Rainbow Thai Quinoa

I've been eying this recipe for the loooooooooongest time, and finally had the opportunity to make it myself last Sunday. Cashews? Colourful veggies? Peanut butter dressing? Sounds like it was like designed for moi :'D

Rainbow of ingredients for Rainbow Thai Quinoa

How can this plate of fresh ingredients not bring a smile to your face? It's the definition of gorgeous! The only colour absent from my plate is yellow, which could easily be filled with some yellow bell pepper, corn, squash, or zucchini. Any dish with a whole rainbow of fresh produce in it has to be healthy for you.

Making this dish (or it could be called a salad, I suppose) is super quick and simple. Minimal cooking and lots of chop, chop, chopping! Most of the time is spent cutting up vegetables and herbs. To speed up the already short process even more, cook the quinoa ahead of time. I cooked mine in the morning before heading off to church, and threw the whole dish together for lunch when I arrived home. Easy and delicious, what more could a lazy chef like me ask for?

Rainbow Thai Quinoa ready to eat!

Although the peanut butter didn't dominate the dish like I had expected, it added the perfect hint of nuttiness and richness. I like everything sweet, so I adjusted the sauce a twinge with more honey. This quinoa dish has so many dimensions, and is a party for the taste buds to try and decipher all the components. Sometimes a little sweet, sometimes a little spicy (raw onions!), sometimes a punch of cilantro... I could eat bowls and bowls of this stuff. For lunch, for dinner, for snack..okay but maybe not breakfast. That's when I need my pancakes.

I highly recommend you push this dish to the top of your 'recipe bucketlist' because it is mind-blowing-ly delicious. This Rainbow Thai Quinoa tastes wonderful slightly warm but also great cold from the fridge. Meaning it make great left-overs, if there is any.

Rainbow Thai Quinoa

Very lightly adapted from Ambitious Kitchen

Yield: 4 really large servings

Ingredients

For quinoa

• ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
• 1½ cup chicken or vegetable stock (or water + crumbled stock cube)
• 3 handfuls of baby spinach
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ½ red onion, diced*
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 green onion, diced
• 3 handfuls of roasted unsalted cashews
• A few squeezes of fresh lime juice, optional

For dressing

• ¼ cup all natural peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey or agave
• A dash or vinegar (apple cider vinegar is fine)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Water to thin, if necessary
• A few cracks of freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Cook quinoa with stock in a medium pot according to package. I brought mine to a boil over high heat, then turned down the heat to the lowest and cooked for 15 minutes. Let cooked quinoa sit with lid covered for 5 minutes. Add the baby spinach with quinoa and lightly mix together in pot. Cover pot with lid; the residual heat and steam will wilt the spinach.
2. Cut, shred, and chop all vegetables.
3. To prepare the dressing, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl or custard cup. Microwave for 10 seconds or so to melt honey and mix thoroughly. Add water by the tablespoon until dressing reaches desired consistency. A viscous but steady stream flowing off spoon is good.
4. Add sauce to quinoa and spinach mixture, gently mix to combine. 
5. Pour dressed quinoa into a large mixing bowl, add all vegetables and nuts, and mix until combined. Serve with a few squeezes of lime juice if desired.

*If your stomach is very sensitive to acidic foods, omit or cook onion. Or replace with shredded purple cabbage.

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Cafe Gratitude

Cafe Gratitude Los Angeles

Cafe Gratitude is one of the most popular vegan/raw restaurants in greater Los Angeles. The vegan restaurant scene down there is much more expanded than here in Vancouver. I have never dined at a vegan restaurant before but have much interest in doing so. I took the opportunity to visit one during my vacation in Los Angeles; it would be an interesting experience for the rest of my family as well. It was my 'special day' that day, since my parents let me choose all the restaurants we would eat at for lunch and dinner. It started with a late brunch at Little Next Door and ended with a healthy, clean dinner at Cafe Gratitude. We are all vegetable-lovers so I figured a vegan dinner wouldn't be too much of a shock for them. 

After getting at mani-pedi at Marie Nails (which, by the way, I do recommend!), we drove down Beverly Boulevard to Cafe Gratitude. It is located outside of the busy Hollywood area in what appears to be a more residential area. We thought our GPS has brought us to the wrong destination, but it wasn't wrong! Cafe Gratitude is part of a tiny plaza that even has free (but limited) underground parking! Free parking in Los Angeles is nearly unheard of... Just watch for the bright blue A-fold sign that points to the garage entrance. 

My mom still needed a bit of coaxing before actually agreeing to eat at the restaurant. We walked into the cafe (not restaurant) side and asked to see the menu. The prices were decent and it was getting late so we asked for a table. There was a covered patio seating area that would've been a lovely place to eat; evening temperatures in Los Angeles are extremely enjoyable. Unfortunately, eating outdoors would have to wait for another time. Seating is a bit dim, especially as the sun begins to set. 

We were served water in unique glass bottles that matched the hippie-style of the whole restaurant. Now, descriptions of the dishes on vegan menus doesn't really do much more than listing all the vegetables used. Photos are much more effective in showing how the ingredients were transformed into a work of art, so I suggest taking some time to look at the photos on Yelp and Urbanspoon before visiting to get a sense of what interests you. I also asked our waitress for recommendations and what the most popular dishes are. She was very patient and kind to us newbie vegan diners while waiting for us to make decisions or taking our order. Oh, I've heard you're supposed to order by saying "I am..." then the dish name, cute huh? 

After writing down our orders, the waitress or waiter will ask you the question of the day, which is written on a chalk board by the cashier. Our question was 'What are you proud of?' and served as an opening topic for our table to chat away some of the wait time for our food. It is a clever way for the restaurant to keep the atmosphere lively and the guests less focused on how long it takes for food to be made.

I am Warm Hearted ($13)

Whistler Sunday Farmer's Market

I love farmer's markets. Brightly coloured produce, unique goods, and happy locals make it a very pleasant way to purchase groceries or just kill time. It also makes for a fun activity when on vacation, especially if a kitchen is available to use where you're staying. After my trip to Honolulu, I make sure to drag my family to a farmer's market if there is one in the city we're visiting. Okay, I failed to do so in Los Angeles but...

Follow the Whistler Sunday Farmer's Market sign!

On this sunny Sunday (ain't called Sunday for no reason!), I marched my family to the base of Blackcomb Mountain to visit the farmer's market. Since we were staying in a vacation condo and often cooked or barbequed our meals, I had an excuse to actually buy produce. I told my mom to only pack as much food as we needed for the first two days so we could spontaneously purchase groceries to cook dinner on Sunday. We bought corn for grilling, which is the most delicious way to eat corn on the cob, baby summer squash, and blackberries for munching. The corn was pretty expensive, but not many stands sold it. I believe we bought it for 50 cents each or a little bit more than that. The summer squash was about $2 a pound. The blackberries were of the best value; $4 for a heaping paper basket of giant, plump, fresh, blackberries. The blackberry season just started and first of the crop is always the best. 

Fresh Local Berries

At the very end of the market, there is a stand that sells blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and strawberries for 3 for $10, which is the cheapest at the market. They were out of raspberries when I passed by at 11:30am and said another shipment would arrive in the afternoon. I would recommend purchasing at this stand if you're interested in buying local berries from Pemberton.

Baked Samosas (Top: Pemerton Potatoes, Bottom: Yam)

Besides fruits and vegetables, we also bought a few prepared goodies to try during dinner that night. Our first purchase was two baked samosas from an Indian-owned stand. We got one with yam and veggies and another one similar but featuring Pemberton-grown potatoes instead of yam. Both were vegan and served with mango chutney. When we were paying for the samosas, another couple (who I believe were also Indian) came by to pick up two to take with them on a hike. They turned to us and said "These are the best samosas ever!" Our samosas were part of dinner that night, reheated in the oven and cut into four sections so each of us could try both. Unfortunately, my family didn't really enjoy these as they were very dry. The mango chutney was thick and sticky so it wasn't convenient to spread or dip. I appreciate that there are many healthy vegetables in these and are baked instead of fried, but I think I would rather put my three or so dollars to try something else. 

Fruit Pocket Pies

Dessert that night was purchased from a stand selling square-shaped, fruit-filled pocket pies at the very end of the market. We chose the blackberry version. I believe they were $5..? This pie was so delicious. The blackberry filling was prominent and not too sweet, and the crust was super flaky. It was a large enough pie to share between four people and each get a two inch square. Highly recommend eating this pie warm, and maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ;) Or you can gobble this up on the spot right after buying it, that works too.

Aussie Pie

On the way out of the market, a stand selling Australian hand pies caught my mother's eye. She said we didn't have enough food for dinner and wanted to pick up one more food item to share. We had quite the difficult time deciding which flavour to get but ended up settling for the original. It was also around $5. We saw many people eating them while strolling through the market. They are sold hot and ready-to-eat or cooked but cooled down to bring home and heat through when you wish to eat it. We got the later one since it would be a good half a day before we would eat it. The original aussie pie is filled with ground beef. The size of the double-crusted pie is slightly larger than a muffin. This was actually really tasty! The filling was well seasoned and the crust was super, super, super, super, SUPER soft, tender, and buttery. The whole thing was melt-in-my-mouth. I don't know how many calories one quarter of that pie had, and I don't want to know, but I do know it was worth trying. I know there is a food truck in Vancouver that sells aussie pies, and I'm curious to know if the pies are similar. Hmm...must find a time to give it a try...

At the Sunday Farmer's Market in Whistler, there is everything from produce stands, ice cream, baked goods, stone oven pizza, artwork, dog treats, onomoyaki, plenty of food samples, and live music. I remember stopping to try goat cheese (which I actually tried the exact stand at the Winter Farmer's Market in Vancouver), looking at leather bibs for babies, eating root chips, and looking at a rainbow of carrots, beets, and chard. My family was blessed with beautiful weather during our time in Whistler and the farmer's market was a good place to take advantage of the nice weather. The Whistler Farmer's Market is a great place for foodies and families to visit. The market also happens on Wednesday, if you're not around on Sunday. 

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Ingrid's Village Cafe

Ingrid's Village Cafe

In the middle of the Village Stroll in Whistler lies this tiny cafe that is loved by both locals and visitors alike. Although I walk past this cafe at least six times a day, I would have never thought to go in if it weren't for the good reviews seen on the Internet. The cafe is not very noticeable as there's no big sign displaying their name and their small patio section is attached to three other restaurants. Look for the 'home cooking' neon lights or an A-frame sign that says stuff like "vegan! hot chocolate!" (Sorry, that's all I remember...), or a patio full of people enjoying burgers out of plastic red baskets.

Garden Veggie Burger ($6.95)

I got the Garden Veggie Burger which is a patty of shredded vegetables in a multigrain bun with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, green bell pepper, shredded carrots, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, salsa, and mayonnaise. This was an absolutely massive burger. Tall and thick! 

The patty was labeled is gluten free and vegan but it also was 'with mozza'. I'm not sure if mozza meant mozzarella cheese, so if you're vegan you may want to double check with an employee. And also tell them 'no mayo' (which I forgot to do...) When eaten, I thought the patty was a bit too wet, being on the verge of tasting undercooked. The mushy texture made the feeling rather strange. As with most vegetarian burgers or low-fat meat patties, the flavour relies heavily on spices. Which is healthier because the spices substitute the lard's job of providing flavour. But for those new to vegetarian burgers, just be prepared. Let's just say the Garden Veggie Burger looked appealing but the taste was rather anticlimactic. The Superior Veggie Burger made of lentils and vegetables could potentially taste better as apparently, Ingrid's is famous for that.

A short mention for the toppings: I'm glad the avocado was thickly spread on the bottom bun; nothing worse that looking forward to some creamy avocado but just getting a tiny sliver. However, the alfalfa sprouts were a totally different story. There are like three sprouts sticking out in the photo, and that's about how much was actually in the burger. Smaller than a pinch. -insert unimpressed face here- All the other vegetables were (I think) present in the burger. Even though the whole patty is made from vegetables, I like to include as much veggies into each meal as possible. Can't go wrong with more cellulose right?

Ingrid's Village Cafe is a great place to pick up a breakfast wrap or a simple soup and sandwich lunch for under $10 inside the village. Sandwiches, burgers, and wraps are all built to order. The prices are extremely reasonable and affordable, great for a day where you don't feel like spending a ton of money to dine at some fancy five-star restaurant or just need something quick and easy. I would love to come back and try some of their other items. Maybe their daily soup or the new Avocado Breakfast Wrap. Ingrid's is like Subway, but with more exciting choices.

The menu and prices can be viewed on their website. 




Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Mosaic Bar and Grill

There has been an increasing number of bloggers going to mosaic bar and grill @ Hyatt Regency recently, but that wasn't the reason why I visited this restaurant for dinner. My sister actually purchased 2 coupons on  Vaneats (check it out if you haven't!) which is basically a prix-fix three-course meal for only $20 instead of $40! 

I was pretty stoked since it was my mom's birthday, and I read that they give out their ever-famous chocolate cake for free on birthdays. However, I was kind of worried they wouldn't have a vegan option for me because the online menu was all flesh (sorry for those carnivores out there).

Coincidentally, the reservation was booked on the day of Eat! Vancouver, so I made sure I wouldn't over-stuff myself at the festival for the sake of enjoying a very special birthday dinner. Well, if you haven't read the post about Eat! Vancouver, there really wasn't much that you could stuff yourself with this year, which was disappointing for both Coconut Crumpet, our fellow "clumsy" friend, and me!

ANYWAY, When my family went into the restaurant, I wasn't surprised at the quiet ambiance. There wasn't a lot of people even on a Saturday night, which I liked. The waiters and waitresses were all very accommodating and very nice, and I give a thumbs up to the service.

Once seated, we were told that they had a special spot prawn tasting menu for $45 and $65 if you wanted wine pairing with it. Of course, as a shrimp-a-holic, my mother gave no other thought and ordered just that. My dad wanted to use the coupon that my sister got, but failed to resist the temptation of the menu. I, myself, didn't use the coupon because there was only the choice of fish or beef as the main course. That's okay though, because the coupon won't expire until July :)

I was so glad that they had a create-your-own menu, including the source of protein you want (TOFU OPTION AVAILABLE!!!), the way you want it cooked (grilled, sauteed, roasted, i-forgot-the-rest, etc.), 2 types of veggie accompaniments, way you want the veggies cooked, and the starch you want. I ended up ordering grilled tofu with olive oil mushrooms and summer greens, and sunchoke puree. 

My sister, with the coupon, had a pretty interesting menu. My dad says that it's a "very good deal", which is a big compliment on his part (he is one tough critic). 

After ordering, we received some complimentary mini sea salt biscuits along with a cube of butter to start our meal. Since the biscuits probably has dairy in it, I didn't try any. My parents thought they were a bit too salty, but gobbled them up nonetheless. 

Vaneats Menu Experience