel that you could use in a variety of contexts. I loved it with these pancakes. Eat it with yogurt, spoon onto vegan ice cream, use in tarts or in any which way. You can make DELICIOUS things using whole foods, and avoid all the processed crap. 
​
OK moving on to what you really want, the recipe!

Spelt Flour Pancakes
Serves 2

Who doesn't love granola. This is my go to recipe. Use any combination of nuts, seeds & dried fruit. Chocolate chips are a worthy addition if that is your thing. I don't always mix my dried fruit into the entire batch. Instead I just add it whenever I'm using a portion so that I can switch it up if I want to. I just don't want that commitment haha! If I'm in the mood for raisins one day, dried cranberries the next, or some chocolate here and there I can make it happen. I love granola with vegan yogurt or oat milk, pr as a garnish on smoothie bowls or even sprinkled into a green salad with fresh berries. Delicious!  

** In the first photo I dehydrated my own strawberries. I sliced 2 pints of strawberries and used all of them in a batch of granola. I put sliced strawberries in my dehydrator at 140F. After 3 hours some of them were ready. However, some of the thicker ones took 4 times longer. I just keep checking every couple hours and removing any that are ready. For the record, dehydrated strawberries taste like candy, but are definitely a lot better for you!