Chef Spotlight: Bonnie Tees Age: 44 Restaurant: Bonnys Vegetarian chef Bonnie Tees, long known in Montréal for her gourmet catering and dietary consultation service, has now turned her passion for healthy, organic, vegan, environmentally friendly fun foods into Bonnys, Montréal's newest and hottest vegetarian restaurant. Bonnie brings almost 20 years of experience as a master chef to her new restaurant, including culinary apprenticeships at New York's Natural Gourmet Institute and Switzerland's International Macrobiotic Institute and work with celebrated vegetarian chefs in the U.S. and Europe. Bonnys' friendly and unique atmosphere, from its homey décor and open kitchen to its wooden inlay tables, is complemented by a menu with favorites like lasagne with tofu ricotta, Japanese soba noodle stir-fry, and black-bean chili with quinoa and sweet potatoes. The menu, as well as customers' delighted reactions to their meals, support Chef Bonnie's philosophy that vegetarian dining can be delectable while also being healthy, low-fat, and dairy-free. Try Bonnie's chocolate mousse (recipe below), carrot cake, or nut butter and cinnamon puffed rice squares and you'll agree.

Chef Spotlight: Bonnie Tees

Restaurant or Company: Bonnys Cuisine Vegetarienne et Biologique

How long have you been a chef?
I have been a chef for 20 years, but my interest in healthy foods began when I was 17 and having some health problems. I found that a macrobiotic diet and some other lifestyle changes improved my health, which led me to exploring other health-improving diets, such as veganism and organic foods. I believe in the healing power of foods.

What type of cuisine do you focus on?
New world fusion, international. I try to use traditional dishes as a basis for many of my dishes. They are really everyday type foods but cooked using healthy and organic ingredients.

Have you or has your restaurant received any awards?
No, not yet—we're new. But we hope to. We have received really glowing reviews on Canada.com and elsewhere, and the real reward is seeing our customers enjoying healthy food and returning for more.

Do you have a specialty?
My soups—quinoa corn chowder, for instance.

What are the most important elements in cooking great vegetarian cuisine?
Creating and using fresh and high-quality ingredients.

What is the key to getting meat-eaters to enjoy vegetarian food?
Not skimping on flavoring (e.g., spices, herbs, ginger, and garlic).

What, in your opinion, does the future of plant-based cuisine hold?
A lot of promise. As animal products high on the food chain become more and more tainted, plant-based foods will become ever more important.

Do you have a favorite cooking method?
Sautéing. It has many possibilities, intense flavors, and is easy to prepare!

Where did you train to become a chef? In Bern, Switzerland, at the International Macrobiotic Institute. I also apprenticed at New York's Natural Gourmet Institute and worked with other vegetarian chefs.

What are your favorite ingredients to work with?
Garlic, fresh herbs, and umeboshi vinegar.

In your opinion, what vegetarian dish or type of food is most frequently poorly prepared and why?
Stir-fries. They're often overcooked and flavorless.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only eat one kind of ethnic food, what would it be?
Japanese food.

Do vegetarian restaurants face any special obstacles that meat-based restaurants don't have to face?
A high level of creativity and inventiveness is required, whereas with meat-based dishes, there's less need to be creative.

Can you give us one great cooking tip for aspiring vegetarian chefs?
Invest in a pressure cooker. It facilitates the cooking of rice, beans, and legumes; it's like a vegetarian microwave.

What are some ingredients that you recommend vegetarians and vegans have in their kitchens to cook with?
Quinoa and tofu are great since they're highly nutritious and quick to prepare. Hearty green vegetables like kale and broccoli are also excellent and easy to prepare.

Are there any newer vegetarian products on the market that you are particularly fond of?
I can't think of any, but I'm always on the lookout for new specialty food items, like new flavorings such as boyajian raspberry vinegar and other fun stuff.

Have you had any noteworthy comments from or experiences with diners?
Many say they are never disappointed and are consistently surprised and satisfied with their dining experiences at Bonnys.

Choose one area to give some specialty tips for:
How best to prepare tempeh: Fast and easy; heat enough peanut oil in a heavy skillet to reach 1/2 inch in the pan; add 2 teaspoons of roasted sesame oil and cut the tempeh square through the center to create 2 thinner slices; pan fry on medium heat, turning when golden brown. When both sides are nicely browned, the tempeh is ready. You can then cut it into thin strips to make great wraps or include them in any recipe where chicken is called for.

Avocado-Lime Soup
This recipe is fast, easy, nutritious, and refreshing. A great start to a summer meal!

1 liter plain soy yogurt
3 ripe avocados
1/2 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp. gray sea salt
2 Tbsp. umeboshi vinegar
2-3 cups vegetable stock (or water and organic vegetable cubes)
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Coriander sprigs, lime wedges, and crushed tortilla chips for garnish

• In a food processor, blend the soy yogurt, avocados, jalapeños, garlic, coriander, sea salt, and umeboshi vinegar until smooth. Add small amounts of the vegetable stock until creamy.
• Place in a pot and stir in any remaining stock. Add the diced red onion and the lime juice.
• Pour into serving bowls and garnish with the coriander sprigs, a lime wedge, and crushed tortilla chips. Serve cold.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Tofu- and Spinach-Stuffed Cannelloni With Tomato Sauce

For the Tomato Sauce:
1 28-oz. #3 can whole tomatoes, blended
1 8-oz. can tomato paste
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 cup barley or rice miso

• Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes.

For the Cannelloni:
1 bunch spinach, washed
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 block firm tofu, crumbled in a food processor
2 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. umeboshi vinegar
8 cooked cannelloni noodles

• Scald the spinach in boiling water. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain well and chop.
• Sauté the onions and garlic. Add the spinach and tofu and mix well.
• Add the tarragon, salt, nutmeg, and umeboshi vinegar, mixing well.
• Fill the cooked noodles with the spinach-tofu mixture.
• Place the stuffed cannelloni in a single layer in an oiled baking dish. Top with the prepared tomato sauce and cover with foil. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until browned.

Note: You can cook lasagne noodles and cut them in half to use in place of the cannelloni noodles.

Makes 8 cannelloni

Chocolate Mousse
Also known as recovery pudding, make this dessert whenever you need a lift.

2 boxes extra-firm silken tofu
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla essence
2 Tbsp. cashew butter
1 Tbsp. tahini
Pinch of sea salt

• Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth and creamy.

Note: Store in the fridge for up to a week.

Makes 3 cups

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