Getting Creative in the Kitchen
Along with arts and crafts, there are plenty of other ways to get creative, even in the kitchen! It’s easy to get stuck in a cooking rut, making meals that you’re good at and are easy to make. Cooking tasty meals is a pleasure and a great way to bring the family together! If the winter blues are hitting, why not bring some colour to your plate! Eating healthy and nutritious meals are a definite mood booster and will give you loads of energy to get moving about.
With more and more people realizing the benefits of a plant-based diet, this blog will list some fun and tasty vegetarian recipes to try at home! Not to worry if there are vegan eaters in the house as most of the recipes can be adapted to be vegan as well.
Buddha Bowl
Buddha bowls are a very balanced meal and an excellent way to get all of your macros. The recipe I like to use is listed below (use portions that suit you!)
Add about ½ cup of cooked quinoa to the bottom of your bowl. In sections, add the different chopped veggies and top with dressing of choice!
Ingredients:
Quinoa as the base
Roasted sweet potato
Chopped red onion
Julienned carrot
Chickpeas
Sliced tomatoes
Chopped cucumber
Topping: hummus, drizzled oil, salt & pepper
Stuffed Sweet Potato
Stuffed sweet potatoes are a great comfort food option since it is higher in carbs and loaded with flavour. Firstly, you’ll want to fully bake the sweet potato in the oven. Then toss some chickpeas in the oven, coated in oil, salt, pepper, and ginger. Once cooked, take everything out of the oven and add the chickpeas on top of the sweet potato. You can top with tahini, green onion, and sesame seeds.
Ingredients:
Sweet potato in halves
Chickpeas
Green onion
Oil, salt, pepper, powdered garlic, sesame seeds
Tahini
Butternut Squash Risotto
This is a great meal to make on a cold day. It’s a delicious, healthy turn on a traditional risotto recipe. For added fiber and nutrients, make the risotto with brown rice rather than white rice. Cook the rice in white wine and vegetable stock, adding the liquid slowly and stirring constantly with a few basil leaves thrown in. Chop butternut squash into cubes and cook in a pan with chopped onion and garlic, seasoning with salt and pepper. Once everything is cooked, combine the butternut squash and some chopped spinach and stir everything together. Once placing the risotto in bowls, top with cilantro, salt, and pepper. 
Ingredients:
Butternut squash
Brown rice
White wine
Vegetable stock
Onion
Spinach
Garlic
Basil leaves
Oil, salt, pepper
Beetroot Salad
This is a great and healthy meal on the days you want something a bit lighter. Add mixed green, feta cheese, pumpkin seeds, and roasted beetroot with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper! Always make sure to add some carbs and protein to your salads to make sure they have enough sustenance to fill you up!
Ingredients:
mixed greens
beetroot
pumpkin seeds
feta cheese
Topping: oil, salt, pepper
Falafel Sliders
Falafels are extremely tasty and super easy to make! Falafel is a Middle Eastern dish and is made by a mixture of chickpeas, herbs, and spices. You’ll want to use dry chickpeas rather than canned chickpeas and the skins should be removed after they are cooked. The chickpeas need to be mashed and mixed with a blend of herbs and spices to bring out the flavour. Once the falafel patties are finished, add them to a bao bun with some kale, shredded carrot, salt and pepper for a delicious dish!
Ingredients:
Falafel
Bao bun
Kale
Shredded carrot
Tahini
Vegetarian Chili
Chili is a winter favourite, packed with nutrients and flavour! You’ll want to start off by cooking the aromatic ingredients first which is the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Once these veggies are cooked, you can add the spices until fragrant. Then you can combine and stir all other ingredients in, turn down the heat and let simmer until ready.
Ingredients:
Onion, celery, carrot, garlic
Red bell pepper
Canned diced tomato
Black beans & pinto beans
Vegetable broth
salt & pepper, chili powder, ground cumin, paprika,
oregano, basil leaf
Although these are only a few recipes, there are so many recipes available on the internet whether through blogs of videos on YouTube! Each of the six recipes here can be modified based on your own preferences. Trying out new recipes in the kitchen is another great way to clear the mind and feel creative!