Spring Side

Spring crops are a shameless display of freshness and youthful exuberance.

Crisp bunches of asparagus, with their deep purple tips and bright green stalks, are a favourite of mine at this time of year. They're a perfect side dish, and don't require much doctoring at all. The secret to perfect asparagus is to barely cook it so it stays crunchy and crisp.

Here's a simple take on the first asparagus of the season, with a refreshing nod to early summer.

ASPARAGUS WITH LAVENDER & GHEE

1 bunch asparagus, blanched
1 Tablespoon melted ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 lime, juiced
pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoon of lavender, crushed

Cut asparagus into 2 inch bits then blanch (drop in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Remove and dip in ice water for 30 seconds to stop cooking process, then drain.)
Add melted ghee, lime juice & sea salt and toss. Garnish with lavender, crushed between your fingers.

To make this dish go from delish to decadent, dip asparagus in wasabi mayo. But remember: when it comes to eggs, go organic, or go home. Vegan mayo and margarine are always an option

Bon Appétit!

Santé, Maman!

A lot of how and what we eat is based on learned habits and cultural traditions.

Plant-based diets come naturally to me, and I have my parents to thank for that. Some of my earliest food memories are of home made lentil burgers and cheezy broccoli soup.

Drool!

Food is a well known conduit for love. And the kind mom makes is always the best, isn't it?

Apart from vegetarianism, my mother also instilled in me a lively French-Canadian brand of joyfulness around eating. Dinners in our house were festive, social affairs, especially on weekends. Our house would fill up with friends, wine and conversation would flow, and my mother would keep a steady stream of food coming.

In honour of Mother's Day, I'd like to thank mine for the delicious and wholesome food she always provided, and the good habits she passed along. I'd also like to share a couple of her vegetarian comfort food recipes. They remind me of being home, and being fed by her.


CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN

1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
sea salt
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 T all-purpose flour
2 C hot milk
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 C freshly grated Gruyere, divided
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 C fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.



GARLIC ROASTED ROOT VEGGIES

2 potatoes
2 yams
1 onion
4 carrots
1 bulb of garlic, smash cloves
grapeseed oil
fresh thyme, minced
sea salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Chop all veg into bite sized pieces toss with garlic, oil, salt, pepper and thyme.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until browned. Serve hot.

Food Fetish: Avocados

¡Feliz Cinco De Mayo, todos los guapos y guapas!

What a perfectly timed celebration. Nothing makes people feel more festive than a long awaited Spring. Finally we can show a bit of skin, feel the warm breeze on our faces, enjoy a patio, let fresh air reinvigorate and inspire us.

East Van native and life-long Vegetarian Caitlin Das is an avocado enthusiast. She shares her seasonally appropriate killer-guacamole recipe with us, and also gives us 24-hours worth of reasons to shake ourselves free from the daze of a long hibernation. It's time to wake up and reacquaint ourselves with this fair city!

Photographer Yoshi Tanaka, a regular on Vibrant, and the exquisite Miss Caitlin captured the delicate balance of sexiness and whimsy of 1950's pin-up photography for this photo shoot.

The result is completely charming.


V: Why avocados?

CD: I love avocados because of their creamy texture, versatility and cultural ambiguity. They are definitely a staple in my diet.

V: You are a rare breed having been born and raised in Vancouver. Do you still love it here?

CD: Like most Canadians, I often have a love/hate relationship with my hometown.

I find the night life here is sometimes lacking as Vancouver struggles to find its identity, somewhere between "large Canadian town" and "world class city". Despite that, there are some diamonds in the rough. If you are willing to do the detective work, you can always find something to do any night of the week.

One of the reasons why I absolutely love Vancouver however is the long list of fantastic vegetarian-friendly restaurants. I have a tonne of childhood memories at Cafe Deux Soleil, which is still one of my favourite haunts even though I live in the West End now. I could eat my way across this city and back!

V: I'd love to see what that would look like.

CD: I thought you'd never ask.


24 HOURS IN VANCOUVER: A JOURNEY FROM WEST TO EAST

Breakfast, Monday morning: Melriches Coffee / Panini & Americanos / horoscopes, friendly service, lively communal tables.

Jaunt on the Seawall!

Lunch: Yuko Maki on Davie Street / Yam, Avocado & Cream Cheese maki rolls, deep fried! /clean, excellent service, creative makis.

Beach!

Dinner: The Templeton / $5 dollar milk shakes / Juke boxes, cheeky service and comfort food.

Dancing: The Ice Cream Social / The Waldorf / Sock Hop inspired music, poodle skirts, and bourbon filled root beer floats. An evening filled with fun people & youthful vigour.

Breakfast, Tuesday Morning: Cafe Deux Soleil / Teriyaki Tofu Scramble / inexpensive & hefty breakfasts, Commercial Drive charm.

*Vibrant Chef, Caitlin Das and any establishment mentioned above completely absolve themselves of any responsibility for weight gained over the course of this journey. But please note that it is absolutely worth it!

Featured on Caitlin are locally made & designed clothes: a Kimono Top by WE3 and Reversable High Waisted Bottoms by Clementine Clothing, both available at Twigg & Hottie on Main street.

The Twigg & Hottie boutique is yet another reason to love Vancouver's Main Street and provides a pretty strong incentive to shop locally. Part owner of the boutique, the WE3 line, as well as chief designer for Clementine Jess Vaira was instrumental in choosing an outfit that is both retro and fresh. The styles featured below are available now in a variety of hot Spring colours. Going local has never been more chic!


GUACAMOLE PICANTE

3 avocados, cubed or mashed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 roma tomato, diced
2 sprigs green onion
1 lime, juiced
1 pinch sea salt
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t pepper
1/4- 1 whole jalapeño minced

Use more or less jalapeño depending on desired heat. You can remove the seeds to get flavour without full spicy intensity.

Smash it up, chica!




Photography: Yoshinori Tanaka

Wardrobe provided by: Twigg & Hottie

Special Thanks: Shauna Eve