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4-Ingredient Vegan "Snickers"

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vegan snickers bars
I have these adorable candy molds that I bought on Amazon. Perfect for DIY mini candy bars. And my favorite candy in my pre-vegan days ... Snickers. So today, a veganize-this recipe!..

vegan snickers bars

Snickers bars. That gooey inside, combined with crunchy peanuts and a velvety chocolate coating. I was hooked.

On Halloween I would line up all my fun size Snickers, in a tidy row, counting them in glory. When trading sweets with my fellow trick-or-treaters I would value my Snickers as the most coveted treat, right up there with Reeses PB cups. You need to pay me two Twizzlers, a Dots, a Junior Mint, AND Milk Duds to get just one of my caramel and nugget-filled Snickers. And even then, I might not have budged on a deal.

But anyways. I apologize for bringing up Halloween in summertime. I don't want to be that person. I'm talking to you CVS/Pharmacy with your pumpkin and 'fall leaves' goodies just waiting to pounce on us.

Vegan Snickers. So when I realized that I could veganize those same cravable flavors and textures using just four main ingredients, I knew I had to share this recipe with you.

Vegan Snickers ... the video.

And even if you don't like straight up candy bars to nibble ... yes there are people like this .. just think of all the fun things you can do with these bars:

Chop them up try these fun ideas..

- Add them to some banana ice cream for a healthy-decadent treat, aka a dessert smoothie bowl.
- Use them in place of chocolate chips for some super amazing cookies.
- Fold them into a cashew or tofu cheesecake mixture for some vegan "Snickers" cheesecake insanity. Oh the possibilities...
- Add them to my silky vanilla custard!

The four main ingredients? Virgin coconut oil, dark chocolate chips, Medjool dates and peanuts.

Nugget + Caramel in One. I decided to keep things really simple and make the Medjool date caramel act as both the caramel and the nugget, since it has a hearty bite, yet gooey caramel-like texture. Simple and delicious.

Four Ingredient Vegan Snickers

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 08/20/2015
Vegan Snickers

These super easy "Snickers" inspired vegan candy bars contain five simple ingredients: dates, chocolate chips, coconut oil, peanuts and optional vanilla and salt.

Ingredients

  • chocolate:
  • ⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips
  • ⅓ cup virgin coconut oil
  • Filling:
  • 6 large Medjool dates - pitted
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  • pinch of salt for date paste - optional
  • Also: ¼ cup whole peanuts

Instructions

  1. In a blender or food processor, process the dates and water and optional vanilla extract and salt until smooth, whipped and creamy. Set aside.
  2. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together. You can warm them for 20-30 seconds in a microwave or in a small sauce pot on the stove.
  3. Pour one teaspoon of the melted chocolate into the chocolate molds. Then place in freezer for 2 minutes, or until hardened.
  4. Next, put 5-6 peanuts in each bar mold, then dollop the date caramel on top. Using a spoon or butter knife, press the date paste towards the middle of the mold, leaving room for the chocolate to cling to the edges and seal in the filling. Pour the remaining chocolate over top the peanuts and date paste.
  5. Place bars back in the freezer to chill until hardened, usually at least five minutes. You can store the bars in a plastic bag in the freezer - they will keep well for up to a few weeks!

Yield: 6 mini bars
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 10 mins.
Tags: dessert,candy,vegan,snickers,chocolate,peanuts,dates,coconut oil,sweet,easy,

Avocado Toast with Spiced Skillet Chickpeas

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My goal with my blog (and my cookbooks) is to bring you guys recipes that you will actually make. Not just gawk at. Or dream about. Or gaze at from beyond your shiny, bright computer screen. But recipes that you will be able to see, smell, taste and experience in person. In your own kitchen. In true real, reality color. Recipes that you get to eat! Isn't that the whole point of all this cookbook-ing, food blogging, Instagram-food-photo beautiful mess we find ourselves in every day?

So today a truly simple and very user-friendly recipe. My Avocado Toast with Spiced Skillet Chickpeas is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Yup, this is a anytime of day kind of dish. But first, get my chickpea nutrition tip!..

Avocado Toast. With a Kick.

We start with sizzling, spicy-smoky, skillet chickpeas..

Then we add freshly sliced avocado for mashing on toast (I love giant slabs of sourdough)..

Before slicing..

Add some lemon, sea salt, cilantro and slice and serve!..

And I drizzled this on top.. Jordan Winery's 2014 harvest estate extra virgin olive oil -- it is SO good. Such a luxury for adding to dishes like this. The flavor is buttery, rich and dreamy. You can snag your own bottle on Jordan's website.

Start your day with chickpeas! Yes, really. A great nutrition tip is this. First thing in the morning, when you are whipping up breakfast, toss some chickpeas in a skillet - use the recipe in this post, or your own - and sizzle up some chickpeas. Or you could do popped lentils or even another variety of bean. Then pour those chickpeas in a bowl and pop them in the fridge. You can add them to recipes all day long. From salads and soups to pasta dishes or even as a stand alone snack.

Nutrition Bonus. Besides being delicious, hearty, nutty and satisfying, chickpeas are a good source of fiber, plant-based protein, iron, folate, copper and more.

My skillet-popped lentils also work..

Avocado Toast with Spiced Skillet Chickpeas

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 08/18/2015
Avocado Toast with Spiced Skillet Chickpeas

This spin on avocado toast, infuses some extra protein and fiber from spiced, smoky skillet-sizzled chickpeas.

Ingredients

  • chickpeas:
  • 16oz can or box of chickpeas, drained/rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1-2 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
  • for the pan: 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (use more for more decadent chickpeas)
  • coarse sea salt to finish
  • -
  • toast:
  • 2 large sliced sourdough bread, toasted (use any bread)
  • 1 avocado, sliced for mashing
  • 2 teaspoon chopped parsley or cilantro
  • lemon wedges on the side
  • drizzle of EVOO over top to serve

Instructions

  1. Warm a skillet over high heat and add the extra virgin olive oil to the pan. When oil is hot, add in the drained chickpeas. Shake the pan to disperse the oil. Sprinkle half of the spices over top the chickpeas. Let them sit, sizzling in the pan for 1-2 minutes, then shake the pan to disperse the spices - the chickpeas should be nicely coated with the red and yellow spices. Next, add in the lemon juice and maple syrup and shake the pan around again. Add in the other half of the spices and shake the chickpeas to distribute. Keep shaking for the next 2-3 minutes as you allow the chickpeas to cook and brown, absorbing the flavors. When the chickpeas are nicely dark reddish-orange in color and have toasted around the edges a bit - they are done. Sprinkle the coarse sea salt over top - I used fleur de sel. Set aside.
  2. Toast the bread and using a fork, smash the avocado into the toast. Sprinkle the chickpeas on top, add the cilantro or parsley garnish and drizzle EVOO over top to serve. Serve with lemon wedges and squeeze lemon over top as you eat. Slice and serve!

Yield: 2 large toasts + leftover chickpeas
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 04 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 06 mins.
Total time: 10 mins.
Tags: snack,chickpeas,lunch,sandwich,avocado,toast,avocado toast,vegan,entree,easy

*disclosure: thank you to my friends at Jordan Winery for sending me two bottles of their amazing 2014 estate EVOO to try out! SO good.

Peanut + Jam Bars! with Whole Grain Oats.

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These jam and nut-filled bars are the perfect after-school snack, fiber-ful dessert or anytime treat. Packed with whole grain oats, sweet fruity jam and chopped peanuts (though you could use any nut), these Peanut & Jam Oatmeal Bars, aka PBJ Bars, are a fun and easy baking recipe. Bake these bars, share them with your friends and have a very sunny snack time!..

bars before adding the top layer of batter and baking..

I feel the hum of back to school in the air, so I wanted to share this recipe because PBJ always reminds me of my days as a JanSport backpack wearing kid, rushing home after school to rummage through the pantry to pull out snacks or to make my own. Peanut butter and jam on saltine crackers with apple slices was a common DIY fave of mine, as I recall. So today's recipe is a baked spin on that, providing some hearty, sweet treat snackage to all the families out there currently entangled in the back to school buzz.

But really these bars, are for everyone.

These tender, crumbly bars have a sweet peanut butter and jelly-ish flavor, and loads of complex carbs from the whole grain rolled oats.

I didn't want a thick layer of peanut butter to weigh down the bars, so I instead used a layer of crumbly chopped peanuts to get that peanut flavor. You could easily use chopped almonds, walnuts or even sunflower or pumpkin seeds for allergy sensitivities.

These bars are vegan + gluten-free + happiness-inducing.

Just posted my recipe for these PJB Oatmeal Bars on #healthyhappylife.com #HappySundayA photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Aug 16, 2015 at 11:03am PDT

ps. Wearing my HHL tee above .. coziest tee and I just love them. If you still want one, I relaunched the campaign - they will ship only if enough tees sell.

Peanut and Jam Oatmeal Bars

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 08/16/2015
Peanut and Jam Granola Squares

These crumbly, moist, baked square are peanut butter and jelly flavored, with some granola bar appeal built in. Perfect for a snack or treat. Kid-approved!

Ingredients

  • dry:
  • 1 ¾ cups rolled oats
  • 1 ¼ cup oat flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar
  • wet - blended:
  • 1 stick of vegan butter, Earth Balance - melted or softened
  • 1 large ripe banana
  • ⅓ cup warm water
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • filling:
  • ½ cup jam or jelly - any flavor
  • 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil
  • ½ cup unsalted peanuts, halved or chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and 8x8 square baking dish.
  2. Add all the 'dry' ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss well.
  3. Add the 'wet' ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and silky - the mixture will look like a thick yellow pudding in texture.
  4. Pour the wet into the dry bowl and stir well, until a textured oat batter forms.
  5. Scoop about ⅔ of the batter into the baking dish and flatten with a spatula.
  6. Warm the jam and coconut oil in a small dish in the microwave - or on the stovetop. You want the coconut oil melted and the jam to be soft and spreadable. Stir these two ingredients briskly together, then pour the jam on the bottom layer of batter, smoothing gently.
  7. Add the chopped peanuts over top the jam. Note: I "chopped" my peanuts by processing them in my Vitamix for about thirty seconds. A food processor can also be used - or simply chop using a knife.
  8. Pour the remaining batter over top the jam and peanuts and smooth.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Remove squares and cool for at least an hour before slicing and serving. They are easiest to slice when they are fully cooled or chilled in the fridge. Serve at room temperature - and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.
Total time: 40 mins.
Tags: dessert,snack,jam,kids,bars,squares,oats,peanuts,kids,

ps. Do not forget to enter to win prizes + vote in the veggie awards! I am up for three awards! details.

Disclosure: I am a Vitamix affiliate and any links to their products are via my affiliate account.

Make Ahead Meal: Sweet Potato, Bok Choy, Maple Tempeh Hearty Salad

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This is a make-ahead, hearty salad meal you have to try! My Sweet Potato Bok Choy Maple-Tamari Tempeh Salad is loaded with complexity, flavor and for lack of a better word, OOMPH! Oomph in the way of protein, fiber, healthy complex carbs, greens and some seriously addicting flavor. Nibble this salad and you won't want to stop...

Sizzling onions and tempeh..

Mixing it all together..

Putting it all together (this is before adding the drizzle sauce)..

I was trying to figure out what to call this dish, so I started googling "make ahead salads" and found this article..

The Importance of Hearty Make Ahead Salads

..I was like, YES. That is exactly what this salad is. Hearty. Make ahead. Bliss.

You can pull a hearty-make-ahead-salad (HMA salad?) out of the fridge and serve it as a full-sized, protein and fiber and veggie rich meal. No cooking, because you already did all that the day before, or that morning or afternoon when you actually had energy to cook.

This salad is something you might find in a deli case at a really amazing vegan deli. (Not that I know of a really amazing vegan deli, but I'm just saying.)

This Salad. Sweet and savory maple tempeh triangles, delicious and healthy greens from Bok Choy (or sub with another veggie!), caramelized onions and loads of diced sweet potato. Plus the sauce and seasoning flavors are just incredible. So much flavor in each bite.

Sweet Potato Bok Choy Maple-Tamari Tempeh Salad

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 08/12/2015
Sweet Potato Bok Choy Maple-Tamari Tempeh Salad

This veggie salad is rich in leafy greens, healthy carbs and plant-based protein. Maple, tamari and spicy flavors throughout.

Ingredients

  • tempeh:
  • 8oz temeph, sliced into triangles
  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoon tamari
  • -
  • 1 medium sweet potato, diced and boiled
  • 1 bunch organic bok choy, chopped (about 5 cups raw) -- feel free to substitute the veggie with what you have on hand
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • -
  • 1 heaping tablespoon vegenaise
  • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 2-3 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • -
  • drizzle sauce: 1 Tbsp vegenaise + 1 teaspoon hot sauce + 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • spice adds: smoky paprika + cayenne on tempeh to taste

Instructions

  1. Slice the tempeh and add it to a medium bowl along with the maple syrup and tamari. Toss well and let sit for at least a half hour before cooking so the flavors can absorb and marinate the tempeh.
  2. Boil the diced sweet potato until tender but not mushy. Turn off heat. Before draining the hot water, add the bok choy to the pot and close lid. Let the water and heat wilt the bok choy.
  3. Drain bok choy and potato and pour them into a large mixing bowl. Spoon in the vegenaise, sprinkle in nutritional yeast and squeeze in lemon juice. Gently toss with a large spoon or spatula. Set bowl aside.
  4. Onions + Tempeh. Warm a skillet over high heat and add 2-3 teaspoon of EVOO to the pan. When oil is hot, add the tempeh, including any leftover juices from the marinade that didn't get absorbed.) Saute for five minutes, flipping mid way through. When tempeh is done, sprinkle smoky paprika and cayenne over top to taste, then pour tempeh over top the sweet potato bok choy mixture. Gently fold it in.
  5. Warm the skillet again and add the onions. No need to add additional oil, since the residual juices and oil are enough to let the onions brown and caramelize a bit. (But add oil or water if the pan is too dry.) Cook the onions until gently caramelized. Pour the onion in the large mixing bowl as well. Toss everything gently and pour into a large shallow serving bowl. (SIDE: If you want to quick pickle the onions instead of saute - that is a great method too! I like this recipe.)
  6. Whip together the drizzle sauce and drizzle over top. Serve warm right away, or cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill until ready to serve. Eat within two days.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: entree,salad,tempeh,bok choy,sweet potato,onion,vegan

PS. Thank You for the veggie awards support! Vote + enter to win amazing prizes - details here!

2015 Veggie Award Nominations + More!

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The 2015 Veggie Awards are well underway and I have all the details on my three nominations, and how you can enter to win a Vitamix, year's supply of vegan ice cream and more! Plus my SXSW 2016 submission I hope you check out. (And don't miss the end-of-post bonus happy video I wanted to share..)

Three self-serving, but totally heartfelt requests for you today. Three in one post because it is SO much easier to get my vote-begging done in one swift post for the year 🙂

1. Veggie Awards. I always adore the VegNews veggie awards. My blog has been kindly nominated for "favorite blog" a few times, so I am thrilled to again be nominated among a stellar list of bloggers.

But I am especially excited about this year's awards because I am nominated in three categories this year, which is pretty exciting and a huge tribute to the very busy year of work and projects I have completed.

Seriously, being nominated makes the exciting events from the past year feel that much sweeter.

My three nominations:

- HealthyHappyLife.com for "favorite blog"
- Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen for "favorite book"
- FindingVegan.com for "favorite website"

vote here!

..this is the FIRST time FindingVegan has been nominated after me "writing it in" and asking fans to "write us in!" in years past - so being on the ballot really made my heart swell with joy.

When I saw it, I believe I dropped my phone on the couch and squealed to my husband.

And to be nominated in such talented company is beyond amazing.

I love the Veggie Awards because they celebrate such a wide array of vegan superstars. Products, places, people, websites, organizations and more. The awards are a great way to discover new vegan finds, as well as vote for your faves.

When you vote, you will be entered to win some fantastic prizes. Vitamix, $500 gift card to vegan essentials, loads of ice cream and more.

--
2. SXSW Panel Picker.

SXSW.  Another vote request, but really I am so passionate about this.. You guys may remember I had SO much fun hosting the official Vegan Meetup at SXSW in Austin last year.

Well for SXSW 2016 submissions, I went out on a "food" limb and submitted a presentation about wellness beverages at work. "What's in Your Mug? Matcha vs. Coffee!" I loved all the food-themed presentations at SXSW last year, so I would love to be a part of that this spring.

But my event NEEDS your vote, aka a thumbs up via the panel picker. A huge percentage of the deciding process comes from the public vote. Thumbs Up My Submission for SXSW 2016. (thank you thank you thank you)

3. Amazon Reviews.

And lastly, (last one I promise!) If you haven't already, please please hop on over to Amazon and leave a review for my cookbooks, if you own them. I LOVE reading the feedback and greatly appreciate the time it takes to write something for the world to see. Even a super quick 1-2 sentence review is greatly appreciated!

More positive reviews means more people are likely to find my book and infuse their lives with vegan recipes = win for people, the animals and the planet!

--

OK, I have now completed my vote begging, review-writing-request post of 2015.

To show my gratitude I offer up this photo with a caption, one of my faves from my collection of kitty instagrams blogpost..

"OK mom, now STOP asking the kind people to vote for you ..... and open me another can of food." - Sochi the cat..

AND a bonus for you guys who made it through this post. THANK YOU. I need to share this beautiful video with you today...

(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));

Why I make it my job to share delicious vegan recipes with the world. #ForTheAnimals (a happy video!!!)Posted by The Lunchbox Bunch on Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Ginger-Peach Oat Muffins

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Just as I was pulling these fluffy, steamy, Ginger-Peach Oat Muffins out of the oven this morning, the fire alarm in our building went off. Not the annoying little squeaky smoke detector in our kitchen, but like the building-wide, hurts your ears, cats-run-under-the-bed blasting loud fire alarm. It sounded like a screeching fork over a chalkboard times a million...

Perfect pairing: matcha latte.

I poked my head out the door and out the window to make sure their were indeed no billowing plumes of black smoke soaring through the quiet hallways. I pretty much always assume that a fire alarm is a false alarm. Which, actually, if you think about it is a really bad thing. I mean this alarm was blaring for about two minutes before I even started to consider that it could be real.

I paused in the kitchen, in my socks and pajamas, hair in a messy bun. And I panicked. Wait. If this was real (and still, it probably was not) but if this was real, WHAT WOULD I GRAB FIRST?

It is one of those silly questions that reporters sometimes ask celebrities in interviews. Or a fun conversation piece at a dinner party.

But really. What would you grab if you only had a minute or less to grab your self and GO.

People always used to say photo albums. But in this day in age, I think computers + hard drives + cell phones may be more likely. I mean you can always print more photos. However, for those of us who grew up in the pre-digital age, I do in fact have a giant stack of photo albums that have never been digitalized. So those would need to be grabbed in a heavy stack, hugged by my long arms and thrown into a reusable grocery bag nabbed from under the sink.

But first and foremost, those little fuzzballs who ran under the bed. Our heavy, wood, I cannot move it alone bed. Shoot. How in the world would I grab the cats with that scary fire alarm blaring? One cat maybe. But two into two separate carriers? Yikes.

Hopefully, in a true adrenalin rush, fueled by true fear and smoke, my superwoman powers would take over and super strength would be possible. Kinda like Edward blocking the truck from crushing Bella in Twilight (OK, so he was in fact a vampire with super strength) but you never know. And yes, I will use Twilight comparisons every chance I get here on the blog.

But really. Super strength. It is real I tell you. There is even a name for that, hysterical strength. Now hysterical strength doesn't have the same ring to it as super-woman-powers, but anyways.

So. Cats, computer, camera, some photos. Shoot, my arms are very full now. Well if I can grab the cats and my cell phone - and hopefully a bag full of my digital books of files, I will be good. Oh, and maybe my wedding dress. A girl can dream..

So back to today's events. After about five minutes of blaring sound and me NOT moving from my kitchen. Deer in headlights or eternal optimist, you decide. The alarm went off and I heard a maintenance man shout something like, "It works up here!" Really? Aren't they supposed to warm you of fire alarm testing?

Well at least it gave me some critical thinking time to ponder. I rolled my eyes and went back to this muffin morning photoshoot..

Ginger Peach. These muffins are a spin on a recipe in my cookbook HealthyHappyVeganKitchen. Ginger-peach is a favorite flavor combination of mine. Spicy, warming, ginger combines with sweet summer peaches, a hint of cinnamon, oats and a few crunchy walnuts. I use silken tofu as the egg replacer, so the muffins turn out very fluffy and with a nice bite to them. And a nice boost of plant-based protein too. In my book I use all spelt flour - and that is my preference for these muffins, but today I experimented with a combination of oats and wheat flour. Worked beautifully and deliciously. Perfect summer muffin!

So, as you nibble your muffin and sip some tea or coffee, ponder this question, with a real life answer: What would you grab if you had to leave your home in minutes or seconds? How could you be more prepared to exit on an emergency? PS. I'd love to hear your answers so please leave them in the comments!

PPS. Wow, how funny that my muffin post turned into a public service announcement for emergency preparedness. 🙂

Ginger-Peach Oat Muffins

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 08/10/2015
Ginger-Peach Oat Muffins

Fluffy peach and walnut studded muffins with walnuts, cinnamon and oats. vegan.

Ingredients

  • dry:
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon ginger powder
  • wet: (blend)
  • 7 ounces silken tofu
  • 1 banana (ripe)
  • 1 small lemon, juiced + pinch of zest
  • ⅓ cup agave syrup
  • fold-in:
  • 1 large peach, diced
  • 2 tablespoon raw walnuts, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or use paper liners.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Blend wet ingredients in a blender until smooth.
  4. Stir wet into the dry until well combined.
  5. Fold in the peaches and walnuts.
  6. Scoop batter into muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes. Cool at least ten minutes before serving. Delicious with a bit of vegan butter or coconut butter melted on top.

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 18 mins.
Total time: 28 mins.
Tags: muffins,peaches,oats,cookbook,vegan,breakfast,ginger,baking,

* adapted from Ginger-Peach Spelt muffins in HealthyHappyVeganKitchen, by yours truly - recipe page 80.

50 Sochi + Mr White Instagrams for International Cat Day

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In honor of a very serious and important holiday in our house, International Cat Day, my two kitties Sochi and Mr.White asked (er, demanded) that I post a blogpost chronicling their most fur-tastic and famous kitty cat Instagram photos and videos.

I, of course, happily agreed to comply with their request.

However, I did point out that most of the photographs would emphasize their frequency of napping in odd positions, chasing inanimate objects and being overall silly-cute-and-weird at the same time. They did not oppose this point and authorized me to move forward with the assignment.

So without further delay, let me share (in collaboration with my cats) the Top 50 Sochi + Mr White Instagrams for International Cat Day..

Top 50 Sochi + Mr White Instagrams for International Cat Day - follow me on Instagram

(note: do not miss the cat disclosure at the end of this post. Important stuff.)

(In no particular order)

1. Paws in the air for International Cat Day..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Mar 31, 2014 at 12:14pm PDT

2. This gem. Mr.White's famous sleeping position..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Apr 21, 2014 at 10:15pm PDT

3. And this. I am convinced MrWhite is half bat.. Bat cat.

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Apr 28, 2014 at 2:23pm PDT

4. One of the first kitty videos. They have not changed one bit!..

A video posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Feb 18, 2014 at 2:25pm PST

5. Sochi fell asleep on a skin brush. I repeat. He used it as a pillow.

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Feb 17, 2014 at 6:57pm PST

6. That time MrWhite had one a rough night (or one too many cat treats) and ended up in my Cykochik bag...

7. That time Sochi had one too many cat-mommy selfies. And fought back. This is a mom-put-the-phone-away paw whack...

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Aug 8, 2014 at 6:51pm PDT

8. He tried sooooo hard to make it our of bed that morning...

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Aug 12, 2014 at 3:01pm PDT

9. Favorite things on my desk: my cat.

10. Napping on the brand new couch..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Jun 20, 2014 at 6:52pm PDT

11. MrWhite displays his famous leap-froging hop to catch that darn red light..

A video posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Sep 28, 2014 at 10:29am PDT

12. And his dehydrated cranberry-attacking skills..

13. MrWhite's face... Me, like everyday.

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Feb 4, 2015 at 3:54pm PST

14. Glad this happens to other people too..

15. MrWhite's impressive ball handling skills..

A video posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Jan 25, 2015 at 2:27pm PST

16. I mean. Too much cute in one photo..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Mar 11, 2014 at 6:24pm PDT

17. This impressive nap position..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on May 1, 2014 at 5:58pm PDT

18. That time Sochi helped me promote my cookbook. Thanks Soch..

19. Sochi napping in a disposable litter box because ... why not?

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Aug 25, 2014 at 1:35pm PDT

20. Sochi either loves me or...

A video posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on May 29, 2015 at 3:09pm PDT

21. Love love love..

22. Just for the record, there is a version of this photo where I photoshopped MrWhite wearing a tie..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Jun 11, 2015 at 7:47pm PDT

23. Sochi doesn't understand good manners...

24. Sometimes we dance.. (OK, every day we dance)

25. Kitty pillows...

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Nov 2, 2014 at 4:26pm PST

26. These two..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Sep 16, 2014 at 6:48pm PDT

27. Colorful cuteness..

28. Typical...

A video posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Jul 9, 2014 at 7:10pm PDT

29. Meow or never, friends forever. Or maybe fur-ever...

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Jul 1, 2014 at 4:41pm PDT

30. Paws in the air nap time..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Jul 21, 2014 at 9:03pm PDT

31. This was a confusing photo. No MrWhite was not leaping over the moon, although I wouldn't put it past him.

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Feb 20, 2014 at 10:31pm PST

32. Sochi's first Instagram..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Feb 10, 2014 at 12:36pm PST

33. So cozy..

34. BFFs..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on May 16, 2014 at 9:07am PDT

35. Sochi loves Gena's book too..

36. Sunbeam buddies.

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Feb 27, 2014 at 2:17pm PST

37. That time when Sochi wanted the sun turned down so he could nap.

A video posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Mar 9, 2014 at 8:53pm PDT

38. Some late night screen time on the iPad cat game App..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Mar 5, 2014 at 8:48pm PST

39. Mid-air kitty stretches from MrW..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Jun 19, 2014 at 2:08pm PDT

40. Sometimes Sochi likes to be proper and discerning.

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Apr 18, 2014 at 12:06pm PDT

41. Typical snooze time..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on May 24, 2014 at 6:51pm PDT

42. MrWhite's fave spot to nap... LAPS. Total lap man.

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Apr 10, 2014 at 12:17pm PDT

43. He actually found a way to fit...

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on May 25, 2014 at 1:07pm PDT

44. MrWhite's unveiling to the world. Right before I unveiled him to my husband. (Now they are BFFS) 🙂

45. Sunbean kitty..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on May 14, 2014 at 7:58pm PDT

46. Playing nice. Or plotting their world domination..

47. It never ends. The snoozing..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Mar 20, 2014 at 4:09pm PDT

48. So little!..

49. Love these two.

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Jun 6, 2015 at 11:00am PDT

50. Purr. Thank you for reading! Sochi and MrWhite send you kitty kisses and huge head rubs!

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Apr 29, 2014 at 6:19am PDT

Happy International Cat Day! Please consider checking out a few of my favorite kitty charities..

Alley Cat Allies

BestFriends.org

Cat Disclosure: This has been a Sochi and MrWhiteCat Production. All above photos are sole copyright of Sochi and MrWhite and must never be used unless their paws approve usage and context. Sochi and MrWhite would also like to give a shoutout to all the cats out there and specifically not include dogs. I asked that dogs be included in the pet shoutout, but MrWhite firmly said, no dogs allowed. So while I adore dogs, the above shoutout is for cats only. All comments must be complimentary in form or they will be swiftly removed by Sochi's paw clicks. Sochi requests that you leave comments describing how cute he is and MrWhite requests comments telling his mommy, aka me, to buy him more treats and serve more dry food even though he knows the wet food is better for him. He also requests more play sessions and would like to point out that he does not have fingers or he would indeed be writing this entire blog for himself. Lastly, Sochi and MrWhite demand that you adopt and don't shop and that every household in America has at least one kitty cat head of household. Two is preferred. Sochi would also like to ask for you to donate to one of the above kitty cat charities ... or at the very least hug a cat today. Thank you and goodnight... at least for all the napping cats out there.

Sochi and MrWhite also requested that I add a photo of miss Nellycat..

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Aug 4, 2015 at 2:51pm PDT

Chickpea Flour Pancakes by Vegan Richa

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I am so happy to be celebrating my friend Richa's amazing cookbook today by sharing her recipe for "Mom’s Chickpea Flour Pancakes." Richa writes for one of my favorite vegan blogs Vegan Richa. If you love Indian food you do not want to miss this review!..

Check out these beautiful + delicious recipes from the book.. (photos Copyright © 2015 by Richa Hingle)

I was so excited when Richa's cookbook "Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen" plopped on my doorstep. I was thrilled to flip through the colorful photos, delicious recipes, Indian cuisine cooking tips and massive ingredient guide. That ingredient guide is so important and helpful for someone like me who is not familiar with some of the more unique ingredients in Indian cooking.

I immediately found a handful of recipes I was dying to try. Like these:

- Street-Style Tempeh Wraps (page 37)
- Savory Split Pea and Rice Zucchini Cakes (page 43)
- Yellow Lentils and Rice (page 131)
- And of course Masala Chai Tea! (page 28)

More Indian Food Please. A few years ago I had a photo project that consisted of about five vegan Indian recipes. I went to a special grocery store, bought some new-to-me ingredients and started cooking. My kitchen smelled AMAZING. I loved the flavors and I instantly decided I needed to cook more Indian meals in my kitchen.

But months passed and I never followed through. I wasn't cooking with those dreamy Indian cooking ingredients stashed away in my pantry. The recipes felt too hard, too exotic and just out of reach. I felt alone in my Indian cooking goals!

..Richa's cookbook to the rescue! I am once again inspired and even better: EMPOWERED to start cooking more Indian meals in my house.

This book is a must-have item for every cookbook collection! Buy Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen on Amazon

And today I wanted to share this recipe from Richa's book because these fluffy, egg-looking pancakes look ah-mazing. They will be gracing my breakfast (or dinner!) table very soon. Hope you make them as well and we can swoon together.

And you need to check out Richa's amazing blog for delicious recipes, beautiful food photos and loads of sincere cooking inspiration.

Also check out Richa's amazing collection of recipes on FindingVegan.com.

Mom’s Chickpea Flour Pancakes

By Richa Hingle
Published 08/06/2015
Mom’s Chickpea Flour Pancakes

From Richa: This is my Mom’s chilla recipe. It is also known as pudla. The classic Indian pancake made with chickpea flour is a popular breakfast in North India. These chillas in the simplest form are easy and perfect for breakfast, a snack, or a side flatbread. For a veggie omelet version, add less water for a thicker batter and add leavening such as baking powder. Add finely chopped vegetables such as zucchini. (Recipe from Vegan Richa’s Indian KitchenCopyright © 2015 by Richa Hingle. Used by permission Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, or besan
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • ¼ teaspoon carom seeds or cumin seeds
  • ½ cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1 hot green chile, finely chopped (remove seeds to reduce heat)
  • ¼ cup packed chopped cilantro
  • 1-2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon safflower oil, divided

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, combine the chickpea flour and ¾ cup water. Whisk to get a smooth consistency. Whisk in another ½ to ¾ cup water to make a thin lump-free batter. (If using besan, you will need less water).
  2. Add the salt, turmeric, cayenne, carom seeds, onion, chile, cilantro, and 1 teaspoon of oil, and mix well. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, drizzle a few drops of oil on the skillet. Spread the oil using a paper towel. Pour a ladle full (¼ to ⅓ cup) of the batter onto the skillet. Spread the batter by moving the skillet to make a 6 to 8-inch pancake. Drizzle a few drops of oil on the edges of the pancake.
  4. Cook until the edges start to leave the pan and the bottom is golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 to 4 minutes. Continue to make the rest of the pancakes. Serve hot.

Yield: 8 pancakes
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.
Total time: 45 mins.
Tags: indian,cookbook,vegan richa,pancakes,chickpea

Recipe from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen Copyright © 2015 by Richa Hingle. Used by permission Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.

Buy Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen on Amazon

Weekend in Cabo at The Cape Hotel.

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rooftop bar, The Cape

Last weekend my husband and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary in Cabo San Lucas Mexico. We stayed at the brand new Thompson Hotels property, The Cape Hotel.

The Cape is located on Monuments Beach, which is a popular surfing spot with loud, crashing, whitewater waves that melt into a crystal aqua ripple of sea. Nothing but blue ocean and the famous Land's End cliffs and rocks out in front of you. Let me share the food, the views, our adventures, allllllll my photos and a video in this travel feature of Cabo!..

the cape hotel Cabo
the cape hotel Cabo
*salt water pool at The Cape

The Arch at Land's End..

Amazing sunsets and drinks from The Cape Hotel's rooftop bar..

My favorite colors on display...

Rooftop sunset..

Cabo is kinda like this...

And this..

And this beauty... (view from our room)

Loved the driftwood-art whale sculpture in the outdoor lobby and beautiful accents like green glass bottles catching the light..

Review: The Cape Hotel + Cabo San Lucas

We visited the last weekend in July, aka Cabo's "off season." So everything felt very tranquil and surprisingly serene. This was my first trip to Cabo and I actually expected a total college-spring-break-y, party-like atmosphere, but our hotel was mostly couples and a few large group of adults. At many times it felt like we had the entire resort to ourselves. This was mostly welcoming, however there were times when we had hoped for a bit more energy. Luckily, we embraced being able to skip down the halls unnoticed and have our choice of rooftop seating.

And remember, like I noted, the hotel literally opened only about a month ago, so I can only imagine how amazing and energized this property will be when operating at max capacity! The pools will be buzzing, the rooftop bar even more packed and the spa filled with Zen-seekers. But aside from the newness of the hotel, lets just stick to the facts..

Location: The Cape is located right on Monuments Beach. A prime spot for viewing Land's End, watching surfers, and during specific times of year - whale watching from your room! (Via binoculars.)

The view from every corner and crevice of the hotel = perfection...

Our last evening gave us this rainbow-splashed sunset scene..

The Hotel Design + Vibe + Rooms: Modern, sleek, fun, gorgeous, sexy, smart. That roaring ocean is the star of the show as the black, grey and beige colored hotel wraps itself around that aqua sea and dry Mexico land out back. The hotel is beautiful. I loved just walking from place to place, viewing the ocean from the sleek lines, cool ceilings, and absolutely stunning tile floors. Those floors are incredible. My feet enjoyed walking on them.

To me, the hotel design reminded me of Miami, with a pinch of West Hollywood, a breeze of Vegas and a sprinkle of Hawaii. All churned together with those salty-blue Cabo waves.

The restaurants, bars and common areas have a very laid-back and cool vibe. There is an ocean-view pool table just off the lobby. The rooftop bar has that "living room" feel and plays amazing music as you sip colorful drinks and enjoy the 360 views of Cabo.

The rooms are not huge, but loverly. For example, the beautiful copper bathtub, set on the awe-inspiring sky-blue and white tiled floor, sat just a few feet away from the King sized bed. Gorgeous, but cozy.

A giant walk-in rain shower was also in the bathroom. One caveat, the bathroom did not have any privacy wall and the privacy curtain is very sheer, so basically, you will be showing for all to see. Which is fine for couples, sort've - I'm not really a fan to be honest, but it would be a really odd if you went with a friend or another family member. I am sure they probably have rooms with bathrooms that are more private - (though I didn't specifically ask).

Our room looked like a modern page torn out of Condé Nast magazine. I cannot believe I forgot to take photos, but I did. The tile floor was a highlight and everything felt beachy and modern. On your private balcony sits a giants swing lounger and a table.

One note that bothered us: we were in room 411 which was right next the a staff closet of some sort, so all night long there would be banging and doors slamming. We only realized it was the staff on our last night so we didn't say anything. But be warned in case you get that room .. maybe ask to switch.

The Staff: Impeccable and kind. Super helpful and sincere. Everyone from the front desk, to the pool cabana servers, spa staff and restaurant staff - perfection.Willing and eager to please.

The Food: My favorite part. Fresh, delicious and loads of healthy options. The poolside menu offers guacamole and tortillas, fruit and salads for the vegans in the bunch. Iced tea with free refills, fruit juice or lemonade. Complimentary bottled water everywhere.

For breakfast we went to The Ledge, or as we called it, "The Glass Cube" and I got the buffet both mornings because it was exactly what I craved: loads of fresh fruit, juices (four varieties, even green juice!) and toast with homemade jam. I also got a frothy soy latte. The fruit was super fresh - papaya, pineapple, berries, melon and more.

For lunch we had salads by the pool - one day I had a quinoa, celery noodle and corn salad that was refreshing and delicious. Also fresh salsa and guacamole. Fruit smoothies and more are also available.

For dinner, both nights, we ate at the highlight dining option at The Cape. Manta. Manta is the fancy-yet-laid-back, fine dining option with views of the roaring waves. Comfy booths or outdoor tables await you. From the moment we had our complimentary small bite of this crazy-delicious avocado-infused savory-creamy puree and jalapeño-dotted crispy rice cracker, I knew I was in for a treat. The meal runs with courses. You can get 3-5 courses at various prices. There were actually plenty of vegan options even though this restaurant and the executive chef Enrique Olvera is known for his fish dishes.

I had these stand out dishes: a nopales salad (cactus), jicama peanut noodles with an assortment of beans and a mushroom consommé loaded with various types of shrooms and soba noodles. I did not go hungry! These were five star dishes, truly exquisite. The attentive wait-staff is also supremely perfect. I was in heaven. We finished our meal with some hot chamomile tea. Side note: I am IN LOVE with the white thick-rimmed dishes they serve their food in. I want to buy them all! If anyone knows where something similar can be found, let me know 🙂

This starter at Manta - amazing!...

Mushroom consommé with soba..

Our outdoor view the second night. Windy, which is why we were the only brave diners outside! My soup actually flew off its spoon! But it was soooo worth it to dine with this fresh air view...

Beans and jicama-noodles in a peanut sauce. SO good. o. m. g.

Rooftop sips..

Poolside guac served with blue corn tortillas (not shown)..

Cabo San Lucas (Downtown + Marina): One day we left the hotel and took a cab to the downtown area to check it out. The downtown area is a bit gritty and mostly filled with touristy stores, bars, nightclubs, shopping and then the beautiful boat-filled marine. We took a boat ride out to The Arch at Lands End. The boat ride was about 45 minutes total. You get to see the cliffs and rocks up close, check out the locals on the tiny beaches and see the snorkling spots where plenty of rainbow-colored fish swim. There are even seals and loads of birds. Beautiful views and an easy boat ride. After the boat adventure, we checked out the Starbucks just for fun, and then took a cab back to our hotel to lounge by the pool.

Poolside: The pools are beautiful at The Cape Hotel. There is one very large infinity pool and one smaller salt water pool. The pool area is lined with cabanas and lounge chairs. There is a swim-up bar and staff on hand to get you drinks and food. I loved the salt water pool the most. The cabanas are very comfy and smartly designed. Lounging by the pool is easy to do alllll day long.

Sparkling Salt-water pool..

Spa: The freshly opened spa is stunning with charcoal rock walls, an outside-in feel, steam room, sauna, plunge pool and jacuzzis and treatment rooms. You can even get an ocean-side massage if desired. I had a 90 minute massage and it was great. The spa is a must-do if you stay at The Cape. I also loved that they carried Eminence skin care products. I love those and they are super natural and vegan-friendly.

Would I Go Back: Absolutely!

Best For: Couples, big groups of girls of boys (girls or guys getaway style..), special events (honeymooners..), solo travel fans seeking beautiful views and serene relaxation.

Bottom Line: The Cape Hotel is private yet social, serene yet energized. It is modern and stunning, yet welcoming and minimalist. It offers amazing food options, beautiful rooms and all the amenities you expect in a first class tropical getaway hotel. Book your trip with confidence! Just be warned, you may not want to leave.

Ocean views ... from the salt water pool.

Poolside salad..

Sunset hour..

Pretty drinks..

Messy bun season in full effect..

Summer beach travel means sun-kissed skin, casual wear all day and a cold cocktail in hand...

Views for days...

Rooms with huge views!

Living the life. Even if for a weekend..

Misty morning view... salty mist on my camera lens..

The Cape Hotel online.

Read more of my travel features here! Like Maui...

All photos copyright: 2015 Kathy Patalsky - no use without permission granted.

Top 50 Summer Recipes from HHVK. Guide!

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50 Summer Recipes from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

Come August, we tend to get a bit worried about the fact that fall looms and our blissful, sun-drenched, firefly-speckled, starry night, rainbow-sunset, sweet daydream-filled summer season adventures will soon be ending.

Well before you put your beach umbrella back in storage, lock up the pool toys and cram your bikini into the back of your underwear drawer, have no fear, we actually have until September 23rd until fall is "officially" here. That leaves you with exactly fifty days to embrace summertime. So I am giving you a recipe for each one of those days - each found in my book Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen.

For this post I flipped through every page of my over 220 recipes and plucked out my top 50 favorite summer-perfect recipes. So grab your copy of HHVK and put these recipes on your "Must Make Before Summer Ends" list!

Plus, some cool cookbook award news and I do a quick video chatting about my fave summer breakfast recipes from the book, complete with plenty of kitty cat cameos. Yes, you heard me right. Kitty. Cat. Cameos. Must see YouTube-ing.

First. This guide is perfect if you already own HHVK. You can grab your book off your shelf and get started with this list. However, if you do not own HHVK yet...

1. What are you waiting for? Five stars on Amazon, rave reviews and loads of fans are onto something very delicious.

And 2. Browse below, get inspired and then hop over to Amazon, B&N, Herbivore, IndieBound or your nearest in person bookstore to pick up a copy and instantly be stamped into the HHVK fan club, with a huge smile of gratitude coming from yours truly.

3. HHVK was just nominated for a 2015 Veggie Award! So that is pretty darn cool too. (My blog and other site Finding Vegan also received nominations and would be thrilled to receive your vote. Prizes are involved. And one of them is a Vitamix. 'Nuff said.

4. HHVK summer breakfast highlights and those kitty cameos in my latest video...

Now onto this mega list! Please let me know your HHVK faves in the comments or any recipes you would love me to make and feature with photos on my blog, Instagram or Youtube.

Top 50 Summer Recipes from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

summer mornings

1. Strawberry Pancakes (pages 37-39)
Fresh strawberries are at their best in summertime! So whip up some oat-flour, buckwheat or all purpose flour pancakes using my pancake guide + recipes. You can also change things up to include peaches, blueberries and more!

Berry Pancakes from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

2. Double Chocolate Strawberry Waffles with coconut whip (page 42)
For a treat-yourself, chocolate-infused breakfast, try these chocolate waffles topped with loads of fresh summer strawberries! But don't worry, the waffles are not overly sweet, just rich and perfectly chocolatey. Remember chocolate is rich in antioxidants! Waffle lovers who love fruit-infused waffles should try my gluten-free blueberry orange peel waffles on page 44. And check out the oatmeal version of chocolate + strawberries on page 54!

Chocolate Waffles from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

3. Chop 'n Toss Rainbow Fruit Salad (page 47)
I LOVE making a big, beautiful fruit salad in summertime when fresh fruit is in abundance. You can even modify the ingredients a bit and use the fruit that you have on hand. For example, switch out the chopped apple for some sliced peaches or apricots. Switch out the red grapes for cherries or plums.

4. Pink Lemonade or Chia Seed Pudding Parfaits. (page 50-51)
This sweet and sassy parfait is loaded with protein and is fun to assemble! The pink pudding color comes from blending fresh summer strawberries intot the mixture. You can get kids involved in this recipe by letting them layer their pretty in pink parfaits however they's like!

You can also put a chia seed spin on your summer parfait. Chia seed pudding is rich in healthy fats, protein, fiber and is super easy to make!

5. South Beach Acai Smoothie Bowl (page 52)
I adore this smoothie bowl on a warm summer morning or afternoon. The rich purple acai blends up into a frosty, chocolate-y berry flavor. Top that with goodies and dive in spoon first. You will feel like you are lounging on a beach in Miami.

6. Smoky Tempeh Bacon (page 62)
Such a great go-to ingredient for SO many summer recipes. I make a big batch of tempeh bacon, then eat it for 1-3 days. You can add it to salads, wraps, sandwiches or serve alongside tofu scramble in the morning. The flavor is smoky, maple, tamari, salty-sweet protein-filled heaven!

You can do thick or thin tempeh-bacon. loaded with savory-smoky-sweet flavor!..

go-to snack

7. Power-Up Baked Almond Protein Bars + No-Bake Bars (page 69-71)
Heading out on a hike or a roadtrip? Whip up a batch of vegan protein bars to nibble. These homemade bars taste so much better than anything you will find that has been sitting on a store shelf for weeks or months.

summer baking

8. Coconut Oil Blueberry Muffins (page 76)
I have made these muffins about four times already this summer, using fresh summer blueberries. You can use fresh room temp berries or frozen summer berries. These muffins are so so delicious, fluffy and moist, totally cozy and satisfying. I like to add an EXTRA scoop of berries to make them bursting with blueberries in every bite.

The Best Blueberry Muffins from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

9. Ginger Peach Strawberry Spelt Muffins (page 80)
This muffin flavor is so cravable! Luscious summertime peaches and strawberries bake into blissful flavors in these ginger-infused muffins. This is also delicious as a loaf bread!

picnic-approved sandwiches

10. The Californian Sandwich (page 90)
Think sunshine, beachy breezes and ocean waves as you whip up this totally California-style sandwich. Sprouts, avocado and hummus lead these delicious flavors. I serve mine on toasted sprouted grain bread alongside some rustic blue corn tortilla chips or a tall refreshing lemonade-iced tea.

11. Big Beautiful Kale Wrap (page 97)
Eat your greens! Via this flavorful giant kale-loaded wrap. The dressing infuses the fluffy kale leaves with so much flavor. I toss in some tempeh bacon bits and slather on a bit of hummus too!

12. Curried Quinoa Pitas (page 102)
Fluffy quinoa, fresh mint, golden raisins, cashews, orange peel and loads of veggies infuse these amazing meal-approved warm pita sandwiches.

13. Dad's Toasted BLT (page 108)
Simple and perfect, just like summertime. This is an easy, fan favorite recipe for a quick summer lunch or picnic outing. Smoky-sweet tempeh bacon is layered with juicy summertime tomatoes and fluffy crisp lettuce leaves - a few other ingredients to accent. And bonus, Dad will love this one! Mom-approved too. Ok, everyone-approved!

Dad's BLT! from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

14. Vegan Tuna Salad Sandwiches (page 112)
This is one of my all-time favorite go-to lunch recipes. It turns simple canned chickpeas into a delicious crunchy-creamy salad that is a vegan version of something like a tuna salad. This recipe is loaded with fiber and protein. All you need is this recipe and a few slices of toasted bread for a perfect summertime meal.

vegan "tuna" salad sandwich

veggie burger bash

15. BBQ Peanut Veggie Burgers (page 118)
Satisfy your BBQ and veggie burger craving all in one swoop with these flavorful, hearty veggie burgers.

16. Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers with Avocado (page 120-122)
I certainly put this burger on the cover of my book for good reason! It is one of my favorite recipes and I ALWAYS enjoy this meal - especially on a warm and lively summer night when everyone is "burger season" crazed. This veggie burger is a family-approved favorite. This recipe was popular on my blog, but for my book I refined the recipe a bit, added a veggie burger tips page and added all the nutritional info (just like all the recipes in my book!)

Kathy's famous sweet potato veggie burger with avocado from HHVK

17. Southern Burgers: Black-Eyed Pea + Collard Greens (page 123)
These sassy veggie burgers are a delicious mixture of nutty black eyed peas, sweet potatoes, finely chopped collard greens (super healthy greens!) and spices and seasonings. I love topping these burgers with my summer slaw for a crunchy-sweet-zesty salad accent!

summer sides and starters

18. Spicy-Sweet Curried Carrot Slaw (page 137)
This carrot slaw salad is just as it sounds, sweet and spicy with accents of curry, lemon, tahini,maple and sweet raisins. A few other secret ingredients as well. I love making a big batch of this carrot salad because it tastes delicious when eaten right away or as next-day leftovers. So much flavor!

19. Summer Sides: Potato and Slaw (page 140-141)
Both of these side salads are perfect for a summer meal. Creamy, lively potato salad and zesty-sweet summer slaw made using cabbage. I adore bothe these summer recipes. Classics gone vegan!

20. Feisty Corn Cake Bean Balls on Tomato Moons (page 148)
Sweet summer corn pairs with creamy white beans, spices and savory flavors, all alongside fresh summer tomatoes. I love serving these corn balls as a summertime appetizer or alongside a big summer salad.

amazing summer salads

21. 5-Step Raw Kale Salad (page 153-155)
A must for any season, but perfect for summer! These lively, flavor-infused kale greens and veggies are my go-to way to serve healthy kale.

22. Maple-Mustard Raw Chard Salad (page 157)
I adore this salad! Bold mustard flavors pair with sweet maple and ribbons of sweet, chopped chard. Perfect side green salad for summer. Or use this as a base for making an entree salad.

23. Farmhouse Ranch Chickpea Salad (page 158)
Creamy vegan ranch, nutty chickpeas and sweet summer peaches. You will LOVE this!

24. It's Always Summer Salad (page 160)
This light and lovely summer salad is bursting with sunshine-filled flavors: corn, chopped bell pepper, zesty radish and a lively spicy-sweet lemon dressing. Make a BIG bowl of this colorful blend.

25. Strawberry-Avocado Mache (page 162)
Yes yes and yes. This salad is a must try for summer. Fresh berries and buttery avocado are a dreamy combination. Bursting with antioxidants, healthy fats and like all lively raw salads - super hydrating too!

Strawberry Mache Salad from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

26. Chilled Peanut Kale Salad (page 165)
Fridge-ready kale salad! Stock your fridge with this sweet-peanut kale salad that kinda taste like you are eating a treat. Yes, really!

27. Tofu-Feta Watermelon Basil Salad (page 167)
Talk about refreshing and healthy and delicious. This salad has it all. It is a vegan spin on a traditional watermelon-feta-basil chilled salad.

28. Mango-Avocado-Mac Arugula Salad (page 168)
This salad. A must try. Rich in antioxidants, fiber, leafy green goodness, healthy fats and so much flavor. Spicy arugula, sweet juicy mango, buttery avocado, salty-nutty-tropicl nuts. Perfection.

Avocado Mango Salad from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

29. Summer Caesar with no-honey mustard dressing (page 173)
My vegan spin on a summertime Caesar salad! This is an entree salad with protein, whole grains, loads of greens, citrus and an amazing dressing.

Summer Caesar Salad from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

30. Blueberry Farro Spinach Salad (page 174)
Fresh summer blueberries top delicious, superfood chopped spinach all alongside clusters of my candied almonds. So good!

Blueberry Farro Lemon Candied Almond Salad from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

31. Salad Dressing Galore! (page 176-183)
I share 14 salad dressing recipes! These dressings are your go-to flavor infusions for all your easy summer salad needs. Seriously, you will never want to buy bottled again after seeing how easy these recipes are.

summer bowls

32. Pesto Chickpea Bowl with summer tomatoes (pg 186)
Go on, buy way too many tomatoes at the farmer's market because this recipe embraces them! Tomatoes, homemade pesto and loads of chickpeas create a meal bowl that is fitting for summertime! Tomatoes and pesto... truly a perfect match.

33. Greek Bowl (page 188)
This bowl is really great for summertime because is contains cooling cucumbers, lively lemon juice, fluffy quinoa tabouli and loads of chilled tofu-feta. And that tahini-lemon-maple sauce on top. Swoon. LOVE this meal-approved bowl. Plus I share my how-to guide for cooking fluffy quinoa!

party dip

34. Sunny Guacamole (page 199)
A go-to summertime dip recipe for sure. And my version has a zesty, lively lemon summer spin on it!

summer movie night

35. Coconut Oil Popcorn (page 213)
Summertime movie nights need amazing popcorn! My recipe includes the most amazing aromas as your popcorn pop, pop, pops. Tropical, buttery virgin coconut oil, and spicy-sweet flavor accents. This is my go-to popcorn recipe. Make a BIG batch and store in little baggies for grab-n-go snacks.

summer entrees

36. Guacamole and Corn Cake Lettuce Cups (page 215)
My delicious sweet-moist corn cake is scooped alongside fresh summertime guacamole, and served in a crisp lettuce leaf. Love these as an appetizer or light dinner.

37. Favorite Mac 'n Cheese with variations! (page 224)
Stovetop perfection, I love serving easy vegan Mac and Cheese in the summertime. Plus, I include a few of my favorite flavor and ingredient variations.

Vegan Mac and Cheese from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

38. Lemon-Pepper Fettuccine Alfredo (page 233)
This is my favorite pasta to serve in the summertime because it is comfort food, yet still lively with black pepper and lemon zest flavors bursting through each fork-twirled pasta bite.

Lemon Fettuccine from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

39. Mushroom Fajita Tacos with homemade corn tortillas (page 235)
I make these a lot in summertime! Tacos are a go-to meal for our family. And I adore the flavors I added to this recipe. Plus, you will be amazed at how easy it is to make delicious homemade corn tortillas.

Mushroom Tacos with homemade tortillas from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

40. Roasted Veggie Farro Salad (page 238)
Use your favorite summertime veggies (squash and more!) to make a big batch of this farro salad. I make a big batch ahead of time and store in the fridge to serve all week long. Though it is so good it usually only lasts a few days! Delicious and healthy for a light snack or nibble too! If you have never tried farro, this is a great way to discover how wonderful the flavor and texture it. You could also sub with brown rice, millet or another grain of choice.

the best farro salad from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

41. Spicy Peanut Soba Noodles with veggies (page 248)
There is something about this spicy-sweet peanut sauce and these fluffy soba noodles, laced with veggies that is perfect for serving in summertime. This is one of my fave recipes in the book!

Peanut Soba Noodles from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

summer soup

42. Creamy Cauliflower-Potato Soup with turmeric ginger and coconut milk (page 267)
I do not make loads of hot soups in summer, but this is one I do crave. These spices and creamy cauliflower and potato base are soothing, yet energizing. I love cauliflower in summertime, so this is a great way to serve it. Love this soup as a light lunch or a starter before a big entree salad.

A turmeric spin on this soup in the upp right corner here..

summertime sweet treat desserts

43. Feel-Good Gluten-Free Carrot Cake (page 280)
Load up on crunchy carrots to make this amazing feel-good dessert! Totally in love with this recipe.

44. Trail Trekker Oat Cookies (page 285)
The perfect hearty nibble cookie! Bring these on a hike, a picnic or nibble them as an afternoon or bedtime snack. They are loaded with whole grains, nuts, tropical coconut and an accent of dark chocolate. I think that coconut adds a tropical island, summertime feel too. Present a platter of these at any summer party and watch the compliments roll in.

45. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (page 288)
Tropical salty-crunchy-buttery macadamia nuts lead the vanilla bean and white chocolate infused flavor profile of these chewy amazing cookies.

46. Gluten-Free Almond Butter Jam Thumbprint Cookies (page 293)
Have some amazing summertime jam on hand? Make these cookies! You can even use several flavors of summer jam (peach, plum, cherry, strawberry...) to make a platter of rainbow-colored summertime cookies.

Almond Jam Thumbprint Cookies from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

47. Summer Berry Pie with homemade crust (page 299-302)
Summer berries or cherries are just begging to be made into a homemade pie. This is your go-to recipe!

Berry Lattice Pie with homemade crust from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

48. Chocolate-Peanut-Banana Snowstorm (page 319)
Banana ice cream on fleek! (That is the first and only time I will use the word fleek, but it just felt right.) This is my go-to all-banana ice cream dessert recipe.

48.5 Coconut Whip! (page 304)
Add it to everything! Cool and creamy and so good when paired with strawberries.

summer smoothies

49. Fave Summer Smoothies! (pages 330-333)
Even though I have a separate smoothie book filled with 365 vegan smoothie recipes, I had to add in a handful of my favorite recipes! These are all summer-perfection. Blends include my watermelon frosty, go-to green glow smoothie, golden wellness shake and of course my fave matcha shake!

Kathy's famous matcha shake from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

schools out for summer

50. For the Kids! (pages 339-244)
These kid-focused recipes are found in the last chapter of my book. Summertime-approved eats include: Fruity Rainbow Wraps, Magic Chia Seed Pudding, "I Know My Alphabet" Tomato Soup with vegan cheddar-apple logs and super fun strawberry-almond butter sandwich sushi. Oh, and of course the always yummy, "Ladybugs on a Log" recipe.

Whew! That was fun. Well I hope that gives you a bit of guidance for what to make this summer from my book Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen!

I am loving all the HHVK Instagram photos you guys are sharing, so when you make a recipe from HHVK be sure to mention me or tag #HealthyHappyVeganKitchen so I can check it out. @KathyPatalsky on Instagram.

Happy summer lovelies!

ps. Bookless? Snag you copy of HHVK today! In bookstores or online...

Amazon USA
Buy on Barnes & Noble
Amazon Canada
Indiebound

How-to Make a Smoothie Bowl + 8 Tips!

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For as long as I can remember, I have loved having a giant smoothie for lunch or breakfast. But as a meal replacement, I often craved a hint of crunch and chew with my smoothie meal - so I would add toppings like pumpkin seeds or even a crumbled chocolate chip cookie, sliced banana, granola on top or avocado toast on the side. But with smoothie bowls, we really can have all the smoothie bliss with that whole food accent you may crave.

Smoothie bowls take thick and frosty smoothie blends, such as a banana ice cream or a thick green smoothie, a matcha shake, tropical blend or an acai smoothie, and then you load on the healthy toppings.

Now when I say "toppings" I do not mean sprinkles, hot fudge and whipped cream (though healthy spins on each of those could be included!) - I mean superfood fruit, nut, seed, spice, chocolate and more toppings. Now check out my 8 Smoothie Bowl Tips in this super-duper, jam-packed smoothie bowl post..

Smoothie-bowl-inspiration...

  • - Creamy chocolate-maca banana blender ice cream with vegan chocolate sauce, sliced bananas and chocolate shavings.
  • Pink banana-berry blender ice cream with sliced peaches, cubed mango, chia seeds and a pinch of cinnamon.
  • Creamy purple acai blender ice cream with sliced banana, granola, fresh blueberries and strawberries.
  • Thick sweet green tea-peppermint blender ice cream with pumpkin seeds, sliced banana and raw cacao nibs.
  • Thick pineapple blender ice cream with coconut shreds, sliced banana, chopped cashews and kiwi.
  • Rich nutty chocolate blender ice cream with a swirl of peanut butter and sliced banana on top, a hint of cinnamon.
  • Add some coconut whip on top for extra decadence!

..you get the idea, yes? Well then, lets dive deeper into the delicious world of smoothie bowls!

Smoothie! It starts with this..
blender with banana ice cream

Bowl! To this..
banana ice cream

Toppings! Then you play with these..
smoothie bowl toppings - fruit and nuts and seeds

smoothie bowl

Can Any Smoothie Be A "Smoothie Bowl" Blend? A few years ago when I wrote 365 Vegan Smoothies, I am sad to say that the "smoothie bowl" had not seeped into my soul enough for me to include one in my book. Though I did talk about adding toppings to smoothies and even included a few recipes with toppings built in, never once did I say "serve this smoothie in a bowl!" So via my blog I am able to reach all you fellow smoothie lovers and say that most smoothies can morph themselves into a smoothie bowl blend. The trick is to minimize the liquid, increase thickness and cool things down to frosty-ice-cream temperatures as much as possible.

That could easily be accomplished by reducing the liquid, adding more frozen ingredients or the usual smoothie bowl base secret ingredient frozen bananas.

fresh fruit

Other bowls..

Acai.. (recipe at bottom)

acai smoothie bowl

Matcha..

matcha smoothie bowls
nuts and seeds

8 Smoothie Bowl Tips

1. Maximize Frozen Fruit
Want the frostiest, creamiest, thickest smoothie/blender ice cream bowl ever? You need to add as much frozen fruit as possible and as little liquid as possible in order to blend. Using a high speed blender like a Vitamix, or a food processor is a must for a very thick blend.

My usual go-to frozen fruit items for smoothie bowls:
- frozen bananas (frozen when they are black-speckled and ripe)
- frozen watermelon
- frozen acai
- frozen pitaya
- frozen blueberries
- frozen mango
....and on and on.

Important! Really pay attention to when you are freezing your bananas. A smoothie made using under-ripe bananas, or even perfectly ripe bananas will not be a sweet and delicious as one using slightly overripe bananas. You need those peels to have black specks on them before you open the peel and freeze the nanners.

Perfect bananas for freezing..

ripe bananas

2. Prep Fresh Fruit Toppings Before You Blend.
A smoothie bowl is a delicate thing and will start to melt the minute you pour it into its serving bowl. So having your fresh fruit, nuts, seed toppings pre-prepped will have you diving your spoon into that frosty-deliciousness faster - allowing for more time eating a frosty cold smoothie bowl.

3. Making it Colorful.
As a general rule, I add at least three different toppings to my smoothie bowl, to serve. These can range from fresh banana slices to chopped Brazil nuts, sliced peaches, whole blueberries and on... Adding at least two fresh fruit ingredients with different colors will ensure your smoothie bowl is colorful upon serving. And more Instagrammable .. if you are into that sort of thing.

4. Serving Utensils.
Smoothie bowls are delicate creatures. They have character and charm. Whimsy and cheer. Personality! So whatever you use to devour your bowl should match up and have a little smoothie bowl personality of its own. I love wooden spoons, tiny silver spoons with etched designs on the spoon face or stem, or even tiny disposable wooden ice cream taster spoons can be fun if you are serving your bowls with friends or taking them outside. I love Etsy for finding super cute spoons with stamped in text.

5. The Perfect Serving Bowl.
Finding the perfect smoothie bowl can be a challenge and is a very important step in your smoothie bowl success process. Having a few go-to smoothie bowls will make your smoothie bowl making time a lot easier. Your bowl is an important step in your smoothie bowl delivery.

A bowl that is too thin may let the smoothie melt way too quickly. A bowl that is too shallow may have the same problem, exposing too much warm air at once. A bowl that is too narrow or deep may have too little space on top for adding all those goodies and toppings. A bowl that is too slick like glass or shiny porcelain can make your smoothie slosh around too much. A bowl that is too small will not hold enough smoothie AND toppings. And a bowl that is too large doesn't work either. You see we have a serious Goldilocks situation going on here.

I love using a thick wooden bowl for a smoothie bowl. I also love using a thickly rimmed large cereal bowl, that is not too deep, but deep enough. For taking photos, I like colors that compliment the smoothie, pastels or earthy tones, or just white. Something rustic and textured is very nice too. Charcoal, black, aqua or interesting blue colored bowls can also be pretty.

(Note: tips 4 and 5 may seem silly to you at first, but we eat with our eyes and bowl + spoon really do make an impact!) 🙂

6. Those Toppings.
Here are my favorite smoothie bowl toppings to add..

- Chopped nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, walnuts, pecans...)
- Seeds (hemp, pumpkin, flax, chia..)
- Sliced banana
- Cacao nibs or dark chocolate shavings
- Grated citrus zest (lemon, orange, lime..)
- Sliced tree fruit (peaches, apricots, plums..)
- Diced apple or pear
- Diced mango or papaya
- Dried coconut
- Sliced Medjool dates
- Drizzle of coconut milk
- Softened nut butter swirled over top
- Berries
- Citrus slices
- Pinch of spices (cayenne, cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg...)

7. Keep Things Cool

Frozen Fruit Surprise: If you have a serious melting problem or high heat temps, line your serving bowl with a layer of frozen fruit or even non-dairy milk or coconut water ice cubes if you get desperate. This will really help keep things frosty while you eat.

Freezer Bowl: If you are using a glass or "chillable" bowl, place it in the freezer for a few minutes, or longer, before you add your smoothie goodies. This will help keep everything chilled and frosty while you eat.

Serving cloth: I usually take a clean + pretty dish towel or large cloth napkin and wrap it under my smoothie bowl to serve. This helps because I am usually holding my bowl as I eat, so my warm hands don't melt things. And in general it helps insulate the bowl, no matter where you put the bowl when you eat - table etc. Plus, a towel can add more pretty color to accent the smoothie colors.

8. Add-Ins.
Some of my favorite superfood add-ins to blend into my smoothie include:

- maca powder
- vegan protein powder
- extracts (peppermint, vanilla..)
- cacao powder
- mushroom powders (flavorless!)
- matcha green tea
- hemp seeds or powder
- chia seeds
- flax seeds
- spices (cayenne, cinnamon, turmeric..)

vegan smoothie bowl

Need smoothie recipes? Buy my cookbook 365 Vegan Smoothies

Kathy's Blueberry-Melon Acai Bowl

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 07/28/2015
Kathy's Blueberry-Melon Acai Bowl

This super frosty-sweet smoothie bowl is a treat to try! Fresh fruit flavors and nutty toppings too.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ frozen bananas
  • 2 acai frozen smoothie packs
  • ½ cup frozen blueberries
  • ½ cup frozen watermelon
  • ½ - 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • Toppings:
  • ½ banana, sliced
  • ½ peach, sliced
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • 3 Brazil nuts, chopped

Instructions

  1. Prep the toppings before starting the blending process. Set aside. Get your bowl, spoon and optional cloth ready too.
  2. Add the non-dairy milk to the blender like a Vitamix, starting with ½ cup. Add all the frozen fruit and start blending from high to low. Add more liquid in splashes as needed to blend. Blend until frosty, thick and smooth.
  3. Scoop the smoothie into the bowl and add the toppings over top.
  4. Serve right away!

Yield: 1 bowl
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 03 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 03 mins.
Total time: 6 mins.
Tags: dessert,snack,lunch,breakfast,smoothie,shake,vegan,smoothie bowl,raw,fruit,bananas,

What do YOU love adding to your smoothie bowls?

banana slices

banana ice cream recipe

chocolate and goji berries

*disclosure: This post contains a Vitamix affiliate link. Ready to buy the best blender ever? Get free shipping by using my link!

Dessert Bruschetta: Caramelized Mango and Banana. Vanilla, Cinnamon, EVOO.

by 20 Comments


I have always loved the flavor of caramelized bananas with vanilla, cinnamon and a touch of sea salt. So I decided to take that sticky-sweet inspiration and turn it into a dessert bruschetta that can be whipped up in minutes and is oh, so dreamy. My Caramelized Mango and Banana Bruschetta..

Perfectly juicy and sweet mango.. (you could also use peaches or pineapple)

Tossed in cinnamon and vanilla..

Caramelized in a flash using EVOO in a sizzling skillet..

Layered on thin slices of warmed crusty bread..

The bread becomes moist from the EVOO and juices from the caramelized fruit.

Velvety richness from buttery extra virgin olive oil..

Served warm, this dessert bruschetta is cozy, rustic, cravable.

When I went to Italy last fall, one of my favorite things to order on the menu was bruschetta. I was in awe of how simple the presentation was, yet how vibrant and bold the flavors were. The garlic, tomatoes, sweet basil. The secret to its brilliance? The simplicity paired with the high quality of ingredients. So for this dessert recipe I took that hint and made sure that my fruit was perfectly juicy and ripe, the EVOO fruity, complex and buttery.

Fruit, bread and olive oil. Sizzled into something magical.

I was completely winging this recipe all the way through, not really knowing how it would turn out. But those fragrant aromas of cinnamon, vanilla and caramel let me know that the first bite would be insane.

A la Mode. I can only imagine how yummy these would be served alongside a scoop of coconut-vanilla bean vegan ice cream! #servingsuggestion

Topping for Anything.Aside from the lovely crusty bread, you could totally use this fruit to top pancakes, waffles, oatmeal and as one savvy commenter suggested.. lettuce wraps!

Mango-Banana Dessert Bruschetta

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 07/29/2015
Caramelized Mango and Banana Bruschetta

This sticky-sweet dessert bruschetta is absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Cinnamon, vanilla and EVOO flavors accent.

Ingredients

  • 1 large ripe banana, sliced
  • 1 mango, cubed
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon Bertolli extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • bread: 2-3 large slices of french bread or any crusty bread - if using smaller baguette rounds, you will need about 8 slices
  • to serve:
  • drizzle of EVOO to taste
  • a few fresh mint sprigs
  • serving suggestion: serve alongside a scoop of vegan coconut-vanilla bean ice cream!

Instructions

  1. Prep your mango and banana and place the freshly sliced fruit in a small bowl. Add the cinnamon, salt, maple and vanilla extract and gently toss.
  2. Heat oven to 400 degrees and place your loaf of bread in the oven to toast and warm. The bread will be toasted in just a matter of minutes, so when it starts to brown a bit, turn off heat and set bread aside.
  3. Warm a large skillet over high heat. Add the one tablespoon Bertolli extra virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, add in the mango and banana mixture. Sauté on high for about 3-4 minutes, or until the fruit is caramelized and tender, but not overly mushy.
  4. Slice into your loaf of bread and place 2-3 large rounds of bread on a cutting board. Spoon the caramelized fruit mixture over top. Slice the bread into triangles, dividing each slice into to pieces. Note: If you are using smaller slices or baguette slices, you do not need to slice in half.
  5. Add the bruschetta slices to a serving platter and garnish with fresh mint. Drizzle additional EVOO over top so that the bread is well saturated with sweetness from the fruit and richness from the EVOO. Serve warm.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 20 mins.
Tags: appetizer,dessert,bread,italian,olive oil,banana,mango,fruit,sweet,vegan,cinnamon

Thank you to Bertolli for sending me this giant bottle of their extra virgin olive oil to play with in honor of their 150th anniversary.

You can serve like this or slice into triangles, depending on your bread size...

pssst.. did you notice that I changed things up a bit? Photos are not wider, hooray!

19 Ways to Beat the Monday (Or Any Work Day) Blues. With recipes!

by 3 Comments


I was feeling especially somber about the weekend being over this morning, so instead of pouting into my matcha mug and grumbling through the day I decided to make a list of my favorite ways to power through a tough work day - with some energy and motivation in my mood. And of course like any good blogger, I decided to pass on my Monday (or any work day) mood-lifting-spiration to you. #MondayMotivation.

Here are 19 Plant-Based Ways to Beat the Monday Blues..

So I read this article on Forbes "How to Beat the Monday Blues" and while the advice was very practical, smart and worthy of reading, it just left me feeling less than perky. So I decided to put my own effervescent, plant-based spin on how I heal the Monday (or any work day) blues...

I want to put some bounce in your step today...


*Cat and I circa 2014 at Camp Blogaway

How-to: Pick one, two, three or ten of these things to do today to perk up your mood, mind, body and spirit. Mondays can be something to embrace when you show yourself that you know how to induce self-care when needed. You have the power to beat the blues, cheer yourself up and choose to be happy...even on a Monday.

"My state of happiness is a direct reflection of what I do to nurture my own happiness." - love this quote, based on an article by my friend Liza Utter.

19 Vegan Ways to Beat the Monday Blues (Or any workday)

1. Matcha Break
My favorite way to perk up any work day, especially a Monday, is by whipping up a frothy, warming, Zenergizing matcha green tea latte. My go-to recipe + matcha tips. Plus learn all about matcha from an expert here! I use Encha matcha because it is organic, an amazing value and perfect quality - my matcha buying guide here.

2. Fill Your Day with Fresh Fruit, Most Notably Whole Citrus
Imagine yourself walking into one of those fancy bath and body care shops. Your senses are overloaded with aromas. In one corner of the store everything is citrus. Grapefruit, lemon, orange. Citrus scents are described to uplift, energize and awaken you. Well cut out the middle man and go right to the source. The thing you usually toss after eating some citrus fruit. The peel! Dive a fork (or your fingernail) right into the peel of some citrus and scrape up that peel, lift it up to your nose and inhale deeply a few times. Smell that? Pure essential oil goodness. Keep the peel by your desk and take a whiff whenever you feel a yawn coming on.

(You know when someone nearby is peeling an orange and you have to note the bright smell, well take advantage of that sensory interruption.)

This also works with other fruit like apple, berries and more. Their fragrant aromas can help awaken you from the inside out. But I will admit that citrus is the best.

And if a co-worker asks you why you have a citrus rind on your desk just ask them to take a big inhale and they will understand.

Bonus... veggies work too because I am a firm believer in the power of beautiful produce..

3. Turn on the Tunes. If you are in an office setting, this may require a little group effort, and a job that allows musical interludes. But for me, as I type and photograph, cook and edit, music can really set the mood and pace of my work.

I will share a little secret about my favorite work music: movie scores. But more accurately, the movie scores. The instrumental music that accompanies the movie scenes. Obsessed. Really. I love it for "work music" because it has no lyrics to get stuck in my head or verbally distract me, and the music truly is made to be "background music for life." Or really, movies. A few of my fave movies that have the best scores: Titanic (the best), all the Pirates of the Caribbean films, the Twilight films (New Moon is probably my favorite), classic 80's films like Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Batman and even Jurassic Park, A Beautiful Mind, Inception, Iron Man, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter movies too. And you do not have to love the movie to love the music..

So whatever music uplifts your soul and allows you to work with lifted eyebrows and a positive vibe, turn on that.

4. Love Your Lunch.
Looking forward to your lunch break is a great way to put a happy spin on Monday - or any work day. One of my fave sandwiches for a perky mood is this Seven Layer Sandwich. It uses loads of flavorful veggies and toppings as well as some rich and creamy garlic hummus. SO good. Get the recipe.

I also adore this Chickpea Sandwich...

5. Daydream of Travel.
Take a few minutes to google your top three places on your travel list. Print out a pic, pin it on your "travel pinterest board" or write down your dream destination on a post it note and stick it to your wall. Dreaming about the other places you might possibly be on an upcoming Monday, will leave you feeling a bit less trapped in the Monday you are currently swimming through.

Some of my dream destinations both far-fetched (literally) and more probable: Sedona Arizona, London, Iceland, Cabo, Northern Ireland, Brussels, re-visit to Paris, Italy and Hawaii, Australia, Japan matcha fields, Coastal Washington near Seattle, Norway, Antartica to see the penguins, South of France... ok you get the picture.

And if you cannot daydream about travel, read a few blogs to get you inspired. My time in Fairytale Switzerland, or check out the Fairytale Traveler or my friend Amanda who ALWAYS has amazing travel blog posts on Kevin and Amanda. And VeganMiam for amazing travel + vegan food posts!

And Napa..

6. Browse Desserts on Finding Vegan.
OK, so this is a silly one, but seriously, browsing desserts is just plain fun. Caramel rippled ice cream, chocolate brownies, chewy cookies stacked in towers, luscious berry pie and banana ice cream galore. Browse vegan desserts and feel all day-dreamy.

Other ways to browse on FV: Our iphone App, facebook/findingvegan or follow us on Instagram/FindingVegan.

Also check out the new discussion-infused Finding Vegan Community!

And if you now need a super fast + amazing dessert... peanut or almond butter cups.

7. Got the Sedentary Blues? Energy Flow Break.
I am not going to call this "take an exercise break." because I know many of us are so busy with back-to-work things that working out falls at the bottom of your list. BUT, taking a two minute energy flow break every hour is a great way to perk up your body without interfering with your busy day.

A few energy flow break activities: jumping jacks followed by deep breath plié's. Or a quick stroll around the office and back - hopefully outside to catch a few minutes of sun rays. If you are at home, or have access to a soft floor, do five minutes of yoga stretches. If you have hand weights, do some arm lifts for two minutes. Then the next hour do two minutes of lunges or squats.

This isn't about a long winded workout, but rather a way to get blood flowing through your body - to your muscles - increasing heart rate just a bit. You'd be surprised what a two minute energy flow break can do for your work day. Go on, take that break NOW, and come back to #8 in two minutes.

Take some fitness or "energy flow break" tips from bloggers..

8. Chat Break.
Stop staring at your screen and take a few minutes to start up a conversation with a real, live human. I know you love your iPhone, but people are far more interesting and, well, unpredictable. So take a few minutes to call you mom, call a friend, ask a co-worker to take a stroll or coffee or matcha or tea or smoothie break with you - or just call it a fresh air break. If you are having some seriously high anxiety emotions on this Monday, use your human friend (or relative) to help you work through those thoughts. Just make sure you have someone who doesn't mind being your therapist for a few minutes.

And healthy, feel-good smoothies pair well with chat breaks, fyi..

Sophie and I sipping some of her yummy Philosophie smoothies after a video sesh last year..

*get 10% off Philosophie products with code LunchboxLove

9. Blend This.
This smoothie always perks me up and is a great Monday sip. Citrus, spices, turmeric and more. Golden Wellness all the way.

10. Meatless Monday.
This is a must! Start off your week with plants and give your body and soul a bit of sparkle. Not only will plant-based meals be infused with antioxidants, fiber, beautiful colors, plant-based protein and flavor, but you will be eating with animal kindness in mind. Give my Tofu Chipotle Bowl a whirl. Or try any of the recipes from my book Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen.

And eating colorful plant-based foods has a sneaky way of perking up your mood too. Like this Mexi-Chop Salad...

And this sweet potato chili as a speedy, go-to comfort food dinner..

And this amazing peanut-curried chickpea meal..

11. Blender/Banana Ice Cream
In need of some sweet satisfaction on this somber work day? Banana blender ice cream. I love the creativity that can be involved in blender ice cream recipes - and the flavor is just as delicious as traditional ice cream in my personal view. Loaded with fiber, fruit, flavor and usually super low in fat (if you use bananas as the main ingredient) banana ice cream is a mood-perking recipe winner. Get 53 Vegan Banana Ice Cream Recipes on Parade.

This chocolate bliss is by Connoisseurus Veg.

12. Healthy Snacks
Make sure your week is filled with healthy snacks. Today is a great day to prep for your whole week of snacking. Make a list of your faves, buy ingredients if needed, and do any kitchen prep to have those snacks on hand. This can really cut down on not-so-healthy-food-gobbling in times of hunger, anxiety, stress or boredom.

Some of my favorite healthy work snacks:

- big bowl of organic blueberries
- avocado toast with lemon and cayenne .. or pineapple
- almond or peanut butter toast with cinnamon and banana
- hummus and fresh veggie sticks
- fruit, fruit, fruit. Pre-chopped pineapple, fruit salads, apples, peaches, cherries
- fruit salad in a jar - my recipe on The Kitchn
- pre-made portions of homemade popcorn
- smoothies all day, every day.
- green smoothies
- leftover protein. I love making more than enough protein dishes like tofu scramble, tempeh bacon or lentils or legumes
- matcha latte or hibiscus tea paired with a yummy muffin
- dark chocolate and nuts to nibble

13. Know When to Stop.
Mondays and many stressful work days (any day of the week) can drag on and on and on if you let them. Lets face it, the work will NEVER be done on a Monday. So it is up to you to set a time to stop working and start winding down for the evening. Have a few things to look forward to. A favorite meal, a mindless TV show (Bachelorette Mondays, anyone?) or some Netflix or book reading time. Or spend some smile-inducing time with your family. But the only way you will have time for these feel-good activities is if you stop work at a reasonable hour. Because (with the exception of today's date deadlines), the work will still be there tomorrow.

One of my favorite things to do is make a big batch of lemon ginger tea and sip a big warm mug after dinner. Right before bed, I usually add some chamomile tea to it too. Hot pumpkin mugs in fall are perfect.

I also love these superfood lattes on The First Mess.

And this turmeric milk by Nutrition Stripped..

*photo above copyright: McKel Hill of Nutrition Stripped

14. Write it Down: Goals
Bouncing off of #13, one way to help yourself distribute your weekly work load is to make a list on Monday of all your week-long work goals. This can help you realize that you have the whole week to get work done, and you do not have to pile all those expectations on your Monday - or any one day.

15. Back to Snacks...
I almost forgot about this round up I did for TheKitchn about healthy snacks: A Week of Healthy, Simple Snacks. Check out these recipes in that post (with photos)..
- fruit salad in a jar
- almond butter shake
- lady bugs on a log
- avo-dilla
- hummus toast with veggies

16. Animals.
Animals in the form of pets or cute animal videos on YouTube really help me divert my attention from the crazy, chaos of the human world. I love playing with my kittens for a few minutes, watching videos like this duck excited to see his owner after school, or even just browsing facebook posts by Jeff Corwin or Farm Sanctuary.

Cutie-pie turkey, photo via Farm Sanctuary..

17. Salt Water Cures All.
I love that kinda-cheesy, viral quote that says, "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." So. I really do take this to heart on my Mondays. If I am feeling simply tragic, I don't mind turning something sad on my Netflix and having a good weep, or if I am feeling anxious, sweating via a workout or a sauna is awesome. And if I have time, a dip in the ocean would be sublime, or even a beach-side stroll to inhale that salt air. And for all of you who do not have beachside access, try giving yourself a salt scrub before a bubble bath - or using mineral or epsom salts in your bath.

...and yes I totally just found a way to include a Britney Spears reference in my Monday Blues-beating post 😉

18. Laughter.
Do it. Find a way to laugh. Big chuckles. I like Buzzfeed LOL, my husband's antics, kitty play sessions and their funny faces or anything in video form that makes me laugh. Just yesterday we watched a few of Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee episodes. They are free! And so good.

19. Superfoods.
Shameless plug for healthy, plant-based foods for this last one. I feel really great about myself and my body feels great when I feed it right. One easy way to consume nutrients is via superfoods.

Superfoods are "a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being." Basically, I consider "superfoods" to be healthy ingredients. There isn't anything magical about them, except for the fact that your body loves them and benefits from them in certain ways. Superfoods may be rich in antioxidants, protein, fiber, phytochemicals and more.

Some of my favorite healthy feel-good foods, aka my superfoods include:
- green foods - kale, spinach, spirulina, chard... (all greens all the time. fiber, antioxidants, nutrient-dense, low calorie)
- berries (fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals - from blueberries, strawberries to acai)
- mushrooms and mushroom powder (phytochemicals, wellness)
- maca powder (energizing)
- matcha (Zenergy, antioxidants)
- cacao aka dark chocolate (antioxidants, flavor)
- walnuts (omega fatty acids, brain health)
- sweet potatoes (fiber, flavor, vitamin A)
- chia seeds (fiber, healthy fats, protein)
- melon (for its hydrating, potassium rich properties)
- lemon juice and other citrus (vitamin C, alkaline)
- lentils, peas and beans (protein, b-vitamins, iron and fiber)
- pineapple and papaya (enzymes, vitamin C, hydrating)
- coconut water (electrolytes, hydrating)
- kombucha, sauerkraut and other fermented foods (probiotics, live enzymes)
- veggie burgers! any of my superfood-filled patties.
- whole grains like quinoa and farro (fiber, healthy carbs, some protein and nutrients)
- turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper (spices for health. anti-inflammatory, stimulating)

- check out the 'favorite ingredients' section of my book HHVK for details on all my favorite healthy ingredients.
- what are YOUR favorite "superfoods" - let me know in the comments

Also let me know what YOU do to perk up a Monday or any tough day at work!

Peanut Butter Ginger Cookies. Soft, Chewy, Two Favorites in One.

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vegan peanut butter ginger cookies

Take two of my favorite cookies, combine them and what do you get? These soft, spicy-sweet, chewy Peanut Butter Ginger Cookies. A ginger-infused spin on peanut butter cookies!..

Peanut butter cookies: chewy and nutty with that signature sweet peanut butter flavor. Like this..

Kathy's 4-ingredienst peanut butter cookies:

Ginger cookies: soft and chewy with spicy-sweet ginger flavors and a warm molasses-made deep brown color. Like these..

Kathy's chewy molasses ginger cookies:

..And poof! Smash these recipes together and these cookies are what you get.

These delicious cookies are vegan, gluten-free and rich in whole grains, nut butter and a good dose of iron, in part from that molasses.

Peanut Butter Ginger Cookies

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 07/25/2015
Peanut Butter Ginger Cookies

Soft and chewy peanut butter and molasses cookies.

Ingredients

  • dry:
  • 1 ½ cups oat flour
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder (add another ½ teaspoon for a bolder ginger flavor)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • wet:
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 chia or flax egg (¼ cup water + 1 teaspoon ground flax or whole chia seeds)
  • ¼ cup vegan buttery spread, melted
  • ½ cup peanut butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a baking sheet.
  2. Combine the water and chia or ground flax seeds to make the vegan "egg" mixture. Whisk briskly for a minute, then set aside to thicken.
  3. Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and combine.
  4. The fold in all the wet ingredients, including the chia/flax egg. If your flour or peanut butter was on the drier side, you may need to add in an additional tablespoon of water to wet your dough. However, if the consistency feels right, it is not needed.
  5. Place the dough in the fridge for 5 minutes to firm up just a bit.
  6. Scoop out small round balls of dough and place them on the baking sheet. When you have added all the dough balls, use the prongs of a fork to flatten out the dough in a criss-cross pattern.
  7. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes, or until cookies are flattened and starting to crackle on the edges. Cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge. Serve leftovers cooled or warmed up. These keep well for at least a week, but I doubt they will stick around that long!

Yield: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 12 mins.
Total time: 22 mins.
Tags: dessert,cookies,ginger,peanut butter,vegan,gluten free,oat,molasses

Recipes from The Blender Girl Smoothies Cookbook + My Review!

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I am so excited to share TWO amazing recipes, some beautiful images and my book review of Tess Masters's new book,  The Blender Girl Smoothies cookbook..


Copyright © 2014 Anson Smart

Take a peek at the first smoothie I blended from Tess's book.. yum!

Lovely Pomegranate Slam it, from Tess's book..

Copyright © 2014 Anson Smart

Hooray smoothie books! I have a huge soft spot for smoothie cookbooks. Ever since I was in high school I would buy them every chance I got. I loved flipping through the pages of colorful smoothie photos, fruity flavors, and inspiring nutrient-dense recipes.

Smoothies were also one of my favorite first recipes to play around with in the kitchen. In my own smoothie book, 365 Vegan Smoothies, I tell the story about how in 7th grade drama class everyone had to "teach the class something they were an expert in" - I chose to teach the class how to make the perfect smoothie. It was chocolate-banana-pineapple. Sassy, yes?

And thus why I am still inspired and delighted by every smoothie book I find today!

I think you can judge a lot about a person by what they toss in their smoothies. It is true! Every time I make a "green smoothie" with friends I am so interested to see how their "go-to recipe" is vastly different than my own. Smoothies on average are the same sort of thing. Liquid, plants, frozen, flavor accents. But how a person crafts their own smoothie is a completely individual thing. And I love reading other bloggers smoothie recipes and books. And learning others recipes definitely widens the creative culinary possibilities of my own smoothie game!

And the BEST thing about smoothie recipes and cookbooks - the recipes are forgivable. You can easily change up one or two ingredients and still make something delicious.

Cookbook Review. I adore Tess's new book. And I am so excited to finally get a chance to feature Tess here on my blog because I had watched her from afar for a long time in complete awe of her bender-focused brand. We are both smoothie girls and smoothie girls need to stick together! So I was so excited to finally meet her last year and find she is even more amazing, kind, fun and genius in person. And her cookbooks show all that talent off.

Tess's book covers all the basics, how-to build a smoothie, fave smoothie ingredients (with some super awesome-creative ideas like maqui, orange blossom water and more!) and plenty of must-have smoothie recipes that include lovable, crowd-pleasing flavors like banana, berries, sweet greens, chocolate, citrus, nut milk and more.

But some of my favorite smoothies in this book are the ones that are super creative and unique.

I really enjoyed how Tess took a few flavor chances in this book with recipes that you probably will never find on a Jamba Juice menu. (That is one of the best things about smoothie cookbooks - freedom for outside the blender container thinking.)

Some of those unique creations include the Salty Alkalaid, which contains a brisk assortment of greens, cucumber, avocado, lime, water, tomato, coconut, garlic and salt. Or Minty Green Kreme which includes kiwi in a creamy mint blend. And Spicy Gazpacho Grab, a savory blend of delicious veggie, citrus and spice-infused flavors. Basil Melon Mania which includes, yes, melon and fresh basil - and basil has always been an underrated smoothie ingredient in my opinion. And even a Rose Water Cardamom Lassi with creamy banana and vegan yogurt, rose water and cardamom.

These super creative creations are for me, what makes The Blender Girl so wonderful in her smoothie approach. You have to know what you are doing in a smoothie-making kitchen to start using those lesser-known flavor combinations and accents!

Design. I love how minimalist the photos are and elegant the book looks sitting on my table. Tidy, compact and inspiring.

So no big surprise, I love this book and hope you add it to your thriving smoothie cookbook collection! Get Tess's new cookbook today!

My first blend. My first blend from the book, since I actually had soaked cashews on hand, was this dreamy Strawberry Shortcake blend. I subbed in some frozen watermelon for the strawberries, based on ingredients I had on hand, but it still came out amazing.

..I LOVED it! The next smoothie I want to make is the Sleep Spell, a blend of sweet dates, nut milk, banana, pistachios and spices like cinnamon and ginger.

GIVEAWAY! In celebration of her book launch, Tess is hosting s $2,000 giveaway from KitchenAid. Enter here! Prize: One person will win a KitchenAid Stand Mixer, Food Processor, and Torrent Blender valued at $1,999.97!

And below, Tess shares TWO amazing recipes from her book for you to try today! No, really, make one today, like right now. Your body will thank you.

TWO RECIPES from The Blender Girl Smoothies..

rosemary melonade

This exotic blend sips like a fancy cocktail, but skips the hefty bar tab. Melon is hydrating, and rich in vitamin C and anti-inflammatory lycopenes, while rosemary contributes awesome flavor and antibacterial backup. The combination makes this your secret immunity agent! Throw in the jalapeño for an added cleanse and kick.

serves 2

3 cups (480g) chopped seedless watermelon, chilled
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 lemon, peeled and seeded
1 1⁄2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
1⁄2 cup (80g) frozen pineapple
1⁄4 cup (80g) frozen strawberries
5 drops alcohol-free liquid stevia, plus more to taste (optional)

optional boosters
1⁄2 cup (60g) frozen raw cauliflower florets 1⁄2 teaspoon cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil 1⁄4 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeño chile

Throw all of the ingredients into your blender and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until well combined.

nutritional facts (per serving)
Calories 115 kcal | Fat 0 g | Saturated fat 0 g | Sodium 4 mg | Carbs 29 g | Fiber 3 g | Sugars 21 g Protein 2 g | Calcium 42 mg | Iron 1 mg

rosemary melonade..

Copyright © 2014 Anson Smart

--

green mojito

This is a cold-and-flu buster and potent detoxifier, all in one zesty cocktail! The bromelain in pineapple suppresses coughs and loosens mucus, while mint clears respiratory congestion, soothes sore throats, and alleviates nausea. The vitamin C in limes has antibiotic power, anti-inflammatories in kale and pineapple combat arthritis, and ginger boosts immunity, aids digestion, and adds a powerful zing.

Serves 2

1 cup (240ml) coconut water or water
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
3 limes, peeled and quartered
1 cup (25g) torn-up curly green kale leaves (1 or 2 large leaves with stalk removed)
½ cup (18g) firmly packed mint
2 cups (320g) frozen pineapple
5 drops alcohol-free liquid stevia, plus more to taste

Throw all of the ingredients into your blender and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and creamy.

optional boosters:1 teaspoon wheatgrass powder 1 teaspoon minced ginger 1 teaspoon coconut oil.

green mojito..

Copyright © 2014 Anson Smart

Above recipes - Reprinted from THE BLENDER GIRL SMOOTHIES Copyright © 2014, 2015 by Tess Masters. Photographs copyright © 2014 by Erin Kunkel. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Strawberry Peach Walnut Oatmeal Pancakes. Gluten-Free. Vegan.

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Finish this sentence.

"A day that starts with pancakes...."

Strawberry Peach Walnut Oatmeal Pancakes to be exact. Now lets finish that sentence as we grab some forks and cozy-up the morning!...

Those strawberries..

Always use organic peaches and berries when possible since these delicate fruits do not have a non-edible skin protecting them. Splurge on organic berries and peaches in the summertime when you can often find them on sale.

Or head to a farmer's market and seek out a deal. ..OK, so sometimes I spend MORE at the farmer's market than I would at a supermarket because my eyes are bigger than my stomach, but still. You get the picture. Buy local, or trek out to a pick-your-own farm and load up on summer fruit goodness!

Summer fruit + pancakes = match made in breakfast heaven.

Grade B maple + organic powdered sugar to further sweeten the pancake platter..

Ready for YOU to dive into..

Today. It is a Tuesday. Overcast skies and warm muggy weather here in LA in the days after those crazy July rain showers. This weather makes me want to stay inside, work all day next to snuggly kittens, take an afternoon workout break, play in the kitchen and fall back into bed at the end of the day, cozy and relaxed.

A day that starts with pancakes will leave you feeling cozy and warm, satisfied, nurtured and deliciously mellow.

Weekday pancakes? Sure, why not. It is true my kitchen was extra messy with bowls for fresh fruit, stained red and pink. Bowls for mixing batter, scattered strawberry tops cluttering the sink, powdered sugar sprinkled like fairy dust all across the table and a skillet to clean. But despite the few extra minutes of clean-up. Pancakes are always a "Yes, please!" meal for me.

So, pancakes. Say it with me. Pancakes. Just saying that word makes my taste buds smile.

I hope you try these summertime, fruit-filled, vegan, gluten-free pancakes with walnuts and cinnamon, lemon zest and maple syrup. Warmed fruit and fluffy oat goodness in every forkful.

Make these and have a good day.

PS. This recipe (similar to it) can be found in my cookbook Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen - along with my tips on homemade flours and more breakfast inspiration. Get your copy!

Strawberry-Peach Oatmeal Walnut Pancakes

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 07/21/2015
Strawberry-Peach Oatmeal Walnut Pancakes

Strawberry and peach filled oat flour pancakes with walnuts and cinnamon. Topped with warm maple fruit and a hint of organic powdered sugar.

Ingredients

  • ½ banana, mashed
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • ¾ cup oat flour (homemade from rolled oats)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • for pan: coconut oil spray
  • fold in:
  • ½ cup thinly sliced peaches and strawberries, organic
  • 2 tablespoon walnuts, chopped
  • Fruit Topping: 1 cup fresh fruit sliced, 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • -
  • Serve with: fresh fruit, strawberries, banana, peaches - additional maple syrup and organic powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Mash the banana in a medium mixing bowl then add in the non-dairy milk, lemon juice and maple syrup. Then stir in the dry ingredients: oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir with a spoon very well until the mixture thickens. Allow this batter to sit for a minute or two to fully thicken. Fold in the walnuts and about a ½ cup of fresh fruit.
  2. Warm up skillet over low heat for at least 2-3 minutes before cooking. I find that this helps to evenly warm up the pan.
  3. Turn heat up to medium and spray pan with oil. Add pancakes batter. Cook about 2-3 minutes, or until edges start to brown and firm up and bubbles start to pop up around edges. Right before flipping, add a few additional fruit slices to the wet side of the pancake, spray with oil and flip. Cook this side for another 2-3 minutes.
  4. Remove pancakes from pan and start again until all the batter is used. I made three large pancakes.
  5. When the pancakes are done, add the fruit topping fruit and maple syrup to the pan and toss around with your spatula for a minute to warm, soften and caramelize the fruit. Turn off stove heat and set warm fruit aside.
  6. To serve, add pancake(s) to plate and top with the skillet fruit and garnish with fresh fruit. Add additional maple syrup if desired. Sprinkle organic powdered sugar over top.

Yield: 1-2 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: Breakfast, pancakes, strawberries, fruit, brunch, vegan, peaches

Rustic Pasta Night. Shiitake, Carrot, Herbs de Provence Garlic-Lemon Sauce.

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Rustic. Romantic. Vibrant. Savory. Sweet. Fragrant. This Herbs de Provence Garlic-Shiitake-Lemon Pasta is lovely summertime fare. The tender penne pasta is wrapped in a lemon-garlic herb sauce and studded with earthy shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onions and sweet carrots. This is a pasta dish I whipped up using "whatever I had on hand" but after tasting the results, this recipe will be one I will make again and again...

Herbes de Provence is a mixture of dried herbs typical of the Provence region of southeast France. Formerly simply a descriptive term, commercial blends started to be sold under this name in the 1970s.[1] These mixtures typically contain savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and other herbs. In the North American market lavender leaves are also typically included, though lavender was not used in traditional southern French cooking. - wiki

I spent last week on Long Island, New York visiting my sister and her family. My adorable six year-old niece and my growing-so-fast nine year-old nephew. We skipped through flower fields, played tic-tac-toe using shells and beach rocks on a tiny Fire Island beach, splashed in the salty waves, played tennis, spent a day in the city - where the kids saw their first Broadway show ever, Wicked. We smiled at fireflies, enjoyed long twilight evenings with warm air and crickets, as clouds brought roaring thunderstorms to lull us to sleep.

Summer bliss.

And one stop we made was to a gorgeous lavender farm, Lavender by the Bay, where I picked up some delicious-smelling, lavender-infused, culinary herbs.

But whatever do I do with them?? When creativity escapes me.. Make pasta!

This pasta is perfect for summertime. Soothing. Cozy. Light and bright. Savory and rustic. With a bit of romance twirled into that flower-field inspired simple garlic-lemon sauce.

And if I told you that this pasta was infused with lavender, what would you think? Too weird? I thought so. But I gave the culinary herb blend a whirl and adored the outcome. The entire house smelled like southern France. Or I can only imagine...

The inspiration.. lavender-infused herbs de Provence..

Earthy delights..

Vacation time flower-field skipping.

*Avalon nature preserve on Long Island

And lots of smiles. No makeup. Sloppy braids. Family time. Hot sun. Cold drinks. Laughter. Cities. Countryside.


*right: photo credit my 6-year old niece.

Easy meal. Plated dish to serve a crowd..

Herbs de Provence Garlic-Shiitake-Lemon Pasta

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 07/20/2015
Herbs de Provence Garlic-Shiitake-Lemon Pasta

This savory, soothing pasta dish includes veggies like shiitake mushroom and sweet carrot, infused with lovely flavors of herbs de Provence , garlic, nutritional yeast and lemon.

Ingredients

  • Garlic Sauce:
  • 5 cloves raw garlic
  • 2 large lemons, juiced + pinch of lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon herbs de provence
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon pasta water (reserved from cooking the pasta)
  • Veggies:
  • 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 large carrots, scrubbed and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (for saute pan)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • Fold in: ½ cup nutritional yeast (or to taste)
  • Pasta: 2 cups dry penne pasta, whole wheat used
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon white wine to mushroom saute, freshly chopped flat leaf parsley (not shown)
  • Spicy accent: Add 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the sauce if you want to add a spicy accent

Instructions

  1. Start off by prepping your veggies. Dice the onion, carrot and mushroom. Set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the dry pasta. Cook until tender. About two minutes before the pasta is done, add the carrots to the pasta water to cook carrots.
  3. While the pasta is cooking you can be sauteing the veggies. Warm a skillet over high heat. Add the teaspoon of EVOO and then the onion and mushrooms. Saute until the edges start to brown and onions caramelize. Add the salt and pepper just before turning off the heat. Optional: Add a few pinches of freshly chopped parsley to this mixture as well as a splash of white wine.
  4. Now that the veggies and pasta are cooked, you can quickly blend the sauce. Add the sauce ingredients to a high speed blender and blend from low to high until smooth. You want the herbs de Provence to be finely blended so that the sauce is smooth and herbs are not gritty. It is important that your blender can process the herbs fine enough. Aka, Vitamix.
  5. If you have not yet drained the pasta, do so now and add the cooked carrots and pasta to a large mixing bowl. Pour the blended garlic sauce over top and add the nutritional yeast. Toss well. Then fold int he veggie mixture.
  6. Serve warm with a tiny pinch of the dry herbs over top for color. You can also serve with flat leaf parsley, fresh basil, fresh lemon zest or sage over top to accent.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: entree,dinner,veggies,pasta,herbs de provence,lavender,vegan,carrots,mushrooms,lemon

Buy herbs de Provence on Amazon!..

Disclosure: I am a Vitamix affiliate and any links to their products are via my affiliate account.

The Best Little Snack Cookies to Nibble!

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These nut, oat, seed and chocolate filled vegan cookies are a must try! They are seriously one of the best little nibble snacks I have made. They are refined sugar free, Medjool date-sweetened, and superdelicious. I typo-wrote that as one word. But THEY ARE. Superdelicious. Maybe even Superamazingcozydelicious. Figure that one out autocorrect.

These cookies are sweet, but not too sweet. Nutty and satisfying, but moist and delicate. And oh, did I mention the melty chocolate part? Superamazingcozymeltychocolatedelicious.

Bake these best little snack, "Nibble Cookies" today and swoon over them all week!..

These little gems are a must try snack..

I made them last Monday and nibbled them alllll weeeeek looooong. It was sublime.

Did I mention there is melty chocolate involved?

Sure these cuties look all innocent, oat-filled, fiber-rich, gluten-free, healthy fat-filled, protein accented, whole grain-y and "all business" at first glance...

But there is a sweet-tender, chocolate-accented party going on at first bite...

Moral of this recipe story: Vegan snacks are the BEST! Healthy and superdelicious.

I nibbled on these so many different ways..

 ..straight from the fridge, warmed them up a bit in the oven (or micro) AND the BEST way I nibbled these was served with steamy ginger-lemon-maple tea. SO good.

And I ate these with bedtime tea as my dessert pretty much every night last week.

Perfect bedtime nibble.

And breakfast nibble.
And mid-morning nibble.
And late-afternoon nibble.
...well you get the point.

Anytime nibble approved.

Now hop into the kitchen and make these little snack balls of joy.

Oat-Date-Chocolate Vegan Snack Cookies

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 07/12/2015
Oat-Date-Chocolate Vegan Snack Cookies

These cookies are filled with nuts, seeds, dates-sweetened goodness, oats and flavor. Make a batch and nibble them all week.

Ingredients

  • DRY:
  • 1 ¾ cup oat flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup chopped nuts and seeds (any variety - I used walnuts and pumpkin seeds)
  • WET:
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds
  • 9 Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • ¼ cup peanut or almond butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • Fold in to taste:
  • vegan dark chocolate bars, copped into small chunks - or vegan chocolate chips
  • For pan:
  • virgin coconut oil for greasing*
  • *or use a non-stick baking liner

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Grease a baking sheet or line with non-stick baking liner.
  3. Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir well.
  4. Add all wet ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until silky smooth, from high to low.
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry bowl and stir well until a dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chunks or chips.
  6. Place dough in the fridge or freezer until it firms up enough to be scoopable. This took me about ten minutes in my freezer.
  7. Using a cookie or ice cream scooper, scoop out balls and place on cookie sheet. If no scooping tool, use hand to make loose balls.
  8. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges start to brown up. Cool for at least ten minutes before serving,
  9. STORAGE: For storage, place all cooled cookies in a plastic baggie or glass storage container. Store in the fridge. These keep nice and fresh for up to a week. To serve leftovers, serve chilled or reheat in microwave (for just 10 seconds or so) or in your oven or toaster oven.

Yield: 16 cookies
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: dessert,cookies,snack,easy,oats,chocolate,breakfast

Chipotle-Maple Sweet Potato Tofu Bowl

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If you follow me on Instagram you have most likely stumbled upon a bowl that looks similar to this one, only a tad less "food styled." Because in real life, my avocados are not done in a perfect fan and each cube of tofu placed just so, so that the crispy blackened edges blend perfectly into the fluffy green salad background. Because in real life, looks count, but flavor trumps all.

My Chipotle-Maple Sweet Potato Tofu Bowl is one of my favorite go-to dinners to make for my husband and I. So I am happy to share it with you on my blog, and not just Instagram! I hope it becomes a go-to fave in your household too..

A spin on this bowl on Instagram.. Typical for our meals.

Quick side note to LA-based kitty lovers. There is a super kitty charity event by FixNation called Whiskers in the Moonlight later this month. check it out here!

And I am so glad you guys loved the MATCHA chatter in my last post. I love sharing my matcha obsession with you guys...

Back to THIS yummy bowl...

Change Up The Protein. You can easily swap out to tofu for tempeh, chickpeas, lentils or even something like Beyond Meat vegan Chick'n.

Change Up The Greens. The leafy green base can be anything you want it to be! Kale, spinach, arugula, machê, chard and more. Just make sure you greens are organic - that really makes a big difference with delicate plants like leafy greens.

Make it Yours. Maybe you have your own favorite ingredient that you can add in to shake up the flavors. Try some roasted beets, a sprinkle of walnut-nooch vegan Parm, some cashew cheese, a sliced green apple, a few cubes of mango, some sweet citrus, a sprinkle of hemp or pumpkin seeds, some shredded carrots or diced jicama. Or maybe some spicy sliced radishes or diced bell pepper. No matter what you add, just make sure it does two things for this bowl:

1. Adds Flavors You Love!
2. Adds Diversity in Color!

The key to the healthy properties of this bowl are in the diversity of the plant flavors and nutritional properties. Eating the rainbow is not just a cliché, it really is a smart way to eat for health since all those colors have various antioxidant characteristics.

...And when I say diversity in color, healthy whole foods with bland colors like walnuts, brown rice, lentils and mushrooms of course count too!

I am always looking for fun new ingredients to add to this bowl so please inspire ME. Leave a comment telling me what new ingredient you will add to this bowl when you try it!

Chipotle-Maple Sweet Potato Tofu Bowl

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 07/09/2015
Chipotle Tofu Sweet Potato Bowls

This go-to dinner bowl contains leafy greens, tofu, sweet potato, avocado and more.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups leafy greens (arugula and spinach used)
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado, thinly sliced
  • 1 small sweet onion, diced
  • 5 large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups of firm tofu, diced into cubes
  • Tofu + Mushroom Flavor Ingredients (see instructions for amount suggestions - and add to taste too):
  • chipotle powder
  • tamari
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • grade B maple syrup
  • smoky paprika
  • cumin powder
  • Creamy Smoky Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoon Vegenaise
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon smoky paprika
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • Optional: nutritional yeast and fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Sweet Potato, using a large pot of water over high heat, boil sweet potato until tender, this usually takes about ten minutes on your stovetop. Drain and set potato aside.
  2. Heat a large saute pan over high heat and add 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. Add in the onions and shiitake mushrooms. Add a drizzle of tamari (about 1 tsp) and a sprinkle of black pepper. Saute until the onions caramelize and the shiitake mushrooms are tender and edges start to brown a bit. Transfer this mixture to a side bowl.
  3. Tofu: Heat the same large skillet over high heat. Add one teaspoon of the extra virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, add the tofu cubes. Saute for 2-3 minutes until edges start to brown. Then add in a 2 teaspoons of tamari and 2-3 teaspoons of maple syrup, along with generous sprinkle of the spices: paprika, cumin and chipotle powder. Salt and pepper to taste. Optional: a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. Saute and flip tofu cubes until all the sides are blackened and you are happy with the flavor. Note: Another option is to add minimal spices and drench the tofu in a homemade or bottled vegan BBQ sauce! Also delicious.
  4. Sauce: Whisk the vegan mayo, hot sauce, maple and paprika together until smooth and creamy. Place in fridge until needed.
  5. Ready to assemble! Add two cups of greens to each serving bowl. Then add the sliced avocado and slices of cooked sweet potato. Then add the onions and mushrooms. And finally, add those sizzling hot tofu cubes. Drizzle the creamy sauce on top and serve! Optional: add nutritional yeast and lemon sprinkle over top!

Yield: 2 bowls
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: entree,bowl,salad,dinner,sweet potato,tofu,vegan,avocado,chipotle

DIY Vegan Cookies & Cream Ice Cream.

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My favorite ice cream flavor ever: Cookies and Cream. Those crumbly, softened dark black chocolate cookies crumbling their way through luscious, silky vanilla ice cream, white and black-speckled. Bits of rich cookie against the pure white vanilla simplicity. Flavors reminiscent of dunking a chocolate sandwich cooking in a chilled glass of (non-dairy) milk.

There are a few C&C vegan ice creams in stores, but sometimes I find the store bought offerings to be a bit too sweet, sugar-infused and too dense in calories for me to really enjoy whenever I want.

Enter this DIY Cookies and Cream Ice Cream. Velvety vegan blender ice cream is the base, and my homemade chocolate sandwich cookies dance between the fluffy white ripples of frozen bliss. Scoop this cold creation onto a vegan ice cream cone and dessert bliss is yours...

This recipe is not meant to be a classic representation of Cookies and Cream. That would require the cookies to be much sweeter, and the ice cream to be much higher in fat and sugar as well. But this vegan version I came up with really satisfied MY craving, so I hope it does for you as well.

Peanut Butter Cookies. I decided to add a peanut butter accent to this recipe by filling the cookies with sweet peanut butter as the filling, instead of vanilla. However, you could try a filling with cocoa butter or cashew cream for a more classic white filling, but I really loved the peanut butter accent here.

Flour. I made these cookies twice. Once with oat flour (gf) and once with wheat flour. Both versions were delicious, but the oat flour had a bit more of a nutty, oat-y, earthy flavor - more texture. The photos shown are the wheat flour version.

Sweeter cookies? If you are really craving a sweeter chocolate cookie, you can add in a few more teaspoons of sugar without compromising the overall consistency.

Cocoa. Be sure to use unsweetened, vegan cocoa powder. Higher quality cocoa (or cacao) powder produces richer, more flavorful chocolate cookies.

Roll out + cut cookies..

The ice cream. Super simple, healthy and delicious.

PB -filled sandwich cookies.

Soft serve mixed with cookies.

Ready to go.

Vegan Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 07/05/2015
Vegan Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

This from scratch vegan cookies and cream ice cream is super healthy, yet still satisfies your classic cookies and cream craving.

Ingredients

  • Chocolate Sandwich Cookies:
  • ¾ cup flour (any variety)
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 3 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
  • 1 ½ tablespoon water
  • Peanut Butter Filling for cookies:
  • 2 tablespoon melted peanut butter
  • sweeten to taste (I used Medjool date paste - sugar could also be used)
  • Simple Banana Ice Cream:
  • 3 frozen bananas (extra ripe when frozen)
  • 1 cup frozen watermelon (or another frozen banana)
  • ½ - 1 cup non-dairy milk (OR vegan creamer or coconut milk for richer ice cream)
  • optional: a few drops of vanilla extract or a vanilla bean pod for extra vanilla flavor

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick liner. ASLO: Place a metal bread pan in the freezer at least 20 minutes before beginning he recipe.
  2. Add cocoa powder and flour to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Fold in the melted vegan butter, water and coconut sugar. Fold until a dough forms. Place dough in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to chill.
  4. Roll out cookie dough once it has chilled a bit. Roll to ⅛" thickness, or as desired.
  5. Bake cookies for ten minutes. Allow to cool fully before using in ice cream recipe. Cookies can quickly be chilled by placing the the freezer.
  6. Whip together the peanut butter filling. For extra thick filling, try using Medjool dates as the sweetener instead of a classic vegan sugar or liquid sweetener like maple syrup. Spread the peanut butter between two chilled cookies to create the sandwich cookies. Note: You could just use the chocolate cookies as is, with no filling.
  7. Add all vegan ice cream ingredients to a Vitamix or another high speed blender. Start out with just ½ cup liquid and add more as needed to blend. Blend until creamy smooth.
  8. Just before you end blending, add 1-2 cookies to the ice cream and allow them to blend into the ice cream to make tiny black specks.
  9. Quickly pour ice cream our into the chilled bread pan. Crumble about 3 or 4 cookies over top and fold them gently into the ice cream. Crumble a few more cookies on top. Place ice cream back in the freezer.
  10. Timing here is tricky. You want to chill the soft serve blender ice cream just enough so that it gently scoops into a cone, but not too long so that it gets hard and loses its silky texture. For me, about ten minutes usually does the trick.
  11. Scoop ice cream onto ice cream cones and garnish with whole cookies.

Yield: 2 servings + extra cookies
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: ice cream, vegan, cookies and cream, dessert,cookies,chocolate,banana,blender,vitamix,diy,recipe

*contains a Vitamix affiliate link.

Summer Corn + Lentil Sloppy Joes

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Raise your hand if you love super easy, family-friendly dinner recipes during these fun and feisty summer months? Well then. Me too. These healthy, vegan, super-delicious Summer Veggie Lentil Sloppy Joes are just for you. Packed with protein, fiber and flavor, you can have these sassy sandwiches on your dinner table in just fifteen minutes. Really.

Oh and these are always fun to eat. Suitable for the little and big kids at your table.

A quick skillet sizzle, and dinner is served..

Packed with flavor.

Comfort food meal!

Eat More Lentils. I am always trying to eat more lentils because they are so healthy for vegans and vegetarians .. and everyone else.

-> One cup of boiled lentils contains 18g plant-based protein, 230 calories, 16g fiber and 36% RDA iron.

..Not too shabby for a few legumes.

Summer Veggie Lentil Sloppy Joes

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 07/03/2015
Summer Veggie Lentil Sloppy Joes

Flavorful, healthy lentil-veggie sloppy joes are family approved for a fast and easy, and fun dinnertime.

Ingredients

  • 1 15oz. can lentils, drained and rinsed
  • 2 heaping tablespoon organic tomato paste
  • ½ cup vegetable broth
  • 1 small sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 cup frozen or fresh corn
  • 3 leaves collard greens, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • salt and black pepper to taste (at least ¼ teaspoon salt)
  • optional: 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast + extra splash veggie broth for added savory flavor
  • 4 vegan hamburger buns
  • For pan: 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Optional: serve with toppings like avocado, sliced tomato, shredded carrots, additional greens, pickles, vegenaise and more!

Instructions

  1. Turn oven to 300 degrees and place buns on top rack to toast, for about 5-10 minutes. Longer time if using frozen buns. Optional: rub bins in EVOO for extra yumminess.
  2. Turn on stove to high and warm up a large skillet. Add the extra virgin olive oil.
  3. When oil is hot, add the onions, garlic and corn. Saute for a few minutes until onions start to caramelize a bit.
  4. Turn heat down to medium-high, and add the tomato paste, spice, veggie broth and optional nutritional yeast. Stir well until the mixture thickens into a red sauce with the veggies.
  5. Add in the lentils and continue stirring gently to mix ingredients. This will only take about 3-4 minutes until flavors mesh together and lentils cook through.
  6. Lastly, fold in the collard greens. If desired, you can add another splash of veggie broth for a wetter texture to your mixture, but you want the thickness to be scoopable so that the sloppy joes do not get too sloppy.
  7. Pull your buns from the oven and fill them with the warm and steamy sloppy joe filling. Serve right away. Store leftovers, sealed in the fridge - delicious as leftovers too or a make ahead meal. Tip: If you filling gets too dry, just add a few splashes of broth and some more tomato paste. You could also add in some mild salsa or BBQ sauce to "wet" your filling.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 03 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 12 mins.
Total time: 15 mins.
Tags: entree,sandwich,easy,kids,dinner,sloppy joes,lentils,summer,family

Wellness Travel: My Week at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate Mexico + Video

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A few years ago I was thrilled to visit one of the most epic wellness destinations in the world, the Golden Door Spa in Escondido California. While I was at the Golden Door, I heard about "The Ranch." Aka, Rancho La Puerta, in Tecate Mexico, located right over the border just a short distance from San Diego, California.

"It is the original! You have to go down to Deborah's Ranch in Mexico!" One woman gushed to me as her wide eyes sparkled with startling enthusiasm. So when I returned home from Golden Door, I googled this "ranch" and soon put Rancho La Puerta at the top of my wellness travel list!

And last week I experienced the ranch for myself! If you are like me and have a passion for wellness, keep reading.. My Week at Rancho La Puerta.. + the 22 things I loved about my stay and 11 tips for your stay!..

Investment in Your Health. At some point during the trip, a ranch staff member said this..

"You have chosen to spend your vacation time, your week away from your job, maybe your family and responsibilities, here at the ranch. You have chosen to make an investment in your health."

Those words resonated with me all week. The choices we make, shape our lives and our wellness. The people who choose places like RLP for their precious vacation time and funds have made a conscious decision to improve their wellness. And the ranch fans keep coming back again and again and again because the ranch really works! You absolutely leave your week feeling transformed and inspired to bring healthy habits back into your everyday life at home.

My video experience. Clips from my week..

Who Goes to RLP? The majority of the guests are female, but both male and female guests are welcomed. Most of the guests are 50 and over (from my unscientific estimate), but plenty of younger guests visit as well. During family weeks, kids can be ages 7-17 at special rates.

Two Girls at the Ranch. I was thrilled to be able to bring my good friend Cat of Rabbit Food for My Bunny Teeth on the trip with me. I would not have had as much fun as I did without her bubbly, sweet and lovingly social personality by my side.

Outside our room, aka casita..

Beautiful spots for relaxing around ever winding path..

Those pools...

Lose yourself in the brick paths, flowers, singing birds, sunshine and peace that surround you during your stay..

You had me at ranch cats... "Hi there! Happy to have you at the ranch!.." - cheetah the kitten

Vibrant colors and textures, sounds and scenes fill your senses.

Last day at the ranch photo sesh. I felt stronger, calmer and more inspired and sparkly than when I went in!

My Typical Day at The Ranch..

6am: Wake
6:30-7am: Arrive at Main Lounge to meet for morning hike
7-8am: Morning Hike
8-9am: Breakfast in the Dining Hall (fresh fruit, oatmeal, fresh-squeezed juice, hot mint/ginger/lemon tea)
9-10am: Mellow Class or Relax in lounge or by pool. (Mellow classes include Stretch, Meditation, Yoga 1..)
10-noon: Two more classes or down time. Favorite classes included: Tennis, H20 Boot Camp, Bar Method, Dance, Circuit Training and more.
12-1pm: Lunch in the dining hall (Hot soup, giant salad with veggies, legumes, quinoa or rice, lentils, salsa, tortillas, special entree and hydrating lemonade)
1-5pm: Flexible time for getting spa treatments, smoothie snack by the pool, relax and Wi-Fi in the lounges, take light classes, fun dance classes,nutrition/wellness lectures or art classes like sculpting..
5:30-7pm: Waiter-served dinner in the dining hall. (Soup, salad, vegan entree, vegan dessert and ginger tea)
7-9pm: After-meal activities or special presentations or mingling in the lounges or wine bar.
9:30-10:30pm: Bedtime!

Then you wake the next day and do it all over again for a full week! It is a constant infusion of wellness, healthy food, spiritual healing, social stimulation, fun, sweat, cardio and muscle intensity, workout shoes, sunshine, fresh air, mountains, education, tea, meetups, health and happiness.

I left the ranch feeling refreshed, lighter, stronger, calmer, more focused, richer in friendships and relationships and healthier. It is a transformation I cannot fully describe because you have to experience it for yourself. (And ps, If you want to visit the ranch, I have a coupon for you at the end of this post!)

Cat and I on the last day of vaycay, aka what I call "wellness camp for adults"

22 Amazing Things From My Week at Rancho La Puerta

1. Getting There is Easy.
The border crossing is super simple since you cross over in the ranch's shuttle after meeting at San Diego Airport. They guide the way! Easy. Safe. Fast.

Basics: Bring your passport!

2. Beautiful Rooms Greet You.
The rooms at the ranch are gorgeous, with classic Mexico-themed accents. Cool, soft tile floors, colorful accents, large bathroom, private sun lounge area overlooking the mountain, fresh fruit, and comfy beds.

Basics: There are many different casitas (rooms) to choose from. Different sizes and locations. We were in Sol 13 and loved our spot.

Private sun deck view..

3. Special Diets + The Food: Success! Oh my gosh I cannot say enough amazing things about how perfectly the amazing dining and kitchen staff work with special diets and food allergies. Cat has a lot of life-threatening allergies and of course I am vegan. But for breakfast and lunch (self serve in the dining hall) there were LOADS of options for us. And dinners went well too. They can provide vegan options for anything and they always provide special or side items if you request them "Can I have some tofu on the side, or a larger portion of salad, or a side of bread, or both the entree options, please?" ..Yes!

Breakfast and Lunch is a create-your-own meal using the fully stacked food options, plus the daily specials offered in the kitchen. They always have a special salad, soup and entree at lunch. Then dinner service has a set menu (with options for the entree) and is served by the dining staff. There are also snacks served in the lounges or by the pool all day long.

Basics: The menu served is actually mostly vegan! LOADS of plants with occasional offerings of fish and cheese/dairy. No meat is served. You will eating loads of plants, nuts, grains, legumes and herbs. Quinoa, beans, oats, fresh fruit and veggies, nuts, seeds, nutritional yeast, fresh juices, tea and more..!

This tortilla soup on the first night was amazing!

Guac and sangria night!

Typical breakfast..

Typical DIY Lunch..

Pasta dinner.. with a side of tofu, over spinach, with more veggies and a yummy sauce..

Special dinner of tofu steaks over avocado veggie quinoa with veggies....

4. Ranch Cats!
OK, I love the fact that there are several rescued cats roaming the property. I fell in love with them! They really enriched my experience. Animals bring such value to public spaces.

Basics: Say hi to the kitties, but try not to feed them!

Kittens at the ranch garden..

5. Fitness is Always Exciting + Fun!
Fitness all day, everyday. Most guests seem to take 2-4 fitness classes a day. The classes usually run are moderate intensity or go-at-your-own-pace so that you can work in a variety of classes all week. It is fun trying SO many different workouts. I never did the same workout twice and did 2-4 classes a day! "Classes" are not just fitness, but lectures, art and meditative.

Basics: You are given a weekly schedule when you arrive. You create your own schedule and can do as many or few activities as you'd like.

Dance class with this incredible instructor, Yuchi!..

6. The Beautiful Grounds.Beautiful gardens, pools, trees, wildlife and more. I saw plenty of lizards, bunnies and birds like quail too. Sprawling and magical. It never feels crowded even though there are plenty of other guests there. Many times Cat and I were strolling around saying, "Where is everyone?" I loved that!

Basics: Take a few solo strolls around the property and seek out every nook and cranny.

Just one of the many beautiful pools..

The original house that the founders lived in 75 years ago!..

Love these statues throughout..

7. Art Oasis.
Art classes for all. I loved making a beaded necklace in jewelry class, and learning to sculpt in a sculpting class. Slowing down with art was the perfect accent to a long and energized day of fitness.

Basics: Take at least a few art classes, no matter what your art skill level.

Art by one of the resident art teachers Jennifer - I loved her classes!!..

8. Try Something New + Must-Try Classes.
I loved all the dance classes. One of my fave classes was striptease. Yes, really. The instructor is hilarious and so entertaining. The class was packed for good reason!

I haven't exercised in a pool class in years, but I am so glad I did more than a few pool classes taught by Monica, who was probably my favorite instructor all week. She is super friendly and fun and has the best playlists. She even made a special playlist for Cat and I with Britney, Nsync and a few surprises like Spice Girls. So basically, she is amazing. Pool dance party approved. H20 BootCamp is a must!

Circuit Training was fun! They have so many amazing machines. The best part is that you spend only 50 seconds at each station so it is great for those who get "bored" in a gym or with repetitive workouts. I also found Sound Healing to be really interesting. Unique, a must try for centering yourself or for releasing emotion.

Basics: Try a few of your favorites (maybe like yoga or tennis, etc..) and then add a few activities that you would never imagine yourself liking or trying! Ask return guests and ranch staff what you should try.

The activity pool..

9. Tea All Day.
I really loved the DIY fresh mint, fresh ginger and lemon stations set out all day. I drank so much mint-ginger tea! Also chilled hibiscus tea at breakfast and lunch.

Basics: Try a week without coffee if you can! I only had one small latte at the coffee bar all week and felt amazing.

10. Spa Treatments.
I had these: Detox Massage, Japanese Facial, Famous Ranch Herbal Body Wrap with Massage and a Wellness Massage while I was at the ranch. I have to say that ALL my massages were incredible. Some of the best I have ever had. I loved the Detox Massage that included "cupping" techniques.

Basics: The Herbal Body Wrap is a MUST try. Your body is wrapped in warm herb-soaked cloths as you sweat and feel the warmth open your pores and relax your body. And chilled ice cloths are applied to your face and neck. You are then massaged in lush oils. It is amazing!

Last day after an amazing massage..

11. Morning Hikes.
My favorite way to start the day at the ranch: morning hike. Several skill levels are offered every morning, and you set out in guided groups. Trust me, the rest of your day will feel extra amazing!

Basics: My fave hike was Alex's Oak.

12. Bazaar Del Sol: Wine + Coffee Bar.
I loved the brand new wine and coffee bar! It was a great place for groups to mingle and chat in the evening.

Basics: Not into wine? Try a foamy latte or hot chocolate. Non-dairy milk options are always available. Coconut, soy or almond.

13. Try the Optional Cooking Class
It was a fun evening with some extra special eats, prepared by all us students. Wine is served and the meal is a bit fancier than what is served in the dining room at the ranch. Bring your appetite.

Basics: The cooking class is an additional fee. Note: You may not be able to eat all the dishes if you have allergies or special diets.

Our aprons..

Chocolate bark..

Carrot ginger soup made by the students.

14. The Mercato.
The mercato, aka gift shop, has some really beautiful dishes, jewelry, wellness DVDs, clothing and more. It is a fun place to pick up gifts or essentials like sunscreen.

Basics: Check it out for sure!

15. Poolside Juice and Smoothie Bar!
Love. For an additional fee, you can get a giant smoothie or amazing juice. There are also complimentary smoothies and juices served at special times.

Basics: Get a smoothie and lounge by the pool for a lazy morning or afternoon.

16. Bingo Night!
Bingo night was amazing. It is "Bingo with Barry." Barry is hilarious and cool prizes are given out. Popcorn is served. A must do.

Basics: Arrive early to get a good seat!

17. Plunge Pool.
I loved the cold plunge pool on top of the Villas Health Center. Do some DIY hot-cold therapy by doing the plunge pool and jacuzzi back and forth. It is cold!!!

Basics: Sore muscles? Cool inflammation with a very quick dip in the plunge pool.

18. Those Tortillas!
Made fresh, those warm corn tortillas are the best! They even did blue corn tortillas one day. Amazing. Fill them with homemade salsas, slaws, beans, veggies and more. Tacos alllll daaaaay.

Basics: Ditch bread and go with tortillas if you are trying to be gluten during your stay.

19. Just Ask.
The best part about the ranch is the incredibly high level of customer satisfaction and service. Everyone working there is ON IT. People come back again and again and again for a reason. If you ever need anything food, fitness and beyond, just ask! Seriously. Just ask.

Basics: Friendly and accommodating, the staff is AMAZING.

20. Those Hammocks.
Do not forget to lounge in a hammock. There are many sprinkled throughout the property.

Basics: You can even buy a hammock for home in the mercato!

You feel like this all the time..

21. Organic Garden
Sign up for a morning breakfast hike to the RLP organic gardens. They are gorgeous! A very high percentage of the produce served at the ranch comes from this garden. This was also where the cooking class was held.

Basics: Do not miss the breakfast garden hike.

22. Social Side: Make New Friends, Or Not!
RLP is different every week based on the crowd, and our week was very lively. Everyone is SO friendly and during the week you will make a few new friends I am sure.

But you have the choice to mingle and make loads of new friends or stay in your own little world and bow out from socializing too much. No wonder RLP was a SpaFinder winner for "going solo" travel.

Basics: Customize your social status! Come alone or come with a big crew. Lots of mother/daughter pairs and girlfriend groups.

Cat and I with our new camp bestie Sydney..
👯🏊✨🎶 Dance party at the activity pool. #spiceGirls #britney #nsync @rancholapuerta #Typical #dancedancedance #sp #mexico #travel #TwoMoreDays #wellness A video posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on Jun 25, 2015 at 5:03pm PDT

And finally... for everyone who plans on going to RPL, some tips..

Kathy's 11 Tips To Make Your Stay Better:

1. Smart Clothes.
Bring comfy clothes, but a few nice lounge dresses too. While you spend most of your time in workout wear and pool clothes, you do want to bring 1-2 nice dresses (resort wear!) for the celebration dinners or special events. Nothing over the top, but have them just in case you feel like "dressing up" spa style.

2. Bring Four Types of Shoes.
Hiking shoes that can get really dirty. Fitness gym shoes. Pool shoes. Comfy shoes for walking or in your room.

3. Lay Off the Internet!
You can only get wifi in the lounges, not your room. So embrace that and take a week off from too much phone and internet time.

4. Laundry.
Laundry is a wonderful service! Pack minimally and take advantage of same-day laundry at very reasonable rates.

5. Asthma or Allergies?
If you have asthma, bring your inhaler on hikes and more. I had a small breathing problem on my first hike and rushed back to my room to use my inhaler (which I never use in real life!) But I was glad I had it there. The dry environment and new plants could aggravate asthma symptoms.

If you have severe seasonal or unpredictable allergies bring some medication just in case.

6. Bring a Book!
A nice book is great for pool or hammock time. Paper or iPad versions are both Kathy-approved 😉

7. Bring a few swim suits.
Bring a few different bathing suits. A one piece and a bikini if you usually wear a bikini.

8. Make Friends!
Even if you go into this adventure wanting to lay low, try to make a few ranch friends. It truly does enhance your experience! I was so happy to meet a wide array of new friends, many of whom Cat and I exchanged info with and plan on staying in touch with!

9. Book Spa Appointments Early.
It is sooo much more relaxing to have all your spa appointments set up when you get to the ranch. Personally, I liked scheduling my appointments in the late afternoon, right before dinner, around 3-5, because then you are assured that you will not be sweating off your facial or relaxing massage experience! I also like to have one massage on my first full day as well as one on my last full day. If you have to choose between a facial or massage, I would go with a massage! Your body will thank you!

10. Sunscreen!
Wear it. Everyday. Trust me.

11. Get $250 Off one week! - Rancho La Puerta

Say "Kathy Patalsky" referred you and you can get $250 off your stay! Use certificate above for reference!

Rates. Starting at around $3,000 for 7 nights and eight days - all inclusive - all meals are covered (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks) - All fitness, guided hikes, lectures, entertainment and art classes. (A few fee classes are offered but not mandatory - spa and gratuity is extra)

"Bye for now! But come visit me soon!" - cheetah the kitten

More photos.

Amazing Deborah Szekely, co-founder, at the Ranch's 75th b-day party we were lucky to be there for!

Disclosure: Cat and I received complimentary stays at the ranch, but gratuity, additional spa treatments and goodies were extra. All opinions are my own. This blogpost is written on my own terms.

Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark

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It is always fun to start the week off with chocolate. So for all your chocolate nibbling needs throughout the week I bring you this super easy recipe for the most colorful and delicious salted Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark. This recipe is inspired by a recipe I learned last week on vacation. More on that in a few days, but first, rich, silky, salty-sweet c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e..

All the goodies..

Pour the chocolate silk..

Those toasted pecans are amazing all on their own!..

Spread and smooth the chocolate out a bit with a spatula..

Add the jewels!..

After it firms up in the fridge..

Chop into large pieces for nibbling...

Last week I was at an amazing wellness resort, and in a few days I will share that adventure with you. But during my time there, I tool a fun culinary class where we made a pecan-fruit salted chocolate bark that was simply dreamy. I had to make it as soon as I got home and share the recipe with you...

Bag of yum..

This recipe is a spin on the recipe used in the class with Chef Laura Pauli.

Fruit and nut Chocolate Bark

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 06/29/2015
Fruit and nut Chocolate Bark

Creamy, rich chocolate bark studded with fruit and nuts.

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, vegan (Scharffen Berger used. The higher the quality, the better the flavor!)
  • 5 dried/unsulphered organic apricots, diced
  • 2 tablespoon goji berries, soaked in 1 teaspoon hot water and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon raw pistachios
  • 2 tablespoon raw chopped Medjool dates, white mulberries or dried cherries (optional)
  • Pecans - oven-toasted and spicy-sweet:
  • ¾ cup raw pecans, whole
  • 1 tablespoon vegan sugar or agave syrup
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of cayenne
  • To finish chocolate: sprinkle of Fleur de Sel or pink salt (coarse is my preference)

Instructions

  1. Place the pecans, olive oil, black pepper, cayenne and salt in a small bowl and mix until the pecans are coated. Spread pecans on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes - or until slightly toasty. Set aside.
  2. Using a double broiler on your stovetop, melt the chocolate until silky smooth.
  3. Pour the melted chocolate onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (Make sure this is a new, COOL, baking sheet!) Spread a bit so the the chocolate thins out to your desired bark thickness.
  4. Add the pecans, apricots, goji berries, pistachios, optional dried goodies and anything else you want to add to the melted chocolate layer.
  5. Place the chocolate in the fridge to firm up. This usually takes at least a half hour for fully hardened chocolate.
  6. To serve: break or slice chocolate and sprinkle with a thin layer of Fleur de Sel or pink salt. (Store leftovers in a baggie or container in the fridge.)

Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 07 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 17 mins.
Tags: chocolate,bark,nuts,fruit,dessert,snack,dark chocolate,chocolate bark

silky amazing..
chocolate pour

Speedy Sriracha-Peanut Soba Noodles with Smoky Maple Skillet Chickpeas

by 20 Comments


This meal is fast, easy and packed with plant-based flavor. Try my Speedy Sriracha-Peanut Soba Noodles with Smoky Maple Skillet Chickpeas for your next lunch or dinner meal!..

I am super excited because I am heading out of the office for a full week, leaving my husband and kitties to fend for themselves as I go on a wellness retreat with my friend Cat of Rabbit Food for My Bunny Teeth. I cannot wait to share that experience with you here on the blog - and follow the adventure on social media as well. But for right now all I can think about is how delicious and easy this meal is!

Seriously speedy. I whipped this up in about twenty minutes for lunch today and felt so satisfied after a hot meal in the middle of the day. Who says hot lunches are dead? Not me! I really hope you give this recipe a whirl and let me know what you think!..

And the leftover sauce, if you have any, is delicious as a tofu marinade or skillet sauce or salad dressing. SO good!

And don't forget to embrace the fitness side of summertime with these 47 fun summer activity ideas from bloggers!

Speedy Sriracha-Peanut Soba Noodles with Smoky Maple Chickpeas

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 06/18/2015
Speedy Sriracha-Peanut Soba Noodles with Smoky Maple Chickpeas

These creamy peanut noodles are sassy and spicy and easy to make in a flash. Add chickpeas on top to complete the meal.

Ingredients

  • sriracha peanut sauce:
  • ½ cup roasted + salted peanuts
  • ¾ cup hot water from cooking the soba noodles
  • 3 tablespoon sriracha
  • 2 tablespoon maple or agave syrup
  • 1-2 cloves garlic (optional)
  • Soba:
  • 6oz dry soba noodles
  • Chickpeas:
  • 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (drained/rinsed from a can)
  • 1 teaspoon smoky paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon chipotle powder or another fave spice
  • 1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil for cooking
  • Optional garnish: chopped peanuts, lime wedges, chopped greens, sriracha

Instructions

  1. Bring a pot of water (enough for pasta) to a boil. Add soba noodles. Cook according to package or until tender. Reserve 1 cup of the the cooking liquid and drain the rest. Rinse soba noodles in cold water and set aside.
  2. To make the sauce: add all sauce ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Add more water if you like a thinner sauce.
  3. Toss the soba noodles with about ½ cup of sauce and pour the remaining sauce into a small bowl for adding on top as desired. (You will have some leftover sauce but it is delicious as a salad dressing or a sauce for tofu, tempeh or skillet beans!)
  4. For the chickpeas: Warm a skillet over high heat and add oil. When oil is hot add the chickpeas. Saute for 2 minutes, then add the spices and sweetener. Shake pan ever few seconds to evenly distribute the spices. Cook until the chickpeas begin to blacken a bit. Remove from skillet.
  5. To serve: Spoon chickpeas over top the pasta. Add lime wedges, crushes peanuts and chopped greens as optional garnish.

Yield: 2 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 15 mins.
Tags: easy,dinner,entree,soba,noodles,pasta,peanut,sriracha,spicy,sauce,vegan

Food Bloggers Share 47 Ways to Stay Fit and Fueled in Summer!

by 30 Comments

Let me guess. You are just like me. You love food. And eating. And fueling yourself with healthy-delicious foods. Smoothies. Colors, fruity flavors, frosty bliss. You love a good baking sesh as a treat. Cookies, chocolate, vanilla. Comfort sweets. You are a healthy snack king or queen. Hummus, energy bars, fresh fruit bowls, kale chips. And of course dinnertime, you create a feast and end your day on a satisfying note. You may even snap photos of your amazing eats on your phone.

Well, if any of that sounds familiar, you are one step away from knowing what it feels like to be a food blogger. Constantly surrounded by your favorite foods, sharing them, embracing deliciousness and loving every minute of it. So with all this eating and fueling, it is so important to balance things out and stay active!

Food Fitness Balance. So I decided to ask my food blogger friends, who I know are experts in food/fitness balance. I asked them what they do in summertime to stay active and fueled up. Their responses are awesome! From paddle boarding, to cat dance parties, fun runs, gardening and magical hiking sessions. These fitness ideas greatly inspired me, and I hope they will inspire you as well..

"To me, fitness in summer is less about "fitness goals" and more about healthy habits and loving your fitness routine." - kathy

Summertime is the perfect time to revive your fitness routine. Summer weather is begging you to get outside and move! Seek out a magical outdoor space and feel your body sway with the earth. Overhead, crisp summer sunshine spreads over the horizon and warm breezes swim through your hair as you glide along. Birds singing in swaying summer trees and the smell of coconut butter sunscreen in the air.

Summer Wellness. Vacay time. Family time. School is out. Less stress, we hope. And time to focus on two factors of wellness: diet and exercise. So today, we get plenty of advice and inspiration on that.

How I Got These Quotes. I posted an open question to my Finding Vegan bloggers group via Facebook. (ps. if you are a food lover, browse + join FV!)

Join in the Conversation. Leave a comment and share YOUR fave summertime workout + fuel recipe too, I would love to hear them.

46 Ways to Stay Fit and Fueled in Summer! - by vegan-friendly food bloggers

I kick things off with my response!..

1. SoCal Sunshine Workouts + Wellness Fitness. "I adore riding my bike along the beach bike path here in LA, hiking the many trails near the city and taking long strolls through new neighborhoods and exploring, sometimes with food destinations in mind - balance!

 But my favorite mind/body/spirit summertime activity is fitness focusing on wellness, calming my stress level, putting less on my to-do list and centering myself by reflecting on my goals, total mind/body/spirit wellness, big dreams, tiny everyday pleasures, art, exploration and family time. To me, fitness in summer is less about "fitness goals" and more about healthy habits and loving your fitness routine.

 When I am inside during the workweek, I do love turning up some music and dancing or popping in one of my fave summer-themed workout DVDs. Right now I am loving the Tone it Up Beach Babe DVDs complete with ocean view locations. They are super fun and really work quickly to tone and use every muscle in your body! And Katrina and Karina are super fun to "work out with.

And to fuel up for all that summer fun You guys know I love a tall, frosty, creamy watermelon ice cream or a matcha protein shake!" - Kathy P, HealthyHappyLife

2. Yoga on the Rocks. "Yoga, on the rocks, was nothing short of an emotional experience. During practice on this morning, the instructor insisted that the students open their eyes and really LOOK at the surroundings. Beautiful rock formations, blue skies, and a bright, sunny sky." - Crista L, peace love quinoa

Yoga on the rocks..

3. Fitness with Furry Friends. "My dachshund gets me up early, and we often go for a hill run when it is still cool. I play tennis in the mornings too, or indoors if it is too hot! My Ginger Vanilla Protein Crunch Bars are a perfect carb + protein post activity snack!" - Kristina S, Spa Bettie

Kristina's bars..

4. Morning Walk with the Birdies. "My favourite summer activity is a morning walk. I like to head out early, and walk around the lake near my house, and listen to the birds as they start their day. It really helps me to clear my mind for the day ahead and sort through my thoughts. I then like to come home and sit down to my favourite breakfast, which is these Chickpea and Avocado Pancakes" - Jennifer S, delicious everyday

Jennifer's Pancakes with avocado..

avocado toast

5. Saturday Morning Group Runs. "I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Saturday morning runs with all my girlfriends. We run in a big group early in the morning and it sets up my weekend just right. I am just getting back into it after having a baby, so I'm slow, but getting there. My goal is to get back to what we used to do which was 6-9 miles, and another half marathon soon. We do races together as well and it makes it so fun! The best snack for me right now are these cookies I created, but they are for anyone not just nursing moms. They have so many great things in them!" - Sophia T, Veggies Don't Bite

Sophia's cookies..

6. New Perspective. "I love to start every day with a new perspective. An upside down perspective. Handstands, headstands, or falling on my mat laughing, yoga with lots of inversions is a must in my summer days. Favorite post activity snack: fruit + a few of these bars" - Natalie T, Feasting on Fruit

Natalie's Vanilla Date Bars..

7. Cat Dance Parties. "Not gonna lie, I'm quite the homebody during the summer months here in Texas. So when it comes to staying active, I like to have cat dance parties. Yes I went there. Me and my two fur babies like to dance around to some upbeat music till it's time to blend up a green smoothie to refuel!" - Margaret C, Plant Strong Vegan

Margaret's green smoothie..

8. Evening Family Walks. "I like to stay fit in the summertime by going on nighttime, post dinner walks with my family. It may not seem like "exercise" but it really is. Every evening as the weather gets warmer and the sun stays out longer, we walk as a family to digest our food and take advantage of the cooler hours. The dog comes with us, we put the phones away and shut down from work mode. It's so lovely! I look forward to the summertime for this exact ritual! Then I love having a superfood nana ice cream bowl for "dessert" post walk. Here's one of my recipes for a lavender version. If you add frozen fruit like banana to this, it becomes just like ice cream! it won't ruin the work I just did being active but satisfies my sweet tooth for a evening snack." - Sophie, ThePhilosophie

Sophie's superfood ice cream bowl..

9. Guilty Pleasure Pop Run Sessions. "I run almost every day during the summer. I put on today's top hits and pop music I won't openly admit I listen to, but those beats sure do get me moving! I turn to these dark chocolate protein granola bars to fuel up for a long run, or to fuel post-run recovery." - Stephanie K, Steph in Thyme

Stephanie's bars..

10. Treadmill Mornings. "I like to run in the mornings before the kids wake up, so this is done in my cold basement on the treadmill. Not the most scenic route, but it gets the job done. Then I usually do some targeted abs/legs/arms, etc, during their afternoon nap time. My favorite post-workout treat is my thick and delicious Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie" - Jennifer T, Veggie-Inspired Journey

Jennifer's PBCup smoothie..

11. Waterside Hikes, a la National Parks. "I'm lucky enough to live near Pennsylvania's Valley Forge National Park, which is loaded with great hiking trails. My husband and I hit these trails regularly throughout the summer, taking a stroll along the water on our lazier days, or a more rigorous hike when we're feeling energetic. We always treat ourselves to a smoothie when we get home. This peanut butter maca smoothie is my favorite as of late." - Alyssa S, Connoisseurus Veg

Alyssa's smoothie:

12. Canoe Trips. "I like to do canoe trips in the summer. They're not only a blast, but they're a serious workout too when you're paddling 6 hours a day! I make homemade, portable snacks to bring with me like these Banana Chocolate Chip Date Bars." - Chelsea A, Chelsea's Healthy Kitchen

Chelsea's bars..

13. Group Classes for Inspiration. "In the summertime it's hard to want to do anything except go out in the sunshine, and since I'm not a runner I try to stay inspired by trying a new group class! A few of my latest adventures are Yin Yoga, Kickboxing and Pure Barre. They always at least make for a good story! Top it off with some almond joy energy bites and it's always worth it. " - Kelly S, Trial and Eater

Kelly's bites..

14. Morning Meandering, aka the Triple A Plan. "I usually begin my day with a hearty bowl of raw oatmeal mix and then meet a friend for our "Morning Meandering" - also known as our triple A plan, which stands for "Ass and Attitude Adjustment." We walk along trails and roadways near our home, opting for distance and steep inclines rather than speed - the social interaction and physical exertion does wonders for the mind, body and spirit - although I always seem to be the one in the middle of telling a story when we hit the particularly steep hills!" - Margaret DH, Veggie Primer

Margaret's Oatmeal..

15. Fun Runs. "Peter and I love “Fun Runs” as we like to call them, in the summer time. We run to our neighborhood park and take turns calling out different drills. Some examples would be sprint to the water fountain, or skip around the baseball field and then when we get tired, we run home. The best part is its outdoors and doesn’t even fee like a workout, it’s just playing at the park." - Sarah H, The Seasonal Diet

Sarah loves turmeric as part of her fitness plan.. "Turmeric is anti-inflammatory, which is super important for me as I’m a runner; but it’s also great for healing arthritis, joint & muscle pain. There have even been studies done that link the root cause of cancer to inflammation. Pretty much you want to avoid inflammation at all costs."

Turmeric health benefits!..

16. Farmer's Market Shopping Trips. "This Food Blogger likes to cruise farmers markets and pick my own produce to stay in shape during the summer! It's amazing how quickly the mileage racks up and I use what ever I purchase in a green juice or smoothie afterwards! The ultimate multitasking!!" - Amber F, the vegan house

17. Spin Spin Spin. "I'm a spinning junkie so I can't miss my weekly class! In addition, now that the kids are out of school for summer, they drag me to the pool regularly which makes it easy to do water exercises which seem easy until you try them!
I usually start off my day with overnight oats. It fills me up and keeps me full all morning long." - Tracey PR, realfood.life

This SPIN-ach accented Mint Chip Nice Cream looks like a worthy post-spin treat!..

18. Running with a View. "I run different routes every morning and enjoy the scenery. I love seeing all the different types of flowers and wild life along the way. It is energizing to breath in fresh air and get my blood pumping before I head off to work all day. On the weekends when I have more time I like to make smoothie bowls after." - Amy L, Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Amy's cake batter smoothie bowl..

19. Cool Morning Runs. "I love to run early in the morning in the summer, before it gets too hot. I go on the trails near my house, over looking the Hudson River. My favorite way to refuel is with a green smoothie. Here is one of my favorites from my blog." - Lucy BB, cheating vegan

Lucy's smoothie with matcha and spinach..

20. Hiking with the Fam! "I love family hiking during summer. its a fun summer activity to have family time, fitness and socializing all at the same time. I usually look for hydrating and filling post workout snacks and my favorite is this green smoothie" - Gunjan D, kiipfit

21. Riverside Sunshine Jogs. "We had a ton of snowstorms this year in Boston, so I'm embracing the gorgeous sunshine this summer by jogging along the shores of the Charles River. My favorite way to rehydrate after a run is to drink a strawberry watermelon smoothie!" - Josie A, eat thrive glow

Josie's smoothie..

22. Super Energetic Spin Classes. "I'm a group fitness instructor and one of my all time favorite workouts is teaching cycling! I love to teach it because the students in that class feed off my energy and I feed off of theirs. When they come into class on Monday night, I yell, "Are you all ready to start the week off right?!" And they scream back - "YESSS! Let's do this!!" Tonight, I led a cycling session where we pretended to ride through Yosemite national park. It was a blast! Then I came home and had a couple of these awesome Protein Truffles as my dessert!" - Courtney N, FitCakery

Courtney's truffles..

23. Outdoor AcroYoga + Loads of Laughter. "Triathlons and AcroYoga in the park or on the beach with my man. It takes trust, confidence, strength and a whole lot of being silly and laughing when a move doesn't quite go as planned. Plus, being upside down is fun!" - Emma D, craving nature

Emma's Recovery Smoothie Bowl..

24. Early Morning Quiet Runs. "I absolutely love running in the early morning before the rest of the world awakes. Very little traffic or noise, just the sounds of nature, it's the best way to enjoy God's beautiful nature." - Celeste M, the whole serving

Celeste's cinna-spice granola..

25. Neighborhood Park with the Pups. "I SO cherish my summer mornings! I try to start every morning by taking my 2 golden retrievers on a walk through our neighborhood park. When the puppies have had enough walking I drop them off and either enjoy a bike ride or do some yoga. My perfect morning ends with Blueberry Omega Smoothie!" - Stacey S, southern vegan kitchen

Stacey's smoothie..

26. Capoeira, aka Brazilian Martial Arts Class. "Twice a week I have Capoeira class (Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music). It starts late at the evening, after a day full of office work in the morning then full of my girls in the late afternoon. That's why when its time to go to class I always find myself contemplating whether I have the energy or not, but the thing I like the most is that by the time the class is finished I am full of endorphin and so happy I chose to go. I love to grab one of these little bites when done..." - Moran Z, vegan hightech mom

Moran's bites..

27. Sprinkler Sesh + Running Fun. "During the summer, I spend most of my time outside running around with my two boys. On real hot days, we like to turn on the sprinkler and see who can run around it the fastest without getting wet. It's such a fun and effortless way to stay active. My favorite snack is my Chia Peanut Butter Protein Balls. They only take 5 minutes to make and are a perfect bite sized snack for my whole family." - Vanessa C, Vegan Family Recipes

Vanessa's Chia PB Protein Balls..

28. Ballet Exercises, Posture, Fitness + Fun. "In the mornings, I do ab, arm, and back exercises during 15 minute breaks when I'm drafting or revising novel chapters. I also take my dog on daily 2-mile walks. But my favorite thing is doing ballet exercises with my two teenaged daughters. My posture has never been better and my legs have never been stronger. To come down from dancing, we like to drink Bedtime Smoothies made with almond milk, bananas, and caramel extract." - Sabra W, because yum

Sabra's bedtime smoothie..

29. Rollerblading. "I love speed- but I suck at running! That's why I re-discovered a childhood favorite for me: rollerblading. I have some nice even paved streets close to where I live where cars are not allowed and I love whizzing around there on my rollerblades. As it's getting too hot for this in the morning, I switched to the evening and enjoy the golden light and my surroundings while working out. If I feel I need more, I do some Pilates in the mornings, mostly videos like Blogilates. They are quick and effective and help me burn all those cookies that I bake for my blog. I love to drink a cool, but light smoothie after a workout, like my Green Cucumber Mint Smoothie." - Katharina K, Curls n Chard

Katharina's Smoothie..

30. Get Dirty with Obstacle Course Races. "I love to do Obstacle Course Races- the challenge, the team work and the mud! I like making this shake as it has quinoa as a base and I add extra ingredients to boost it if I fancy!" - Jo H, including cake

Jo's Chocolate Shake.. - and her chocolate quinoa cookies!

31. Beach Volleyball. "In the summer I love to play beach volleyball with my friends. We have a few nice sand courts near the danube which is not only great because it's not far away, but also you'll have a spectacular view. My favorite meal to have before playing are Soba Noodles Summer Rolls with a Peanut Butter Dip. They're light and filled with veggie goodness - perfect for hot summer days." - Blanca H, elephantastic vegan

Blanca's Summer Rolls..

32. Sunrise Outdoor Yoga Flow. "My favorite summer time activity is a nice outdoor yoga flow while the sun rises around me. The morning dew makes everything smell fresh and new, like anything can happen that day because the world has refreshed itself. Then I munch on a few of my energy balls to take on the day with my new sense of wellness." - Jennifer H, peppers and peaches

Jennifer's coconut cranberry chocolate chip energy balls..

33. Forest Trails for Magical Runs. "Me and my love discovered absolutely gorgeous forest trails near our tiny log cabin. Now we put on our running shoes every night we can and go for a refreshing 4 mile forest run together. It's SO much fun and it feels amazing to enjoy the nature and workout together. Just look at this route! smile emoticon Since it's summer, I like to keep dinners pretty simple. So this rice and veggies with peanut and tomato sauce is a perfect carb and protein combo after a workout." - Sandra V, Vegan Sandra

Sandra's veggies and rice with peanut sauce..

Sandra in that magical forest. Kinda beautiful, right?..

34. Paddle Boarding. "I'm a Blender Babe who is a also a Bikini Loving Beach Babe! My favorite new summer activity is paddle boarding ever since I tried it on a first date (with my now boyfriend)! We love heading out on a calm water day in Manhattan Beach, CA. My favorite post activity snack is an Acai Bowl! Here is our recipe, I've since made many variations of this, basically add any of your favorite fruits to the acai. If you don't have frozen acai, you can substitute with acai juice or powder and frozen bananas." - Tarashaun H, Blender Babes

Blender Babe-Approved Acai Bowl..

35. Exploring the Unknown. "Summertime is for the outdoors. I just love exploring the unknown or something different during an early morning jog." - Jac, vegetarian baker

Jac's no-bake energy bites!

36. Taking Your Workout Outside. "There's something incredibly satisfying in running during summer, my personal fave is running through a forest with the simple smell of soil, trees overshadow and moist in the air. However summer offers a lot of other outdoor options, either you enjoy yoga in the garden, hiking the mountains or just taking your workout outside. Fave aftersnack: Rolled Oat Protein Bars" - Jona F, oh wholly vegan

Jona's bars..

Beautiful shot of Jona outdoors getting her workout on!..

37. Early Morning Forest Runs. "I love jogging in the forest first thing in the morning when the sun's just coming up. The black forest in Germany is such a magical place and there are so many amazing trails to run. Early morning is the best because you feel like the only person in the world. The birds sing loudly, the morning dew sparkles in the sunlight, and I see foxes and deer almost every day! My favourite work out snack is a matcha power cookie! They are so filling and delicious and perfect for a pre, post or mid workout energy boost!" - Carolyn M, peacemeal-xo

38. Hiking. "My favorite summer activity is hiking! I love spending as much time as possible in nature during the summer...there's something so wonderful about working up a sweat while enjoying beautiful scenery! My favorite pre-workout snack: Coconut Matcha Energy Bars." - Stephanie C, grateful grazer

Stephanie's coconut matcha energy bars..

40. Gardening. "Ever since last year, when my hubby and I moved into my renovated childhood home, I've been addicted to gardening. It's such a great way to exercise without even realizing it. Shoveling dirt, pulling weeds, planting and walking around really adds up! This year I began a vegetable garden, so there's an added bonus of our growing our own food to support our vegan diets. It's important to really nourish yourself beforehand, so when I get out there on the weekends I fuel up with oatmeal or breakfast quinoa." - Jessica VC, Fox and Fennel

Jessica's breakfast quinoa bowl..

41. Beach Time. "Living in San Diego, we have great weather over the summer and are fortunate to have beautiful beaches up along the coast. In addition to my morning workouts of running or classes, one of my favorite summer-time workout/activity is being at the beach with my kids. We practically live there. From swimming with them in the ocean, to jumping over waves, to playing tag in the sand, etc...it's a great workout and fun way to stay fit over the summer. I typically like to fuel up with my Chocolate Strawberry Overnight Oats and enjoy snacking on some of my Green Lentil Hummus with veggies and crackers! My Orange Coconut Blueberry Smoothie also keeps me well hydrated in the afternoon and provides a great healthy snack!" - Anjali L, vegetarian gastronomy

Anjali's Chocolate Strawberry Overnight Oats:

42. Acrobatic Hikes + Dancing in the Trees. "My favorite summer activity is hiking and dancing in the trees while my dog roams free. You'll find my hanging upside down from vines most of the time. To fuel my acrobatic hikes I like to eat huge salads with tons of different greens, herbs and veggies from the farmers. I also pack my sprouted raw vegan double chocolate protein bars for long lasting energy." - Amanda NS, Amanda Nicole Smith

Amanda's bars..

43. Happy-Hearted Running. "My heart is happiest running. I like to head out in the first morning summer sunshine, starting on the boardwalk and trail along the coast and then ending on trails in the park and followed by a green smoothie or this delightful chocolate raspberry smoothie bowl." - Laura, Chronicles of Passion

Laura's bowl..

44. Energetic Yoga. "I don't drink coffee or caffeine, but I do like an all natural jolt of energy when I wake up, so I do a yoga or cardio barre class. It gets my heart going and keeps my head on straight for whatever lays ahead. I eat these before and after workouts!" - Kelly P, TastingPage

45. Sunrise Boot Camp. "I wake up most days for a 6am boot camp class at my favorite fitness center. Many times we move the class outside, and there's nothing like a bunch of girls doing frog jumps at 6am to get you laughing (as people are driving by and staring). I absolutely love getting my workout done by 7am and have a TON of energy to get me through the day. My favorite post workout breakfast snack: these!" - Christin RM, VeggieChick

Christin's snack..

46. Colorado Hikes. "I live in Colorado which make hiking one of my all-time favorite summer activities! On some weekends, I stay close to home and on some weekends, I travel deep in to the mountains for a hike. I also do yoga on a daily basis, whether it be at a studio or outdoors. My favorite post-workout/yoga sesh/hike smoothie is a simple Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana smoothie." - Crista L, peace love quinoa

Crista's smoothie..

47. Geocaching! "I love geocaching in the summer! It's so much fun when the weather's warm and dark comes late, and we can walk miles and miles in pursuit of caches without a care in the world...except where's the next cache! My favorite treat after a long day of caching is a few of these fudgy no-bake cookies. They're date-sweetened and full of hearty oats so they're a great way to refuel, and besides that they're pure let's-be-kids fun. Just like geocaching in the summer. Vegan No-Bake Cookies." - Gin B, EatHappyEatHealthy

Gin's cookies..

And of course video-making is an excellent blogger workout too!..

And here is one of my beach strolls..

Follow me on YouTube for more summer adventures in cooking + fun.

Leave a comment about your fave summertime activities, I would love to hear them!

*photo credits of title photo - (top: my secret ingredient matcha shake, me with Tarashaun + Sophie) - Bottom: DeliciousEveryday, PeaceLoveQuinoa)

Roasted Pepper Hummus, Basil, Caramelized Onion Skillet Sandwich

by 32 Comments

disclosure: This post was sponsored by Mezzetta Roasted Bell Peppers

One of my favorite things about summertime: beach picnics! And that usually means waking early, preparing a big basket of sandwiches, snacks, fresh fruit, veggies and drinks - then heading out towards the sea to find a lovely spot in the sun. Sinking a beach umbrella into the lush white sand and listening to those beautifully loud California waves crash for hours on end as white and grey seagulls skim the sea mist waves and try to steal nibbles of our feast.

And today's recipe is a sandwich that is packed with savory, smoky, sweet flavors. Get my recipe for my Spicy Roasted Pepper Hummus + my Roasted Pepper Hummus Caramelized Onion Basil Skillet Sandwich.

Sandwich yumminess.

But, a picnic is not a picnic without delicious things in your picnic basket..

Hi spicy, creamy, golden, amazing filling.

Well hello there stack of oh-my-goodness..

How good is this sandwich? So good that I prepped this photoshoot at around 9AM, thinking I would eat this sandwich for lunch, but after one bite "taste test" I had to eat the entire thing for breakfast. So many amazing flavors in one bite - yet the recipe is quite simple!

Sweet fresh basil. Caramelized red onions. Smoky homemade roasted pepper hummus.

But lets start from the beginning... Swirl of roasted pepper hummus in my Vitamix:

Hummus for snacking, spreading, toting along on your summer adventures..

Sizzle it!..

Add sizzling caramelized onions hot from the skillet to warm the sandwich from the inside out.

Spread the creamy, rich, you-made-this hummus...

You can have this in your kitchen in a flash!

This is the real pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...

The hummus is truly the secret ingredient to this recipe. I combined super flavorful roasted red bell peppers with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, black pepper and a bit or sriracha. Those silky, blackened bell peppers add loads of flavor to the hummus. This hummus is AMAZING. Even if you do not make the entire sandwich, make the hummus for sure!

Healthy Snack. You can even pair the hummus with veggie sticks, or simply spread on toast for a healthy snack or light meal.

Red Pepper Hummus Caramelized Onion Basil Sandwich

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 06/11/2015
Red Pepper Hummus Caramelized Onion Basil Sandwich

Smoky, amazing, flavorful, sweet roasted red peppers create the perfect spicy hummus for adding to this skillet sandwich.

Ingredients

  • Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: (you will have some leftover hummus)
  • 3 large roasted red bell peppers - Mezzetta Roasted Bell Peppers used
  • 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (1 can drained)
  • 2 tablespoon tahini sauce
  • 2-3 tablespoon sriracha (or sub with spicy salsa or hot sauce to taste)
  • 2 small lemons, squeezed (seeds strained)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Sandwich Toppings:
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (for skillet)
  • 4-5 slices red onion
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon maple or agave syrup
  • 6 leaves fresh basil, thinly chopped
  • 4 slices of bread, vegan

Instructions

  1. First prepare your hummus by adding all the ingredients to a high speed blender. I used my Vitamix. Blend from low to high until smooth. If you have trouble blending, add a bit more lemon juice or a splash of water.
  2. Pour hummus into a serving bowl, cover and place in the fridge to chill until ready to use.
  3. For sandwiches: Warm up a skillet over high heat. Add the EVOO and when it is nice and hot, add the onions. Cook onions for 1-2 minutes, then add the maple or agave syrup to the onions. They should be blackened around the edges by now.
  4. Scoot the onions over to one side of the pan and turn heat down to medium. (You can add a splash more oil if desired for the bread, but not necessary.) Add the bread to the hot skillet and allow the heat of the leftover onion juices and pan to toast and warm the bread. Quick Tip: For faster toasting, you can lightly toast the bread in a toaster before adding to the skillet.)
  5. Spread a generous amount of hummus on each of the slices of bread. Then top two slices with onions, followed by the basil. Close sandwiches. Toast both sides of the sandwich in the pan until the desires toastiness has been achieved for the bread.
  6. Slice and serve warm - or wrap up in parchment paper or foil for transporting to wherever your day may bring you.

Yield: 2 sandwiches Prep Time: 00 hrs. 07 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Total time: 12 mins. Tags: sandwich,hummus,roasted pepper hummus,mezzetta,bring the heat,spicy

Let's do THIS.

Disclosure: I am a Vitamix affiliate and any links to their products are via my affiliate account.

Easy Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas, with Lime Cream + Homemade Sauce

by 3 Comments


A few days ago I shared my super easy and delicious homemade enchilada sauce recipe. Well today, I share the enchilada recipe I used along with that yummy sauce. My Easy Black Bean Spinach Smoky Chipotle Enchiladas with Lime Cream..

This meal is so comforting, warming, and nurturing from the inside out! Steamy, aromatic enchiladas pulled from the oven are a special treat. If you have not made enchiladas in a while, here is your inspiration to do so!

This vegan recipe is incredibly healthy too. So often we assume enchiladas have to be covered in dairy cheese and rich, heavy sauces with rich high-fat, meaty or cheesy fillings. Nope. Not today! Dive into this special any-day meal!.. And ps. the leftovers are ah-mazing.

We start with homemade sauce - it is super easy to make!

Fill the tortillas..

Pack them in, they do not need to be perfect!..

Smother sauce!..

Ready for baking..

Ready for eating!..

I like lime zest and/or cilantro on top to serve..

Easy lime-cream on top..

Easy Black Bean Spinach Smoky Chipotle Enchiladas

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 06/11/2015Easy Black Bean Spinach Smoky Chipotle Enchiladas
These easy and amazing vegan enchiladas are steamy, spicy and filled with flavor. Plus black beans and loads of leafy greens pack a nutrition punch!

Ingredients

  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 ½ cups homemade enchilada sauce
  • 1 ½ cups black beans or refried black beans
  • spinach + kale - as much as you can stuff into the tortillas!
  • 1 lime, zested
  • EVOO, for lightly greasing casserole dish
  • Easy Lime Cream:
  • 3 tablespoon vegan mayo (vegenaise)
  • 2-3 teaspoon fresh lime or lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9" square casserole dish with extra virgin olive oil.
  2. First make the enchilada sauce. Recipe here.
  3. Warm a large soup pot over high heat and add 2 tablespoon water to the bottom. Place your greens in a veggie steamer and steam the veggies until the greens are lightly wilted. This helps when adding the greens to the inside of the tortillas. You could also lightly saute the greens in an oiled or watered skillet.
  4. Start filling those tortillas! Add 1 tablespoon beans or refried beans to each tortilla and a handful of greens. Tip: If using whole black beans, you might want to smash the beans for easier application to the tortillas. Continue filling the tortiillas and placing, rolled up, in the casserole dish.
  5. Pour the enchilada sauce over top the tortillas and smother every crevice. Spray a piece of foil with oil and cover the enchiladas with the foil, oil side down.
  6. Bake enchiladas for 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with the lime cream drizzled over top. (Make lime cream simple by whipping lime juice with the vegan mayo!) -- Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to four days. These are even more delicious as leftovers the next day, in my opinion!

Yield: 9" x 9" casserole dish Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 30 mins. Total time: 45 mins. Tags: enchiladas,mexican,entree,dinner,beans,spinach,tortillas,easy,meal

Enchilada Sauce recipe here!

Easy Enchilada Sauce!

by 22 Comments


On today's fast and easy vegan menu: homemade enchilada sauce! Aka, Smoky Maple Chipotle Enchilada Sauce. Never buy enchilada sauce again with this go-to, customizable recipe!..

Simmer the blended sauce to thicken and develop the flavors..

Ready to go or save for later!..

One of my most favorite entrees ever: enchiladas! Growing up in Santa Cruz, California, our family was always going out to eat to Mexican restaurants. And even before I was vegetarian, I always ordered spinach enchiladas. Moist, spicy, steamy, amazing enchiladas, smothered in red or green enchilada sauce, with a side of fluffy red rice and silky black re-fried beans. It was my version of restaurant heaven.

And enchiladas were also one of the first meals I learned to make for my family when I was in high school. But I always bought the enchilada sauce. I never knew it was SO easy to make it from scratch!

My Recipe. Today's recipe is a basic red enchilada sauce. Super easy to make with minimal ingredients. The best part about this sauce is that you can jazz it up with a few fun flavor accents. Try adding these to taste:

- peanut butter or whole peanuts
- cocoa powder or melted dark chocolate for a "mole" flavor
- fresh or roasted chiles for a smoky spicy flavor
- get creative with different spices

For this recipe I used a can of fire-roasted tomatoes as the tomato base. But you can substitute with tomato paste and veggie broth if you'd prefer. Use about 5oz paste and 1 cup veggie stock. (Though I have not tested that substitution so you may need to modify a bit to taste.)

You could also substitute the canned or boxed tomatoes with fresh tomatoes that have been oven-roasted until they blister. Something like this..

..I wish I had some tomatoes on hand, but I will absolutely be trying that method the next time I make this sauce. Which should be very soon since the ending meal was so freaking fantastic. And easy!

In a few days I will share the enchilada recipe - but for today let us start with the sauce.

Easy Vegan Enchilada Sauce

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 06/09/2015
Easy Vegan Enchilada Sauce

Aka, Smoky Maple Chipotle Enchilada Sauce. Smoky, spicy, thick and silky red enchilada sauce made from scratch! Feel free to get creative and add flavors like peanut, cacao, roasted chile and more.

Ingredients

  • 14.5 ounces fire-roasted tomatoes (diced + canned) - lightly salted
  • 2-3 cloves raw garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 3 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional, adds more heat)
  • ¼ cup flour - oat used
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil - *sub with a veggie oil, or a nut or seed oil/butter (tahini, peanut..)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice + a pinch of zest (sub with 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar)
  • salt to taste (at least ½ tsp)

Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend on from low to high for a few minutes, until silky smooth.
  2. Transfer the blender sauce to a small sauce pot. Simmer over medium heat for 2-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Simmer until thickened a bit and flavor matures.
  3. You can pour this sauce into a mason jar for use within 1-3 days - seal jar and place in fridge. Or use right away for enchiladas, taco sauce, burgers and more. If using as a raw sauce (not to be cooked anymore) you may want to simmer the sauce a bit longer to "cook" the flavors.

Yield: about 2 cups
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 03 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.
Total time: 8 mins.
Tags: enchilada sauce,diy,howto,sauce,mexican,spicy,tomatoes,vegan,glutenfree,dinner,enchiladas

Simple Vegan Corn Muffins

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These buttery, fluffy, super simple, gluten-free vegan Corn Muffins are delicious served alongside a warm bowl of chili, soup or big colorful summer salad. They are fluffy, steamy and ah-mazing right out of the oven, but even 1-2 days later, you can slice them in half and pop them in your toaster to re-heat and serve...

I love this recipe because it uses frozen or fresh corn instead of canned. Frozen corn also means you can use your own "fresh corn" that has been frozen by you from farmer's market leftovers.

The sweet corn adds enough natural sweetness to these savory-sweet muffins, but if you want a bit of added natural sweetened feel free to toss in two Medjool dates to the blender for the liquids.

This recipe is so easy. Just blend, stir, pour, bake. Easy as corn muffins.

Perfect served alongside vegan chili like my Speedy Sweet Potato Chili:

I used my jumbo muffin pan for extra wide muffins, but a regular pan works well too, and will yield you slightly taller muffins due to the narrower pan shape.

Buttery Vegan Corn Muffins

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 06/08/2015Buttery Vegan Corn Muffins
These buttery, tender, moist corn muffins are gluten-free and perfect for pairing with a warm bowl of chili, or alongside a big salad. Rustic, buttery, sweet corn flavor.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups non-dairy milk, plain flavor
  • 2 cups frozen organic corn kernels (You can also use fresh corn)
  • 3 tablespoon vegan butter (Earth Balance)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 Medjool dates, pitted (optional)
  • 2 cups corn meal (I used a fine sprouted corn meal)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • Spice it up: Add ½ teaspoon cayenne for a spicy accent
  • additional vegan butter for greasing pan -- or use muffin liners

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin pan with vegan butter - generously.
  2. In a blender, blend the frozen corn, non-dairy milk, vinegar, optional dates and vegan butter.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the corn meal, salt, baking powder and optional cayenne.
  4. Pour the blended corn mixture into the dry bowl and stir until the batter thickens. The corn meal should thicken things up quite a bit.
  5. Fill muffin pan and bake at 375 for 20-35 minutes -- depending on your container size. I use jumbo muffins, so I baked about 30-35 minutes. A regular sized muffin container should take about 20-25 minutes. Muffins are done when the edges begin to brown and the tops are firm and muffins cooked through. Use the toothpick test.
  6. Cool muffins in the pan for five minutes before carefully removing and cooling on a baking rack. Best served warm!

Yield: 6 jumbo or 12 regular sized muffinsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 25 mins. Total time: 35 mins. Tags: muffins,corn, cornbread,corn muffins,bread,side,glutenfree,vegan,summer

Dreena's Cinnamon French Toast. Cookbook Review + Giveaway

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Today I am happy to be sharing a delicious recipe from Dreena Burton's new cookbook, Plant Powered Families! Plus I chat about my fave meal of the day and family meals. And you can enter a giveaway to win a copy of PPF!..

My Favorite Meal of the Day. If you follow me on Instagram, you may be able to guess this, but my favorite meal is brunch. I would say breakfast, but brunch sounds better because it implies that you are not eating breakfast until late in the morning or afternoon, which means you have most likely relaxed or slept in all morning, which means by the time brunch rolls around you are feeling pretty calm, blissful - and hungry.

That is why whenever I am given an opportunity to share a recipe from someone's cookbook, I always turn to the breakfast section first. Er, brunch.

Why breakfast? It took me a while to come for terms with it, but I am a total morning person. Sunrise, fresh day, crawling from bed. Mornings are my jam.

Family Mornings. Mornings are such a pure time when we fuel ourselves for the day ahead. And for some reason, I look back on my breakfasts growing up as my favorite family meals.

Dinner was nice, but it always felt more hectic and busy. First of all, dinner had to be decided upon, "what's for dinner???" - and that was sometimes a struggle in our house when I was a teenager, starting to embrace vegetarianism and question what I was eating, in a house full of traditional eaters. But I cannot ever remember having that problem at breakfast. No one ever moaned, "What's for breakfast???"

Breakfast just happened. Like a sunrise, it just kinda rolled out onto the table. (My mother may see that a bit differently! haha But not by much.)

At dinnertime, I was always ready to get back to my schoolwork or back to my friends or back to TV watching or back outside to run around with neighborhood kids. But a family breakfast, was never rushed.

Pancake mornings. French toast or even toaster waffle mornings. Cream of Wheat in a warm bowl or steamy oatmeal with fresh fruit. And the best, mornings watching Saturday morning teen TV, ahem, Saved by the Bell anyone? Or mindless 90's cartoons, eating a giant bowl of cold cereal, browsing the games on the back of the Pops or Lucky Charms box. It is all bliss in my memory.

Or maybe I love breakfast because all my favorite foods are found on a breakfast table! Fruit, bread, aka carbs, tea, jams, hot and cold cereal, smoothies etc. I was and still am a total fruit monster.

Me, eating my after-school snack apple...

And that rolls perfectly into today's topic: a new cookbook aimed towards vegan families!

Dreena Burton's Plant Powered Families contains over 100 "kid-tested, whole-foods vegan recipes."

First off, I love that we live in a day when there is demand for vegan cookbooks for families - kids and all! That just makes me so happy. And whenever people ask me for recipes and healthy eating advice for their kids, I will point them straight to this book.

Crazy Brownies from Plant-Powered Families..

Flipping through the recipes in the book, I love that the recipe line-up basically looks like all my favorite meals as a kid, only veganized. Favorites and go-to recipes that are classic, beloved and totally kid-approved. Recipes like cheesy dip, hummus, french toast, muffins, wraps and sandwiches, comfort soups, taco night, pastas, stir-fry and of course the amazing dessert section with everything from decadent "Crazy Brownies" to fudgesicles, rice krispy treats and cupcakes. Granola bars, puddings and chocolate chip cookies too. All kid-approved!

There is a gorgeous photo for just about every recipe, which makes this a perfect book for kids to flip through and pick out visually what they want to eat.

I also love Part Three in the book which provides "solutions" and advice for things like picky eaters, lunchbox meals and even kids parties.

I cannot wait to visit my niece and nephew this summer and let them pick out a few recipes that they want me to make with them. And that leads me to my last point about this book..

You do not need to have a traditional mom and dad and kids "family" to use this book. Maybe you are a grandparent who cooks for their grandkids. Or maybe you have nieces or nephews, like I do. Or maybe you have friends with kids and you want to be able to cook for their entire family for parties and meals over. Or maybe you simply love simple, comforting recipes and have a very picky eating husband or wife or self! 😉

Or maybe you just love Dreena's recipes and NEED to own all of her books. Yup, that is a perfect reason to buy this book because all of Dreena's cookbooks are amazing.

So to round out my review, I will say this as my grand review statement:

 Plant-Powered Families is filled with lovable and delicious, go-to recipes for your whole family, recipes that kids and parents will be able to enjoy together. This book will also inspire you to bring your kids in the kitchen and allow them to take part in the magical experience of cooking cruelty-free, plant-based vegan meals! ~ Kathy

---

And with that, I get to share a breakfast recipe from Dreena's book!

GIVEAWAY. Plus, enter the giveaway, one person will win (1) copy of Plant-Powered Families. (US and CANADA only) Enter by commenting on this post about what your favorite recipe is to make with or for kids! (Giveaway end Friday June 5th, I will reply to the winner's comment to notify them)

Cinnamon French Toast

By Dreena Burton
Published 05/29/2015
Cinnamon French Toast

I remember French toast fondly from childhood—and so does hubby. It was the “treat” breakfast we had as kids, probably far easier for our parents to make than pancakes, and a great way to use up odds and ends of bread. This version is much healthier than what I ate as a kid, and I tell you our girls love it just the same.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plus 1–2 tablespoons plain or vanilla unsweetened nondairy milk
  • 1 tablespoon white chia seeds
  • ⅓ cup soaked and drained cashews (see note for nut-free option)
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼–½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
  • Sliced bread of choice (see note)

Instructions

  1. In a blender or using a handheld blender, puree the milk (starting with 1 cup; see note), chia, cashews, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and sea salt until very smooth and thick (it will get thicker as it sits a little while and the chia swells).
  2. Prepare a nonstick skillet by wiping over with a touch of oil (you need a nonstick skillet, or this will be a sticky event!). Turn heat to high for a few minutes to heat up the pan, then reduce to medium/medium-high.
  3. Dip a slice of bread into the batter. Turn over and let it sit in the chia mixture for a few moments to soak, then remove and place in the skillet.
  4. Repeat with other slices, frying 2–3 pieces or more at a time, depending on the size of your skillet.
  5. Fry for 3–5 minutes on each side, until light brown. Keep the heat high enough to get a good sear/crust on the bread, but reduce if it’s scorching. Note that the slices will be sticky until they are ready to be flipped, so be patient. Repeat until all bread is used. Serve with fresh fruit and pure maple syrup. Another fun serving idea is to make sandwiches out of the French toast, slathering some nut butter between two slices, then serving with maple syrup.
  6. Nut-Free Option: Replace ⅓ cup of cashews with 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds.

    Bread Note: You may use 6–10 slices of bread, depending on the size of the slices.

    Milk Note: After the batter sits for a few minutes it can become quite thick. You can stir through another 1–2 tablespoons of milk if it has gotten too thick with standing (if you have less than half the batter left, use just 1 tablespoon).

Yield: 3-4 servings
Tags: breakfast,dreena burton,french toast,vegan,am,

Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake.

by 25 Comments


Chocolate Layer Cake is a dessert recipe that I think we can all agree on, yes? This vegan version uses my fluffy vegan chocolate buttercream frosting, and a bit of my fudge frosting in the center as well. This rich and super decadent dessert is perfect for a birthday, celebration or midnight-fridge-cake-snacking cravings. If you are not afraid of a little chocolate and vegan butter, press on to get my recipe. And do not forget a big fork!..

Cake Inspiration. No explanation needed really. I just wanted to make some cake. Actually, wait. There was a bit of inspiration now that I fully process my cake craving. I watched that movie! The one with Jennifer Aniston. On iTunes. The title: CAKE.

There is a scene where she, well actually, another character makes a cake. And now that I think about it, the next day I made this recipe. I am very often recipe inspired by movies! I mean my vegan grilled cheese craving is another example.

Cake.

Frosting slathering time...

"Cake? Who said cake?" Sorry Sochi.. no chocolate for kittens.

Life in between cake making. cats. computer.

Super fluffy vegan chocolate buttercream frosting..

Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/27/2015
Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake

This fluffy, rich and super delicious recipe produces two round chocolate cakes. Layer them with your fave vegan frosting for pure dessert deliciousness. Who wants cake?!

Ingredients

  • wet:
  • 2 ½ teaspoon chia seeds + ½ cup water (thick chia egg)
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk, room temperature
  • 1 cup coffee (warm)
  • 2 sticks vegan butter, softened or room temperature.
  • 2 cups vegan sugar, organic
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • dry:
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 2 ½ cups cake flour, sifted (or another flour to substitute -- gf or whole grain flours will change texture slightly)
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • frosting recipes here

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with virgin coconut oil or vegan butter. (I used 9" pans because that was what I had on hand, but 8" pans would be my preference).
  2. In a blender, add the chia egg ingredients (water and seeds) blend on low for 1-2 minutes, until mixture thickens to a tapioca-like texture. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, add all the wet ingredients, including the chia egg mixture. Using a hand beater or a stand mixer, beat until smooth and silky.
  4. Add in the dry ingredients and beat batter until smooth and fluffy.
  5. Pour batter into the cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes - or until cakes are fluffy and cooked through in the middle.
  6. Cool cakes a few minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool a good hour at room temperature or in the fridge before applying frosting.
  7. To frost cakes, add a thick layer on top of the first layer, then add the second layer and cover top and sides of cake with frosting. Serve right away or chill in the fridge to firm up a bit before serving. Store leftover cake in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap or a glass cake lid. I add toothpicks on top of the cake to prop the plastic, so the plastic wrap does not stick to the frosting.

Yield: 2 8 or 9" round cakes
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 35 mins.
Total time: 55 mins.
Tags: dessert,cake,chocolate,vegan,layer cake,birthday,

Batter..

Baked fluffy vegan chocolate cake..

Super thick chia egg for the cake..

Bagel Pizzas, a la Lemon.

by 9 Comments


Bagel pizzas must be stopped. They must be stopped I am telling you. They are just too good. Too amazing. Too easy to make. Too tempting to devour once they are staring you in the face with their satiny marinara pizza sauce, glistening melty vegan cheese and crusty, oven-toasted bagel base. Too good. Too easy. Too much.

Bagel pizzas must be stopped.

Or not.

Sigh. OK. I give in. I give up. I will drape my arm dramatically over my forehead as you hand me a platter of bagel pizzas. Lets just call them dinner and be on with it. My Vegan Bagel Pizzas a la lemon coming up...

Before baking.

Baked + broiled to toasty, melty #vegan cheezy perfection.

Lemon on pizza is my favorite secret ingredient to bring a unique zing. When baked on top of the pizza the lemon slices roast into this mellow zingy flavor that is just super dreamy. I usually remove the lemon peel before eating the baked pizza, but it is edible. I like the baked flesh part of he lemon, but the rind can get a bit chewy. Your call. Lemon slices on pizza = must try.

Sochi contemplating bagel pizzas .... or his next meal time.

Toasty warm and blissfully lemony. These remind me of being a college student slathering marinara sauce on top of not-so-amazing store bought bagels. But the real secret to "pizza bagel success" is starting with amazing quality, fresh bagels.

I went to a local shop this morning to buy freshly baked, soft and pillow-y, chewy, fluffy bagels. Good bagels are a must for this recipe. Find a bagel shop in your town and give them some business. I mean with all the low-carb, gluten-free, no white flour fuss going on nowadays they can probably use it! And btw, me on the "white flour" part of these bagels. I do not indulge in this sort of thing every day. I do try to stick to sprouted grain and whole grain breads, pizzas, toast, rolls etc. But once in a while I just love a white flour, gluten-infused, classic, NYC-style bagel. So good.

And if you want to make these with sprouted grain, gluten-free or whole grain bagels -- go for it.

Nibbling our way through these toasty pizza bagels. #TooEasy #everythingbagelsareeverything #veganA photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on May 24, 2015 at 6:19pm PDT

Vegan Bagel Pizzas a la Lemon

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/24/2015
Vegan Bagel Pizzas a la Lemon

Easy amazing vegan bagel pizzas with my lemon-y basil accents.

Ingredients

  • 4 bagels, sliced (everything / freshly baked, bagel shop style used)
  • 6 tablespoon pizza or marinara sauce (I used my recipe from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen, page 226
  • 1 tomato, thinly sliced and slices cut into quarters
  • handful of fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 lemon, ½ of it thinly sliced - other half for the juice
  • 4 drizzles of extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 tablespoon vegan cheese, shredded (Follow Your Heart Provolone used)
  • optional: pinch of nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Assemble pizzas by spreading 1 ½ tablespoon marinara/pizza sauce on top of each bagel. Press the sauce into the bagel. Tip: For extra crispy pizzas you can lightly toast the bagels before adding toppings. Next add the cheese, tomatoes, optional nutritional yeast and red pepper flakes. Then add the lemon in a twirl on top. Drizzle EVOO on top of each pizza and also add a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice over top.
  3. Place the bagel pizzas directly on top of the top rack in the oven. Place a piece of foil of bottom rack to catch any dripping liquid or oil.
  4. Close oven and turn on broil setting. Allow the oven t broil the tops fo the pizzas for 2-5 minutes -- until the cheese starts to melt and the edges brown. When cheese is melted, turn oven back to bake and bake for as long as you'd like. I usually leave them in the oven another 2-3 minutes to crisp up the bagel. I like the outsides to be crispy and browned, while the inside of the bagel stays fluffy and soft. But again, for an extra crispy bagel pizza, just bake a while longer, to taste.
  5. Serve bagel pizzas warm from the oven with fresh basil on top.Add more red pepper flakes to taste.

Yield: 4 bagel pizzas
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 20 mins.
Tags: pizza,vegan,bagels,easy,dinner,cheese,appetizer,party,kids,tomato

Two Vegan Frostings: Chocolate Buttercream and Chocolate Fudge

by 10 Comments


Two vegan chocolate frosting recipes to share with you! One is a fudge frosting made using melted chocolate, the other is a fluffy buttercream frosting using cocoa powder and generous amounts of vegan butter..

Get my Chocolate Layer Cake recipe here.

Fudge frosting..

Buttercream frosting, fluffy..

After beating the frosting, fridge time helps to firm it back up a bit..

Frost that cake! (I admit my bottom cake was a TINY bit warm when frosting so the frosting was a bit melty. Make sure to completely cool those cakes first!

You can see how I used two frostings in the center .. silky and fluffy differences. (left in center is fudge, right in center is buttercream)..

For my chocolate cake I made two varieties and added a bit of both to the cake.

Is Powdered Sugar Vegan-Friendly? Yes! My tip is to always buy organic because "bone char" - the ingredient that would make it no vegan, is not certified organic so organic sugar is always vegan. You can also check the labels. Most vegan sugars I see at Whole Foods lately are actually labeled "vegan" on the back of the bag.

And yes, there are ways to make amazing frostings without using so much refined sugar, but for these recipes I was trying to veganize a few classics, so I went all in with using powdered sugar. Definitely not an everyday dessert, but for birthdays, special occasions or just a special treat baking day - these frostings deliver!! And so does the cake!

Some important differences:
Vegan Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- Made using melted chocolate.
- No vegan butter needed, just chocolate and coconut oil as the base.
- Less fluffy, more dense, thick.
- Super silky and smooth.
- Very rich.
- When it chills it gets hard like fudge.
- Needs to be softened to room temperature in order to easily frost a cake or cupcakes.
- Perfect if you are out of cocoa powder and only have chocolate bars or chips.

Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- Made using cocoa powder.
- All vegan butter as the 'fat' base
- Super fluffy and creamy, but not as silky as using melted chocolate.
- Perfect for a fluffy-looking frosting.
- Not a dense and rich as a fudge frosting.
- You have to be careful making this frosting, more attention needs to be paid to sifting the powdered sugar and cocoa to avoid clumps.
- Softer coming straight from the fridge, than the fudge frosting. Spreads well.

My preference is probably the fluffy buttercream frosting, but I really do love the silkiness of the fudge frosting too. Both are lovely!

Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/26/2015http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1LjDybZKRU/VWaDYeXplDI/AAAAAAABDoI/nThrSMZPzLQ/s814/700-frost-2015_05_25_chocolate-cake_9999_14vegan-chocolate-layer-cake1212700%252520copy_edited-1.png" style="border-width: 0px; height: 140px; width: 140px;" />

Fluffy and rich, this chocolate buttercream is a lovely frosting for cakes and cupcakes.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened (sifted)
  • 1 ¼ sticks of vegan butter (softened)
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, organic (sifted)
  • ½ cup non-dairy milk (room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Add the butter, milk, vanilla extract and cocoa powder to a large mixing bowl and using a spoon or your beaters, start mashing them together until the liquids thicken with the fluffy cocoa. Turn beater on low and beat until smooth.
  2. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time and beat until fluffy. Do not overbeat the frosting to avoid melting the vegan butter too much.

Yield: frosts 1 8" layer cake
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 10 mins.
Tags: chocolate,vegan,frosting,chocolate buttercream,vegan butter,dessert,how-to

Fudge version:

Ingredients:
3 ounces unsweetened bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted
⅓ cup warm non-dairy milk
⅓ cup virgin coconut oil, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups powdered sugar

Directions: Beat chocolate with coconut oil, vanilla and milk. Add powdered sugar and beat until silky smooth.

For both frostings: Store in the fridge until ready to use. The fudge frosting will need at least 15-20 minutes to come to room temperature. The buttercream only needs about 5 minutes to soften a bit.

Frosting bliss..

Get my Chocolate Layer Cake recipe here.

My Book Party! Celebrating Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen. {PHOTOS}

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I am not a party planner. But I played one in real life .. for this amazing party. My Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen book party. I found myself so proud of my new cookbook, and grateful for my community of friends here in Los Angeles that I knew I wanted to throw a book party to celebrate.

Now the big question was: how does one do that?? Throw a book party?

Luckily, I had some advice, help and inspiration along the way and everything came together even more beautifully than I had imagined. So I am more than happy to share my book party photos with you guys!..

T H A N K Y O U:
G2 Gallery
Heidi and The Blogger Babes
DOLE Get Up & Grow
Natural Delights Medjool Dates
Kayla Ramirez Photography (all photos below are by Kayla!)
SoCalShutterBooth
Bread and Water Catering (for preparing recipes from my book!)
Sprinkles Cupcakes (vegan cupcake donation!)
Clover Juice
Nespresso
Will Armstrong, threemorrow
Elise Roberts, G2 Gallery
Martin + Helpers
Liza Utter and Tess Masters (for inspiration and advice!)
Silent Auction Donors: VEGA, Jordan Winery, Cat Card (RFFMBT), Blender Babes, GUNAS, Real Food Daily, Moo Shoes, Cri de Coeur, ENCHA Matcha, G2 Gallery, My Matcha Life, Philosophie, YourJoyologist, Vaute, Zimt Chocolates, VITAMIX. ..(We raised over $600 for Alley Cat Allies!)

And of course, all the guests + everyone who has bought HHVK!

The Venue. The beautiful environment and wildlife photography gallery in Venice, the G2 Gallery, was the perfect home for my book party! The staff is ah-mazing and the space is gorgeous. If you are ever in the Abbott Kinney area of Venice, stop in and check out their space, cute gift shop downstairs and artists! They do a wide range of amazing events there too, like pet adoptions and more. LOVE them...

Books in the house!

The star of the party, this veggie-burger clad book..

Lots of hugs... this one with PhilosophiaMama Sophie.

More hugs..

And me skipping around in my Cri de Couer heels, saying hello and making sure people love the food, my playlist (I promised Britney and delivered...) and everything!

And chatting!..

A few photos with Heidi of The Blogger Babes - thank you for co-hosting with me Heidi! A million thank you's to you for being so awesome and such an inspirational "girl boss" talent to me. (Everyone needs to check out her two amazing sites! Blogger Babes + The Ambitionista)

Kathy Patalsky and Heidi Nazarudin

My book + me = cute couple

THE PARTY FOOD rocked.

Thank you to Bread and Water Catering who allowed me serve my recipes at the party. I worked with them to create beautiful, elegant, mini-sized bites of recipes from my book. I supplied the recipes and they took it from there! So happy they were able to do that for me just as I envisioned. (At one point I was going to make the party food myself .. thank goodness that insanity did not happen and I was able to outsource the party food!)

My watermelon, tofu "feta" basil salad served on skewers - recipe page 167 in HHVK

My Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers with avocado, as sliders.. the cover photo recipe in HHVK! Recipe page 120.

Oven-Roasted Crispy Taters with dipping sauces, recipe pg138 in HHVK:


 Vegan Peanut Butter Cups, recipe pg321 in HHVK

Mango-Avocado-Arugula Salad served in endive, page 168, in HHVK

As a side, I prepped these vegan cashew-cheese stuffed Medjool dates, they were gone in a flash! I should have made more!

Thank you Sprinkles for these mini vegan red velvet cupcakes - they were sooo yummy

Sophie brought some Philosophie truffles featuring her Cacao magic superfoods.. Thank you Sophie! xo

Gallery spaces make me happy.

Fleurs I picked up at Whole Foods that morning!..

Some of the amazing guests! Thank you for coming!

Cat and I! Love this bunny. (Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth)

What food bloggers + brands do at parties...

So happy Jaya came!

And lovely Carolyn, aka The Healthy Voyager..

If you know what SNOW WHITE vs. ELSA Rap Battle is .. you will recognize the lovely Katja Glieson on the right .. ps EVERYONE needs to watch the rap battle. SO funny. (Sweetest, Talia in the background there!)

My girls! Love these talented amazing ladies.

More silliness at the photo booth with Sophie, Jordan, Amanda, Trisha .. (even MORE photo booth pics at the very end of this post)

SO happy to finally meet the super talented smoothie queen, Julie Morris...

My amazing friend Katie who I have known since junior high school. That is a good twenty years!!

Cuties and their photo booth treasures..

All ages came out for the HHVK fun!

Happiness is a packed room! Hiding in the back there: my faves Whitney (EcoVeganGal) and Jason Wrobel..

Katie again! Adorable couple..

What it is all about..!

On the far left is Will Armstrong, basically a superman in human clothes in terms of PR guys. LOVE him! Thank you for your help Will.

So happy to meet the super amazing VeganFatKid!..

More lovelies! Heather, Julie Morris and Tarashaun of Blender Babes!

More hugs... Tess Masters and Cat. Sorry we didn't get your lovely face Tess! xo

More cuties... Beth, Cat, Christia and Amanda (The body Book with Cameron Diaz - love that book!)

Sophie, Trisha, Julie

Tess and Jackie (Vegan Yack Attack)

Plenty of pics!..

There is Elsa again .. aka Katja. PS. Love her on Periscope!

Heidi and Tarashaun. Beauties.

Liza! Party goddess..

The lovely Megan..

Kelli R. and a guest. (An HHL fan!) So happy Kelli emailed me asking to come after I put a small note in a blogpost for fans to email me to be invited!

Jackie chatting about something amazing I am sure.

The lovely Caroline. Love this girl.

I think we were discussing the Backstreet Boys song that just came on my playlist... 😉

The lovely Emily of GlutenFreeEmily in the pretty yellow-y dress.

A little bit of a presentation with Heidi..

Love this group! Also not mentioned yet, The Sexy Vegan and Maura H - thank you!!

Vince and Carolyn!

Thank you Nespresso for serving our guests amazing full-size tastings:

Thank you ZICO for goody bag products!..

Thank you CLOVER juice for serving our guests!

Thank you to Natural Delights for the dates for our goody bags!

Amazing brands...

Thank you GUNAS, bags for the silent auction

Silent auction (calm before the storm)

We raised $600 for Alley Cat Allies! Hooray!

Goody bags for all..

And YES there was a photo booth.. (let the silliness begin....)

Hooray!! We did it!! Thank you again Heidi... xoxoxoxo

Heidi Nazarudin and Kathy Patalsky

And be sure to snag Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen online or in bookstores!

My outfit Alice + Olivia top, Elie Tahari Pencil Skirt, Cri de Couer shoes, beaded turquoise necklace.

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Last one of me and my prom date, I promise..
Kathy Patalsky and Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen

*All photos are by Kayla Ramirez (except photo booth shots)

Easy Turmeric Bean Burgers with Spicy Secret Sauce + Melty Vegan Cheese.

by 32 Comments


Is it the weekend yet? Is it summer yet? Because all I can think of is veggie burgers, warm nights, sunsets, aqua water, the smell of coconut sunscreen, flip flops, sunbeams, sand in my toes, freshly sliced watermelon, smoothies, sunglasses, blue skies, adventures, road trips, laughing faces, hot pink tank tops, ice cream parties, hiking, grilled veggies, dipping sauces and oh, did I mention veggie burgers?? Because that was actually where I was going with this little side road daydream run-on sentence. Yes, burgers.

Veggie burgers. Easy. Amazing. And oh so freaking fantastic.

Every time i make veggie burgers I wonder why I do not just eat veggie burgers all day every day.

And these Easy Turmeric Bean Burgers with Spicy Secret Sauce are just the thing to carry you into a blissful summertime!.. Let's go.

Secret (super simple) sassy super sauce anyone?

Sizzle those patties..

Add some toppings..

Melt some cheese (vegan cheese!)..

Then the SAUCE..

These golden burgers are a bit of a recipe nudge to anyone who has not grabbed a copy of my new book, Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen. Because the first veggie burger recipe in the "burgers" chapter is a recipe almost exactly like this one. And SO good I wanted to make them and show them off on the blog .. and give them a few photos, since that recipe is photo-less in the book.

Burger Time. These tender, savory, super flavorful burger patties are accented with all your fave veggie toppings and a super easy amazing spicy-sweet secret sauce using vegenaise and sriracha. I am IN LOVE with this secret sauce actually. Two ingredients and so good.

So lets all have a veggie burger night this holiday weekend and think of each other, yes? Happy "summer-is-coming" season.

Easy Turmeric Bean Burgers with Spicy Secret Sauce

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/20/2015
Easy Turmeric Bean Burgers with Spicy Secret Sauce

Hearty, savory amazing veggie burgers with golden turmeric glow and an accent of a spicy secret sauce. Easy and amazing! Vegan meal.

Ingredients

  • veggie burger patties:
  • 1 ½ cups white beans (canned, drained + rinsed)
  • 1 ½ cups chickpeas (canned, drained + rinsed)
  • 2 teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • ¼ cup white onions, chopped
  • ¼ - ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
  • pinch of cayenne (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil (for pan)
  • optional: 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • Spicy Secret Sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • 2 tablespoon vegan mayo
  • Other:
  • 4 buns
  • 4-8 slices tomato
  • 4 slices white onion
  • greens (optional)
  • 1 avocado, thinly sliced
  • Vegan Cheese: 4 slices (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, smash and mash all the veggie burger patty ingredients until a thick mixture forms. To thicken further: add more nutritional yeast or flour. (Oat flour works well too, but I like nooch for the cheesy flavor.)
  3. Warm a skillet over high heat on your stove. Add in the coconut oil. When oil is hot, form patties and place veggie patties in the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes, then flip. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer the pan to the warm oven and finish cooking patties in the oven - 350 degrees for about ten minutes should do it. For firmer patties (drier too) bake a bit longer. Note: You could also JUST use your stovetop or just use your oven to cook if preferred.
  4. While the patties are cooking, prep your toppings and whisk together your secret sauce in a small cup or bowl.
  5. Warm buns in the hot oven for 1-3 minutes. If using cheese, place cheese on one open bun and place under the broiler in your oven and BROIL for 1-2 minutes to melt cheese. Note: I used Follow Your Heart provolone cheese.
  6. To assemble: Add secret sauce to both sides of your warmed bun. Add patties, then top with onion, tomato, avocado, greens and anything else! Serve warm.

Yield: 4 burgers
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: burger,veggie burger,vegan,entree,dinner,summer,turmeric,beans,avocado,secret sauce,spicy

Fluffy Amazing Raspberry-Lemon Baked Donuts with Coconut Whip.

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These delightful Baked Fresh Raspberry Lemon Donuts are sweetened with just ripe banana and Medjool dates, coconut whip on top. These amazing vegan donuts are baked and gluten free. Give them a whirl for a healthy happy morning!..

Those crinkly baked tops, aka soon to be bottoms..

And FLIP! For perfectly rounded vegan donuts. OK, not perfectly rounded, but close enough. (The raspberries add a lot of texture and a bit of lumpiness. Much adored lumpiness!)

What a crazy few days it has been! I had an amazing cookbook launch party on Friday night (I will post all about it soon!) and then tomorrow I will be choosing the winners of my BIG cookbook launch giveaway. So be sure to check back for that if you entered!

So NOW, after the past few months I am tired! OK, I had my lazy, do-absolutely-nothing day yesterday and now I am energized again to get back in the kitchen and continue bringing your guys vegan deliciousness, healthy-happy inspiration and some rays of sunshine.

But I do admit, I am so happy to have most of the heavy duty cookbook planning and promotion fun out of the way so I can focus on just enjoying the book and indulging myself in checking in with you guys via Instagram, twitter and more to see how you are loving + trying all the recipes. Because in the end -- YOU AMAZING PEOPLE -- trying my recipes is what it is all about.

I check the #HealthyHappyVeganKitchen hashtag daily on Twitter and Instagram -- and try to comment on as many posts as I can because I love them so much...

Follow along on Instagram #HealthyHappyVeganKitchen

And I cannot wait to share my P-A-R-T-Y pics with you guys soon! Planning a party was something that really challenged me on a number of levels. It is a lot of organizational work, as well an mental preparation! And for me it was very emotionally challenging to work up the courage to invite SO MANY of my most favorite people, many of whom I look up to in this industry and hope they like the party .. and hope they show up! I was so lucky to have some helpers along the way too. But anyways, more on that when I get the photos back from the photographer!!

For this lazy Sunday ... baked donuts with fresh amazing raspberries and lively lemon accents. And ps... if you only have a muffin pan and no donut pan, that is fine too! This recipe will make a yummy muffin too. Just adjust baking time as needed.

..super healthy and these taste ah-mazing. That zing-y raspberry flavor softens a bit when baked. The tender oat-based donuts mingle with the bright red pops of fruit-filled color and flavor. Rich in fiber from the berries and oats and banana and chia seeds - plus rich in antioxidants and completely free of added sugars. Date-sweetened and loving it! Kinda like raspberry-chia-banana-oatmeal-with-lemon --- in donut form!

This recipe is similar to one of my fave cookbook recipes - my maple bar donuts. So making these reminded me of donut testing for my cookbook!

Try my maple bar donuts, recipe in my cookbook!.. (behind the scenes photo from the book recipe!)

Baked Raspberry Lemon Donuts with Coconut Whip

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/17/2015
Baked Raspberry Lemon Donuts with Coconut Whip

Spongy, fluffy, fresh raspberry-filled donuts with lemon essences. Gluten free and vegan. With coconut whip on top!

Ingredients

  • dry:
  • 1 cup oat flour (made by processing rolled oats in my Vitamix)
  • 2 teaspoon chia or flax seeds, ground (ground with the oats in Vitamix)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • wet:
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice + pinch of zest
  • 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil, softened
  • 1 ripe banana
  • ½ cup non-dairy milk
  • 2 Medjool dates, pitted - organic Natural Delights used
  • Fold in:
  • 20-22 large raspberries, lightly crushed (organic)
  • Coconut Whip: 2-3 heaping tablespoon chilled (canned or boxed) coconut cream + 1-2 teaspoon coconut liquid
  • topping: 6 fresh raspberries

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease your donuts (or muffin) pan.
  2. Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss.
  3. Add all the wet ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. This will take 2-3 minutes from low to high to smooth out those dates.
  4. Fold the wet into the dry and stir well.
  5. Fold in the lightly mashed raspberries. Spoon the batter into the donut pan, filling it to the brim is fine!
  6. Bake donuts at 400 degrees for ten minutes and then lower heat to 375 to bake for another 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the donuts lightly brown.
  7. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
  8. For the east coconut whip: Add 2-3 heaping tablespoons of chilled (firm) coconut cream to a small and tall-brimmed bowl. Add 1-2tsp of the wet coconut liquid (clear oily looking stuff). Beat with a beater for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. That's it! If you want a more sweet, light and "classic" coconut whip, follow this recipe.
  9. Serve donuts with a dollop of coconut whip and a fresh raspberry on top.

Yield: 6 donuts
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 18 mins.
Total time: 28 mins.
Tags: dessert,breakfast,brunch,snack.raspberries,vegan,sugarfree,glutenfree,easy,lemon,coconut whip,

Kathy's Special BBQ Tempeh Bowl

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This bowl gets a signature name because I love it so much, and make it so often: Kathy's Special BBQ Tempeh Bowl.

The Goods. Smoky-sweet, blackened tempeh triangles, sweet citrus, caramelized skillet sweet onions, buttery diced avocado, tender sweet potato cubes and a few crunchy California-style sprouts on a bed of baby greens. All that yumminess is drizzled in a super easy vegan ranch dressing. Dinner is done. And delicious!..

The cookbook fun rolls on and I want to THANK YOU all for supporting my book. I am loving seeing the recipes and posts using the #HealthyHappyVeganKitchen hashtag on Instagram and twitter. Your creations are gorgeous and you guys seriously rock. Please keep them coming! I will probably do a post in a few weeks with some of my favorite photos that YOU guys have posted - from making recipes from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen.

Just a few...


Why Tempeh? Tempeh is made using soybeans that are minimally processed. You can actually see the whole bean in chopped bits in the tempeh. It is also fermented which can have a positive effect using probiotics on your digestive system. Tempeh has a nutty flavor but can be prepared to be tender and marinated or crispy-edged and blackened. I love tempeh smothered in BBQ sauce for a fast and easy weeknight vegan protein. Oh yeah, tempeh is rich in protein!..

Three ounces of tempeh contains: (there are 7oz of tempeh per standard package)
4.5g fat
7g fiber
16g protein
8% RDA potassium
10% RDA iron
6% RDA calcium

Also in this bowl: healthy fats galore from the avocado, loads of vitamin C from the citrus and greens, and vitamin A from the sweet potato. Plus fiber, phytochemicals and best of all LOADS of flavor.

Kathy's Special BBQ Tempeh Bowl

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/10/2015
Kathy's Special BBQ Tempeh Bowl

Smoky-sweet, blackened tempeh triangles, sweet citrus, caramelized skillet sweet onions, buttery diced avocado, tender sweet potato cubes and a few crunchy California-style sprouts on a bed of baby greens. All drizzled in a super easy vegan ranch dressing.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups leafy greens (baby lettuces used)
  • 4 ounces tempeh, sliced into thin triangles
  • 2 tablespoon BBQ sauce (bottled or homemade) - smoky-sweet flavor
  • ½ small sweet onion, diced
  • ½ avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup sprouts
  • 1 tangerine, peeled and sliced segments
  • 1 cup baked or grilled, cubed sweet potato
  • Super Easy Vegan Ranch:
  • 1 tablespoon vegan mayo
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • a few pinches of black pepper (a pinch for the dressing and a pinch for the skillet onions)
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, for pan

Instructions

  1. (Done ahead of time: veggie dicing prep and cooking and dicing the sweet potato) -- Warm a skillet over high heat, add the extra virgin olive oil.
  2. When oil is hot, add the tempeh triangles to one side of the pan, the onion to the other. Saute for two minutes, then flip triangles. When flipped, you can smother the tempeh in the BBQ sauce. Cook for another 1-3 minutes, or until the edges begin to blacken. Flip a few more times during this cooking process. Flip the onions a few times as well - trying not to get too much BBQ sauce on them. Tip: If the tempeh gets too dry in the pan add a teaspoon or two of water.
  3. Sprinkle some fresh black pepper over top the onions and turn off stove heat. Set pan aside.
  4. In your serving bowl, add the leafy greens. Tip: If you want more flavor, toss your greens in oil + vinegar or lemon juice before plating. But the bowl as is has loads of flavor for those greens. Then top with the warm skillet tempeh, onions, sprouts, citrus, avocado and sweet potato.
  5. For the dressing: Whisk the ingredients together (vegan mayo, lemon, maple, black pepper) and drizzle over top the bowl. Serve! Tip: For a thicker, richer dressing, use less lemon juice. You can also add cayenne or another spice like chipotle or smoked paprika to accent the dressing.

Yield: serves 1
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: entree,salad,tempeh,vegan,bbq,avocado,meal,dinner

Have a sunny week guys! Hope you can try this bowl and soak in some sunshine.

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on May 10, 2015 at 2:09pm PDT

Five Fave Vegan Bag Brands

by 18 Comments


"Animals are NOT meant to be a part of Fashion. We Can look and feel good without harming other living beings. We need to CONNECT our selves with what goes on behind the scenes." - GUNAS website.

OK, a bit of a departure from food today to discuss something dear to my heart. Bags.

Vegan fashion post! *overly excited look on face*

I am not a fashionista. But I will play one in this post. And seriously, with all the amazing vegan fashion brands blooming in today's world, I sometimes really want to be! You know, trade in my rolling pin for some vegan pumps. My zester for a pencil skirt and some faux leather booties. OK ok, not happening anytime soon. I think I love yoga wear a little too much. But I do try. And I love chatting vegan fashion because I love veganizing fashion essentials in my wardrobe. Like bags!

Fashion is such an important part of a vegan lifestyle and so I want to start sharing a bit more with you guys about some of my favorite vegan lifestyle brands. Vegan shoes are a whole other discussion, but handbags are right up there with shoes in terms of leather-heavy fashion gear. So today, my Five Fave Vegan Bag Brands..

Five Fave Vegan Bag Brands

1. GUNAS - Luxury Vegan Handbags by GUNAS New York. I just learned about this company a few months ago. I browsed the website and basically swooned over this ONE BAG. It was in my favorite color and just my style. Sleek yet fun. Classy yet playful. I bought it last week and could not be happier! GUNAS has so many styles, they are pretty fabulous. And I have to thank them for donating two bags to a silent auction I am organizing for an event, all proceeds benefit Alley Cat Allies. Pretty cool company that cares just as much about animals as you do! Shop on GUNAS New York

From the brand: "GUNAS is an independent high fashion label with a cause! Started in 2008 by designer and animal lover, Sugandh G. Agrawal
GUNAS's heart and soul screams to be the voice of animals. With an award winning design and business background, Sugandh quit her 7-year corporate career as an Industrial designer at KitchenAid to start her own company of cruelty-free fashion in New York." Yes to THIS: "Animals are NOT meant to be a part of Fashion. We Can look and feel good without harming other living beings. We need to CONNECT our selves with what goes on behind the scenes."

1 ½. Jill Milan! I LOVE this brand. Not sure how I missed it. This celebrity-fave designer has all her ah-mazing vegan bags made in Italy. I met Jill at a recent event and fell in love with her chic designs and her super kind personality. Love her! Shop Jill Milan Bags!

*pics from the JillMilan.com website

2. Stella McCartney. OK, so I know what you are thinking. Sticker shock on these price tags. "Do you know how many bags of groceries from Whole Foods I could buy in place of one SM bag??" Yes. Her bags are not cheap. Thing three or four digit figures for one bag. I own one Stella bag and I love it. It was an anniversary gift. I have received more compliments on it that you can imagine! I even walked into (Bravo's) Beverly Hills Housewife Kyle Richard's store one day and SHE told me she loved my bag. Nice. Shop on Amazon.

FallaBella bags, I own one similar to this...

*photo from SM website

Shop Stella McCartney Bags..

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3. Cykochik. I love this company! I own one of their bags and one of their cute wristlet wallets. The PETA bunny. I also have the "10-speed" large vegan tote in white and pink and grey, customized by me. I love that you can customize their bags. And they are SUPER high quality faux leather. It is so soft and feels real. Love all the bold colors and artsy prints. And Nikki, the founder, is super cool. Based out of Texas! Shop on Cykochik

From the brand: 2013 marked their 10 year anniversary!.. "Over the years Cykochik has grown to be an internationally-awarded compassionate brand recognized for our creative, cruelty-free, eco-friendly, and custom-made vegan handbags."

"WHY: Because we want to create a positive economic, environmental, and ethical impact. We believe in the freedom of self-expression while not endangering people, animals, or our planet in the process. Our bags are made of cruelty-free, vegan materials and also eco-friendly materials. Each bag is handcrafted with love in Dallas, TX, since 2003."

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on May 30, 2014 at 3:17pm PDT

4. Matt and Nat – Beautiful collection of men’s and women’s bags and wallets and more. I think this is one of the most well known vegan bag brands. I always see their goods at one of my fave stores, Moo Shoes. Super high quality materials and construction, and modern styles - seasonal colors. I love pretty much every bag and wallet on their website. I actually cannot believe I do not own a "Matt and Nat" piece. I think the next bag I purchase will be from them so I can round out my collection! In love with this color. Shop on Matt and Nate

From the brand: "Various vegan leathers are used in production, the scientific terms are PU (polyurethane) and PVC (polyvinylchloride). PU is less harmful for the environment than PVC and it’s use is definitely preferred, whenever possible. In addition to being vegan, sustainable materials are constantly sourced in design; these include recycled nylons, cork and rubber. Moreover, all our linings are made of 100% recycled bottles. Approximately 21 plastic bottles are recycled for every bag we produce.

We strive to design timeless and durable styles. Each season, several quality control tests are performed on all new styles. .. Furthermore, thanks to their durability and strength, our bags can last a very long time and, hence, are sustainable products."

*product photos above from Matt and Nat's website.

Shop Matt and Nat Bags!..

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5. Crystalyn Kae. I love this brand that I discovered at Moo Shoes NYC. I bought the Butterscotch Metier Tote. I adore it. The vegan leather is so buttery and soft. Super amazing brand with an amazing designer, Crystalyn Brennan. Shop on Crystalyn Kae

From the brand: "Since 2001, Crystalyn Kae Accessories has designed handbags and accessories produced from ethically sourced and reclaimed materials. Beloved by fashion mavens and independent spirits alike, the Crystalyn Kae handbag is a symbol of socially-conscious style.

Designed in Seattle, our handmade hobos, totes, and cross-body bags are created with a unique blend of sustainable materials and made in the USA. Our bags carry everything you need, durably protecting your valuables in rain or shine. Adjustable straps and versatile inner pockets keep you organized and ready for work, play, or travel."

*product photos above from the CK website.

Not sure how I forgot this brand did bags, but another company I LOVE Cri de Coeur! LOVE..

And here is a HUGE bunch of amazing vegan bags I found for you!..

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Want to browse more vegan fashion brands? Check out Vegan Fashion Resources on Finding Vegan -- I am building a HUGE resources database on Finding Vegan, this is just one of the first pages.

Now your turn!! What are your fave vegan bag brands??? Tag me in your instagrams of vegan bags and comment here!

And yes, vegan bags can sometimes double as kitty hideaway beds..

Green Apple Spice, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars. Date-Sweetened!

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You know that moment when you are going way off recipe, experimenting to your heart's delight, and then suddenly you finish your creation and look at it and think to yourself,

"Wait, what is this? What in the world did I just make? Is this going to be edible."

And then (after baking, plating or something else hopeful) you have that next moment when you take a bite and you are like,

"I. Am. A genius."

Well that kind of happened to me today. With these date-sweetened, Green Apple Spice, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars. I wanted to make a date-sweetened oat flour bar, but I had no idea what would accent the base. I grabbed two green apples out of the fridge and a giant container of creamy peanut butter and the rest is history. Or, the rest is this recipe. One bite and I was in!...

These bars are great! So versatile. They are really mildly sweet, yet the baked apple flavor and sweetness is bold in each bite. You could easily serve these as a grab-n-go breakfast (serve warm or chilled!) or as a mid-morning or late afternoon snack. I love the melty nut butter on top and the fluffy sponge-cake texture. Perfect paired with a spicy chai or herbal tea. Or a matcha latte.

Oatmeal bars are a fave of mine! Check out my coconut oatmeal bars in my cookbook - love those!

Fluffy amazing..

Why experiment in the kitchen? Here are my three reasons to go "off recipe"..

1. You learn fast! Experimenting teaches you lessons you would never think to even look for in cookbooks. You learn from not only the ingredients and the methods, but from yourself! I always say I learned how to cook from my mother and from my kitchen. Me, long hours, in my kitchen, taking risks and creating recipes with no recipe in hand.

2. You Have Fun. Going "off recipe" is in a somewhat silly way, exciting! Anything can happen in this "winging it" kitchen. You may create something new and never-before-tasted! Or you might create something you will discover you do not want to taste again. No risk, no reward!

3. Tweak recipes! My fave part about going "off recipe" is that you do not have to risk your entire meal and ingredients. Go with a tried and true recipe and tweak it! You are still being creative, while still sticking to proven recipe techniques and basics. I actually did this here! I knew how to make a basic oatmeal cake bar and tweaked ingredients like the sweetener and toppings.

..so that means if you recently bought my book Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen, you can take one recipe and PLAY with it. experiment with new "toss in or fold in or topping" ingredients, spice accents and more. I always want to encourage you guys to step outside the recipe because I truly believe that cookbooks and blogs can be like training wheels on a bike. You need to try to pedal on without those wheels for a bit to truly realize your own magical potential!

My new book has TONS of techniques and how-to pages speckled throughout the pages - these basic methods are perfect for helping you spread your culinary unicorn wings.

Green Apple Spice, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/12/2015
Green Apple Spice, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

These fluffy, moist oatmeal bars are date-sweetened, gluten-free and rich in green apple and nut butter flavor. Vanilla and spice accents.

Ingredients

  • dry:
  • 2 ¼ cups oat flour (made from rolled oats in my Vitamix)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • wet:
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • ½ cup warm water
  • 1 organic green apple, chopped (medium)
  • 5 large Medjool dates, pitted - Natural Delights brand used (organic)
  • 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil, melted
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Topping:
  • 1 organic green apple, thinly sliced (medium)
  • ⅓ cup peanut or almond butter , softened to a drizzle-able state - Earth Balance used
  • sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add parchment paper to a small square or rectangle glass baking pan. I used a small 8 x 6 inch dish.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.
  3. In a blender, blend the wet ingredients until smooth. Tip: If your dates are very dry, soak them in the water for ten minutes or longer to soften them.
  4. Pour the wet into the dry bowl and stir until a thick, texture batter forms. Pour the batter into the lined or greased baking dish.
  5. Add the thinly sliced apples on top, and drizzle the nut butter over top as well. Add a sprinkle of spice.
  6. Bake at 375 for 22-25 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and the bars puff up nicely and cook through.
  7. Cool for ten minutes before slicing and serving warm. Store leftovers in the fridge and re-heat to serve. (Also delicious chilled though!) For longer storage, store in the freezer and re-heat to serve.

Yield: 6-8 large bars
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 25 mins.
Total time: 35 mins.
Tags: breakfast,snack,apple,apple, oatmeal,vegan,gluten free, sugar free, medjool dates, sate sweetened,dessert,

Love peanut butter + apples? Me too. Also try my Peanut Apple Celery Crunch Salad.

California Avocado Tour

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Last month, I was north of LA, skipping through an avocado grove. It was like guacamole heaven up there. There is no better way to feel "close" to your food than to actually step foot on the soil that it grows from. And see the trees, bushes and vines where it is plucked. Whether that be by creating your own magical fruit and veggie garden in your yard, visiting local farms in your area or touring farms and factories, just like I did on this tour. Check out my "Farm to Guac" video + photos and get my easy guacamole recipe too!..

How do you get to this? Let's find out...

The video version..

California. Avocados. Let's go.

I rolled into Westlake on a sunny Friday afternoon... (you do this in your hotel room too, right?)

Bring me to your avocados.

First stop, Brokaw Nursery where avocados get their start on life as tiny trees..

from seed...

To tree..

Amazing woman, who obviously eats loads of avocados because she has gorgeous skin! Avocado glow.

Trish enjoying the moody weather and forever rows of baby avocado trees.

Caroline stepping glamorously through this special "farm food safety" powder. I think it was lime? Even trucks roll their wheels through it.

Doing my best "The Price is Right" spokesmodel impression .. "and you win a baby avocado tree grove!"

Baby avocado tree army

transfer to a larger pot..

Onto Rodoro Ranch with farmer, Randy Axell - LOVE him!

A man and his grove. What a cool life!

Lovely lunch in the ranch barn!

Thirsty work. Drank sooo much of this

Chef Pink, she was on Cut Throat Kitchen a few times!

Ladies who lunch. In adorable shabby chic barns. After picking bags of avocados.

Avocado toasts with almonds

Parting gifts, obviously... with the lovely Kim

And finally at home!...

Moral of the story... find out where your food comes from. Because farmers are some of the coolest people around.

Basic California Guacamole

Basic California Guacamole

By kathy PatalskyPublished 05/05/2015
Creamy, chunky amazing California avocado guacamole with onion, lemon and garlic and a hint of chipotle.

Ingredients

  • 2 avocados, diced for ease of mashing
  • 1-2 lemons, squeezed
  • ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
  • pinch of cilantro on top
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Mash together: avocado, lemon juice, half the onion, salt, pepper, chipotle, garlic.
  2. Fold in the other half onion.
  3. Pour into a serving bowl and top with cilantro.

Yield: serves 4Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Total time: 5 mins. Tags: avocado,appetizer,dip,california,snack,side,guacamole,

disclaimer: sponsored trip. This weekend trip was courtesy of the California Avocado Commission, but I was not paid to attend or obligated to write this post. All opinions are my own.

Black Bean Plantain Veggie Burgers with Avocado

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Happy May everyone! I promise you summer is JUST around the corner and all those backyard veggie burger bashes are yours to be enjoyed. Well I think Cinco de Mayo is a perfect holiday to kick off my summertime veggie burger spirit. And this new recipe is one I am kind of swooning over.

Get my Black Bean Plantain Veggie Burgers with Avocado recipe!..

plantain-studded black bean burgers.

Amazing California Avocados .. that i picked myself! On a recent trip. More on that in a future post!..

Sticky sweet skillet plantains, mashed with black beans, red onion, chipotle spice and lime juice. Then you quickly crisp up and brown these patties in a skillet and finish them in the oven. Top these burgers with salsa, freshly sliced California avocados and some fluffy green lettuce and your perfect veggie burger is ready. Bring on veggie burger season!..

PS. This recipe is actually based on one of my fave recipes in my book Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen. My Turmeric Hemp White Bean Burgers! Instead of white beans, I used black, and instead of turmeric I used chipotle. Veggie burgers are so fun and easy to mix up. I have a great veggie burger how-to page in my new book as well!

Black Bean Plantain Veggie Burgers with Avocado

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/01/2015Black Bean Plantain Veggie Burgers with Avocado
Black bean plantain burgers with onion and chipotle spice.

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe plantain, large (blackened peel)
  • plantain skillet: 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil or EVOO
  • -
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds
  • 1 ½ tablespoon tahini
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • ¼ cup red onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
  • 1-2 tablespoon oat flour (to help bind)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt + ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
  • veggie burger skillet: 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil
  • -
  • toppings: sliced onion, lettuce, sliced avocado
  • condiments: fresh or jar salsa, vegan mayo
  • buns: I used spouted grain

Instructions

  1. First the plantains. Note: You will be adding 1 cup of the cooked plantains to the burgers, the leftover rounds can be served on the side. So, slice your plantains into thin rounds. Warm a skillet over high heat, add 1 teaspoon oil. Add the rounds to the oiled pan and cook 1-2 minutes on each side. They will slightly brown. Add a splash of water if the pan gets too dry. Remove plantains from pan and measure off 1 cup of the rounds. Add that 1 cup to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Also to the mixing bowl, add: black beans, chipotle powder, salt, onion, hemp seeds, tahini, lime, cilantro and oat flour. Using a fork or potato masher, mash well until all the beans are mashed and split.
  3. Warm a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon oil.
  4. Form patty mixture into round patties and place on the hot, oiled skillet. Continue until all the mixture is used up. Cook 1-3 minutes on each side to brown. You can finish cooking in the skillet, or for easy, transfer the patties to a 350 degree oven and allow them to cook for another ten minutes. You can then leave the patties in the warm oven until ready for serving.
  5. Assembly: I did bottom bun, vegan mayo, patty, lettuce, onion, avocado, salsa, top bun.

Yield: 4 burgersPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Total time: 25 mins. Tags: veggie burger, dinner,vegan,black beans, dinner,entree,hemp,fiesta,avocado,sandwich,burger

The Best Ice Cream. Dairy-Free.

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Today I am sharing my recipe for the bowl that wins the "most likely to be devoured" award for all of spring and summertime months. At least that is the consensus in my house, that is. Just dip a big spoon into this big bowl of frosty pink deliciousness and I think you will agree. This is my favorite.

The best ice cream is.... Watermelon Blender Soft Serve! Get my recipe, a how-to video and a book launch update..

with matcha..

First off, T H A N K Y O U for you incredible support during my book launch week. I am SO excited for you all to finally have this book in your homes.

And these!..

If you need to catch up on all the book launch fun, see these posts:

* HHVK is Here.
* Book Tour (Blogger reviews!) and my $4,000 Giveaway
* All the Info on HHVK - my book page

So now lets get to this recipe!

Watermelon Ice Cream. Rich in potassium, fiber, vitamin C and 100% free of high fat dairy -- or dairy of any kind, really. This creamy, frosty blender ice cream is so amazing.

You might think that it is just like a thick smoothie, but it really has such a frosty ice cream texture and flavor because of my secret ingredient: frozen watermelon. You long-time HHLers know I just love my frozen watermelon trick.

I use my Vitamix to get these thick and frosty results. Get free shipping by using my link.

Give it a twirl and have a happy, sunny, spring-soon-summer!

Watermelon Blender Ice Cream

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 04/30/2015
Watermelon Blender Ice Cream

This super creamy and frosty ice cream can be made in your Vitamix blender in seconds! Super delicious, with only three healthy ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 frozen bananas
  • 1-2 cups frozen watermelon cubes
  • ½ - 1 cup non-dairy milk (use as little as possible)

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a Vitamix and blend until frosty amazing. See the how-to video in this post for additional tips and a first hand viewing!

Yield: 1-2 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.

Total time: 5 mins.
Tags: banana,watermelon,dessert,breakfast,healthy,ice cream, dairy free, vegan, summer

*disclosure: contains a Vitamix affiliate link. Get free shipping by using my link.