Rainbow of Smoothies Summer Video + Giveaway + Recipes

June 21, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 45 Comments

As of this weekend, summer has officially launched! And I am bringing you a few goodies to kick off my favorite season. First off, check out my Rainbow of Smoothies YouTube video that I had SO much fun making. Then you will want to enter my giveaway and also grab 7 bonus recipes I am sharing, directly from the pages of my book 365 Vegan Smoothies. Your healthy happy summer starts now.

Watch my latest YouTube video featuring a rainbow of smoothies. Then take my rainbow of smoothies challenge.

SUMMER SMOOTHIE CHALLENGE: Step outside your smoothie comfort zone by blending up a color smoothie that you normally never blend. For example:

* If you are a berry smoothie drinker, try a green smoothie!
* If you love green smoothies, how about a blue blueberry blend?
* Love fruit smoothies? Try a super vanilla or creamy cacao smoothie!

Then enter my giveaway. You will earn an extra entry for sharing your NEW COLOR creation online and letting me know you shared in the comments section. Be sure to use the tag #365VeganSmoothies or #RainbowSmoothieSummer when you share.

giveaway prize: Smoothie Summer Pack! -> $100 Whole Foods Gift Card + Signed copy of 365 Vegan Smoothies + HHL tee (select sizes only)

(One grand prize winner will be awarded. Giveaway is open to USA and CANADA only.) --- Also enter my Blendtec Giveaway - ends soon!

And of course I had to share some smoothie recipes today. The color I chose: Green.

Green Smoothies. My first "green" smoothie was when I started adding spirulina to my favorite papaya smoothie at a place called Liquiteria in NYC. It was the first green-colored smoothie I sipped. From there, I experimented at home with more true-to-greenness smoothies by adding whole greens to my blends, it was truly love at first sip.

My first at-home blend was sweet green citrus. Similar to this recipe. I was making a basic citrus smoothie and decided to add a handful of spinach. I was worried that I was literally ruining one of my favorite smoothies, but I had to try for myself, this thing called a "green smoothie!" Blend. Blend. Blend. And sip. OMG. I remember that first sip so well. It tasted like sipping a green ray of sunshine. Sweet and bright with a hint of rich, nurturing greens. I was in love. I chugged the glass and couldn't wait until my next adventurous green blend.

Green is the new Black. I recently read a super article in my favorite New York Times section: Well. The article "Drink Your Greens" is by Martha Rosa Shulman, and she starts out her article being a classic green smoothie skeptic,

" ..for many years I've been rolling my eyes whenever anyone starts talking about green smoothies or green drinks. I love greens, but not in my morning smoothie."

Then finishes up with, "The drinks are loaded with phytonutrients, and they're filling. They are definitely meals in a glass. When I was testing the recipes I enjoyed every sip and felt very energetic for hours afterward. So no more rolling my eyes: I'm a green smoothie convert."

Love that! I find this is the reaction many people have when it comes to green smoothies. But when it comes from someone like Martha, an award-winning cookbook author and recipe creator for the Health section of NYTimes.com, I think even the skeptics have to have their ears perk up a bit! I hope anyways.

So today I and sharing with you 7 exclusive recipes from my book 365 Vegan Smoothies. My book is filled with green smoothie recipes. So if you are looking to infuse your spring and summer with health and wellness, I invite you to join me and start a smoothie habit.

Recipe #217 - Heart-Healthy Section
Beachy Green
vegan, serves 1-2

1 cup pink grapefruit juice (or 1 whole pink grapefruit + coconut water as needed)
½ cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 frozen banana
2 cups chopped spinach
½ cup coconut water ice cubes

boost it:
* 1 tablespoon unsweetened dried coconut flakes

Recipe #60 - Energizing Smoothies Section
The Green-ergizer
vegan, serves 1-2

1 kiwi, peeled
1 banana, fresh or frozen
1 cup chopped kale leaves
1 cup chopped spinach
1 small orange or tangerine (try frozen for a frostier blend)
½ cup non-dairy milk (plain soy used)
½ cup coconut water
½ cup ice (optional)

boost it:
* ½ teaspoon spirulina powder

Recipe #349 - Beauty-Boosting Smoothies Section
Frozen Green Oasis
vegan, serves 1-2

1 cup chopped frozen cucumber
1 cup frozen green grapes
1 cup coconut water
drizzle of agave or maple syrup
pinch of pink salt (optional)

boost it:
* 1-2 teaspoons aloe vera juice

Recipe #193 - Healthy-Digestion Section
Minted Matcha Tea Shake
vegan, serves 1-2

1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 cup vanilla non-dairy milk (soy used)
1 ½ - 2 frozen bananas
ice (optional)

boost it:
* 1 teaspoon chia seeds

Recipe #323 - Immunity-Boosting Smoothies Section
Pineapple-Kiwi-Mint Immunity
vegan, serves 1-2

½ cup orange juice
¼ cup plain non-dairy milk (soy used)
2 kiwis, peeled
½ cup pineapple cubes, fresh or frozen
1 cup chopped kale leaves
1 banana
¼ cup green grapes
1 tablespoon fresh mint
½ cup coconut water ice cubes (optional)

boost it:
* 2-3 tablespoon non-dairy yogurt

Recipe #86 - Slim Down Smoothies Section
Green Banana Jungle Shake
vegan, serves 1-2

2 cups chopped kale leaves
½ cup non-dairy milk (soy used)
½ cup coconut water
½ cup frozen mango
1 frozen banana
1 tablespoon unsweetened dried coconut flakes
½ cup ice (optional)

boost it:
* 2 teaspoons soaked and drained goji berries
* 2 raw Brazil nuts

Recipe #179 - Brain-Boost Section
Book of Greens
vegan, serves 1-2

1 cup chopped kale leaves
½ cup mashed avocado
½ frozen banana
1 orange, peeled
2 tablespoon raw walnuts
1 cup coconut - sub non-dairy milk or add a splash of non-dairy milk for creamier texture
½ cup ice (optional)

boost it:
* ¼ cup frozen mango cubes

- buy 365 Vegan Smoothies for full descriptions + nutritional info

Available online:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books A Million
Indiebound
Powell's Books
iTunes

Images are from my book 365 Vegan Smoothies - copyright protected

Spicy Vegan BLT. Summertime Picnic Approved. {video}

June 20, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 13 Comments

Pack a picnic and find some sunshine! I promise, your computer will not miss you at all. In fact, he (or she?) may actually enjoy the techie "sleep" sesh. Now if getting out there in the fresh air and sunshine poses a challenge to your type A, I-can-never-get-enough-work-done-even-in-summertime mentality, well here is a bit of motivation for you, soul sister (or soul bro.)

Today's Homework: A picnic. Simple. Easy. Just one afternoon of fresh air breezes, blue sky for miles, birds overhead and sunshine in between your toes. A picnic. You can do this. Make a plan. Pack a bag and get out there. This Vegan BLT with curried carrot slaw, smoky tempeh bacon, crisp romaine lettuce leaves, spicy chipotle or smoky paprika "mayo" on toasted sprouted grain is just the recipe inspiration you need. Side of lime-coconut water, and you are golden...

Need some step-by-step help? Watch my video! Oh and I personally think the last 5 seconds are the most inspiring for a calm, happy, cozy sunshine day.

Grab my curried carrot slaw recipe here!

Vegan BLT

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 06/20/2014
Make a vegan BLT with spicy mayo, tempeh bacon and carrot slaw and have a very healthy happy plant-based lunch!

Ingredients

2 slices sprouted grain toast
2 teaspoon vegan mayo
a few pinches of smoky paprika or chipotle powder
4 oz. tempeh, thinly sliced
2 teaspoon tamari
2 teaspoon grade B maple syrup
a few pinches black pepper
⅛ teaspoon liquid smoke
3-5 leaves romaine lettuce
2 slices tomato (or a few sliced cherry tomatoes)
⅓ cup curried carrot slaw recipe here

Instructions

Whisk the paprika or chipotle powder with the vegan mayo until it dissolves. Set aside.
Toss your tempeh in the maple, tamari and liquid smoke, add the black pepper.
Heat a skillet over med-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. When the oil is hot, add the tempeh and excess marinade. Note: You could allow the tempeh to marinate in the fridge to absorb more flavor, but this is optional. I never do this for quick lunchtime tempeh.
Cook tempeh 1-2 minutes on each side or until browned and edges crisp a bit.
Pour tempeh on a plate and start assembling your sandwich. Slather the vegan mayo on the toast and add the lettuce, tempeh, tomato, carrot slaw and some more black pepper if desired. Slice and serve!

Yield: 1 sandwichPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Total time: 15 mins. Tags: sandwich,vegan,lunch,tempeh,blt

Turmeric-Curried Golden Carrot Slaw (+ 11 Turmeric Recipes!)

June 18, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 4 Comments

This easy Turmeric-Curried Golden Carrot Slaw is my go-to carrot salad for summer. This is a recipe I have shared before, but this time I infuse a superfood boost to the sassy, sweet flavors. The familiar pairing of crunchy carrots and sweet juicy raisins is one everyone will enjoy. Creamy tahini keeps things rich and amazing while also keeping things dairy-free. Grab this recipe and whip it up in a flash! Plus get 11 more turmeric-infused vegan recipes..

reminder. Do not forget to enter my Blendtec Giveaway + check out my Blendtec review! And maybe make some coco-cinna-maple almond butter while your are at it.

Summer Salad. This salad uses crunchy, sweet, vitamin A rich carrots as the main ingredient, and also adds a double boost of golden color by adding curry powder and superfood turmeric. I made it my 2014 resolution to add more turmeric to my life and I think I am doing pretty good so far! I have turmeric in my Trinity smoothie at least 3-4 times a week, and I add my fave Ojio brand of turmeric to just about everything savory. I have finally embraced turmeric in a big way. Bring on the anti-infammatory goodness.

"Curcumin, which has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is the most active constituent of turmeric." - DrWeil

In Dr Neal Barnard's Power Foods for the Brain book - which I ADORE - he uses turmeric often in recipes and calls it one of the spices that may help protect your brain.

This is the only turmeric I use now. It is the BEST...

Are you adding more turmeric to your summer? This salad is one easy place to start! Plus the bold golden color is so fun for sunny days. And here are a few more turmeric-infused recipes..

11 turmeric-infused recipes to try:

1. Golden Wellness Smoothie
2. Turmeric-infused Tofu Scramble
3. Trinity Smoothie with turmeric
4. Lentil-Cashew Cakes with Turmeric
5. Marinated Summertime Tomato Salad
6. Creamy Roasted Soups - Carrot or Sweet Potato - with turmeric
7. Golden Avocado Sushi with Turmeric Rice
8. Tofu-"Egg" Salad Sandwich
9. Lifting Lemon Garlic Rice Soup
10. Marinated Golden Fennel Salad
11. The Vegan Cobb Salad with turmeric-tossed hearts of palm "eggs"

Add Protein! If you want to add a protein boost to this flavorful salad, I have found that maple-tamari tempeh or tofu cubes are perfect. You can fold them right into the salad or add them over top to serve.

Add tofu to make it a meal.. from this post

Or tempeh..

Optional - Tofu or Tempeh How-to: Add 1 cup tofu or tempeh cubes to a bowl. Add 2 teaspoon tamari, a few drops of liquid smoke (optional) and 2 teaspoon maple syrup (grade B). Let the cubes sit for about 5 minutes to absorb the flavors. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat, add a drizzle or oil (sunflower, safflower or EVOO) then when the oil is hot, add the cubes plus any excess marinade. Add a pinch of black pepper over top. Saute, tossing cubes in oil and liquids, for about 2-3 minutes or until the edges are crispy and browned and liquid has been absorbed. Serve warm.

Turmeric-Curried Golden Carrot Slaw

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 06/18/2014

Crunchy carrots meet sweet raisins and a flavorful creamy tahini-turmeric sauce with some sassy and sweet flavor.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups carrots (shredded, chopped or julienned)
1 ½ tablespoon grade B maple syrup
2-3 tablespoon tahini
½ cup organic raisins
1 teaspoon sweet curry powder
½ - 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (Ojio brand used)
¼ cup lemon juice or 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt and pepper to taste
optional: ¼ cup seeds (pumpkin, hemp or sunflower - raw is my preference)
optional: add sauteed tempeh or tofu cubes over top

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
Toss salad for 2-3 minutes until the carrots become infused with the liquid ingredients and the spices disperse and dissolve into the dressing. Taste test and adjust seasonings and ingredients to taste.
Eat right away for crunchy texture, or place in the fridge to chill for at least an hour for a softer more marinated flavor.

Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 00 mins.
Total time: 15 mins.
Tags: salad,carrots,slaw,turmeric,tahini,summer,easy,vegan

Double Carob Cake {VIDEO}

June 16, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 17 Comments

This rich and amazing, super-delicious, you-will-crave-carob, vegan Double Carob Cake is one you really must try. The combination of coconut oil and carob is super dreamy and the two-ingredient frosting on top is a recipe you will want to make again and again. I show you just how I make this cake on a recipe video and I chat all things CAROB! So even if you squirm and wince at the word "carob" please read on and try this cake. I want to make a believer out of you!..

Video news. I am so so so happy that you guys are loving my YouTube channel! I even dove in and actually purchased a brand new video camera over the weekend. So THIS video is the LAST video you will see with some here-and-there blurry shots. My 6D Canon camera is wonderful for photography and stable video shots, but with zero autofocus, it really held me back a bit. But my new humble Sony video camera is my new toy that I am so excited to start using! Get ready for crisp, clear and fun recipe videos that I hope will inspire you!

CAROB. So if you think you hate carob, think again. I buy my raw carob from OneLuckyDuck.com. It is sweet, nutty, bright and not at all bitter. You can find carob powder in most natural foods stores and online.

Some carob facts. (I chat more in my video.)

* Carob is virtually fat free, but contains more carbs than cacao powder, thus the slightly sweet natural flavor.
* Carob does not come from cacao beans. Carob is its own separate plant! Carob pods. They are a legume.
* Carob is delicious in smoothies, raw desserts, baked goods, frostings, frozen desserts and more.
* Carob is great for KIDS because it doesn't contain caffeine like chocolate does.
* Carob is great for headache and allergen sensitive folks because it is free of theobromine, found in chocolate.
* The natural sweetness in carob makes it easy for making lower sugar-added desserts too. The frosting has zero added sugar and is quite sweet on its own via coconut oil and carob.

From OneLuckyDuck.com: "Our incredibly full bodied and sweet carob powder is 100% raw, originates from Italy and offers an amazing chocolate alternative that can be used in drinks, dishes and desserts. Carob powder is made from carob pods, which are a member of the legume family. Carob is a rich source of vitamins and minerals, while providing a slightly sweet and earthy flavor. The carob-pods are ground using a unique grinding process in which the temperature does not exceed 100 degrees. Carob is great added to shakes or as a substitute for cacoa powder. Carob is high in calcium amongst other minerals, it is 8% protein and contains vitamins A, B, B2, B3 and D. It is used by many as an alternative to cocoa as it is free from theobromine, the stimulant in cacao. It is also naturally sweet so requires less additional sugar to sweeten it."

Had to nibble a corner, thus the missing section..

Frosting all whipped and ready, two ingredients!

I loved cutting the cake into hearts!

Double Carob Cake

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 06/16/2014
If you think you know carob, think again! This delicious double carob cake with a super easy carob coconut frosting will make you fall in love with the often misunderstood ingredient known as carob!

Ingredients

⅔ cup flour (organic, white, unbleached) (sub if desired for gluten free)
½ cup coconut sugar
½ cup raw carob powder (mine is from One Lucky Duck)
¾ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
a few pinches of cinnamon
12oz silken tofu
1 shot espresso, warm
¼ - ⅓ cup virgin coconut oil, softened
frosting: 1 part carob powder to 1 part virgin coconut oil (start with ¼ cup of each, add more to make more frosting)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" square baking dish.
Combine the two frosting ingredients in a large mixing bowl by mashing them together until a thick frosting forms. You want to make sure that your coconut oil is at room temperature in a fluffy, mashable state. Start with ¼ cup oil and ¼ cup carob powder. Double recipe for more frosting. Set aside on counter, covered.
Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, coconut sugar and carob powder in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the tofu, espresso (warm not hot) and coconut oil in a blender. Blend until silky.
Stir the wet blended mixture into the dry until a fluffy mousse-like batter forms.
Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake at 350 degrees (no higher, as carob burns easily!) for 22-25 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the dish and is cooked through the middle. Cool cake and frost when cooled. If you want a melted ganache frosting you can spread the frosting over top the cake when it is still warm and in the pan and it will harden as it cools in a glazed effect. Serve! Store in the fridge - this cake is delicious served warm, room temperature or cool from the fridge. Consume within a few days.

Yield: 12 servings, 1 8" x 8" square cakePrep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 25 mins. Total time: 40 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 165
Fat: 10g
Protein: 3g
Totalcarbs: 20g
Cholesterol: 0

Tags: cake,dessert,carob,coconut oil,vegan,frosting

Pretty in Pitaya Maui Shake + Blendtec Review

June 12, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 349 Comments

As a smoothie-obsessed girl and author of the book 365 Vegan Smoothies I pay a lot of attention to blenders. Because in order to create the perfect frosty bliss blends and shakes, soups and purees, you first need the right tools. And while that $20 blender from Target will get the job done for some blends, I can pretty much guarantee you that investing in a high-speed blender will change your culinary life.

Blendtec Test-Run. My first high speed blender was a Vitamix. My Vitamix has been in my kitchen all my blogging life. But I gave a Blendtec a test run and here were my results. Plus, my Pitaya Pink Smoothie recipe...

This recipe is sweet and pink with tropical citrus-y flavors...

Pretty in Pitaya Maui Shake

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 06/12/2014
Pink and tropical, this pitaya shake is amazingly delicious!

Ingredients

1 pitaya freezer pack
½ cup frozen pineapple
½ cup non-dairy milk
½ cup orange juice or more non-dairy milk
1 frozen banana
5-10 Brazil nuts

Instructions

Add all ingredients to blender and blend from low to high until smooth. For a larger smoothie or to serve two, double the ingredients.

Yield: 1 shakePrep Time: 00 hrs. 01 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 03 mins. Total time: 4 mins. Tags: smoothie,pink,pitaya,beverage,shake,vegan

The Twister Jar - separate purchase container:

Check out the Blendtec in action in my cooking videos:

Blendtec Blender Review: Design Series Wildside

Package includes:
* Designer Series motor base
* WildSide jar
* Vented Gripper™ lid
* Fresh Blends Recipe book, Owner's manual, Registration card

Specs:
* 1725 watt, 3.4 peak horsepower motor
* Illuminated, capacitive touch interface
* Preprogrammed cycles: Smoothie, Salsa, Ice Cream, Whole Juice, Hot Soup, Clean
* 100-speed capacitive touch slider
* Illuminated counter displays remaining time on blends

Kathy's Review:

PROS:
* Beautiful. Wow the sleek black and the TOUCHSCREEN really wowed me at first glance. Looks pretty on my counter. And the stainless steel finish is even more designer-friendly.
* Touchscreen. About that touchscreen... I remember the first time I tried an iPhone. The touchscreen freaked me out. What, no buttons? How to I click, click, click as I type, type, type?? Well luckily, I think I have been so trained with touchscreen use via my iPhone, iPad and more that I totally found this new blender interface quite glorious. I love the little icons for different settings like ice cream, smoothie and more.
* Time counter: The coolest part about the digital screen is that it can interact with you in a way. I love that it keeps a count of how long I have been blending and auto shuts off at 50 seconds so that I stay alert to blend time and safety if I step away from my blender. The digital counter is so great because if a recipe says "blend for two minutes" you can actually, precisely blend for two minutes. And when you are using a preset button it lets you know how many blending seconds remain by counting backwards.
* Twister. The twister jar is great! It is a mini jar that is perfect for doing smaller recipes like sauces, toppings, nut butters, hummus, dips, one serving soups, salad dressings, pesto, mini smoothies and more. It has a cool twister lid that actually has built in scrapers so you can scrape the sides of the container as you blend just by twisting the lid. I made some coconut milk coconut whip this morning in my twister jar by adding coconut cream! It was fluffy and whipped in a few seconds. (I could've added some organic powdered sugar for even more thickness.) The Twister container is a must-buy. See it in action in my almond butter video above.
* Power. This is my NUMBER ONE PRO for this blender. Wow does this thing have power!! My favorite Trinity smoothie blended in a flash and poured out smooth, frosty and perfect. I tried a few whole food green smoothies and it pulverized all the ingredients! It was amazing. This thing has lot of power guys. High speed all the way. And isn't that the whole point of buying a high-speed blender??? To pulverize the crap out of the whole food ingredients you add to the container? Well because this thing is so powerful, I also noticed that, unlike my Vitamix, it has never once overheated and shut down. I will admit that at first this blender felt like a bucking bronco, a wild horse trying to be tamed. I wondered if this was too much power! But after a few weeks of use I realized that I just needed to learn how to manipulate the speed.
* Containers. I love the different containers. They are so easy to clean and look great sitting on my counter .. and my blender actually fits under my counter now! Some observations: I find that for large amounts of liquid, wetter-style blends and green smoothies the wide-capacity wildside jar works best. But for thicker shakes and smoothies with plenty of very hard and frozen ingredients like frozen bananas and rock-hard frozen watermelon, and as minimal liquid as possible, I would probably prefer the skinnier fourside jar. I find that thick smoothies whip more easily in a skinny jar. I found this to be true in my Vitamix too. I will update my review when I try out the skinnier four-side container very soon..
* Easy to clean! The surface is very smooth, with no weird grooves in top so the Blendtec base is easier to clean than my Vitamix. The wide container fits easily in my dishwasher too.
* Customer Service. I love the people on the Blendtec team. They are great! Very accessible and eager to help. Good companies are born from good people.

UPDATE: I finally tried out the FOURSIDE container and love it for a few reasons: 1) It is easier to blend on low and add powder ingredients to liquid without too much splatter. 2) It blends up a very thick shake. The container is smaller, but for thick shakes and smoothies I adore it. A must-have item for your Blendtec kitchen if you love thick shakes and smoothies.

CONS:

* High Power! Ha. I never thought I would say power was a "CON," but I found that the lowest speed on the Blendtec was more powerful than the lowest speed on the Vitamix. So for the Blendtec I really have to close the lid at all times. While with the Vitamix at the lowest speed I would usually add ingredients like protein powders and add-ins without the lid on. I think this is the one thing about Blendtec that you may find frustrating. At first that is. For the first few times using the Blendtec I could not get used to basically adding all the ingredients at once and shutting the lid and blending. But after a few times doing this I did get used to this blending style, and I embraced the power. The power becomes quite freeing after you just embrace it. And once you get the hang of things, you can add in ingredients via the opening in the lid, while blending, if needed. So while I do miss that super-low setting, the "pros" for the Blendtec make up for it.

* I just like my Vitamix Better. Well the bottom line really comes from which blender you end up leaving on your counter, and I went back to my Vitamix. Blendtec is an awesome brand and I have only dabbled in trying their products, but I am for now, a Vitamix chef.

COMPARISON NOTES:

* Issues. There is no such thing as a perfect appliance, you are bound to discover your own "issues." Now I have used my Vitamix for about four years now and loved it. Vitamixes are wonderful machines and I cannot say much that is "bad" about them. But my issues did arise over time. The one thing that greatly frustrated me was when it overheated and shut off mid-blend and I had to wait for it to reset itself and turn the power back on. I emailed customer service a few times and was told to add more liquid to my blends. Well yes, this usually fixes the problem, but that also waters down my shakes, which I try so hard not to do when blending. And the waiting time for the blender to come back to life was torture. Ingredients, half-blended, sitting in my container. I mean when a girl wants her smoothie, a girl wants her smoothie. And I also became frustrated by keeping the top part of the Vitamix clean with the removable rubber top on the base that always seemed to get dirty. So with those hesitations, I was curious about trying the "other" high sped blender brand. If you have these same issues, a Blendtec may be your ideal machine. No fear of blender death mid-blend. (So far anyways!)

* Tampers and Side Scrapers. In regards to "scraping the sides" and moving contents around mid-blend well here is this. The vitamix tamper is genius and I have always loved it. It helps me control everything and get "inside" the container as I blend. The Blendtec does not have a "tamper" but I found that there is so much power, I rarely need to stop mid-blend and move stuff around. Only when I do not add enough liquid. And for things like hummus and nut butters that NEED to be scraped down mid-blend, Blendtec has the Twister container with those super amazing side scrapers. And I actually like have a few container options for ease and versatility. So no tamper with Blendtec, but maybe you do not need it for most blends. And when you are making something that you know will need scraping, use the Twister container. (Order separately.)

So which brand do YOU buy? Well if you buy a Vitamix I am sure you will be happy. But if you buy a Blendtec you will feel happy as well. I feel like the Vitamix with its low speed is like a ballerina, strong and elegant with a good amount of power. Blendtec is like a football player. Much more power and a bit more dependable when it comes to pure, raw strength, but a bit lacking in elegance since it doesn't have that ultra-low speed.

Does it Make Ice Cream?? I read many reviews on both the Vitamix and Blendtec blenders. And one thing I noticed on a few reviews is that it says you cannot make thick shakes and blender ice cream in a Blendtec. I have to say that this is completely false. It does take a bit of skill to blend fluffy, creamy, thick and frosty blender ice cream in a machine with such power, but it can be done. And I am excited to try the fourside (skinnier) jar to see if that makes it even easier. I have enjoyed plenty of thick and frosty Trinity smoothies via my Blendtec. It is interesting how the texture does differ a bit between Vitamix and Blendtec. While Blendtec makes a slightly less thick shake, the texture is frostier and almost fluffier as well. Both delicious though!

Bottom Line: Great brand and blender, but not enough to make me switch brands.

And for all your summer smoothie needs, check out my book 365 Vegan Smoothies! In stores and online now.

Disclosure: Blendtec generously supplied me with my own Blendtec for this review as well as a Blendtec to giveaway to my readers! But this is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own.

Power Snack with DIY Maple-Coconut-Cinna Almond Butter

June 12, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 15 Comments

Now this is a satisfying, energizing, nut butter-fueled power snack. Born from the idea that apples and nut butter is a perfect pairing, this vegan snack takes things a step further. I start with my homemade Maple-Coconut-Cinnamon Almond Butter, made in my blender, and then add in some sliced organic apples, and slather that warm and creamy nut butter on a freshly toasted gluten-free bagel. The best gluten-free bagel I have ever had. So how can this power snack be yours? Easy, make it!..

New VIDEO! I show you how to make two easy blender recipes: This DIY almond butter and a creamy-delish Green Smoothie:

First that bagel. So you can absolutely make your own bagels.

Here are two recipes via Finding Vegan that I love:

* Gluten-Free Bagels - by Fork and Beans
* Whole Wheat Everything Bagels by Hungry Gnomes

The reason why I am not making my own bagels today is because THESE bagels by Rising Hearts Bakery here in LA were the best I have ever tasted. Fluffy, pillow-y, super crispy edges when toasted and totally gluten free. And no tears guys, THEY SHIP! You can order these blissful bagels from their online store. I'm a huge fan of this place, obviously. Their vegan + gf millet bread is out of this world. And the vegan brioche burger buns are amazing. Oh and many restaurants agree that their breads rock. Real Food Daily uses their Millet bread as their gf bread option and a few other well known restaurants use their goodies too! Anyways, enough gushing.

Next the easy part. Slice up an apple. Organic. Crisp. Fresh. Maybe chilled before slicing.

Finally, the almond butter. I made this almond butter in my Blendtec Twister container in under two minutes.

If you are curious about just how I did this, check out my video above. In it I make two easy Blendtec blender recipes. A green smoothie and this almond butter. Why all the Blendtec love in the video? Well TOMORROW I launch a Blendtec giveaway. Yay!

The tool today: Blendtec Twister Jar..

Cinna-Maple-Coconut Almond Butter

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 06/11/2014
Creamy, inviting, homemade almond butter!

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds
2 tablespoon grade B maple syrup
2 ½ tablespoon virgin coconut oil (or to taste)
a few pinches of cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to your food processore or blender. I used my Twister container for my Blendtec blender. If you are using a very large or wide container with your processing appliance, you may need to double the recipe to get adequate fine blending - smaller servings can be tricky with wide containers.
Blend from low to high until smooth, usually about 1-2 minutes should do it. Blend longer for a smoother blend.
Serve right away or store in the fridge until ready to use. The almond butter freezes up quite a bit in the fridge, so warm it or allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

Yield: 1 ¼ cupsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 00 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 03 mins. Total time: 3 mins. Tags: side,almond butter,blender recipes,howto,diy,snack

*thank you Blendtec for my new blender!

Vegan Chocolate Taco Shake

June 6, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 39 Comments

I may have raved about the Klondike bars of my youth in this recipe, but the truth is I had another ice cream treat that was at the true top of my list. The Choco Taco. I remember diving my arm into a freezer box at a neighborhood store and pulling out that shiny silver wrapped treat. Thin layers of sweet taco-shell-shaped waffle cone filled with vanilla ice cream, swirls of chocolate and crunchy peanuts rolling around in the chocolate coating drizzled into a shell over top. I loved those things. Well lets have some veganized fun today and enjoy a healthy-delicious childhood inspired treat:

My Chocolate Taco Shakes! (Video included)

What is it? This is a duo of frosty bliss shakes, drizzled in chocolate coconut sauce that forms a silky shell, plenty of chocolate drenched "sweet taco" pieces on top. Flavor accents of vanilla, nut butter, banana and CHOCOLATE..

This Peanut-Chocolate-Taco Shake is not only sweet and delicious - it is also rather healthy! You will feel like you are indulging, but once you check out the ingredients you will feel super good about your decision to join in the chocolate taco fun.

My Chocolate Taco Shake. Frosty frozen watermelon blends with frozen banana, non-dairy milk and a spoonful of peanut butter. Then this peanut butter shake is topped with a dark chocolate coconut coating and garnished with a generous amount of chocolate taco bits made using vegan sugar cones I found at Whole Foods. These are gluten free too! (Brand: Let's Do Organic)

And to ease you into this easy healthy-dessert recipe, I have a video with the steps..

Chocolate Taco Shakes

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 06/06/2014
Frosty healthy-delicious peanut-banana shakes with crispy chocolate taco bits on top! A taste of childhood, gone vegan!

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas
1 ½ frozen watermelon (or more frzn banana)
¾ - 1 cup non-dairy milk
pinch of vanilla bean powder or ⅛ teaspoon real vanilla bean extract
1 heaping spoonful peanut butter (or almond)
1 vegan sugar ice cream cone, crushed into bits
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips (vegan)
1 heaping tablespoon virgin coconut oil

Instructions

Combine chocolate chips and oil in a small bowl. Microwave for 30-60 seconds and stir briskly until silky. Alternative method: melt on your stovetop.
Crush the cone bits and lay out some parchment paper on a platter.
Dip the cone bits in the chocolate and lay them on the parchment paper. Or the fast messy method, simply drizzle the chocolate over top the bits and break them apart when they cool.
Place the cone bits in the freezer for 1-2 minutes until the chocolate hardens up.
Add the banana, watermelon, non-dairy milk, vanilla, nut butter to a blender and blend from low to high until frosty and smooth. Use as little vegan milk as possible to blend to achieve the thickest shake-like texture.
Pour the shakes. Drizzle generous amounts of the leftover chocolate sauce on the shake and into the glass. Garnish with the chocolate covered cone bits on top. Yes you will have leftover cone bits, but they are delicious for nibbling alongside your shake or store them in the freezer and save them for later.

Yield: 2 shakesPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Total time: 10 mins. Tags: ice cream,shake,vegan,dessert,chocolate taco,chocolate,easy

Marinated Summertime Tomato Salad with Avocado + Arugula

June 3, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 23 Comments

This flavorful sunshine-approved Marinated Summertime Tomato Salad includes juicy golden and red heirloom tomatoes, buttery rich diced avocado, sweet and zesty onion, protein-rich hemp seeds and a bright and flavorful turmeric-maple marinade dressing. All this loveliness is marinated to perfection and then served on a bed or arugula greens, zesty and fresh. This colorful salad is perfect on a spring or summer day! Pair with some hummus slathered toast or gluten free crackers for a meal that you will remember.. (And hopefully make again and again!)

Today's salad starts with this. Perfectly lovely tomatoes. Golden and red tones make things extra pretty.

chop chop chop..

cuddly kitties in the background make things even better...

New News! Thank you for the wonderful response my latest giveaway and new YouTube videos with Sophie! And I JUST started a monthly giveaways + special announcements newsletter which I am super excited about! Subscribe here and check out the first newsletter I just sent out yesterday.

Marinated Summer Tomato Salad with Avocado + Arugula

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 06/03/2014

Flavor-infused tomatoes mingle with avocado and arugula greens with accents of turmeric, garlic, pepper, EVOO and cider vinegar.

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, heirloom used
1 avocado, diced
1 small sweet onion, diced or thinly sliced
3-4 cups arugula greens
3 tablespoon raw hemp seeds (add more for more protein!)
¼ cup apple cider vinegar, Braggs used
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil + a few extra drizzles if desired
1 heaping tablespoon vegan mayo
¾ teaspoon turmeric
pinch of salt and black pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 clove garlic, minced - or - ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Wash and dice the tomatoes, place in a large mixing bowl.
Dice the avocado and chop the onion, place in the same large mixing bowl.
In a small cup or blender, mix together the dressing/marinade ingredients: maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, vega mayo, salt and pepper, turmeric, garlic and apple cider vinegar.
Pour the marinade into the large mixing bowl and fold until the veggies are well coated in the dressing. Add in a few more drizzles of EVOO for an extra rich salad.
Place the tomato salad, covered, in the fridge to chill for about an hour. This should be enough time to marinate the veggies nicely. You could also make this salad a day ahead of time. (Note: If you like your tomatoes fresh and free from the chill of the fridge, you can just marinate the chopped onions in the dressing and when ready to serve, toss the onions and dressing with the freshly sliced tomato and avocado.)
To serve, add about 1 - 1 ½ cups of arugula to serving plate or bowl and then top with the tomato salad. Sprinkle hemp seeds generously over top each serving, about a tablespoon per served salad.

Yield: 3 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 00 mins.
Total time: 15 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 273
Fat: 20g
Totalcarbs: 16g
Protein: 7g

Tags: salad,tomatoes,avocado,summer

Cacao, Green & Berry: Philosophie Smoothies + Giveaway {videos}

June 1, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 239 Comments

Three cheers for three new recipe videos on my YouTube channel today! Three new recipes today in flavors of cacao (rich chocolate), green (super dreamy) and berry (bliss!)

I was so excited to pair up with my friend Sophie to film a few new videos featuring (my fave) smoothies. Sophie and I are both pretty smoothie-obsessed since I have my 365 Vegan Smoothies cookbook and she has her amazing line of superfood powders (which I have raved about before in my vegan protein powder review post). Check out our videos, grab three delicious, healthy-vegan recipes, learn how to get 10% off Sophie's products and also enter a giveaway to win a sample pack of the three superfood blends!..

Miss thing: Sophie! Sophie is a smart, creative and fun entrepreneur to chat with about all things nutrition, superfoods, yoga, healthy habits and wellness-infused living. She has worked with a few of the biggest celebs in Hollywood and Lea Michele is currently doing her cleanse. And I can see why they love her goodies. Sophie is passionate about wellness and loves sharing her knowledge with others via her vibrant, healthy, happy spirit. I love the positive energy this girl radiates. And I cannot even believe she is not only a talented entrepreneur, but also a super mom to two adorable toddler boys. PhilosophieMama!

And psst... watch the videos below to find a code for 10% off Sophie's products.

Find Sophie Online: ThePhilosophie.com
@PhilosophieMama on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter

Lea Michele + Vogue's favorite new cleanse... EAT REAL FOOD! #cleanse #philosophiecleanse - http://t.co/fW8z3pPs1t— Philosophie (@PhilosophieMama) May 30, 2014

Giveaway. After watching all three videos I know you will be aching to try Sophie's blends! Well I have a super giveaway for you guys today. The winner will receive all three of the Philosophie superfoods (sampler pack!) plus my book 365 Vegan Smoothies, a Healthy Happy Life tee, a $30 Whole Foods gift card to pay for your smoothie goodies. Total value of over $100 in smoothie goodies.

(And I am on a giveaway spree guys, later this week a BLENDTEC giveaway is going live. And I mean a $650 value machine! So stay tuned for that!)

So here are the videos and recipes below -- the giveaway follows.

Berry Bliss:

Cacao Magic:

:Green Dream

A huge THANK YOU to Sophie's uber-talented and kind dad for filming us two crazy kids. I was THRILLED to be able to edit some video footage filmed on a super pro video camera. I am still learning, but I am confidant that my videos will get even better guys! Just like food photography, you have to keep doing it again and again in order to learn and improve.

Super Green Dream Smoothie

By Kathy and SophiePublished 06/01/2014
Super duper GREEN dream smoothie.

Ingredients

1 apple
1 big handful of leafy greens
1 cup coconut water
1 banana
½ avocado
1 tablespoon Philosophie Green Dream Superfood Blend

Instructions

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth!

Yield: 1-2 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 03 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 02 mins. Total time: 5 mins. Tags: green smoothie,smoothie,beverage,vegan

Avo-Cacao Smoothie

By Kathy and SophiePublished 06/01/2014
Chocolate Avocado Thick Smoothie or Pudding.

Ingredients

1 frozen banana
1 cup almond milk
2 heaping spoonfuls Philosophie Cacao Magic Superfood Blend
½ avocado
2 tablespoon raw almonds or almond butter
ice (optional)

Instructions

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth!

Yield: 1-2 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 03 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 02 mins. Total time: 5 mins. Tags: smoothie,chocolate,vegan,shake,dessert

Watermelon Berry Bliss Smoothie

By Kathy and SophiePublished 06/01/2014
Frosty watermelon, banana and berry bliss!

Ingredients

1 frozen banana
1 cup almond milk
2 heaping spoonfuls Philosophie Berry Bliss Superfood Blend
1 - 1 ½ cups frozen watermelon

Instructions

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth!

Yield: 1-2 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 03 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 02 mins. Total time: 5 mins. Tags: smoothie,berries,vegan,shake,berry bliss

Super Dreamy Raw Avo-Coco Soup! Avocado + Coconut {video}

May 31, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 16 Comments

This is a super simple recipe that you will dream about. Avo-Coco Soup is light, fluffy, silky, dreamy and loaded with healthy-deliciousness from healthy-fat rich avocado and potassium-rich fresh young coconut.

We are using the whole coconut today! The water and the meat. Yes, that white meat that lines the walls of the inside of a fresh young coconut is amazingly yummy and useful to use in recipes. If you have never tried this blissful bowl of hydrating goodness, watch me make it and try it for yourself. I love this bowl! Video and recipe ahead..

Finding Coconut Meat. Coconut water is easy to find. Try to find raw coconut water or get it from the fresh coconut, if you can. The avocado, also easy to find. But the coconut meat ingredient is tricky. If you can find a fresh young coconut with the top pre-sliced off at Whole Foods, you are set. Simply scoop out the "meat" inside with a spoon, and use the water too.

But if you cannot find a coconut you may have to track down some of the coconut meat-in-a-bag that I found in a local store. It is amazing stuff and makes this recipe super easy. Sadly, the only place I found it for sale online was Amazon ... but they make you buy a whole case. If you really wanted to go that route, just stick the leftover bags in the freezer! This stuff freezes very well. A few online options..

So lets get to it! I adore this soup. It is so luscious and hydrating. Check out my video and grab the recipe below.

Avo-Coco Soup

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/30/2014
Fresh and amazing, this avocado and fresh young coconut soup is a must try!

Ingredients

1 - 1 ½ cup(s) coconut meat
1 cup scooped avocado -- about 1 small avocado or ½ a large
1-2 cups coconut water
pink salt and fine black pepper to taste

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to a blender, starting with a cup of coconut water.
Blend from low to high until the mixture is fluffy and smooth. Add the salt and pepper to taste - about a pinch of each should do it!

Yield: 3 cups, 2 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 00 mins. Total time: 10 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: per serving: 250

Tags: soup,raw,avocado,coconut

Warm 'n Chewy Oatmeal Cookie Balls. Flour-Free. Super Yummy!

May 28, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 22 Comments

Sometimes I just crave oatmeal cookies. They remind me of coziness, childhood, warm sunbeams, glasses of dairy-free milk, movie nights, rainshowers, weekend mornings and hiking trips through the dusty-path hills. All that in one tiny, cute, cinnamon-infused cookie.

These cookies. Nutty rolled oat texture with intoxicating cinnamon and vanilla flavors throughout, chewy raisins, crumbly edges, coconut essence and warm and chewy texture at first (and last) bite...

Flavors..

Inside the bliss..

These easy vegan cookies are flour free, using only whole rolled oats and some homemade rolled oat flour as the base. The sweetener? Dreamy coconut sugar, paired with come extra virgin coconut oil to make things extra amazing. I added in some flax seeds and a banana to provide some gluten-free oomph. And my secret ingredient is a pinch of fresh orange zest. (And a dash of vegan love, a spoonful of smiles and a pinch of pizzazz doesn't hurt either.) These cozy cookies are waiting for you to make them!..

Cool photo trick I learned in PS today. So if you are using a plate that is bold in one color then you can change the color pretty easily. Maybe you bloggers already knew this, but I just discovered it and I love it! So you go into the enhance options for color/hue. Then you select a color to modify. If this case I chose cyan (dropdown menu) .. then you just slide the HUE scale over the color board to change colors. Super fun..

The cookies are so yummy on ANY color plate though 🙂

Warn 'n Chewy Oatmeal Cookie Balls

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/28/2014

War and chewy cookie balls made using rolled oats, coconut sugar, coconut oil and plenty of vegan love.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups whole rolled oats
1 ½ cups rolled oats, processed into oat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup coconut sugar
1 banana
1 tablespoon flax meal (ground flax seeds)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
⅓ cup extra virgin coconut oil
¼ cup non-dairy milk, room temperature or warmed
¾ teaspoon salt (pink salt used)
½ teaspoon fresh orange zest
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup organic raisins
optional: 2 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds, chopped or processed into meal

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease.
You will have 3 cups total of rolled oats. Half of that amount will be kept whole and the other half processed in a blender or food processor into oat flour.
Add the non-dairy milk, banana and flax meal to a blender and blend until the banana is smooth.
Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl, including the oats, sugar, banana mixture and everything else. Fold this mixture very well for about 2-4 minutes. You want the oats to absorb a lot of the moisture and flavor. This will also thicken the dough.
When the dough has thickened a bit, place the dough bowl in the freezer for about five minutes to firm up the dough even more. This helps the dough keep a ball shape when baking.
Roll the dough into balls, place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for five minutes. Then reduce heat to 375 and bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden brown and look a bit crisped. Cool at least five minutes before serving.

Yield: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 18 mins.
Total time: 33 mins.
Tags: dessert,vegan,cookies,oatmeal raisin

Go-To Salad Recipe: Avocado, Sweet Potato Tahini-Maple Greens

May 26, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 27 Comments

Everyone should have a favorite go-to salad recipe. One that they can make in a flash without much thought or analysis in the kitchen. Having a healthy-delicious recipe in your back pocket is a good prevention method for avoiding rushed, possibly unhealthy mealtime decisions. Once you discover how easy it can be to make yourself a delicious, favorite meal, you will feel empowered to get in the kitchen more often - and you may even save some money on takeout and other convenience food options...

My Salad! When mealtime rolls around and all I want is a delicious, well-balanced, bowl-in-a-meal sort of salad, this recipe is what satisfies me. I not only use this as my go-to salad recipe, but I also crave it even when I do have loads of time for kitchen play!

The secret to discovering YOUR perfect go-to salad is figuring out what foods you could never get tired of. For me, those flavors are: sweet potato, baked all sticky and sweet. Avocado, creamy and buttery. Greens, fresh and fluffy. Walnuts, crunchy and rich. Tomato, colorful and juicy. Onion, zesty and flavorful. And my favorite tahini-maple dressing, nutty and sweet creating a savory-sweet flavor I adore. Try my favorite salad recipe on for size, then get in the kitchen to craft YOUR favorite go-to salad recipe! Let me know what it is in the comments section, I'd love to take your salad for a ride.

Some salad components: homemade hummus and homemade salad dressing.

Watch me make and chat about my favorite salad recipe! (VIDEO) .. oh and try your best to ignore the Sochi kitty cat who pops up in the middle of the video. He cannot help himself when he smells fresh flowers on the shelf.

Maple Tahini Dressing recipe + more vegan salad dressing recipes

Go-To Salad: Avocado Sweet Potato Maple Tahini Greens

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/26/2014
Kathy's favorites make for one easy, go-to salad. Avocado, sweet potato, walnuts and more with my signature maple-tahini dressing.

Ingredients

4 cups greens (baby spinach used)
½ sweet onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
½ - 1 avocado, diced
1 tablespoon walnuts
1 small sweet potato, baked, peeled and sliced
¼ cup hummus or ½ cup beans (opt'l)
2-3 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
2-3 teaspoon tahini
1 small orange, juiced or 2 tablespoon lemon juice or 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

An hour before starting to assemble your salad, pop your sweet potato in a 400 degree oven and bake for about an hour, or until tender.
Add greens, chopped onion, diced avocado, chopped tomato, walnuts and dressing to a large mixing bowl. Toss very well until greens are marinated with flavor. Optional: add a pinch of salt and pepper to season greens. Pour tossed salad into a serving bowl.
Top salad with the baked sweet potato slices. Add a dollop of hummus on the side.
Add some toast or rice crackers on the side if desired. Serve while sweet potato is still warm!

Yield: 1 large entree saladPrep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 01 hrs. 00 mins. Total time: 1 hrs. 15 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 580 (using ½ avocado)

Tags: salad,vegan,sweet potato,entree

The Social Side of Blogging

May 25, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 21 Comments

But wait, don't bloggers work alone?

Yes! The majority of blogging is done solo. But there is a vast social side to blogging, blogging events and networking among other bloggers and brands. Let's dive in..

The "blogger" stereotype has been shattered. Bloggers are no longer those people who we all once imagined holed up in a dark room typing away on their laptops, all alone and quiet. Blogging does have a social side. An important one too. Enjoying life, meeting new people, trying new products, reading new books and having new experiences is what blogging (ok, and life in general!) is really all about. I know I am a better blogger for it. So I am always happy to share my social side with you guys. Here is a glimpse of some of the amazing people, products and events that have popped up in my life lately. From Camp Blogaway to tasting vegan wine, to networking events and a few awesome new books, here is a slice of my very social spring!..

The Social Side of Blogging.

It is so ironic. The first few years of my life as a food blogger were pretty confusing and terribly isolating. I left grad school and moved to New York City with my husband and suddenly found myself "blogging" .. whatever that career choice was! I was embarrassed to even admit to anyone that I decided I wanted to food blog as my career choice. Ha! This was back in 2006, so clearly times have changed quickly as I see career food bloggers sprouting up all over the place. I mean, cooking, eating, photographing, styling, grocery shopping, cookbook writing and recipe developing for a living? Sign me up! Oh wait. I guess I already..

So long story short, NOW I find myself being infused with social things. New hashtag, #SociallyExhausted. In a good way. Blogger events, new and old friends to meet, collaborations to start, product parties to attend, books to read and more. But for me it is a challenge! My social muscle is one I am learning to flex. And since I have never been a huge "party girl" in the sense that I do not crave going to "these things" I am picky with what I do actually attend. Anything with "yoga wear" or "sweatpants" and "no makeup" as a wardrobe requirement has my interest, but sadly I never get THOSE type of invites. Can someone do a #NoMakeup networking party? Yes? Because to be honest, I am very happy just lounging around in snuggly pants, hair in a bun, no makeup, playing with my kitties and a smoothie in hand. Truth. But thank goodness, the things I have chosen lately to attend have all been wonderful! Here is a peek into the social side of my food blogging life...

CAMP Blogaway.

Camp Blogaway! I attended this awesome food blogger event HIGH up in the San Bernardino mountains. You know the type of camp where you went to grade school science camp? Well this is that type of place! Bunk beds, dusty dirt roads, flashlights and thank goodness hot showers! I met a long list of amazing bloggers like Bombay Blonde, Mister Martha, Eats Real Food, The Other Side of the Tortilla, Gluten is my Bitch and more. Plus I reunited with my fave ladies, Rabbit Food for my Bunny Teeth and Nom Nom Crunch. Thank you Patti, it was an amazing and very inspiring "work" event! I even signed up to IACP because of it! The CEO, Meredith, gave a super presentation.

Some pics from Camp Blogaway

Kathy Patalsky at Camp Blogaway — casual camera pose

Cat of Rabbit Food for my Bunny Teeth — Cat Jara, aka RFFMBT

And up at an altitude of 7,000 things can get pretty silly! Cat and I spent an hour jumping. No, really.

The wind up..

And go!

bloggers who jump together, have fun together

And again..

Camp photo:

Vegan Books. Books can be social too! Reading an author's book is like a window into their soul. I adore the books I have been sent lately. Here are my faves..

* How to Be Vegan. THE BEST. This little, adorable guide to all things vegan by the famed Elizabeth Castoria is a must have for everyone. Vegan or not! I actually think I should carry this handy guide around in my bag at all times and whip it out whenever a vegan newbie comes my way. From travel to clothes to totally fun graphics and charts, this delightful book tells it all on how to be and love veganism. So if you haven't snapped this book up, go grab it!

* The Gentle Barn by Ellie Laks. I will be honest I have not read much from this book, but I read one random chapter and I loved it. Cozy, heart-warming, animal-loving read for sure. I cannot wait to read more.

* Rethink Food, 100+ Doctors Can't Be Wrong, by Shushana Castle and Amy-Lee Goodman. What a cool idea for a book! This book contains a collection of advice essays from over a hundred doctors on topics including diabetes, cancer, the dangers of dairy, healthy digestion, heart health, inflammation, bones, kids, women, men, Alzheimer's, dieting, anti-aging, nutrition and more. What a super cool resource to have on my bookshelf.

* The 21 Day Superstar Cleanse by Rainbeau Mars. I went to the yoga-filled, vegan-food everywhere, star-studded book party for this book and it was easy to see why everyone loves Rainbeau. She resonates light, wellness and positive energy. Plus here book is pretty fun and fabulous. If you are the type of person who wants a true day-to-day guide to help you discover a healthier, happier, more well you - this book is for you! It contains recipes, meal plans, yoga poses, advice, toolkits and even a "get your glow on" step to every day. I also love the yoga pose of the day. I think this book will have some great answers for managing stress, restoring your body's natural wellness and discovering healthy eating habits. I am excited to read more of it!

And here are some fun pics from the "Superstar" book party!..

most beautiful yoga setup ever..

John Salley.. this guy goes to every party. I am certain of it.

And by the way, John is part of a great company called The Vegan Vine. I bought some recently and loved it! The cab sav tastes way more expensive than it is!..

And even more... Blogger Babes! I joined this super fun group called "The Blogger Babes" here in LA. Founded by my friend Heidi Nazarudin of The Successful Style. It is so nice to network with fellow bloggers! LA Bloggers check it out on meetup!

Heidi hosting the last Blogger Babes event..

Whew! I think I am #SociallyExhausted just writing all that. 🙂 See you out there. Or meet me in HERE, even better 😉

~ Kathy

ps. What are some of your "worth it!" social events you have attended lately?

Kathy's Famous Trinity Smoothie. Dayglow or Matcha Flavors - VIDEO

May 21, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 24 Comments

Today I am sharing a video + recipe of how I prep and blend up my world famous (wink wink, nudge nudge, someday it will be I hope) vegan Trinity Smoothie. While the secret recipe isn't such a secret at all, I have shared versions of this before, I really just came up with the phrase "trinity smoothie" last week. I was trying to figure out how to describe my favorite technique for blending up the frostiest, thickest, most ice cream-like smoothies ever. And my "trinity blend" title just stuck. What is my trinity smoothie? And why am I so freaking giddy about it? Well keep reading to find out!..

Today's video: Kathy's Famous Trinity Shake / Smoothie -- matcha version -- to make Dayglow version just sub turmeric! Video has details.. (recipe at bottom)

Matcha flavor.. (as in video)

In real life..

Dayglow turmeric flavor.. with pumpkin seeds on top. Always.

Yup, a very typical Instagram..

A blustery busy day. I rushed home from a busy day out, a heavy canvas bag slung over my shoulder, my Tom's shoes pounding on the faded cement sidewalks of Santa Monica. I eagerly slid past the lazily strolling sunglass-wearing tourists and early week Memorial Day staycationers, my hair whipping across my face as a strong beachy breeze swept salty air through the air and through the towering palm trees lining the streets. The cool breeze was a brisk wake-up call for my tired muscles. As I glided through the streets, navigating the crowds and crosswalks I could feel my stomach ache with anticipation for lunch. I dashed back to my place and raced up the elevator and down the hallway, key in hand. I popped open the door, the room awash in late bright white and yellow afternoon sunbeams, bouncing off the walls and the skinny white window shades waving in the wind from the cracked open window. "Hello kittens!" My usual greeting when I arrive home. I sped over to the window to kiss the kittens hello. They were passed out, draped over their warm yellow, aqua and blue pillows, sprawled out on the floor. But before I opened my computer to catch up on work I had one thing in mind: my smoothie time! My smoothie break is something I look forward to each day. I toss my cell phone on the bed, pull on a cozy sweater, kick off my shoes, rush into my kitchen, pull out my smoothie goodies, blend up my smoothie and for a small corner of time, bask in some sunbeams and let my mind rest and collapse into smoothie bliss.

Then as my spoon scrapes the last bits of my creamy blend, I rise feeling energized, revived and ready to focus my attention on whatever my schedule brings.

Have you started a smoothie break habit? Now is the time! Oh, and this can really help.

As you will learn in my latest video, I make this smoothie a lot! I adore it. And I easily switch it up by featuring different flavor accents and superfoods. My most notable being matcha green tea. You guys know how much I adore my matcha! (My big matcha brand review here.) Well lately I have been adding a wide variety of superfoods to my trinity blend. Everything from berry powders, maca, vanilla bean and cinnamon, cacao and more. But my favorite is turmeric. Specifically the Ojio turmeric! I am obsessed. Thank you Jason Wrobel for turning me onto it .. found via his Instagram page

Turmeric is in today's recipe. Or as a commenter once described it to me, "dayglow" turmeric. Well dayglow is s fun name, so thus the turmeric version of my trinity blend is called dayglow.

So however you like to flavor my trinity smoothie, I hope you enjoy it and crave it as much as I do ... like every day!

Oh and buy this stuff, I swear you will be amazed and totally impressed by it!

Kathy's Famous Trinity Smoothie

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/20/2014

Kathy's famous blend of frozen banana, frozen watermelon, non-dairy milk and a few extras like superfoods and protein! Tastes like an ice cream shake, healthy-delicious! Nutrition info below: Add calories for protein powder, if using.

Ingredients

1 large extra ripe frozen banana
1 ½ cups frozen watermelon
1 cup non-dairy milk (almond milk used)
choose: 1+ teaspoon superfood (matcha green tea or turmeric used - also try acai, cacao or berry powders)
1-2 scoops vegan protein powder (optional)
topping: sprinkle of pumpkin seeds (optional)

Instructions

Add non-dairy milk and superfood and protein powders to blender. Blend on low until smooth.
Add half of the frozen fruit. Start blending low to high until smooth. Then add in the remaining frozen fruit and blend until frosty. See my video of Youtube user: LittleLostGrape for a demo.

Yield: 1 smoothie
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 03 mins.
Total time: 8 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 220

Tags: vegan

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No-Bake Double Chocolate Super Amazing Granola Bars

May 16, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 16 Comments

It is a chocolate-dipped sort of week here on HHL! First I whipped up some yummy chocolate-dipped ice cream bars and now I'm onto some super easy, super cravable, super everything "kitchen sink bars" .. aka my No-Bake Double Chocolate Super Amazing Granola Bars. And I made another video. I am addicted to video making once again. It is just so fun and I love chatting with you guys face to "face!" Get the recipe and video..

Watch my how-to video for tips and a look at me making this exact recipe. Plus some fun like a bonus kitty clip at the end. These kitchen sink bars are fun to make and very forgivable. Adding a bit more or a bit less of each ingredient or changing the ingredient altogether is totally approved for this recipe. So get creative, use what is in your kitchen and pantry and have fun.

Watch first then grab the complete recipe below! -- adjust the settings to watch in 720p HD for best viewing!

Another form of chocolate-dipped fun: chocolate-dipped ice cream bars! vegan style..

No-Bake Double Chocolate Super Amazing Granola Bars

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/15/2014
Chocolate-infused no-bake granola bars made using rolled oats, nuts, seeds and natural sweeteners like maple syrup!

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
4 tablespoon chia seeds
5 Brazil nuts, chopped
2 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil, melted
2 - 2 ½ tablespoon nut butter (almond or peanut)
3 pinches pink salt
½ teaspoon turmeric (optional, sub with cinnamon)
¾ cup sprouted raw pumpkin seeds, salted
1 ½ tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
2 tablespoon mini chocolate chips, vegan
2 tablespoon - ⅓ cup maple syrup, grade B
1-2 tablespoon vegan chocolate chips (for chocolate drizzle)
1 tablespoon coconut oil (for chocolate drizzle)

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and blend well until combined.
Line a small casserole or baking dish with parchment paper.
Spread the mixture over the parchment paper and flatten with a spatula to smooth.
Place the dish in the freezer for at least 20-30 minutes to chill.
Warm the chocolate drizzle mixture in the microwave or stovetop - stir until silky and liquid. About 60 seconds in the microwave is the fast way - simmer on the stove or over a double broiler for the longer way.
Pull the bars and drizzle or pour the chocolate over top. The chocolate will firm up from the cold bars. Slice and serve or store. Store in the freezer or fridge.

Yield: 4 large bars or 8 squaresPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins. Total time: 30 mins. Tags: dessert,snack,vegan

Easy Dessert: Chocolate-Coated Vegan Ice Cream Bars! {video}

May 15, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 35 Comments

I have but one question for you today. What would you do-oo-oo for a vegan-version, "Klondike-inspired" Chocolate Coated Ice Cream Bar? Well you don't have to shimmy or shake or hop on one foot. You just have to get in the kitchen and make it. Easy. No, really, it is! Chocolate Coated Ice Cream Bar bliss awaits you..

It seems the 80's and 90's are back in style. I mean seriously, have you been to Urban Outfitters lately? Or any trendy store, really. Whitewashed jeans, floral everything, neon, crop tops, patterns, shapes and stripes that remind me of the intro to "Saved by the Bell" and I even (gasp!) saw a few bodysuits on the racks. Lets NOT bring back that trend ladies.

And one treat from my 80's + 90's childhood was The Klondike Bar!

Klondike Bars. I used to adore those foil-wrapped ice cream bars. The silky white cream, covered in a thin shell of crispy dark chocolate, all melty and amazing. I think we actually always had them in our freezer, back in the day. Is that normal? Looking back.... Probably not.

Now to veganize this treat via an easy recipe I did a few tweaks and, well, upgrades to the original concept bar.

So. Here they are. Klondike Bars. Veganized. And kinda even more amazing than ever. If you ask me.

Watch my how-to video then get the recipe below!
(psst.. I used the raw option of the chocolate coating in the video, but the chocolate chip option in the photos. Both were delish!)

Seven steps:

1) Blend up the vegan ice cream. Totally homemade in your blender. (Side step: Prep any ice cream add-ins - optional. (Caramel and nut butter swirls can be fun to add like in this recipe.)
2) Chill the ice cream in a square dish - I use a bread loaf pan.
3) Mix up the chocolate.
4) Remove ice cream block. Slice the bars.
5) Dip bars. Double dip.
6) This one is easy --> eat the bars. (Oh, and for complete flashback fun, wrap the bars in some foil.)
7) Freeze leftovers for future blissfulness.

Got it? Easy. You can totally do this.

The recipe below uses vanilla bean "ice cream" but you can do chocolate, swirled or really any version vegan blender ice cream you want.

Chocolate Dipped Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Bars

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/14/2014

Klondike-inspired ice cream bars made vegan and made oh so easily by using your high speed blender. Healthy treat!

tools: blender, metal bread pan or brownie tin, chilled - spatula, knife, parchment paper

Ingredients

Banana blender ice cream:
2-3 large ripe frozen bananas
vanilla bean flavoring (1 whole vanilla bean - seeds scraped, pinch vanilla bean flakes or ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract)
½ cup + 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk (almond or soy milk advised. Use coconut milk for extra richness!)
Choose one option for coating:
Chocolate Chip Version: ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + ¼ cup coconut oil
Raw Version: 2 tablespoon cacao powder + ⅓ cup coconut oil + pinch of salt

Instructions

Place the metal brownie or loaf pan in the freezer before getting started. Having a chilled pan helps the ice cream freeze more quickly.
Add the ice cream ingredients to a high speed blender, start blending until the bananas become thick and creamy like a very thick shake or smoothie. The thicker the better. Pour the mixture into the chilled bread loaf pan. Optional: fold in any ice cream add-ins like nuts or chocolate chips. Place the pan in the freezer to chill and harden for at least two hours. The ice cream needs to be rock hard when you remove it from the pan.
Bar prep time! First you will prepare the chocolate coating. For the chocolate chips option, simply melt the chips and oil in the microwave in thirty second increments, stirring well at each stopping point, until the mixture is silky and melted. For the raw version, you want to melt your coconut oil using a hot water bath (or you could warm in the microwave too) and then simply stir the cacao powder into the melted oil. For both methods, allow the chocolate to cool for at least two minutes before you start dipping the squares.
Grab your ice cream dish from the freezer. Loosen the edges with a butter knife. When the edges are slightly melting and obviously loosened, flip over the pan, onto some parchment paper or a large flat plate. You want to ice cream out in one large piece. It will still be quite hard. Next you start slicing the ice cream into squares and rectangles.
Now for the fun part! Lay out some parchment paper on a large tray and one by one start coating your bars in chocolate. Using your fingers, dip the cold bar into the chocolate, flip quickly to coat all sides and then place on the parchment paper. The technique takes some practice so start with your smaller or less desirable ice cream squares. Repeat until all the bars are done. You can then do a double dipping session for the bars if you'd like. You can eat the bars right away or place this tray in the freezer. You could also double dip the bars after freezing for a few minutes if they are getting too melted during the dipping process.
That is it! You are done! Now you can dive into a bar or store them in a sealed container in the fridge to enjoy later. Foil-wrapping optional!

Yield: 7-8 bars
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: vegan,dessert,chocolate,ice cream,bars

Get creative! Add nuts, popped rice cereal anything you'd like!

Brazil Nut-Tofu Cheesecake with Pink & Coconut Cream Topping

May 12, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 19 Comments

Pink and white and dreamy all over. I had a vegan cheesecake craving so I popped this recipe in the oven and decided to slather it in hot pink deliciousness and coconut breezes. The pink pitaya topping (substitute any berry if need be!) adds a vibrant tone that reminds me of pink lemonade, Saturday morning cartoons, sunbeams, My Little Pony, Jem, glitter, pink cotton candy sunsets, island happy hour, hot pink lipstick and all things in between. Get the recipe!..

Hooray! Have you noticed??? Check out the nifty new recipe formatting with easy to find print friendly button!

Today's dessert gets a little messy. Actually very messy. But in a good way. You know how you love chocolate fudge-y, melting ice cream, messy-amazing desserts? Well this dessert gets melty and sauce-y and messy in all those wonderful ways, but without all the unhealthy stuff.

This baked Brazil Nut-Tofu Cheesecake with Pink Pitaya puree & Coconut Cream on top is made using some of my favorite ingredients: Brazil nuts, extra virgin coconut oil, silken organic tofu, rolled oats, dates, grade B maple syrup, coconut milk and that pink surprise of pitaya, aka dragon fruit.

Substitutions. If you want, you can sub the Brazil nuts for raw cashews, but I wanted to try Brazil nuts since I always do cashews. Brazil nuts need an extra long time soaking - overnight is a must, and they still blend up slightly textured, adding some body to the cheesecake. For a silkier version use cashews. But I loved the Brazils!

And if you do not have pitaya, you can easily sub with frozen acai, raspberries, blueberries or even strawberries. Enough chit chat, lets get to this sweet thing..

Pre-topping:

coconut cream - I made mine in my new Blendtec! Using the twister jar..

pitaya puree topping:

Brazil Nut Tofu Cheesecake

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/22/2014
Fluffy silken tofu and creamy Brazil nuts make this simple vegan cheesecake a blissful dessert! Oat-nut crust too.

Ingredients

¾ cup Brazil nuts, soaked overnight, drained
½ cup maple or agave syrup (dark)
½ cup coconut sugar
20oz silken tofu
¾ + a pinch of pink salt
1 ½ teaspoon Bragg's apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract of pinch of vanilla bean powder
¼ cup + 2 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
6-7 large Medjool dates, pitted
¼ cup warm water
1 cup oat flour or almond meal flour

Instructions

Soak the dates in the warm water for at least ten minutes to soften. Pour the dates and water into a blender along 2 tablespoon coconut oil. Process until the dates are crumbly but mostly smooth.
Pour the date puree into a large bowl and add the oat flour or almond meal. Fold until a thick mixture forms. Add a pinch of salt.
Lightly grease a large and deep pie dish or round cake pan, 9-10 inches in size. Spread the date flour mixture in the dish and press out until a ⅛" thick crust forms. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add the tofu, sugar, agave or maple, ¾ teaspoon pink salt, ¼ cup coconut oil, soaked/drained Brazil nuts, vanilla and vinegar to a high speed blender. (Blendtec used!) Blend until silky smooth. This will take 1-3 minutes from low to high speed.
Pour the nut-tofu mixture into the crust and place in the oven to bake for 65 minutes at 350 degrees. Note: Depending on your pan size - If you have leftover filling you can pour into muffin tins to make a few mini cheesecakes, pull from oven after about 25 minutes.
Cool for at least an hour in the fridge until slicing to serve. Store in the fridge

Yield: 1 cheesecakePrep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 01 hrs. 05 mins. Total time: 1 hrs. 20 mins. Tags: vegan, cheesecake,dessert

Pitaya Puree and Coconut Cream

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/22/2014
Pitaya and coconut make the perfect pairing! These sauces are lovely for topping pies, vegan cheesecakes, fresh fruit, brownies or eating by the spoonful! If you do not have pitaya freezer packs, sub with frozen acai or ¾ cup frozen berries of your choice.

Ingredients

1 cup + 1 tablespoon chilled coconut milk (aka coconut cream)
1 pitaya freezer pack or berry substitution (about ½ - ¾ cup)
splash of almond milk as needed
2 tablespoon agave or maple syrup
¼ cup liquid (non-dairy milk or liquid from coconut milk can, not cream part)

Instructions

Add the pitaya, sweetener and one tablespoon coconut cream to blender. Blend on low, add splashes of vegan milk until the mixture blends smoothly. Pour into a serving glass and set aside for immediate use.
For the coconut cream you can either blend the cup of coconut cream, ¼ cup liquid in a blender or even better, use a beater. Whip or blend until smooth. If you want more of a fluffy texture use a beater and add in some organic powdered sugar for an even thicker, fluffier texture. Pour into a small bowl and place in the fridge until ready to be used.

Yield: 1 cup eachPrep Time: 00 hrs. 01 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Total time: 11 mins. Tags: dessert,toppings,vegan

Yes, I said messy-goodness..

Cherry Berry Chia Seed Pudding, {includes Recipe VIDEO}

May 12, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 20 Comments

Well hello there beautiful Cherry Berry Chia Seed Pudding! This is a recipe you will want to have in your fridge. Just knowing that it is there will make you feel better. Why? Well because at any moment, breakfast, lunch, snack or dessert you can reach into your fridge and pull out this healthy choice dish, and within seconds be immersed in a cloud of chia seed pudding bliss! Making healthy choices during your busy day should be easy! This recipe can help.

Silky chia seed pudding is accented with cinnamon, sweetness and optional berry and protein powders. Cherries, berries and Brazil nuts on top. Plus, I am so excited to finally have a new cooking video up for you guys! Get the recipe and video..

I adore chia seeds! I have used them in everything from puddings and breakfast bowls to smoothies and baking projects..

So today I put a very berry and cherry spin on my fave chia recipe. With a video!

The theme of a lifetime: Progress Not Perfection. And that applies to me and cooking videos too.

Videos! I am super excited to finally get back in a recipe video groove here on HHL. I have been putting off videos because I have long been using the excuse that I do not have the "perfect" setup for shooting videos. My kitchen is too dark and not in the right angle, so what is a girl to do? Instead of shunning videos I decided to rig a nice white tabletop and just start shooting recipes + tips + chatter in my living room where the light is good. So these first few videos are not perfect, but I hope you will like them! Because I love talking to you guys face to face ..er.. face to camera? 🙂

Today's recipe is a classic that I know you guys are probably familiar with, but it is such a wonderful recipe for spring and summer, when fresh fruit is everywhere, that I wanted to pull it out and into the spotlight once again.

Why chia seeds?

* 1 oz chia seeds contains about 140 calories, 4.5g protein, 11g fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, calcium, phosphorus and more.
* Chia seeds are easy to ad to smoothies, salads, baking recipes and of course this pudding!
* Chia seeds keep fresh in the fridge for quite a long time, so you can buy in bulk without worry.
* chia seeds are yummy! And fun to say. ch-ch-ch-chia.

Today's video followed by the recipe -- watch in 720p HD setting for best viewing!

Cherry Berry Chia Seed Pudding

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/12/2014

This breakfast approved chia seed pudding celebrates berry season!

Ingredients

5 tablespoon chia seeds
1 cup + 1 tablespoon almond milk
pinch of pink salt
pinch of cinnamon
1 scoop rice protein powder (opt'l) - Philosophie's Berry Bliss used
1-2 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B (opt'l)
½ cup organic blueberries
4+ cherries
4-5 Brazil nuts

Instructions

Combine the almond milk and chia seeds in a tall glass. Add the cinnamon and salt. Stir briskly for about a minute or two. If adding the protein powder and optional superfoods, stir those in now too. You can also add a sweetener if you want your chia seed pudding on the sweeter side. A teaspoon or two of maple or agave syrup should do it.
Place glass in the fridge for at least four hours, overnight is best, try to stir at least a few times during that time to prevent the chis seeds from clumping up.
When the pudding is thickened and ready you can transfer it to serving dish(es). Top with a ring of blueberries, the chopped Brazil nuts and cherries. You can keep the cherries whole with the stem or remove the pit and stem.
Serve right away or chill in the fridge, covered, until ready to serve. I like to consume my pudding within a day of making it.

Yield: 1-2 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 00 mins.
Total time: 10 mins.
Tags: chia seeds,breakfast,berries,make ahead
More CHIA SEED recipes:

* How-to master overnight oats and chia pudding
* Mint Matcha with Chocolate Drizzle Chia Pudding
* No-Bake Chia Cheesecake
* Super Blueberry Toasted Coconut Chia Seed Pudding
* Summer Seeded Watermelon Frosty
* Wild Blueberry Chia Oatmeal
* Secret Ingredient Matcha Shake with chia seeds

shameless kitty shot.. bunny sleeping. I mean, cat.

Apple-"Bacon"-Maple English Muffin Grilled Cheese {vegan + gf}

May 9, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 28 Comments

Grab a plate and serve up these Vegan Apple-Bacon-Maple English Muffin Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. The silky-savory vegan provolone cheese melts over top crispy-sweet apple and smoky, savory tempeh bacon. Green sprouts or micro greens add some lovely freshness. A hint of maple too! All toasty warm on a gluten free English muffin. Oh happy day. Get the easy-peasy recipe + a food for thought chat on strengthening yourself from the inside out!..

Today's food for thought: wellness strength training. And I do not mean just your muscles.

We are whole complex beings. We have our wellness strengths. And we all have weaknesses as well. What are your "wellness weaknesses?" Survey your whole self, mind body and spirit, and you can probably spot them. Are you as strong as you'd like to be when it comes to: your emotions and expressing them enough, your spirituality and sense of calm, your social antics, your brain power - do you challenge yourself enough? Your authoritative skills at work or with friends - do you have trouble saying "No" to people? Or are you actually in need of some physical wellness improvements in the form of diet and exercise? Are you over-working yourself on the job? Or maybe you just want to give yourself more happy moments, are you laughing out loud enough? You may need some LOL training. The possibilities for improvement are vast! Everyone can use a bit of wellness "strength-training." No hand-weights required!

The trick is to really step back and look at where in your life you are constantly frustrated or feel some blocked energy (sounds weird, but you probably know what I mean!) Then slowly do "work-outs" for that area of your life. Some examples..

* "No" training. If you have trouble saying "no." .. Say no to something you would normally say yes to. Make it super simple, when dining out and the waiter asks you if you want a water refill, instead of nodding politely, say "no thank you." Silly? Yes! But then build up to saying no to bigger things like side work events, favors, business favor request and more. You can only put so much on your plate. Learn to say, "No, my plate is full!" And do not follow that "no" with "sorry." You do not need to apologize for watching out for your own wellness.

* Zen training. If you are feeling over-stimulated via your cell phone, social networks, music, TV, sounds and busy life. Take ten minutes. Just TEN minutes to sit in a quiet corner and do nothing. Meditate. If you do not know how check out the HeadSpace App, it rocks. Work up to longer periods of time as you "strengthen" you quiet time muscle!

* Happy training. If you need more laughter and smiley faces in your life, start working those giggle muscles! Click over to Buzzfeed's LOL section (cute cat photos anyone?), or "force" yourself to watch a comedy or a TV show that you know will make you laugh. Give yourself a laughter break during the day (if you can) or in the evening. Build that funny bone and a sense of happy may come more naturally to you over time!

And on and on... figure out how you can train yourself.

Me... As a blogger for (six!) years now, I am always looking to strengthen my social muscle. I was a highly social person all through high school and college so the abrupt switch to "stay at home blogger" left me feeling very weak and lost. It was like someone handed a pair of ice skates to a swimmer and said, "Here, go do some backwards skating now!" Well anything is possible if you strengthen those "muscles."

How do I know this is this a weakness for me? You usually just know, right? Over time you get to know yourself. Also, I did a lot of those personality tests in the back of Seventeen Magazine when I was a teen. Ha! You know, the ones that basically tell you what you already know about yourself? Hm, so I'm a creative introvert who loves my girlfriends, rainy days and beachy vacations. Shocking. Well there was always that question that asked something like "When you go out to a big party, how do you feel after it? A) Energized B) Great C) Exhausted D) I forget D.." I always had the same response, C! I love socializing but it truly does exhaust me. In a good way! But still. I live so much in my head, reflecting, analyzing and creatively thinking, that once I get out of my head and immersed in the constant and effervescent flow of social chatter I feel out of practice sometimes. So lately I have made a specific effort to strengthen my socializing muscle. Lunches here and there. Meetups and blogger events more frequently. Even a few trips scheduled. Why do this? Because I hate feeling exhausted 🙂 I want to build my social muscle! (Plus, it is super fun "forcing" myself to have lunch dates...)

Weaknesses are our Secret Strengths! It is so important to know our strengths and weakness. BUT even more important is to realize that our natural "weaknesses" may actually be our hidden strengths! Confused yet? Well my natural love of being in my own head, thinking creative thoughts, loving my alone time and craving the internal feeling of being inspired may not be so helpful if I want to win the party-goer-of-the-year award but it certainly does help me in my career! So I'll take it.

Another example, if you are a person who says "yes" too much, well that probably means you are a kind, caring, thoughtful person who wants to make others happy. Not such bad qualities in a person! Strength. And maybe sometimes a weakness.

So you have to look at the big picture. Are your secret strengths/weaknesses making YOU happy? You can keep your secret strengths and strengthen them even more too. It just takes a little practice to build some muscle. Build everyday to make yourself a stronger person from the inside out!

Long food for thought today, but I hope it gives you a bit to analyze about yourself.

So that question of the day: What are your strengths and weaknesses? Are your "weaknesses" actually your "secret strengths?" And would YOU be a bit happier if you muscled-up your weak areas a bit? What tiny steps can you make to build some muscle? And again, not talking about weight lifting here. 🙂 (Although it never hurts to build some actual muscles too. I'm working on that one too!!)

With all that to mill over and figure out, lets eat sandwiches together!! The panini-pressed, grilled, yummy, sunny, vegan cheesy, on gluten-free English muffins, with tempeh bacon kind. You in? Lets go..

Vegan Apple-Bacon-Maple English Muffin Grilled Cheese

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/08/2014
This tempeh bacon and vegan cheese infused English muffin is accented with sweet apple slices.

Ingredients

8 mini strips tempeh bacon or 4 large strips
2 English muffins
vegan cheese to taste (Daiya Provolone slices used) (Sub with hummus or cashew cream cheese)
1 apple, thinly sliced
½ cup micro greens or sprouts
1 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
black pepper to taste
optional: add thinly sliced red or sweet onion for an even more savory, zesty flavor -- a little lemon juice never hurt anyone either

Instructions

Tempeh Bacon directions here or you could even use pre-flavored tempeh bacon strips.
Warm up you panini press or skillet.
Cook the tempeh bacon first, until sizzling and browned around the edges. While the tempeh is cooking you can add the English muffin halves to the grill or pan to warm them.
Place the toppings on the warmed English muffin halves, cheese, tempeh, apple and one teaspoon of maple syrup for each sandwich. Add a pinch of black pepper too. (You will add the sprouts or micro greens just before serving.) Grill or cook until the cheese melts over the sides and the muffins lightly brown.
Slice sandwiches, lift the tops and stuff the sprouts or greens inside. Serve!

Yield: 2 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 07 mins. Total time: 27 mins.

Golden Avocado Sushi Roll + Creative Vegan Sushi 101

May 8, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 14 Comments

Hooray, I am no longer a sushi-making virgin! And my first thought after taste-testing my homemade vegan sushi, "What took me so long to try this??"

..It was that darn bamboo mat. I was convinced that I needed to own a bamboo rolling mat to make sushi! (more on that later)

My Golden Avocado Sushi Roll is so easy to make and big on flavor and healthy benefits. My special turmeric-infused brown rice (love the perky golden color!) leads the way, with accents of crisp yellow bell pepper and buttery avocado. A hint of sweet, tamari, ginger and citrus too! So grab some nori wraps from the store and start steaming some brown rice because today we make sushi!

New. New. New. I am so excited that THIS finally happened. KathyPatalsky.com A place for all my stuff! I will post new projects, news and more on this site where you can stay "in the know" about what I'm up to! And the site is still evolving. I hope to put a spot for videos and a few more goodies in the future.

Today is a party. A sushi party. Sushi night at home, as I have discovered, is super fun! In our house we always get excited for homemade pizza night because adding the toppings and slathering on sauce is not just about the meal, but about the creative, hands-on process. Sushi-making is like that too! You select some fave ingredients and let your creativity lead the way. I mean have you checked out a real sushi menu lately? There are usually like a ba-zillion roll offerings, all with crazy/creative/fun names. That is because, clearly, the sushi chef had loads of fun creating unique rolls and names for them.

Well now its your turn! And the best part about these rolls is that they are plant-based, vegan, stuffed with healthy, happy ingredients.

Now really I could probably write an entire book on vegan sushi recipes. The combinations are endless. Hmm.. 365 Vegan Sushi Rolls? Ha. Anyways, I love creative-type cooking techniques and homemade sushi is just that!

So a few starter points:

* Do I need a special sushi-rolling bamboo mat? No. Though they probably help a bit with the shape of the roll (perfectly round vs. square-ish) and they are the traditional way of rolling, you do not need one. Your hands and fingers will do just fine.

* What type of seaweed is best for the rolls? You can find a variety of brands, but basic nori wraps are what you are looking for. I used Eden brand. Whole Foods has a nice handful of brands or you could buy them online.

* Special tools? Again, I do not see a bamboo mat as a "must have" tool. But if you have one, go for it. A sharp knife really helps with slicing the rolls. If your all purpose knife is not very sharp, try using a bread knife. It may help you have a bit more control when slicing so that the knife doesn't just smush all the ingredients out to one side, since the nori can be quite chewy and tough to slice at times. The Eden brand nori wraps have nice perforations to help with the slicing.

* Is this recipe traditional sushi-making? NO! And that is fine with me because my sushi tasted quite yummy. And it was so easy! After the rice was cooked I made these rolls in under ten minutes, including all the veggie prep.

Vegan Sushi 101

What you need..

rice: short grain. (brown or white)
veggies: sliced long and thin is best! choose a variety and get creative!
other fillings/toppings: tofu, tempeh, sesame seeds, fruit, other seeds/nuts..
flavors: ginger, wasabi, tamari, citrus, spices, fresh herbs...
wrap: nori wraps.

Rice: The rice is an important part of sushi since it is the glue that really hugs all those veggies and filings together. Traditional sushi rice is made using white short-grained "sushi rice" and accented with rice vinegar, a hint of sweetener and salt. For my untraditional sushi rice, I would by default use brown rice and add a splash of seasoned rice vinegar, maybe a few drops of sesame oil too. But for this recipe I put my creative hat on and added some spices and citrus. Again, sushi is so much better when you get creative!

For "rice" try these: short grained brown rice, white sushi rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, cracked farro.

Fillings: So, so, so many options here. Veggies, fruit, tempeh, tofu, smashed beans, lentils, sauces, nuts, seeds, herbs and on and on. Just like making a salad, you can create so many different variations.

Rolling: Once you have your rice and fillings you can start! Lay the nori roll on a flat, dry surface. Add a thin layer or rice over about two-thirds of the surface. Smooth it out. Then add the fillings on top. How much to add? After your first roll you will get a feel for the right amount to prevent overflow while still having a hearty roll. Simply use your fingers to roll the wrap tightly like a burrito. Let the roll sit for about two minutes before slicing. This gives the roll time to hydrate and soften a bit from the warm rice and veggies. Then slice into one inch thick rounds. Boom you are done!

Now for today's recipe rich in healthy fat avocado, crunchy vitamin-C rich bell peppers, healthy detoxifying nori and anti-inflammatory spice turmeric!..

Golden Avocado Sushi Roll

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/10/2014
My special turmeric-infused brown rice (love the perky golden color!) leads the way, with accents of crisp yellow bell pepper and buttery avocado.

Ingredients

2 nori wraps
1 cup cooked brown rice, short grain
½ teaspoon tumeric
¼ teaspoon tamari
2 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
½ avoado thinly sliced
8-10 strips bell pepper, thinly chopped
2 teaspoon fresh orange juice (sub seasoned rice vinegar)
pinch ginger, grated
pinch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
pinch cayenne (optional)
2 teaspoon pumpkin seeds (optional)

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the rice, turmeric, maple and tamari. Toss well until the rice is bright orange.
Lay a nori wrap flat and spread ½ cup of rice over about two-thirds of the surface, on one side. Add about a few avocado slices and 4-5 bell pepper slices. Drizzle one teaspoon of orange juice over top and add the optional ginger, parsley and cayenne.
Tightly roll the nori into a burrito shape with open ends. Let it sit for at least two minutes before slicing. Slice roll into one inch thick rounds and turn on their sides to arrange the rice facing up. Serve with tamari, wasabi and ginger if desired. Or just a few orange slices. Pumpkin seeds: you can sprinkle these over top the rolls, along the side or inside as desired.

Yield: 2 rollsCook time: 30 mins. Total time: 30 mins.

turmeric rice

Cinnamon Orange Vanilla Grilled Vegan French Toast

May 5, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 17 Comments

Need a lift in the morning? Try aromatherapy. Via your breakfast. I am pretty confidant that cinnamon, orange and vanilla is a sure shot way to feel energized, calm, inspired and pretty darn chipper on most any morning. And no need to hold a jar of cinnamon up to your nose and squirt orange juice in your face, nope, this aromatherapy comes straight from your plate. This Cinnamon Orange Vanilla French Toast is infused with those happy morning flavors! Edible aromatherapy? I'm in!

This easy vegan French toast is grilled to perfection, not too soggy, not too rich and just about perfect when slathered in maple almond or peanut butter, some fresh fruit on the side. Maple syrup drizzle, yes do that too. Plus some of my French toast tips!..

Well good morning, french toast!

Grill marks at the breakfast table..

Orange zest on top..

maple please..

maple-peanut butter too..

dive in..

Splurge-y AM. Whenever I think of French toast for breakfast I think of splurge-y brunches. Lazy sunshine filtering through the window while steamy mugs settle on the table and fresh fruit is sliced up in the kitchen at a leisurely pace. And on a sizzling skillet, pancakes or French toast warm and fluff as they await their appearance on the table, the buttery aromas of breakfast fill the air with cinnamon and happiness.

But guess what! Brunch (while it is perfect for sure) is not the only occasion for this recipe. This easy French toast recipe can be whipped up in a flash and make you feel like you are really slowing down on a busy morning. The trick is that unlike pancakes which require mixing bowls and a longer list of ingredients, French toast can totally be a rush job! Just blend, soak and sizzle. Ready to try this one?

A few French Toast Tips:

1. The bread. Look if you are finding that after several attempts at making perfect French toast (aka FT) you are basically failing, I think I have to problem. The bread you are using is all wrong. Fresh bread is a "no no" when it comes to FT. Fresh or "wimpy" bread will saturate with liquid very quickly, leaving the bread very soggy. Now if you don't mind a bit of sog with your FT, well you are good to go.

Day old bread is such an odd term, but it basically means bread that has dried out a bit. Lost its natural fluffiness and is on its way to "stale" status. You want to use dry bread for your FT. I know many of you are doing the gluten-free thing these days, but classic sourdough bread is my all time favorite bread for making FT. You can use crusty sourdough or sliced. Just make sure it has lost its fluff and has a dry look and feel. The perfect bread will soak up plenty of liquid but still keep the outside of the bread relatively dry. I have found that you want the majority of the moisture to be inside the bread, not sitting on top of it when it hits the grill.

2. Cooking. I really loved this FT because it has my favorite thing: grill marks. I made it on my panini press and was excited that it actually worked. I didn't "press down" on the panini until the very last minute of cooking, I didn't want to squish out the moisture, but simply add some texture to the edges to finish things off.

One tip for the heating surface is to give your FT plenty of room to breathe and fluff up. Try not to over-crowd the heating surface.

Also, a bit of coconut oil helps any sticking that may occur, plus it adds amazing flavor accents and crispy edges.

And, do not flip too soon. You want to majority of the cooking to be done on that first cooking side. The bread will fluff up as the bottom surface heats and dries out to crispy perfection. Flipping too soon, and in turn over flipping, may also make the finished product on the soggy and limp side.

3. Cooling. Again, let your FT breathe a bit when cooling. Do not start stacking the finished pieces on top of each other before they have cooled, they will get soggy and limp. Instead, set them side by side. Cooling properly also helps the insides stay moist while the edges crisp up and bit.

4. More Spice! I always add some spices to the top surface, facing up, right after I place the toast on the grill. This adds an extra layer of deliciousness. A pinch of cinnamon, orange zest and vanilla bean will ensure that your toast is full of flavor!

Cinnamon Orange Vanilla Grilled French Toast

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/05/2014
This cozy cinnamon and citrus french toast will wake you up with a smile. Grill marks make it extra special.

Ingredients

5 slices day-old bread, sourdough used
BLEND THESE - liquid:
1 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil
1 ½ tablespoon non-dairy milk, any variety (room temperature, not chilled)
6 ounces silken tofu
1 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
1 very ripe banana
¼ teaspoon fresh orange zest
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
pinch of vanilla bean (optional)
peanut butter maple spread: 1 tablespoon nut butter, softened + 1 teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
additional: cinnamon and orange zest for sprinkling over top during cooking

Instructions

Warm the nut butter and whip it with the maple syrup, set aside.
Add the liquid ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the liquid into a flat shallow dish like a small casserole dish.
Heat up your panini press or skillet on stove if using traditional cooking methods. When the surface is warm, add a few drops of coconut oil to grease things up.
Soak your first slice of bread for about five seconds on each side. Then place on hot cooking surface. You can cook one at a time or keep adding slices until the grill/skillet is full. Be sure to leave space between the slices so they can "breathe." Add a generous sprinkle of cinnamon and some orange zest to the toast side that is facing up.
Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side, then flip using a wide spatula. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. If using a panini press, you can now gently press down for about a minute to really seal in those grill marks. This step is optional.
Plate and serve with the nut butter spread and maple syrup.

Yield: 5 slicesPrep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Total time: 30 mins. Tags: breakfast,french toast,vegan,brunch,grilling

Vegan Treat! Almond Butter, Caramel Swirled, Vanilla Bean-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

May 2, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 28 Comments

We have been having a crazy spring heatwave here in LA so all my thoughts have been on frosty smoothies, cool bevies and creamy frozen treats. This vegan, blender-made, Almond Butter, Caramel Swirled, Vanilla Bean-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is perfect for a cool down dessert! Made using homemade coconut sugar caramel, creamy peanut or almond butter, vanilla bean flavor and a banana ice cream base, this dreamy vegan treat is something you can feel good about!

swirled.

I used vanilla bean powder, but a fresh vanilla bean (the seeds scraped from the inside) works too! - split vanilla bean:

Blended. I love making vegan ice cream by using my Vitamix

California Sunshine Grilled Rice Tacos. Veggie Stuffed!

April 29, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 19 Comments

Today's great kitchen discovery: my favorite new crispy taco shell is made by grilling rice tortillas on my panini press! Magically (because amazing food is always magic) - magically they turn into crunchy yet chewy, slightly puffed, grill marked, crispy taco shells. Then for these beauties, I filled each giant taco shell with some very California girl (or boy) approved ingredients. Buttery avocado, creamy hummus, baby spinach, grilled bell pepper, sweet citrus and more. Gluten-free California Sunshine Grilled Rice Tacos were born. A new fave for sure! Dive into sunshine with this easy, gluten-free, go-to meal!

Tacos! Rice crispy, grill marked, veggie-filled style.

For re-heating, try slicing into quarters, then re-grilling on the panini press. I did this and they were delish.

Though I am not "gluten-free" I do try to reduce the amount of gluten in my diet. Though I tested negative for any gluten allergies, I am still interested in the continuing literature and research persuading us all to limit the amount of gluten we eat. For me, it is less about abstaining from gluten entirely, and more about diversifying the grains and whole food ingredients I eat. I grew up shopping at a supermarket where it seemed just about everything used wheat. From cold cereals to wheat bread, wheat pizza crusts and wheat flours for baking. I compare that to eating nothing but apples and bananas your entire life as your fruit sources! Diversity is one key to nutrition that has never let me down. So gluten-free week is something I embrace..

Gluten-Free Week. Just like some people do a day or two or more of juice fasting, sometimes I like to do a week of gluten fasting. I cannot scientifically say that my gluten free week does anything for my body, but I do feel a slight difference in my digestion and wellness after a nice gluten-free week. So if you are like me and enjoy gluten in moderation, but like to try new things with your diet, think about doing a week-long GF fast! It is an interesting way to get to know your body a bit better and also try new recipes that embrace gluten free ingredients like corn, beans, fruits and veggies and rice. As well as exotic grains and seeds like quinoa and kamut.

Grilled Tacos! These extra large taco shells made using rice tortillas from the Food for Life brand, are my new fave. I adore them! Seriously, in love. I lugged out my panini press today (swoon) to make this recipe - as I highly suggest using a panini press to prepare these tacos. My panini press is literally one of the cheapest models you can find, but it gets the job done. Like this one: $30 Panini Press Panini presses are great for indoor grilling. I make grilled vegan cheese, grilled veggies, grilled toast for avocado toast and more! Grilling 101

These rice tacos are so lovely and light and crispy and amazing. I hope you try them!

California Sunshine Grilled Rice Tacos
vegan, 3 servings

3 rice flour medium tortillas
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ cup hummus (any flavor) - or substitute with a bean mash like vegan refried beans or smashed black beans
1 avocado, thinly sliced
2 tangerines, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups baby spinach, chopped
2 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, chopped
pinch of salt, pepper and chili powder for each taco
3 teaspoon fresh cilantro, lightly chopped

side: hot sauce or salsa, optional

Directions:

1. Arrange all your prepped veggies on a plate.
2. Warm up a panini press. Add the pepper slices and grill for 1-2 minutes until grill marks form. Remove peppers and set aside.
3. Place your first tortilla on the panini press and press down to warm. Warm and press for about 30-60 seconds or until light brown grill marks form. Remove the tortilla from the panini press and form into a taco shell. Set aside, folded and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
4. Fill each tortilla: slather hummus or bean spread on the bottom. Add a generous handful of spinach. Add the citrus slices. Add 3-4 avocado slices. Add 3-5 pepper slices. Add the spices. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over top and add the cilantro. Repeat for each taco shell.

Serve right away or make ahead and place, covered, in the fridge until ready to serve. Best served same day. Serve with optional salsa or hot sauce.

Farmer's Market Cobb with spiced chickpeas and sweet potatoes.

April 24, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 38 Comments

Hello beautiful. Hello Farmer's Market Cobb Salad. I have the talented California farmers to thank for this beautiful display.

One of my favorite ways to use fresh farmer's market produce is to make a giant, beautiful salad displaying some of the goodies in a plating style that is similar to a Cobb Salad. The beauty of this idea is that you can easily use whatever seasonal produce your market is selling, and change up the selections as seasons and your tastes change.

Make Ahead Meal Approved. I love to make this salad early in the day, place it in the fridge and pull it out at dinnertime. Add some toasted bread slathered in easy hummus or vegenaise, maybe a side of broth-y soup and dinner is done. If making ahead of time just be sure to use hearty greens like kale, collards or chard.

I have a basic formula for how I like to make this salad, so I hope you pull out all those goodies in your produce drawer and join me in making this one-bowl wonder plant feast!..

Extra potatoes please..

Pull up a stool and dive in!..

Maple tahini dressing coats coconut-roasted, sweet potatoes, spicy chickpeas and a rainbow-colored array of fresh produce including rainbow chard, beets and some juicy-sweet golden tomatoes. And don't forget the buttery avocado and crunchy, healthy fat-infused walnuts too.

The ingredients are lightly seasoned with salt and pepper all throughout the process to ensure that the flavor is bold, beautiful and cravable. Make it once, then make it again with a few spins. You never have to make the exact same salad twice with this handy dandy salad formula!..

Farmer's Market Cobb Formula:

* Base: Fresh greens.
* Something warm.
* Lovely legume.
* Something crunchy.
* Something juicy.
* Healthy fat.
* Drizzled dressing.
* Something spicy or zesty.
* Nut or seed accent.
* Hint of fruit. (optional)
* Grain. (optional)

For this salad:
* Base: rainbow chard, shredded.
* Something warm: coconut-oil roasted sweet potatoes.
* Lovely legume: spicy-sweet baked chickpeas.
* Something crunchy: thinly sliced beets (I know they look like radishes, but they are actually beets! Radishes would be nice too!)
* Something juicy: golden tomatoes, diced and marinated in lemon juice, pepper and minced garlic.
* Healthy fat: diced avocado, tossed in lemon juice.
* Drizzled dressing: tahini-maple.
* Something spicy: small sweet onion, chopped.
* Nut or seed accent: raw walnuts.
(I did not add any fruit or grains to this salad, but rice, farro, a hint of berries, diced apple, summer tree fruit like peaches or mango would be nice.)

Simply toss to serve:

Farmer's Market Cobb
vegan, serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1 bunch rainbow chard, washed and dried and shredded or thinly sliced
2-3 teaspoon lemon juice
pinches of salt and pepper

tomatoes:
1 cup golden tomatoes, diced
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon walnut oil or EVOO (optional)

avo:
1 avocado, diced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch of spices (optional)

accent veggies/toppings:
1 beet or 2 radishes, thinly sliced
¼ cup raw walnuts, chopped

chickpeas:
1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed if using canned
chickpea spices: ½ teaspoon smoky paprika, pinch of cayenne, pinch of curry powder, pinch of cinnamon, pinch of pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil, extra virgin

potatoes:
1 tablespoon coconut oil, extra virgin
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
salt and pepper

for reference: sweet potato recipe here

dressing:
1 ½ tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon maple syrup, grade B
2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon lemon juice (add even more lemon juice for a thinner, zestier dressing)
pinch of salt and pepper

garnish: citrus slice(s) - I used lemon (optional)

Directions:

1. Start off by preparing your chickpeas and potatoes. Toss the diced potato with one tablespoon of melted coconut oil. Lay potatoes flat on a baking dish and pop in an oven at 400 degrees. Roast for about 25-35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and edges browned. At the same time as the potatoes are cooking, you can bake the chickpeas. So add the cooked chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil, 1 teaspoon of maple syrup and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then add in a few pinches of whatever spices you would like to use. I coated mine in curry, paprika and a hint of cayenne and cinnamon. Lay the chickpeas flat on a greased or lined baking sheet and place in the oven with the potatoes. After ten minutes shake the pan to toss the chickpeas a bit and continue baking another 5-10 minutes until the edges brown. Remove from oven and set aside while the potatoes finish roasting. When potatoes are done, toss with a pinch of salt and pepper and any additional spices you would like to accent. Set aside, or leave in the warm, turned off oven to stay warm.

2. While the potatoes and chickpeas are cooking you can start on your veggies. Before using your produce be sure to rinse veggies very well. I use a produce wash spray by the Honest brand that I love. Start off with the greens by rinsing and drying with a spinner or paper towels to soak up excess liquid. You want the greens base layer to be nice and dry so it can absorb flavor and keep for a few hours in the fridge (if needed) without getting mushy. Toss the prepped greens with 2-3 teaspoon of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Layer them in the bottom of your serving platter. I used a deep pie dish.

3. Toss the diced tomatoes with 2 tablespoon of lemon juice, the minced garlic, onion, optional walnut or olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Allow the tomatoes to marinate in that mixture for at least five minutes. After five minutes (or longer) pour the tomatoes onto the greens, including the leftover liquid that they were soaking in.

4. Add the diced avocado, tossed in lemon juice, over top the greens.

5. Add the beets or radishes.

6. Add the nut/seed accent, I added walnuts.

7. The last addition to the platter is those warm ingredients. Add the warm chickpeas and potatoes over top the greens. You can serve this salad hot/cold with the crisp veggies paired with the warm legumes and potatoes, or you can place everything in the fridge to chill. Both ways are delicious! You could also make the salad ahead of time and wait to make the warm ingredients right before serving.

8. The last step is the dressing. Whisk together the dressing. You can pour the dressing over the salad right before serving or pour it over now and allow it to marinate into the veggies for a few hours if making ahead of time. Garnish with fresh citrus slices like lemon.

Serve! Add a little bit of everything to each serving bowl. or if you really like your salads tossed well you could serve the platter all pretty like this, then toss it all into a large salad bowl and toss well to serve.

Tip! I made EXTRA potatoes to add over top my salad to give it an extra-potato flavor which I just adored.

Lifting Lemon-Garlic Rice & Lentil Soup: Zingy Spring Meal!

April 21, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 27 Comments

Need a lift? Here you go. This Lifting Lemon-Garlic Rice & Lentil Soup was our Sunday-night Easter dinner and it was amazing! Bright lemon tones mingle with perky garlic and plentiful spices including black pepper, turmeric and a hint of cayenne. Nutty brown rice creates body and texture as super swoon-worthy, peppery and firm-style Le Puy lentils add depth, protein and heartiness. Some nutritional yeast (optional) adds thickness and a cheezy savory flavor. You will love this lemon-y one-bowl meal! And yes you can pair this bowl with a side salad featuring roasted chili-maple beets and orange hummus, like we did, if you'd like. Spring soup is on..

Our Easter sunset stroll. Missing this..

Lemon Soup! How did I forget about lemon soup? It is one of my favorite flavors and I had not made it in a very long time! Lemon soup, for me, includes loads of fresh lemon flavor, plenty of fresh garlic and some flat-leaf parsley along with spices galore. Black pepper and some heat from cayenne. Think of this spicy lemon-y blend as the "Master Cleanse" version of soup! Ok, no, not really but the wellness inspired flavors are similar.

I also add in rice or another soft grain and then something nutty and hearty from the legume family. Beans are super but for today's soup I went with superfood lentils! Lentils are so incredibly healthy for veg-eaters.

I love this soup because the lightness and zing from the lemons really lightens up the heavy and hearty flavor from the grains and lentils. And loads of garlic always makes me happy.

You could even add in some soba noodles or additional veggies like onion, carrots, leeks, spinach and more...

I love these Le Puy French lentils that stay nice and firm in texture, even in soups!

Also served - this side of orange-hummus - like this recipe only using orange juice in place of lemon:

And some chili-maple roasted beets over greens - like this recipe:

Lifting Lemon-Garlic Rice & Lentil Soup
about 4 generous servings

lentils: ½ cup dry lentils* + 2 cups vegetable broth
*LePuy Lentils used, you may sub with any lentils or your favorite bean if desired
rice: 1 cup dry short-grain brown rice + 2 cups water + pinch of salt

soup base:
4-6 cups vegetable broth (depending on how brothy you'd like it)
4-5 small or 2-3 medium juicy lemons, juiced -- (about ½ cup lemon juice total)
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
½ - 1 teaspoon turmeric
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1-2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, optional
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

optional: 2-8 tablespoon nutritional yeast (to taste)

garnish: 4-6 thin lemon slices

Directions:

Two Ways: There are two ways to prepare this soup. The first way would be to pile everything in a large soup pot, bring to a boil and simmer on low until the lentils and rice are tender and you are ready to serve the soup. The second way is to prepare the lentils and rice separately ahead of time, them add the cooked rice and lentils along with the other ingredients to create a soup. This method is below..

1. Start off by pre-soaking your lentils for fastest cooking. Soak in warm salted water for about two hours before cooking. If you do not pre-soak you can still slow-simmer the lentils until tender, they will just take longer to cook. If soaked, drain lentils and add to a small soup pot along with two cups of veggie broth. Bring to a boil and them reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. If the lentils are not pre-soaked, the simmering time will be about 30-40 minutes.

Lentil notes: I really LOVED trying my new LePuy French Lentils in this soup. They stay nice and al dente even after cooking so they are not soggy at all. If you can find these style lentils give them a try, if not, regular lentils - any variety really - will work beautifully. Lentils are rich in protein, iron, vitamins and minerals so embrace them in your meals every chance you get!

2. For the rice, prepare it in a separate pot at the same time you are cooking the lentils. Bring 2 cups of water, plus a pinch of salt to a boil, add the brown rice, cover with lid and reduce to a simmer. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes or until tender and most of the liquid has absorbed. For soup, you do not need to worry about making rice fluffy or waiting for all the liquid to be absorbed, since it will be re-hydrated by the soup broth anyways.

3. When the rice and lentils are cooked, you can add them to a large soup pot along with the remaining soup ingredients: lemon juice and zest, garlic, bay leaf, spices, parsley and broth. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve. You can add the nutritional yeast now or just before serving each bowl. Remove bay leaf before serving. Adjust salt, pepper, turmeric and cayenne to taste if desired.

Serve soup warm with lemon slices as garnish in the soup.

Coconut Oil Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Spices Optional.

April 15, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 15 Comments

This will be one of your new favorite ways to prepare sweet potatoes. I promise you that.

Sure, these Coconut Oil Roasted Sweet Potatoes are pretty gosh darn simple. Like insanely basic. This post barely qualifies as a recipe.

But.

The aroma will knock you on your feet when it hits your nose. And you my friend, will understand why this is a must-try, had-to-post-this recipe.

Spices optional but advised.

The Dish. Sweet potatoes all creamy, velvety, sweet and perfumed with their inherent golden swooniness (yes I just said that) are enough to make me excited all by themselves. But add in some tropical breeze-y coconut oil and maybe a few spices and I am out. Gone. In Bali. Or Maui. Maybe Honolulu. Dreamstruck, crumbled up in a ball on the kitchen floor, my right wrist draped elegantly over my forehead as I sleep in a coconut oil roasted sweet potato slumber.

OK, not really. But I did feel drunk and happily woozy on the intoxicating aroma.

Spice it up. This basic three ingredient recipe is perfect enough, but if you want more swoon for your buck add in some sweet curry powder (if you like curry!) and maybe some cinnamon, cayenne and black pepper too.

Tips!

* Use fresh sweet potatoes. Nothing soft or overly spotted. Smooth skin, firm, organic preferred, minimal black spots. Mine were perky potatoes from the farmer's market. High quality potatoes will really help you out here since potatoes are kinda the only main ingredient.
* Dice all the potatoes about the same size so they cook evenly. Unless you like a variety of textures, which sometimes I will admit, I do like. Those little crispy bits can be inviting!
* Use extra virgin (unrefined) coconut oil. Another oil will pretty much defeat the point of the recipe. Your potatoes will still be yummy, but they will not have that swoon-y coconut aroma.
* Spice and flip mid-cook. I add the spices midway through the cooking process so that they do not get burnt. This is about the time that I reach into the oven with my giant spatula and start flipping the potatoes around so it all works out well.
* Serve these babies warm or chilled! Both ways are delish.
* Make a big bunch at once! I peeled about 4 medium potatoes to get my pile of about 3 cups of cooked potatoes. These potatoes can easily be stored in the fridge for a few days. So make a bulk amount and keep them on hand for adding to salads, soups, wraps, tacos and pasta dishes! If you need to reheat them, I advise doing that in the oven until they are warmed and edges crispy-ish.

Coconut Oil Roasted Sweet Potatoes
vegan, makes 3 cups

3-4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil, melted or softened**
½ teaspoon pink salt, coarsely ground

spices to add: sweet curry, fine black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne, smoky paprika, turmeric and more. Add to taste. Start with a few pinches of each. I added about ¼ teaspoon sweet curry and a few pinches of the others.

**I tried a "lighter" version of the potatoes using just 1 teaspoon of oil and it worked beautifully. The texture was less rich and oily, but still amazingly yummy

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees.
2. Add the sweet potatoes to your large baking dish and glob in the coconut oil with a tablespoon. Start tossing the potatoes with the oil until the potatoes are well coated.
3. Place the potato dish in the oven and bake for ten minutes. Then pull out the rack and add any spices. Toss the potatoes with the spices very well.
4. Continue baking for 15-20 more minutes or until all the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork or toothpick. Turn off heat and let the potatoes sit in the baking dish for at least ten minutes to cool before serving warm.

3-2-1 Hummus!

April 14, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 5 Comments

You will never forget this easy, go-to, easily customizable hummus recipe! Make this dish a staple in your healthy, happy, vegan kitchen! 3-2-1 Hummus!..

I think you will agree: Homemade hummus is a valuable go-to recipe staple in every vegan kitchen.

And this easy to remember phrase "3-2-1 Hummus!" provides you the recipe you need to make creamy, rich, homemade hummus whenever you crave it.

Why is hummus so brilliant and wonderful?.. 7 Reasons!

1. Cook-Free! Hummus is a heat-free recipe. All you need is your Vitamix or food processor and some basic pantry items. Chill in the fridge, oven-warming is optional.

2. Hummus Anyone? Everyone loves it! I have yet to meet a person that doesn't love hummus in some fashion. Sure we all have our personal preferences for flavors, textures, temperatures and spice levels for serving. But as an umbrella recipe it offers something for everyone!

3. So. Many. Options. Hummus is customizable! By my last count, which was never, there are just about a ba-jillion ways to customize hummus by adding in a variety of flavorings and ingredients. And yes ba-jillion is a word. It means more than you can ever count. No, ok, I just made that up. But seriously. So. Many. Ways. Here are a few recipes I have made over the years..

* sweet potato hummus
* summer thyme hummus
* classic restaurant hummus
* tomato-garlic hummus
* pumpkin hummus
* sun-dried tomato basil hummus

4. Bean-tastic! Hummus is a yummy way to enjoy beans! Beans are one of those foods that you probably say you want to eat more often, but may not always actually eat. Hummus is bean-tastic! Chickpeas and even other legumes like white beans, soy beans and lentils can be added as well. You can even blend in foods like nuts and seeds (hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts..) for a fun nutrition boost.

5. Serve it Any Which Way. So versatile! Hummus perks up sandwiches, salads, veggie sticks, toast, crackers and more. And fresh hummus is so good you may even eat it by the spoonful. I love adding a giant dollop of freshly made hummus to my entree salads, or slathering it on some sprouted grain toast as a side. And hummus-infused sandwiches and wraps filled with fresh crunchy veggies, avocado, maybe some kalamata olives or sprouts are delicious!

Snack to try: I love simple hummus, spread on top of cinnamon-raisin sprouted grain toast for a sweet and savory snack!

6. Homemade made easy! You can walk down any supermarket fridge section and find a giant pile of hummus brands and varieties. But the truth is: you are in the wrong aisle!! Head a few doors down to the canned goods section and pick up a giant pile of chickpeas. (I like the boxed packaging instead of the cans lately.) Then pick up some tahini and a giant pile of lemons. And then follow this super easy to remember recipe!

7. Warm or Cool. Serve hummus warm or chilled. I love that hummus dip can be served chilled and thickened or warmed and velvety. Either eat straight from the fridge or turn on your oven to 400 degrees, pour the homemade hummus in an oven-safe dish, drizzle with your fave healthy oil, add some spices like smoked paprika and bake for about 10-15 minutes until warmed and creamy.

Hummus. Hummus. Obviously I have done this recipe before. But this is a trick so you never have to go googling a hummus recipe again! Here it goes.

3-2-1 Hummus
vegan, makes about 2 cups

3 - 3 tablespoon tahini
2 - 2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed in warm water
1 - 1 large lemon, juiced

water - add a splash if needed to loosen the blend (you could also use more lemon juice or oil)

Plus: pinch of salt and pepper
Optional: 1-2 cloves of garlic -- or any other blend-in flavors
On Top: drizzle your favorite healthy oil and add a few pinches of smoky paprika

FAQ: wait, where is the oil?? The tahini adds enough fat to keep things velvety and rich. And water or lemon juice easily adds hydration to the beans. BUT if you crave a richer hummus, you can drizzle in some healthy oil like EVOO or walnut oil if you'd like.

Directions:

1. Add the chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice to a blender or food processor. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Optional garlic as well.
2. Process on low until the mixture starts to smooth out. If needed, add a splash or two of water, lemon juice or oil to loosen the blend. You may also need to stop blending and scrape down the sides of the container to make sure everything blends smoothly.
3. Add in any blend-in ingredients if desired. Blend until smooth. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper if desired.
4. Scoop mixture into an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle with smoky paprika. You can serve room temperature, chill in the fridge or heat in the oven until warm. A drizzle of healthy oil on top is a nice touch.

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

Spring Round-Up: 36 Vegan Easter Recipes via Finding Vegan!

April 13, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 6 Comments

Easter is this weekend and I wanted to share a few amazing Vegan Easter Recipes I found for you over on my other site FindingVegan.com. Check out these bunny-filled, veganized, spring-y, yummy, Easter-basket-approved, Easter-Bunny-approved recipes!...

In case you haven't discovered Finding Vegan yet, here is the quickie info. It is a visual gallery website filled with vegan inspiration. The recipe links and images are submitted by the bloggers themselves, and anyone is free to submit! Everyone who browses can register for an account on the site so that you can "heart" your favorites and save them in a gallery in your profile.

Fun Finding Vegan Facts:

* The FV Facebook page has over 250,000 likes!
* We are working on a Finding Vegan App! Due out later this year if all goes as planned.
* Finding Vegan has thousands of registered users curious to find vegan recipes and inspiration.
* The FV page is updated at least twice an hour (usually more), so you can literally check back any time of day and see new posts being published to the site.

Blogger Invite to Submit: If you post any vegan recipes on your site we would love to invite you to submit! We happily post vegan recipes from 100% vegan blogs as well as blogs that are not 100% plant-based. This is great because it shows non-vegan bloggers how much interest there is in their plant-based recipes and hopefully they (you?) will post more of them! Come on over and join the vegan fun.

Vegan Easter Recipes Round-Up

1. Treat! -> Peanut Butter Eggs by Minimalist Baker
2. Hot Cross Buns! -> Cocoa Chai Hot Cross Buns by The Vegan Cookie Fairy
3. Pretty Cupcakes -> Easter Carrot Cupcakes by Veggieful
4. Veganized Easter Candy -> Vegan "Cadbury" Eggs by Fork and Beans
5. Easter Brunch Approved -> GF Carrot Cake Brunch Pancakes by Fork and Beans
6. Vegan Peeps Made By You -> Homemade Vegan Peeps by Fork and Beans
7. More Veganized Candy -> Veganized Creme Egg Candy by Fork and Beans
8. PB Chocolate Lovers -> Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bunnies by Lunchbox Bunch
9. Cute Cake -> Easter Bunny Cutout Cake by Project Kale
10. Basket Cupcakes -> Easter Basket Cupcakes by Recipe Renovator
11. More Buns! -> Hot Cross Buns by Lucy's Friendly Foods
12. Pretty Nests -> Raw Easter Nests by Fragrant Vanilla Cake
13. These Sweet Cupcakes! -> Pretty Easter Cupcakes by The Misfit Baker
14. Homemade Bunny. Eat the ears first or last? -> Homemade Chocolate Easter Bunnies by Chocolate Covered Katie
15. More Cute Cupcakes -> Bunny Rabbit Cupcakes by Growing Up Veg
16. Bunny Fruit Bowl! -> Melon Bunny by VegSpinz
17. Cookie Dough Lovers -> Cookie Dough Eggs by Mix it Up
18. Something Savory to Nibble -> Veganized Easter Bread by Rooted Vegan
19. Chickies! -> Coconut Cookie Chicks by Chocolate Covered Katie
20. Basket Cupcakes -> Easter Basket Cupcakes via Earth Balance Blog
21. Make a Vegan Easter Basket! -> Vegan Easter Basket by The Vegan Chickpea
22. Elegant Brunch Nibble -> Tofu Egg Salad Crescent Cups for Brunch by Cest La Vegan
22. Coconut Nests -> White Chocolate Coconut Tweet Nests by Babble Food
23. Raw Egg Cookies! -> Trio of Raw Easter Cookies by Vegan Yack Attack
24. Savory Tart -> Pastiera East Tart by Kitchen Bloody Kitchen
25. Pops! -> Coconut Easter Pops by Color Wheel Meals
26. Biscuits! -> Easter Biscuits by Veg Recipes of India
27. Fun with Cereal -> Gluten Free Cereal Easter Eggs by Fork and Beans
28. Brunch Scones -> Spring Fling Scones for Easter Brunch
29. Sip This -> Easter Smoothie by (me!) Lunchbox Bunch
30. Cutie Cookies!! -> Bunny and Chick Cookies by Kitchen to Nirvana
31. Lemon-y Bunnies! -> Lemon Sugar Bunny Cookies by Fork and Beans
32. Fluffy Biscuits! -> Amazing Vegan Biscuits for Easter Supper by Minimalist Baker
33. Easter Eggs -> Easter Egg Sugar Cookies by Alien's Day Out
34. More Amazing Buns -> Chocolate Hot Cross Buns by Veggieful
35. Quiche Me! -> Soyrizo Black Bean Quiche by Meet the Shannons
36. More Quiche -> Spring Asparagus Quiche by Kirsten's Kitchen
Bonus: Minimalist Baker's Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls ... because those are ALWAYS a good idea for brunching!

*links take you to the FV post page, for the recipe, click on the image to be taken to the blogger's website --- photo copyrights belong to the blogger who submitted to Finding Vegan.

More Easter Recipes!! Check out my 2013 post featuring 40+ Vegan Easter Recipes:

Ginger-Peanut Power Up Greens Salad Rolls. Brown Rice Wraps!

April 11, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 22 Comments

These tasty Ginger-Peanut Power Up Greens Salad Rolls are all the loveliness of a peanut-ginger kale salad, rolled up into a grab-n-enjoy brown rice roll! Super refreshing for warmer weather, these greens and carrot wraps can be served as a healthy-delicious snack, appetizer or alongside most any meal. I made these rolls using a new kale-infused product from Dole!..

The brown rice wraps..

I was offered the chance to try Dole's brand new bunch of Power Up Green products and create a bite-sized recipe featuring the new greens. Well any chance to work with leafy greens, get inspired and be creative and I am in!

More about the new DOLE Power Up Greens:

* Three varieties of DOLE Power Up Greens: Baby Kale, Baby Kale & Greens and Spring Mix & Greens.
* These blends are among the first Dole salads to feature kale! Kale is of course rich in vitamins A, C and K, folate calcium and phytonutrients.
* Impressive pricing: each 4.5 oz. resealable clamshell retails for $2.99-$3.49
* Pre-washed and ready to go! Add to salads, smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, cooked entrees and more.
* I love the tender textures and bold flavors of the greens. So many varieties including baby spinach, baby kale, baby red chard, baby green chard and more.

*products images via DoleSalads.com

Another recipe to try: Check out this yummy kale chip recipe on DoleSalads.com: Power Up Greens Kale Chips!

Now what do I create out of these inspiring leafy greens?? Well one of my favorite flavor combos is kale and peanut. So I decided to let the greens be the star of my recipe show and create a light and lovely rice wrap spring roll, stuffed with the leafy greens, my special ginger-peanut dressing, and some crunchy carrot ribbons too.

These rolls are one of my fave salads. Served fork-free!..

These rolls are kinda like eating salad, via a rice roll! We devoured these bite-sized rolls at dinner time in place of our normal leafy greens salad.

Ginger-Peanut Power Up Greens Salad Rolls
4 servings (about 2 rolls per serving)

1 4.5oz clamshell of DOLE Power Up Greens, Baby Kale & Greens blend (any of the three varieties can be used though!)
2 large carrots, shredded or peeled into ribbons
8 brown rice paper wraps (The kind that come stiff and firm in circle shapes.)

dressing:
2 tablespoon peanut butter, creamy
1 - 1 ½ teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
1 - 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger (use more for more ginger spiciness!)
pinch of salt and pepper to taste
pinch of garlic powder (optional)

Also: a bowl of warm water in a large shallow bowl - wide enough to submerge rice wrap, keeping it flat (for wetting the rolls)

Directions:

1. Add the greens to a large mixing bowl.
2. In a small cup, add the peanut butter and maple syrup. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt and warm. Briskly stir the melted nut butter blend, and whisk in the remaining dressing ingredients.
3. Pour the dressing over top the greens and fold into the greens bold. Toss very well for 2-3 minutes until the warm peanut dressing marinates and lightly wilts the leafy greens, infusing them with ginger-peanut flavor. Set aside.
4. Fill your wraps: Wet each wrap in the warm water bowl by soaking the wrap for 20-40 seconds until it becomes soft and silky. Using you palm, carefully lift the wrap out of the water, trying not to stick the wrap to itself, keeping it in a flat layer. (The rice wrap package should have further instructions if needed.) Add a handful of the peanut-ginger greens and a pinch of the ribbon or shredded carrots. Then carefully roll the wrap, sealing the sides as you roll tightly. The wet and sticky wrap will seal itself by sticking. Place the roll on a serving platter and continue filling your wraps until all the filling has been used up. About 8 wraps can be made.
5. Serve the rolls or chill for at least twenty minutes or longer before serving, for chilled wraps. These rolls can be made a few hours before serving, but are best served same day. For tiny bite-sized servings, slice the rolls once or twice.

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by DOLE Power Up Greens, but all recipes, images and opinions are my own*

Easy Vegan Vanilla Bean Custard.

April 9, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 51 Comments

This easy vegan Vanilla Bean Custard can be whipped up in a few minutes, chilled and ready to enjoy in just under an hour. Simple. Subtle. Sweetly satisfying. Because sometimes the simple flavors are the best..

I remember in elementary school we went on a field trip to a local ice cream shop. They made homemade ice cream and were one of the most popular ice cream shops in all of Santa Cruz. Their tiny store had a long freezer filled with rainbow-colored flavors. Blue bubble gum, green mint chip, rich golden coffee, dark dirt brown chocolate, bright pink strawberry, purple-swirled blueberry cheesecake and muddy white and black cookies and cream. And many many more. Our little faces ogled the colorful array of creamy, freshly whipped flavors just begging us to take a taste.

The manager giving us the tour rambled on and on about the careful and intense ice cream making process, although our little ears where fuzzed over with triple scoop dreams. But then he asked us what flavor we thought was the most popular, the one most ordered in their rainbow-colored shop. Tiny voices shouted out flavors.

"Chocolate!"
"Mint Chip!"
"Cookies and Cream!"
"Pistachio!"
"Strawberry!"
"Caramel Fudge!"

And on and on until one student shouted out, "Vanilla!"

The manager's eyes glowed wide and bright as he pointed to the student.

That was it. That was the answer. Vanilla.

Vanilla bean. That white, black-specked flavor sitting in the corner on the end, looking horribly boring and bland next to all the brightly colored bins.

Some of the students jumped on board and said, "I like vanilla best too!"

But I was shocked! I couldn't believe that vanilla was the best. I never ordered vanilla. Who wants a white cone when a triple colored bonanza of flavors was possible??

But sure enough, a few of the workers on hand brought out fresh vanilla bean samples for all of us to taste. And as I tasted the simple vanilla flavor all on its own I was reminded how delicious it actually was.

Now obviously, I have lost my taste for anything dairy-infused like traditional ice cream. But vanilla bean is one flavor that forever reminds me that sometimes the simple, ordinary looking things in life are the best things of all.

This creamy, silky Vanilla Bean Mousse is made using simple ingredients: silken tofu, extra virgin coconut oil, grade B maple syrup, pink salt, cinnamon and for the vanilla bean flavor I use a Maui Vanilla Bean product I purchased online from One Lucky Duck. You could also use a whole vanilla bean pod, with the seeds scraped from the inside.

Vanilla bliss awaits you! This healthy dessert is one to try.

Easy Vegan Vanilla Bean Custard
vegan, 2 servings

3 tablespoon melted extra virgin coconut oil**
12 ounces silken tofu, room temperature
½ - 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (vanilla extract will not have the same flavor as whole bean products..)
⅓ teaspoon pink salt (or sub regular salt)
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ - ½ cup maple syrup, grade B (sweeten to taste)

Directions:

1. Add the tofu, salt, vanilla bean, cinnamon and melted coconut oil to a blander. Blend on low until smooth.
2. Add in ¼ cup of the sweetener and blend until smooth. Do a taste test and add more sweetener as desired. I added about ⅓ cup total. Blend for another 1-3 minutes on medium to whip some air into the mixture.
3. Pour mixture into a jar or directly into serving cups.
4. Place in the fridge until fully chilled, at least an hour for the richest texture. For a softer, more melted texture you can serve only slightly chilled. Sprinkle vanilla bean powder on top or garnish with leftover vanilla bean pod.

**Want the consistency a bit thicker? -> Add another 1-3 tablespoons of the melted coconut oil. This will firm up the custard quite a bit. For a softer custard, use less.

Curried "Eggy" Scramble Toasts! Vegan Brunch-wiches.

April 5, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 16 Comments

I was headed into cooking oblivion without a clue what I was making. I had some leftover brown rice and some amazing cooked chickpeas. Protein. I wanted a protein-rich vegan recipe that would be easy to make and bold on flavor. Well somewhere in my kitchen play and fumbling through my spice cabinet and pantry I made these Curried "Eggy" Scramble Toasts happen. And at first bite I was a bit suprised how much I LOVED them. Seriously, this is a new fave in the Patalsky household! Get the recipe..

Serve with pretty citrus slices for a spring-y feel and vibrant sunny flavor:

Leftover brown rice? That was what inspired me to make this recipe! This is a wonderful use for it.

Brunchy Scramble Toasts! If you love tofu scramble but wish there was a bit more oomph in your scramble, this is it. Not only is there protein-rich tofu in this recipe, but loads of whole grain brown rice and hearty healthy chickpeas. Nutrient bonanza. There is nothing wimpy about these vegan eggy toasts! Simple ingredients, amazing flavor.

I served this scramble on sprouted grain English muffin halves, toasted to perfection. And I highly suggest you do the same. They provided a sturdy base for this heavy, hearty topping. These open-faced brunch-wiches are simply dreamy!

Some aromatic dried dill and smoky paprika on top for color and bonus flavor and your bold, beautiful brunch is done.

Just pass me a soy latte, and maybe a side of freshly sliced citrus, and I am set!

Curried "Eggy" Scramble Toasts, aka Brunch-wiches

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 04/05/2014
This curried vegan "egg salad" is made using tofu and chickpeas. Loads of flavor and quite easy to make for breakfast, brunch or any hour of the day.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon tahini
½ teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt (truffle salt or black salt add an extra eggy flavor)
1 ½ - 2 cups cooked chickpeas, room temperature or warm (if using canned or boxed, drain and rinse well)
½ teaspoon fine black pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice, short grain
12 ounces silken tofu
¼ cup nutritional yeast (or to taste)
¼-1 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
for pan: ½ teaspoon virgin coconut oil
topping: a pinch of dried or fresh dill, and smoky paprika

Instructions

Add the rice, beans, maple, curry, garlic, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast to a large mixing bowl. Toss well until rice and beans are coated.
Add the silken tofu and chop it around a bit with your spoon. Fold the tofu into the mixture. The silken tofu will become very wet and turn the mixture into a wet hash-style salad. It will almost look like a vegan version of egg salad.
Warm a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the coconut oil, then add the curried mixture, pour it all in.
For 1-2 minutes, toss the mixture loosely in the hot pan so that some of the mixture starts to brown along the side and bottom of the pan. Then cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for about 1-3 minutes. Lift the lid as the steam escapes and toss the mixture again, scraping the sides and bottom from any bits that have browned and toasted up a bit. The mixture should be a bit drier than when it went in the pan, a bit darker yellow in color and completely warm to hot.
Scoop the heated mixture into a medium serving bowl.
Start assembling your toasts by toasting the bread and scooping the scramble on top. Add a pinch of the dill and paprika on each toast. I like these served warm OR cold! If you want to make these an hour ahead and serve them cold you can! You can add the scramble to the toasts ahead of time, or add the chilled mixture to freshly toasted bread to serve. I loved both ways. Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, and consume within 2-3 days.

Yield: 5 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 00 mins. Total time: 20 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 288
Fat: 5.5g
Totalcarbs: 45g
Protein: 17g
Dietaryfiber: 10g

Tags: breakfast,brunch,sandwich,tofu scramble,vegan egg salad

Essentia Mattress Review

April 4, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 19 Comments

Wellness. Sleep. Beds. Mattress. So let's talk mattresses! Bonus, this one is vegan..

Hello Essentia!..

A few weeks ago my Essentia mattress arrived in a cardboard box. We yanked it out of its brown shell, unwrapped it from its cocoon and let it spread its fluffy natural, vegan, latex wings in our bedroom. In about an hour it was perfectly fluffed, fresh and cloudlike. Our new (vegan) mattress had been a LONG time coming, so I was incredibly excited to see if it performed well and lived up to all the hype! Hear my "mattress tale," my quest for the perfect vegan mattress and learn more about the Essentia brand!..

My Essentia Mattress Review..

UPDATE ONE! We still love it...

It has been one year of sleeping on my Essentia mattress and I am still in love with this brand. I have not had my usual neck pain spasms that I had been getting quite frequently (before changing Essentia) in this entire year! Not one stiff neck. I have no idea if the two things are related, but it has still wow-ed me!

I love the support and feel and quality of our mattress, and I tell everyone who asks me about it to buy one! I truly think a quality mattress is one of the best wellness investments you can make, and Essentia is a wonderful brand. I also recently received a "comfort" Essentia pillow to try out and I love it. It has a unique foam texture, that is very soft when fluffed up, but offers nice support too. I like to use it as my bottom layer pillow and then place a softer pillow on top. One year later, and we still love this mattress .. in fact I think I love it even more now that I feel the results of sleeping on it for a year. After trying the pillow, I think the Essentia Body Pillow looks amazing. Can you imagine plopping in between those puffy long U-shaped pillows?

2019 UPDATE. We stillllllll love it.

2019 Update.. Absolutely obsessed with our mattress. It is over five years now that we have slept on this mattress and our backs and necks and sleep hours are so happy. I cannot rave about this mattress and company more! If you want to invest in your sleep - buy an Essentia. More about our bed below....

----- begin original post -----

Sleep Well. A raw estimate is that we spend a third of our lives asleep. Laying on our bed. In our bedrooms. Well, mostly. Passed out. In dreamland. A mattress cradling our every twist, turn and move. Some sheets, pillows and fluffy accents cozying things up, creating warmth. But the foundation of sleep? Your mattress.

By now I think we all know just how important sleep is to our total lifestyle wellness. Sleep refreshes us from the inside out. Not only do our bodies repair and revitalize themselves as we sleep, our minds do too. Poor sleep quality can cause fatigue, physical strains and pains, a foggy feeling, poor mental performance and even depression. It is a known truth: a good night's sleep makes us feel a million times better the next day than a failed night's sleep does.

So if you haven't paid attention to what mattress you are sleeping on yet, now is the time. I hope this post will give you one option for your bedroom the next time you decide "today is the day!" to upgrade your mattress.

(And heck, as I mention way below, if you want to start with an Essentia pillow. Go for it. Baby steps.)

We upgraded our mattress via the Essentia brand.

What I love about my new Essentia mattress..

* I love that my Essentia mattress is vegan.
* I love that my Essentia mattress feels amazing.
* I love that my Essentia mattress is made from pure ingredients: Hevea Milk (sap!), Dunlop Latex, Organic Esential Oils, Certified Organic Cotton, Natural Plant Extracts. more.
* I love that my Essentia mattress arrived on my doorstep, odor-free from day one.
* I love that my Essentia mattress fits my wellness, green, Eco-friendly, plant-based lifestyle.
* I love that my Essentia mattress is biodegradable.
* I love that other vegan faces I trust love the Essentia brand too! Like Alicia Silverstone and Jason Wrobel. (DrOz and Rachel Ray are also among the many fans)

So now that you know where I stand, lets dig into my personal mattress story!

My Mattress Tale. When I was in college I slept on the crappy mattress that I found in my dorm room. It had squeaky springs, soft spots, lumpy spots and the only way I could survive its mattress wrath was to pile two layers of cheap yellow foam liners on top. A few years later I rented some furniture in a college-time apartment and the same thing. These traditional, spring-loaded, chemical-laden mattresses provided something "soft" to sleep on and did the job. Or so I thought. But I never loved these mattresses. They were simply just places to crash at night and wake the next morning in a groggy "where is the coffee?" haze.

Then my last year in college my mom bought me a foam brand mattress for my bed. She had been sleeping on one for years and raved about them. I still remember that first time I laid down on that mattress. It was like night and day. No more squeaky springs, shifting mattress lumps and mysterious back aches and pains the next morning. I was a foam bed girl now. (For a while that is!)

Then when I eventually married my husband we dove in and bought our own foam brand mattress. We loved it! But the truth was, we had no idea what we were really sleeping on. Some research into what exactly those popular memory foam mattresses are made of will yield search results describing "a series of chemical processes" and "petroleum-based chemicals." Yikes.

I try so hard to minimize the chemicals in my household via cleaning products and more, it seemed quite ridiculous to ignore something I laid my body against for about a third of my life.

I mean, if you are striving to live a green lifestyle like me, green smoothie in one hand, yoga mat in the other, you probably don't want to be sleeping on something that is not-so-green.

So fast forward to my current life. My husband and I have moved around a lot the past seven years for work. I mean A LOT. That meant renting apartments and renting furniture in some cases while our favorite items stayed back at home in DC. I SO missed our "good" mattress!

When we first came out to LA, where we are now, we decided to buy a cheap foam mattress off the internet. It arrived and was fine. The out-of-box stinky chemical smell was pretty cringe-worthy, but for the price of this temporary mattress, we were pleased. But then I started noticing small aches and pains when I woke up, and strange soft spots. "Um. Hunny. The mattress is melting." I said one night. We knew this mattress had to go.

But as a band aid "fix" we decided to try buying a true foam brand brand mattress topper. We drove out to a bed and bath store one night, lugged the heavy cardboard box inside, squeezed out the plastic-wrapped topper and unrolled the goods.

And boom. The most noxious chemical smell I could imagine came seeping into my nostrils, filling our bedroom with stench. I was stunned. This chemical smell made me sick. We gave the topper a good hour. But it didn't die down at all so we shoved it into the bathroom, closed the door, and returned it the next day.

The next morning I googled "smell-free mattresses." And "No chemicals mattress." I had no idea what I was searching for but thus began a long two week search for the perfect natural, vegan, chemical-smell-free, supportive, wonderful, look-forward-to-dreamland mattress. We decided on latex, after much researching. And all the sudden I was a latex mattress expert, googling and researching all I could.

We visited to a few latex mattress stores here in Santa Monica and I was shocked to find that nearly all of the mattresses contained wool. Mostly in the mattress coverings. Well as someone who checks every soft sweater tag to make sure it is wool-free and vegan, I knew I couldn't buy a wool mattress!

So eventually I was lead to the Essentia brand, they even have a store here in Santa Monica. Perfect! After MUCH research and laying on random beds in mattress stores, I knew we found a brand that was perfect for us.

Beausommet Mattress by Essentia

Our beausommet mattress arrived and it was lovely. Perfectly soft yet firm enough, and completely odor-free upon arrival! I wanted to wait a few weeks to post this review to see how I felt after sleeping on this new mattress. But since sleeping on our new mattress I have woken to a spry feeling in the morning. It is soft yet supportive and I just adore that it fits my lifestyle. I get excited to climb into bed at night!

The unique texture of the latex took me a few days to get used to since I was used to a firm rigid foam. But I love it now! And you can always choose a firmer style or softer style from the Essentia brand to fit your mattress needs.

Now a few notes on latex mattresses and Essentia:

* Slats! Your bed frame "slats" must be close together to achieve support. Most websites say 2-3 inches apart is ideal. However, if your slats are farther apart than that you can buy several products that help "support" the mattress. Crate and Barrel sells a product called a Bunky Board. We actually bought one from another online store called a "Bed Rug" made from coconut fibers. You do not want to place your mattress right on a flat, non-breathable, surface because it needs to breathe and have air-circulation.

* Latex is HEAVY. You cannot really flop this mattress around the room easily, so just be warned about that. And when you do move it, the mattress tends to roll and flop around a bit, so moving it is a bit of a process.

* $$$ Essentia mattresses (like most high quality latex mattresses) are not cheap! This is an investment purchase in your health and wellness. You remember the first time you thought paying over $300, $400 or more for a BLENDER was insane. Fast forward to now when you couldn't live without your Vitamix or Blendtec? Well that is what these mattresses are like. (Note: And trust me, I know I will get comments about the price. And I agree that the sticker shock is intense at first! And the cost, out of reach for some people. My advice, buy an Essentia pillow! Start small. Take a tiny step towards green-ing your Zzzz's. Plus, it will keep you dreaming of maybe saving up one day to buy the full mattress!)

* Vegan mattress! I promise you that once you start researching mattresses, it will be tricky to find one that is wool-free and uses the word "vegan" to describe it. With Essentia, your mattress falls right in line with your plant-based lifestyle.

My advice! Do your research so you feel well-informed when buying a new mattress. There is a lot of info online, but also be warned that much of the information is conflicting, confusing and frustrating. The brands are vast and the market for "natural" "organic" and "green" mattresses is wide. But just what these labels mean can get very confusing and misleading. I walked into the Santa Monica Essentia store and chatted with the store's sales guy, laid on the beds and asked questions. I felt more than happy with the answers and after getting to know the Essentia crew, it is a brand I know I can trust!

Ready to take the plunge? Essentia store: Healthy Happy life readers get 10% off by using the coupon code HAPPY10.

Not just mattresses for adults!! I swoon over their pet beds, pillows and baby crib mattresses. The kittens might need an Essentia of their own... 🙂

FAQ: What is the difference between memory foam and latex vs. Essentia latex mattresses? Watch this!..

full disclosure: I was thrilled that Essentia offered me a mattress right around the time I was going to buy one! I was happy to do this review in exchange. All opinions are my own. I cannot guarantee your product results will be the same as mine. Always do your own research, testing and evaluation when mattress hunting. This is not a paid post.

Green Sunshine Dip. Asparagus, Lemon, Avocado, Chickpeas.

April 1, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 18 Comments

Spring was simply made for smart snacking. And this Green Sunshine Dip made using fresh spring asparagus, sunny lemon juice, creamy avocado and nutty chickpeas is just the thing your snack platter needs. Serve it as a munch-as-you'd-like dip or slather it on top of sprouted grain toast for open-faced sandwiches. Any which way you serve it, those crisp green flavors shine through. And just pause, smile and inhale that sunny spring feeling that can only be experienced this blossoming time of year!..

Toasts! with micro greens..

Why Asparagus? Well this in-season veggie is one to embrace. Here are a few reasons why..

"1. It’s loaded with nutrients: Asparagus is a very good source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells.

2. This herbaceous plant—along with avocado, kale and Brussels sprouts—is a particularly rich source of glutathione, a detoxifying compound that helps break down carcinogens and other harmful compounds like free radicals. This is why eating asparagus may help protect against and fight certain forms of cancer, such as bone, breast, colon, larynx and lung cancers." - Eating Well, 5 health benefits of asparagus

These pretty purple carrots are perfect for chopping and dipping:

Now find some sunbeams and have a happy spring!..

Green Sunshine Dip
vegan, 4 generous servings

2 cups fresh asparagus, halved and woody stems sliced off
1 ½ cups cooked or canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed if using cans)
1 clove garlic
1-2 lemons, squeezed (about ¼ cup fresh juice)
½ large avocado
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, raw (salted and sprouted used)
salt and pepper to taste

additional spices to try: nutritional yeast, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, smoky paprika, fresh herbs and more!

add richness: drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Halve your asparagus and slice off any woody stems. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add asparagus. Boil for 3-5 minutes, until moderately tender, but not mushy. Drain water and add asparagus to high speed blender.
2. Also add in the avocado, chickpeas, lemon juice, pumpkin seeds and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Blend from low to high until smooth, about 1-3 minutes of blending depending on your blender power.
4. Taste test and add additional salt and pepper and spices to taste.

Serve warm, freshly blended or chill in the fridge for a firmer texture.
Serve as a dip or a spread for sandwiches and wraps.

estimate:

Chocolate Chocolate Smoothie Bowl with Peanut Butter

March 31, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 31 Comments

Acai bowls, I love you, but make room for another smoothie bowl on the block. The Chocolate Bowl. The Chocolate Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl to be exact. This creamy-layered, decadent-looking dish is actually quite the healthy-delicious vegan treat..

pre-PB..

Out of this swirled.

Where's my spoon?

The Chocolate bowl. OK, so lets be clear here. There is nothing terribly mind-blowing about this recipe. I know that. It is really just a super thick, creamy and frosty smoothie poured into a bowl and topped with a swirl of sweetened peanut or almond butter. But even still, this recipe is one to try. I make it allllllll the time so I figured I would share it with you guys. And if you get bored easily like I do, just whip out your thinking cap because there are endless topping options once your creativity takes flight.

Shredded coconut
Chopped nuts
Cacao nibs
Seeds
Fresh fruit
Spices and superfoods
Crumbled cookies
Rice puffs
Pumpkin seeds
Crushed vegan cookies
Granola
And on and on. Just imagine the vegan topping bar at your fave frozen yogurt shop. Sprinkle your cravings on top for color, texture and even added nutrition.

Whip this up in the afternoon for a treat-style energy boost or indulge and have it for breakfast or even serve it as an after-dinner dessert treat. It has plenty of sweetness so you will easily mistake this bowl for a bowl of ice cream. But one glance at the ingredients and you will remember how healthy this bowl actually is!

To lighten things up simply use a bit less of the calorie dense nut butter.

Chocolate bowl here you come..

Chocolate Chocolate Smoothie Bowl with Peanut Butter

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 06/01/2014
This chocolate chocolate smoothie bowl is accented with creamy nut butter and made using bananas.

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1 ¼ cups non-dairy milk
½ cup frozen watermelon (or sub with ice)
1-3 teaspoon of your fave nut butter or handful of nuts like walnuts
pinch of sea salt
sweet: 1 teaspoon agave syrup or 2 Medjool Dates, pitted and soaked in warm water
optional: vegan chocolate or vanilla protein powder
optional: scoop of vegan ice cream - chocolate or vanilla
optional: hanful of cacao nibs, chocolate chips or a piece of chocolate (vegan)

Instructions

If using dates, soak them in warm water for 1-2 minutes. Then remove the pit and toss in blender.
Add all the ingredients to your high speed blender. Tip: Start off with only half of the liquid amount, and add as needed to blend. Using the least amount of liquid possible will give you thicker, ice cream-like results.
Blend from low to high until smooth and creamy.
Optional: add in the chocolate add-in and lightly blend for a few seconds, just until little bits show up.
Pour smoothie in a big bowl or tall glass. Optional: Add a swirl of nut butter over top.

Yield: 1 bowlPrep Time: 00 hrs. 03 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 04 mins. Total time: 7 mins. Tags: smoothie,chocolate,vegan,breakfast,beverage,shake,non-dairy,banana

And hooray! because it is just about the start of smoothie season. Buy my book 365 Vegan Smoothies for all your smoothie cravings, tips, ingredient info and more!

Grab this bowl, curl up on your favorite chair and start swooning. Hopefully this treat will make you feel like this...

Spicy Blackened Cauliflower Bites

March 26, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 21 Comments

Snack on veggies with this fun and tasty way to serve up cauliflower. Bite-sized cauliflower florets are coated in my spicy creamy sauce, then quickly cooked in the oven to blackened perfection. Healthy meets delicious in each warm and lively bite. Add a cool ranch (vegan!) dipping sauce on the side, a pile of freshly sliced veggie sticks and happy snacking time is ready! These "buffalo wing" inspired bites are perfect for vegging out in front of your iPad or paired with some "me time" watching Netflix or browsing a good book or cookbook! (There are soooo many vegan cookbooks, like this one, out or coming out this year, I need a bigger bookcase!) This recipe would be fun for parties too, simply add a toothpick to each bite and serve! The bright red-orange color looks so pretty against a green tablecloth or napkin. Grab a head of cauliflower at the store or farmer's market and make my Spicy Blackened Cauliflower Bites!..

Buffalo-wingish-inspired..

Sauce.

Cauli-fleurs.. These were from the farmer's market and had a light green tint to them.

Optional dip. Ranch of course!..

Cauliflower used to be the veggie I brushed off as boring. White, hard, bland. It was the veggie you only ate off of party platters if the broccoli was finished. And you only ate the broccoli if the carrots were out. The cauliflower was literally just a crunchy vehicle for whatever creamy dip was hanging out nearby. It wasn't bad, just pretty boring. But cauliflower has been given new life recently. Have you noticed? Bloggers have created some amazing cauliflower recipes, I found these (just a few of them!) on my other site, Finding Vegan:

How-to Make Cauliflower Rice by Everyday Maven
Sweet Roasted Cauliflower Steaks by May I Have that Recipe
Potato and Cauliflower Cakes by The Veg Life
Green Cauliflower Dip by Sometimes I Veg
Spicy Buffalo Wings by PETA

And to springboard off of those cauliflower "buffalo wings" that everyone loves, I made these spicy blackened cauliflower bites! They are a bit more thickly coated with blackened edges I love. You can make the texture as tender or crunchy as you'd like by adjusting the initial cauliflower boiling time.

Life. Spring is starting to show its warmth and things are getting busy. No more winter cocooning and cocoa drinking. Scratch that last part, cocoa is clearly a year-round sip. Right now I am super busy finalizing book edits, working on some projects for the blog (.. always!) and exploring iPhone App possibilities for Finding Vegan! I am trying to come out of my winter hibernation by scheduling some meet-ups with friends and re-invigorating my fitness plans too. And with the start of spring in California, for me, means a bit of seasonal allergies! I think my immune system is still adjusting to the new kittens too. So I am just waiting for things to mellow out so I can put away the cough drops and constant regimen of immunity supplements! Elderberry syrup, vitamin C, immunity teas, oregano oil if need be and more. Anyone else feeling the wrath of winter-to-spring allergies? What do you do to perk up your immune system?

Well one thing that helps me is spicy foods! My lemon-cayenne morning tea perks everything up to start my day, and I find spicy soups (like miso and brothy soups) to be very helpful too. And these spicy cauliflower bites are another way to kickstart your system with cayenne! Make them extra spicy if you like that sort of thing. The optional side of cool, creamy ranch dip and chilled veggie sticks counteract the heat quite nicely.

Spicy Blackened Cauliflower Bites
vegan, makes about 3 cups of bites

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets

Spicy Sauce:
¼ - ½ cup boiled or steamed cauliflower (from head broken into florets)
1 clove garlic
2 ½ tablespoon agave or maple syrup, grade B
¼ cup raw cashews, soaked
¼ cup non-dairy milk, plain flavor
3-6 pinches cayenne (how spicy do you like them?)
¼ teaspoon smoky paprika
2-3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (start with 2)
a few pinches of black pepper
⅛ - ¼ teaspoon salt
optional: nutritional yeast to taste (thickens sauce and adds cheezy flavor)

a bit of oil to grease baking dish (safflower, EVOO, coconut..)

(optional) Creamy Ranch Dip - or try this recipe:
1 ½ tablespoon vegan mayo (vegenaise)
2-3 teaspoon agave syrup
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon red or apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Before starting you will want to pre-soak your cashews. Soak in a cup of salted water for at least 4 hours, overnight is standard. In a hurry? -> Simmer the cashews in the salted water for 4-5 minutes on medium heat in a pot, this will quickly soften them, although I still prefer the overnight soak method for more tender cashews. But if a bind and if you don't mind not keeping them are, a slow simmer can help speed things up.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Wash the cauliflower and remove the thick stem and any green leaves. Break the cauliflower into florets with your hands, use a knife if needed for tough pieces.

4. Note: How crunchy do you want your cauliflower to serve? I made mine pretty tender, so a 4-6 minutes boil for me. But if you want crunchier bites, just do an even quicker boil of about 3-4 minutes. Or shorter for super crunchy! You could even leave the cauliflower raw if you wanted too, the oven baking will warm them anyways. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cauliflower: Add the cauliflower florets. Boil for 4-6 minutes or until tender. Do not over-boil, you just want them tender enough to poke with a fork. (Or for crunchier see above note.) Drain water and place boiled cauliflower aside in a bowl to cool a bit.

5. In a blender, add all the spicy sauce ingredients. For the cayenne and salt, start with just a pinch and add more after taste testing. Also start with just 2 tablespoons of vinegar and add more if you want a zestier tasting sauce. Take ¼-1/2 cup of the boiled cauliflower to be used in the sauce. Start with ¼ cup and add more if you'd like. Blend from low to high until the sauce is very smooth. Do a taste test and adjust seasoning to suit your spiciness needs.

6. Pour the sauce into a small bowl and set aside a large baking dish. Grease the baking dish in a bit of oil. Pick up a floret by its stem and dip it in the spicy sauce. The suace should coat the cauliflower nicely. If the sauce is too watery for some reason, you can remedy this by re-blending the sauce and adding more cauliflower to help thicken things up. Nutritional yeast will also thicken. Once the cauliflower is dipped and coated, place it round side up int he baking dish. Repeat this process until all the cauliflower is dipped. There will be leftover sauce. This is to be served alongside the cauliflower as an added dip. You can also serve this sauce as a dressing for other veggeies or a coating/marinade for tofu, tempeh or beans.

7. The 400 degree oven will be nice and toasty. Place the baking dish on the top rack of your oven and bake at 400 for about ten minutes, of until the sauce starts to firm up on the cauliflower. Then turn the oven on broil and allow the cauliflower to cook for about 1-4 minutes, or enough time to blacken the tops and edges of each piece. See pics for examples of the blackening. You do not want to burn the sauce or veggies, just get a nice bronzed color. This also firms up the sauce even more to create a sort of thick coating. Try this -> Use Panko bread crumbs and an added coating to have crispy-crusted bites!

8. If making the ranch dip.. While the bites are baking you can add all the ranch dip ingredients to a mug or cup and whisk briskly until smooth. For extra creamy dip add another dollop of vegan mayo in there.

9. Pull the bites from the oven and allow to cool on the countertop for at least ten minutes before serving. Serve warm with the easy ranch dip and leftover spicy sauce on the side. Veggie sticks are also a nice touch.

Spring Fling Scones

March 23, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 22 Comments

Happy spring! Pretty recipes like colorful salads, fruit-filled smoothies, spring-y pastas and soups, and these fluffy scones are welcome this time of year. They compliment the bright yellow spring sun, pastel flowers and blossoms ready to bloom, happy birds, crisp breezes and cheery disposition of spring. These Spring Fling Scones with a colorful pastel ribbon of pink, green and yellow (all-natural colors) are perfect for pairing with afternoon tea or serving at spring fling brunches. A zesty lemon glaze on top..

These classic-gone vegan scones are pretty simple to make, with ingredients like flour, coconut oil and silken tofu leading the bulk of the dough. The colors come from all natural ingredients including matcha green tea, turmeric (the flavor is barely recognizable..) and a touch of beets or berries.

These scones bake up fluffy and moist, with a sweet crinkly glaze on top. Speckles of flax and chia seeds throughout.

You can substitute the organic white flour with your favorite gluten-free or whole grain flour if desired, results will vary a bit.

Spring Fling Scones
vegan, makes 8 large scones

2 cups white flour, organic
1 cup sugar, organic
12oz silken tofu
2 tablespoon flax seeds, ground
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tablespoon fresh orange juice + pinch of zest
3 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

coloring:
2 tablespoon matcha green tea, culinary
1 tablespoon beets, grated (you could also use raspberries, same amount)
½ teaspoon turmeric

lemon-vanilla glaze:
1-2 drops vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar, organic
1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a blender on low speed, combine the silken tofu, orange juice, chia seeds, oil and flax meal. Blend until smooth and thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Fold the liquid mixture into the dry bowl until a fluffy dough forms.
5. Split the dough into thirds, transferring one third to a small bowl and another third to another small bowl.
6. In the large mixing bowl, fold the matcha into one third of the dough. Add a bit of flour if needed to handle. Knead until the matcha distributes creating a green color. (It can be a bit swirled.)
7. On a floured surface, press out the green dough into a round about 7-8 inches across. Form round with your hands. Again, add a pinch more flour if things get sticky. Also, it helps to have your kitchen at a cool temperature so the oil-infused dough doesn't get too melty in texture.
8. Repeat the coloring steps with the yello (turmeric) and pink (beet) thirds of the dough. Place each layer on top of the green in a stacking form so that you end up with one fluffy round of dough, three layers of color. Using your hands pat out and form the dough into a tall fluffy round.
9. Using a chilled or lightly oiled knife, cut out the scones by slicing the dough in half, the in quarters, then again in eighths, just like pizza slices.
10. Place the scones on a lightly greased baking sheet and place in the 400 degree oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown just a tad and the tops are firm and toasty to touch. The scones will still be quite tender and fluffy on the insides and will need a few minutes to cool before poiring the glaze.
11. Cool scones on a baking rack. Whisk together the vanilla-lemon glaze. Pour the glaze over top the scones after they have cooled a bit. Serve scones warm for best texture and flavor. Store in the freezer or fridge and warm up to serve.

Matcha Green Tea Reviews & Brand Buying Guide

March 19, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 328 Comments

Matcha Madness has begun. Let me introduce you the the magical world of matcha in my own special way. Buy reviewing a wide selection of brands, surveying them based on color, price, taste and packaging. And I will give my own tips and tricks for enjoying matcha green tea as a part of your healthy, Zenergized lifestyle. Let the matcha madness begin..

Not all matchas are created equal. If you learn anything from this post, let it be that.

Quick List: My Top 5 Picks*, Best Matcha Brands (no order rank here)

1. Encha Organic Matcha - buy on Amazon
2. DoMatcha - buy on Amazon
3. Taste of Kyoto - buy on Amazon
4. Eden - Buy on Amazon
5. American Tea Room - buy online

* Top 5 from brands reviewed in this post

Disclaimer: This review is not scientific by any means and is based on my personal reviews. Matcha reviewing is, like most food-type reviewing, quite subjective. In other words, you might totally disagree with me, and that's ok. However, colors and numbers don't lie, so that helps a bit.

Matcha Authority. Why do I call myself a sort of matcha expert? Well I will admit I have never been to Japan (where most matcha comes from) and I could not describe to you all the intricate details about the production process, history and more. Though I do know a little from research. But what I am an expert in is taste and use of matcha. In other words, I know a good matcha when I see/taste it!!

So yes, I do have a bit of expertise on matcha green tea since I have been drinking it almost every day for a little over a year now. I bought my first tin of matcha at the American Tea Room in Beverly Hills for about fifty bucks (big splurge on tea!!) after the salesman gave me a very long, very passionate spheel about how amazing it is. Among other things, he said it had a Zen-inducing effect that not only energizes you in a non-jittery way, but calms you to a sort of Zenned out feeling that only amazing matcha green tea can provide. It contains about half the caffeine (or a bit less) as standard coffee, though the normal caffeine jitters you may experience with coffee have never effected me with matcha - even after a giant tablespoon-ful scoop into a smoothie! The release of caffeine is said to be at a slow rate and thus jitter-free.

Basics and FAQs:

What is matcha? Matcha is green tea, yes. But it is not like the tea you find in tea bags. Matcha is not steeped. it is dissolved because matcha is a very fine green powder. Matcha powder is the ground up leaves of green tea. The leaves are harvested, dried and eventually ground up into powder after going through an extensive and (I think) magical processing process. Matcha powder is ground up green tea leaves, so you are actually consuming the whole leaf. For this reason it is extremely high in antioxidants, thus having a wide array of healthy living claims and supposed benefits.

Why should I drink matcha? I cannot tell you why you should drink it. But I will tell you why I drink it. It successfully switched me over to green tea from coffee in my daily routine. I now drink coffee about 1-3 times a month, as opposed to 1-3 times a day in my old routine about five years ago. Living in NYC, I was a self-proclaimed coffee addict. I'd hit up my fave spots at least once a day to drown my sorrows (or fatigue) in a cup of Joe. Well soy lattes were my thing actually. I finally switched from coffee to chai, but the sticky-sweetness of most coffee shop chais were not satisfying me, so I still dabbled in the dark coffee bean bevies. But finally! Matcha seriously kicked my coffee cravings to the curb. Now I crave the green stuff, packed with antioxidants. The stuff that makes me feel Zenergized. Yes, I like that word. Plus the bright green color brightens my day!

How to drink it? I rarely make matcha in the traditional sense, which is by very lightly (almost) boiling water, then using a matcha whisk to dissolve the matcha into the water. Then you drink the green matcha tea. Once in a while I will drink it like that, but rarely. I drink my matcha in smoothies or lattes - but mostly smoothies! I add about one teaspoon of matcha to a large vegan protein shake. I also love matcha lattes when I go to coffee shops like Urth Caffe and Peets. Even Starbucks makes a great vegan matcha latte if you ask for soy. Non-vegans: do not drink matcha with dairy. It supposedly ruins the whole antioxidant effect. Soy or almond milk are my preferences. Use the search bar on my site to find all my many matcha-infused recipes. My matcha shake is my fave.

What is good matcha? A high quality matcha will appear bright spring green in color. Color is VERY important when assessing matcha quality. Imagine a bright green bunch of fresh spinach versus a muddy, wilted, army green bunch. Color not only equals better flavor (most times) but it also equals more antioxidant power. I am amazed how poor in quality some matcha is. Muddy brownish matcha is (to be blunt) pretty nasty stuff. So if you have not tried high quality matcha and think you "don't like matcha" -- just find a way to try a high quality variety and then make your true assessment. Not all matchas are created equal!

Organic? I only buy organic matcha, but you can decide for yourself. Organic matchas come in an array of qualities, as you will learn from my review. Organic does not equal high quality, even though organic matcha will be more expensive than a similar non-organic counterpart.

Storage? Keep matcha away from light, moisture and heat. You can store it in a cool dark place along with your tea bags, or in the fridge. You can even store in the freezer if desired. The most important point of fridge storage is to make sure condensation doesn't seep into your matcha (moisture!) or that smells from your fridge are allowed to seep into the matcha .. it easily picks up aromas. I either store it in the "butter" compartment in my fridge, or in a cool dark place. I always consume my matcha within two months, usually one even. The faster you consume it, the fresher the flavor and color will be .. as with most pantry foods. That is why it is actually better to buy matcha NOT in bulk. Smaller amounts will be consumed faster than a huge tub of the stuff.

Price? Matcha is not cheap. And you DO get what you pay for in most cases. Matcha that is super cheap and seems too good to be true, probably is. You can see my guide for price variations. But in general, expect to pay $20-50 for 30g of highest quality matcha. And $20 is pushing it. If $30 for "tea" is out of your budget, think of matcha as a splurge item and buy it once in a while. But buy the good stuff. Nothing is worse than buying a tin of "bad" matcha to save a few bucks, then hating it altogether. If you are going to buy matcha, buy matcha.

Quality? For Americanized shopping purposes, there are two basic words to look for: ceremonial and culinary. Ceremonial matcha is in general (and if labeled honestly) the higher quality of matcha. Culinary is a lesser quality, meaning it may have a more bitter and muddy flavor and less bright green color. However, check out my review for discrepancies. Sometimes brands will also carry a "premium" variety - or something even "better" than ceremonial. This is usually a special origin of tea or has a special preparation. One store I visited has one for over a hundred bucks because it is hand-made by monks (or so the sales guys said). I'm sure it is amazing, but quite a splurge item for matcha lovers!

Origin? I strictly only buy matcha from Japan. I do not buy matcha from China.

Color is an important indicator of quality. Spring green please..

Nice and green..

Not so much..

Bad batch? In my guide I note how many times I have purchased a certain brand. If only one time is listed, you have to keep in mind that I may have received a bad or good batch. Kinda like wine. Sort've. If matcha has been sitting in a storage warehouse for too long or very freshly shipped it may vary in quality once opened. So if I bash one brand that you tried and love, please let us all know in the comments. Or if I love a brand you didn't care for, tell us that also. Comments will be very helpful to gain a full spectrum of opinions in this review! nd to open eyes to other brands to try. Lets chat matcha!

Brands? There are MANY brands of matcha. This is just a small selection. I will try to add more brands as I try them. If you run a matcha brand and would like to be included in this post, please leave a comment so we can get in touch. I am happy to add more brands to this list. But to be honest, this was a very expensive undertaking, so I will not be buying many more brands to try (well, anytime soon that is!) So donations of samples are much appreciated!

How I reviewed: I opened fresh packages, assessed the color by eye, then spread out a sheet of samples. For taste testing I dry-tasted each brand. The colors are quite obvious to see differences, the taste takes a keener sensibility. I did my best to let my palate judge flavor. All prices are based on what I paid, not retail value.

Japan vs China. With the Fukushima radiation disaster, many green tea lovers became worried if green tea production would be effected. Well, to be honest, I do not think anyone has a 100% answer on this issue, but you can research on many green tea producer sites and read their explanations for how everything is indeed ok. The main reason being proximity to the blast. But even still, some China matcha is avaiable for those who want to steer clear. Me? I 100% choose Japan matcha over China. Simply because I have never really tasted a premium China-origin matcha. Japan is where matcha was born and they have perfected the process from leaf to container. So while I agree it is a scary issue to talk about and analyze, right now, I personally have not seen anything to deter me from Japan-origin matcha.

So are you ready to browse these beauties?.. I was! This was fun. And I will NOT be buying more matcha for a while..

Lets begin!

And here is my one sheet guide! - detailed results follow

Kathy's Matcha Brand Review
Number rating scale: 1-5, 5 being the best
In a hurry: skip down to see my list of matchas I would buy again.

Top Shelf Matchas -- From Japan and Organic

Brand 1: Encha
Info: Encha sources from the best organic farms in Japan. "Encha's principle of selecting matcha grades is identifying the natural strength of pure organic matcha and no need to add sugar in your preferred way of drinking matcha! Directly working with the farmer, we select the perfect strength of pure organic matcha that matches the intended pairing ingredient, it being water, vegan non-dairy milk, fruits or baking ingredients."
Reviewed Blends: Latte Matcha Grade, Ceremonial Matcha Grade
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 5
Tasting notes: grassy, bright, uplifting, fresh
Container: thick fresh-lock sealed bag/pouches
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: Ceremonial Grade: $24.95/30g or $45.95/60g -- Latte Grade: $30.95/60g
Cost per gram: .83/g or .77/g -- .52/g
Number of times I have purchased it: I have auto-ship set up! (many times)
Bottom line review: I tried the latte variety first and was not expecting much from a "latte grade" but this was off the charts impressive for the price of this matcha. The ceremonial grade was also superb! Top notch. I could not imagine a better matcha. The color was a beautiful, perky spring green. Very impressed with this company and I adore their branding and communication with their customers about the organic farms that they source from. New fave for sure!
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: Encha Online Store

Brand 2: DoMatcha
Info: DoMatcha may look familiar to you if you shop at Whole Foods, because it seems to be one of their main matcha brands they carry. DoMatcha comes in both organic and non-organic varieties. This is my go-to matcha when I need to buy one in-store on a grocery shopping trip because I know Whole Foods will always carry it! (may vary by location) DoMatcha has a wide variety of products including matcha to-go packets and even a super high quality "Master's Blend" variety for $50.
Reviewed Blend: DoMatcha Organic Ceremonial Matcha
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 5
Tasting notes: bright and grassy
Container: Tin with an inner bag, pull-tab can
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $29/30g
Cost per gram: $0.96/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 10+
Bottom line review: Love this brand. I have never been disappointed in the quality. I always buy the organic ceremonial variety. Beautiful color and sturdy bright flavor.
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: DoMatcha Green Tea, Organic Matcha

Brand 3: Urth Caffe
Info: A popular cafe here in Los Angeles, Urth sells matcha in a variety of grades. I love both the expensive organic variety as well as the less expensive variety (Harayama matcha I think).. Note: when you order a matcha latte at Urth, you by default get the less expensive blend, but you can ask to upgrade to the higher quality variety for an added cost. Highly advised!
Reviewed Blend: Urth blends
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 5
Tasting notes: bold, grassy, light bitterness
Container: tins with interior bags
Organic: Yes.
see store for cost
Number of times I have purchased it: 5+
Bottom line review: Love this brand, the matcha is not the best I have ever tried, but very high quality and the brand seems highly dependable. I am excited to splurge on their premium blend at some point.
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: in store or matcha gift set online

Brand 4: O-Cha
Info: Direct from Japan matcha! This is not organic, boooo, but quite lovely. The same company does sell an organic matcha that I would love to try in the future. It is only $25 for the same amount so I would guess that the grade is less premium, but I do not know for sure right now.
Reviewed Blend: Super Premium Matcha, Ceremonial Grade
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 4.8
Tasting notes: grassy, bright, creamy, mellow
Container: tins with iner bag and plastic seal tab
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $29.25/30g
Cost per gram: $1/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: Fabulous matcha at an excellent price! Not as spring green as the two matchas above (in direct comparison) but very deep dark green with much lightness.
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: Hibiki-An Matcha

More resources - online stores that are not on Amazon - matcha shipped directly from Japan:
O-Cha
Hibiki-an

Brand 5: American Tea Room
Info: This premium tea store has a variety of matchas and carries the first ceremonial matcha I ever tried. In the black tin. Amazing. I was hooked at first taste and view of that spring green-mazing color! Well, it better be good for $50, right? 🙂 On the website: "Handcrafted almost entirely from gyokuro leaves, this rare, organic matcha has a gorgeous chartreuse color with a profoundly sweet, fresh aroma and a light iodine note."
Reviewed Blend: Ceremonial Organic Premium Matcha
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 5
Tasting notes: grassy, bright, creamy
Container: tins with interior bags
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $50/30g
Cost per gram: $1.67/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 3
Bottom line review: Super lovely. If you really want to try amazing matcha without any risk of poor quality, give this brand a try. They often offer sales and coupons if you join their email list.
Would I buy it again? Yes. And if you ever need to buy me a gift, this will surely suffice 🙂
Buy it: ATR

Brand 6: Taste of Kyoto
Info: Taste of Kyoto is another organic brand that I have love. It offers a variety of matcha products including reserve and culinary. I have tried both and will review both below.

Reviewed Blend: Taste of Kyoto Reserve Organic Matcha
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 5
Tasting notes: bright and grassy
Container: Tin with an inner bag
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $42/60g
Cost per gram: $0.70/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 2
Bottom line review: Excellent high quality matcha at a premium price. I wish they had a smaller size than 60g, but the cost per gram is great for this quality.
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: TASTE OF KYOTO Matcha Green Tea, Reserve

Reviewed Blend: Taste of Kyoto Culinary Organic Matcha
Origin: Japan
Color: 3.5
Taste: 4
Tasting notes: bright, mild
Container: Tin with an inner bag
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $26/60g
Cost per gram: $0.43/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 2
Bottom line review: This is probably my favorite "culinary" variety of matcha. Normally you think the quality will greatly suffer with a culinary blend, but this brand really stands up. Granted it is not as good as the reserve variety, but for the price, it far exceeds my expectations.
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: Organic Ceremonial Matcha 30 Grams

Brand 7: Dr. Mercola
Info: We all know of Dr. Mercola, health guru and wellness authority, yes? Well now he has a matcha. I am certain he has slapped his label on a high quality matcha supplier, but he found a good one!
Reviewed Blend: Dr. Mercola's Royal Matcha - see it on DrMercola.com
Origin: Japan
Color: 4.9
Taste: 5
Tasting notes: bright, grassy
Container: Tin without an inner bag, pull-tab can
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $28/30g
Cost per gram: $0.93/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: High quality matcha, if you are a Mercola online store shopper or Mercola fan, give this one a try.
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: Royal Matcha Green Tea (Organic)

Brand 8: Pure Matcha
Info: Pure Matcha is a fun brand because they offer high quality organic matcha but they also have a black tea powder and a red tea powder.
Reviewed Blend: Pure Matcha Organic Ceremonial Matcha
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 4.9
Tasting notes: bright, light, grassy
Container: Tin without an inner bag, pull-tab can
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $21/30g
Cost per gram: $0.70/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 2
Bottom line review: Great, dependable high quality matcha.
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: Pure Matcha, Premium Ceremonial Grade Matcha

Brand 9: Eden
Info: Eden is a popular and expansive brand of organic products. Eden is a favorite of mine for everything from canned lentils to tamari. Eden only carries one matcha, but it is quite impressive, not to my surprise.
Reviewed Blend: Eden Organic Stone Ground Matcha
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 5
Tasting notes: bright and grassy with calm flavor
Container: Tin without an inner bag, pull-tab can, outer box
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $37/30g
Cost per gram: $1.23/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: This is a great matcha at a premium price. The quality you expect from Eden products is on display here. Beautiful!
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: Eden Organic Matcha Tea, Green Tea Stoned Ground 1 -Ounce Tin

Brand 10: Teavana
Info: Teavana is a well known brand with stores in the United States and beyond. From the brand: "Thoughtfully harvested and handcrafted, our pure, organic Imperial Grade Matcha is made from the highest-quality ingredients available, providing outstanding flavor while promoting feelings of focused vitality."
Reviewed Blend: Teavana Matcha Japanese Green Tea, 40g
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 4.9
Tasting notes: rich flavor and sweet grassiness
Container: Tin without an inner bag, pull-tab can, screw on/off lid
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $45/80g or $25/40g
Cost per gram: $0.56-0.62/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: Great product and very good price - high availability due to store locations where - you do not have to pay shipping if you buy in person. I was not expecting this high quality with this price, but Teavana succeeds!
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: 80g container -- 40g container

Bonus Added Brands: (Updates to post)

Brand A: My Matcha Life
Info: This amazing brand was founded on the principles of the matcha tea drinking ceremony: harmony, purity, respect and tranquility. Love that! The founder has dedicated much time and research and knowledge into this new brand. She has traveled extensively throughout Japan and North America, in the name of matcha.
Reviewed Blend: Tea Lovers' Organic Matcha
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 5
Tasting notes: bright, sweetly grassy, smooth
Container: Tin without an inner bag, pull-tab can
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $29.99/30g
Cost per gram: $1/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1, donated from the brand
Bottom line review: Gorgeous quality matcha from an amazing, passionate company. New brand to try and love. The variety I tried was super high quality and gives you everything you could want from an organic/Japan origin top grade matcha. The pricing is competitive, but there are a few brands with lower prices. Bonus: great website with helpful matcha info.

Buy it: My Matcha Life

---- End of my top shelf list picks - Below brands may not be organic and from Japan ----

Brand 10: Aiya
Info: Aiya is a brand I recently discovered. They have high quality matchas, and carry a variety of blends. They offer a ceremonial matcha (reviewed) as well as a premium blend which is even more expensive at about $50 for 30g, so I imagine it is amazing. They also offer a less expensive cooking grade blend. Their online store sells a variety of matcha accesories too.
Reviewed Blend: Aiya Organic Ceremonial Matcha
Origin: Japan
Color: 4
Taste: 4
Tasting notes: bold, grassy, light bitterness
Container: Tin without an inner bag, pull-tab can
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $24/30g
Cost per gram: $0.80/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: Give it a try! Great color and flavor. A sturdy high quality matcha.
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: Organic Ceremonial Matcha 30 Grams

Brand 11: Hibiki-An
Info: Direct from Japan matcha. This is sadly not organic, but quite lovely. The same company does sell an organic matcha that I would love to try in the future. It is only $25 for the same amount so I would guess that the grade is less premium, but I do not know for sure right now.
Reviewed Blend: Super Premium Matcha, Ceremonial Grade
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 5
Tasting notes: grassy, bright, creamy
Container: tins with pull tabs, no bags
Organic on label: no
Cost/Weight: $38/40g
Cost per gram: $1.05/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 2
Bottom line review: Beautiful green tea at an excellent price! If you do not mind not having your matcha organic, this is a great find.
Would I buy it again? No. I would however, try the organic version which is only $25/40g... interested to try that next!
Buy it: Hibiki-An Matcha

Brand 12: Doctor King
Info: Doctor King calls its matcha the "finest organic ceremonial matcha" and lists a variety of health claims in their marketing.
Reviewed Blend: Organic Ceremonial Matcha
Origin: Japan
Color: 3.5
Taste: 3.5
Tasting notes: muted, a bit grassy, mild bitterness, not very bold
Container: plastic container with an interior silver bag
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $21/30g
Cost per gram: $0.70/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: I had high hopes for this brand but... The UK website is a bit unimpressive with its excessive health claims. This matcha had really great color, but the flavor was not matching the color, which was odd. I am not a fan of the plastic packaging and sloppy labeling either.
Would I buy it again? No
Buy it: DOCTOR KING Ceremonial Organic Japanese Matcha Green Tea

Brand 13: NourishTea
Info: NourishTea is an impressive brand that carries a wide variety of teas. They only offer one matcha variety.
Reviewed Blend: Organic Happy Matcha (no type specified)
Origin: Japan
Color: 2
Taste: 2
Tasting notes: muddy flavor
Container: Tin with an interior bag
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $23/80g
Cost per gram: $0.29/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: I love this brand and I know for a act that their other teas are impressive - I have tried a few loose tea blends - but this matcha just doesn't measure up. I'm glad they tried to reach out to matcha fans, but maybe they should find a new supplier and up the price if need be to ensure quality.
Would I buy it again? No way
Buy it: Nourishtea happy matcha

Brand 14: Maeda-En
Info: This is another matcha brand you may spot at Whole Foods. It is actually the second brand I tried. I wanted to save a few bucks so I purchased the "cheapest" brand at Whole Foods. It (the Skiki variety) was not impressive. However, for this review, I bought the ceremonial blend and was very impressed. But it is not organic.
Reviewed Blend: Maeda-En Ceremonial Quality Matcha
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 5
Tasting notes: creamy and bright, grassy
Container: Tin with an inner bag, plastic lid
Organic on label: no
Cost/Weight: $20/28g
Cost per gram: $0.70/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: This is such a great ceremonial matcha, however it does not appear from the labeling or website to be organic, which is a huge bummer and deal-breaker for me purchasing it again. However, if you do not mind non-organic, give this a try. Just be SURE to buy the ceremonial quality variety. I have only seen the lesser quality variety at my local Whole Foods stores, so buying online is advised.
Would I buy it again? No because it is not organic.
Buy it: Maeda-En Mtcha Cermonial Quality

Brand 15: Tealux
Info: Tealux is a brand that carries a wide variety of teas and a wide variety of matchas. I clearly bought a lower grade matcha from Tealux, as their website calls this cooking matcha, so I would be excited to try their ceremonial variety, as I am guessing it will far exceed the one I tested here.
Reviewed Blend: Tealux Uji Premium Organic Matcha (not the ceremonial blend)
Origin: Japan
Color: 3
Taste: 3
Tasting notes: muddled, bitter
Container: opaque bag
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $23/113g
Cost per gram: $0.20/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: This is cooking matcha for sure, I would never advise drinking this specific variety. For use in baking, yes. The Tealux brand is obviously an authority on tea, so I am anxious to try the higher quality version.
Would I buy it again? No (But a the reserve variety is worth trying)
Buy it: Premium Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder Uji Kyoto Japan By Tealux (4oz) *Tealux fans, see the links below this post to buy the ceremonial blend version, which is probably much higher in quality..

Brand 16: Matcha Source
Info: This premium matcha is ceremony grade and comes at a premium price. But it is worth it!
Reviewed Blend: Kama Matcha, Ceremonial Grade
Origin: Japan
Color: 5
Taste: 5
Tasting notes: grassy, bright, creamy
Container: tins with pull tabs, no bags
Organic on label: no
Cost/Weight: $48/30g
Cost per gram: $1.60/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: Super lovely. I was all ready to RAVE about the color and flavor of this matcha but then noticed that it is not organic. At this price, I would've expected it to be!
Would I buy it again? No. At this price I can find an organic brand, although if you are not concerned about organic, this is a lovely matcha.
Buy it: Kama Matcha

-----

Matcha From China -- my personal view: not advised to buy

Brand 17: Kiss Me Organics
Info: Kiss Me Organics appears to only sell one variety of matcha: culinary grade. It is a bulk bag. I was eager to try this brand in hopes that it would be a good value opportunity. This is a Chinese-origin matcha.
Reviewed Blend: Organic Matcha, Culinary Grade
Origin: China
Color: 3
Taste: 2.5
Tasting notes: light grassiness, mellow yet somewhat bright
Container: metallic opaque bag
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $25/113g
Cost per gram: $0.22/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: I find it a bit misleading that the website does not clearly state that this matcha is from China. You have to read the fine print on the package to find that info. For a culinary matcha, this product was average. However, this was the best China-origin matcha that I reviewed in my selection.
Would I buy it again? Maybe for a bulk matcha baking project
Buy it: Matcha Green Tea Powder - ORGANIC

Brand 18: Matcha DNA
Info: This is an organic brand from China with individual matcha packets. I was super excited about trying a per-packet brand, but sadly, this brand did not deliver.
Reviewed Blend: MatchaDNA Organic Matcha
Origin: China
Color: 1.5
Taste: 1.6
Tasting notes: muddy, bland
Container: opaque bag with individual packets
Organic on label: no
Cost/Weight: $24/85g
Cost per gram: $0.28/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: This was not good matcha.
Would I buy it again? No
Buy it: MatchaDNA Certified Organic Matcha Tea

Brand 19: Swanson
Info: Swanson is an online store with a variety of products like vitamins and suplements. This matcha says it is "Dr. Bob" approved because it refers to Dr. Robert DeMaria, an author of Dr. Bob's Guide to Optimal Health. The brand looks sound and trustworthy, however the matcha doesn't speak to that.
Reviewed Blend: Swanson Organic Matcha
Origin: China
Color: 1.9
Taste: 2.3
Tasting notes: bitter, lightly grassy, a bit bland
Container: plastic container with a scooper included
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $18/50g
Cost per gram: $0.36/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: No very impressive.
Would I buy it again? No
Buy it: 100% Certified Organic Matcha Green Tea

Brand 20: EatGreenTea.com
Info: An online store with one variety of matcha from China. They also sell edible green tea leaves
Reviewed Blend: Organic Green Tea Powder
Origin: China
Color: 2.5
Taste: 3
Tasting notes: bitter, a bit grassy
Container: metallic opaque bag
Organic on label: yes
Cost/Weight: $25/100g
Cost per gram: $0.25/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 1
Bottom line review: Love this brand, the matcha is not the best I have ever tried, but very high quality and the brand seems highly dependable. I am excited to splurge on their premium blend at some point.
Would I buy it again? Yes
Buy it: Organic Green Tea Powder

Brand 21: UJIDO
Info: From the brand, "In 1832, a humble tea farmer decided to start a tea business in Uji, Kyoto Japan — where our current Japanese Tea production method was first developed. That tea farmer’s name was Tune-emon Takizo, and we, his family, have continued to produce superior Green Tea every generation since.

In 1952, we opened our retail shop in Uji, Kyoto, Japan and it is still open today. We are so honored to carry on an ancient tradition that is also our family heritage for nearly two centuries after our humble beginnings, we enjoy bringing authentic Matcha tea to the world!"
Reviewed Blend: basic offering
Origin: Japan
Color: 3.5
Taste: 3
Tasting notes: mostly bright and grassy, but slightly bitter
Container: large metallic opaque bag
Organic on label: no
Cost/Weight: $6.50/1oz
Cost per gram: $0.21/g
Number of times I have purchased it: 0 (free sample)
Bottom line review: Good sturdy brand as a good value price, but not organic so I personally wouldn't buy it
Would I buy it again? No
Buy it: ujido

Bottom line review: Here are matchas I rate highest..
(note: I personally buy organic + ceremonial grades)
Encha, DoMatcha, American Tea Room, Taste of Kyoto (any variety), Aiya, Dr Mercola, Eden, Pure Matcha, Maeda-En, Urth Caffe, Matcha Source Kama Matcha, Hibiki-an, O-Cha,

What brands am I missing? What are your faves? Comments section open.

*Amazon links are either products I mentioned above or products I have tried. The quality varies. Please read full reviews to see which products I personally like best. I have not tried vitalife, but plan to because it gets good feedback..

2016 UPDATE: The BizJournals names matcha as a wellness trend for 2016. I am not surprised! Green tea provides an antioxidant-filled boost to your day without the normal jitters that espresso beverages often bring. The article reads..

"Wellness trend: Matcha everything — You’ve probably seen this powder version of green tea at various coffee and tea places, including Starbucks, a lot recently. It's actually been kicking around in wellness circles since the 90s and again as part of the raw food movement in the aughts.."

Not a sponsored post: When first doing this post, I purchased every single matcha in my survey (no freebies!) so you know I have nothing to gain in calling one brand better than another. In the following months a few brands sent me free samples, and some were added to the reviews.

Disclosure: I provide links to Amazon available products from my review, and I am an Amazon affiliate.

This page will occasionally be updated as more matchas are tasted.

Mint-Matcha Chia Pudding with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

March 14, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 32 Comments

My dairy-free, vegan Mint-Matcha Chia Pudding with Dark Chocolate Drizzle is a sweet spring treat that you can prep in a flash and be enjoying in a few hours or the next day. For this spring-approved dessert or sweet snack, healthy chia seeds combine with coconut oil, dark chocolate and a cool breeze of peppermint. Plus there is a nice boost of green tea goodness in each spoonful..

Matcha Madness. I know I have been featuring A LOT of matcha green tea recipes lately. But there is a reason! In the next week (hopefully) I will be posting a guide to matcha brands since readers are always asking me which brand(s) I love and how to find a matcha brand in stores. What to look for, etc. So look for that post soon! I just ordered (WAY!!) too much matcha from Amazon and will be reviewing a few new brands for my post. And there may be a giveaway involved too!

Matcha recipes on HHL:
* Matcha Shake
* Matcha Latte
* Mint-Matcha Cups
* Matcha Granola
* Matcha Ginger Waffles

Minty Chia Pudding! This healthy dessert recipe has St.Patrick's Day written all over it! In shades of spring green. And deep mint chocolate too. These simple and cheerful dessert cups are easy to make and rich in healthy fats, protein and charm. Share the yum and a little luck by making these cups for you and a friend!

You can easily adjust the thickness of your chia seed pudding by adding more or less little seeds - or adjust the chilling time. The longer they soak/chill, the plumper they will get!

And some fun.. My fave instagrams from the past week:

I look at this photo at least once a day because it ALWAYS makes me giggle. Oh Mr.White cat..

And this news about FindingVegan.com just makes me giddy..

And this weekend I head out to my first Pure Barre fitness class with a friend! All part of my "more-exercise-this-spring" resolution. Any Barre fans out there? I'll let you know how it goes!

Happy soon-to-be-spring!..

Mint-Matcha Chia Pudding with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
vegan, 2 servings

1 ¼ cups non-dairy milk (room temperature)
1 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil, melted
½ - 1 teaspoon matcha green tea
4 tablespoon chia seeds
⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup
pinch of pink salt

Chocolate drizzle:
2 tablespoon vegan chocolate chips
1 teaspoon extra-virgin coconut oil

topping, optional:
1 teaspoon raw pumpkin seeds or pistachio nuts, finely chopped

Make it RAW! You can make this a raw dessert by using raw homemade almond milk, raw agave syrup as the sweetener and making a chocolate drizzle out of coconut oil and cacao powder. The peppermint flavor? You can easily use fresh mint leaves too! Simply blend a few sprigs into the matcha almond milk before adding the chia.

Directions:

1. Add the non-dairy milk and matcha to a blender, blend until the matcha has dissolved. Tip: Use a softer to sift out any clumps in the matcha.
2. With the blender on its lowest setting, pour in the melted coconut oil, chia seeds, sweetener, peppermint and pinch of salt. Allow the mixture to blend for a minute.
3. Pour chia mixture into two serving glasses or one large container. Place in the fridge and stir the mixture ever 15 minutes for the first hour to disperse the chia seeds.
4. Chill for at least four hours. Overnight is best. The longer you chill, the thicker the pudding will get. I find my ideal time is overnight - at least 8 hours for silkiest and plumpest chia seeds. Note: I will admit that I did not let the photographed pudding soak long enough (for my tastes) I did only about 4 hours. So the seeds were plump but not as plump as they could possibly be. As you become a chia seed pudding expert, you will discover your sweet spot for soaking time!
5. When ready to serve, you will prep your chocolate drizzle by melting it with the coconut oil. Drizzle the melted chocolate over top the chilled pudding, the chocolate should firm up a tiny bit upon hitting the chilled surface. For fully hardened chocolate, place pudding cups back in the fridge for a few minutes.
6. Crush seeds or nuts and crumble over top. Serve!

Peanut Butter Caramel Bars

March 12, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 40 Comments

I call these lovelies my Golden Crunch Peanut Butter Caramel & Chocolate Bars. Or just Peanut Butter Caramel Bars for short. Since the peanut butter caramel filling is really the star of the recipe show here. These squares are perfect for a nibble-style treat. A little nibble goes a long way. Simply cut out a cube, straight from the fridge or freezer, and peanut butter-chocolate crunch bliss is yours..

I call this a nibbler's dessert. You can store these sweet squares in the freezer (or fridge) and grab a nibble whenever you crave a sweet treat. I love nibbling a square of these bars after dinner in place of a big or fancy dessert, or as an energizing afternoon sweet treat.

The creamy coconut oil-infused dark chocolate gently hugs the velvet-y, chewy peanut butter caramel as a thick crunch of crushed cereal flakes lines the bottom edge. This is a no-bake dessert that is gluten-free and rich in healthy fats from the extra virgin coconut oil and nut butter.

You can use any size dish to make these bars. Square or circular. Just make sure that the bars are layered thickly enough. I like at least a ⅓ inch for the top and bottom layers and at least ¾ inch for the nut butter middle.

If you just want to make a small amount, use a small dish. For a large crowd, you can make a giant casserole dish filled with these bars. The recipe below filled a 4" mini round cake pan, generously. Since I just know we will all be using different sized pans and dishes here, you can guesstimate how much of each layer you want. Simply double, halve, triple (or more!) of my recipe below. This recipe is very forgiving in measurements!

Start with the crunchy crust, add as much as you'd like, then add the peanut butter filling. You can always make more filling if you want a thicker layer.

For the caramel, you can make as much or as little as you need, follow this basic ratio recipe..
1 part extra virgin coconut oil
1-2 parts agave syrup
4 parts nut butter

Golden Crunch Peanut Butter Caramel & Chocolate Bars
vegan, no-bake, makes about 20 small cubes

corn crust layer:
1 cup crushed corn flakes (lightly sweetened)**
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
**You could also use other 'flaked' cereals like ancient grains or spelt.. I used Kashi's 'Simply Maize' cornflakes because they are nice and crunchy, lightly sweetened

chocolate layer:
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (semi-sweet chips)
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Peanut Butter Caramel Layer:
1 cup peanut butter, softened (or almond butter)
¼ cup coconut oil
⅓ cup agave syrup

In-between:
crunchy cereal, puffed cereal or nuts
I used ¼ cup puffed millet cereal and 1 teaspoon peanuts

Directions:

1. Blend the cereal in a blender until finely processed. Pour cereal crumbs into a bowl. Toss the crumbs with the melted oil and sweetener. They should get thick and sticky now.
2. Grease your dish or pan with coconut oil. Pour the crushed flakes into the dish and press down until a thick layer forms. If the crumbs are not sticking and patting down, add another drizzle of sweetener or oil to help wet them so they can easily be pressed down.
3. Add the pb caramel ingredients to a small bowl and microwave until warmed. Stir briskly until a thin and silky mixture forms. Heat again if there are still clumps. Under a minute should fully melt the caramel ingredients.
4. Pour the caramel over top the flaked crust, you want about ¾ inch thick layer. Place this dish in the freezer until firm.
5. Melt the chocolate ingredients in a small bowl. Pull the firmed caramel-layered dish from the freezer and slowly pour the chocolate layer over top, about ⅓ inch layer. Sprinkle the "in-between" ingredients over top and press them into the chocolate. They should sink a bit.
6. Place the container back i the freezer until all the layers have fully firmed up - about 30 minutes should do it for a small dish like mine.
7. Warm the dish by placing it in a hot water bath, loosen the edges with a butter knife, them place a plate over top the dish, flip it and allow the entire dessert to fall onto a plate for slicing. You could also slice though the bars still in the dish if you have trouble removing the entire thing at once. Note: As the bars warm they soften. You want to serve your bars still chilled, but slightly warmed so the chocolate is soft to bite and the caramel nice and creamy to chewy. Store leftovers in the freezer or fridge, covered.

Marly McMillen VGP Interview!

March 11, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 4 Comments

To close out my latest collection of amazing vegan ladies via my Veggie Girl Power Interview Series, I chat with the amazingly talented Marly McMillen, of the blog Namely Marly. Marly has so many insights and tips to share!..

Vegan Breakfast Casserole - photo and recipe by Marly

GF Molten Chocolate Cakes with berries - photo and recipe by Marly

I "met" Marly online a few years ago, her beautiful food photography and utterly delicious and creative recipes caught my eye! I was thrilled to chat with her when she featured me in an interview, she calls them "name interviews" and they are SO fun and fascinating. It really makes you think about your relationship with your own name and how it may have shaped your personality, life or even the way others first see you. Her name interviews are certainly worth browsing along with her yummy vegan recipes.

I am so happy to feature here in today's post.

Veggie Girl Power Interview: Marly McMillen, NamelyMarly.com

Q1: Back to Basics. When and why did you go vegan? We love a good "this is why I went vegan" story.

Marly: I was vegetarian for several years before I even considered or understood the concept of veganism. It’s really so easy to be vegetarian nowadays, but I live in the heart of beef country so I still felt like an outlier. Then one day I read John Robbins’ book, Diet for a New America, where I learned about factory farming and the impact of animal-based products on our bodies and our environment. That planted a seed of thought; I knew then that I wanted to become vegan, but it seemed impossible.

So I decided to take little steps, beginning by giving up eggs. That was relatively easy since, if you really think about it, eating eggs is kind of disgusting. Eggs are the by-products of a bird’s reproductive system. Gross! Within a year I was down to two last strong-holds, mozzarella cheese (read…pizza!) and milk chocolate. But I was committed to making progress so I joined a local vegetarian meet-up group to meet other vegans. Right about that time they introduced us to a local restaurant that made vegan pizza. That’s what I was looking for and I took the plunge and went whole-hog (pardon the reverse pun) vegan. Soon after that I met the man who is now my husband. He had been vegan for at least a couple of years at that point. Can you believe it? Meeting a vegan in KC? My vegan diet felt like more than a new way of eating…it was a leap to a new life!

Q2: Help a Girl Out. The vegan transition can be tough for some! What sisterly advice can you give to new or transitioning vegans?

Marly: My advice is to be easy on yourself. Because I have a blog where I offer a lot of vegan recipes, I get questions from people and sometimes they express a lot of guilt over not staying strictly vegan 24/7. Here’s what I say - don’t live your life in some box living by restrictive rules. I do the best I can every day. Some days are not so good, but other days are great and those are the ones I focus on and strive for. Everything is about balance. Overall, you know you’re making decisions that are so much better for your body, animals, and the environment. It’s all good. With time your taste buds will catch up with you and you won’t even crave mozzarella cheese anymore. I promise.

Q3: Traveling Vegans. In your neck of the woods, what are the local vegan hot spots to visit/shop at/dine at? Traveling vegans want to know!

Marly: The NY Times published an article last year about how difficult it is to be vegetarian or vegan in Kansas City, which the author referred to as the “Mecca of Meat.” I think that article was wacko! Yes, Kansas City is known for its meat and BBQ, but the idea that it’s unfriendly to vegetarians is not the case. We have vegan restaurants, vegetarian restaurants, and plenty of health-food focused markets. We have farmers’ markets, international cuisine, and even a local pizza chain that serves vegan and gluten-free pizza. I don’t know what else a person could want for! So come to Kansas City, and when you do, be sure to try out some of my favorite joints. Tell them Marly sent you!

Marly’s favorite KC veggy restaurants:

* Füd, a plant-based vegan restaurant that features lots of good super foods and raw living cuisine. Their cashew soft-serve ice cream is the bomb!
* Blue Bird Bistro, Organic cuisine that highlights vegetarian, gluten-free-friendly and vegan friendly options. They have a veggie burger that always makes me smile!
* Eden Alley Vegetarian Café is one of my favorite places to eat with such a variety of vegetarian and vegan options and a dessert tray that will knock your socks off.
* Café Gratitude, Kansas City – This is a new favorite vegan eatery in Kansas City. It’s a sign that vegan eating is a great investment in the heart of the midwest.
* There are several other eateries that are not exclusively vegetarian or vegan, but are very accommodating. Like Waldo Pizza (for vegan and/or gluten-free pizza) and Blue Koi for some of the best tofu dishes around. Waldo Pizza and BlueKoi

When traveling, my favorite resource is Happy Cow. I go there to find great veg-friendly restaurants. I love testing out new places when I travel. My husband’s parents live in Phoenix part of the year so I have the great fortune of regularly going to Green in Tempe. Green is the home of vegan comfort food and if you haven’t been there yet, I highly recommend it! Their soft serve creamy desserts make it a meal to die for! HappyCow Green Vegetarian

Q4: On Food. What is a typical day of vegan eating for you? Fave eats?

Marly: I love to cook, but I typically save most of my big meal preparations for the weekend. So I’ll make a batch of cheesy tofu scramble on the weekend and have a little of that over toast for breakfast each morning.

My lunch usually involves something like a black bean burger with a great big salad on the side. I love salads. And I’m fanatical about fresh so I make a super quick salad dressing with vegan mayo, vinegar, agave nectar and whatever spice I’m in the mood for (like garlic and basil).

Dinner may include something like fried rice or my hubby’s famous “Shawnchilatas” – a mixture of black beans, rice, potatoes and corn that we serve burrito style or over a dark green leafy salad.

And what’s a day without a little dessert? For me that could be freshly popped popcorn mixed with dark chocolate chips (dark chocolate has now reigned supreme on my taste buds!). Or it might be a slice of vegan chocolate cake (again, something I typically make over the weekend and we eat throughout the week).

I have many pantry staples. Some of my favorites are ground flax seeds, nutritional yeast flakes, smoke sauce, turmeric, sage, sea salt, Sriracha and chickpeas. I have a thing for chickpeas, what can I say?

Q5: Words of Wisdom. Here is your chance to create your own quote. "Veganism is....."

Marly: Veganism is…a chance to redefine your life for yourself. Think about it. How many decisions do we make in a typical day that really are ideas or concepts we’ve adopted from others around us. This is true for the names we go by, the language we speak, all the way to the food we eat. Not all of that is bad, of course, but when life presents an opportunity to redefine things for yourself, it is a gift that should not be overlooked.

People in other countries think it’s ok to eat dogs or cats; something most of us in the U.S. would definitely frown upon. How much of your food choices are conditioned based on culture? How much do we know about how our food is produced? Taking the time to reflect on my choices led me down a path to become vegan. It’s a decision I’ve never regretted; not even when I’m passing by foods I used to love, like pizza!

Q6: On What is Hot. Share people, brands, books and more that you like to rave about.

Marly: Well, I would be remiss not to say that I love Lunch Box Bunch and Finding Vegan. Those are two wonderful resources for anyone venturing into vegan eating, whether part- or full-time. I also highly recommend Kathy Freston's books for anyone who is thinking about veganism but who is not entirely certain. If you would like to see the evidence-side of veganism, then John Robbins’ book Diet for a New America is a great read.

Jane Goodall’s books Reason for Hope and Harvest for Hope are well-written, thoughtful books about the environment, respecting animals, and how our life choices impact that. They have both been a great source of inspiration in my life.

Q7: Soapbox! Go for it ...Soapbox away...

Marly: You’re so right. This reminds me of a line from the Indigo Girls song, “Mystery” where they sing, “There must be a thousand things you would die for, I can hardly think of two.” I’m in the thousand-things category. But if you asked me to pick just one, it would be finding a way to be healthy as part of a real life. To me that means, finding new ways to add healthy options to my every-day life. Sometimes that might mean adding chickpeas to my latest cake so it has some healthy fiber or playing tennis with my hubby in the evening to have fun while working out. It doesn’t mean living on a pristine island of health, although that does sound nice.

It’s just that for me, that’s not possible. I can’t afford to pay $300 a day on “pristine” diet food or go to expensive spas on a regular basis. This is why my tag line is “where health meats life,” because I strive to find and share with my readers ways to take steps – big or small – to be healthy every day. And if you can make today a little healthier than yesterday, hurrah!

Q8: What upcoming projects are you working on? Please share!

Marly: This year I partnered with Arrowhead Mills to create gluten-free recipes. I was thrilled to be a part of that project because I really respect their brand. I’m also expanding my blog to include more green-living tips and healthy living posts, in addition to vegan recipes and interviews with people of interest. I’m also working on an e-book called 101 Things to Do with Chickpeas based on a series I’ve had going on my blog. I consider my life a continuous path of self-improvement and learning so I’m also inspired to expand my cooking and photography skills and to participate in some vegan cooking videos this year as well.

Q9. Smoothie love! I would love to hear about YOUR favorite smoothie recipe..

Marly: I love smoothies in just about any variety they come in. I’ve recently discovered Vega protein powder packets, which means my go-to smoothie right now combines a little sweet and a little healthy with the staying power of protein. Check out my Vegan Banana Protein Shake.

Q10. Do you think veganism is the diet of the future? Why?

Marly: It used to be I had to explain veganism to people as they looked at me like I might be trying to explain how to grow crops on Mars. But things are starting to change. You can hardly go anywhere lately without hearing something about veganism. So, yes, definitely veganism is the diet of the future – both for the health of the people, animals and the environment. It’s a movement I’m proud to be a part of!

Follow Marly!..
NamelyMarly blog
On Twitter
On Facebook

Be sure to read all this year's VGP interviews coming up. VGP 2013-14

VGP kickoff: Cookbook Interview Chloe Coscarelli
Simone Reyes, of Running Russell Simmons / Animal Advocate
Doron Petersan, of Sticky Fingers Bakery
Angela Liddon, of Oh She Glows website
Elizabeth Castoria, Editorial Director VegNews Magazine
Katie Higgins, of Chocolate Covered Katie
Laura Beck, of Vegansaurus and more / writer
Emily Von Euw, of This Rawsome Life website
Marly McMillen, of Namely Marly website
Sara Sohn, of Sweet & Sara Vegan Marshmallows

*all photos were provided courtesy of Namely Marly

Lucky Charmless Vanilla-Green Tea Latte Granola

March 10, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 35 Comments

Granola isn't usually too surprising in flavor and texture. Some spice, lotsa crunch, plenty of nuttiness and richness from the baking (or dehydrating) process. But this granola feels different to me and I get excited just writing about it. This crunchy granola is so easy to make and carries a unique flavor profile from earthy-sweet matcha green tea, vanilla and nutty, buttery pumpkin seeds. And to me, these flavors actually taste very familiar. Like a cereal from my childhood even. And yes, there is a whole story behind why I say that. Check out my Lucky Charmless Vanilla-Green Tea Latte Granola! Perfect for springtime crunching in the morning!..

So you will think I am nuts at first glance. But I am telling you, this is my vegan version of Lucky Charms cereal. Ya, I know. There are no rainbow colors. No fluffy marshmallows. Not charms at all even. But close your eyes, take one bite and see what I mean. (Well, imagine much much less sugar too..) Here is how I came to this recipe and cereal revelation..

Backstory. Every time I order a matcha latte from Starbucks or Urth Caffe or Peets they usually use vanilla flavored soymilk, or sometimes I add vanilla syrup. But every time I sip my matcha-with-a-hint-of-vanilla latte I have the weird flavor memory of Lucky Charms cereal milk. Slightly nutty, but mostly sweet and creamy. It is odd, really, but the next time you sip your sweetened matcha latte at least consider this taste connection. I am curious, is it just me?? 🙂

Anyways, so this lead me to think that vanilla-sweetened matcha, all creamy and lovely, resembles Lucky Charms. So, I decided to make it into a cereal. But instead of processed grains and such I just went all whole foods on it and did granola.

Best part: This recipe is SO simple. Oh and totally healthy since it contains whole grain rolled oats and whole, raw pumpkin seeds - rich in a plethora of minerals like magnesium and healthy fats too.

This bowl, I totally love it. I let it sit and soak at least ten minutes before eating so it has a soft-meets-crunchy texture.

It is my very healthy version of kids cereal 🙂

And the green color is perfect for spring eating! Wake up to matcha in your bowl!..

Lucky Charmless Vanilla-Green Tea Latte Granola
5 servings, about 4 cups

2 ½ cups rolled oats
1 ½ cups raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds (whole and some chopped)
¼ - ⅓ cup agave syrup (sweeten to taste if desired)
¾ - 1 teaspoon matcha green tea
1 ½ - 2 tablespoon melted extra virgin coconut oil
½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder (or use a vanilla bean pod or real vanilla extract)
*I bought my Vanilla Bean Powder from OneLuckyDuck.com
a few pinches of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon pink salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss very well.
3. Spread the tossed granola on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet - a rimmed baking sheet is easiest for tossing granola.
4. Bake granola for 25-35 minutes, tossing it every ten minutes. (Or bake until toasted and lightly browned.) The granola will firm up a bit as it cools because of the coconut oil.
5. Allow the granola to cool at least 15 minutes before serving or transferring to storage jars or baggies.
Serve as cold cereal, over top smoothies, parfaits and more! You could even soak overnight for overnight oats.

Black & Beet Mushroom-Walnut Veggie Burgers

March 6, 2014 by Kathy Patalsky 54 Comments

This oversized, thick and bold veggie burger is perfect for anyone who craves a burger bash! Bring on the burger toppings, my Black & Beet Mushroom-Walnut Veggie Burgers recipe ahead..

before baking..

pink plump patties..

Baked into this..

And this..

Burger bash is on..

Last week I went to an awesome baby shower. It was a rainy, stormy, cloud-covered, grey day. The type of day where all you really want to do is curl up under a blankie and sip hot cocoa while watching old movies. But also the type of day that makes going out, venturing into the mess of bad weather a sort of challenge, making the destination somewhat magical once you get there. And it was. Being inside a warm and cheerful home filled with loads of friendly faces was perfection. Now this wasn't your typical, throw all the guys out so all the girls can get high on estrogen and gush at the sight of tiny pink baby clothes and the sweet mommy bump. Sure that all kinda happened anyways, but the guys (and puppy dogs) balanced things out quite nicely. See, this was a "beer & burgers" BBQ style baby shower. Totally guy approved. However, not vegan approved. Which was totally fine by me, I was perfectly happy sipping mugs of almond-milk infused hot lemon-Zen tea and nibbling veggie sticks, hummus and crackers. But the burgers were everywhere and everyone had a burger-filled plate. It was hard to ignore the sight of them, really. So I had to stare a bit and ponder one thing..

HOW COULD I MAKE THESE EXACT PLUMP, BLACK-N-PINK, JUICY BURGERS IN A VEGAN VERSION?

You know me. Always secretly veganizing. I see a food that people WANT and I want to stand up and shout, oh my goodness I could TOTALLY veganize that for you if you give me a shot! But obviously I'm not THAT kind of girl at a baby shower. So I quietly ignored the featured entree and prepared to veganize for my next veggie burger feast.

I noticed that the burgers had black spots from the charcoal BBQ-ing, they were textured and bumpy and the tones ranged from black to purple to brown and pink and red. OK, ok sorry hard core vegans, I do not mean to get so meat-detailed but this is important!

Why?

Well if VEGAN burgers could easily sit next to non-vegan burgers and not only rival them in flavor (easy) but truly rival them in appearance, well that is a great thing! So this BBQ inspired me to create a veggie burger that was not only delish, but also looked a bit like those non-vegan burgers.

I call this creation "The Contender" aka my Black & Beet Mushroom-Walnut Veggie Burgers. These plant-based babes could easily be placed in the ring with any beef-y burger.

These burgers contain a few black ingredients to give the burger appearance some depth. Black rice and black beans. I find that pink beet burgers do not usually have the tone and color contrast to look like a classic non-vegan burger, so the black helps there.

Oh, and I know some vegans hate it when bloggers try and create VEGAN recipes that LOOK LIKE MEAT. And I am normally not a big fan of that idea either. BUT the whole point of this is that I wanted to create something that I could actually set on a party table right next to the meat option and maybe someone would be so interested by the similarities of the two, they just might give the vegan version a try. And the best part about this burger is that it is made using WHOLE foods. No processed soy or TVP. Just whole, good, healthy ingredients like beans, walnuts, rice, seeds, spices. So dive in or serve up a platter of these burgers at your next burger bash.

Black & Beet Mushroom-Walnut Veggie Burgers
vegan, makes 3-4 fat & large burgers (or 4-6 smaller burgers)

1 ¼ cups canned black beans, drained, rinsed & mashed
1 cup cooked black rice, (½ cup uncooked)
¼ cup raw beets, grated on a microplane
1 ¼ cups fresh shiitake mushrooms. processed until crumbly, thick stems removed
½ - ¾ cup walnuts, processed until fine and crumbly
1 teaspoon smoky spanish paprika
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
a few pinches of pepper
flax liquid: 1 ½ tablespoon veggie broth + 1 ½ teaspoon ground flax seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease the pan. I use coconut oil.
2. You can do this step beforehand for easiest prep: cook black rice. I use about ½ cup of rice and 1 cup of water or veggie broth. Add a pinch of salt if using water. Cover with lid and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for about 25-35 minutes or until rice is tender. Check on the rice about 20 minutes into cooking and add another splash of water if you the rice looks a bit too dry.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the rinsed beans. Mash them well with a fork.
4. In a blender or food processor, process the walnuts until they are crumbly and powdery. Add them to the mixing bowl.
5. Process the shiitake mushrooms the same way you did the walnuts, only the mushrooms with just be very crumbly, not powdery. Add them to the mixing bowl.
6. Add the cooked rice, beets, spices and all other ingredients for the veggie burgers to the mixing bowl. Start mashing with a fork and fold for about 5 minutes. You really want a very mashed and thick consistency.
7. You should be able to directly handle the mixture and form into patties. If the mixture is too wet you can either fold in a bit more walnuts, a spoonful of oat flour or you can place the mixture in the fridge to chill up a bit. If the mixture is too thick for your tastes, you can add in a tiny splash of veggie broth, until it thins out a bit.
8. Form patties and place on the baking sheet.
9. Spray or brush the tops of the patties with coconut oil or EVOO. (optional - adds a nice crispness to the tops.)
10. Bake patties at 375 for 25 minutes. Cool a bit before transferring to buns. Serve with any burger toppings you'd like!