Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes

almost raw lime cumin avocado tacos + Liebster!

2012-03-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

avocados and i have been bff's lately, i cannot get enough of her

she tops my burgers, sandwiches , is even eaten straight up by the spoonful or slice

however, my little addiction, the ultimate way to enjoy avocados

at least in my opinion - is via almost raw tacos

fresh, filling & healthy

tacos that won't leave you wanting to unbutton your jeans

but will leave you wanting just one more bite

these simple ingredients pack a powerful punch of flavor

**KApoW**- see that punch, powerful wasn't it

sweet mini peppers, heirloom cherry tomatoes, avocado, lime juice, cumin and salt

that's all- see simple

i bet you have all the ingredients at home to make these right this very minute

all the ingredients are chopped, sliced and diced

then mixed in a pretty bowl with lime juice, cumin and salt

this is really good all on its own

the tacos however are my favorite way to enjoy this mix

on a side note check out my new coconut bowls from bambu; no two are the same, i am loving the color!i have been waiting forever for these to go on sale at sunflower; every time i was in the store i would walk by, admire the bowl, double check the price and quickly set it down...$16.99 per bowl was a bit much for methis Saturday however (yes i was in my gym clothes) i went to go visit my bowls and guess what; $7.99; yep that meant i could get two; so that was my excitement on Saturday

back to the tacos; you could totally make these raw by using a collard green or butter lettuce

as the "taco shell"

i opted to use food for life sprouted tortillas; they are organic and heated at only 250*

they are so super good for you & tasty

for additional added goodness i like to top my almost raw tacos with sprouts

polishing off three of these is nothing for mei am convinced i could eat another 3 if i lacked any self control

feel free to add a bit of heat with cayenne or chili pepper

the cumin is perfect for me, i love its smoky taste

has anyone experimented with "raw taco meat" made with walnutsif so, is there a way to make it without a dehydrator?i would love to hear about your experience!

fresh, enticing, simple and easy

what more could you ask for in a quick & good for your tummy meal

Almost Raw Lime Cumin Avocado Tacos

makes 4 tacos ~ easily doubled

you will need:

1 ripe avocado, diced

2 mini peppers seeded, cut in half the sliced into half moons

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

juice of 1 lime

1 cup cherry tomatoes - halved or quartered

1 cup sprouts

4 Ezekiel food for life sprouted tortillas

assembly:

in a small bowl combine diced avocado, sliced mini peppers, cumin, salt, lime & tomatoes

stir to combine, set aside to "marinate"

lay out 4 tortillas - evenly divide the "taco" filling between each tortilla

top with a handful of sprouts

enjoy!

On another note, the Chocolate Chip Uru over at Go Bake Yourself has nominated me for another Liebster Award - thank you Uru!

If you haven't already checked out her blog- go this very minute, she is a super talented young lady with an enormous sweet tooth; aka TONS of chocolate

Still time to vote SMBP for Healthy Cooking Blog!

Print this Recipe

bourbon brown sugar cupcakes

2012-02-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

i have the best parents

ever.

period.

this week my dad came over on his own time to help justin finish up the final mudding, taping and sanding of the new Sheetrock in the mudroom. justin loathes this part of the project

my dad came to the rescue - he is simply the best

now we can move onto the finish work; you see, this has been an on going project for the past year

my dad knows how badly i wanted this project completed and knows how little extra time justin has on the one day a week he has off

my dad definitely deserves a super hero cape and these cupcakes

as some of you may know i bake cupcakes for those that i love- i wrote about it in one of my very first blog posts back in january of 2011- smbp was just a baby back then

so as a thank you to my dad i made these cupcakes for him

of course, made with an extra handful of love

good bourbon, brown sugar and all spice

they are going to make you one mighty fine cupcake

i adapted the skinny cupcake recipe from vegan cupcakes takeover the world

if you do not have this book, stop what you are doing right now and either quickly put on your running shoes and run to the nearest store to buy this book or click over to amazon - or make your boyfriend or mom buy this book for you today!

seriously, it is the best vegan cupcake cookbook ever

those girls are pure talent

the cupcakes are baked until golden - you know the drill

then slathered brown sugar frosting

if you haven't already had enough brown sugar a bit more is sprinkled on top

then speckled with pieces of pecan

knob creek was the bourbon of choice; thank goodness Danielle's husband is somewhat of a whiskey connoisseur - he led us straight to the knob creek

tell me, what is your favorite cupcake?

the all spice adds just a little warmth alongside the bourbon

everyone should have a super hero in one form or another & everyone should try these cupcakes at least once in their lifetime - so make that one time today

or at least make them for the super hero in your life

Bourbon Brown Sugar Cupcakes

(adapted from vegan cupcakes take over the world)

makes 12

you will need:

for the cupcakes

1/2 cup soy yogurt

2/3 cup almond milk

1/4 applesauce

3 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup bourbon

1 tbsp vanilla

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp all spice

1 1/4 cups flour

2 tbsp cornstarch

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

for the frosting

2 tbsp softened vegan butter

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tbsp almond milk

2 tbsp brown sugar

toppings

1/4 cup pecans

1 tbsp brown sugar

assembly:

pre heat the oven to 350*

line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners

in a large bowl whisk together the yogurt, almond milk, applesauce, canola oil, bourbon, sugar & vanilla. sift in flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, all spice and salt. mix.

fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full. bake 22-24 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean when tested in the center of the cupcake. transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely prior to frosting

to make the frosting

in the bowl of a mixer beat butter and powdered sugar for about 30 seconds

on low/medium speed beat in almond milk until the frosting comes together

stir in brown sugar

frost fully cooled cupcakes and top with brown sugar & pecans

enjoy!

Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes has been nominated! Show some love and head over to vote by clicking on the pic below- thank you!

roasted red pepper & kale pili pesto

2012-02-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

do you remember early release days from school; weren't those the greatest?

friday was an early release day for me; originally i was suppose to take anna to the groomers

but our groomer was out sick on friday

so what was a girl to do with an extra 4 hours on a friday

make a pretty rad pesto- that's what

i am absolutely head over heals in love with this pesto

the taste, texture and color can't be beat

to top off my adventurous friday afternoon, i tossed my pesto with tofu noodles

after hearing the good, the bad & the ugly about these odd smelling noodles i decided to try them out for myself; after getting over the smell <insert gag noise>

and preparing them according to the directions , they actually were pretty tasty

organic red kale

(which i call purple kale, maybe the farmer was color blind when naming this variety of kale)

raw Polynesian pili nuts

California roasted red peppers

are combined with a bit of salt into a lovely pesto

the pili nuts, in case you are curious were found on the raw food world site; I am sure you could substitute any type of nut that you fancy or have on hand

since i have a mini food processor i made mine in 3 batches

if you have a big boy throw it all in there and go to town

from start to finish you will have yourself a great little lunch in about 10 minutes

for a little added freshness i topped my tofu pasta pesto mix with some sprouts

super tasty

trust me, you won't be disappointed if you make this

you could also add a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice

you know what, i am thinking that would be pretty good next time around

note to self; squeeze of lemon juice= brilliant idea

this recipe makes about 3 cups worth of pesto

perfect for batch cooking as this pesto freezes well

for those of you growing a garden this year, definitely keep this recipe in your back pocket for when you have literally a ton of kale and peppers that you don't know what to do with

so the tofu noodles, i have heard about them & seen them but just kinda passed by them in the grocery store - i have seen a few different reviews online and on other blogs; some good, some terrible. so while at sunflower picking up my red kale they caught my eye

i figured what better day than my half day to try these out

honestly i a super glad that i had read online that these were a bit funky smelling; the package refers to it as the authentic aroma; yeah, authentic all right, they are down right stinky

once you get over the smell, rinse really well and parboil for 2-3 minutes they are pretty awesome; they are super low in calories and have a similar texture as pasta; i the brand i used / bought was

House Foods Tofu Shirataki Noodles, i will be definitely cooking with these again

have any of you had an experience with the tofu noodles? how do you get over that smell- do you prepare them in a different way other than what is outlined on the package?

this is the type of lunch that i could never get away with serving justin

he would look at me like i had four heads if i served him tofu noodles with sprouts

that boy would think i had gone and got all crazy on him

reason number 42 way why this was a perfect early release lunch

so go on, grab a bunch of kale the size of your face as peas & carrots would say and get to work on making your very own roasted red pepper & kale pili pesto

Roasted Red Pepper & Kale Pili Pesto

makes 3 cups

you will need:

2 cups jarred roasted red peppers with the juice & oil

1 bunch of kale

1/2 cup pili nuts

2 tsp salt

optional: 1 package tofu noodles fettuccine style

sprouts for topping

assembly:

place all ingredients in a food processor and process until desired consistency is reached

if using a small processor, create pesto in 3 smaller batches

if making the pasta lunch:

prepare tofu noodles according to package directions

or boil regular noodles

drain & toss pasta/noodles with 1/2 to 1 cup of prepared pesto

top with 1/3 cup of sprouts

use remaining pesto within 2-3 days or a week if a thin layer of olive oil is added to the top of the prepared pesto

or freeze to use at a later date

enjoy!

little coconut chocolate bars

2012-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

here is a quickie for you

perfect for when you want something sweet in the quick

or have a cute boy coming over and you want to really impress him

by showing off your out of this world culinary skills but only have 15 minutes to spare

little coconut chocolate bars will give you the sweet fix you are looking for

and impress that cute boy

in just 15 minutes or less

how great is that?

4- count them, yes four ingredients

that is if you feel like nuts, if you don't 3

fabulous! (insert sing songy voice)

unsweetened coconut is combined in a mini food processor with brown rice syrup

then pulsed until combined - i used flaked coconut, if you have the shredded coconut you can combine the shredded coconut and brown rice syrup in a bowl and skip the processor - your call

in heaping tablespoons the coconut mixture is placed on a piece of parchment or wax paper

giving you 6 equal mounds

the coconut mounds are then shaped into mini rectangles with the ends rounded; or any shape you fancy; you could easily make these a tad bit smaller and create 12 rounds

if you are feeling nutty top the shaped coconut with almonds

the shaped coconut is then dipped in melted chocolate covering all sides, top and bottom

any left over chocolate is then spread on top of the coconut bars

almonds and coconut are then sprinkled on top of the bars

pop in the freezer until the chocolate sets

or a fridge

or counter

depends on how antsy you get

this only counts as a 15 minute or less if you pop in the freezer or fridge

too easy not to make, no excuses!

cute boy or no cute boy

make these in honor of your cute cat if you are absolutely looking for an excuse to make these

then proceed to eat a minimum of 2 with your tea

while the cute boy eats three

with one left over for you to share

Little Coconut Chocolate Bars

makes 6 mini bars or 12 small truffle bites

you will need:

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes or shredded coconut

1 1/2 - 2 tbsp brown rice syrup

1 tbsp sliced almonds

1 cup vegan chocolate

assembly:

in a food processor combine coconut flakes and process until shredded

add brown rice syrup and process until well combined

if using pre-shredded you can skip this step and combine shredded coconut and brown rice syrup in a medium bowl mixing well until well mixed

on a piece of parchment or waxed paper, place 1 heaping tablespoon on mixture on the paper - 6 total mounds

fold over the side of the paper over the mound and shape into an oval

repeat until all are formed

top with sliced almonds

in a double boiler, melt chocolate

remove from heat and dip each coconut oval into chocolate; a spoon and fork come in handy for coating and removing coconut ovals

once coated move back onto the parchment/wax paper

(if freezing/refrigerating you may want to place on a baking sheet for easier transportation to and from the freezer)

repeat until all are coated, use any leftover chocolate to coat the tops of the coconut chocolate bars

top bars with almonds and coconut flakes

pop into the freezer or fridge until the chocolate has hardened

remove once set & store at room temperature up to 3 days

enjoy!

maikate mushroom crostini

2012-02-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

my love affair with bread continues

in the form of a crostini - little toasts

so cute

you can virtually put anything on a crostini and it would be good

and you look will look pretty fancy bringing a tray of crostini to your next get together

bread + veggies = love

or in this case

bread + maitake mushrooms = wow!

i LOVE finding new ingredients - i have never seen maitake mushrooms before

sunflower had just happened to start carrying these new mushrooms

i was super excited; the pain au chocolate i was going to attempt to make this weekend went out the door, and in came the humble mushroom crostini

humble, however totally flavorful and fancy pants because its served on a crostini

crostini's are my go to party app; there is allot less harassing when you bring these

why? because they are familiar

people like familiar

some don't like mushrooms; well then, that's too bad- they can wipe off the mushrooms and go to town with the toasted bread

dried maitake mushrooms aka dancing mushroom or hen of the woods, baby bella & fresh oregano are the base of our crostini

ciabatta bread is thinly sliced, drizzled with olive oil and broiled until golden brown

then finished with a bit of celtic sea salt

the maitake mushrooms are paired with baby bellas

any combination of mushrooms would work

thyme or rosemary would also be a good substitute for the oregano

the maitake are soaked for about 30 minutes - make sure you rinse and trim the mushrooms well prior to soaking; they can be a bit sandy

the broth can be saved and used in soups

i could totally ditch the mushrooms and go straight for the bread

but that wouldn't be fair to the mushrooms and we would definitely be missing out on some goodness

sauteed mushrooms & oregano top the crostini

& sprinkled with celtic sea salt

almost too pretty to eat

a perfect accompaniment to a bowl of soup

show up with these cute lil' crostini and you will be the hit of the party

they may even let you sing dancing queen towards the end of the night

these travel well and taste wonderful at room temperatureif travelling a long distance place the mushroom mixture and bread separately and assemble on sitedon't forget the salt, salt helps the flavors of the mushrooms popvery important- don't forget the saltwrite it on your hand if you have too

Maitake Mushroom Crostini

makes 6 ~ easily doubled

you will need:

6 slices of ciabatta bread - 1/4 - 1/2 inch thin

1 1/4 cups dried maitake mushrooms ~ rinsed & trimmed well

2 cups of water to soak maitake

2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms

1 tbsp fresh oregano - woody stems removed

1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp celtic sea salt or other good sea salt

assembly:

rinse & trim the maitake - in a medium bowl soak in 2 cups of water for at least 30 minutes

slice ciabatta bread and drizzle slices with 1 tbsp olive oil

place on a rimmed baking sheet and broil on low until golden brown

remove from oven and set aside

over medium/high heat in a large saute pan add 1 tsp olive oil and baby bellas

saute until golden brown, add maitake mushrooms - cutting larger pieces to bite size if needed

saute for about 2 minutes & add oregano - cook for another minute

remove from heat

top each crostini with 2 tbsp of mushroom mixture

sprinkle with celtic sea salt

enjoy!

creamy asparagus & red potato soup

2012-02-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

i can feel it

can you?

spring wants to be here - it really does

i can't tell you how happy that makes me

this weekend i had to resist the urge to trudge through our half frozen, half thawed still a mud & ice arena in one back yard- all i wanted was to go sit, stare and day dream in my garden

justin reported that about two thirds of the garden is free from snow

that is a good thing - the best news of the weekend

for me, the tell tale sign that spring is on its way- asparagus

it has been popping up at the market

i can't resist - even though it is not local, it is still oh so good

with spring and summer knocking on the door i am brushing up on my simple is better recipes

typically all you need is a few good quality ingredients to make a wonderful meal

this translates to more time in the garden when the season finally decides to arrive

this recipe my friends, is considered exactly that

simpleness at its best

red potatoes with their skin still on creates a beautiful soup speckled red

asparagus is the body of the soup

lemon, well lemon pulls them together

harmonizing and livening the flavors of this simple soup

salt & pepper are the only seasoning needed

a little crunch from pepitas & sunflower seeds make it perfect

the first time i made this soup i used straight water

the second time around i had some extra mushroom broth that i used with water

both versions were good

feel free to use what you have on hand

after the soup is pureed with an immersion blender

juice from a lemon is squeezed over the soup and simply stirred in

you won't find any fancy thrills here - only amazing tasting soup

keep it simple

keep it wholesome

make it with the hopes that spring will soon reappear

served with maitake mushroom crostini - recipe coming!

the makings of an impromptu lunch you should definitely invite your mom over for

Creamy Asparagus & Red Potato Soup

serves 6

you will need:

1 3/4 cups mushroom broth

3 1/4 cup water

(4 cups liquid total)

1 bunch fresh asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

(approximately 1lb)

2 large red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

juice of 1 lemon

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp olive oil

pepitas & sunflower seeds for garnishing

assembly:

wash the asparagus, trimming the ends & cutting into 1-inch pieces

scrub potatoes & cube

over medium heat in a medium soup pot or dutch oven add olive oil & asparagus

saute for 1 minute

add potatoes & liquid

bring to a boil

cover and reduce to a simmer, cook for 20-25 minutes or until asparagus & potatoes are fork tender

remove from heat, on a stable surface with an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth or desired consistency is reached

(if you do not have an immersion blender simply blend in a blender with the top vented & vented area covered with a kitchen towel - blend in small batches)

return to low heat

add the juice of 1 lemon and stir

ladle into bowls, season with salt & pepper

garnish with pepitas & sunflower seeds

enjoy!

chocolate hazelnut tartletts

2012-02-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

i thought i'd share with you what i made my love for valentines day

the way to his heart is with chocolate

that boy loves him some chocolate

and these tartletts, my friends was the

perfect fit for our valentines day dessert

the flavors are perfectly perfect together

much like him and i

mint infused chocolate pudding

in a hazelnut graham cracker crust

topped with more chocolate & hazelnuts

dusted with cinnamon

one bite and his heart will be yours forever

don't they say a way to a mans heart is through his stomach i think so? well who ever started that rumor was certainly right

graham crackers and hazelnuts are ground and mixed with a bit of coconut oilthen lightly baked into a delectable tart crust

can i tell you a secret?

homemade vegan pudding use to scare me

you see, i made the best non-vegan pudding back in the day

i was afraid my vegan pudding wouldn't even compare

boy, was i wrong

trust me, you won't be disappointed with this vegan pudding

it is simply amazing

easy

go on, you can feel free to super high five me now

this recipe makes 4 tarts2 for you & 2 for me or you could invite friends over to share is that weird? sharing your valentines day with another couple ....well i guess that all depends on who the other couple is

what sweet things did you or your sweets make for valentines day?

a dessert that looks impressivebut takes very minimal time out of your day to make

Chocolate Hazelnut Tartletts

makes 4 tartletts

you will need:

for the pudding

3 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp cold water

2 cups almond milk or other non dairy milk

3-5 mint leaves crushed with your hands to release the oils

1/3 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1/3 cup vegan chocolate

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

for the crust

2 cups finely ground graham crackers

1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts

2 tsp coconut oil, melted

extras for sprinkling a top the tartletts

roughly chopped chocolate

cinnamon for sprinkling

chopped hazelnuts

assembly:

in a small bowl combine water & cornstarch; set aside

in a non-reactive medium sauce pan whisk sugar, cocoa & salt

over medium heat slowly whisk in almond milk & add mint if using

allow milk to steam but not boil for about 5 minutes

remove from heat

remove mint leaves & add chocolate chips; stir until melted

return to low-medium heat and whisk in cornstarch mixture

continue to whisk over heat until mixture begins to thicken - about 10-15 minutes

remove from heat just before desired consistency is reached

pudding will continue to thicken as it cools

while the pudding cools make the crust

pre heat oven to 350*

in a food processor or blender finely grind the graham crackers and hazelnuts

in a small sauce pot melt the coconut oil - once melted turn off heat and stir in the graham cracker mixture until evenly coated with the coconut oil

evenly divide the graham cracker mixture between 4 mini tart pans

press up the sides and bottom of pan to evenly distribute

place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes

remove from oven & fill with pudding

garnish with bits of chocolate or chocolate shavings, cinnamon & chopped hazelnuts

since the pudding has yet to fully cool bits of chocolate will melt creating

a wonderful chocolate crust

place assembled tartletts in fridge and allow to fully cool for at least 2 hours

keep refrigerated until consumed

enjoy!

goji berry toasted coconut cupcakes

2012-02-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

cupcakes - i mean come on who doesn't love cupcakes

they are little personal portable cakes

in honor of heart health & love

these cupcakes are for you

goji berries are said to have healing powers - a super food

possibly able to prevent cancer and heart disease

vibrant pink, tasty and a super food - i would say February is definitely the month to showcase this powerhouse of a berry

combined with toasted coconut it makes a pretty tasty cupcake too

goji berry green tea is steeped in almond milk

adding another layer of flavor

did i mention green tea has the potential to fight heart disease too?

i should have named these "super heart cupcakes"

make 12 - keep one and give 11 away to the special people in your life

baked until golden & a bit soft to the touch

try to fight the urge to over bake these guys

we like our cupcakes nice and moist

icing is made with toasted coconut, finely ground freeze-dried goji berries & powdered sugar

this was my first time experimenting with dried goji berries

boy was i surprised to find when finely ground they were orange-

like 1984 neon orange

at least we can feel good about using natural coloring

versus the stuff that they come up with in a lab

speckled pink orange frosting

or would you call that tangerine?

sprinkled with toasted coconutty goodness

please make these in honor of your heart this month

your heart & your senses will surely thank you

Goji Berry Toasted Coconut Cupcakes

makes 12

you will need:

2 tea bags goji berry green tea ( i used stash)

3/4 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup cake flour (3/4 cup flour + 1/4 cup cornstarch)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp coarse salt

4 tbsp vegan butter - softened

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup soy yogurt

1 cup toasted unsweetened coconut divided

(1/2 cup for cupcakes & 1/2 cup for frosting)

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp vegan butter softened

3 tbsp almond milk

1/2 cup freeze dried goji berries finely ground into a powder

assembly:

pre heat oven to 350*

in a small sauce pan over medium heat warm milk until steaming and add tea bags

steep for 15 minutes and wring tea bags out then toss the used bags

set milk aside to cool

in a medium bowl combine flours through salt- whisk

in a small saute pan over low-medium heat add coconut and toast until fragrant and pieces begin to turn golden brown- stir frequently, careful not to burn

set aside

in the bowl of a mixer cream butter & sugar

add yogurt a 1/4 cup at a time until well mixed

stir in vanilla extract

on stir speed add the flour and milk to the sugar alternating between the flour & milk starting and ending with flour - careful not to over mix

add a 1/2 cup of toasted coconut and mix until just combined

line a 12 cup cupcake pan with liners

add about 1/3 cup of batter to each liner

bake for 13-15 minutes

or when the top is touched there is a slight give

remove from oven and cool on a wire rack

to make the icing

mix all ingredients in a stand mixer on medium - high speed until thoroughly mixed

frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with toasted coconut

enjoy!

romance maki

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

am i the only one out there in their gym clothes

running around like a maniac on saturday morning looking for sushi rice and nori?

god i hope not

justin tells me normal people do not run errands in their gym clothes

it's not like i wear gym clothes just to wear gym clothes; i am coming back from working out

for the record my gym attire is pretty normal - black capri leggings/workout pants, a hoodie, headband & uggs to travel back and forth from home to the gym; its not like i am rocking the 80's spandex or unitard

anyways, 3 stores later; only 2 of them was i seen in said gym outfit

finally i tracked down sushi rice and nori

perfect, i was golden

romance maki;

is there a more perfect time to share this recipe than today?

i think not

sweet potato & avocado

so sinfully good together

rolled inside out with nori & sushi rice

did you know there is a special way to cook sushi rice?

i had no clue sushi rice was such a diva

sweet potatoes are matchstick and steamed

then coated in panko and lightly fried in sesame & vegetable oil until crisp

this step is completely optional

next time i think i will simply steam

since we are rolling an "inside out roll" place your sushi mat in a ziploc baggie

or cover with plastic wrap

this ensures the rice will not stick to your mat

with about a 1/2 cup sushi rice cover a 1/2 sheet of nori

spreading around to cover the nori, leaving about 1/2 inch of space uncovered at the top

it is extremely helpful to have a small bowl of water during this step to wet your fingers,

which helps keep the rice from sticking to them

sprinkle rice with sesame seeds

flip the nori over, making sure the 1/2 inch side without rice is flipped toward you

layer avocado & sweet potato about halfway up the nori

then roll; this definitely takes some practice

if you haven't rolled sushi before check out this great tutorial

once rolled cut with a very sharp knife into 6 equal pieces

overall making sushi was pretty easyonce you get the hang of the rolling part it moves along pretty quicklythe most time consuming part was prepping and making the rice; which can always be prepared the day before

Japanese Tsume sauce which is also known as eel sauce pairs perfectly with romance maki

super simple, amazingly good

wasabi is also a must- i love how it gives me a slight head rush

pickled ginger, traditionally a palette cleanser between different sushi's is also a must have

i like to layer a bit of ginger ontop of my maki along with a bit of wasabi

sheer perfection!

a perfect hors d' oeuvres for your next get togetherone that you can feel good about serving to your friends and family

tell me, what is your favorite veggie sushi?

be adventurous and go get your sushi on today

Romance Maki with Japanese Tsume

makes 36 rolls

you will need:

3 nori sheets cut in half

(6 half sheets)

1 avocado, skin removed & thinly sliced

1/2 sweet potato, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 cup sushi rice (dry)

prepared according to directions on the box

1 tbsp black sesame seeds

1 tbsp sesame seeds

if frying sweet potato

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water

for the eel sauce/Japanese Tsume

1/4 cup mirin

1/4 cup tamari

1/4 cup granulated sugar

pickled ginger, tamari & wasabi for serving

assembly:

wrap your sushi mat in plastic or a large ziploc bag- set aside

prepare sushi rice according to package

(this can be done in advance)

steam peeled sweet potato matchsticks until tender; about 15 minutes

if frying, heat oils in a medium saute pan over medium high heat

coat sweet potato sticks in flax egg, then in panko

transfer to the frying pan and cook until golden brown on each side

transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and allow to cool to the touch

to make the sushi

cut each sheet of nori in half lengthwise

working with one sheet at a time place shiny side down onto your covered sushi mat

with about a 1/2 cup of sushi rice spread onto nori leaving about 1/2 inch space at the top; sprinkle with sesame seeds

flip rice covered nori so the uncovered edge is closest to you

place a single layer of sweet potato & avocado about halfway up the nori

roll with sushi mat

(see tutorial for detailed rolling instructions)

with a sharp knife slice in half then each half into 3 pieces

move to a serving plate and repeat until all nori is used

to make the eel sauce:

in a small sauce pot over medium heat combine all ingredients

whisk until sugar is dissolved

continue to cook over medium/low heat (gentle simmer) until sauce thickens

sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, remove from heat just at the point before desired thickness is achieved

drizzle eel sauce over sushi

serve with tamari, pickled ginger & wasabi

enjoy!

soba noodle bowl

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

i love asian inspired meals

fresh and simple

we try to avoid take out chinese or japanese - we have learned in our area we can never be certain that we won't find a piece of pork in our veggie fried rice or a few little fish eggs on our veggie sushi

cross contamination has proven to be an issue

so instead we get creative at home

this soba noodle bowl features an array of fresh organic veggies

soba noodles and a garlic sesame ginger tamari sauce

a quick, easy and healthy lunch or dinner that you can have on the table in less than 15 minutes

you can choose to either keep the veggies raw - marinated in a bit of lime juice & sesame oil

or lightly steamed for about 2 minutes then tossed with the lime & oil

your call- both ways are amazing

you can certainly use any veggies you have on hand

if you decide to enjoy the veggies raw, run the broccoli under hot water for a minute or so this will turn the broccoli a vibrant green

a quick sauce is made with tamari, fresh ginger, garlic, rice vinegar & sesame seeds

drizzled on the veggies and soba noodles just before serving

this is one of those "feel good" meals

light & fresh

leaving room for a little something sweet at the end

perhaps some homemade fortune cookies from fork & beans?

tell me - what are your favorite homemade take out mealsi would love to hear what you enjoy and create when takeout isn't an option

so grab your favorite pair of chopsticks and enjoy your very own soba noodle veggie bowl

Soba Noodle Bowl ~ Garlic Sesame Ginger Tamari Sauce

makes 2 large veggie bowls

you will need:

for the soba noodle bowl

2 carrots thinly ribboned

2 asparagus thinly ribboned with the remaining pieces julienned

4oz sliced portabellas cut into bite sized pieces

handful of green beans cut into thirds

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

handful fresh parsley torn for garnish

juice of 1/2 a lime

2 tbsp sesame oil or hemp oil

pinch of salt

3.1 oz organic soba noodles

for the garlic sesame ginger tamari sauce

1 garlic clove minced

1/4 tsp fresh ginger micro planed - finely zested

1/2 tsp sesame seeds

4 tbsp tamari

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

assembly:

for the veggies

prepare the veggies - ribbon, cube, dice

run broccoli under very hot water for about a minute until a vibrant green

place all prepped veggies in a medium bowl

toss with salt, lime juice & sesame or hemp oil

set aside to marinate

(if steaming, prep veggies, gently steam then toss with salt, lime & oil)

boil water for soba noodles, season water with salt

add soba noodles and cook for 3 minutes

for the sauce

combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well

place soba noodles in a bowl, top with veggies & drizzle with sauce

enjoy!

blood orange pistachio polenta cake + the liebster!

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

i am in love

that weightless, nothing in the world matters feeling

with winter citrus

it's the color i so desperately need this time of year

in between winter & spring where everything is gray

its like the scene in mars needs moms - where everything is bleak

and then you have this incredible burst of color

blood oranges are beautiful

cara cara oranges are quite nice too

my entire house is studded with bowls of winter citrus

i can't get enough of it

blood oranges make a beautiful showing in this cake

the perfect pick me up for anyone with the winter blues

blood oranges are paired with polenta, ground almonds & olive oil

the makings for a wonderfully moist textural cake

sifted with a bit of all spice for a little added warmth

ground pistachios are added to the topping -

making a delightful, slightly caramelized exterior

the color is quite pretty too

this polenta cake is baked much in the same fashion as an upside down cakenext turn around, however, i would remove the rindit looks pretty, but for some it can be a tad overwhelmingpersonally, i rather enjoyed the sweet & slightly bitter combinationhowever, it is not for everyone

one tip i do have is to please make sure you have allowed your cake

to fully cool once flipped before moving to your serving platter

the polenta cake is super moist and the oranges a bit top heavy

if moved too soon without cooling you are heading into dangerous territory

dangerous, like your cake splitting in half and loosing part of the bottom

while you were trying to quickly move it to your pretty serving plate

maybe i did this, maybe i didn't

i am not admitting to anything here

the color is amazing

tasting even more amazing than the color

a perfect companion to your afternoon tea

i interrupt this post for an important announcement

THANK YOU to Maryanne from the little epicurean for nominating Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes for the Liebster Blog Award- this is such a wonderful honor and puts a big smile on my face

Liebster" is German for dearest, favorite, or beloved. The Liebster Blog Award is sort of a chain letter among bloggers meant to showcase exceptional up-and-coming bloggers with less than 200 followers. It is a recognition that a fellow blogger has noticed and appreciated your work.

After accepting:

- Thank the Liebster Blog Award Presenter on your blog

- Link back to the blogger who nominated you

- Copy and paste the award on your blog

- Reveal 5 blogs of your choice

- Let them know by leaving a comment on their blog

my five beautiful blog picks:

fork & beans - I love Cara; funny, sincere and all around one of the nicest & best people that i have gotten to know through blogging- if i lived on the west coast we would be bff's, she creates the most amazing gluten free vegan foodie treats i have ever seen

the fig tree: Courtney J is awesome, i feel like i have known her forever; her blog is adorable, recipes amazing and one of my favorite bloggers i follow; beautiful photos too!

cooking weekends: Gerlinde is so amazingly creative - her recipes never fail to make me drool, love her creativity and photos

excuse me i can't stand up: Tuonela's recipes & photos are always mouth watering

she cooks, she gardens: i love Erin's Blog, her blog name represents the two things i love most;

cooking and gardening - her blog is simply charming

please go for a visit to the above blogs and show them some love - they deserve it!

now back to our originally scheduled program

Blood Orange Pistachio Polenta Cake

serves 12

you will need:

for the topping

1-2 blood oranges rind removed, thinly sliced

1 tsp vegan butter

2 tsp demerara sugar

1/4 cup shelled, roasted & salted pistachios, roughly ground

for the cake

1/2 cup softened vegan butter + 1 tsp butter for coating the pan

1/4 cup of finely ground almonds

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup polenta (stone ground cornmeal)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp all spice

1/2 cup very good olive oil

1/2 cup soy yogurt

1 cup agave or granulated sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

assembly:

pre-heat oven to 350*

butter a 9-inch round baking pan- line the bottom & sides with parchment paper

butter again

thinly slice the the blood oranges

sprinkle the demerara sugar coating the bottom of the pan

layer the blood orange overlapping if needed (single layer)

sprinkle the ground pistachios over the blood oranges

concentrating on any gaps from the oranges

set aside

in a medium bowl combine ground almonds through all spice

- whisk to combine

in a mixing bowl with paddle attachment mix on high speed olive oil, 1/2 cup softened vegan butter, agave or sugar & soy yogurt until well combined (about 2 minutes)

stir in vanilla & flour mixture until just combined

pour batter into round pan & bake for 30 - 32 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean when tested in the center of the cake

remove from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes

invert cake onto a cooling rack or serving plate

allow to fully cool before moving to a serving plate or prior to cutting

enjoy!

savory breakfast biscuits

2012-02-06T13:59:00.000-05:00

for a very long time i was banned from biscuit making

i traumatized justin one night with a batch of baking powder biscuits

reason number 89 to avoid getting your drink on while baking

- you may accidentally add baking soda instead of baking powder to the baking powder biscuits

the end result is not a good one- you cannot pass this one off by telling your boyfriend

that is the way they are suppose to taste

it was time for redemption

time for me to prove i could make one mean biscuit

let me introduce you to the saving grace of biscuits

the "one" that converted justin back to a biscuit loving fool

the savory breakfast biscuit

(truthfully we eat these all day- they do not last long in our house)

vegan baco bits, daiya cheese and thyme are folded into a spelt biscuit batter

we prefer super size biscuits - making 6 total biscuits from the doughregular sized will get you 12

perfect for a breakfast sandwiches or alongside a bowl of soup

biscuits are the ultimate answer when you a craving warm bread for breakfast, lunch or dinner and are short on time, these are ready from start to finish in about 20 minutes

brushed with vegan butter

baked until golden brown

spelt flour adds a little extra whole grain goodness

a perfect balance to the baco bits & daiya

Savory Breakfast Biscuits

makes 6 large or 12 regular sized biscuits

you will need:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup spelt flour

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

5 tsp cold vegan butter

1/2 cup daiya

1/4 cup vegan baco bits

2 tsp fresh thyme - tough stems removed

1/4 cup soy yogurt

3/4 cup vegan milk

2 tbsp or less of flour for kneading

1 tbsp melted butter for brushing tops of biscuits (optional)

assembly:

pre heat oven to 450*

line a baking sheet with parchment paper

in a large bowl combine flours, salt & baking powder

with a pastry cutter or 2 knives cut butter into the flour mixture until pea/pebble size pieces form

toss in daiya, baco bits & thyme - coating with flour/butter

stir in soy yogurt & vegan milk - do not over mix

turn onto a lightly floured surface

using the additional flour if needed gently knead dough - I like the method of folding the dough over onto itself like apiece of paper, rotating 25 degrees and repeating 4-5 time- this method will create flaky biscuit layers= after kneading form into a disc

using a biscuit cutter or a glass - cut out 6 -12 biscuits

reforming the dough until all is used

place cut biscuits onto the parchment lined baking sheet & brush with butter if desired

bake for 18- 20 Minutes for large biscuits

10-12 minutes for smaller biscuits until bottoms and tops are golden brown

Enjoy immediately!

carrot cashew apple bisque (raw)

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

winter & cold weather to me equals soup

as i mentioned in my last post i am trying to incorporate more raw foods into my daily life

raw soup - i thought to myself this may be weird

see, i am not a fan of cold soups

however, after some research i learned that it is okay to gently warm your raw soup on the stove (warm to the touch) as long as it is not heated above 115* - well i can do that!

i was quite pleased with this soup - colorful, tasty and raw

does it get any better than that

for me - yesterday no it didn't

after a long & late night at work i had this soup waiting for me when i got home

it was exactly what i needed

carrots & apples are juiced along with a small piece of ginger

carrot ribbons and soaked raw cashews are blended with the juice along with a bit of water

seasoned with pink salt & white pepper and we were on our way to a tasty soup

after experimenting i am thinking i need to add a vita mix to the must have list

the cashews blended with the soup added a bit of texture - if i had blended the soup with a vita mix i am sure it would have been silky smooth

the texture though was a good thing this time around - it gave the soup a little bit of character

amazing is all i can say as to how i have felt incorporating more raw goodness into my life

after a raw meal at night i sleep like a baby

summer though, is when my raw creativity will really shine

fresh veggies straight from the garden & picnic rock

can we say super excited

you can certainly make this soup "unraw"simply simmer the carrots and apple in a bit of wateradd the cashews, season and blend with an immersion blenderthis soup would still totally be tasty

it really is a pretty soup

very photogenic

Carrot Cashew Apple Bisque

serves 2

you will need:

4 carrots

1 green apple

thumb size piece of ginger

1 cup raw cashews soaked

1 cup filtered water

1 tsp pink salt

1 tsp white pepper

assembly:

juice 3 1/2 carrots & with a peeler ribbon the other 1/2 carrot

set aside ribbons

juice apple & ginger

in a small soup pan or high speed blender add juice, water & cashews

blend with an immersion blender or high speed blender

add carrot ribbons, salt & pepper

blend until smooth or desired consistency is reached

if desired, gently warm on stove top taking care not to warm over 115*

(warm to the touch)

divide between 2 bowls & enjoy!

kijani juice

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

juicing

i really hope this becomes the new trend

it is utterly amazing

in the past i have made a few attempts to be a juicer

problem one our first juicer was a monster - not the easiest thing to whip out in the morning

hurdle two justin was afraid i would juice a finger - so he became the designated juice man

three - honestly, i lacked the motivation

things have changed, i am totally a juice addict now

you see, healing naturally is very important to me - i have never spoken about this on my blog before

truth is - 3 years ago i was diagnosed with a chronic illness; upper crohns

yep - no cure, medicine for life, and they have no idea what causes it

wow- i must have put on my big girl pants to have shared that, it is not easy for me to admit that i have crohns. for a long time i was in denial & that denial landed me in the hospital for 7 days

there is a lot of support that juicing heals the body and a raw diet is ideal for those with this illness

so i am giving it a try; a holistic approach

okay. so enough about that - lets talk about this amazing juice

by far this is my favorite comboloads of fruit and veggiesit is my new favorite way to start the day

back in the day i would have laughed if you told me i would become a lean mean juice master machine

kale? who drinks kale

come to find out loads of people and it is awesome

this juice gives me energy unlike anything else that lasts well into early afternoon

if you can it is best to drink your juice on an empty stomach - first thing in the morning is best

i also juice in the afternoon, about an hour before heading to the gym

are you wondering about the name

oh yeah that

it is Swahili for green

no, i am not a secret swahili princess

green juice sounded boring - kijani, is well, just fun

if you are not convinced that juicing is absolutely the best thing for you and your bodytake an hour out of your day and watch fat, sick & nearly deadit may change your mind about the power of juicing

kijani juice

2 servings

you will need:

1 asian pear

2 small apples

small bunch of kale - 3-4 leaves

1/2 cup broccoli

1/2 cup blueberries

assembly:

prep all veggies to your own juicer:

washed & cut if needed

juice all veggies in juicer

i prefer my juice straight from juicer; justin likes his with an ice cube

enjoy!

baked donuts ~ 3 ways

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

growing up, sunday mornings consisted of

scrambled eggs & bacon

the three stooges

goody good donuts

ah yes - goody good donuts

they literally made the BEST donuts

it was a little donut shop, the type that was run by a big burly man

and hosted an old school bunn coffee maker in the corner

it was a sad, sad day when goody good closed

i think my dad may have cried a little

he use to visit goody good everyday at least 3 times a day for coffee

on sundays if we were really good he would sneak out, get his cup of coffee

and return with a cardboard box tied with red & white bakers twine

inside that box, if i was lucky would be the mother of all donuts

i have no idea what the name of that glorious donut was

but is was big, round & flat covered in maple frosting

it was

absolute heaven

these donuts come in at a close second

a bit healthier than their fried counterpart

but just as tasty and tad bit addicting

okay, really addicting

a spice spiked batter is quickly mixed and piped into a donut pan

quickly baked for 10-12 minutes

more cake like in texture than your traditional donut

so if you are looking for that light and airy donut you won't find them here

but give these a try, you won't be sorry

3 different toppings are made

everything about these donuts is easy

chocolate glaze, vanilla glaze & a coco nutty topping

once the donuts have cooled a bit, dip away

be creative

think outside the donut hole

my favorite, hands down was the coco nutty vanilla glazed donut

true story - i inhaled 2 in the car on the way back from our nephews birthday party

.....i ate these in front of a dunkin donuts with the tea i had just purchased - i know they were jealous

my vegan donuts were way better

you could totally wake up a little bit early and make these for the ones you love

what better way to wake up than to the smell of freshly baking donuts

perfect for a lazy sunday morning, newspaper in hand alongside a steaming cup of tea

your kids, your husband, your boyfriend, your cat and dog will think you are even more amazing than you already are is that even possible? YESwith these donuts it sure is possible

Baked Donuts ~ 3 Ways

recipe for 6 donuts ~ easily doubled

glaze for 12 donuts

you will need:

for the donuts

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar or agave

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup soy yogurt

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp almond milk

for the glazes

coco nutty

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp butter

1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

chocolate

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp almond milk

vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp almond milk

assembly:

preheat oven to 375*

in a medium bowl combine all dry ingredients

in another medium bowl mix all wet ingredients well, until smooth

combine wet and dry together and mix well

transfer batter to a large ziploc bag - this will make the process much easier when piping dough into donut pan

cut corner from bag

pipe batter into each donut round, smoothing out with the back of a spoon if needed

bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes - do not over bake, the donuts will continue to cook in the pan once removed from the oven

remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes - turn donuts onto a cooling rack and allow to fully cool prior to glazing

to make the glazes, in 2 separate bowls combine all ingredients for the chocolate glaze in one bowl and all the ingredients for the vanilla glaze in the other bowl- whisk each glaze until smooth

to make the coco nutty topping - in a small saute pan over medium heat melt vegan butter

add nuts & coconut and stir to coat, then add powdered stirring until all pieces are well coated. cook over medium heat, stirring continuously for 5 - 7 minutes. remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl stirring as they cool to break up any clumps and to keep the mixture crumbly

dip each donut in the glaze of choice following with a dip in the coco nutty mixture if desired

once dipped place back on cooling rack and allow the glaze to set

enjoy!

tahini beetroot black bread ~ black cherry jam

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

do you randomly think of recipes in the most peculiar places

i do - am i alone?

i have a gazillion sticky notes with ideas all over the place

in my shoes

on empty naked juice bottles making their way back home to be recycled

at the bottom of my purse

for me inspiration comes from everyday life

an idea forms, then my brain starts working

- watch out. that can get dangerous

layering ideas on top of one another

until, in my mind

the perfect recipe is formed

it is not a secret that i like bread

let me rephrase that

i LOVE bread

freshly baked, still warm from the oven

tahini beetroot bread was born after days of thinking -

about bread mostly

then the other layers of flavor started to knock

on the recipe door in my head

along the way cherry jam invited herself to the party

we welcomed her with open arms

well, we started to have second thoughts when she got a little crazy at the party

please make this bread, it is full of

goodness

love

beetroot - which turns this bread into a lovely shade of pink

coffee, cocoa & rye- the classic flavors of black bread

are combined with tahini & beetroot

please be warned this recipe may turn your hands, white cabinets & counter top a fantastic shade of pink

just be sure to clean up quick

kneaded and formed into a round for the first rise

set in an oiled bowl

let it hang out for a while

it deserves a much needed rest

cherries & sugarplus a little lemon & zestwill give you amazing jam

while your dough is on the first rise

please make homemade jam

for reals, it is totally worth it

shape your dough into a sphere

any pretty shape will do

lightly dust with flour

with a sharp knife quickly slice three lines

not all the way through of course, just the surface

baking bread in a very hot oven with a bit of steam will give you an amazing crust

i for one love crusty bread

served with a mealor toasted for a snackwhich ever way you decide to enjoy this bread it surely won't disappoint

toasted with black cherry jam won my heart 10 x's over

Tahini Beetroot Black Bread ~ Black Cherry Jammakes 1 loaf & 1 jam jar of black cherry jam you will need:1 1/2 tsp instant coffee1/8 cup water 1 cup warm water2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast1/4 molasses1 tbsp tahini1 tbsp raw honey2 cups flour + 1 cup for dusting & kneading1 cup organic rye flour1 tbsp cocoa powder1/4 cup shredded beetroot2 tsp salt1 tsp canola oil for coating the bowl & plastic wrap assembly:in a small bowl combine instant coffee & 1/8 cup waterstir until dissolved- set aside in a large bowl combine 1 cup warm water through tahini stir and let stand about 5-10 minutes until frothy add remaining ingredients except canola oilstir with a wooden spoon until just mixedturn out onto a well floured surfaceknead as much of the remaining flour as you can until the dough is smooth & elasticabout 10 minutes oil a large bowl with canola oilset dough ball in the bowl turning once to coatcover tightly with plastic wrapset in a warm space and allow to rise for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until double in size while the bread is rising make the cherry jampit all cherriesin a medium sauce pan add cherries - over medium heat cook cherries for about 5 minutes crushing the cherries to release some of the juicesadd sugar, juice & zest of 1/2 a lemonbring to a slow boil stirring constantlywhile maintaining a slow boil continuously stir jam for 10 minutes or until jam begins to thickenremove from heat and ladle into jam jar once the dough has risen to double its size punch down and allow to rest for 10 minutesturn onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a loaf or round cover and allow to rise for another 40 minutes pre-heat oven to 400*place a baking stone in the oven to heat along with a small rimmed baking sheet either above or below the stoneplace bread dough on a piece of parchment, using a sharp knife cut 3 slits just on the surface of the bread transfer to ovenplace 1 cup of water in the baking sheet to create steambake bread for about 23 minutes or when the bottom of the bread is tapped it sounds hollow remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes or more until slicing enjoy! Print this recipe

mini pepper poppers

2012-01-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

mini pepper poppers

say that 10 times fast

aren't these the cutest mini sweet peppers you ever did see

i think so - not hot but sweet as can be

filled with a "bacon bit" sourcream & pineapple mixture

topped with a bit of daiya

these were totally big on game day

almost as big as the patriots going to the super bowl

i only know that because of all the facebook chatter

justin and i were too busy playing buzz quiz on ps3

with me beating him on all the fashion & food questions

but him winning the game

winner winner chicken dinner

these little poppers are really too easy

5 ingredients

a bit of time in the oven

and you have yourself a winner

**sometimes i wonder about myself- that is cream cheese, not sour cream**

cream cheese is mixed with veggie bacon bits, pineapple salsa & cilantro

the peppers are cut in half - make as little or as much as you pleasethis is a very adaptable recipeeasy going to say the least

stuff your peppers - that sounds mean

lets start over

fill your peppers with the the salsa mixture

top with daiya cheese - i was rather fond of the pepper jack daiya

some were left in all their nakedness glory

others were topped with cow cheese...yes, sad to say - justin has yet to become a daiya convert

we are working on that

baked in the oven for about 15 minutesjust until the cheese is bubbly & meltytopped with a bit of cilantro viola - you have yourself an amazing game day snackwithout even breaking a sweat

mini pepper poppers

makes 16 stuffed mini peppers

you will need:

8 mini sweet peppers - cut in half lengthwise & deseeded

2 tbsp vegan "Bacon Bits"

2/3 cup tofutti vegan cream cheese

1/2 cup pineapple salsa

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

1/4 daiya cheese

1 tbsp cilantro for garnishing

assembly:

in a medium bowl mix bacon bits, vegan cream cheese, salsa & cilantro

mix well

fill the mini peppers

(already cut in half & deseeded)

sprinkle with daiya cheese

on a parchment lined baking sheet - bake in a preheated 350* oven for 15 minutes

remove from oven allow to cool for about 2 minutes prior to topping with cilantro garnish

enjoy!

mini veggie tartletts ~ spinach tofu ricotta

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

ever since seeing bon appetit's january cover i have had veggie tarts on the mind

the photo was unpretentious but beautiful

food simply at its best

i am officially in love with my mini tart pans

is that healthy? to be in love with your kitchen products

this weekend was a weekend full of finds

first the dandies

then the confetti eggplant, i had never come across one before saturday

it was love at first sight

i was contemplating even making this on sunday

attempting a *relaxing* sunday - hmmm what's that again

that just didn't happen - i am not known for being able to sit still for too long

about a half hour in to my book and cup of tea i was getting antsy

so i decided to head over to homegoods while justin was napping, he apparently has no issue with relaxing

i bought a few baskets for organizing my ever growing collection of photo props , a table runner

and a few adorable forks

when i got home the confetti eggplant was calling my name

i couldn't not not make these

confetti eggplant, orange pepper, red onion & shitake mushrooms make the fillingfresh rosemary & tarragon add a wonderful earthiness to the final dish

spinach tofu ricotta adds another layer of flavor

along with a burst of color

veggies are sauteed with fresh herbs & olive oil

the spinach tofu ricotta is made

the tarts are filled

beautiful, colorful fantastical yup, i just used the word fantastical

serve these on game day

or with a salad for lunch

invite a friend over, or two

mini veggie tartletts ~ spinach tofu ricotta

makes 3 mini tarts

you will need:

for the veggies

1/2 small confetti eggplant cubed & salted

1/2 large orange pepper - large dice

1/4 cup red onion- diced

8oz sliced shitake mushrooms

1 tsp fresh tarragon - torn

1 tsp fresh rosemary - finely diced

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp good sea salt

for the spinach ricotta

1 cup firm tofu drained

1 tsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp sea salt

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 clove of garlic

1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves

3 tbsp olive oil

for the pastry

1 cup + 1 tbsp flour

6 tbsp cold vegan butter

1 tsp agave

pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup ice water

fresh tarragon & rosemary for garnishing

assembly:

pre- heat oven to 375*

in a large saute pan over medium heat add olive oil

add onion and saute until translucent - about a minute

add mushrooms and salt- sautee until golden brown

add remaining veggies - saute for an additional 5 minutes

add fresh herbs, cooking for an additional minute

remove from heat

in a food processor or mini prep add tofu through spinach

process until well combine

slowly drizzle olive oil while processing mixture until creamy

rinse processor

to make the dough, add flour through sea salt

process until pebble size clumps form

with the processor running add the ice water until a sticky dough forms

evenly divide the dough between the 3 tart pans, with the back of a floured spoon evenly distribute the dough through the bottom and up the sides

evenly divide the tofu ricotta mixture between the 3 pans

top with the veggies, evenly distributed between the pans

place filled tart pans on a rimmed baking sheet

bake in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes

remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes prior to removing from the pans

top with tarragon or rosemary

enjoy!

s'mores on a stick

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

honestly these were too cute to not write about

another game day treat - a sweet treat this time

super easy, super fast, incredibly fun

can i tell you how excited i was on saturday to find dandies hidden on a lower shelf at sunflower

super excited. so excited i had to hold in a little squeal

there was a class on immunity boosters taking place in the store and i have a feeling they would have been as excited as i was at that very moment

you see, s'mores was my absolute favorite camping tradition up until i became a vegan

truth is, i kinda ignored the whole marshmallows are not vegetarian once a year

however when becoming vegan, i could not just pretend anymore

last fall was the first camping trip ever i did not dance around the camp fire with sticky marshmallow fingers covered in pine needles with a chocolate mess dripping down my chin

oh s'mores, i missed you

so very much

this game day treat

or any day of the week treat for that matter

comes together so fast

with minimal ingredients

mini dandies are skewered on mini skewers or toothpicks and rolled in melted chocolatethen rolled again in crushed graham crackerssee i told you- so easy

i couldn't have my own campfire, but that didn't mean my little s'mores couldn't

i know- i am a dork

s'mores on a stick

makes 12

you will need:

36 mini dandies marshmallows

(i used original vanilla flavor)

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips - melted

3 sheets graham crackers- crushed

12 mini skewers or toothpicks

assembly:

skewer 3 marshmallows per stick

roll marshmallows in melted chocolate

the roll in graham crackers

if you'd like, take another sheet of graham cracker and gently push the completed s'more allowing it to dry upright and for a super cute presentation

enjoy!

cherry almond tartletts

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

valentines day is just around the corner

this was my practice run on dessert

i still remember what i made our first valentines day - we had been dating less than a year, not yet living together....ooh those days, remember those days

enchiladas - really, really unintentionally spicy enchiladas

justin was a champ - he never once mentioned how incredibly spicy they were

he even brought home a bottle of wine - which turned out to be the worst wine the store carried

but he tried - he had no clue about wine, gotta love the boy

since that valentines i avoid anything spicy

we switched to prosecco

and added dessert

perfection

this dessert just so happens to be healthy

raw vegan to be exact, and it is absolutely amazing

dried figs & almonds make the crust

a cashew cream is made from raw cashews & agave

cherries & artisana cacao bliss are added for a bit of decadence

my aunt and uncle are pretty hardcore

they went from total McD's loving meat eaters to raw vegan

like i said

hard.core.

inspired by their journey i have been exploring the world of raw foods

this is my first vegan raw dessert creation

mini tartletts make this dessert even more adorable

if you don't have the mini tartletts you can certainly make a larger tart

healthy goodness in every bite

once your crust is in place the cashew cream in the tart

then layer with melted cacao bliss, cherries & almonds and/or unsweetened coconut flakes

heavenly

make these for your love on valentines day

cherry almond tartletts come together in a flash

leaving time for more important things

like painting your nails "not just another waitress"

putting on that pretty perfect dress

and cranking up that mix of jack johnson radio on pandora

make your valentines day extra special, no matter who you decide to spend it with

Cherry Almond Tartletts

makes 3 tartletts

you will need:

for the crust

1 1/2 cups dried mission figs

1/2 cup raw sliced almonds

pinch sea salt (i used maldon)

for the cashew cream

1/2 cup raw cashews

(soaked for a minimum of 5 hours or overnight)

1/3 cup agave

1 1/2 cups pitted cherries

6 tbsp artisana raw cacao bliss melted

for garnishing

1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

1 tbsp sliced raw almonds

assembly:

in a food processor or mini prep processor add all ingredients and process until well combined - paste like

evenly divide mixture between 3 non-stick mini tart pans & spread up the sides and over the bottom of each pan

rinse our processor & add cashews & agave

process until smooth

evenly divide cashew cream between each tart and evenly spread the cream

pit cherries and cut in half

melt cacao bliss until just melted - evenly divide between pans and spread in a circle, leaving a border of cashew cream

place halved cherries in a circular pattern - any pattern you fancy

i choose, two facing up, two facing down

sprinkle with sliced almonds & unsweetened coconut flakes

refrigerate until ready to serve

enjoy!

mexicali phyllo wraps ~ chipotle cilantro cream

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

round two of game day snackies - aren't you excited

... i can't believe i just used the word snackies

moving on

mexicali phyllo wraps made a very welcome appearance on sunday

i love the simple combination of flavors these wraps have

make a little or allot - you can customize this recipe to do either

don't you just love that - you can also customize the filling

to sum it up this is a very customizable recipe

for my mexicali wraps my filling of choice was a combination of:

black beans, corn, cumin, red onion, prepared salsa & lime juice

phyllo, fillo - why do we make things so complicated

lets pick a spelling and stick with it

i am going with phyllo - i think it looks prettier

out of all the phyllo dough i have worked with i like this one best : Apollo Fillo

(and no one even bribed me to say that!)

these are easier to work with as they are a bit thicker and seem to be a tad wider that other phyllo dough i have worked with - these are much more forgiving

the dough is brushed with vegetable oil then folded in half

brush again with oil, fold the half in half

brush one more time, and fold in half

once you get the hang folding the triangles the process moves along pretty quickly

2 different topping options

first:

vegan sour cream, chipotle pepper & cilantro

second :

a simple mixture of avocado & lime

both equally amazing

this i would imagine, would freeze & reheat really well

i ended up freezing a few for later

- i will let you know how that worked out for me

if i was the type of girl that threw a super bowl party - these would definitely make the cutbut i am the type of girl that throws scrabble parties instead

or cinco de mayo - now that is a party that we never miss

i see margaritas, fried plantains & mexicali wraps in my future on may 5th

Mexicali Phyllo Wraps ~ Chipotle Cilantro Cream

makes 10 wraps/triangles

you will need:

for the wraps

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 cup black beans
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1 tbsp cumin
juice of 1/2 a lime
5 sheets thick phyllo
1/2 cup vegetable oil for brushing phyllo

for the chipolte cilantro cream

2 tbsp vegan sour cream
1 chipotle pepper minced
1/2 tsp cilantro

for the avocado topping

1 avocado
1/2 lime

assembly:

in a small pan heat olive oil over medium heat - add onion and saute about a minute
add corn through lime - remove from heat
with a pastry brush, brush your first sheet of phyllo; fold in half, brush again, fold in half, brush again, fold in half: you have created a long skinny rectangle
take about 1 tsp of filling and place in a top corner of phyllo- fold corner to create a triangle and continue folding back & forth keeping the triangle shape - once you reach the half way point of the first sheet cut and repeat with the second half. repeat all steps with the 4 remaining sheet - resulting in 10 triangles. check out this tutorial if i have confused you!
line a baking sheet with parchment and place triangles on sheet - bake in a preheated 350* for 30 minutes or until golden brown
to make your chipolte cilantro cream - combine all ingredients and mix well
to make your avocado lime - remove avocado from skin and the pit- place in a mini food processor and process with lime until desired consistency is reached

enjoy!

quinoa spinach bites - gingered orange honey dipping sauce

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

game day snacks

i am pretty sure that has a different meaning to justin and i, than to everyone else

see- we are not huge sports fans <gasp!>

from new england and not drooling over tom brady every sunday, how can that be?

our game day consists of scrabble or battleship, card games (naughty minds anyone?) or PlayStation 3d move games - yes, we like to live outside the box, dare to be different

so, i thought i would share with you one of our game day snacks from this past sunday

quinoa spinach bites with a gingered orange honey dipping sauce

quinoa, spinach & garlic

a trio of healthy goodness

these simple ingredients are made into little poppable bitesperfect for game day snacking

raw orange blossom honey, orange zest & segments along with ginger and a wee bit of sugar make a lovely dipping sauce

my honey surprised me with a few jars of beautiful honey from bee raw

- he knows the way straight to my heart

flax eggs are added to the quinoa mixture to get the binding action going

rounded packed tablespoons of the mix are rolled in chickpea flour

i wanted to give you 2 different cooking options

fried - 'cause who doesn't love them some fried food

baked - because there are still some us of trying to squeeze into our skinny jeans

both methods work equally well

baking makes for an easier clean up and a cleaner stove top

fried or baked - you really can't go wrong either way

the perfect game day snackpoppable & tasty

quinoa spinach bites - gingered orange honey dipping sauce

makes 12 bites

you will need:

for the quinoa bites:

1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
1 tsp sea salt
1 garlic clove
3 cups baby spinach
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp olive oil
2 flax eggs: 2 tbsp flax meal & 6 tbsp warm water
3/4 cup chickpea flour
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil for frying
olive oil drizzle for baking

for the gingered orange honey dipping sauce:

2 tsp sugar
juice & orange segments from 1/2 a large orange
1 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp raw honey
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

assembly:

in a small sauce pan bring 1 cup of water to a boil
salt & add quinoa
turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorb and the quinoa "rings" are visible
place quinoa in a medium bowl, in the same pan over medium, heat oil
add spinach, garlic & mustard - cook until spinach has wilted
add quinoa back to the pan and stir until well combined - place mixture back into the medium bowl and refrigerate until cool (or place in freezer for a more rapid cooling)
while the quinoa is cooling, make the sauce
rinse out the pan you used for the quinoa, over medium heat add all ingredients for the sauce - cook over medium heat frequently stirring. cook for approximately 6 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken - the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools- refrigerate until ready to use
once the quinoa has fully cooled, make your flax egg by combining flax meal & warm water - whisk until frothy. add flax egg to quinoa mixture and mix well
place your chickpea flour in a bowl - with a tablespoon or tablespoon scoop, scoop quinoa and pack well - drop in chickpea flour and roll until completely coated
if frying set the coated bite on a plate - if baking line a baking sheet with parchment and set the bites until all the quinoa mixture is rolled and coated
if baking pre-heat oven to 425* - drizzle bites with olive oil or vegetable oil. bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown
if frying - heat oil in a deep frying pan and add oil- fry each side for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown on each side. remove from pan onto a paper towel lined plate
serve immediately with dipping sauce - these also go well with marinara sauce in place of the gingered orange honey sauce
if not serving immediately- keep warmed in a 200* oven until ready to serve

Enjoy!