Anne Tasse is a local resident and foodie who teaches cooking and promotes healthy eating by focusing on vegan options.
“It’s a lifestyle,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like a diet; it’s part of your life.”
In 2013, Tasse recognized a need to make some changes due to growing health concerns. When she started exploring vegan nutrition options, she noticed positive effects on her mental and physical health.
Since then, she has built her life and a community around it. In her classes and at some retreats she organized cooking events for in the past, people find quick and easy options for weekly meals, meal planning, and satisfying cravings with a healthy twist.
Knowing what to look for is the greatest challenge Tasse encountered when she transitioned to a vegan lifestyle.
“When you go to the grocery stores, it’s all kind of blended in because they want it to not be something that stands out, that everybody’s afraid of,” she said.
Tasse wants to help others limit that challenge when embarking on the same journey. She has offered services that range from helping with a trip to the grocery store along with personal chef features. Her background cooking at a vegan fine-dining restaurant named Vidya’s in Thornton helps her to continue creating dishes now.
When asked what her top tips for cooking vegan meals are, Tasse said to “keep it simple.” She explained many known brands offer vegan alternatives, which also makes one’s task of home cooking easier. Common substitutes in her meals include hemp and chia seeds, “which provide more protein than some meats,” she said.
When making the swap to vegan eating, Tasse said social media was a great resource. She said going to classes also helps to meet new people and learn how to cook if someone doesn’t already know. Social media has also helped her learn new ways of doing things.
“I don’t use many recipes anymore,” she said, describing her knowledge base of working with different substitutes.
She also highlights that the expense of a vegan lifestyle is more comparable to other nutritional costs than one would think. She explained with the price of meat and cheese, plant-based alternatives even out and she hasn’t noticed it costing her more.
Teaching as part of the City of Orillia recreation programming allows Tasse to share the joys of her vegan lifestyle while shifting the narrative of what it might mean.
“I’m a foodie. It’s what I do,” she said.
Her classes are offered in four-week slots, the next one is in December and can be found here.
What to cook for dinner tonight? Try one of Tasse’s favourites in the recipe below for sesame peanut noodles.
Sesame peanut noodles
Yield: 1 serving
1 pkg. Pre-cooked ramen noodles, or equivalent noodle, like capellini (leave in pot) set aside
½ roasted red pepper from the jar, sliced, set aside
1 tbsp sliced green onions, set aside
1 small handful of edamame, or sliced, steamed green beans, set aside
1 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts, or almonds, set aside
Mix together in a small bowl:
1 hearty dollop of natural crunchy peanut butter, no sugar added
1 tsp of toasted sesame oil
1/3 tsp of smoked paprika powder
½ tsp garlic powder (important that it is not garlic salt)
½ tsp onion powder (same as above, not salt)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (vegan nutty, cheezy alternative... tastes amazing!) found in the grocery aisles
Splash of non dairy unsweetened cashew or oat milk beverage to thin out the sauce
Pink Himalayan sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Add the sauce to the noodles in the pot, then toss with tongs lightly, add the red pepper slices, and edamame or beans. Plate, then sprinkle the top with toasted nuts, and green onions.
