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Vegetarian & Vegan

Vegan Ice Cream You Need to Try in Metro Vancouver

By Sonu Purhar Nothing beats a creamy cold treat on a hot summer day – but unfortunately for us vegan and non-dairy folks, options are often limited. Sure, we can wander into an ice cream parlour with a hypnotizing array of flavours, but something in us dies a little when we spot the sad collection of ice crystal-studded sorbets in the corner. So, we’ve uncovered seven spots all around Metro Vancouver that churn genuinely delicious, adventurously flavoured vegan ice cream – nary a sad sorbet in sight. Enjoy! Earnest Ice Cream 127 West 1st Street, North Vancouver and other locations Earnest’s popular small-batch ice cream holds distinction for selling out at farmers’ markets even in the dead of winter. The shops feature a dazzling array of vegan flavours that will fool even the stoutest dairy fan. Try the Strawberry Toasted Coconut, a tropical delight incorporating organic strawberry puree and crunchy…

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Dine the Line

The Plant-Based Path–A Feast You Can Feel Good About 

Appreciating the natural abundance of the region through healthy lifestyle choices and  ecologically sustainable day-to-day practices are a part of West Coast culture, resulting in an impressive range of restaurants that offer mindful meals and tasty treats that celebrate a plant-based diet, from grab-and-go cafes to upscale dining. In Metro Vancouver, eating your greens isn’t a punishment, it’s a delicious (and nutritious) reward. Serving up more than just salad, Dine the Line’s Plant-Based Path Itinerary features Vegetarian, Vegan and health-conscious plant-forward menus across North Vancouver and Vancouver, all located within a 15 minute walk from a SkyTrain, SeaBus Station, or RapidBus stop. By Marisa Chandler  North Vancouver The Workshop Vegetarian Café Hop on the 2 RapidBus and make the Workshop Vegetarian Café your first stop, just a six minute dash from Pemberton Ave and Marine Drive in North Vancouver. This Japanese-inspired vegetarian café and store is also a plant-based workshop,…

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Where to Eat

A Valentine’s Night Out in Metro Vancouver

If there is one thing I am good at, it is picking the perfect restaurant. Skip the planning anxiety this year and let us plan your Valentine’s Day date night for you. Pro tip: Valentine’s is a busy time, so be sure to book a reservation where possible to guarantee your table. By Brittany Tiplady Pepino’s Spaghetti and meatballs, mozzarella sticks, lasagna, cheesecake…. oh my. Pepino’s—a Commercial Drive Italian joint that is part of the Osteria Savio Volpe family—pays homage to the legacy of Nick’s Spaghetti House. Here you’ll find a selection of generous plates, lovely wines and classic cocktails. Be warned however, you may leave with your waistband feeling a little…tight. Pro tip: Come to your reservation a little early, and grab a glass of beautiful Italian wine next door at Pepino’s spot, La Tana. 635 Commercial Dr, Vancouver Sopra Sotto Sopra Sotto’s Burnaby Heights location (the flagship Sopra Sotto is…

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White Rock

The Best cafes to Get Work Done in White Rock

By Winnie Tam White Rock isn’t just known for its beaches and picturesque scenery, it also has its fair share of charming cafes. Each one offers delicious treats and a cozy environment where you can get some work done. Next time you’re in town, check these out. Laura’s Coffee Corner In business since 2010, Laura’s Coffee Corner offers breakfast and lunch with made-to-order, homemade soups, salads, paninis, and freshly-baked treats. The café also offers a few gluten-free and vegan options. It’s a busy cafe with plenty of seating, including a heated, covered patio – great for these cooler months. With their free wifi, you can easily spend the morning there and work to your heart’s content! Enjoy their popular English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich for only $4.95, which comes with a free 12oz coffee between 8 and 9am. 2-15259 Pacific Ave, White Rock Get there on transit: From Bridgeport Station take…

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Vegetarian & Vegan

Hearty Vegetarian Comfort Foods

By Avneet Takhar Vegetarians rejoice, we’ve got some hearty dishes for you to try during these chilly months! Stock your stomachs with homestyle foods that are warm and satisfying; there are plenty to choose from. Zarak by Afghan Kitchen Recently opened restaurant with “mum’s recipes” on the menu, Zarak takes Afghan cuisine to an elevated level in intimate surroundings with servers clad in charming traditional waistcoats. There are many veggie plates to try, but I’ll let you in on the ones I tasted and still savour as I write! Having never been to an Afghan restaurant before, this place is making me want to discover more of the food. I went for the leek, scallion and spinach dumplings, topped with chive sprigs and a tomato bean sauce, a great starter to get going. Then for the main: bandejan (Farsi for eggplant), Qabuli palow (rice) and grilled bread. A myriad of…

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Recipes

Recipe: Spiced Lentil Loaf

This recipe came to us by way of one of Flourist’s best customers, who shared the source of this tasty lentil loaf with us. The original recipe is a vegan version, which can be accessed here. We think it’s the perfect choice for vegetarian holiday menus. ~ adapted from The Silk Road Diary Ingredients French lentils (1 cup dry)  Water or vegetable broth (2 1/2 cups) Egg (1) Olive oil (2 tablespoons) Yellow or red onion, finely diced (1 medium ) Carrot, grated (1 large) Red bell pepper, finely diced (1 small) Salt (1 tsp) Chili powder (1 tablespoon) Paprika (1 teaspoon) Garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon) Oats (3/4 cup) Sifted Red Spring Wheat Flour or any fresh flour on hand (1/2 cup) Ketchup (1/3 cup) Balsamic vinegar (2 tablespoons) Maple syrup (2 tablespoons) Instructions In a large pot, combine your choice of Flourist French Lentils and vegetable broth and bring to…

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Sweets

Creepy, Dreamy, Quirky and Fun: Punk Rock Pastries is Cake Re-Imagined

You’ve Got to Look Twice at Punk Rock Pastries Creations By Alexis Baran A butcher, a baker, a spooky cake maker, Punk Rock Pastries’ Hollie Fraser is all of the above. While she may be butchering exclusively cakes and buttercream these days, you wouldn’t know it looking at her creations. Hollie is the owner of Punk Rock Pastries and together with her small team, they’ve baked and sculpted their way not only into the mouths and stomachs of locals  – but also into shows such as the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Mighty Ducks and Turner and Hooch. Located just on the outskirts of the fabulous-for-foodies Burnaby Heights neighbourhood, the shop shelves are full of pastries and cookies that go from adorably colourful and bubbly, to convincingly horrific, to R-rated. Walk-by traffic often has mixed reviews. “[Punk Rock Pastries] is an adult-themed bakery,” says Hollie. “So when most people see our…

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Vegetarian & Vegan

Dairy-Free Cool-Down Treats for a Hot Summer

By Brittany Tiplady If you’re like me, living in an apartment sans air conditioning, cool-down treats are a must for summer sanity. And lucky for dairy-free and plant-based folks, there are plenty of options available that accommodate all kinds of dietary restrictions and preferences. Get outta the heat and check out this curated list of dairy-free treats available in Metro Vancouver from Fort Langley to the North Shore. New Westminster The Hive Cafe Transit: New Westminster SkyTrain station A quick six-minute walk from the New Westminster SkyTrain will take you to the Hive Cafe: a delightful spot for all things refreshment. Coffee, espresso, thirst-quenching iced teas are kinda their thing. Grab a Pear + Mango Shaken Tea, or a Lavender Lemonade and take a stroll down New West’s Pier Park, which happens to be right next door. Vancouver Innocent Ice Cream Transit: Take the the the Expo Line to Main…

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Where to Eat

Three Must-Try Ice Cream Spots in White Rock

By Lenée Son Under the sweltering summer heat, there’s nothing better than cooling down with a walk on the White Rock pier and an ice cold treat. Whether it’s gelato, frozen yogurt, or traditional ice cream you’re craving, this beachside city is a haven for icy desserts. Here are four must-try places. Sandcastle Sea Shoppe Located at the east beach in White Rock, Sandcastle Sea Shoppe has the largest selection of ice cream in the city. They carry fifty flavours at all times and nearly seventy during the peak season in the summer. Take your pick from gelato, ice cream, milk shakes, smoothies, or old fashioned frozen yogurt. The Sandcastle Sea Shoppe is home to the twin cone, a cone with a platform for two ice cream flavours side-by-side rather than on top of each other, which you won’t find anywhere else on the beach. They also carry an assortment…

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Recipes

Recipe: Butternut Squash Risotto

By Amaranthus Executive Chef, Sam Fabbro This recipe is great for fall or winter with rich comforting flavours. It is a vegetarian dish and can be made vegan with by replacing the butter with olive oil and omitting the cheese. INGREDIENTS Butternut squash (1 small) Butter (3 tbsp) White onion (¼, or half of a small onion) Garlic (2 cloves) Dry white wine (65 ml) Vegetable stock (375 ml) Arborio rice (2/3 cup) Salt & pepper Grana Padano to garnish INSTRUCTIONS Cut squash in half, remove seeds, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, place skin up on a sheet tray with parchment. Roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. (You will only need one half for this recipe, so you can roast both halves and use the other half for another recipe or just roast one.) Cool slightly, scrape out the flesh of the squash and puree until…

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Vegetarian & Vegan

5 Places to be Vegetarian in New Westminster

By Kristi Alexandra Here are five delicious places to go vegetarian and vegan in New Westminster. V Café 789 Carnarvon Street Set kitty-corner to New Westminster Station, V Cafe takes a cruelty-free approach to Vietnamese cuisine. For those who crave the comfort of a warm bowl of pho while enjoying a meat-free diet, V Cafe has got you covered. A large steaming bowl of vegetable pho in a vegetarian soup base, complete with broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms, tofu and meat-free protein will run you $9.95, while vegetarian and vegan banh mi baguettes are $6.60. We tried the vegetarian lemongrass “chicken” banh mi and it was virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. Soup and sandwiches aren’t the only thing vegetarian Vietnamese cuisine lovers can find, though. Explore V Cafe’s 8 different salad rolls, from the vegan California roll to the vegan smoked BBQ rib rolls ($6.60 per pair). Old Crow Coffee…

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Amaranthus, New Westminster - BBBQ Sauce
Recipes

Recipe: Blueberry BBQ Sauce

By Executive Chef Sam Fabbro from Amaranthus INGREDIENTS Red onion (1) Garlic (4 cloves) Olive oil (1 TBS) Apple cider vinegar (250 ml) Blueberries (750 g) Water (We use house-made vegetable stock at the restaurant) (500 ml) Smoked paprika (15 g) Brown sugar (125 g) Salt & pepper to taste DIRECTIONS Fine dice the red onion and garlic. Sauté in canola oil until they just begin to brown. Deglaze pan with apple cider vinegar. (Deglazing dissolves all the flavourful browned bits of sautéed vegetables) Keep on heat and reduce vinegar by half, then add the blueberries and water. (If you have it, sub the water for vegetable stock.) Add paprika and brown sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes to allow flavour to develop. Blend on high speed in a blender until smooth then season with salt and pepper. A note from the Chef: “At our plant forward restaurant Amaranthus, we call…

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Craft Food Products

Baker Jenna Perreault Makes Gluten-Free Taste Truly Delish

By Catherine Dunwoody Jenna Perreault has a secret weapon. There’s a reason why her aptly named Delish Gluten Free Bakery in Port Coquitlam has folks from all over flocking to it. The top-secret weapon? Perreault’s grandmother’s gluten-free flour blend that took her 20 years to perfect. See what having celiac disease, and being a lover of baked goods will inspire a person to do? Jenna’s taken that flour blend and uses it to create everything from fluffy focaccia, to dense chewy fudge brownies, to pies with buttery crusts that would fool any discerning palette to believe these pastries surely must contain gluten. As a food writer, and being diagnosed with celiac disease just two years ago, I have tried every gluten-free bakery I can, usually with disappointing results. Textures like sandpaper, or Styrofoam is my motto generally – until I discovered Delish. I chatted with chef/owner, and new mom, Jenna…

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Living Lotus - Vegan, Raw, Vegetarian sweets in Vancouver
Vegetarian & Vegan

Living Lotus is Making the Healthy Life Sweet in Vancouver

By Kathy Mak Audrey Wong is the force and founder behind Living Lotus, a Vancouver company focused on satisfying your sweet tooth with dreamy desserts that have better-for-you, rawsome ingredients.  Without turning on an oven, Wong is crafting an array of luscious plant-based desserts made from minimally processed whole foods that are packed with nutrients but gluten-free, vegan and devoid of chemicals, additives and refined sugar. Uniting delicious and nutritious – as sustainably as possible – has long been a priority for Wong who has been a vegetarian for over 26 years and a vegan for five.  Her mindful-eating interest turned to raw foods in 2007, inspired by Matthew Kenny’s book, Raw Food/Real World.  While gluten-free and vegan foods are becoming more commonplace, Wong found few options for dessert alternatives using only whole foods. After studying raw nutrition culinary arts, Wong made the leap to start a dessert company with…

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Vegetarian & Vegan

You’ll Melt for Dairy-Free Cheese at Blue Heron on Vancouver’s Main Street

By Alexis Baran What if cheese wasn’t made from dairy? Would it still be cheese? This cultured snack favourite can be buttery, sweet, herbal, earthy, pungent, bitter, footy, even barnyardy. It’s one of the few foods that people will gladly eat even (or especially) when visibly laced with thick blue mold and it is a staple of modern dining. For centuries it’s been made using cow, goat, sheep and other animals’ milks – but who’s to say milk is the only thing that can create a fantastic cheese? The assumption that animal milk must be the base for cheese is a notion that Chef Karen McAthy, the founder of Blue Heron Cheese, has been challenging. She’s aiming to change how consumers, as well as the food regulators, think about these wheels of flavour, all from her store and creamery on Vancouver’s Main Street. Blue Heron Creamery opened in Vancouver in…

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Where to Eat

Where to Get Vegan and Gluten-Free Ice Cream Treats in and Around Vancouver

By Catherine Dunwoody Ice Cream has blown up on Canada’s West Coast and charming new shops and parlours are popping up all over. But what about the folks who have allergies, sensitivities or make choices not to eat gluten or dairy? And who doesn’t like a cooling, sweet, creamy treat? Fret not folks, I did the research for you! Here’s my list of the best, where to go for it, and what to taste.  La Glace Try: Most ice creams here are gluten-free so, if you are as well, skip the cone and get a cup. Top your treat with a marshmallow or meringue (also gluten-free). Vegans and the lactose-intolerant will love the Chocohuete, which is made with peanut butter and dark chocolate. It’s dairy-free and made with their own made-in-house cashew milk base. Vancouver Kokomo Try: This is the only place in Canada that serves Cocowhip, a vegan and…

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Recipes

Recipe: Gluten Free Vegan Brownies

By Lisa Reichelt, Two Daughters Bakeshop INGREDIENTS All Purpose Flour Blend, Gluten Free (2.5 cups) Organic cane sugar (2 cups) Cocoa powder (8 tbsp) Baking powder (1.5 tsp) Xanthan gum (1 tsp) Salt (2 tsp) Organic rice milk (375 ml) Organic canola oil (350 ml) Organic vanilla (1.5 tbsp) Organic chocolate chips (1 cup) DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. With a stand mixer, blend canola oil, sugar and vanilla. Add the rice milk and blend again. 3. Add dry ingredients to wet mix and blend well, stopping to scrape bowl. 4. Spread mixture evenly in a 9×11 glass baking dish, lightly greased or lined with parchment paper 5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40min. or until knife inserted in to brownie comes out clean Learn more about Two Daughters Bakeshop on Vancouver’s North Shore here.

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Sweets

Two Daughters Bakeshop of Vancouver’s North Shore Offers Gluten-Free Vegan Treats

By Kathy Mak These days, consumers wanting or needing gluten-free and vegan options do not have to miss out on delicious baked products, thanks to a growing number of specialty bakeries in Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. But, the only decidedly all gluten-free and vegan bakery in the Vancouver area yet, is Two Daughters Bakeshop. They provide a large selection of oven-fresh, healthy products that are both gluten-free and vegan-friendly, without compromising on irresistible flavours. Tucked away in Lolo Lane, between 1st Street East and Esplanade Avenue, the cozy artisan bakery is located steps away from Lonsdale Quay on Vancouver`s North Shore. In 2012, Lisa Reichelt opened the bakery, dedicated to making gluten-free-vegan pastries, snacks, breads and desserts. It was inspired by her passion for baking and by her youngest daughter’s need for a celiac diet without eggs, dairy and gluten. Two Daughters Bakershop’s mission is to use the…

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Shops & Markets

Try Tasty Plants at Coquitlam Farmers Market

By Catherine Dunwoody Vegans and vegetarians will want to add Sunday visits to the Coquitlam Farmers Market to their calendars, from now until end of October. Jessica Kralj, owner of Tasty Plants, has a love for plant-based foods, and a knack for preparing a variety of delicious dishes, that she sells at the market. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Kralj offers fresh and frozen prepared meals plus brownies, cookies, bars, and snacks. Customers line up for her three bean and quinoa chili, enchiladas, curried chickpeas and cauliflower soup. Sweet tooth? Try the energy bites (2 flavors: dark cocoa-coconut and key-lime coconut), and vegan brownies. Tasty Plants does not use any animal products/by-products, supports BC farmers and suppliers, and is an environmentally friendly business. “There are so many health issues associated with the consumption of meats and dairy, as well as so many people with allergies to these products and not many…

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