Let us introduce you to Danielle. She’s our wonderful manager at Merivale! Danielle moved to Ottawa six years ago and she absolutely loves it here! “There is so much beauty within this city and tons of outdoor activities.” She recently started studying Holistic Nutrition and is very excited to see her educational journey unfold.

Her interest in health and wellness started at a very young age. “I actually went to school for baking and pastry arts and was working as a baker when I realized I wanted the work I do to be in line with my values.” That’s when she applied to work at Kardish. 

“Looking back I am so happy I made that decision.” she says. 

Over the years at Kardish, Danielle has met many wonderful and interesting people. She has also been able to help people make healthier choices while learning a ton of information about health and wellness. “I love chatting with customers about mental health, plant based diets, and skin care. These are the three areas that I have a lot of knowledge, and passion towards.”

Danielle doesn’t have to go too far to find the current trends in the industry, as she’s been pretty immersed in the health and wellness industry for years. She follows many doctors, nutritionists, influencers, has friends in the industry and reads tons of literature to keep up to date on information. 

Danielle’s favourite daily ritual is yoga and meditation. “I meditate daily and can’t go a day without it. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone. This practice is something I will never let go of and only develop further. The mental transformation I have experienced from meditation is one of life’s hidden treasures that I am so thankful to have found. Also, yoga is amazing for the mind, body and soul,” says Danielle. “I love to spend my evenings making a nice meal, doing some yoga and meditation. I end the night with a well-rounded skin care routine, some tulsi tea and then off to sleep,” says Danielle. 

Danielle is very fond of the Holy Basil, also known as Tulsi Tea, by Organic Traditions. “This amazing hidden gem is a wonderful herb that helps manage stress, anxiety, builds immunity and overall is a powerful antioxidant. It’s a perfect daily ritual to be added before a yoga/meditation session or even before bedtime,” says Danielle. 

To stay healthy, Danielle recommends eating a well-balanced diet with lots of vegetables. Cook at home, eat fresh foods, cut down on processed foods and don’t forget to spend time with yourself! Self care is so important for your overall wellbeing. One of the healthy food items that Danielle often loves to make are her Zucchini Vegan Ricotta Roll Ups. 

Danielle’s team at Merivale all share the same love for her Zucchini Vegan Ricotta Roll Ups, so we thought we’d share the recipe with our customers, too. The recipe below serves 5 to 6 people. 

Ingredients: 

2-3 zucchini
32 ounces marinara sauce
1 (14 ounces) container firm tofu
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp garlic powder
Fresh basil to garnish

Instructions: 
1. Remove tofu from the package and wrap tofu block in 2 paper towels. Squeeze for 10 seconds then break apart tofu into your food processor. To the food processor add salt, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and garlic powder. Pulse 6-10 times until you reach the consistency of ricotta cheese. Taste and adjust salt and seasonings as needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°. Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1⁄8” thick strips, I used a vegetable peeler!
3. Spread marinara sauce onto the bottom of an oven-proof skillet; set aside.
4. Spread 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture evenly along each zucchini slice. Roll up and place in the prepared skillet; repeat with remaining zucchini slices and filling.
5. Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lasagna rolls are heated through and the cheese is beginning to brown.
6. Serve immediately. Garnish with ground pepper and fresh basil.