Years ago I never would have imagined I'd one day have a food blog. It's true! This project started as a means to entertain me while waiting to get another project off the ground. I first started sharing recipes online in an effort to provide resources for struggling families, as part of getting a non-profit off the ground, aimed at providing hunger relief for those marginalized in our community. I'm generally terrible at patience so this was a way of staying occupied while I waited to do what I thought was the 'real work'.

As the months rolled on, I became acquainted with who I saw as the real leaders in this food blogging space I had accidentally stumbled into and was realizing, I also really loved. The reason I say this here is that Gena Hamshaw has been a part of my blogging journey since day one. After I started sharing recipes I'd been cooking for years on my brand new blog, I soon realized there was a whole world online that was entirely new (and totally exciting) to me. People were eager to talk about their food journeys and to try new kinds of foods outside of the SAD (Standard American Diet) so many were starting to realize was wreaking havoc on us when blogging exploded a few years back (I've been at it since 2012 personally). Gena Hamshaw from The Full Helping (then called Choosing Raw) was and still is, a beacon in the online world - bringing us a wealth of wisdom in the form of delicious recipes, real talk about how and why we eat the way we do, and deep digging on topics like eating disorder recovery. Her new cookbook, Power Plates, is quite possibly my favourite piece of her work to date, as it's chock-full of hearty, meal-in-a-bowl (or plate!) recipes, that are 100% plant-based and 100% flavourful (just how I like my food!).

I'm excited to share this recipe for her Hemp Chimichurri sauce here today, and to let you know you can win a copy of Power Plates over on the GRAIN Instagram! We've teamed up with Gena to give away two copies of her cookbook, along with 4 GRAIN items of the winner's choices. You have until Sunday to enter, so head here to get more details!

This sauce recipe blew me away when I made it as part of this recipe from the book. I was visiting my friends in Whistler and as I do, offered to make them dinner. We ate these Sweet Potato Bowls happily, with rave reviews from all parties, including both of my meat-eating pals. Let's just say it's a hearty bowl that will definitely please all bodies and all appetite levels easily. Gena has generously given us permission to publish the recipe over here on the GRAIN Journal, freshly published here. Make this sauce on its own and pour it over hot barbecued potatoes or vegetables, or toss it onto a veggie and grain bowl of any kind. It's safe to say I'm happy about the accidental fall into this blogging world. If not for the recipes, but for the amazing people I've been fortunate enough to meet along the way.

Hemp Chimichurri Sauce

~ By Gena Hamshaw, for Power Plates

• ¼ cup shelled hemp seeds
• 6 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup firmly packed fresh parsley
• ½ cup firmly packed fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped (optional)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

To make the chimichurri sauce, combine the hemp seeds, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, oil, parsley, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender (preferably a high-speed blender) and process until smooth. If the sauce is thicker than you’d like, add water, 1 tbsp at a time, to achieve the desired consistency. (Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the sauce will keep for 5 days.)

Recipe published on inpursuitofmore.com with permission by Gena Hamshaw.