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maple syrup

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert & Treats, Food, Gluten Free, Paleo, Spring, Vegan, Vegetarian

HAZELNUT OATMEAL GOLDEN RAISIN ENERGY BITES

Lately I find myself craving simplicity in all areas of life, including what I fuel my body with. My no-bake Hazelnut Oatmeal Golden Raisin Energy Bites are reminiscent of your favourite cookie, elevated with a healthy, plant based, protein-packed, antioxidant-rich spin! This incredibly easy recipe comes together in just 10 minutes with 9 intensively nourishing ingredients — including fibre-rich quick oats, omega-packed flax meal, my new favourite vanilla protein powder, Bulk Barn’s decadent hazelnut butter (my most recent culinary obsession!), scrumptious golden raisins, pure Canadian maple syrup, creamy vanilla extract, Himalayan pink salt and a kiss of cinnamon. As always, they’re free free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar — and absolutely delish!

I’ve been really inspired in the kitchen lately and have so many recipes I’m excited to share this season, but these golden balls of energy have become a staple (if you follow along with my Stories, you’ll know how many times I’ve whipped these up recently!). I love to meal prep a batch on Sundays to ensure I have a quick snack or post-workout fuel whenever I need it. Sometimes I even make a double batch and freeze them! In fact, I’m headed out to finish photographing the second part of my Spring 2019 Lookbook this afternoon and have a few tucked away in my bag for a quick, nourishing snack on the run. Add the ingredients to your grocery list and whip these tasty little bites up today for a wholesome, nourishing, family-friendly snack you can enjoy all week! Join me today for my new favourite energy bite recipe and a chat about sustainability, zero-waste and the little changes I’ve been making to reduce my environmental impact.

June 5, 2019 by Justine

Dairy Free, Entertain, Giveaways, Occasions, Vegetarian, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

HOMEMADE DAIRY FREE COCONUT RUM EGGNOG

Happy winter solstice, beautiful people! I’m back today with my Homemade Dairy Free Coconut Rum Eggnog — a festive holiday beverage that’s been in my family for decades, but has recently undergone a contemporary, plant-based makeover! I have so many cherished memories of our neighbours making this eggnog for everyone on our country road to enjoy on Christmas Eve (it never lasted long!). Unfortunately, over the years as I developed a dairy sensitivity I was no longer able indulge — that is, until last holiday season! I decided it was about time to give my favourite eggnog recipe a clean, dairy-free makeover by swapping milk and heavy creams with coconut-based alternatives, regular eggs for the free-run, local, farm-fresh variety, table sugar with 100% pure Canadian maple syrup, spiced rum for Eau Claire Distillery’s seasonal, Limited Edition Gin Rummy, infusing our homemade eggnog with cinnamon sticks and topping it off with decedent dark chocolate shavings. As always, this festive cocktail is free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar — and has become my favourite healthier holiday indulgence!

We actually perfected this recipe last holiday season (who remembers the Stories?!) shortly after I discovered Eau Claire Distillery (I’ve since used almost every single spirit they make in my COCKTAILS!). During our lazy, cozy days in the country between Christmas and New Years Eve, I took a trip to the visit their distillery in Turner Valley with my Mom (who loves gin) and my brother (who was home from New York and loves cocktails) for a tour and tasting — and that’s where my love affair with these incredible, farm-to-glass, artisinal spirits began. For their Christmas presents, my Mom and brother chose a bottle of their favourite spirit, on me. Gin Rummy was Jared’s spirit of choice — a unique, wintery, gin-meets-rum remix boasting warm notes of winter spice with a botanical, herbaceous backdrop. It was actually this limited edition spirit that inspired the makeover of our favourite holiday eggnog recipe — as soon as it hit my lips, I knew it was the missing ingredient! As we enjoyed the second batch of experimental eggnog for New Years Eve, my family confessed they actually liked it better than the original version — and that’s when I knew I had to share our update Homemade Dairy Free Coconut Rum Eggnog with you! To celebrate our one year anniversary and thank you for your support this year, I’ve teamed up with Eau Claire Distillery to give away a bottle of Limited Edition Gin Rummy, along with a Tour & Tasting for 2 at Turner Valley’s Eau Claire Distillery (check out the bottom of this post for details on how to enter!). Cheers and happy holidays!

December 21, 2018 by Justine

Baking, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Fall, Food, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Winter

GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN TURMERIC MUFFINS

It’s been almost exactly one year since I published a baking recipe — but I promise, my Gluten Free Pumpkin Turmeric Muffins are worth the wait! Believe it or not, I’ve never actually baked with pumpkin here at JustineCelina, although I have integrated it into seasonal breakfast bowls, smoothies and energy bites (what can I say — I love pumpkin!). And what’s not to love? Besides being incredibly delicious, it’s also brimming with along with loads of fiber, vitamins A, B6, C and E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, iron (great for us plant-based eaters!), magnesium, phosphorus riboflavin, potassium, copper and manganese. Coupled with the mega dose of healing, anti-inflammatory turmeric, fresh ginger and classic fall spices at play, these seasonal muffins also boast a wide array of health benefits and medicinal, healing qualities. I’ve mentioned many times previously that I believe you can treat yourself and nourish yourself at the same time — and these sweet n’ spicy seasonal muffins are the perfect example of that!

My Gluten Free Pumpkin Turmeric Muffins are free of dairy, gluten, refined sugar and oil — and a fantastic way to start your day while sneaking in tons of nutrition, even when you’re on the run! With the holidays just around the corner, these are incredibly busy times and I’m always looking for simple, nutritious options to help me stay on track with my health and fitness goals. Pumpkin puree (use a good quality store bought version, or snag my easy homemade recipe here), pure Canadian maple syrup, decadent coconut milk, freshly grated ginger and a kiss of pure vanilla combine with warming fall spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice to create a light and fluffy, plant based muffin to help you power through your day. Enjoy them at breakfast, as a mid-day snack, or as a lighter alternative to more calorie-laden pumpkin-based desserts. This deceptively ‘free from’ recipe and can be enjoyed by plant-baser eaters, people with food allergies and sensitivities and anyone that loves delicious seasonal baking!

December 4, 2018 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

Dairy Free, Dessert & Treats, Fall, Food, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

PLANT BASED PUMPKIN PIE ENERGY BITES

How was your Thanksgiving weekend, Canadian friends? We had a very busy one traveling all over Alberta celebrating with family and friends before heading to a mountain wedding on Sunday. So, today I’m so excited to bring you a new recipe inspired by my favourite Thanksgiving treat (that sadly I’m unable to fully enjoy due to my dairy and gluten intolerances!) — Plant Based Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites! I’m sure I wasn’t the only one looking to eat a bit cleaner and lighter this week after an indulgent weekend — and that’s was exactly the thinking behind this recipe! It offers all the flavours of traditional pumpkin pie, rolled up into a tasty, nutrition packed little bite. I created them for all my fellow plant based eaters who may also have food intolerances and sensitivities — these simple, no bake little balls of goodness are free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar and they seriously taste exactly like pumpkin pie!

If you love pumpkin pie so much you’d like to eat it for breakfast and dessert… and well, anytime you need a little extra fuel to power your busy lifestyle, this recipe is for you! My Plant Based Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites combine pumpkin puree with a powerhouse medley of nuts and seeds, oats, shredded coconut, medjool dates and local honey (or maple syrup, if you’re vegan!) with cozy, autumnal spices for a portable dose of pumpkin pie whenever and wherever you need it. Make them in bulk, freeze them, pack them for lunch (or for your childrens lunches!), or throw a few in a Ziplock bag and tuck them away in your purse for an autumn inspired, nourishing snack on the run! If you have 15 minutes and a well stocked pantry, I bet you can whip these tasty little bites up right now!

October 13, 2017 by Justine

Dairy Free, Dinner, Food, Gluten Free, Lunch, Salads & Bowls, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegetarian

VEGAN FIESTA BUFFALO TOFU BOWLS WITH TAHINI LIME CREMA

Wait I’m confused… what season is it? Watermelon is still front and centre at my local grocer and yet it’s snowing (oh, how I wish I was kidding). As I edit this post, I’m enjoying a glass of crisp rosé in a poncho and fuzzy slippers — and I finally have to cave and turn the heat on! While the weather in Calgary has been less than desirable, late summer harvest has been kind to us with local tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuces popping up everywhere — and I’m taking full advantage. If you, too are in the mood for some healthy comfort food to weather the storm, you’ve come to the right place! Today I’m elated to continue my partnership with Inspired Greens and bring you my Vegan Fiesta Buffalo Tofu Bowls with Tahini Lime Crema — the meal that kept us nourished during our paint-a-thon this summer. I literally came up with this recipe by throwing what we had on hand into a big salad bowl, mixing it up and serving it. Upon first bite, I knew I’d be publishing it — after all, unusual circumstances typically lead to some of my most inventive recipe ideas!

My Vegan Fiesta Buffalo Tofu Bowls with Tahini Lime Crema are a healthy, plant based, 30-minute meal alternative to the pub food that my delicate stomach can absolutely not handle anymore. Seriously though — if chicken wings, a plate of loaded nachos and a burrito had a vegan love child, this would be it! These festive, protein rich bowls are brimming with Alberta grown, seasonal produce including Inspired Greens Red Butter Lettuce — remixed with JustineCelina kitchen staples like quinoa, black beans, olives, Buffalo Tofu (a completely addictive, plant based alternative to hot wings!) and Tahini Lime Crema — a versatile sauce we always have in our fridge that’s good on just about anything. This, my friends, is the ultimate vegan comfort food with a fresh, early autumn spin!

September 24, 2017 by Justine

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