This recipe was inspired by the left over polenta from the night before. It is a pretty standard eggs and hashbrown breakfast, with a little Mexican spin.

Ingredients: 
- Left over polenta (see the previous post for this recipe)
- coconut oil
- eggs, poached
- potatoes, diced
- salsa
- vegan sour cream (found at Sobeys)
- sliced green onions
- salt and pepper

Directions:
Get the potatoes going first. Par boil them for 5 minutes, then transfer to a hot skillet coated with a generous amount of coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss every so often until they start to brown.

Shape the polenta into a log. I used a placemat lined with saran wrap with the polenta placed in the middle and gently shaped it by rolling it (like you would roll sushi).
Once shaped into a pretty solid log, cut into rounds and place in coconut oil in a medium hot skillet. Carefully flip once so that the rounds are browned on each side.

Poach your eggs last so they are nice and fresh! PS - they dont have to be poached... fried, sunny side up, scrambled... whatever you choose!

Top your polenta rounds with salsa, poached egg, vegan sour cream, salt and pepper, sliced green onions. Spoon some hot potatoes and your cooked mushrooms on the side, and enjoy!

For the mushrooms:
- coconut oil
- cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
- fresh thyme
​- 1/4 cup white wine
- salt and pepper

Directions for mushrooms:
Place sliced mushrooms in heated coconut oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. 
Flip and add fresh thyme, salt, and pepper and cooked until browned.
Add white wine and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until liquid has boiled off.

​The Nor'easter yesterday gave Tony and myself the push to get in the kitchen and cook up our own storm! Tony brought the camera in and put his amateur photography skills at work for me.

We cooked up a delicious Mexican themed bowl with a base of polenta (a gluten free cornmeal) topped with black beans, veggies, salsa, and vegan sour cream. Yum! We had left over polenta so the next morning we fried it up in coconut oil and topped with eggs. Double yum! (recipe to follow)

Polenta is a great gluten free option. It's quick and easy and very versatile. The black beans are the source of protein for this meal, and the veggies give us the fiber we need!

This recipe is gluten free and vegan, adapted from www.edibleperspective.com; she breaks down the recipe in a nice step by step guide. Enjoy!

for the onions + peppers

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 sweet bell peppers, sliced
• sea salt

1. Heat the coconut oil in your largest pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and peppers and stir frequently until just softened. 5-7 minutes.
3. Generously sprinkle with salt, stir, then reduce heat to med-low for about 25-30 minutes until fully golden brown and caramelized.  Stir every few minutes.

for the black beans

• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 3/4 cup cooked black beans, rinsed + drained
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup salsa, not chunky
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• sea salt

1. Heat the coconut oil in a pot over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds – 1 minute until fragrant and lightly browned.
3. Stir in the black beans, veggie broth, salsa, cumin, and a few pinches of salt.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer uncovered for 10 – 15 minutes until thickened and almost all of the liquid has cooked off, stirring occasionally.
5. Taste and add more salt if desired.

for the polenta

• 1 cup dry polenta grits
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional if vegan)
• few splashes of hot sauce
• sea salt + black pepper

Check your individual bag of polenta grits, exact instructions may vary.

1. Bring water + veggie broth to a boil.
2. Slowly stir in the polenta grits, add a few pinches of salt, and reduce heat to simmer.
3. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the cheese [if using], hot sauce, and a few pinches of black pepper, then cover for 5 minutes before serving.  If it thickens too much add a bit more water and heat over med-low until smoothed out and creamy.
5. Taste and add more salt if needed.

for the quick guacamole

• 2 avocados
• 1 lime
• sea salt

1. Mash the avocado and add the juice from 1 lime.
2. Mix together with a few pinches of sea salt.
3. Taste and add more salt if desired. 

Layer the polenta with the black beans, veggies, salsa, vegan sour cream (found at Sobeys in the natural food refrigerator), a sprinkle of cheese, green onions, cilantro... what ever you choose!

How pretty is that cabbage? Can you believe that mother nature created a color that vibrant?

This cabbage is not only nice to look at, it is also delicious to eat and super good for you. Cabbage is really high in vitamin K, C, and B6 which means this vegetable is beneficial for your bones, immune system, and to help your body cope with stress. The bright color means that there are tons of antioxidants and lastly, it is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family. This means that it contains a molecule called indole-3-carbinol (I3C) which is really helpful in the detoxification pathways in the liver... may be helpful to some individuals after the holidays?

This salad is crunchy, easy, delicious, and nutritious. I recommend shredding the cabbage very finely... it some how makes the salad even tastier. The recipe was adapted from theperfectpantry.com.

Ingredients4 cups thinly shredded red cabbage (half of a large head)
1/2 cup walnut halves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (omit if vegan)
1/4 cup golden raisins or chopped pitted dates


DirectionsPlace the cabbage in a mixing bowl and set aside.
In a dry frying pan, toast the walnuts over low-medium heat until they are aromatic and just starting to brown.
Add to the walnuts the olive oil, wine vinegar, mustard and black pepper. Whisk until the dressing comes together, and continue cooking for 2 minutes to warm up the dressing.
Pour the warm dressing over the cabbage. Stir in the feta and raisins, and mix well.
Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour, stirring occasionally, to allow the dressing to wilt the cabbage slightly.
Serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold.