Welcome to another edition of our weekend catch up. I’m looking forward to a little rest and refresh over the next couple days. My family is coming over for dinner, I’m starting some seeds and doing a spring clean of the house (using “spring” VERY loosely haha), hitting the gym, and meeting a pal for coffee. Most importantly, I’ll be avoiding the doom scrolling that was a heavy feature of this past week 😵‍💫.

Cleo’s recovery from her fatty lump and tooth removal has been going so well. She really is the most chill patient. The stitches are coming out this week!

I’ve mostly been staying away from posting on Instagram lately and it’s been going well. Of course I feel pressure to promote new posts and seasonally relevant content on there pretty much all the time. But in an effort to resist the endless scroll, I’m just really leaning into maximizing this site (for some reason I really want to have a baking-centric Spring season here!), my email list, and a tiny dash of Pinterest. For those that subscribe via email, thank you for continuing to make all of this possible! As a thank you, I’m doing another recipe swap with Liz from Birdhouse Bakeshop in early April. These are always a treat, so make sure you’re signed up.

Be well and take care of yourselves out there! Sending a hug and a nudge to let your spirit soar this weekend. Love you 🫶🏻

5 Things I’m Reading:

1. Can a Finnish Sauna Improve Society? via The New York Times Style Magazine (gift link)
2. What it takes to regrow a community after wildfire via Grist
3. victory gardens 🤝 resistance gardens via Pizza Friday by Front Yard Veggies on Substack (Amy is a great follow on Instagram too)
4. How Mindfulness Builds Confidence via Lion’s Roar
5. The fibre phenomenon: 30 easy ways to get your fill of this life-changing nutrient via The Guardian

5 Things I’m Enjoying:

1. Kapusta: Vegetable-Forward Recipes from Eastern Europe by Alissa Timoshkina. In love with this cookbook that heavily features some of my favourite ingredients (cabbage, dill, beets, pickles/ferments of all kinds). The photography and food styling is stunning as well. It’s not a totally plant-based cookbook, but it is rich with inspiration, history, and storytelling.
2. The first episode of Stanley Tucci’s Cards On The Table Series is a real-life version of the “Who would you invite for the ultimate dinner party?” question. I’m a big fan of Stanley and this episode features my fave Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz!
3. Of cooourse I will be watching Drive to Survive and a replay of the Australian GP this weekend. Thrilled to have F1 back as a distraction in these wild times.
4. Podcasts: Jesse Eisenberg on WTF with Marc Maron (I quite enjoyed his film A Real Pain recently) + Bob’s Red Mill: Porridge Daddy on Corporate Gossip
5. There is still some good stuff to be found on Insta: adopting the oldest dog at the shelter 🥹 + a reminder to look for joy

5 Questions:

1. I’m currently developing a low carb vegetarian diet. Even with dairy and eggs, it’s tricky. Any good recipe recommendations for me? Or low carb protein sources? I’m eating tofu daily and while I love it, I need to mix it up a little.
   I will say that a lot of my recipes are not particularly low carb friendly, but! I can definitely speak to lower carb plant-based protein sources as I myself have been paying a bit more attention to this rececently. As you mention, tofu is a great go-to, but have you tried tempeh? It has more protein than tofu (although it is a bit higher on the carb side) an earthy, mushroom-y flavor and satisfying chewy texture. Seitan is another popular vegetarian protein option that is high in protein and can be lower in carbs, just pay attention to the label. Edamame and soy milk are great options to incorporate regularly. Nuts, seeds and their butters factor into a lot of my meals and recipes here. I also personally supplement with a protein shake made with unsweetened vegan protein powder pretty much every day since I’m lifting weights regularly. I also have to add Kaizen pasta made from lupini beans! It’s a bit pricey, but it is excellent for a low effort and high protein meal.
2. Can we have a First Mess epic vegan sandwich roundup?
   For someone who loves sandwiches as much as I do, the selection of sandwich recipes on here is honestly lacking! Maybe we need to change that? In the meantime, check out my BBQ Pulled Mushroom Sandwiches, the Veggie Crunch Sandwich, Avocado Chickpea Salad Sandwiches, and these Grilled Pizza Portobellos which I primarily enjoy in a sandwich setup.
3. I know you have answered many questions about an air fryer in the past, but after being inspired by some of your recipes, I think I’m finally going to get one!! I would love to hear your deep dive opinion on what’s best. I am curious about the Our Place Wonder Oven, particularly the new bigger size (hello pizza!). Some people recommend not getting a multi-function oven for the air fryer and just getting a single standing air fryer, but I’m in a small space so the multi-function is enticing.
   I have used the Our Place Wonder Oven and I do not recommend it for air frying. It’s just not as effective as a stand alone air fryer. The vegetables wouldn’t get evenly crispy edges, making truly crispy chickpeas was impossible, tofu didn’t have the audible crunch factor, and overall I found that it cooked unevenly. It is a very cute little appliance and I did find it practical when I first got it. But in comparison to my Instant Pot Vortex, it just isn’t the same. Also most air fryers have multi-functional capability now–I make toast in mine all the time haha. At one point, I was considering one of the higher end multi-functional ovens from Breville or Ninja. Then, I saw this video about making the best possible air fried fries. In the video, Chris explains the mechanics/air flow of air fryers and how they mimic the movement of food in traditional deep frying. I recommend watching the whole thing because I learned a lot. In short, due to the position of the heat source/fans, it’s difficult for a multi-functional oven to perform the air fry function as well as a dedicated air fryer. Since you mentioned pizza, if you use a pizza stone on the bottom rack of a regular oven, you will get excellent results. This is how I cook pizza at home and the crust is perfectly crispy on the bottom but still puffy and chewy.
4. Anything I can sub for olives in your new roasted sweet potato salad?
   Yep! For the olive averse, I recommend substituting 1/2 cup of capers for that briny hit. You could also do 3/4 cup of chopped pickled sweet peppers! Or perhaps a combo of both?!
5. What brand of sumac do you buy? I got some recently at the grocery store and it didn’t have much flavor.
   I order mine from an Etsy shop called Jerusalem Products. I also order za’atar from this seller! Both spices are fresh, fragrant, and extremely flavorful. The sumac is lemony and a beautiful deep burgundy colour. I will say that the handful of times I have ordered from this seller, the shipping took about 3 weeks, so just prepare for that! For my Ontario and Quebec-based friends, I’m hoping to take a field trip to one of the Adonis locations in southern Ontario this spring because I’ve heard that their selection of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean spices/staples is incredible.

5 Seasonal Recipes:

1. Creamy Mushroom Asparagus Orzo
2. Spring Thaw Smoothie
3. White Wine Lentils with Mustard & Thyme
4. Crispy Air Fryer Tempeh with Gochujang Glaze & Snow Peas
5. Lemony Shaved Fennel Asparagus Salad