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Vegan

Entertain, Pantone, Spring, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

GINGERED CARA CARA GRAPEFRUIT PALOMA

Clean COCKTAIL lovers, I’m back with 2019’s first better-for-you libation! I’ve actually been testing my Gingered Cara Cara Grapefruit Paloma since last February — but because my recipe testing process is so intense, believe it or not, my star ingredients went out of season by the time I had it perfected (call me crazy, but that’s how committed I am to the perfect cocktail!). So, I waited until the height of citrus season this year to publish the recipe — and I’m so glad I did, because the results are absolutely delicious!

Have you ever had (or heard of) a Paloma? In true JustineCelina style, I’ve elevated this traditional Mexican cocktail with a fresh, plant-based, seasonal spin. My Gingered Cara Cara Grapefruit Paloma is a simple, refined sugar free, 6 ingredient ode to citrus season in cocktail form! Freshly squeezed Cara Cara orange, Ruby Red grapefruit and vibrant lime juice combine with Reposado tequila, spicy ginger beer and a Himalayan pink salted rim to create a jubilant, citrus-centric tipple bursting with vivacious Spanish flavour. Escape the depths of our Canadian winter and transport yourself to a sun-drenched, white sandy beach in just 10 minutes — no plane tickets required!

February 18, 2019 by Justine

Dairy Free, Dinner, Fall, Food, Lunch, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter

SLOW COOKER VEGAN MULLIGATAWNY SOUP WITH RED LENTILS

I’m typing to you from the fringe of the 2019 polar vortex here in Calgary — and man, it’s cold outside (guess I spoke too soon about our unseasonably mild winter weather!). I’m very content to be curled up with a big bowl of Slow Cooker Vegan Mulligatawny Soup with Red Lentils in my chenille sweatpants and fuzzy sock as I edit this post! I hope everyone in affected areas is staying warm, cozy and safe out there.

But what better time than a polar vortex to make a hearty slow cooker recipe, am I right?! Warm up with a batch of my Slow Cooker Vegan Mulligatawny Soup with Red Lentils — an ultra clean, nourishing, protein packed, plant-based spin on a classic English soup with South Indian roots. The best part? You likely have most (if not all!) of these ingredients on hand and this recipe truly couldn’t be easier! A hearty base of red lentils combines with a mirepoix of carrots, celery, onion and apple simmered in an rich, exotically spiced, tomato-based broth with a splash of coconut milk and a kiss of cinnamon. Juicy pomegranate arils, toasted cashews and fresh cilantro garnish my favourite winter soup to perfection — creating a beautiful mosaic of inviting flavour, texture and colour where hearty winter produce sings. If you love vegetable-based curries and warming winter soups but want to try something new, this playful, plant-powered spin on authentic Indian mulligatawny is for you!

February 3, 2019 by Justine

Fashion, Gluten Free, Local Love, Paleo, Salads & Bowls, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

SUMMER BOUNTY SALAD WITH SASKATOON CIDER VINAIGRETTE

Welcome back for another seasonally inspired RECIPE, beautiful people! I’m currently typing to you from my impromptu outdoor office at my childhood home in rural Alberta on this gorgeous August afternoon. The bees are buzzing, the butterflies are fluttering and the sweet scents of summer crops are lingering on the country air — it’s the ideal setting to publish my Summer Bounty Salad with Saskatoon Cider Vinaigrette, don’t you think? If you’ve been reading JustineCelina since last summer you may remember the delicious, clean Wild Saskatoon Berry Crumble I came up with after a friend let us forage their farm to take advantage of the plentiful crop. It was saskatoon overload (in the best way possible!) so I took the opportunity to work on a few more saskatoon themed recipes — but because of my intensive testing process I wasn’t able to publish them before the season ended. Excited to bring those recipes to the blog this summer, we headed south in search of fleeting saskatoons and canola — and we ended up finding a beautiful field of canola (annual photos coming soon!) with wild saskatoon bushes growing alongside it. Honestly, what are the chances?!

My Summer Bounty Salad with Saskatoon Cider Vinaigrette is inspired by the abundant seasonal produce and herbs available at our local markets (and in the wild!) at the height of summer! This colourful, local, ultra fresh salad can be on your table in 15 minutes and is brimming with incredible, heart-healthy, antioxidant-rich superfoods and nutrients. Straight from our Alberta farms to your table, a vitamin-infused bed of baby spinach and arugula showcases a striking mosaic of freshly picked saskatoon berries, garden peas, shredded golden beets, crisp radishes, fresh mint, sunflower seeds and scallions — dressed with a punchy Saskatoon Cider Vinaigrette celebrating Alberta’s favorite berry. Enjoy this feel good salad as a light, plant based entrée whenever you’re in the mood for something quick and nutritious, or as a beautiful accompaniment to grilled fish (it’s great with with trout or salmon), meat or tofu!

August 8, 2018 by Justine

Dairy Free, Dinner, Flowers, Food, Gluten Free, Lunch, Salads & Bowls, Spring, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

VEGAN KALE CAESAR SALAD WITH GLUTEN FREE CROUTONS

Wow, has it ever been a minute since I published a non-cocktail recipe — let alone a salad or bowl! Remember that post I published back in January about sharing things as I feel inspired to, rather than sticking to my very rigid, previously very balanced, editorial calendar? Scaling back on extremely time consuming content in order to get our SPACE REFRESH series off the ground (did you know I test my recipes 3 – 7 times on average and that can translate to over 30 hours of work?)? These changes resulted in a steady stream of cocktail recipes during the first half of 2018 (they’re a blast to create also relatively simple to test!) — one of which landed me my first Style Me Pretty Living feature, so I guess it all worked out! And while my adventures deep into cocktailing this year have been a lot of fun, sometimes you just need to dry out a bit and eat a kale salad — you feel me?!

If you follow along with my Insta Stories, you’ll know I’ve been eating this Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Gluten Free Croutons almost weekly since I first whipped it up back in April. In the process, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve tested this recipe and it’s since become one of our favourite salads! The best part? There’s no marinating or planning ahead (I’ve really been focusing on keeping it simple lately!) and it can be on your table in 15 minutes. It’s a nutritious, protein packed, plant based spin on a classic that eats like a meal — and I promise no one will know it’s vegan (in a blind taste test, it was praised by meat eaters!). I’m also sharing my secret for flavourful, tender, raw kale! If you’re looking for quick, healthy meal options to add to your summer rotation (or #MeatlessMonday!), I cannot recommend this contemporary spin on traditional caesar salad enough!

July 10, 2018 by Justine

Fashion, Fitness, Food, Life, Local Love, Plants, Sponsored, Summer, Vegan, Vintage

EXPLORING EAST VILLAGE JUNCTION WITH TOURISM CALGARY

Happy Friday, friends! Things were a bit quiet here at JustineCelina during early June — and whenever that happens, I promise it’s for good reason! As I mentioned, I was working on a couple of exciting projects BTS — and this was one of them. We spent a beautiful Sunday earlier this month Exploring East Village Junction — and you can read all about it in my second article for in partnership with with Tourism Calgary!

What are you up to this weekend? If you’re craving an inner city adventure this weekend, I highly recommend spending a few hours exploring Calgary’s colourful East Village Junction! Tucked away behind the iconic King Edward Hotel on the corner of 4th Street and 8th Ave SE, EV’s liveliest lot showcases the vibrancy and charisma of Calgary’s oldest neighbourhood in an innovative, market-like community space where 15 local businesses and artisans have utilized shipping containers to create an entirely unique retail experience in Calgary’s core. Discover all #evJuction has to offer now through September 3rd — complete with unique wares for fashion, art, vintage and home decor enthusiasts, food trucks, delicious vegan eats, bicycle rentals, live performances and yes… even fitness classes! There’s something for everyone at Calgary’s East Village Junction Pop-up Retail Park — and today I’m sharing a handful of my favourite things to see, do, shop and eat!

June 15, 2018 by Justine

Dinner, Food, Gluten Free, Local Love, Lunch, Paleo, Soups, Spring, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter

TRUFFLED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CRISPY SAGE

I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since I shared a pureed soup here at JustineCelina! And would you believe I’ve never actually published a butternut squash soup recipe? Butternut squash soup is a staple recipe in many kitchens during the cooler months — ours included. Although my Autumn Harvest Soup with Roasted Squash Seeds (published back in my early blogging days!) includes butternut squash, it also features a medley of fall produce — including apples, carrots and rhubarb. So, my standard butternut squash soup recipe remained unpublished over the years — you see, as a food blogger, these staple recipes often remain in my archives because I don’t think they’re exciting or unique enough to share. But, this winter I experimented with one of my favourite gourmet ingredients to really elevate this recipe — and here we are!

Today I’m thrilled to bring you my Truffled Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Sage — a luxurious, sophisticated twist on a cold weather classic. With just 10 ingredients, this creamy bowl of vegan comfort is a breeze to whip up and makes a great light lunch or accompaniment to dinner. Hearty butternut squash is oven roasted with onions, fresh sage and garlic — then blended into velvety goodness with vegetable broth, coconut milk, fresh ginger and a touch of heat. To finish things off, it’s infused with an indulgent drizzle of White Truffle Oil (my most recent culinary obsession!) and garnished with crispy sage for a restaurant quality soup you can enjoy at home. Thanks to a couple of elevated ingredients, this isn’t your traditional butternut squash soup recipe — but I guarantee you it’s just as simple to prepare! If you’re in the mood for some nourishing comfort food with gourmet flair to help endure these last few weeks of winter, I have just the recipe — and I’m also sharing my favourite source for high quality, affordable White Truffle Oil!

February 27, 2018 by Justine

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Fitness, Food, Gluten Free, Paleo, Smoothies & Juices, Vegan, Winter

TROPICAL ZINGER GREEN SMOOTHIE

Wow, according to my FOOD section I’d really like to be someplace hot right now! It’s the dead of winter here in Calgary — and this time I have my sights set on the tropics, with my Tropical Zinger Green Smoothie! Although there are tons of green smoothie recipes floating around the internet in January, you guys voted for this recipe back in December via Insta Stories when I rediscovered it one day post workout. It’s about 3 and a half years old — in fact, if I scroll way back in my Instagram feed, I can still find the original post. This is long before I started blogging and would simply share my smoothie recipes on my feed with friends and family. Last month we had a pineapple ripening on the counter and a big bag of spinach to use up — I was sweaty, hungry and thirsty after my at-home HIIT workout (oh, the glamour!) and I remembered this recipe. I actually whipped out my phone and searched for it here on the blog — but to my surprise, I’d never published it! We always have the rest of the ingredients stocked at this time of year, so I decided to revive this old favourite and have enjoyed it countless times since. Yes, this is another green smoothie recipe — but I guarantee it’s one of the best green smoothies you’ll ever taste!

My Tropical Zinger Green Smoothie combines all the island flavours I’ve been craving lately — creamy banana, sweet pineapple, zingy satsuma, hearty pear, bright lime, healing ginger and hydrating coconut water — plus a mega dose of nutritious spinach and omega rich chia seeds (I promise you can’t taste the spinach at all!). This tropical elixir is packed full of vitamins, potassium, iron and protein — I often make it for lunch or breakfast to help with post workout recovery and give me an energy boost to power through the rest of my day. It’s also a great way to persuade your littles to eat their fruits and vegetables! Whip up a Tropical Zinger Green Smoothie anytime you’re craving a taste of the tropics — it’s refreshing, revitalizing and reminiscent of a super charged pinã colada (no white sandy beach required!).

January 16, 2018 by Justine

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